Prezcon 2020: Close Games

I am sitting poolside again at Prezcon, relaxing before a morning start to History of the World. Yesterday was a great day of boardgaming. It was a story of close game throughout the day. I played Settlers of Catan, 100 Gates of Torii, History of the World, Texas Glory, and Plague & Pestilence.

The biggest part of the day was heat one of History of the World. “History” is a drafting and area control game (Smallworld, published many years later, shares some of its mechanics) where you play a succession of civilizations throughout history. I derive a great deal of pleasure in playing History in spending time with the players at Prezcon. Because of the length of the game, there is time to socialize, kibbitz, and rib people when their dice rolling is exceptionally poor. There was a lot of laughter at our table. My table was a close game competitively – going into the last turn of the game, five of the six players had a chance to win, providing they drafted the right civilizations. I ended up finishing third, and had a great time.

In the evening, I played my second game of Texas Glory of the week. Texas Glory is an asymmetrical game of the Texas Revolution. Santa Anna and the Mexicans are very strong, but have difficult victory conditions. The Texans are weaker and play a delaying defense. Playing the Texans (or Texians, as I read they called themselves at the time), the high point of drama in the game came from a trap I set for Santa Anna. If the Texans can kill Santa Anna, they win immediately. Santa Anna became separated from most of his army. I engaged him, killed his escorting unit and whittled him down to one health. The next turn, I was able to exercise the “Comanche raid”. This gave me three d6 dice to roll against Santa Anna. If I rolled a 1, 2, or 3 on any of the dice, I would win the game....I rolled 4, 5, and 6! Santa Anna lives! Play continues for the last three turns of the game. The Texans are barely holding on. On the last turn, if I lose one town, I lose the entire game. The Mexican army is spent. I get a key reinforcement at Matagorda, defend there successfully, and win the game.

Settlers of Catan and The 100 Torii were also close games. I missed winning Settlers by a card and one point. I lost The 100 Torii on tiebreaker (The 100 Torii is a new tile laying game (think Carcasonne). I don't particularly care for that type of game, because I struggle to orient and lay tiles effetively, but this game plays pretty quickly).

I closed the night playing Plague & Pestilence with my friends Matt and Chandler. P&P is an old game I used to play in college. Despite the name, it is light hearted and doesn't take long to play. It was a good late night game.

Today involves heat two of History of the World, an almost assured spot playing in the Texas Glory semifinals, Puerto Rico, and other possible games in the evening. I should also have time to swim in the pool in the afternoon.

Prezcon 2020, Reflections on What Makes It Fun

It is day three of Prezcon (Wednesday), the middle of the convention where attendance starts to pick up and build into the weekend. I arrived on Monday on the official first day. It turns out that about 50 people or so arrived the day before that to hang out and play games.

I have realized that the joy I get in playing in the Prezcon game tournaments is the opportunity to have scheduled playing time for games, as opposed to any delight in possibly winning a tournament. Today, for example, I know I get to play Texas Glory at 12:00 noon. I never do better in that tournament than winning one game (and often win none), but it is a game I enjoy and Prezcon is the only place I play it. Another game I get to play exclusively at Prezcon are History of the World. These are fun games, but are outside the interest of the people I usually game with. Being a week long convention where I have few responsibilities, it is a great opportunity to play these games.

Prezcon is also largely about hanging out with friends for a week and playing boardgames, not just playing boardgames. Part of that feeling probably comes from my general performance in tournaments – I am not winning tournaments (except for one in 2016). I win enough individual games for some competitive pleasure, but I am losing more games than I win. It has taken me several years to realize the pleasure of boardgaming with people and with friends over the competitive nature of the games.

So far at this year's Prezcon, I have played one new game: Terraforming Mars. It was a lot of fun (and I understand why so many people enjoy playing it). There are a lot of symbols and a lot of mechanics going on, so the initial game is a little intimidating.

I have also played Azul, Wingspan, Texas Glory, Conquest of Paradise, 7 Wonders, and Castles of Burgundy. Burgundy is funny. I enjoy immensely, but I feel like I am out of my league in playing it competitively. Yesterday, I scored what I consider a respectable score (213) and finished last on my board. My friend Matt and I made the joke that we need a “minor league” tournament for players like ourselves.

Prezcon 2019 Day 5

It is a little strange to think that I have been playing boardgames everyday for for nearly a week.  I am fortunate to have the opportunity to do that.

While playing a game of Puerto Rico yesterday, I was lamenting the fact that I have been learning so many new boardgames over the last couple of years, that I haven't gotten good at the games.  I haven't explored the depths of the games I have learned, because I have only played them a handful of times.  When I attend my company's monthly boardgame days (we actually have them) or gather at friends' houses to game, it is usually introducing new games.  This involves explaining the rules and trying to quickly grasp some of the mechanics in order to play a decent game.  The games also take longer to play because most of the players will have never played.  I would like, instead, to play a fewer number of games and learn more of the intricacies and strategies of play.

Here is a quick list of the games I played yesterday.  I have an early morning History of the World final to run to.

History of the World
Conquest of Paradise
Puerto Rico
Liar's Dice
7 Wonders 
Epic Wizard Duels

Prezcon 2019 Day 4

I know some wonderful and thoughtful people at Prezcon.  Yesterday was my birthday and friends bought me cake.  They presented it during one of the games we were playing, sang, and did everything else associated with an impromptu birthday celebration.  Most of the last several years, my birthday has occurred on Prezcon.  Being able to game has been reward enough as a birthday celebration, but this year's heartfelt birthday wishes warmed my heart.  I am truly blessed.

Day 4 of Prezcon involved more games.  As the week has progressed, the crowds in the tournament area and the open gaming room has increased.  The weekend will hold the biggest crowds.  If you have never been to Prezcon, or haven't been in recent years, and are looking to test it out, I recommend attending Thursday night, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  I did that in 2011, arriving late Thursday when I actually managed to learn and play a game (Columbia Games' War of 1812), and then playing games all day Friday and Saturday.  Attending for the long weekend will give you a good feel for what happens at the convention.

Here are the games I played yesterday.

History of the World:  My second game didn't go as well as my first.  I made some decisions that placed my pieces in the way of other advancing armies and that cost me as the game progressed.

After History of the World, I had some time to swim in the hotel pool and take a dip in the hot tub. That is yet another great thing about Prezcon.

