This Christmas vacation so far has been just the right balance of lazy relaxing and fun adventures. After Nick left I spent the remaining days with family and friends (mostly being lazy) and had a lovely family Christmas.
I got:
- Donkey Kong Country Returns (played a bit here in Florida with Nick, it's super super fun!)
- Sonic Colors
- pre-order for Lost in Shadow, which should arrive in January
- a WoW trivia desk calendar
- Amazon gift credits, intended to be used for presents for Mr. Davis. I'm going to get him a cat condo/tree. I also used some of them to pre-order Okamiden
- Some cash monies
- a new pair of pajamas (I get one pretty much every year, which is good, because I wear through pajamas like crazy!)
- Betrayal at House on the Hill
A splendid collection of gifts if ever there was one! My brother and I got my parents Netflix, which they liked a lot. Hopefully they won't watch through the whole streaming library in a single month :P
After Christmas I flew down here to Sarasota to spend the rest of our break with Nick. We went to the Ringling Museum, which was pretty varied and interesting. Otherwise there has been a lot of lazing and meeting friends and playing games. I think it will be a relaxing way to see out 2010!
Showing posts with label board and card games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label board and card games. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Out and About
I feel like my life as of late has been rich and full, like a giant chocolate cake. The days and nights outside of work have been filling up with new experiences and adventures and time spent with various friends in varied circles.
Today, Josh, Nick, Nathan, Ben and I set out to the Renegade Craft Fair, which was fantastic. There was a huge variety of local and touring craftsfolk selling their wares.
One interesting thing about it was that every booth was incredibly unique in its ware, be it the style or the craft itself or some clever idea or twist. However, when you have a huge collection of things and every one is unique, it creates a weird, noisy effect that's hard to digest. You can't really easy group or categorize things, and my overall impression of the festival was "loud," but not in terms of audio.
There was great stuff, though! I helped myself to a crafted pocketwatch, a wallet made from photography, and a few homemade scented candles.
Pho was had for lunch and we set out for home and a brief nap. Afterwards, Rob, Carlos, and Carren came over to my place for a last minute pool party, grillin, and games. It's crazy that Carlos has been here for as long as he has and I've only gotten together with him but one other time!
We played The Great Dalmuti, Monty Python Fluxx*, and Give Me the Brain, and generally caught up and played about. When everyone departed, Nick and I closed off the evening by taking Mr. Davis on a late-night walk.
For the moment I'm content to chillax here and blog on the couch with a Nick at my feet and a DJ Hero-ing Nathan at my side. Socializing and adventures are all fun and healthy, but I feel like tomorrow is going to be the laziest of days.
*Note, the Monty Python theming still didn't help Fluxx win my heart. It's just that the game has no pacing whatsoever by its very nature. I know some people love it, but I don't think I ever will.
Today, Josh, Nick, Nathan, Ben and I set out to the Renegade Craft Fair, which was fantastic. There was a huge variety of local and touring craftsfolk selling their wares.
One interesting thing about it was that every booth was incredibly unique in its ware, be it the style or the craft itself or some clever idea or twist. However, when you have a huge collection of things and every one is unique, it creates a weird, noisy effect that's hard to digest. You can't really easy group or categorize things, and my overall impression of the festival was "loud," but not in terms of audio.
There was great stuff, though! I helped myself to a crafted pocketwatch, a wallet made from photography, and a few homemade scented candles.
Pho was had for lunch and we set out for home and a brief nap. Afterwards, Rob, Carlos, and Carren came over to my place for a last minute pool party, grillin, and games. It's crazy that Carlos has been here for as long as he has and I've only gotten together with him but one other time!
We played The Great Dalmuti, Monty Python Fluxx*, and Give Me the Brain, and generally caught up and played about. When everyone departed, Nick and I closed off the evening by taking Mr. Davis on a late-night walk.
For the moment I'm content to chillax here and blog on the couch with a Nick at my feet and a DJ Hero-ing Nathan at my side. Socializing and adventures are all fun and healthy, but I feel like tomorrow is going to be the laziest of days.
*Note, the Monty Python theming still didn't help Fluxx win my heart. It's just that the game has no pacing whatsoever by its very nature. I know some people love it, but I don't think I ever will.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
General Update
Things are going well in the Lisa-verse! Life is busy but good and generally on the up-and-up, though Derby season always makes me a little homesick for Louisville.
Last night, Nick and Nathan and Ross and I spent the evening playing Arkham Horror, which was my first time playing the game. I liked it quite a bit! I'm a sucker for cooperative board games anyway, but this one had a nice adventure element going on with it. It is very much like playing a one-shot session of D&D without the planning overhead that the DM has to do. Thinking about it in this way made it much easier to stomach the fact that it's a 5 hour game.
