POGOB!

POGOB! in Dire Straits

2007-01-23T15:39:00.000-08:00

POGOB! needs a new executive, as the old one is becoming more and more illegal. Please email me if you're interested.

The work load is effectively nil, unless you want it to be more, and the prestige is limitless, if nonexistent.The only caveat: you have to be an undergraduate student at the UofA.

So, please help save POGOB!

Worst. Blog. Ever. (You could say we have a Monopoly on suckiness.)

2006-11-14T22:59:00.000-08:00

So bad, I doubt anyone's even reading anymore. But if anything can bring the readers back, it is that most classic of commercial board games: Monopoly.

Of course, among nerdy boardgamers like, um, us, Monopoly doesn't get a whole lot of respect--in fact, in general, nerdy people tend to be snobby about popular classics.

I, however, believe that Monopoly is a good little game. It has trading, auctions (on the off chance you're playing it properly), and in general more strategy than a lot of mainstream games, and more than it gets credit for.

Still, I have to admit that it is pretty random, and that can be annoying to us nerdgeeks. But must this lead us to shun this classic game forever? No, it must not.

With that in mind, I have a challenge for the members of the club: I want you to come up with a variant of Monopoly that would endear it more to the gamegeek crowd, i.e. us. I propose that we then try out the best of them (which may very well be more than one). Sadly, the pride of having your idea played is the only prize I can offer, but I think it's a good one.

Variants can stick relatively close to the official rules, or they can differ wildly, as you prefer. I have only three restrictions:

- Your idea must maintain the property buying, trading, house/hotel building, and rent paying aspects of the original game.
- Your idea should be playable with a standard copy of Monopoly (and if it must require anything extra, it should be readily acquirable around the house).
- If you include the Free Parking rule, I'll punch you.

That's all for now. Go.

"I'll be there in spirit, cheating, unsuccessfully."

2006-10-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

- Dane Bullerwell about the upcoming First Annual Settlers of Catan Tournament

Games We've Played/Are Planning to Play

2006-09-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

The number indicates the game's rank on boardgamegeek.

21. Settlers of Catan
N/A. Settlers with Cities and Knights Expansion
1. Puerto Rico
2. Caylus
7. Ra
119.Alhambra
3. Euphrates and Tigris
139. Warrior Knights
2285. The Star Trek Video Boardgame
2435. Poleconomy
N/A. World Domination
1766. Eschnapur
334. Betrayal at House on the Hill

726. Balderdash
1308. Things
1755. Imaginiff
2945. Trivial Pursuit
798. 1000 Blank White Cards
3069. Scruples

FallCon 19- Pity the Fool Who Didn't Go!

2006-09-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

This was one of the best weekends I have had in my life. It was so much fun. For all of you who don't know, FallCon is a big Boardgame and Miniature Convention happening in Calgary every year in September for the last 19 years. It lasts 3 days, during which gamers float in a blissful cloud of fast food, gaming, competing, and networking.

From left to right: me(Catrin), Andrew from the Calgary Gamers'

Guild, Game Designer Wilf Backhaus, and Steve playtesting In Fair Verona

As for POGOB, this was the best thing we could have done for the club. It was an extremely productive weekend. Here are the highlights:

We were able to talk to the numerous gamers who had driven down from Edmonton to go to Fallcon(in my first game, 3/5 of the table were from Edmonton, and Steve wasn't one of them), and let them know about the upcoming Settlers tournament.
Steve won a copy of Nexus Ops in the raffle.
We came home with about 15 games we bought in the humongous game auction they have every year. Over 500 games are auctioned off in 2 hours. None of the games we bought cost us more than $15, and some were only $3. One of it was even still shrinkwrapped. So, POGOBs, prepare to play hard next Sunday!
We connected with John Engel, the owner of the St. Albert boardgame store Mission Fun & Games and operater of the site www.boardgames.ca. For all of you who have never been to his store: go. It is a place of both utter bliss and sheer agony (of choice, of course) for anyone who likes games. Mr. Engel has agreed to sponsor the Settlers tournament in numerous ways by providing us with gift certificates, coupons, and other perks, along with his expertise and connections. In addition to that, he agreed to help out with registration and moderating the day of the tournament, so you will all get to meet him- "the man who lives the dream", as Steve likes to call him.
Every gamer at FallCon received a free copy of a new game valued at US$39.95. We were able to acquire two extra copies which will become prizes.
We met game designer Wilf Backhaus. For all of you who have experience with RPGs, you might know him as the co-author of the D&D competitor Chivalry and Sorcery. We got to playtest a game he's working on called In Fair Verona, and were happy to give him a thumbs up along with some gameplay feedback. Mr.Backhaus has also agreed to lend us his expertise later on this year when we plan to have our boardgame design competition- he agreed to judge the entries for us!