San Juan

Wingspan

Puerto Rico:    I really need to play this game more often.  I hadn't played since last Prezcon and it showed.  I wasn't following a good rhythm in the game, and it helped my opponents.  I get another opportunity to play today.

Conquest of Paradise:  This is a well designed, fun 4x game in Polynesia.  I played a close game where all four players scored enough for a possible victory.  I finished third where the points spread was 24, 23.5, 23, and 22.  I played a little bit too conservatively and that kept me from winning.

Prezcon 2019 Day 3

Good games create an environment where the players make interesting decisions.  Interest is driven by the mechanics and can be supported by the theme and the look of the game.  Outside of the game, one's enjoyment of the game is expanded by friendly company.

 I only played four games yesterday, but one of them was a very long game.  I had a great time.  Today, I have a full slate of tournament games scheduled.  I still might find time in the afternoon to swim in the pool.

Settlers of Catan:    I did better in my second play of this game.  I managed to win, so that I have a game to play (Catan quarterfinals) at the end of the week.

History of the World:  HotW takes about five hours to play.  Prezcon, being a weeklong convention is the ideal time to play it.  I enjoy the company of the people, and I love the theme of the game (and thinking about the ancient civilizations in the game).  Its mechanics are straightforward, but I still find the decisions interesting.  There is a lot of downtime between a player's turns.  That can promote social conversations, so the players make a big difference in the enjoyment of the game.  Yesterday, I tied for first place and lost on the tiebreaker.

18Lilliput:  This is a lightweight version of an 18XX game.  In the game, you run a Lilliputian railroad company where you are managing the price of your railroad stock, investing in trains of your rail company, and investing in other companies.  There are a lot of interesting decisions to make.  The game, however, felt like real life work to me.  I can tell it is a good game, but there is more math calculations than I prefer.  I joked with my friends that I wanted to get a spreadsheet and macros to work through the game.

Azul:  I wrapped up the night playing in the Azul semifinals.  For being a short game with light mechanics, Azul has a lot to think about.  I was out of my depth in the semifinals playing against two particularly good players with lots of experience in the game.  I finished last, but I would like to play more games of Azul.  I will probably buy a copy for myself.

Prezcon 2019 Day 2

I had another boardgame packed day yesterday.  I played six games, with one of them being new.  My play level in the different games ranged from good to poor. 

In one of the games where I played poorly, one of my opponents seemed to be suspicious of my intentions.  He made a comment at the end that implied I might have been colluding with the person who won the game.  This player was the type of person who kibbitzes and expresses a bit of frustration when opponents play differently from how he thinks they should play.  Kibbitzing is pretty common in games, but the frustration aspect is unusual at Prezcon where I have found people to be cool and laid back.  The game in which this occurred is one that I am not an expert, but I do occasionally win.  I also don't play the game outside Prezcon so my level of play varies greatly.  It is interesting that this player appears to project his own expertise (real or otherwise) on all of his opponents and appears to become suspicious if people play differently from what he perceives is the best way.  A lot of this is speculation on my part because I don't know what is going on in another person's mind.

Weird things can happen in games.  A friend of mine told me a story of another opponent who refuses to play with my friend this opponent perceived an unusual play by my friend as something against the rules (the play was legal, and my friend is very good at this game).  This opponent has actually gone so far as to withdraw from a tournament rather than play against my friend.  People can take some of these games too seriously. 

Here are the games I played yesterday.

San Juan:  a quick, card driven version of Puerto Rico.  Puerto Rico is one of my favorites (it is like consulting), so this game was fun.

Texas Glory:  I lost this game as the Texians (Texans).  This is an asymmetrical game about the Texas Revolution.  I think I played pretty well, and I was playing against one of the top players in the tournament.

Settlers of Catan:  I didn't do great in this game, but I have another chance to play today.

Castles of Burgundy:  I didn't do great in this game either.  I made a very poor decision at the beginning and I started losing concentration later in the game.  I have another chance to play today.

 Azul:  I won my first game of Azul.  It was quite the turnaround from my previous Azul game on Monday.  I get to play in the semifinals tonight.  We will see how it goes.

Mysterium:  I finally got a chance to play this cooperative, "Clue by pictures" game.  I am not a fan co-op games, but the company of friends made it fun.  This was a great way to close the night.  We "won" the game, despite many jokes about us new players on how individuals can win (the answer is, "we all win together, or we all lose together.  There are no individual winners!").  The premise of the game is that a ghost of a murder victim is trying to communicate with psychics (the players) about the identity, location, and weapon of the murderer.  The catch is that the ghost can only communicate in pictures.  The play involves trying to link pictures provided by the "ghost" with pictures representing the murder suspects, possible locations, and possible murder weapons.  Oftentimes, the pictures the ghost is choosing from are difficult to link to what is on the board.  It makes the process to identify the murderer difficult (being a psychic is hard!).  Mysterium is good game where people can play, and not take it too seriously.

Lots more games today, including History of the World!

Prezcon 2019 Day 1

As in years past, I find myself sitting by the pool this morning at Prezcon thinking about my experience so far.  Yesterday, my first day at Prezcon 2019, was a lot of fun.  I have seen several of my friends already and played boardgames with many of them. The drive to Prezcon was uneventful, even with strong winds that pushed my little FIAT around a bit.  I played a surprising number of games for a Prezcon Monday:  six, with two of them being new to me.

Driving down to Prezcon yesterday, I reflected upong what drives my enjoyment of the convention.  It has taken me years to realize this, but a large part of the enjoyment is spending time with like minded people.  This is also true for rowing.  In both boardgaming and rowing, the activity brings me in contact with who enjoy breaking down an activity into its components and figuring them out.  It also brings me into contact with people who, to varying degrees are competitive.  For boardgaming specifically, this involves learning how a game works or learning deeper depths of the mechanics of a more familiar game.  While I enjoy trying to win, the games I play, I also enjoy the interactions with players and the conversations after and between games.  Prezcon provides the opportunity to have dinner with fellow gamers, chat with them, and share experiences about new games and new experiences with familiar games.

I played six games yesterdays:  Scythe, Sagrada, two games of 7 Wonders, Azul, and Wingspan.  There is also a tongue and cheek tournament for Rock, Paper, Scissors, but I don't really include that in the count.

