An Old Year, a New Year

I really hate filling out my yearly Employee Review survey, especially the part about listing your goals for the next year.  I don't know if its the wording, or that I just don't like coming up with arbitrary goals, but I always have trouble with that part.  And yet here I am, thinking about how this blog has gone so far, and looking ahead to the future.

While I'm well aware that this blog has not been around for a year, the official New Year always seems like a good time to look back on the past year, see where you've come and what you've accomplished, and then look forward and make some goals for the upcoming year.

It's been only a few months, but so far I'm pretty satisfied with the way things are going.  Honestly I expected like maybe 8-10 views per post, but I'm getting around 60.  For the first few months of a blog, that's not bad, and I hope to see this thing grow continually over the next year.  Even better, writing this blog has reconnected me with old friends that I haven't talked to in a while, and that makes it all worth it.  I feel like I've gotten a few decent posts in here, and sparked a little bit of discussion in the small group of people that comes here for a read.

And I think I can do better.  I have a lot of ideas, but I've been known to throw out a ton of ideas and then fail to accomplish any of them.  So I'm going to pace myself, but not be afraid to try some things.  Here are some of my goals as far as what I'd like to accomplish for myself related to this Blog, and gaming, over the next year.

1. Keep Posting Regularly
This may seem like an obvious one, but it's really a foundational aspect of what i'm trying to do.  I'm on a good run now, but I've started blogs before and quickly run aground.  Not only do I not want that to happen, but I'd like to post more regularly than I have been.  Preferably 3 times a week.  It's tough to fit in my schedule what with a full time job, a wife and house to take care of, and games to play, but it can happen. There're certainly no shortage of posts to write.


2. Play A Ton of Games
Perhaps another "duh!" idea, but this is a gaming blog.  I don't really want to keep running posts rehashing how excellent Dominion is, or describing the qualities of Catan.  I love gaming, and I want to play as many games as possible, so i can explore the world of gaming, see what ideas are out there, sort out the good and bad, and then pass that on to you.


3. Open up the conversation more
I love getting comments from people, even if they totally disagree with what my post is all about.  That being said, I don't want to simply write my opinion or my thoughts, but leave subjects open for discussion, so you all can feel free to share your thoughts... freely.  No one should be afraid to voice their opinion, and though I may disagree with what you have to say, I defend your right to say it.

4. Guest Posts
Kind of in the same vein as 3, I think it'd be great to get some other people writing posts on this blog. I enjoy gaming, and writing, but I have just one perspective among thousands.  If you have some idea you want to write out, or a game you want to review, or anything like that, fer seriously - let me know.  I'd be happy to run some guest posts.

5. Giveaways!
Now we're getting into the quantifiable stuff.  I love games, and I love giveaways, even though I never win them.  Sure, it's a bid to expand readership, sure it's a marketing ploy, but hey, are you really going to argue with the chance to win a free game or something like that?


6. Video Reviews
This may be something that happens farther in the future, but it's definitely something I want to get into.  I haven't seen too many Board Game video reviews out there.  Though not as obvious as video reviews of, say... movies, or video games, sometimes it's just easier to comprehend what a board game is like when you get a visual overview of it.  If you're wavering on a purchase and you just want to see some clips of it being played or something like that, I'd love to hook you up, especially since I have a bit of background in video-ing.

And last but not least...

7. Finish Armyland
Armyland is a goard game design I have been working on for years.  It started in high school (back then it was called Thrones of War) and I recently re-opened it after successfully working out the main gameplay mechanic.   At this point I'm closer to a playable prototype than I ever was even when I wrote out the rules in high school, and I want to keep going and finish it.  After that, there may be opportunities for readers of this blog to play test the game with their very own (really crappily assembled) prototypes.  Awesome!

Why tell you all this?  Well, in a large part it just helps me to write out my thoughts and have a clear sense of direction for this thing.  It's almost, in a sense, like a Pensieve (from the Harry Potter series) - an external vessel through which I can clarify my muddled bemusings.  But I also think it helps as far as accountability.  If in 6 months you haven't seen a guest post or I haven't been posting regularly, you as a caring, invested reader can leave a comment saying "Hey, bro, you promised us this but you haven't delivered!"

So there it is, there you have it, there we are.  Let 2011 commence!

Merry Christmas, World!

