Me, Me, Me--A Self-Reflective View of Games

[Patrick]

I'm gonna talk about me here, but please feel free to talk about you
instead. Chances are, you're much more interesting to you. :-)

Over at www.boardgamegeek.com, I've been revisiting my top-10 list of
games and reconsidering my collection of owned or previously owned
games. And a few random thoughts occurred to me:

1. There are some games I admire so much that I automatically rate
them highly, even if I almost never play them. For example, checkers,
nine men's morris, shogi, xiangqi, and go-moku. If I rarely play
them, it's because they're tough games and require more mental work
than I'm willing to devote to them. Also (as with most games) because
I don't know anyone who'd play, so I'd end up playing only on the
computer. Yet I can't write off chess or backgammon, because I always
come back to those, one way or another, even if it's only via a book
or computer game. Nor have I given up on go, which I might very well
nominate for the title of Best Game in the World.

2. When I ask myself which games I've gotten the most enjoyment out
of over the years, wargames come to the fore. Advanced Squad Leader
(ASL) is at the top of that list--even though I sold all my ASL stuff
at the end of the last century and will probably never play the game
again. I'm also very reluctant to buy any new wargames, mainly
because they all seem too big or complicated to me. I've toyed with a
few especially small, light ones recently--but I'm not at all sure
I'll ever recapture the old wargaming joy that way. A wargame
apparently has to be big or complicated in order to have that
"wargamey" feel.

3. Reflecting on board and card games I've played with other people,
I remember some pretty good times: playing Anagrams with my dad
(because he said it was a better game than Scrabble), playing Monopoly
or Careers with the family, learning Stratego from a friend, playing
rummy with other friends or family, and so on. Then, fifteen years or
so ago, playing Advanced Civilization, Merchant of Venus, Dune, and
History of the World with friends, until Settlers of Catan came along
and fit better (but only for a short time, till people moved away).
And in recent years, playing various two-player games with my wife.
All fine times, but I wouldn't list any of these games among my
favorites. Basically, I only agreed to those games in order to get
together with the people. I never got the deep gaming satisfaction
from any of those games that I used to get from wargames--or that I
might get from chess or go if I applied myself.

4. A problem I've had with games all my life is the need for other
players. Growing up, it was always a bit of a chore to talk others
into playing a game; and if I succeeded, I had to put up with other
personalities and paces and styles of play which sometimes rubbed me
the wrong way. When I discovered solitaire (patience), at first I
thought it'd suit me perfectly; but it turned out I didn't like such
"puzzle games" much. Years later, when the home computer came along,
I thought I was in heaven: now I'd get to play all the games I'd
always wanted to--anytime, as often as I liked, without having to ask
anyone to play. But it turned out to be another mixed blessing:
among the downsides were hidden documentation, the need to scroll
around on the screen, predictable or non-adjustable AI, and my general
dislike for electronic gadgets. Ideally, I guess I'd like to be
surrounded by "soul mates"--people who like games as much as I do,
like the same games, and enjoy them in just the same way, at the same
pace. Here in the real world, though, I always have to compromise in
some way or other. Playing solitaire or against a computer AI isn't
much better or worse than playing against people whose tastes or
styles are markedly different from mine.

5. A peculiar joy I've found is *preparing* to play a game with
others. Games need to be learned before they can be played, and most
people don't like learning games from printed rules. So, if I read
the rules and play a practice game or two by myself, I'm in the
position of being able to teach the game to others. Right now I'm
doing that with Pandemic, a new cooperative game. By the time I've
played one or two more practice games solitaire, I'll be ready to
teach it to my wife or someone else. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying the
process of just getting the hang of the game. Thinking back, I used
to do the same thing with wargames: I'd buy one I was interested in,
then set it up and play at it solitaire with the idea (in the back of
my mind) of teaching it to someone someday. I can only think of two
or three times when I actually did end up teaching it to someone, but
it was always a possibility. In the case of Squad Leader and ASL, I
spent about fifteen years preparing to teach the game to someone--but
never did. Had a lot of fun preparing, though.

The next gaming venture I have in store for myself is a solo adventure
game. I just ordered Runebound (Second Edition), which sounds like
something I might enjoy whiling away a couple hours at now and then.
Might later be able to get my wife to play (she's been much more into
fantasy-fiction than I have anyway). But in any case, there's
apparently enough detail and challenge to this game to maybe capture
my interest and hold it awhile. We'll see.

