Seattle Cosmic Game Night, Saturday, 17 April 2004

Trading and Traveling at Ben's

Present were Ben_Sklar? (host); Ryan_Eyer? and Emily_Miller?; Nathan_Feuerborn?; Timothy_Higgins?; John_Reiher?; Dave Wadkins and Jenny Wadkins; Jason_Kirschten?; Jay_Lorch? and Michelle_Teague?; Steve_Dupree? and Nat_Dupree?; David_Adams? and kids; Marty_Hale-Evans? and Ron_Hale-Evans?, for a total of 16 people, not including kids.

--Ron_Hale-Evans?

Starship Catan

Game: Starship_Catan?
Location: ?
Time: 17:00-18:15
Winner: Ben_Sklar?
Prize: ?

Scores

What happened during this game?

Comments from the players?

--Ron_Hale-Evans?

Ticket to Ride

Game: Ticket_to_Ride?
Location: dining room
Time: 17:15-18:20
Winner: Emily
Prize: ?

Scores

What happened during this game?

Comments from the players?

--Ron_Hale-Evans?

I zig-zagged around the east coast, and ended up being one train short for connecting to Portland. Even if I had made it, Emily got 6 Tickets and made them all, crushing the rest of us.

--Steve_Dupree?

Puerto Rico

Game: Puerto_Rico?
Players: Nat_Dupree?, Jay_Lorch?, Dave, Jenny
Location: living room
Time: 18:15-19:20
Winner: Nat_Dupree?
Prize: ?

What happened during this game?

Comments from the players?

--Ron_Hale-Evans?

Industrial Waste

Game: Industrial_Waste?
Location: ?
Time: 18:30-19:15
Winner: Jason_Kirschten?
Prize: ?

Scores

What happened during this game?

Comments from the players?

--Ron_Hale-Evans?

Oasis

Game: Oasis?
Location: dining room
Time: 18:30-19:20
Winner: Steve_Dupree?
Prize: ?

Scores

I won, but I'm still not sure I like this game too much. Part of the reason I won was that once or twice, even though I was the 5th to choose I got to pick up a camel multiplier. There's too much randomness in this game for me, in the way things play out during choosing and also in the fact that some cards can be vastly better than other cards - even if you turn over 3 cards trying to get the #1 player's attention, you could end up throwing away a bunch of cards for nothing if you don't get lucky. In the other games I played where I lost, I kept getting stuck yo-yoing between 4th and 5th place, which is quite frustrating.

--Steve_Dupree?

I had a secret agenda this game and that what to get into last place. The other players my not have realized that this game what such a sucess for me in that sense...ok i am full of it and i really have much to learn on this game. I think i need to be more agressive getting the first place more often and snagging the "extra cards card" when i can to remain strong.

--Nathan_Feuerborn?

Amun Re

Game: Amun_Re?
Location: living room
Time: 19:20ish-???
Winner: Nat_Dupree?
Prize: ?

Scores

What happened during this game?

Comments from the players?

--Ron_Hale-Evans?

Sarcophagus (piecepack)

Game: Sarcophagus? (piecepack)
Location: hallway
Time: 19:20-20:35
Winner: Ron_Hale-Evans?
Prize: Brawl? deck

Scores

What happened during this game?

Comments from the players?

--Ron_Hale-Evans?

La Citta

Game: La_Citta?
Location: dining room
Time: 19:30ish-21:00ish
Winner: Marty_Hale-Evans?
Prize: ?

Scores

I haven't played La Citta with three players in quite a long time, so I didn't remember whether it was as good as with four players, but I was pleasantly surprised. It plays pretty well, especially if everyone has some idea what they're doing. In any case, I managed to avoid the drastic mistake I made a few weeks ago that caused my game to collapse midway through, resulting in the lowest score recorded by this club, -2. I feel this win restores my La Citta ascendancy, or at least respectability, although Dave and Tim seem to keep finding ways to undermine my victory and Mer insists that she would have beaten me if only she'd been there. To which I can only reply: shoulda coulda woulda, and the numbers speak for themselves, so nyeh. :->

--Marty_Hale-Evans?

Puerto Rico

Game: Puerto_Rico?
Location: ?
Time: 19:30-20:15
Winner: John_Reiher?
Prize: little monster guy

Scores

What happened during this game?

Comments from the players?

--Ron_Hale-Evans?

