If I could only ACQUIRE some time!

Greetings!

Nice Gaming up at Camp Greenwood over the weekend. The casual gamer crowd greatly enjoyed Bhonanza, For Sale, and BANG! The gaming geeks got a couple games of standard Settlers of Catan in, with some impressive wins in close games. Fun was had by all!


I had good fortune to play Acquire over the weekend as well. A highly rated game at the geek, and a old standard, so I hear. The camp director gave me the camp copy that had never been played. Probably has been sitting there for years.

It's even Game #5 at the geek, and currently ranked #56.

Now check this out:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=gleemaxgames

They have:

• Acquire
• Robo Rally
• Axis and Allies
• Vegas Showdown
• Guillotine

They are currently in Alpha testing, but I read that the games are solid.

So, we should be playing these while it's still free.

Anyone up for some new games online?

Unfortunately, I will be studying for my Cisco certification exam that is on Thursday this week, so I'm afraid you will have to count me out for yet another week. Then, this weekend, I'm off to Brooklyn for a few days, flying back next Wednesday night.

Just when will I be back!?!

Who knows... Ask me after my my test is done. That's all I can think about!

Happy Birthday VBGG - Reflections

Happy 1st Birthday VBGG!

It's been just over one year since we started the Virtual Board Game Group. I would like to thank my gaming friends for the fun week in and week out at our regular sessions. It's been great!



In my reflection, I found myself telling our story. The Podcast, the DiceTower has been having a bit of a discussion about online board gaming. I had to give my two cents. Here's what I said:

Howdy -

I'm a long time listener to the Dice Tower. New to the forums, however!

I thought I would chime in on the current ongoing discussion of Online Gaming, and how it does (or doesn't) support the hobby of Board Gaming.

Online boardgames emulate table-top games very well, except in one regard. As Tom has attested to, the socialization component does not make the transition from the table top to the PC well.

Online gaming does have an advantage, however. It is convenient. There are always games starting and opponents to play against. As a working parent, finding time during the week to game with friends is neigh impossible!

So it's a double-whammy. Socialization mechanisms are lacking in online board gaming and people want quick, convenient, games. Well, that's not a good way to emulate table-top gaming!

My board game group wanted to try to match the table top gaming experience a little closer. We wanted to play with friends. We wanted to chat between turns. We wanted to smack-talk. Yet we wanted the convenience of being able to play during the week, when there was no time to get together face to face.

Enter the VBGG. A year ago I formed an arm of our small gaming group, and called it the Virtual Board Game Group (VBGG). We have played almost every week since it's inception. I believe our success lies in the efforts to promote socialization. Here's what we did:

* Meet once a week, after all kids are put to bed, and chores are done.
* Strictly end gaming at a certain time, as people have work the next morning
* Use Skype to allow voice communications between players
* Blog all activity as an archive, and information tool

This formula has allowed us to not only get a lot more gaming in, but also maintain friendships. We add socialization to Online Gaming, and convenience to our gaming hobby.

Feel free to check out the VBGG Blog at:

http://vbgg.blogspot.com

I'll post a copy of this note over there, as my group will find it interesting as well. Feel free to leave a comment.

Cheers!

- Kayakpete

Thanks to you all for the good fun AND friendship over the past year. I look forward to the next, as we continue to have fun at the VBGG.

VBGG Brettspielwelt How-To

Everyone knows that Brettspielwelt can be a bit overwhelming. The user interface isn't exactly friendly! Here's a quick guilde on how to make your BSW experience just a little better

The Setup:

Register -

It's worth it to register for the BSW. Then your statistics are tracked. If you have two gamers in the same house at the same time, then you MUST be registered.

Click here to Register at Brettspielwelt

Download the Client -

Yes, yes, you can simply go to BSW and play, but you are risking java wackyness! You are much better off downloading the BSW client that has a java virtual machine built in. Here's how to do it.

• Click here to download the client.
  
• Install it
• Download Pete's Prop File
• Move it to C:\Program Files\BrettspielWelt and replace the old (german) brettspielwelt.prop file
• Start your new BSW client (in your start menu)

Note! You should do this BEFORE VBGG game night. The client will connect and update itself. This can take some time!

Once you are in, you need to make a minor toolbar change:

* right-click on the blank part of the toolbar, next to the ? help menu option
* Select configure
* In the right blue box, select Menu
* Click the blue left arrow to move the menu option to your toolbar.
* Click OK
* type /save on the chat line at the bottom of the window

See the Config Tool Help Page for details

If you don't see the bottom chat window, resize your window to be a to be more narrow and more tall. you will see it.

You are now ready to Play!

BSW Navigation Tricks:

Click Menu, select VBGG, and select the option you want, or use the following

Commands:

/ghook (user) - move to the game table that user is in
/join - join a game
/start - start a game
/reset - reset a game before start
/remove (user) - Remove user from game
/masterreset - reset a started game

Here's a full command list

What was that horrible sounds? What are these chat boxes?

Yeah, turn them off. Click on Channels menu option and uncheck SPV_EN and SPV (QP-F). They are good for meeting other people to play with, but not for the VBGG.