Scythe:   I played this for the first time, and attended most of the demo.  I did exceptionally poorly in the game, but found it interesting and learned how many of the mechanics worked.  My difficulty with the game is that I missed a key part of the demo where specifics for end game scoring was discussed.  During my game, I tried to fake it by observing what others were doing.  That didn't work, but I had fund and want to try the game again.

Sagrada:  This is another game I played for the first time.  It is a light and fairly quick game.  It is a dice drafting game where one lays down colored dice on a board in a required pattern (to make a stained glass window pattern).  There are rules concerning the numbers and colors of the dice in each placed tile.  I enjoyed playing it, but I experienced little bits of frustration when I would forget about a specific rule on dice placement.  I did respectably, only losing by about 10% (the scores were 49, 49, and 45).  I think this is a game with wide appeal to both people who play a lot of boardgames and those are more casual in the hobby.

7 Wonders:  I played two pick up games of this, and it is one of my favorite games.  My copy of the game is well used -- the box is falling apart and needs, as my friend Matt said, "some tape love".

Azul:  I recently learned this game and, playing for the third time ever, had my worst score (I made a serious misplay that resulted in getting stuck with the maximum penalty in a game round).  This is another game that is relatively short and has wide appeal to include casual boardgamers.

Wingspan:  I brought my recently purchased copy to play at Prezcon.  I absolutely love this game.  It has engine building mechanics which I enjoy, has a limited number of decisions to make during one's turn that speeds up play, and has well made game components.  The game designers also put a lot of research and effort to fully develop the birdwatcher theme.  Cards are beautifully illustrated, the flavor text provides short facts about the birds, and the mechanics feel right to what the birds actually do in real life.  Playing the game with Prezcon gamers put the game through a kind of playtesting wringer.  Small corners of the rulebook needed to be investigated for clarity (example:  the use of a "wildcard" feature and its interactions with other parts of the gamee), and we identified one typo in one of the goal cards (the Photographer goal, for anyone familiar with Wingspan, appears to be missing information).  The scores were also very different from the previous games I had played.  In my previous games, winning scores ranged from 77 to 81.  In this game, 74 was the lowest score, second was 95, and 108 was the winner.  Players pretty much play in parallel (there are no "screw with your opponent" mechanisms), and everyone at the table did a good job in building the bird collecting engines.  I expect to be able to get at least one more game of this in, this week.

Marscon by Train

My wife and I decided to travel to Marscon by train this year.  Marscon is a "weekend long party for people who enjoy Science Fiction and Fantasy" to quote the event's website.  In the last several years since we moved to Northern Virginia/Washington DC metro area, we have driven to Williamsburg, where Marscon is held.  According to Google Maps, one can drive from our home to the Marscon hotel in as little as two hours and forty minutes.  This is the most optimistic estimate Google Maps gives and assumes that we leave at 10:00 PM on a Monday.  With the convention being on a weekend,
however, we usually left for the convention around 4:00 PM after work -- along with everyone else leaving Washington for the weekend.  The drive therefore took much longer and often involved in transit adjustments of routes, sitting in traffic, comparing different GPS programs' directions, and shaking heads at other drivers.  A four hour drive was typical, and some drives could last longer than five hours.  We always arrived at Marscon with drive frazzled nerves.

Our principal goal in taking the train, therefore, was to have an easier time getting there and getting back.  We knew it would take longer, but we wanted to arrive fresh and energetic for Marscon.  Still, I was curious just how much in time and money we were paying for that improved experience.  That is part of what I am outlining in this post.

Money:  We bought Amtrak tickets during a late November weekend sale.  The price per round trip ticket was $48, or $96 for two people.  Because we don't live in the city, we also had to drive from Loudoun County (the outer suburbs) to my office in McLean, Virginia where I would park my car for the weekend.  I probably used about a gallon of gas driving their and back, so that cost was about $2.60.  Parking was free.  We would then take the Metro from there to Union Station.  Metro fare, because we were travelling during non-peak hours, was $3.85 per person each way.  My metro fare (but, not my wife's) is discounted by about one third through a program at work, so our total for both of us was $12.86.  Once arriving at Williamsburg, we needed to take a Lyft to the hotel.  It was a short drive of just a few miles.  We paid $11, including tip (a friend dropped us off at the train station for our return journey).  Our total monetary cost was therefore $122.46 (train fare + gas + metro fare + ridesharing).    For comparison, I estimate gas cost to run at about $25 based on the current price of gas, my car's mileage, and the round trip distance our most likely routes.  Taking the train was therefore about $97 more expensive for two people travelling -- the cost difference coincidentally being nearly the same as the Amtrak tickets themselves.

Time:  To give ourselves plenty of time to catch our 2:30 PM train, we left our house at 12:00 noon.  We arrived, after driving to my work, parking my car, and taking the Metro, at Union Station at 1:30 PM.  This gave us plenty of time to eat lunch at Union Station and wait for the train.  We could have left later, but it felt better having extra time in case anything went wrong with finding parking at my office (there was a small possibility of there being no parking) or something going awry with the Metro (also a possibility).  The train arrived in Williamsburg at 6:40 PM.  Our Lyft driver dropped us at the hotel at 7:00 PM sharp, so our door to door travel time was seven hours.  Our return trip door to door was from 5:00 PM to 10:45 PM, an improvement of more than an hour (this also included picking up fast food dinner to eat on the train.  For comparison, I estimate that it would have taken us about four and a half hours to drive down (including stopping for dinner -- remember that our train door to door time also included time spent eating lunch) and three and a half hours to drive back.  The total door to door times there and back would be 12 hours and 45 minutes by train and eight hours by car.  Clearly, driving gets us there and back quicker.

Convenience:  This is what we were paying for in terms of time and money.  The principal convenience for us was that neither one of us had to drive.  I actually worked on the train for about

Work supervisor

three hours (this is what allowed us to leave so early in the day).  Later on the trip, knowing that I would be staying up late each night during the weekend, I took a nap.  We also both read.  We couldn't have done any of these things in the car.    The train also afforded us space to get up and walk around.  Another bonus convenience was that we didn't have to search for a parking space at the hotel.  The hotel parking lot is always full (Marscon had nearly 1500 attendees this year, and regularly sells out the hotel).  Our Lyft driver delivered us to the front lobby door of the hotel, and we simply walked in.