And, of course, here are the lowlights:

Steve and I both failed to make it into the semifinals in the Settlers tournament there with a measly 4.5 points each.
We slept in Sunday morning and missed the Cities and Knights tournament. I'm sure I would have won that one!
Steve won the Caylus tournament by someone else's roll of a die after tying for first in what he calls "the worst game of Caylus of his life" against three teenage girls who had never played before. I'll be sure to frame that certificate for him!

Logo!

2006-09-22T22:51:00.000-07:00

This is the current prototype of the new club logo. The colours certainly need to be tweaked, and possibly rearranged—thankfully it's only usage thus far is in black and white—and I may tweak the border rings and even the font, for instance. But this is the general idea, anyway. The green and gold rings are taken from the U of A's colours (they are also, awesomely but coincidentally, Australia's national colours), while the colours of the letters/punctuation are meant to be those of the Settlers pieces (yes, I'm aware that they're all off in this prototype). But this image gives you the idea of what I'm going for, anyway.

So, keeping in mind all that, what do you think?

Squeeze us your thumbs!

2006-09-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

The headline is what happens when German is translated into English word by word. In Germany, you 'squeeze your thumbs" for someone or something when you wish that someone or something luck.

After this long and uninteresting introduction, I reluctantly get to the point: I have handed in an application for a conference grant to send the three members who showed interest to the Calgary boardgame convention, and an application for an event grant to hold the first annual Settlers of Catan tournament. I asked for $656 total.

We'll know the results by September 21, apparently.

So, squeeze, people, squeeze.

One Thousand Blank White Cards

2006-09-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

"So Bob is Snugglebum now?"

"No, Snugglebum is Snugglebum now."

"Why is Snugglebum Snugglebum?"

"Because Snugglebum called Bob 'Bob'."

If you would like to have scintillating conversations like this one, hear instant poems dedicated to my feet("Catrin's feet/Are really neet/Though they smell/They work well"), refer to yourself in the third person for an extended period of time, then you should really come play " One Thousand Blank White Cards" next Sunday.

First Ever Annual Settlers of Catan Tournament

2006-08-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

So, I sent out an email about this a while ago. I'm planning to hold a Settlers of Catan tournament on the Weekend of October 20/21- most likely Sunday.

I'm thinking the format will be a guaranteed 3 games for each entrant, with a points system to determine who moves on(a certain amount of points for winning, bonus points for amount of points between first and second most victory points, and a certain amount of points for second place). This is how the World Boardgaming Championships and the Settlers of Catan World Championships are doing their thing.

Who's coming to play?

And more importantly, who'll help with the organizing(which doesn't preclude you from playing)? I don't think it'll be much work. Essentially, we need these things covered:

Design a logo for the club-

Design posters for the tournament- Jake

Put up posters around campus-

Go to game stores, ask for sponsorship, and put up posters there- Catrin

Sit at a table at Clubs' Fair(want to hit on first years, anyone?)-

So, essentially, I'm waiting for about 5 people to sign up for something in the comments box. I'm hoping to get an events grant, and I'm pretty good at fundraising, so I'm thinking this could be quite the fun day where some of you could walk home with some nice prizes. I just need a little help making it happen.

Missing you

2006-08-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

It surely was a dark and dreary Sunday without board games. I hope I never have to go through such a thing again. I did slaughter the robots in an online Cities and Knights game, but it just wasn't the same. So remember, when you go making other plans for Sundays, you're not the only one who's affected. Promise me you won't forget me.

The Comeback Kid

2006-08-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

Version 1: It was a warm evening and the stars aligned on a little island of Catan.

Catrin had amassed 8 victory points with 2 soldiers showing, one away from achieving the largest army on the card. She had just purchased another development card, likely another soldier to give her the two points neded to ascertain victory.

I alas only had 7 points on the board with a victory point still in hiding. I needed two more points to ascertain victory. I was the underdog who was short on cards to make vicotry possible. But like all underdogs, help was available. For some, God would come to their aid. Tonight, Chris Chan came to mine, providing me with enough cards to develop a road, a city and a settlement; the two points I needed to win. I accepted his most generous offer and delived the knockout punch as Ali did to Foreman over three decades ago. Victory!

A rush of disappointment crossed Catrin's face, knowing that it was over and victory had eluded her once again.

A true David and Goliath moment.