Where can I see my BSW statistics

Check out the site

BrikMechWar

Overview

Brik Mech War (BMW) is a miniature battle game, with the minis created out of Legos! The game is designed for easy play, specifically by young lego builders in the 6-10 year old range. The theme of the game revolves around Mechs (Mechwarriors)doing battle. While this the theme has already been ported to a lego platform in a game called Mechaton, I wanted to design a game that was a little simpler, and required less dice. We also wanted to work with my son and nephew, taking into account their ideas.

Check out the BrikMechWar Rules!

Bart's Settlers of Catan Strategy

Tips and Tricks on Catan Strategy from Bart, lifted from an email March, 2006 -

Initial placement pointers

1. Review board for scarce resources think about grab them, especially if they are wheat or ore. (if you are the only one with wheat you can name your price)

2. If possible don't start without wheat, everything but roads needs wheat. You need at least a little bit of this or if you can't get that then build to a good port to trade for it.

3. Don't place on edges or deserts unless there is no place else, even if there is a port on it. Getting resources on 3 numbers at the beginning of game is way better then being able to
trade 3 for 1. But if you have to play on an edge try to get a port.

4. Try to balance out the numbers you will get resources on. If you build both settlements on 8s you will be in a feast or famine situation. either the dice will kill you or you will get a ton of resource and then get burned by a 7. Try to get it so you get something on a 8,6,5,9 and you will be sitting good.

5. Try to have 4 out of the 5 resource types on initial placement even if some of the numbers are bad.

6. Don't try to place one settlement in the sheep field (3 sheep resource) and then grab the sheep port (same goes for other resources, sheep just an example) I used to love doing this, but it doesn't work. You end up scaring everyone so you get the robber and you end up having to pay double resources for everything (instead of one wood and one clay you pay 4 sheep)

7. If you are placing last, make sure to keep in mind that first one is a settlement, second is a city, think about which resources you want on the city. Also remember that your second placement get the three resources around it. Getting something like a wood, clay, and sheep is big because you almost have your next settlement or you can build a road. This can give you a quick jump in the game.

8. Look at the 6s and 8s first for placement but also look at the 9s and 5s. Sometimes they are better placements then the 8s and 6s plus they don't get burned by the robber as much.

Strategies

There are basically two strategies that I follow. Which one you follow depends on your init placement. I also don't play with seafares much so adding ships to the mix probably changes this.

If map is weak on ore or wheat, or your init placement makes you weak on this then you are stuck going for a lot of settlements and lr strategy. Try to make your last settlement placement on wood and clay that gives you an extra road on turn 1 or 1/2 your next settlement. Don't race for longest road just make sure you are only 1 or 2 roads from taking it. Make sure you are building settlement along the way, 2 roads then settlement, 2 roads then settlement. This strategy is hard to win with, only good if you are the only one with clay or wood, or it the map has no Wheat or Ore. When you are placing roads try to box in other people if possible and make sure you are not getting boxed in.

If you are strong in wheat and ore with some sheep then you can go for a city/vic point/largest Army win. You are shooting for 4 cities and either largest army or 2 victory points. After placing your settlements concentrate on first getting them turned into cities. Then build two more settlements and then focus on buying cards and getting them turned into cities. Must have strong placement in wheat and rock with decent sheep for this. If you do then you don't even need wood or clay. (This is the strategy you should have gone for last time we played on line, You are totally rocking in ore and wheat and sheep. I thought you had the best placement on the board when we started, but you did a sort of longest road and settlement, my mind is on drugs strategy and used your ore port to trade in all your ore when you should have been building cities and building cards)

Trading

WATCH WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING!!!!! Don't just trade quickly, put thought into it. If you are going for longest road strategy, don't trade wood and clay to some who is playing the same strategy. Don't trade anything to someone you are trying to beat to a settlement placement. Always ask 'what is he going to do with that?' before you trade with him.

Don't trade with anyone on their turn during the first 2 rounds unless it enables you to build a settlement or city on your next turn. Most trades in the first 2 turns are people trying to get there 3rd settlement. If you let someone else get the jump on you with an extra settlement or city upgrade in the first 3 turns it can kill you.

Never, never ,never trade with the leader who has over 6 points. Think very hard about trading to anyone else once they have over 6 points. It is really easy for them to build something then nab lr or play 2 vic points to win the game.

Really good players only trade when they get something really good and don't give someone else to much. Newbies trade all the time without much thought.


Misc

Next game I will help you, give me a chance to tell you to back a move out, or go ahead and ask me if that is a good or bad move.

Always review the skill of the players and burn or screw over the most skilled players during the start of the game.

When figuring out who has the most points in the game, count every unused dev card as a point or a possible largest army.

Robber placement. Always look at the leader as the victim first, but also keep in mind the resources you need and what the victim might have. If you are dying for clay and someone has a city on clay, you might get one. Also if you did not manage to balance the numbers burn the numbers you don't have, (if you are on 8s, put it on a 6). Also keep in mind the resource you are closing. At the beginning of the game clay and wood are good to close off to others because roads and settlements need that. Later in the game, wheat and ore are good to stop cities and dev cards.

Always keep an eye on what the other people are doing. With the on-line game it is to easy to forget about everyone else and only look at your cities, settlements and cards. Watch the other people play there turn, watch were they build, figure out the strategy they are using, if at the start of your turn you can't say what everyone else did since there last turn review the log (I always have to do this for Pete cause he plays so damn fast)