We did have to pack lighter than we have in previous years.  Instead of packing a car full of luggage, games, and party supplies (we sometimes host room parties), we limited ourselves to one piece of luggage each.    The only limitations this created was that I needed to be choosy about the number of board games I brought (I brought four, instead of a giant stack of them) and that we couldn't host a room party.

Conclusion:  We loved our train experience going to Marscon.  The train was comfortable, we arrived refreshed and ready to go for our weekend long party (and were able to join friends Friday night just as they were sitting down to dinner).  The train also proved to be timely in it schedule.  We arrived just 15 minutes late to Williamsburg and arrived 10 minutes early on our return to Washington, DC.  We also had the bonus of visiting Union Station, which is a gorgeous building.  The convenience and experience was worth the extra cost for us.  The extra time was offset for me by being able to make good use of the time (using the train's wifi or my phone's mobile hotspot to connect for work for several hours).  In future, I will always look at the train as a good option for journeys to Hampton Roads (train stations in Williamsburg, Newport News, and Norfolk).  For people who live in the city, this is an even better mode of travel because of the train's location downtown.  Even if you live in the suburbs, like we do, I encourage you to consider taking the train to your destination.

The smiles remained upon our arrival in Williamsburg

Types of Traveling

Jodi and I have been traveling again, this time in Belgium and the Netherlands.  We were talking last night about the people with whom we interact while traveling.  When people idealize travel, they describe interactions with locals and learning about a place through conversations with the people who live there.  For the most part, this is not our experience.  Staying in hostels, we interact more with young travelers, the type of people who have a backpack and passport and are exploring the world.  I see our interactions as an insular experience.  We talk with like minded people, even though they are from all over the world.  The conversations, however, are very satisfying.  These conversations by themselves don’t constitute the type of experience in idealized travel.  They don’t involve learning about a place and its people.

We do, however, learn about the places we visit through our exploration of the environment in which people live.  We go beyond where just tourists visit.  We walk around neighborhoods in which people live, we shop in grocery stores, and we figure out how people get around.  A few days ago in Antwerp, for example, we walked around a Moroccan neighborhood for an hour and a half.  Our eventual goal was to find a place for dinner, but in that time, we learned more about who is a resident of Antwerp.  In Antwerp and Rotterdam, we have learned how to get around the cities.  In Antwerp, we tried a bike share program (Velo Antwerpen) for the first time.  Bicycles are everywhere in that city, and there are dedicated bike lanes on many of the roads, and traffic signals aimed specifically at bikes.  It provides a fast way around the city and a different view that is close to the street.  In Rotterdam, we navigated the public transport system of buses, trams, and metro trains.  Some of our travels were done during rush hour so that we were mingling with commuters on their way home.  We learned about the experience of a Rotterdam resident through a brief shared experience.

In addition to conversations with fellow travelers and venturing beyond tourist experiences, we learn quite a bit about the history of the places we visit through visiting the types of places tourist and visitors go.  This enables us to learn about the history and cultural heritage of a place and its people.  I also, personally, enjoy experiencing directly places that I have previously read about.  I think combining all three types of experiences produces a satisfying and worthwhile journey that I can share with others — other travelers, and friends and family back home.

We Are In This Together: Correlian Shipyards

Throughout the Corellian Conflict, as the rebel uprising has come to be called, The Empire's heroes have extended beyond just those piloting starfighters and the crews of captilal ships. Legions of workers, diplomats, and others have done their part to bring the conflict to an end. These people, who give their time and effort selflessly, include workers at the Corellian Shipyards. Since the conflict began, the shipyards have been in constant operation with refits, repairs, and construction. Selfless workers in pipefitter Quaxx Mairen. Quaxx has been working double shifts since the Conflict began.

“I don't see my family hardly, anymore, but I think it's worth it”, Quaxx shared with the Imperial Press Corps. “We are making a difference in the figth to keep people safe and secure. When I get home, and see my daughter sound asleep – safe, and free from rebel chaos, that's when I know what I am doing is right”.

Well said, Quaxx! He and thousands of others at the Corellian Shipyards provide an example to all Imperial citizens. The fight continues, not just on the battlefields above systems, but in the homes of everyone. The fight is won when each of us does our job and contributes our share to the united effort to expel rebels and their chaos.

In other news, Grand Moff Tarkin has been summoned to Corellia. Admiral Sloane has been rotated to Coruscant where she will provide technical leadership at the Imperial Starfighter School of Excellence. The rebel villain Ackbar is rumored to be leading a fleet to Corellia.

Prezcon Days 5, 6, and a Bit of 7: More People, More Games

It is Sunday morning on the last day of Prezcon.  The weekend's bring 8:00 AM tournament games, so I am taking time between my 8:00 and 10:00 game to sit by the pool again. 

The weekend brings lots more people to the convention.  The crowds in the tournament room and open game room noticeably increased on Friday morning.  This includes a lot of families, so that women are better represented (see my previous post for my reflections upon this earlier in the week) and lots of kids.  During my Friday morning Lords of Waterdeep game, a mother received a call from her kids' school system inquiring about their absence.  She responded to the call indicating that her son and daughter were absent due to attendance at a family event (Prezcon)    After she finished the phone call, I and the other players started calling her "Cool Mom".  If a parent is going to pull their kid from school for a day or two, Prezcon is a great event to do it.  Board games involve the application of math skills, decision making, and analysis.  It also provides young people a chance to interact with adults who are not their parents in a safe environment.

Since Friday, I have played a dozen games.  I haven't done well from a competitive standpoint, but I have had lot of fun.  This included one finals, one semifinals, several tournament heats, and open gaming.

I finished fifth in the finals of History of the World.  I experienced a little bit of bad luck early in the game, but played well until the last two turns when I lost focus on what I was doing and made some boneheaded mistakes.  It's a long game (five hours for a six player game), and I can get tired.  There was also a little bit of arguing among two other players in the middle of the game about how to correct a mistake one of the players made.  It required the intervention of the gamemaster to adjudicate the situation, which upset him a bit.  It was an argument between two players who are lawyers in "real life", so what can I say?