Granted, we all were devoured in the end, but I'd happily devote another evening to it. Next time I play I'll have a much better understanding of how things work, and make a more educated choice in my character.
Other updates!
1. Mr. Davis is doing really well - he loves the clicker training, goes out on walks with me, and is generally all about affection and snuggles. However, he has recently taken up the habit of climbing up the screen door when he's riled up and playing, which is problematic. What I need is a long, narrow strip of carpet that I can mount on the wall for him to climb up. Any idea on where to procure such an item?
2. I'm going to Japan in like 2 weeks! SO EXCITED! I'll be visiting Scott Coffrin, who I haven't seen in years, so that will be fun. It's a short, week-long trip, and I'll be in Osaka for most of it, with a day trip to Kyoto somewhere in there. Can't wait!
3. I have a boyfriend! That's old news to most of you, but I know not everyone keeps up with facebook relationship status changes :) We are going out on a fancy-pants date this very evening, in fact.
4. Work remains busy and fun and exciting and awesome.
That's about it from me for now, I suppose.
Last night, Nick and Nathan and Ross and I spent the evening playing Arkham Horror, which was my first time playing the game. I liked it quite a bit! I'm a sucker for cooperative board games anyway, but this one had a nice adventure element going on with it. It is very much like playing a one-shot session of D&D without the planning overhead that the DM has to do. Thinking about it in this way made it much easier to stomach the fact that it's a 5 hour game.
Granted, we all were devoured in the end, but I'd happily devote another evening to it. Next time I play I'll have a much better understanding of how things work, and make a more educated choice in my character.
Other updates!
1. Mr. Davis is doing really well - he loves the clicker training, goes out on walks with me, and is generally all about affection and snuggles. However, he has recently taken up the habit of climbing up the screen door when he's riled up and playing, which is problematic. What I need is a long, narrow strip of carpet that I can mount on the wall for him to climb up. Any idea on where to procure such an item?
2. I'm going to Japan in like 2 weeks! SO EXCITED! I'll be visiting Scott Coffrin, who I haven't seen in years, so that will be fun. It's a short, week-long trip, and I'll be in Osaka for most of it, with a day trip to Kyoto somewhere in there. Can't wait!
3. I have a boyfriend! That's old news to most of you, but I know not everyone keeps up with facebook relationship status changes :) We are going out on a fancy-pants date this very evening, in fact.
4. Work remains busy and fun and exciting and awesome.
That's about it from me for now, I suppose.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Game Design Toolbox
One of my favorite assignments in Game Design was building the Toolbox. We had to think of games we'd played from every year starting when we were 5 years old, and jot down a useful memory about the game. Useful in terms of something we learned from it game-design-wise. It was a very useful tool, and I'm always adding onto it.
However, I wanted to do two things: 1) Put the toolbox in a format that would be easily categorized, searchable, and easy to add on to, and 2) A format that was easy to share with others.
As such, I've started a new blog: Wertle's Game Design Toolbox
I've already copied over the information from the original toolbox, but there is still MUCH to add. For example, as a preliminary exercise, I made a list of every video game I can ever remember having played EVER. Now I have to add each one to the toolbox with a corresponding memory.
I have about 200 entries to add, and that's just video games. I haven't even started a list for other types of games!
This is a huge project, but I intend to catch up, so that eventually adding new entries will be gradual. I also intend to make lots of tags, so that I can look up entries by system, by genre, or by insight.
How long do you think it'll take me to add all my games?
However, I wanted to do two things: 1) Put the toolbox in a format that would be easily categorized, searchable, and easy to add on to, and 2) A format that was easy to share with others.
As such, I've started a new blog: Wertle's Game Design Toolbox
I've already copied over the information from the original toolbox, but there is still MUCH to add. For example, as a preliminary exercise, I made a list of every video game I can ever remember having played EVER. Now I have to add each one to the toolbox with a corresponding memory.
I have about 200 entries to add, and that's just video games. I haven't even started a list for other types of games!
This is a huge project, but I intend to catch up, so that eventually adding new entries will be gradual. I also intend to make lots of tags, so that I can look up entries by system, by genre, or by insight.
How long do you think it'll take me to add all my games?
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Busy times
I've packed more social activities into this week than I have in ages! Granted, they all took some form of nerdery, but it's still hard to stay "on" for so many consecutive nights. I shall look forward to a day of rest in the morning. Not to say that I'm complaining!
We've started up a mostly-weekly board game night at work, and this week I brought my cards to the table in the form of Give Me the Brain and my favorite card game, Once Upon a Time. It is an absolute joy to play Once Upon a Time with a group of creative storytellers who play in to the cooperative part of the game! I really do need to get a whole deck of blank cards to expand the storytelling arsenal. It's an exhausting game, however, requiring a lot of creative energy, so it is paired well with Give Me the Brain, which is quick and low-key.