IceTraders? (Icehouse)

Game: IceTraders? (Icehouse)
Location: dining room
Time: 21:00-21:30
Winner: Emily
Prize: declined

Scores

What happened during this game?

Comments from the players?

--Ron_Hale-Evans?

Acquire

Game: Acquire
Location: dining room
Time: 21:00-22:15
Winner: David_Adams?
Prize: ?

Scores

This game was my first of Acquire and I really need to play some more! I want to thank all those who played with me and help me to learn it and being cool about my newbie questions and mistakes.

--Nathan_Feuerborn?

Always a pleasure to teach a classic, Nathan! The newbie questions and mistakes are much easier to be cool about than being so roundly trounced. :-P Then again, this has never been one of my best games, and I guess it's a testimony to either the greatness of the game or the greatness of my suckerdom that I keep playing it. In any case, I'm glad you had a good time, and I'd be happy to let you beat me again sometime.

--Marty_Hale-Evans?

Expedition

Game: Expedition
Players: Ben_Sklar?, John_Reiher?, Steve_Dupree?, Natalie (Dave Adams's kid)
Location: dining room
Time: 22:05-23:20
Winner: Steve Dupree
Prize: ?

Scores

What happened during this game?

Comments from the players?

--Ron_Hale-Evans?

Ben pulled a sneaky move where he pointed an expedition in such a way that it had no choice but to move through one of his spots. (I tried to do the same thing the next day in a 3-player game, moving not just one but two of the three expeditions to a similar setup, but the other players absolutely refused to finish it for me). Coupons flew about like crazed card-sized molecules under heat. At one point, I had 6 coupons and everyone else had zero. The flexibility this gave me, coupled with the extra experience I had at the game, was enough to win.

--Steve_Dupree?

Ticket to Ride

Game: Ticket_to_Ride?
Location: dining room
Time: 22:20-00:10
Winner: Nathan_Feuerborn?
Prize: ?

Scores

My first game of TtR? and i was graced by having 8 tickets which I managed to connect. I think that I will try to get many tickets next time too! Thanks for the game all

--Nathan_Feuerborn?

Still trying to decide whether I like this game or not. I think I do, and I'd be willing to give it another try. It did seem a little slow to me, but that may have been the lateness of the hour or the fact that Ron's attention kept drifting and halting play. ;-> Also, I have to figure out the whole thing of balancing getting more tickets to score with and possibly drawing horrible and impossible tickets late in the game that torpedo the score you've worked on.

--Marty_Hale-Evans?

I increasingly believe that the key strategy of this game is drawing good tickets. In all the games I've played, the player who draws 5 or 6 tickets that work together and connects all of them is the player that wins. There's still plenty other stuff to the game, for instance claiming key segments before someone else does etc. But they don't call it "Ticket to Ride" for nothing.

Perhaps, as our play matures for this game for us as a group, blocking moves will become more prevalent?

--Steve_Dupree?

Queen's Necklace

Game: Queen's Necklace
Players: Nat_Dupree?, Ryan, Emily
Location: living room
Time: 10:30-11:30
Winner: Emily
Prize: ?

Scores

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Comments from the players?

--Ron_Hale-Evans?

Medici

Game: Medici
Players: Ben_Sklar?, Steve_Dupree?, Nat_Dupree?, John_Reiher?, Ryan, Emily
Location: living room
Time: 11:30-12:30
Winner: Steve D
Prize: ?

Scores

What happened during this game?

Comments from the players?

--Ron_Hale-Evans?

The bidding was pretty crazy in this game. During the last round I got the gold and a 5 card for 1 point (because I was turning and I was the only one with 2 open spots left), although even if I hadn't gotten so outrageously lucky on that particular lot I was far enough ahead to win.

--Steve_Dupree?

Afterword

Remember, Seattle Cosmic Game Night occurs every weekend, in one of a number of Seattle-area locations. Come play for fun and FABULOUS PRIZES from the PrizeBag! Email Ron Hale-Evans for a full schedule and directions. If you come, please bring a snack or drink to share (cookies, chips, soda, juice, etc.)

Supporting Seattle Cosmic and Games to the Rescue

GamesToTheRescue is a philanthropic project of the Center for Ludic Synergy and Seattle Cosmic Game Night. The aim of the project is to provide game equipment and a book of game rules to hospitals, for use by patients and visitors. You can support GamesToTheRescue by buying games via our Funagain affiliate program, buying Seattle Cosmic Gear, and in a number of other ways. See the GamesToTheRescue page for more details.

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