I missed advancing to the Castles of Burgundy finals by one point:  213 to 212.  The game was a lot of fun, and with all of our scores above 200 points, we all knew what we were doing.  I learned more about the game and the planning elements that actually do exist.  While I have approached the game as a series of tactical decisions based on what currently appears on the evolving game board, better players have looked at the layout of their own board, accounted for how many tile pieces exist in the entire game, and designed a plan from the start.  They also pay more attention to what other players are doing and employ blocking others as a secondary strategy to their own plan.  It is fascinating.  I also learned that missing the finals had a good element to it.  The woman who beat me by a point later relayed to me that the final game took four hours (Burgundy is normally just over two hours) as people carefully considered what they did.  The finals also immediately followed the semis, so people in the finals played a high concentration game for over seven hours.

I have also played a game of Conquest of Paradise, two games of 7 Wonders, and Liar's Dice.  My best finish in each game has been second place (I have one more heat of 7 Wonders later this morning).  These are both neat games.  Conquest of Paradise plays in one to two hours and almost always has a dramatic finish.  7 Wonders plays in 30 to 40 minutes, is a pretty game, and involves lots of interesting decisions.  It is one of my favorites.  Liar's Dice is a hoot, plays quickly, and just involves basic math and bluffing.  I introduced a couple of people to the game, lost my tournament game, and won a pick up game.

In open gaming, I played with Matt J and Mike M, and Twiggy.  I learned Glory to Rome (wasn't excited about it) and Madeira (very enjoyable game that reminds me Caverna).  The open gaming room was packed throughout the weekend.  Tara G and I also discussed her idea of having an advance Meetup type of communication before the convention for people to schedule games in the Open Gaming room.  We both like Prezcon tournaments because it guarantees play of certain games because those games are scheduled.  Open gaming is a bit hit or miss.  I can bring my favorites down to the Open Gaming room, but it is like a board gaming bar.  One wades in, looks for opportunities to play, and instead of hooking up, finds people to board game with.  As I remarked earlier in the week, it can be awkward.  There are also missed opportunities with multiple people wanting to play the same game (such as my Prezcon friend Paul's and my desire to play Lewis & Clark), but not being able to coordinate a time during the convention.  Communication via Facebook, or on the Prezcon website, or other method might help that effort along.

As is the case every year, I declare Prezcon a success.  I am happy that it is going strong in its 25th year.  It is a much bigger event than the first one I attended in 1994.

Prezcon 2018 Day 4: More Games

I am writing this about two hours later than I have my previous posts about Prezcon.  The late nights are finally pushing back the time I wake.  Happily, my gaming schedule today provides me the luxury of sleeping in.  I am still able to sit by the pool, which itself is quiet.  I can, however, hear the gamers upstairs walking and talking to their early morning games.

Yesterday, was a big day in playing games.  I managed to get in five games, with three of them being ones with which I am familiar.  I played a second game of History of the World for "funsies" and managed to win that game by one point.  My friend Nathan T also won his game so that we will both be in the finals Saturday morning.  I also played Puerto Rico for the first time in a year and a half.  The game progressed much faster than I expected, and while I felt good about the actions I was taking, I needed a lot more time to score points.  I finished third out of four.  I played Conquest of Paradise, which is a regular game for me at Prezcon.  I scored my best points total ever, but still ended up third.  There is an economy of action to that game, which I have only now just realized, that is very important.

Tara G and I picked up a copy of Concordia in the Prezcon game library to learn it.  As we were reviewing the rules, a gentleman approached looking at what we were doing.  We asked if he wanted to join us, and as important, if he knew how to play Concordia.  His response was yes to both questions.  It took me about half the game to figure out what I was doing, but I started stringing together actions that made sense.  It requires the same type of planning and action strings as in one of my favorite games Lewis & Clark.  It also possesses a good theme in that you are an ancient Roman trading house exchanging goods across the Mediterranean.  I very much enjoyed it.  Tara liked it, too, and might get the game herself.

Tara and I also developed the idea for a smartphone app that helps a group of people decide the type of game they want to play.  It would utilize data about expected length, number of players, complexity, preferred mechanics, and theme -- perhaps drawn from BoardGameGeek -- and suggest

Part of the Prezcon game libary

games to play.  It would utilize the phone's camera to identify which games are in front of you (especially useful if you are looking at a game library) to see what kind of games fit your desires and suggest them to you.  Do you know of any apps that do this?  Do you know anyone interested in developing such an app?

I played another game of Castles of Burgundy, this one starting at 10:00 PM.  Tara and Matt also played, Matt playing at my table.  Tara played at a table the likes I have never seen before:  four women and no men.  Castles and some other games seem to appeal to a more diverse crowd than many of the other games I play.  My impression of the gaming hobby is that it is populated with white guys.  This is especially true of older military games and games that deal with area control.  Economic games and action efficiency games appear to draw in some women.  This difference might be socialization of what we are "supposed to like".  Maybe it is something else.  I don't know how most people get into board gaming.  My own experience was through friends, but I don't remember what put me into contact with my first board game beyond Monopoly:  Risk.  Was it that my parents just bought it for me for Christmas?  I don't remember seeking the game out.  On the subject of getting different people into games, I am glad there exists a diversity of games these days that does appeal to lots of people.  In talking with Tara about this, we also remarked on the rarity of people of color in board gaming.  Maybe this is more of a class thing, than anything else.  Board gaming, especially playing as much as is done at Prezcon, is an expensive hobby that requires disposable income associated with upper middle class people.  Maybe with gaming having been dominated by white folk a generation ago, it is just a product of parents introducing their kids to what they know.  I don't actually know why this is (it could be that my own observation is limited or inaccurate).  Tara expects to see a more diverse crowd at Prezcon once the weekend starts.  What are your thoughts on this?

Prezcon 2018 Day 3: Winning and Losing

Day three at Prezcon was a lot of fun.  I awoke feeling good (no headache!) and spent five hours playing a monster game that only sees the table at Prezcon:  History of the World.  The game was close through the next last turn, with four of the five players being within five points of each other (in a game where scores range from 150 to 225).  I played behind for much of the game with an eye toward setting myself up at the end, by choosing smaller empires, so that I would have a chance to get the "best" empires at the end.  While I didn't get what I recognize as the best empires,  I experienced some good fortune in getting the best situation at the end where I was able to maximize my points (getting the Ottomans followed by the Russians as my final two empires).  I won with a score of 203 points, which is the first time I have outright won any HOTW games at Prezcon (I have several second place finishes).  My win puts me in the HOTW finals on Saturday morning.  As usual, playing with members of the HOTW Prezcon crowd was a lot of fun, and I will be playing another game just for fun this morning.