Anybody got wheat? I got two logs!

Catan can be a very frustrating game sometimes.  Despite the statistics and probabilities, sometimes the dice keep popping up with numbers that aren't yours, even if your numbers are quite good.  When that happens, you can't collect resources, and that makes it very hard to build, expand, and sometimes play. 

It's a Christmas gift list!

Are you interested in trying some new board games but not sure where to start?  Looking for some good recommendations?  Well, ladies, gentlemen, and robots, you've come to the right place.  Here are my picks for great holiday board-gaming gifts for you or someone you love who also loves gaming.  I've limited it to my top 5 so as to not get overwhelming.

Run for your Life, Candyman

As you may or may not have garnered from a recent post, I am working on designing my very own board game.  I started this project in high school, and even got it to a point where I submitted a proposal to Mayfair games.  Apparently the proposal was well-written, because I received a response requesting to see my rules.  Unfortunately (as is very clear to me now) those rules were sloppy, overcomplicated, and just not very fun.


I took a break from the project for several years, but I recently rediscovered the rules and have been thinking about them for a while in the back of my mind.  Then, just a few weeks ago, I had an epiphone and figured out a completely new mechanic for the game that was significantly simpler and more-fun-sounding.  So, my work on the project restarted, and i've made loads of progress since then.

FTW

There's a funny thing about my personality.  If you know me, you know that I'm pretty quiet most of the time, and very laid back, and generally not that competitive.  In fact, though my dad had some dreams for my high school career as a star kicker in football, I never really got into organized sports.  This is not because of an outright rejection of sports - I could hold my own in a pickup game of basketball or touch football - I just didn't appreciate how much time and effort and lack of actual fun were involved, because organized sports are not about playing, they're about winning.

However, despite my lack of enthusiasm towards sports, I do have a competitive gene inside me, and when I played games, I played to win.  Winning was the most important thing when I played any game, even RPGs.

The Other Jon

Arch Nemesis The Other Jon

Allow me to introduce you all to a new character in my life: The Other Jon.  The Other Jon is my board-gaming Arch-Nemesis. (The Other Jon is also the author of one Tongue Fried Goat blog, which is about books mostly, but sometimes board games).  Why is this The Other Jon my Arch-Nemesis now, you ask?  Well, i'm glad you asked.  I'll tell you why.


I consider myself to be pretty good at board games.  I'm not the champion of the universe (at least, I don't think I am... I guess i've never really tested my skills in a legitimately measurable way) but I hold my own.  I win a lot, and when I don't win, I bring a solid showing.  I can't remember the last time I finished last in any game (not counting 2 player games, since last is inherent in not being first), be it Settlers, Dominion, Android, or Cosmic Encounter.  I pick up strategies in new games pretty quickly, and I learn from every mistake I make.

"We publish family games... but good luck with your game!"

Years ago, when I was in high school, I came up with my own board game idea.  It built off some concepts I had learned from Settlers and Magic, with some new ideas I brought in myself.  It was an army-building strategy game, where you purchased cards to represent various units, and then could upgrade those cards with items, abilities, and even additional population.  I actually submitted the idea to Mayfair games, and got a response, though it was ultimately rejected when I sent in my rules.  "We publish Family games" they said, "But good luck with your game!"  I wish I still had the rejection letter.

Win a copy of Small World!

Not that I want to decrease my chances, but another blog blogger is giving away a free copy of Small World.  All you have to do is leave a comment.  And also tell them how awesome this blog is.

Win a free copy of Small World Here.

Build Me an Empire! No, even better! A Dominion! (A Review of Dominion)

Magic: The Gathering really is a fun game. Really. If you've tried it, you probably enjoyed it. If you haven't... take my word for it. There are a few issues with Magic, though, that prevent it from being a general-market success. First of all, the thematic nature of Magic (dueling wizards) is pretty hardcore geeky, which does not appeal to many people. It is also prohibitively complicated; so many cards, so many rules to learn. And finally, the reason that I do not own Magic cards or play the game; it takes a lot of effort, investment, time, and research to really build a good, competitive deck. They key to success in that game is having a deck whose cards work together, and knowing what is in your deck, so it doesn't even really work to simply borrow your best friend's deck - he (or she) will beat you every time, with a few lucky exceptions.

Fortunately, one man named Donald X. Vaccarino came up with Dominion.