B and I were at Strategicon over the weekend--four days of straight gaming--where we played a total of 32 games. Considering we typically play 30 games a month, I think it can be safely said that it was a weekend of highly concentrated gaming.

B and I played in a few tournaments: Hacienda (I placed 2nd, B placed 3rd), 10 Days in Africa (I lost, B came in 2nd), B did Railroad Tycoon, and we both did Power Grid. I should have won, but the guy pulled a cheater move, "Oh, I didn't know I had 13 power plants." His indicator was on 12, when he really had 13, and I had 13 power plants as well, but he had the more expensive power plant (the person with the most power plants is supposed to go first, in the case of ties, the player with the most expensive power plant is forced to bid on the available power plants before everyone else), and I went first instead, when I should have gone second, in a move that ended up giving him a power plant near the end of Step 2 for him to win... ugh. So in the future I will always count everyone's power plants at the end of every building phase.

I think the only people who understood that paragraph are B, Des and maybe Josh (but probably only vaguely).

The best part about the convention was Reiner Knizia, who was the special guest of honor. In the world of board games, Reiner Knizia is a celebrity. B and I went to the con on Friday (before it was really in full swing starting Saturday), and Reiner was there play-testing some games and after his game ended he came to watch us play Through the Desert. As we set up, he said he loved this particular game that he designed (which was awesome because it's B's personal favorite, as well), and we invited him to play with us, and he resigned saying that he was very tired (being still on UK time, it was 5 a.m. for him). But we joked with him a little. And he finally said, "Well, if you promise to play quickly, then okay."

The man won. Hardcore. Well, B was a close second. I think he only lost by six points, but man, Reiner sure does know how to win. He signed our game afterwards:



There was also a Kniziathon Tournament that ran all weekend long. You could play each Knizia game, possibly multiple times, but only your highest score would count towards your title--which means once you won on one game, time to move on to the next. It was freeform, unlike the other tournaments which had a specific time scheduled for Power Grid, for instance. In the Kniziathon, you could play at any time throughout the weekend. Out of 99 participants, I placed 9th and B placed 5th. We really had no chance at 3rd or higher because we: 1) played other games that Reiner did not design and 2) we did not get a room at the hotel--so we had to go home and sleep, as opposed to staying up for 20, 22, or 24 hours playing games and going to a hotel room to take a nap and coming back down and gaming. 3) We really only played a few of the more heavily weighted games, like Tigris & Euphrates, which was rated a 4 (the highest). We mostly stuck with the midrange games (weighted 3) like Lost Cities and Ingenious and 4) we weren't madly playing through Reiner's extensive catalog of over 200+ games.

The best part of the convention, though, was meeting a lot of nice people with similar interests all in one convenient location. I met a lot of cool people this weekend. I just wish more of our friends would be up for a con like that in the future.

Okay, maybe that's overstating it a bit. That was the third best part. The second best was the actual game playing. The first best was meeting Reiner Knizia and having him mock us on our board game. Heh heh heh.

My only complaints about the convention: there wasn't a lot of racial diversity (so most of the attendants were white) and there weren't a lot of women, either, but luckily there were more women than I expected to see. A couple of them were even pretty dang cute.

My other complaint is about American culture just in general. I wish I had grown up playing games rather than watching TV, more like Germans or other Europeans where playing games (board games in particular) is more a part of the collective cultural experience, as opposed to something that is strictly meant for kids/childhood, or for "families" with young children. I mean, just look at this game: Scotland Yard and the box design it has in the US. It looks really juvenile, and slightly boring--but won game of the year (so chances are it is not boring, but instead, rather fun). Sadly, the box design has no visual appeal at all. In fact, to find games that look mature and engaging for a reasonably intelligent person, you have to go to specific game/hobby stores, of which there are startling few in the greater Los Angeles area. You can't find a more mature, yet insanely fun game, like Ticket To Ride at Target or Toys R Us--which I find strange because even children could play this game. Sure it's no Spongebob Squarepants or Monopoly Disney Edition--gag--but there are other things to do than watch TV and play roll-and-move games.

/end rant.

/end weekend.

/begin normal life... blah...

Labels: 2007, february, reiner knizia, signature, strategicon, through the desert

( 7comments )

at February 19, 2007 10:33 PM  Anonymous said...

I'll have you know I followed that statement about Powergrid completely, thank you.

I seem to remember having won at least twice, and my memory isn't usually too bad about game rules. ;)

-El Hombre

 

at February 19, 2007 10:39 PM  Samantha said...

Ah. Then I apologize. I (wrongly) assumed that since we only played it a couple times when you were here, and you were here back in July, that perhaps the rules/knowledge/memory of Power Grid had faded. Sorry about that.

 

at February 20, 2007 10:14 PM  Lindsi Dawn said...

I totally got the Power Grid thing too since we have the game and like to play it... bummer about the tournament! Glad you had fun though... and I totally agree about the buying good games at a store. They only have junk games that are no fun to play at Target and such. Okay maybe 10% of the games they carry can be fun. I've had more fun w/the games that I bought at that gaming store in LA with you than any other games I've ever played! Jodi & I were talking about getting a monthly game club going so we could play them all more often, esp the 3+ player games like the Pirates game- oh do you have that yet? We have to play when I'm there. Okay, this is more than just a comment. TTYL

 

at February 20, 2007 10:24 PM  Samantha said...

Oh yeah, I forgot you guys had Power Grid, too. Sweet. More people than I originally thought actually understand my post! Woo!

To which pirates game are you referring? Pirates' Cove? We own that one (my mom bought it for B back in 2005 for his pirate-themed bday). We also own Mutiny (also a gift from my mom, also a pirate game). We also own Pirates of the Spanish Main, but that's a collectible pirate ship game, and I'm pretty sure that's not the one you're talking about.

I've been lucky enough to run across a few freakin' awesome people in the English dept who enjoy game playing; plus Laura moved to LA and she and her husband, Stink Pants #5, and we've absorbed their friend Robert into our game nights, too, so we've had a few board game/Guitar Hero/Karaoke game nights which have been insanely fun.

And kind of loud... thank goodness for concrete walls.

 

at February 21, 2007 8:41 PM  Lindsi Dawn said...

Pirate's Cove... although the only time I've played the correct was last year w/you Brad and his friend (name escapes me), anyway, Todd and I have changed it up a bit to play it with two players so I may be off on the correct way to play w/3 or more.

 

at February 21, 2007 8:41 PM  Anonymous said...

We also played when you and the B-man where in Flint for some reason I can't quite recall (baptism?). Jon even played and won a moral victory.

-El Hombre

 

at February 21, 2007 8:42 PM  Samantha said...

Ooooh yeah. Power Grid is what we brought along. Yeah, it was a baptism. Man, I forgot all about playing that.