When asked what the objective of Carcasonne was, Arnie suggested "To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women".

I asked him how he coped with such pressure during game play and he replied that it give him a headache. I suggested it might be a tumour. "It's not a TUMAA" he barked back.

I watched him masterfully play his game, anhihilating everyone around him. I suggested he play professionally. I offered him a contract and he said: "I live to see you eat that contract.But I hope you leave enough room for my fist, because I'm gonna ram it in your stomach and brake your goddam SPINE!! Aarrgh!"

At this point I ran. Ran far away to the island of Catan. Quite frankly, Arnie was scaring me.

The Chair

So I cam across this photo on t'internet t'other day. Not sure how, but I did. How awesome would it be to load it up with games? Then wheel yourself up to the table, ready to commence battle. This would probably be Prof. Charles Xavier's choice of gaming chair, should that eventuality ever arise. I wonder what his favourite game would be. Suggestions please.

The best games...

I was trying, the other night, to decide what the single best game I'd ever had was. The one which sprung to mind was a 4-player game of Settlers of Catan which was so close that we were all on 9 points for several rounds before someone finially clinched it. But why was this such a good game I thought?

I like Settlers, I like it a lot, but when questioned I often argue that it's heavily dependant on the luck of the dice. So why then was it possible to have such a thrilling game, should it not have been a bit like Snakes and Ladders?

The answer, I've decided, lies in the area of (excuse my language) fucking other people up: And this it the area where Catan excels, because when closely matched individualy play one another they can see the tipping points, they can see when one player gains an advantage. This means that whoever takes an early lead quickly gets attacked from all angles.

The areas of interaction are equally important: The game is simple enough in concept that you can keep a close eye on other player's strategies, this means that you know who to trade with and when, it means that you get good banter between players because you're not all wrapped-up in your own game and, crucially, it means that the end-point is obvious to everybodey both before and when it happens.

Catan, as any keen gamer will know, it ranked well below several significant non-dice games. It is my belief that people see these as more intelectual, more highly skilled games. This may be so but it doesn't mean that they are necessarily better games: For all the skill and variety of games like Agricola they are neither as fun nor as close as a truley great game of Catan. This, I believe, lies largely in the fact that you concentrate so hard on your own game that interaction between players and therefore a close, well fought game, becomes all but impossible.

I like all these games, but I think that developers of new games would do well to play a little Catan and remind themselves what can be truley blistering about a close, banter-filled game.

Reply to Christo

Thanks Christo. I think we're almost there with the rules now. I'm still gonna watch that video though. Do you know what the round counter is all about with the chap holding the cat?

2nd Game!

As KCLultimate states, it was an effort to get to the end of the first game. But aha! We played again this morning. I was satisfied to overcome my embarrasing score of -14 with my first go last night. I made it into positive figures (24 today!) and even manged to get some cows and an individual boar under me belt.
I think all 3 of us agree with the hopes and dreams of Slowballs, and the thoughts and feelings of KCL. However, my favourite part of our first game was when KCL took off his trousers because he was hot. There's something eerily wonderful about a grown man playing Agricola in his pants and tshirt with his trousers wrapped around his ankles.
So I'm off to a friend's house for dinner tonight. With the girlf. Should I teach him Power Grid (which me girlf already knows and loves) or teach them all Agricola? suggestions please.

This friend is called Dan. Now Dan and the 3 authors of this blog as well as another friend called Greenballs have got a gaming weekend planned in about a month's time. Isolated cottage and a keg of ale is all that will supplement the games. Dan and Greenballs need a rapid education and training session in Agricola, Peurto Rico and Power Grid. I even think Dan doesn't know how to play Carcassone. Can you believe that?!

My dream in life is not wealth, happiness, world peace or an end to famine. It's quitting my job and playing games for the rest of my life! Who's with me!?

Agricola - The First Game

Four and a half hours later we have the answer to these questions. On paper it doesn’t score every well.

1. Very little interaction between players. Much like Rico, the only interaction comes from getting in on a specific job first.

2. No bidding whatsoever.

3. Although ours wasn’t, I expect future games will be pretty close. The points you have aren’t explicit, and there seems to be a good relation between a diverse, aesthetically pleasing, full farm and points scored. Leading you to play not so much for the points, and more for the farm.

4. A unique aspect. There’s fuck a fuck load of occupation cards that add variety to the game, resulting in some great occupations such as ‘wet nurse’.

5. No amusing animals, and sadly all living creatures were represented by squares or discs. Where were the meoples!

6. It was almost too difficult to learn, we had to tag-team the rules in order to maintain concentration to wade through the game.

7. It can be played pretty easily with different numbers.

8. Hidden aspects were few, but present. Much like Rico, some of the cards you can purchase give you bonuses as the end.

9. Symmetry, or, at least aesthetics were ever present, from the details on the ploughed fields, to the sheep grazing in the field. Probably the most aesthetically pleasing game so far, let down only by the overly simplistic counters representing the farm animals.

10. Finally despite four hours of slogging through the rules, and occasionally wanting to kill myself, it was fun.

Probably a game that shares the most with Puerto Rico than anything else, it has PRs board structure and sadly a similar lack of interaction between players. Its greatest strength is that victory points are so intertwined with the development of your farm that it seems that the ‘best’ farm really does win. And the developed farms really do look the better than any other board game I’ve played, with a variety of animals nestling in pens next to furrowed farms. I’m sure the next few games wont feel quite so much like wading through hummus.

Agricola

So, very excited about the first game of Agricola tomorrow night, starting around 6pm. We've not played it before, it's going to be a three-player between me and the other two bloggers.

Well, all I really know is that it's based around being a farmer and building your farm, so here's what I'm hopeing for:

1. Good interaction between players, hopefuly not too much about building your own character and more about hindering other people.

2. Some form of bidding would be good (ref: Power Grid)

3. A close game and one where the end-point is both spectacular (ref: good games of Catan) and timely, something which can let down other games which sort of just end (ref: Puorto Rico).

4. A Unique selling point, something the Dragon's den would pick out as a key element

5. Amusing animals

6. Not too difficult to learn but some lengthy rules (with exceptions - Construction Hut!)

7. A game which can be played with different player numbers without altering the fundamentals too much

8. Hidden aspects to the game, for example the victory point cards in Catan that you don't have to declare immediately

9. Symmetry

10. Fun

Too much to ask? Wait for the report!

Welcome!

Welcome all to Construction Hut. It is THE blog for musings and reviews for games. Any games. Be they computer, board, word or paper based. Or any other exciting medium I've yet to discover.
Three gaming gentlemen will be bringing you the musings and reviews here at Construction Hut: Myself (Whipple), Kclultimate, and Slowballs (if he ever logs on... he is always sooo slow).

I'll leave the reason for the name of our blog for one of my co-authors to tell you about. But a final word from me is: Whipple is my WoW name (that's World of Warcraft for those of you who don't know). So say hello to me if you play WoW and are in my realm.

I hope this blog brings you all endless joy.
Whipple-based love.