Friday night was the first in a twice-monthly D&D campaign, again with friends from work, and it is a fantastic adventure so far! I love pen and paper RPGs, and have nothing but respect for people who are willing to DM. The format is lax enough that people can come and go from the core group, so that we don't face the often-game-killing dilemma of not being able to get everyone together at the same time. We're playing 3rd edition, as it was all of our favorites (I have no experience with 4th edition, but the ones who had played it didn't like it at all compared to 3rd).
Today I visited with Josh and we gave Borderlands a try, and ended up playing all day long! I really enjoy the game, but I can see how it shines best when played cooperatively. I think the music in the game has been under-appreciated - it sets the mood so well! It's a good combination of genres for my tastes, too. The FPSness is pretty mild, and the RPGness isn't too deep. A good "casual" blend, though I realize that casual is probably an inappropriate word for what I'm trying to describe. Plus, anything with quests is a hook in my mouth, and I foresee playing more in the future.
Tonight, I went to Will's to kick off the Venture Brothers Marathon which we have been talking about doing for some time. We skipped season 1, since I've seen it in full several times, and got good headway into season 2 tonight. It always surprises me what a well put-together show that is!
As for tomorrow, I intend to do some nesting, a bit of cooking, and then spend the rest of it in bed. Is the last week of January upon us already?!?
We've started up a mostly-weekly board game night at work, and this week I brought my cards to the table in the form of Give Me the Brain and my favorite card game, Once Upon a Time. It is an absolute joy to play Once Upon a Time with a group of creative storytellers who play in to the cooperative part of the game! I really do need to get a whole deck of blank cards to expand the storytelling arsenal. It's an exhausting game, however, requiring a lot of creative energy, so it is paired well with Give Me the Brain, which is quick and low-key.
Friday night was the first in a twice-monthly D&D campaign, again with friends from work, and it is a fantastic adventure so far! I love pen and paper RPGs, and have nothing but respect for people who are willing to DM. The format is lax enough that people can come and go from the core group, so that we don't face the often-game-killing dilemma of not being able to get everyone together at the same time. We're playing 3rd edition, as it was all of our favorites (I have no experience with 4th edition, but the ones who had played it didn't like it at all compared to 3rd).
Today I visited with Josh and we gave Borderlands a try, and ended up playing all day long! I really enjoy the game, but I can see how it shines best when played cooperatively. I think the music in the game has been under-appreciated - it sets the mood so well! It's a good combination of genres for my tastes, too. The FPSness is pretty mild, and the RPGness isn't too deep. A good "casual" blend, though I realize that casual is probably an inappropriate word for what I'm trying to describe. Plus, anything with quests is a hook in my mouth, and I foresee playing more in the future.
Tonight, I went to Will's to kick off the Venture Brothers Marathon which we have been talking about doing for some time. We skipped season 1, since I've seen it in full several times, and got good headway into season 2 tonight. It always surprises me what a well put-together show that is!
As for tomorrow, I intend to do some nesting, a bit of cooking, and then spend the rest of it in bed. Is the last week of January upon us already?!?
Friday, November 27, 2009
Ballergiving
I had a wonderful evening of games and stories and food with the ballers!
Beatles Rock Band is a blast, and far superior to normal Rock Band, and even Lego Rock Band, in my opinion. Most of this is due to the classy visual between-gig load screens, and the hilarity of multiple part harmony with Scott and Maria. I would have loved to sing, but alas, my voice is completely lost, so I stuck with the guitar.
I can only use Rock Band style guitars, because I can only use the meedley string buttons at the base of the neck. My hands are too small for the normal buttons, as are Beth's, which lead to this conversation snippet.
Beth: I can't use this, my hands are too small.
Maria: Mine are too, that's why I don't have to give prostate exams!
After dinner and pie and catching up on stories with the Clarks, we gathered to play Shadows Over Camelot with the Merlin's Company expansion. I think the expansion is an excellent supplement to the game, but Merlin couldn't help the knights this time, as I had my first successful game as traitor. Muahahaha! The lack of voice didn't help, as all my commands and narration turned to diabolical hissing.
Nevertheless, it was a fun game.
I also got to see Brenna, who was very happy to see me again, and George (who is always happy to see anyone). Hooray for puppies!
Hopefully I'll be able to hang out with people again some tomorrow night. There is a plot of my brother and sister-in-law to go see Return to Oz, which is this week's midnight cult movie at Baxter. I would totally go see it, but my flight leaves at 6am Sunday morning, and a midnight movie would probably end up with me staying up all night.
We shall see, we shall see...
Beatles Rock Band is a blast, and far superior to normal Rock Band, and even Lego Rock Band, in my opinion. Most of this is due to the classy visual between-gig load screens, and the hilarity of multiple part harmony with Scott and Maria. I would have loved to sing, but alas, my voice is completely lost, so I stuck with the guitar.