Version 2: Following my victory, Catrin forcefully suggested that she was the moral winner. Luckily, my worldview and 'reality' suggests that I am the winner. Opportunity knocked and I accepted the offer. The "environment" had given me an advantage which translated into "success". Therefore, assuming the "survival of the fittest" model, I am the just winner, thanks to the association with a fellow human. Her inability to do the same was her downfall. Muwahahahahaha!

Version 3: Like arcade game screens in the 80s said, "Cheaters always win, don't do drugs". Or something like that.

Version 4: Like Mom and Dad always say, you should share and you will reap the rewards. Please note, that I really did not share.

No Matter What They Tell You, I'm the Moral Winner

2006-08-08T22:47:00.000-07:00

I was about to win, and they knew it. They couldn't stop me; all they could do at this point was to have one of them be the winner instead before it was my turn.

So, one of them handed over all his cards to the other, without anything in return.

This is how Colin, aided by Chris Chan, pried a shallow, holllow, empty victory from my brave, courageous, righteous and deserving hands.

Shame on you, boys. Shame.

Sunday, or Monday? Both?

2006-08-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

In the comments for the post below this, some evil person makes a good point, namely that on occasion we've been known to move board game day on a long weekend. So, in conclusion, are we sure we're doing it Sunday? (Also, will SUB be closed at any point over the long weekend?)

In other news: it is traditional in the Edmonton area to celebrate the Heywouldntitbegreatifwehadalongweekendinaugust Day long weekend by heading down to Hawrelak Park for the Heritage Days festival to enjoy the food, music and cheesy merchandise of cultures from around the world. Would any of you fellow POGOBers be interested in heading down together, either before board gaming or on one of the other days?

I back bitches, and I haven't played board games in a month, so I'm ready!

2006-08-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

Actually that's a lie, I played with a group of Catan players in New York. But that was like three days after I left. Anyway ... So what are you guys up for this week? We still haven't played that second game of Warrior Knights yet (a pre-session review of the rules is also probably in order there). Also I can bring Betrayal at House on the Hill which is a nice light game which can be played in about an hour.

How To Mix Addictions

2006-08-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

Last night, I dreamt that I played a board game with the president of the United States. And if you know me at all, you'll know that by P.O.T.U.S. I mean no other but Josiah Bartlett of the best show ever to air on T.V.- the West Wing.

After playing said game with him, he ordered me to go to the the board game store and buy a copy of every single boardgame they had. When I got there, they'd cleared out all the board games because they needed the store to hold a church service.

What a bummer!

Lord of Catan

2006-07-31T09:59:00.000-07:00

Gather round, friends, as I tell you a tale. A glorious tale, of adventure and intrigue and triumph. It is a tale of an island called Catan.

It must have been, oh, around 18 hours ago when it all started. I began settling Catan, along with Alan, Catrin and c-lo, and in short order Alan and I had emerged as the clear favourites to win (where "winning" means "getting to 13 victory points" [where "victory points" probably means, like, "big hunks of gold" or "bombs to destroy your enemies" or something]).

Now, the lead went back and forth a few times, with no obvious victor emerging. But then, with Alan at 10 points and me at 9, I spotted an opening: two separate openings to score two points, which would give me an immediate victory.

I was one bloody card away from winning.

Well, I took the Longest Road card, but I just couldn't get that last paper I needed. Of course, the others weren't about to let me get it if they could help it, so they ganged up on me (even more so than usual). Not only did they keep me away from paper, but they maanaged to reduce my complement of cards and stole away my Longest Road card, in the process making it nearly impossible for me to get it back.

I was more than one card away from winning.

Time passed. A lot of time, in fact; I was stuck at 9, Alan was hovering around there, and due to severe everything-but-spite shortages, no one was managing to do much of anything. And, well, the story gets pretty boring at this point. A whole lot of not much went on for a whole lot of time. Eventually, I managed to collect enough paper to build that metropolis (which totally makes sense), despite everyone conspiring against me. But I was still two points short, and I was going to have to fight for them.

Then came a glorious turn. After struggling for ages to collect the necessary resources, I climbed over mountains, braved the prairie sun, cut my way through forests, and finally emerged at a suitable clearing: I gathered my wheat, my wool, my brick and my wood, and after much work, where once there was nothing, there was now a settlement.

My work was not done though. I made my way across the island again (this time remembering to take the road that had been helpfully laid out), until I came across another settlement. I set down my masses of ore and wheat, and once again set to work. Soon, this once-forgettable settlement had been transformed into a glorious city.

And with that, I had emerged victorious--something close to an hour after I had previously come so tantalizingly close.

The moral of the story: Do not try to stop me. You'll only lengthen and increase your suffering.

Got Wood for Sheep?

2006-07-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

I sure do.