July 2017 Game Night

Gentlemen,

Thanks to Joe, Paul (and son Frank, who gamed on the TV), Pete, and Tony for attending.

Let me start out by saying that despite drinking more than usual and despite sliders on the menu, I never woke up in the middle of the night with gut wrenching stomach pains, and woke up feeling fine. This is not the sort of negative food pyramid conditioning I could use.

Kudos for finding only 4 sliders left over from the case of burgers. We also had two types of chips and two dips plus assorted cookies of a chocolate nature.

Thanks to Tony and Joe who brought 6 packs, but there was no danger of running out of the house brand of Labatt Blue Light.

Earlier start time seems to have been popular but I'm unsure of future use. It is likely that we will be back to 8:00 game start with happy half hour prior.

We started on the big map and managed two games on that before Paul took Frank home. Then we downsized the game and managed but one more. (Or was it one on the big map and two on the small? We really need to take notes.)

Game one was notable for only one robber roll the entire game. The next game righted that statistical fluke.

Pete suggested a running tally of die rolls so somebody could do a statistical analysis. Yeah, somebody will get right on that, I'm sure.

The games blend together. The basics are that Pete won two and Paul won one. Pete pure and simply robbed me when I had 9 points (three cities, longest road, and a point card down) and the need to just build one point by turning up his THREE victory point cards. Sadly, I would have been better off if my face down card had been a knight rather than a point since I had two knights showing and the largest army was unclaimed. I suppose from Pete's point of view there was some justice given I had taken the longest road from him.

That game, the last of the night, was also a lesson in waiting for the dice. Despite my loss, the game started out with nobody rolling my numbers. But eventually they started rolling my way and luckily I wasn't hemmed in too much by the time I could build.

Joe continues to protest the Joe Rule. Futility in action is a joy to watch.

Tony remains fixated on statistical rules and refused to trade dice even with the new dice I smuggled in from Canada (you don't want to know how dice mules work) this month. The rest of us traded dice with the usual speed. Although I think the Golden Dice in Joe's hands lasted but one roll if memory serves me (and it may not).

We will likely have a new name on the list: Peter (Joe, send me the email or forward game summary to him so he can contact direct). He played last month and was not repulsed or intimidated by our play or diet. He'll work out fine, I'm sure, since he and I are the only two players to have consulted the game designers for rules clarifications. He contributed that you can play a development card before you roll the dice, making a knight card to move that robber from the "12" you just know will come up this turn off your lawn. We implemented that correct reading of the rule this month. Although I don't think anybody took advantage of it.

With another gamer the odds of more than 6 showing up increases. Note that the Overbooked Rule holds that 7 players result in your humble host sitting out the first game and the winner punished by rotating out to reconsider their ways and focus more on beer. Nobody gets dragged out of Casa Beej.

The The Really Overbooked Rule will have your host sit out the gaming for the night so I can cause trouble by reminding players who wronged them up to 10 turns in the past while one player sits out (perhaps last arriving or perhaps by low die roll) with the winner rotating out as in the OR rule.

The Apocalypse Rule is 3 or more overbooked and means I need to run up the block for more beer and snacks, obviously. For game play in that case we may need to go to Viktory II which we once played a lot and which maxes out at 9 players,  I believe. Or perhaps I bring out another game and non-Catan players can go with Star Fleet Battles (if NerdCon Level 3* is insufficient with just Catan) that carries on with players rotating out of Catan who get the captains' chairs to continue the fight. Or I have many other games that would work.

I remain disappointed that we did not set a record with an earlier start time. Just 3, people? Come on! Earlier start time just led to earlier end time with the usual caffeine and Game of Thrones (Season 3 Episode 7). Getting closer to the Red Wedding, people!

I will soon have to ponder August game night since this was a late-month game night.

October game night will be hosted by Joe in South Lyon as a house warming in his new home. No word if it will be an "Ito Night" or "Kale and Arugula Night."

As always, I welcome additions or corrections to this so-called newsletter.

Thanks to all who attended. It was a pleasure to host, as usual.

Beej

*Note that NedCon 1 is only reached if somebody dresses up like this is ComicCon. I pray we never reach that level since I still retain hope of one day marrying again and that level might leave a girl-repelling stench that just won't wash off.