I can only use Rock Band style guitars, because I can only use the meedley string buttons at the base of the neck. My hands are too small for the normal buttons, as are Beth's, which lead to this conversation snippet.
Beth: I can't use this, my hands are too small.
Maria: Mine are too, that's why I don't have to give prostate exams!
After dinner and pie and catching up on stories with the Clarks, we gathered to play Shadows Over Camelot with the Merlin's Company expansion. I think the expansion is an excellent supplement to the game, but Merlin couldn't help the knights this time, as I had my first successful game as traitor. Muahahaha! The lack of voice didn't help, as all my commands and narration turned to diabolical hissing.
Nevertheless, it was a fun game.
I also got to see Brenna, who was very happy to see me again, and George (who is always happy to see anyone). Hooray for puppies!
Hopefully I'll be able to hang out with people again some tomorrow night. There is a plot of my brother and sister-in-law to go see Return to Oz, which is this week's midnight cult movie at Baxter. I would totally go see it, but my flight leaves at 6am Sunday morning, and a midnight movie would probably end up with me staying up all night.
We shall see, we shall see...
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Dream Games
I often have dreams about games I've made, and of course they're the awesomest ever in dreamland, because they follow dream logic. When I wake up and start reviewing my awesome new game idea, it is usually quickly apparent that, in real-world logic, they wouldn't work at all.
All the same, I try and write them down, because even if they are meant for the land of dreams I occasionally pick out some idea or mechanic or insight that could be useful later. In some cases (like tonight) I wake up immediately after the dream and can not get back to sleep until I write it down.
Tonight's dream game was a pen-and-paper RPG of sorts. I was gathered round with people who were presumably my friends (in my grandma's old basement, but that's an aside). One person was chosen to be the main participant in my game, and the rest gathered round to watch. I was DM, of course.
I gave a premise, that he was stuck in Hell, but had gotten there a non-traditional way. Then I gave him a set of objects I'd gathered to use as inspiration. Now, he was to tell the story of why he was in Hell and how he got there, improv-style, to the other people gathered round to listen.
The player launched into an epic story, and we took occasional breaks for snacks (and to allow the player to plan ahead some thoughts). The rules allowed that some of the audience could choose to do some storytelling themselves, and step in front to take the role of a character in the main story, then tell a bit from that character's perspective (which would inevitably steer the course of the main player's story when he took to the stage again). Two people did this in my dream.
All the while, I was watching and listening and taking notes.
When the storyteller was finished, we took one final break, as I set up the adventure. The short adventure was the character trying to get out of Hell by climbing some crazy tower (I had a cool little set piece to represent it). It was totally improvised, using information I'd learned from the main character's story.
When we all gathered back, I took over the story to explain the premise, and then we played through encounters as the main character climbed up the tower. All the encounters had something to do with his "how-he-got-there" story that he'd just told, and the audience was all anxious to see if he would get out.
Sounds pretty fun, yeah?? In dream world, that is. I don't know if anyone in real life is as good and brave at improvised storytelling as that. But, I do really like the idea of a pen-and-paper RPG adventure that other people watched as an audience, and for whatever reason were really invested in the outcome.
Food for thought!
All the same, I try and write them down, because even if they are meant for the land of dreams I occasionally pick out some idea or mechanic or insight that could be useful later. In some cases (like tonight) I wake up immediately after the dream and can not get back to sleep until I write it down.
Tonight's dream game was a pen-and-paper RPG of sorts. I was gathered round with people who were presumably my friends (in my grandma's old basement, but that's an aside). One person was chosen to be the main participant in my game, and the rest gathered round to watch. I was DM, of course.
I gave a premise, that he was stuck in Hell, but had gotten there a non-traditional way. Then I gave him a set of objects I'd gathered to use as inspiration. Now, he was to tell the story of why he was in Hell and how he got there, improv-style, to the other people gathered round to listen.
The player launched into an epic story, and we took occasional breaks for snacks (and to allow the player to plan ahead some thoughts). The rules allowed that some of the audience could choose to do some storytelling themselves, and step in front to take the role of a character in the main story, then tell a bit from that character's perspective (which would inevitably steer the course of the main player's story when he took to the stage again). Two people did this in my dream.
All the while, I was watching and listening and taking notes.
When the storyteller was finished, we took one final break, as I set up the adventure. The short adventure was the character trying to get out of Hell by climbing some crazy tower (I had a cool little set piece to represent it). It was totally improvised, using information I'd learned from the main character's story.
When we all gathered back, I took over the story to explain the premise, and then we played through encounters as the main character climbed up the tower. All the encounters had something to do with his "how-he-got-there" story that he'd just told, and the audience was all anxious to see if he would get out.