I also played a game of Settlers of Catan, which is the classic Eurogame these days.  I finished in a respectable second place, but with only six points.  My friend Shane M played a clever game mixing city building and development cards.  Sitting at seven points and seeming to be pretty far from immediately winning, he used the Road Building development card to seize the longest road and two points, then revealed another development card for his tenth point.  I had a good setup with access to brick and a brick port that enabled me to do some trading for development cards.  I had three points in cards and potential to get the largest army for another two points, but I set up in such a way that I was never able to expand my settlements into cities.

I skipped playing Castles of Burgundy after History of the World, opting to grab dinner with my friend Nathan T.  It was the prudent choice because I would have crashed in the middle of the game and not had fun.  My friend Matt J has discovered that he very much likes Burgundy, and has played in two rounds of the tournament so far.

I also played Texas Glory.  I won as playing Mexico, but I play at a glacial pace.  There are many details regarding the layout of the map and how units are commanded that I need to pay attention to.  My opponent Grant was gracious in telling me that only experience playing the game will speed that up, because rushing leads to mistakes.  He and I both made mistakes at the end of the game.  I was able to recover from mine.  His mistake helped me get the win on the 11th of 12 turns.  It's a fun Columbia block game that I learned at Prezcon last year and picked up my own copy.  I have a 1-1 record in the tournament and plan to play in the third round.

I have to review my schedule for today.  I am hoping to play Conquest of Paradise and also Castles of Burgundy, but I might need to give up one because of schedule congestion. 

It is a relaxing and fun time here at Prezcon.  If you enjoy board games, I encourage you to come this year or next.  There are a hundred organized tournaments and a huge open gaming room.  Prezcon has an extensive game library, so it is a great place to learn new games (I still need to hop into a game of Sagrada).  The people here are also cool.

Prezcon 2018, Day 2

Virginia weather is finicky.  Yesterday, the temperatures got up to 70 degrees, and today the forecast is for 77 degrees.  We had snow just a few days ago.  I am convinced that the suddenly warm weather contributed to the splitting headache I had for much of yesterday.  Day two of Prezcon was therefore a light board gaming day for me.

Between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, I only played one game, Columbia Game's Texas Glory.  It is an asymmetrical, two player game about the Texas Revolution.  As Mexico, you win by taking over all eight of 11 victory cities before the end of the game.  As Texas, you win by either holding on to four victory cities for 12 turns, or by killing Santa Anna.  I played Texas, and lost to Steve K, who had only played the game once before (I learned the game last year at Prezcon and picked up my own copy), but who is a very smart player. 

Playing games at Prezcon, I reflect upon the fact each year that there are a lot of good players here.  While I play a lot of my games by "feel", I see a lot of people who quickly calculate odds, can count large number of cards, and -- more importantly -- can make good decisions.  I come away from a lot of games having learned something different I can do, or gathering a new piece of information about how an element of a game works.  Even with games with which I consider myself familiar, I often find myself relearning the feel of the game the first time I play at Prezcon.  Some of the games I play, such as Texas Glory or Alhambra than I played yesterday, I just don't get many opportunities to get to the table outside this convention.

I started feeling better by 6:00 PM and entered the Castles of Burgundy tournament.  Castles is a game I very much enjoy.  While having a plan for the game is useful, the game involves a series of tactical decisions based on what appears on the board in each round of the game.  That fits my play style.  In this game, I ran behind on points four out of the five rounds, but my early investment in turn order and picking up mines (a mechanic in the game that generates the rare commodity of money) finally paid off in the last round.  I had set up a large amount of bonus points which propelled me to a narrow victory.

I continued feeling good later in the evening, so I played a pick up game of Axis & Allies.  A&A has a "new" edition that is about 10 years old.  It plays better than the old version in that provides some additional units that makes sea combat more interesting, a redrawn maps that expands the size of Russia and the Pacific, and a more generous scientific research rule.  I played the axis powers (Germany, Japan, and Italy -- yes, Italy is an independent power), and ended up losing.  The allies employed a Germany first policy which allowed Japan to run rampant until I made the same mistake twice (!) with Japanese fleets.  The game ended the way A&A games should, by Germany and Russia rolling huge handfuls of dice in a battle for Moscow (dice that are heavier than your hands!).  To win that battle, I needed some luck and needed the Russian to roll a bit below average.  It went the other way, and with that battle lost, I conceded the game.  Playing A&A took me back to the days when my friend Jim and I would play pairs tournaments of the game at Prezcon and Madicon in the early 90s.  I had a lot of fun, but didn't get to bed until 1:30 PM.

Today, my highlight game is History of the World.  It is the kind of game I rarely get to play outside of Prezcon because of its length.  I finished second in last year's tournament in dramatic fashion.  We will see how it goes today.  I will also play Settlers of Catan, and possibly Castles of Burgundy.

Prezcon 2018: Arriving Earlier than Ever

I'm sitting on a couch next to the pool in the Doubletree Hotel Charlottesville. It is early morning on Day 2 of Prezcon (early morning being just after 8:00). I actually slept in, more or less, not getting out of bed until just after 7:00. That is important to do at my week of Prezcon because I will be playing evening and late night games. 

Last night, in fact, I crashed while playing Power Grid. Power Grid requires some concentration in order to make good decisions. After 10:30, I no longer seemed capable of making such good decisions. Perhaps it was the psychological effect of having heard my phone's bedtime tone sound off at 9:45, but I am pretty sure that having been up since 5:45 AM (my normal wake up time) had just caught up to me. I had fun playing Power Grid, I just need to be more alert throughout the entire game.

Yesterday, I learned how to play The Voyages of Marco Polo. It has a little bit of Lords of Waterdeep and a little bit of Castles of Burgundy to it. It also has the them of travel (it's in the name) so it has a lot of appeal to me. As a member of the Polo merchant network, you have a set of dice that represent the actions you can potentially take. The numbers on your dice determine how powerful an action you can take and, potentially, how expensive that action might be. The board is less dynamic throughout the game than Castles of Burgundy, so developing a solid plan at the beginning can be very helpful (having a plan in Burgundy is good, too, but the changes in the board, require more of a series of tactical decisions). I finished fourth of four on the board, but had a respectable score, and I plan to play again today. It's complexity is on par with another of my favorite games, Lewis & Clark, so it isn't something I can get on the table with family. It is something I could see playing at my company's monthly game day or with board gaming friends.

