Re: [piecepack] Is Luck a four letter word?

[Eric Wald <groups@...>]

Electronicwaffle wrote:
> However. I think the question remains valid for our community, and is 
> inherent in what the piecepack is. 

No, this is a valid question in any board game, not just the piecepack.

> This leads me to ask, would our group on the whole rather 
> enjoy "solving" a game, over "playing" a game? 
> 
> Is Luck welcomed or shunned in piecepack games? Does it at least have 
> some measured place in gaming? 

For my part, I need some luck in games.  Otherwise, I start settling
into analysis paralysis mode, and my opponents completely refuse to
play it again.  And once I have actually "solved" a game, it becomes
completely boring to me, and *I* refuse to play it again.

On the other hand, luckless games have their place in life, particularly
in tournaments.  Many of the old classics are pure information games,
where the whole point is to outthink your opponent.  That doesn't work
for my main play group, but I enjoy an occasional game of chess.  On the
extreme end of this is Diplomacy, where chance enters again through the
mechanic of simultaneous moves, instead of luck.

However, luck needs to be balanced with interesting play decisions.
A big dicefest might be worth one play, if it has a good theme, but
never again.  This is in fact a major characteristic of "German" or
"European" board games, as opposed to the major American offerings.
Compare Settlers or Carcasonne with Life or Candyland.

I haven't tested all of your games, but Epicenter worked well.

- Eric