Sounds pretty fun, yeah?? In dream world, that is. I don't know if anyone in real life is as good and brave at improvised storytelling as that. But, I do really like the idea of a pen-and-paper RPG adventure that other people watched as an audience, and for whatever reason were really invested in the outcome.
Food for thought!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Decemberball
I adore the Tuesday Night Ballers, and I often think of them fondly at various times in my most recent adventures. The times when we are able to get together have been more and more adventurous as time goes on.
Tonight, everyone was "on," and it was brilliant. Not 2 minutes would pass without laughter or wit or some clever exchange sparking another clever exchange. I love them all! Scott, Will, Ian, Brendan, Maria, Matt, Kyle, DC, Beth, and I had dinner at the Mayan Gypsy and launched the night with much gaming.
Reviews!
Left for Dead - I'd watched this played but never got a chance to play it myself until tonight. Kyle and I played while the others experimented with some new board games. I'll give you an impression of Lisa playing this game: "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEGETITOFFOFMEGETITOFFGETITOFF!!!!!!!!!!" It got to the point that, later in the night, Maria tossed a container to Beth and I shrieked in terror. This may be too stressful for me to devote too much time with
Pandemic - a cooperative board game about fighting off spreading diseases. I didn't play this one, but it seemed quite challenging. I'm all about cooperative board games!
Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game - This game is kind of like Shadows Over Camelot, where the traitor is a Cylon, and doesn't know it. It's not just a skin, and has its own mechanics, but again, cooperative board games where you fight against the game are fun times!
World of Goo (Wii version) - I hadn't gotten a chance to play this cooperatively on the Wii, and I was surprised how co-op play so dramatically changes the dynamic of the game! Playing cooperatively is really, really hard, but incredibly fun. I recommend it!
Raving Rabids TV Party - zomg, such a good party game! A good spectator game at that! The skiing game where you have to sit on the balance board and steer reminded me of way back in the day, when a group of friends and I played Crash Team Racing by sitting on a DDR pad. Good times all around.
The Big Idea - This card game is awesome. But it's MORE awesome when you play after 2am so everyone is prone to giggling and silliness. Liquid Cardboard! The future is now!
Tonight, everyone was "on," and it was brilliant. Not 2 minutes would pass without laughter or wit or some clever exchange sparking another clever exchange. I love them all! Scott, Will, Ian, Brendan, Maria, Matt, Kyle, DC, Beth, and I had dinner at the Mayan Gypsy and launched the night with much gaming.
Reviews!
Left for Dead - I'd watched this played but never got a chance to play it myself until tonight. Kyle and I played while the others experimented with some new board games. I'll give you an impression of Lisa playing this game: "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEGETITOFFOFMEGETITOFFGETITOFF!!!!!!!!!!" It got to the point that, later in the night, Maria tossed a container to Beth and I shrieked in terror. This may be too stressful for me to devote too much time with
Pandemic - a cooperative board game about fighting off spreading diseases. I didn't play this one, but it seemed quite challenging. I'm all about cooperative board games!
Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game - This game is kind of like Shadows Over Camelot, where the traitor is a Cylon, and doesn't know it. It's not just a skin, and has its own mechanics, but again, cooperative board games where you fight against the game are fun times!
World of Goo (Wii version) - I hadn't gotten a chance to play this cooperatively on the Wii, and I was surprised how co-op play so dramatically changes the dynamic of the game! Playing cooperatively is really, really hard, but incredibly fun. I recommend it!
Raving Rabids TV Party - zomg, such a good party game! A good spectator game at that! The skiing game where you have to sit on the balance board and steer reminded me of way back in the day, when a group of friends and I played Crash Team Racing by sitting on a DDR pad. Good times all around.
The Big Idea - This card game is awesome. But it's MORE awesome when you play after 2am so everyone is prone to giggling and silliness. Liquid Cardboard! The future is now!
Sunday, November 9, 2008
The Poker Game
First off, Project Horseshoe was an AMAZING and insightful experience and I'm so glad I came. But I'll write about all that later. First, a story....
When I came to Project Horseshoe, I was delighted to find that James Ernest (creator of Tuesday Night Basketball favorite, Give Me the Brain) was also an attendee. He'd visited the ETC recently and seemed like a cool guy, and when a student at the ETC seminar had posed the question "What is your favorite card game?" he answered "Poker" without hesitation. When talk of the game came up the first night of Horseshoe, I lamented that I was terrible at Poker, because I can never remember what beats what and I have a horrible Poker face. James' eyes went alight, and he exclaimed that this was a perfect Poker combination and that I would probably do quite well at the game.
Needless to say, I was dragged into the first night's game of Texas Hold'em, which was not for money since it was a training game for me. The other players included a smattering of designers who were, more or less, serious Poker players, but they were happy to help me learn the ways of the trade. With James on one side of me and Scott Brodie on the other, they coached me along as I bumbled through the rounds. The whole table was apparently trying desperately to let me win (so that I would be fond of the game and want to play again), but it was a trying effort on their part.