--Patrick

[Sukunai]

I likely mention Steel Panthers as if it was perfect, but in fact I
can claim to have never once had anything nice to say about the AI.
Playing the AI in a 'Battle' is similar to playing against a 6 year
old school girl. Oh great you beat her again, feel proud?
Playing the AI in a Long Battle is almost similar to raping the little
girl. Because after the first few missions, you've likely got an
idiotic advantage on her.
If not for the Mega Campaigns which are significantly more challenging
(even if the AI is the same), I doubt I could play the game other than
hotseat mode me vs me.

Games I have gotten the most fun out of, require a human opponent.
It's the banter while playing, it's not the game, it's the banter
while playing.
Hah! you suck, hooooow did you bugger that attack up really? You
couldn't roll a victory to save your soul.
Face my godless hordes nazi pig! (I often played Russian to my buddies
Germans in a lot of games).

My most worn most played games have no real solitaire value. Sure I
can play Rommel in the Desert (Columbia Games block game) solo, but it
would suck and not be proper as it is designed with stealth and bluff
designed into the balance. And there isn't much fun in a game of Up
Front solo.

Comes back to the crude analogy, no manner of porn is going to be
'great' enough that it will make masturbating better than actually
having sex with a real human.

Times change, conditions change, and accepting truths usually takes
time, but usually happens eventually.
My 'buddy' has not had any interest in me for 9 years. All because of
some meaningless comment I mentioned at a Cub scout meeting that I
have long lost to the passage of time. I 'think' I said something to a
mother's kid, and he just happens to be living with the woman now (and
that is a lkong shot guess). No buddy means the ONLY guy I ever
wargamed with seriously for more than 20 years is gone.
Not that it matters, he's likely not got the time any more. I barely
do myself.

I noticed recently that my eyes have trouble seeing the details on ASL
counters. Only friggin board game I refuse to sell, and I can barely
see the pieces :)

I often said I would never sell a game. I was and I still am a cheap
bugger :)
But I have indeed over recent years realized some wargames were doomed
to NOT get played at all. I am NOT about to have a mansion fall into
my lap.
I got over the truth, and gave some of my stash away.

Much as people like to laud computers as the saviours of wargames, I
think they are mainly idiots that are easily talked into playing AIs
with the minds of 6 year old girls.
A computer wargame doesn't get covered in dust while it is played over
several months. So what, I can't see the whole damn board in a glance
on a computer either, and that bugs the hell out of me.
My computer wargames are immune to cats and other family members who
are clueless clumsy or both. So what, my computer wargames are often
rendered junk by the progress of computer technology. What do you mean
it won't run now?
My computer wargame allows me to play it without a human opponent.
Yeah right, and you likely wouldn't mind taking a 6 year old girl out
dancing just so you weren't alone.

We tend to make a lot of a game's stengths, but it is a rare person
that can willingly confront a games weaknesses and not pretend they
are not there.

I generally play a lot more role games than wargames, because they can
be tailored to more types of people which means I get to end up
playing the game, WITH people more so than with wargames.

[Patrick]

On Jan 31, 10:49 am, Sukunai <sukunai.ni.y...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Games I have gotten the most fun out of, require a human opponent.
> It's the banter while playing, it's not the game, it's the banter

> while playing. . . .

For many people, that's definitely true. To some extent it's true for
me too. Interacting with people, while doing something fun and
structured, can be rewarding.

> Comes back to the crude analogy, no manner of porn is going to be
> 'great' enough that it will make masturbating better than actually
> having sex with a real human.

Well, that depends on who the other human is, doesn't it?

That's kinda my problem: I'd like to play games with someone else--IF
it was the right someone else. But I'm not inclined to go to www.meetup.com
and search for a local gaming club. In fact, I happen to know there
is such a club (at least one) I could join, and so far I haven't cared
to.

But I'm talking about board games in general, not wargames in
particular. It's tougher to find wargame opponents. Unless . . .

> Much as people like to laud computers as the saviours of wargames, I
> think they are mainly idiots that are easily talked into playing AIs

> with the minds of 6 year old girls. . . .

Have you tried VASSAL or Cyberboard or somesuch? Apparently lots of
wargamers play real wargames electronically these days. Even ASL and
Up Front and your other favorites.

Yeah, there's probably a downside. But you'd at least be interacting
(if only at a distance) with real wargamers over real games. Here's a
link to other links:
http://www.grognard.com/pbem.html

--Patrick