This is my first year arriving on the Monday of Prezcon. There were more people and more games going on than I had anticipated. My friend Matt is here, and I have already run into several people I know from Prezcon, and even some people from my old Harrisonburg days. When I started coming back to Prezcon several years ago, arriving on Wednesday seemed a bit of a stretch. While I was having fun playing tournament games like History of the World, finding players in the open gaming room was difficult. This year, finding open gaming players was easy. I found a pick up game of Alhambra in 30 seconds, and the Power Grid game Matt and I were starting grew to five players in as many minutes. The open gaming room is definitely growing. The convention is experimenting with an expanded sign up board for open gaming, but I still believe it requires just going up to people looking at games on the shelf and asking if they want to play.

Games on tap for today include Texas Glory, Castles of Burgundy, and The Voyages of Marco Polo. I will see if I am up to a 9:00 PM start for a Power Grid game, or if I opt for pick up games in the open gaming room. There are also some new games some of my friends have including Sagrada and Terraforming Mars that I hope to try this week.

Star Wars Armada Corellian Campaign Third Battle Report

Victory in the Correlllian Sector!

Acting upon intelligence gathered by the Imperial Security Bureau, Grand Admiral Thrawn led a fleet in a show of force on to secure two space stations at the Truuzdann system. The ISB had learned that the stations were being used by rebels as a supply staging areas for their attacks on peaceful commerce. Thrawn's fleet set out to seize the stations and prevent rebel assaults on innocent citizens of the Empire.

When the rebels refused Thrawn's calls to surrender the stations, he was forced into the heavy task of destroying the stations. Having studied his opponents, he devised a bold, yet prepared, attack. His star destroyers swept in and engaged the rebel heavy ships (stolen in the Mon Calamari civil war). The ISDs were support by a team of nimble starfighter squadrons who made short work of rebel cutthroat starfighters.  Thrawn's fleet destroyed both stations, accomplishing its mission.

Teamwork

Admiral Reynholm disccusses tactics

What was the key to Imperial starfighter success at the Battle of Truuzdann? It was the squadrons' ability to coordinate their movement and attacks. They supported each other and became a stronger whole to overwhelm the rebel squadrons and their individual abilities. The teamwork exhibited can be attributed to the Imperial Navy's newly reorganized Starfighter Piloting School of Excellence run by Admiral Reynhom. Reynholm's methods emphasize dedication to the starfighter wing before oneself. That pilot selflessness enables pilots to maximize the strengths of the fither wing. The results shoed true at Truuzdann.

Star Wars Armada Corellian Conflict First Battle Report

This is a brief description of the first campaign battle report of a Corellian Conflict campaign a friend of mine and I are playing.  As I am the Imperial player in the campaign, it is told from the perspective of the Empire.  Draw your own conclusions as to how the game went.

Official Reporting of the Imperial Press Corps

“Maintaining Peace and Order Across the Empire”

Terrorist Attack at Drall System!

In a surprising incident in the Corellian Sector, Rebel terrorists mounted an assault against civilian targets at the Drall System. The Imperial Navy, commanded by Admiral Motti rushed to the aid of the beleaguered citizens of Drall. Admiral Motti boldly led his Imperial Star Destroyer against a Rebel MC-75. Both ships were supported by several smaller ships and starfighter squadrons, creating a chaotic battle space where fronts constantly changed direction. While the Rebels fought with the fanatic vigor of zealots, they were no match for the Imperial Navy. While Motti’s fleet suffered the casualty of one ship lost, the IN was able to inflict triple the losses on the Rebels.

With the conclusion of the battle leaving the Rebel terrorists to lick their wounds, Motti’s fleet went on to refit and repair. Several members of the fleet were also singled out for recognition and, in a particular case, promotion in the wake of Imperial victory.

Focus on an Imperial Hero

You might start calling her the Hero of Drall. Aquia Yarvis, commander of a Raider II in Motti’s fleet, met with particular success in the battle. Her deft maneuvering and gunnery enabled her ship to catch an opposing vessel unawares, and with repeated shots landed true, destroy it. In an interview with the Imperial Press Corp, Lieutenant Commander Yarvis described the success of her ship.
“It is my crew that deserves the credit. Their repeated practice in gunnery and quick response to my maneuvering commands, enabled us to maximize the ability of our small

Yarvis's Raider in action at Drall

ship. The crew placed our ship into the right place to use our disposable capacitors to extend the range on our initial shot and then move in for the killing blow”.

Lieutenant Commander Yarvis received a battlefield promotion to Commander for her action at Drall and retains command of her Raider.

Last Call at RFK

Today, I am going to RFK for the last time.  For me, RFK Stadium is strictly a soccer stadium.  I never saw football there, and I never attended a concert there.  I walked into to RFK for the first time in 1992 to see the US men's national team (USMNT) play Ireland the a friendly tournament called the US Cup.  I went with my friend Tom.  We had seats in the lower bowl, and when we walked in I was amazed at the size of the place.  I looked up and turned around.  The upper bowl seemed a giant maw biting up into the sky.  I stood with my mouth open.  It was the largest structure I had ever been in.  I don't remember details of the game, but I remember that the US won 3-1.

I saw USMNT several other times and saw World Cup games and Olympic games there, too.  I saw Italy and Mexico play to a draw in the "Group of Death" in the World Cup.  I had acquired second hand tickets that were exorbitantly expensive for a college student, and involved meeting a complete stranger in a public place to make the ticket and cash exchange ("I'll be the tall guy wearing the purple hat").  The most amazing World Cup game I saw was Netherlands vs. Saudi Arabia.  We had somehow gotten tickets on the second row at midfield.  We were close enough to hear the ball being kicked and had to stand up to see over the chain link fence that had been erected around the pitch.  I was cheering for the Netherlands, but I was amazed at the athleticism of the Saudi goalkeeper.  There is one stop I remember as him leaping several feet in the air -- like a frog -- to stop a missile of a shot.  I remember also that the Dutch had to come back from a deficit to win 2-1.  I also saw the Belgium-Saudi Arabia game which I have heard others say had an amazing goal, but that game didn't make nearly the impression on me.