After the game, James continued to coach me by dealing out hands and having me analyze the cards and figure out which hand would win and asking me mysterious questions with Poker lingo that I didn't quite get. The subsequent days, the other players assured me that once I learned the game, I could play professionally and pay off my student loans. I was mystified by this show of faith, and observed games and tried very hard to learn.
By the last night, I felt like I still couldn't remember what beat what and still had a horrible Poker face.
Still, I sat down to observe their tournament (not daring to join, not when money was on the table). I watched closely to try and guess what cards would make a winning hand, and trying to figure out why whoever won a hand won. As the night waned on, Victor Jimenez grew very sleepy, and kept making ridiculous bets hoping to go out so he could go to bed. Unfortunately, he kept winning the hands.
I joked that I would happily sit in for him and would quickly lose all his chips, and after a pause, he agreed. I bumbled and back-tracked but he insisted I join, and the other players were fine with the swap, so I nervously took his place at the table, not too thrilled about losing another person's money.
I played as best I could, always checking regardless of my hand because raising involved math and I didn't want to fool with it (math is hard!). I folded more often than not, nervous since it was a real game, but I was brave enough to play a few meager hands.
The game finally came down to 4 people (the payoff was going to be for the first three places, so just one more person had to go out for the game to end). At one hand, James put everything in, one person called, I was next. I looked at my hand.I had a 6 of hearts and 7 of diamonds. On the table were 3 other diamonds, one of which was an ace, and some hearts or something. "Let's see, I have a diamond," I thought, "and there are some diamonds on the table, maybe the next flop will be a diamond! Who knows!"I called. I learned later that this was a very poor decision, especially when someone was going all in with an Ace on the table. But, I was merely excited that I remembered that flushes existed! (I always forget about the flush, and I always forget whether it beats a straight or not) So, I was proud to show that I had learned something and was acting on it. The last person folded for an easy guaranteed 2nd or 3rd place.
The last flop was a diamond and we showed our cards. After a moment of stunned silence, it became clear that I won the pot, thus winning the entire game. Something about a "flush on the river." James lost altogether and I won first place, and there was a riot of laughter and disbelief, while I looked around hesitantly and said "Did...did I win? Was that a good decision?"
Dustin Clingman informed me that no, it had been a terrible decision, but I had been damned lucky (he said this with a grin, having won second place). James was silent, and I think his eye twitched once or twice. Everyone else was laughing.
I trotted over to find Victor with the winnings, and he guffawed in disbelief, running back to the table to heckle the others that I'd actually won. He took his initial buy-in and then let me keep the winnings, which I was embarrassed about but thankful.
James told me that I had to use the winnings to buy a book about Poker so I could continue my training, and I agreed (though I'll likely spend it on food, don't tell). In spite of my having beat him out of the winnings, we are still friends.
So, shall I start my trade on the professional Poker circuit, using the winnings to pay off my student loans?? Probably not. I still can't remember what beats what and I still have a horrible Poker face (though confusion is apparently as good as any bluff).
When I came to Project Horseshoe, I was delighted to find that James Ernest (creator of Tuesday Night Basketball favorite, Give Me the Brain) was also an attendee. He'd visited the ETC recently and seemed like a cool guy, and when a student at the ETC seminar had posed the question "What is your favorite card game?" he answered "Poker" without hesitation. When talk of the game came up the first night of Horseshoe, I lamented that I was terrible at Poker, because I can never remember what beats what and I have a horrible Poker face. James' eyes went alight, and he exclaimed that this was a perfect Poker combination and that I would probably do quite well at the game.
Needless to say, I was dragged into the first night's game of Texas Hold'em, which was not for money since it was a training game for me. The other players included a smattering of designers who were, more or less, serious Poker players, but they were happy to help me learn the ways of the trade. With James on one side of me and Scott Brodie on the other, they coached me along as I bumbled through the rounds. The whole table was apparently trying desperately to let me win (so that I would be fond of the game and want to play again), but it was a trying effort on their part.
After the game, James continued to coach me by dealing out hands and having me analyze the cards and figure out which hand would win and asking me mysterious questions with Poker lingo that I didn't quite get. The subsequent days, the other players assured me that once I learned the game, I could play professionally and pay off my student loans. I was mystified by this show of faith, and observed games and tried very hard to learn.
By the last night, I felt like I still couldn't remember what beat what and still had a horrible Poker face.
Still, I sat down to observe their tournament (not daring to join, not when money was on the table). I watched closely to try and guess what cards would make a winning hand, and trying to figure out why whoever won a hand won. As the night waned on, Victor Jimenez grew very sleepy, and kept making ridiculous bets hoping to go out so he could go to bed. Unfortunately, he kept winning the hands.
