To whom it may concern; Board games.

[crux]

I know there's another board game topic less than a year old here, but I'd like to take a slightly different approach, per some discussion in this thread.

I posted this in the General Gaming section because, despite the usual leanings this retro gaming inspired site has, I consider board gaming to be "gaming" as much as anything else is. Yet, I'm aware that a very large population of gamers haven't touched a board game since Monopoly, and more by the day who are even aware of the Euro games that bridged the gap like Settlers of Catan but would never touch them anyway or perhaps haven't even had the chance to.

I find it interesting that I, as a gamer of both types, don't enjoy the type of video games that translate better to board games. Though I've tried, I've never been able to get into RTS or TBS games and their ilk. Yet board games appeal to me more so than most video games, largely because of the social factor, but also due to the very same factors I don't enjoy in an RTS or TBS game.

So to those that haven't had the chance or to those that have and still haven't taken to it, let me know what you think. I love talking about board games and the parallel between board gamers and video gamers is actually smaller than you'd think (talk of video games around BGG will often bring blank faces or disagreements - watch for the ensuing argument if you bring up the possibility of a digital future for boardgames). Yet, I'm convinced that more video gamers would enjoy board games than even they think they would - they just haven't been introduced to the right games and perhaps the right gamers to play them with. (Watch the horror on a person's face when they're introduced to board games by a War gamer.)

As an aside, I'm remodeling my basement in the next few weeks, where the end result will be half board game room and half video game room (and hopefully partial homebrew room too, but that's another topic!). I added my location for the first time here, so if anyone's in the tri-state area and wants to get their gaming on, send me a PM.

[fastbilly1]

I want to see pictures of your room when its done. My girlfriend and I just looked at a house and we noticed in one room it would be perfect for a billybookshelf system going down the right side and boardgames/videogames/books filling it, with console boxes and statues ontop. We were originally not going to have a game room per sey, but if we get that house it is inevitable. When we walked into the room (that use to be a two car garage), I thought how cool it would be with bookshelves of games going down a side but didnt say anything, she apparently thought the same thing and later told me. Ofcourse I will have pictures if we buy it.

I love the social aspect of boardgames, specifically a coop game. To give you a great example - one of my groups favorite games is Pandemic. It is a game where everyone plays as CDC researchers and they are trying to stop diseases from destroying the world. It is a hard game, where you more often lose than win. What we love about it is that it is really just a multiplayer puzzle. We have to push each others minds, see if we can find the most efficient way of curing the cities. It is something that is fun and social, but it does have a difficulty curve.

Sometimes videogames can give you that - my girlfriend and I play Terraria and have a skype video chat going at the same time so we can see each other as we play. But just having a voice or text show up is not the same. Having a lanparty though changes everything.

Ok Im meandering through like three topics now. Ill stop here.

[Zing]

Here is a current photo of my board game shelves:


I used to have more, but I have culled out quite a few games that were no longer being played. I also currently have a stack of games just to the right of the shelves that I call my "trade pile". Unfortunately, it's hard to trade for anything when there are no new board games I desire. I manage to sell off a few every three months at a local gaming convention, but they still seem to accumulate.

[fastbilly1]

Zing what are your games in the upper left - the Bookcase styled ones?

[crux]

Co-op games aren't really my thing, at least from the few I've tried. I enjoyed Pandemic enough, but I only tried it with two players, and I feel like with the groups I play with, too much input from too many people would lead to a few specific individuals making a lot of the choices. I enjoyed Pandemic a hell of a lot more than Forbidden Island though, which will soon be on my trade list.

I much prefer a cut-throat game, honestly. I very much like player-interaction (no multiplayer solitaire), but I enjoy even more the opportunity to impede other players when necessary or spice things up with a malicious act now and again. With friends it makes for a more lively event, and I have absolutely no problem when people do it with me. Golden rule, right?

I'll take plenty of pictures of the game room in its various stages, since I have the opportunity. I had planned on doing half video game room, half kids room, but soon I realized the kids are old enough to enjoy the games more anyway, and my board game hobby took off stronger than ever at the same time. I'm having custom shelves put in for games of both types, though finding enough shelves for all my games is going to be a challenge regardless. Part of my design was actually inspired by some pictures of a souped up basement I saw here a while back, though not nearly to the same degree; His collection dwarfs mine, which is no small statement. Namely a shelf or two along the wall and a lighter grey tile for the floor.

I like your shelves, Zing. They hug the corner nicely. And I spot Chicken Cha Cha Cha and Animal Upon Animal. I'm guessing that you have kids too!

[fastbilly1]

I use to love direct confrontation games alot more. But those are on hold until I get a better group that doesnt get so hurt over the game. We played Dune once and the Bene Gesserit took the coop win and a fist fight almost broke out. So euros and pure coop are better choices for us right now. Forbidden Island lives in my car right now. It is an intro game that is obviously made for the sub 10 crowd.

In reality I am a Dex gamer. I love Pitch Car, Carroms, Ascending Empires, and Crossbows and Catapults are four of my most favorite games of all time (still working on a copy of a real copy of Little Wars). Ameritrash is my next preferred gametype. Id rather destroy the farms then actually farm them!

[alienjesus]

My tastes in boardgames extends as far as Scrabble and maybe Trivial Pursuit. I've tried a few other games, but I dunno, boardgames always seem too slow paced for my liking. Plus I find all the small pieces to be awkward. That said, I was into tabletop war games for a little bit, but I didn't really have anyone to play against and it was too costly anyway, so I gave that up pretty quickly too.

I'm a kid of the digital age I guess.

[TEKTORO]

As a kid in the 80's there was a board game I really liked.It reminded me of Indiana jones or some type of adventure.I think there were traps like lava,boulders,dead ends and such.Would anyone know about this?Also have a D&D board game complete with some expansion that I have no clue about.

[fastbilly1]

The game you are talking about Tektoro is most likely Fireball Island:
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1768/fireball-island

[crux]

My tastes in boardgames extends as far as Scrabble and maybe Trivial Pursuit. I've tried a few other games, but I dunno, boardgames always seem too slow paced for my liking.

You don't say?

Seriously, Trivial Pursuit may as well be the epitome of slow. Which begs the question: What games have you played? There are real time games if that suits your fancy (anything but slow), plenty of games that can be played in 15-30 minutes to an hour, and there are even games with narrative, as well as some that even play similar to video games. The diversity of board games is enormous, as billy and my own tastes should make clear. I'm much more into Euro games with deep strategy than ameritrash. Though I do own a Crokinole board, so clearly I'm not a stranger to dexterity games.

TEKTORO: Any other clues? My guess too would be Fireball Island, since it was pretty mainstream accessible.