I also saw at least one World Cup qualifier game at RFK.  The one I remember most is USA vs Jamaica in 1997.  The US went up early, and we were happy.  Later in the game, though, Jamaica equalized and the stadium erupted with green, yellow, and black flags.  I thought me and my friend (including Deb and Jen) might have been transported to Kingston.  That game is where I learned that home games for the US sometimes needed to be written in quotes.

Since 2007, I have attended DC United matches regularly.  I missed out on DCU's most successful years except for one game my wife (girlfriend at the time) and I attended in 1999.  We were on the quiet side and saw that the people across the stadium in the stands were having a lot of fun.  I didn't get to RFK again for another eight years.  In 2007 and 2008, my friend Deb introduced me to the Barra Brava.  I went to my first tailgate and game in 2008 and was hooked on the experience.  I desperately wanted to belong in the group, and I discovered many, many welcoming people.

I attended the 2009 US Open Cup Final, which ended poorly for DCU.  At that game, I learned that what I perceive at the stadium isn't always what really happens.  From my vantage point in section 135, I saw our goalkeeper Josh Wicks ejected from the game unfairly.  I learned from my wife later on, who had watched the game on TV, that Wicks had stomped or kicked an opposing player.  I just couldn't see it from where I was.  Even though we lost, I still look back on that game as the most exciting I have seen at RFK.

I moved up to Northern Virginia Virginia four years ago and have attended many more games.  Some have been excited wins, others have been losses and unsatisfying draws.  When the team plays poorly, the tailgate in Lot 8 becomes more important to me.  This is where I have made friends among the Barra.  This is where I have shared food -- often vegetables and other side dishes (often involving either farm market produce or items I have grown myself).  Lot 8 is what I am going to absolutely miss the most.  Many times, after cooking and in between conversations with others, I sit and look around.  I am thankful in those moments to be surrounded by friends and like minded people.  I feel at peace and I smile.  I won't have that experience next year at the new stadium

Each year, RFK looks a little more rough.  I see more rusted areas on the superstructure.  At one game, I stood next to a hole in the stands where a chair should have been.  Many other chairs have come apart (I might have a bolt from one of them).  Each bit that falls off, cracks, or crumbles is another sign that it is time to go.

I look forward to the new experience at Audi Field.  I also know that I will miss those calm, contented moments in Lot 8.  Vamos United.

Wrapping Up: Prezcon 2016 Day 6

I am home now writing about the last day of Prezcon.  Prezcon Sundays, for me, are usually short.  I play Settlers of Catan and 7 Wonders, and go home by 12:00 noon.  This year was no different.  I also had a bit of time between games to pack and load my car.

In the six days of Prezcon, I played 26 games (playing 15 unique games).  Those games were a combination of tournament games and new games I learned in open gaming.  Of the tournament games, I won Lewis & Clark and finished 3rd in Liar's Dice.  If I had some shorter games, such as replacing History of the World with two hour games, I could have played even more boardgames. For a $70 flat registration fee, Prezcon provides a lot of opportunity for fun.

I also saw, met, and met again many people.  I would do well to better remember people's names (and not just rely on people's badges), particularly the GMs who put so much time and effort into running the tournaments (Charles, Shane, John, and others), but also other players like Paul, David, and others.

Gameplay Summary

• 7 Wonders:  I finished third of five in a relatively close game (first, second, and third scored 57, 54, and 53).  I enjoy playing 7 Wonders and need to break out this game with others more often.  Losing this game, however, prevented "schedule congestion" between 7 Wonders semifinals and Catan quarterfinals
• Setters of Catan:  I lost this quarterfinal game.  I set up in a risky position with no wheat (the board was wheat poor), but was able to establish a strong position with stone, wood, and the wood port.  Late in the game, the other players thought I would be able to win, but another guy had nine points, had two cities and a settlement on a wheat 10 tile, and rolled a ten.  That gave him enough wheat (with other cards in his hand) to upgrade to a city using nothing but win.  That was game

Plaque Buildup: Prezcon 2016 Day 5 Review

All of the Prezcon tournament winners get plaques.  If the tournament has enough participants there are second place plaques, and even third place plaques in the largest tournament.  Yesterday I won my first Prezcon tournament ever by winning a nailbiting Lewis & Clark final game.  I also managed to make the finals of the party game Liar's Dice for the third year in a row and finish third.  My friend Nathan also won his Britannia tournament to add a plaque to his second place plaque in Roll for the Galaxy he acquired earlier in the week. 


In addition to tournament games, I played a some pick up games in the Open Gaming Room (when I don't play History of the World, I have all sorts of time to play other games).  I tried Five Tribes again, which is a worker placement game that is okay.  I think what turns me off to the game is the artwork and color choices of the game (teal, orange, pink, black, beige, and gold).  My friend Tara also introduced me to Patchwork, which is a tetris like boardgame where you are scoring points for making a quilt (great for my fiber working friends who like to game).  We also pulled out a Prezcon copy of the new game Murano.  Murano is a game where the rules were not clear until we started playing the game.  It has an action selection mechanic that is driven by gondola boats you move from space to space around the edge of the board.  The game was pretty cool, and I think I would like to try it again with more than two players.


Gameplay Summary

• Lewis & Clark:  I played two games of this, the second heat and the finals, and won both.  For the heat, I ran a large, complicated expedition (8-10 cards) to get over the mountains on the board.  In the finals, I ran an extremely slim expedition (4 cards) to do the same thing.  I found a little bit of luck in the game and moved forward extra spaces based on the placement of the other players' tokens.  Another player missed winning by one space just before I achieved the win
• Patchwork:  I lost based on the large uncovered patches of my quilt.  For a tile placement game, I rather enjoyed this
• Murano:  As we went through and figured out the rules, I managed to win.  in the game, you build roads, shops and glass factories in Venice.  You also recruit characters in Venice who provide you goals and bonus points.  I didn't love the game, but found it interesting enough to want to try again
• 7 Wonders:  This has become a classic game for me that I thoroughly enjoy.  I ended up focusing on science development as Halikarnnasos and finished third of six.  We had some score calculation problems that almost made me miss the first game of Liar's Dice
• Liar's Dice:  I won my heat on the last throw of the dice.  In the finals, I slowly lost my dice on exact number guesses where other people had bid correctly (which is what I tend to aim for).  My third place finish is actually my worst finish ever at Prezcon -- I finished second the last two years.

I have 7 Wonders and Settlers of Catan today, and then it is my return home.