I joked that I would happily sit in for him and would quickly lose all his chips, and after a pause, he agreed. I bumbled and back-tracked but he insisted I join, and the other players were fine with the swap, so I nervously took his place at the table, not too thrilled about losing another person's money.
I played as best I could, always checking regardless of my hand because raising involved math and I didn't want to fool with it (math is hard!). I folded more often than not, nervous since it was a real game, but I was brave enough to play a few meager hands.
The game finally came down to 4 people (the payoff was going to be for the first three places, so just one more person had to go out for the game to end). At one hand, James put everything in, one person called, I was next. I looked at my hand.I had a 6 of hearts and 7 of diamonds. On the table were 3 other diamonds, one of which was an ace, and some hearts or something. "Let's see, I have a diamond," I thought, "and there are some diamonds on the table, maybe the next flop will be a diamond! Who knows!"I called. I learned later that this was a very poor decision, especially when someone was going all in with an Ace on the table. But, I was merely excited that I remembered that flushes existed! (I always forget about the flush, and I always forget whether it beats a straight or not) So, I was proud to show that I had learned something and was acting on it. The last person folded for an easy guaranteed 2nd or 3rd place.
The last flop was a diamond and we showed our cards. After a moment of stunned silence, it became clear that I won the pot, thus winning the entire game. Something about a "flush on the river." James lost altogether and I won first place, and there was a riot of laughter and disbelief, while I looked around hesitantly and said "Did...did I win? Was that a good decision?"
Dustin Clingman informed me that no, it had been a terrible decision, but I had been damned lucky (he said this with a grin, having won second place). James was silent, and I think his eye twitched once or twice. Everyone else was laughing.
I trotted over to find Victor with the winnings, and he guffawed in disbelief, running back to the table to heckle the others that I'd actually won. He took his initial buy-in and then let me keep the winnings, which I was embarrassed about but thankful.
James told me that I had to use the winnings to buy a book about Poker so I could continue my training, and I agreed (though I'll likely spend it on food, don't tell). In spite of my having beat him out of the winnings, we are still friends.
So, shall I start my trade on the professional Poker circuit, using the winnings to pay off my student loans?? Probably not. I still can't remember what beats what and I still have a horrible Poker face (though confusion is apparently as good as any bluff).
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Adventure Time!
I am so excited about our next Game Design assignment!
The assignment is to run a one-shot adventure game session using a very simplified D&D-derived ruleset. Many people in the class have never played a table-top roleplaying game before, so they created groups based on experience. The assignment is in association with studying the challenges of interactive storytelling.
I'm considered the "expert" of my group, and so have to run my one-shot first, so that others may follow my example. Pressure! I haven't DMed a game in ages, but I think I've learned a lot I can use from the most recent games I've played in.
This should be a ton of fun, and I'm thinking back to some of the Nobilis one-shots we did in the past for ideas on how to run a good, condensed story. However, it's been awhile since I've used the D&D ruleset; my mind is still fresh with Nobilis and Dogs in the Vineyard.
First thing's first, time to think up a fun story. For you, internets, if you've played a tabletop rpg one-shot that you really enjoyed, share the experience? What was fun about it? What did you like better or worse than a campaign over an extended period of time? Tips? Tricks? Advice? Ideas?
The assignment is to run a one-shot adventure game session using a very simplified D&D-derived ruleset. Many people in the class have never played a table-top roleplaying game before, so they created groups based on experience. The assignment is in association with studying the challenges of interactive storytelling.
I'm considered the "expert" of my group, and so have to run my one-shot first, so that others may follow my example. Pressure! I haven't DMed a game in ages, but I think I've learned a lot I can use from the most recent games I've played in.
This should be a ton of fun, and I'm thinking back to some of the Nobilis one-shots we did in the past for ideas on how to run a good, condensed story. However, it's been awhile since I've used the D&D ruleset; my mind is still fresh with Nobilis and Dogs in the Vineyard.
First thing's first, time to think up a fun story. For you, internets, if you've played a tabletop rpg one-shot that you really enjoyed, share the experience? What was fun about it? What did you like better or worse than a campaign over an extended period of time? Tips? Tricks? Advice? Ideas?
Monday, September 10, 2007
Of Storytelling and Message Board RPGs
A huge focus at the ETC is properly educating us young'ens, as potential game developers of the future, about the intricacies of storytelling. Today's ETC Fundamentals class was focused on "The New Poetics," which takes Aristotle's Poetics and applying it to digital media, as done by Janet Murray. What this means is in addition to the Plot/Character/Theme/Diction/Music/Spectacle elements, adding the new element of "Interactivity," which is further explored in Murray's text.
This all reminded me of message board roleplaying, which I used to do quite a bit in high school and early college.
Yes, I'm a geek, I embrace it. Let's move past that...
