Well, now that NBW is fading into a distant memory, I just wanted to post some memories from the con that didn't involve my games (as these have all been memorialized in earlier posts). I don't mean to leave anyone out, and please forgive me if I get a name wrong... Just some random thoughts.
1. Nels and Taylor fighting their way through the rules for Empire of the Sun. Now, these 2 have been known to easily quadruple the playing time of games, since they spend a lot of time chatting, but this one was a tough slog. Even Bruce Wigdor's Wargameroom.com program couldn't help them overcome this monster. I feel their frustration, as I was never able to "get' this game, even though I consider Mark Herman one of the best designers we have out there!
2. Art and Lembit fighting out Russia Besieged on the "big" map. For a while, it looked like Art was going to overrun Mother Russia, but Lembit held tough at Moscow, and eventually turned the tide!
3. Several games of Here I Stand going on over the 4 days we were there. Did Jeromey Martin win every single one?!?!
4. Four determined gents, including Jeff McBeth, untwisting the game that is Revolution: The Dutch Revolt. I have this one, and it seems to be a love it/hate it type of game. Guess i should try some day...
5. Through the Ages got a lot of play. Is it worth the time investment? Folks whose opinions I respect vary about this one...
6. Scott Nicholson, of "Boardgames with Scott," playing a different euro every time I looked up!
7. Stew Kiff, poised over the For the People board for most of the con -- I wish I had had more time to get a game in with him.
8. A really smart young guy, Jeffrey Wilson (13ish) who picked up games quickly and enjoys wargames. Maybe our future will be OK...
9. The genuine niceness of folks that attend this con -- everyone has a smile on their face. It's a very laid-back experience, and anyone will play a game with you, if they're not involved with something else.
10. Cory Wells bopping back and forth between gamer and rock star. I wish I had half the energy my friend does!
11. Kevin Rohrer's always full BIG mug of iced tea!
12. Marty Sample catching a few ZZZs during games when it's not his turn, then snapping back to it and not missing a beat!
13. Seeing Mike Cardwell happily sitting at a table talking to folks, seeing his vision of a friendly little get-together grow into something special.
14. Many 1856 type games going on -- don't know how they do it!
15. Folks missed this go 'round, like Pete Bartlett, Bob Titran, Steve Cuyler, and Frank Mestrve.
16. Ken Dingley's 13+ hour trip to Niagara from Connecticut, via Montreal! He got to see some nice scenery, at least. Ken really went the whole 9 yards, driving back to Toronto the morning after he arrived so that he could get the Spartacus boxes many of us had been waiting waiting. What a sweet looking game!
17. Finally meeting a long-time CSW friend, Marc Guenette, and his friend Francois. Now I really need to visit Montreal! (Maybe Ken can give me directions...).
18. Watching Neil Randall get involved in several different games at once -- i have no idea how the man keeps everything straight!
19. Seeing Bill Peeck and Bob Stribula playing Wilderness War. I had hoped to get a game in myself, but can't do everything...
20. Amazed at how many games of Unhappy King Charles were getting played at NBW -- and I didn't get in on a single one, dammit. This one is on the top of my, "to play" pile, that's for sure!
OK, I'm sure I left a lot out, but I think I'll stop at 20 and let my imagination run in my head until next year's NBW rolls around. Thanks to all for the great time and happy memories.
14 comments:
Alas, I only won the two games I was directly participating in at the con.
I did, however, get an "assist" for a third game via proxy by giving helpful hints to Francois (I think?) for his own HIS game. Rack up a Papal win for that one.
> Alas, I only won the two games I was directly participating in at the con.<
Jeromey, You want to win in games you don't participate in?. Wow!!
Rob
I know you hate some Euro's but we had two games of "Winds of Plunder" and Mike Cardwell won one against Don Mac, Micheal K and me and another with Don Mac, Michael K , Clint and his wife Dawn and me. This game went to Michael.
Cory
"You want to win in games you don't participate in?"
Damn right!
Cory,
I LIKE euros more than not! I just didn't find much to grab my attention in "Winds of Plunder" when I played (3 times I tried...).
I'm certainly glad you like it, maybe Mike will buy my game... ;-)
The most fun game to win is one where you're not playing -- like when Bill Peeck came back and beat Grant in FtP a few years back after he was about to give up (you know, the whining hits a crescendo...). I gave Bill some advice, and it worked, for the win!
Mr. W
Empire of the Sun is not a complex game at all. It's pretty easy actually. But it's a tough nut to be good at it. I would mind teaching you. I'm not just good at it. And Wargameroom is a great way to play it.
If you like Civ/Adv Civ, there is no way you shouldn't like Revolution. It's great and involved and you can see the end of it. But please download the rules from BGG.
I know Jeromey by reputation now, and would have really like trying Pursuit of Glory and UKC with him. I learned how to be a decent player at PoG by being whipped constantly.
I like Euros. I play Euros with a Euro crowd usually, so my mindset is not applying the rule, go straight to the jugular. My wife appreciate this "good will" sportmanship lol.
At Niagara I've learned Metropolys. Ordered it when I cameback. I saw a few Le Havre and Dominion games played. Have to try these. Played Agricola since, and it rocks
I can vouch for Neil, he's so greta at spotting the holes, and missed on some rules. And fun too.
Bill didn't beat me, *you* beat me! :-)
And it was Bob Stribula playing Wilderness War vs Bill Peeck/Grant LaDue/Mike Cardwell!
I better get Spartacus on Monday before I leave for PrezCon on Tuesday...............
"I know Jeromey by reputation now, and would have really like trying Pursuit of Glory and UKC with him."
Any publicity is good publicity!
That being said, there's nothing stopping you from playing against me via CB/ACTS for Pursuit of Glory, if you want to get a game going.
Of course, I have no idea who you are, I should note. :P
I hear he goes by
"The game Con stalker"
Is that wrong ?
I'm not Empire of the Sun will be for me -- the weird abstractions don't seem to work for me (and have pretty much wrecked For the People0 for me...
But I will probably try Pursuit for Glory someday, and Jeromey has tagged me for a playtest of Ted Raicer's Eastern Front CDG.
I finally played CC:Pacific, and it's fun -- different from Europe/Med, not better or worse. In today's post I linked it to eating lobster or steak...
Rob, did you see the FtP article that in one of the last C3i's. The reduced movement speeds seem like they might remove a lot of the games odd abstractions. I'd be willing to try them out myself.
FtP's abstractions annoy me. PoG's drive me crazy.
I think I may give FtP one more try someday, using the Simonitch optionals, Grant. There will still be problems with the game, but these rules clear up some of the oddities, at least...
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