Topic: International Tabletop Day

[ejamer]

I haven't played Catan in ages, except for one game with my parents a year ago that lasted for 2.5 hours.
Seriously. How does a (basic) Catan game last for 2.5 hours? Maybe they were just too tired, or not into it... although I'm pretty sure they were the ones suggesting the game. Didn't turn out to be the best experience.


I'd still like to play with the Cities & Knights expansion sometime, but maybe with people who are a little bit quicker. 


Getting together with my cousin tonight to try a new-ish game called Gloomhaven. Not sure it's my kind of thing, but people have been raving about it.

[Khushrenada]

Actually, I think the Catan game I mentioned playing last year took around a couple hours. The dice rolls and Robber/Thief led to some resource scarcity and it took a long time to get things accomplished. It's the luck of the draw.

[ShyGuy]

Have any of you ever played The Farming Game? Now that's a tabletop game!

[segagamersteph]

I love Monopoly it's my all time favorite board game. I have lots of merchandise too, variants, spin offs (Advance to Board Walk, Free Parking) and lots more. I did a whole YouTube video once on my Monopoly collection/obsession.

Does anyone count Dungeons and Dragons as a table top game? Now here is a game NOBODY ever plays by the official rules. Of course, to be fair, agreeing on what "ruleset" to follow complicates things.

I used to really enjoy that Star Wars Customizeable Card Game from the 90's. I was never good at finding people to play with.

I never tried Risk but always wanted to. I am trying to get a group of D&D gamers together, I have two potentials now I just need to flesh out the details.

[oohhboy]

Monopoly disintegrates once you realise how random the underlying gameplay loop is. It isn't a good game once you know.

Risk has the same awful issue. It's all a false choice. Roll dice, see who is more lucky.

Sure you can count DnD and their ilk. The DM is the overriding factor. A **** DM will ruin everything regardless of rule set or quality of everything else. A good DM will make dying permanently or the shittiest story or dungeon enjoyable. A good DM is relaxed, fair, good communication skills, not a rules lawyer and know when not to set a precedent. Actually, find a teacher to DM I have had good results from it.

Not a fan of Catan. It's a good game, just doesn't click for me.

[segagamersteph]

To be fair, Monopoly was designed to suck. That's the point it's a lesson in the faults of capitalism. The people, like me I suppose, who enjoy it do so because it's nature. It's like D&D, that rare social game I do enjoy. As far as structure goes, not for me not a fan of structure, too, no attention span.

[ejamer]

Monopoly disintegrates once you realise how random the underlying gameplay loop is. It isn't a good game once you know.

...

I don't think this is true.


Look at the world championships, and you'll see that good players consistently win out over less skilled ones. There is randomness from the dice, but the role of negotiation and auctions is large enough to ensure that the game isn't just "who rolls the best". Unfortunately most people use house rules that essentially remove those two pieces - the only pieces that really require skill - from the game.


Try playing Monopoly following the rules as written (no house rules!) with some people who really understand the game, and are willing to negotiate. You will almost certainly find it's a very different experience than what you've seen before.


(Granted, it easy to suggest that and much harder to find a group of people who fit that description.)




I've never tried D&D, but always thought it seemed interesting. I'm probably better suited to other games though - ones that resemble complex math problems often draw my interest, so maybe I'm not really creative enough for a true RPG.

[segagamersteph]

You'd probably like the original D&D, it was all math. You can play the game with miniatures and maps like a board game, I've done that before.