Anyway, message board RP was only enjoyable up to a point, even if you were participating with fantastic writers and storytellers. It seemed doomed to fail for several reasons. One was that, inevitably, the back-and-forth turn taking would be disrupted by one party getting busy with other things, leaving the other waiting anxiously and unable to take his or her turn. The other big obstacle was that often, when engaging in a good story with one or two other people, other characters would post (and why not, if they saw how well the story was going and how much fun people were having), usually disrupting the flow of the current story to take it in the direction they wanted.
I remember the Tribes message board as being a fantastically set up forum. The creators had outlined a detailed and thoroughly fleshed out world in which the stories were set, and had constructed an engaging ruleset about the character "classes" one could play. They even made you have the character you created screened before you could start a thread with it (which some people found restrictive, but I found quite successful in adding to a believable world).
However, even though the set up was really good, and even though several engaging and interesting (for both participant and casual reader) storylines started up, they often suffered the same "doomed to fail" symptoms that I listed above.
Something that contributes to this in most message board RPs is the well intentioned rule: "Do NOT control other people's characters." Now, don't get me wrong, I see why that rule is in place. It's so people can't come in and take over and make people do things they weren't intending to do. However, it's the biggest contributer to the turn-taking failure when one party goes mysteriously absent. The story stops.
What of this exercise (and alert me if it's being done somewhere, because I want to go watch). Engage the RP as normal for several posts (because they always seem to be really good for the first 4 or 5 posts when the characters and inciting action are introduced). But then call a halt, let the participants grab what's been created, go off on their own, and write a story from what's been done so far. Then come back and share with each other their different stories.
I think this would be delightful! And it would get over the "don't control my character" touchiness in that you are not creating an avatar for yourself when you make a character, but rather simply a character, one that's fleshed out a bit and can be used. I think this would be fun for all parties involved, even if it did result in vastly different storylines.
Part of the reason that this appeals to me is that I am TERRIBLE at writing beginnings and endings. But oh, middles! I have tons of middles! All my secret writings that I hide away consist of middle upon middle upon middle. Oh to have a little help with the beginning and then to fly away with what I've been given. And the characters are already created and named, you just take them and make a story based off of what you know and what has been established so far.
I mean, is this not the same allure of fanfiction?
So, is this exercise being done anywhere on the net? And if so where, because I want to see how it turns out? And if not, someone should start it, because I want to play :)
This all reminded me of message board roleplaying, which I used to do quite a bit in high school and early college.
Yes, I'm a geek, I embrace it. Let's move past that...
Anyway, message board RP was only enjoyable up to a point, even if you were participating with fantastic writers and storytellers. It seemed doomed to fail for several reasons. One was that, inevitably, the back-and-forth turn taking would be disrupted by one party getting busy with other things, leaving the other waiting anxiously and unable to take his or her turn. The other big obstacle was that often, when engaging in a good story with one or two other people, other characters would post (and why not, if they saw how well the story was going and how much fun people were having), usually disrupting the flow of the current story to take it in the direction they wanted.
I remember the Tribes message board as being a fantastically set up forum. The creators had outlined a detailed and thoroughly fleshed out world in which the stories were set, and had constructed an engaging ruleset about the character "classes" one could play. They even made you have the character you created screened before you could start a thread with it (which some people found restrictive, but I found quite successful in adding to a believable world).
However, even though the set up was really good, and even though several engaging and interesting (for both participant and casual reader) storylines started up, they often suffered the same "doomed to fail" symptoms that I listed above.
Something that contributes to this in most message board RPs is the well intentioned rule: "Do NOT control other people's characters." Now, don't get me wrong, I see why that rule is in place. It's so people can't come in and take over and make people do things they weren't intending to do. However, it's the biggest contributer to the turn-taking failure when one party goes mysteriously absent. The story stops.
What of this exercise (and alert me if it's being done somewhere, because I want to go watch). Engage the RP as normal for several posts (because they always seem to be really good for the first 4 or 5 posts when the characters and inciting action are introduced). But then call a halt, let the participants grab what's been created, go off on their own, and write a story from what's been done so far. Then come back and share with each other their different stories.
I think this would be delightful! And it would get over the "don't control my character" touchiness in that you are not creating an avatar for yourself when you make a character, but rather simply a character, one that's fleshed out a bit and can be used. I think this would be fun for all parties involved, even if it did result in vastly different storylines.
Part of the reason that this appeals to me is that I am TERRIBLE at writing beginnings and endings. But oh, middles! I have tons of middles! All my secret writings that I hide away consist of middle upon middle upon middle. Oh to have a little help with the beginning and then to fly away with what I've been given. And the characters are already created and named, you just take them and make a story based off of what you know and what has been established so far.
I mean, is this not the same allure of fanfiction?
So, is this exercise being done anywhere on the net? And if so where, because I want to see how it turns out? And if not, someone should start it, because I want to play :)
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