Ever since Christmas, we’ve been playing a lot of board games, although not so many in recent weeks while the family was on vacation. Today we had the opportunity to play Rail Baron with some friends from church, since our Small Group Bible Study is taking a hiatus for part of the summer.
We do like to buy games, even if we don’t play them as much as we would like.
I’ve always enjoyed games, ever since my brother bought me a Stratego set when I was eight. Around that same time, my Dad taught me to play chess; although I wasn’t a particularly good player of either, I was good enough to defeat most kids my age, or an adult who wasn’t really paying attention (that is to say, most of them).
Throughout my school years, I bought and played games, quickly graduating to Avalon Hill bookcase games like Kingmaker and Diplomacy, many of them requiring hours to set up and weekends to play. I remember my brother and I spending up to eight hours just setting up Third Reich (a game that simulates World War II, and takes nearly as long to play as the war was waged). I enjoyed role playing games and video games and computer games of all kinds, and surrounded myself with like-minded friends with thick glasses, pocket protectors, and minty-green tans.
In college, I thought I had died and gone to heaven, when I found a good half-dozen serious gamers in my dormitory. Now we were no longer irritated by the need to go home to sleep, and our mothers no longer broke up the games at midnight with that hated mantra, “It’s a school night, dear.” The cafeteria was a hundred yards up the hill, and we had a steady supply of 35-cent Grape Nehi in the vending machine in the kitchen where we played most of our games. My daily schedule went something like this:
- 1:50 pm: wake up, sprint to the Cafeteria (lunch ended at 2 pm)
- 2:20 pm: take a shower, get dressed
- 2:45 pm: select a game to play, start setting it up in the kitchen
- 3 – 3:30 pm: watch Gilligan’s Island while waiting for players to show up
- 4 – 6 pm: play a war game of some kind
- 6:10 pm: eat supper at the Cafeteria
- 6:40 pm – 2 am: continue playing a war game of some kind
- 2:15 am: walk to the Tinee Giant (a local Food Mart) for a snack
- 3 am – 6 am: play Star Trek at the computer lab
- 6:15 am: head for bed
As it turned out, there is a rather high correspondence between those who skip class and those who get poor grades, especially if they compound their error by failing to read the required texts and skipping exams. Still, it was a wonderful time, and I often look back on those days with great fondness, mixed with a sort of macabre horror. Who knew that it would take me nine years to finish college, or that it would entail many wasted dollars and three years of servitude as a paratrooper?
Some years later, as I started spending more time with Kathy, I wondered if she was a gamer. Not to be sexist, but I just haven’t encountered many girls that are serious game players. They seem to care too much (from a gaming perspective) about talking and forming relationships, and will often balk at the complete and utter destruction of an opponent. Kathy didn’t really try to fool me during our courtship, so I really can’t complain that I thought I had married a gaming girl. We tried to find some computer games that we could play together (or, better yet, against each other) … I have found through trial and much error, that she is good for about 90 minutes of game playing, as long as I am careful not to burn her villages.
Or perhaps Kathy needs to upgrade her gaming attire fashion sense?
Sunday’s game was too long for my sweet wife. We played for more than four hours before a winner emerged, and it was evident that she was ‘done’, long before the game was over. (Non-verbal cues like leaving the table and washing the dishes are often a good clue.) She probably would rather we had played a shorter game (maybe one she could win, heh heh).
Jen (the victor) surveys her rail empire, baby on hip, while Daniel hides his face in shame
We talked, after our guests had gone, about the optimal game-playing experience, and I suggested that she would be happier if we could play strategy games in two-hour blocks, maybe staggered over a weekend, leaving the game set up in the dining room between rounds. The problem with that is your guests have to live nearby, or be willing to commute, which doesn’t seem to happen very often. Happily, we’re raising at least one serious gamer in the family, with a few more possible game fanatics in the wings, so maybe we can play some of the longer games inside the family and stick to cards with others.
Gamers in Training
All this makes me wonder, do other adults consider themselves ‘serious’ gamers, or is this a phase I should have left behind in college (or, better yet, in high school)? What makes one person willing to play a complex game for hours (and hours) and another unwilling to even try to learn?
My theory (I have a theory for nearly everthing) is that people fall into four or five categories, with minimal overlap:
- People who don’t like to play games at all
- People who play card games or short word games
- People who play party games like Pictionary, Outburst, or Scattegories, or games requiring funny hats
- People who play strategy games like Settlers of Catan, Risk or Carcassone
- People who sneer at the childlike simplicity of the games in the above categories
Some of my favorite Settlers of Catan players
Personally, I can play a card or word game if I have to, but I’m happiest when I can annihilate my opponent so that no one is left alive to speak or even remember the language of his people-group. This is hard to do in a typical game of Canasta, Boggle, or Outburst, and so I fall clearly into category 4. Perhaps I should start work on a dissertation in which I integrate this theory with my developing research on marshmallow roasting.
Project 365, Day 189
Tim
We’re gamers.lol The only problem with marrying another gamer is we both hate to lose.lolol
Is that why I don’t like playing games with you anymore? I clearly am a category 2 & 3 gamer! There were occasions when dad and Mark would play Rail Baron with us which was fun because then you couldn’t be so ruthless! However, I do remember you enticing me to play Monopoly with you. You would lull me into some false sense of security letting me think that I would still be in the running to win. Alas! I always ended up giving you ALL my properties so that I could pay the hotel fees.
Monopoly, Stratego, Battleship, etcc…I was always so optimistic when I started out…Yet, time and time again, I fell for your facade of brotherly love when playing a game. Silly me – didn’t I know that Tim played to WIN, not to have fun? My new game playing motto is if I can’t win, I’m going to take Tim down with me! – HA! Your swarmy smile will be no more!
That’s alright – I got you back when I would call you as my silent partner in Rook!! hee.hee. Revenge is sweet saith Posie!
We rarely have time for those types of games… we always have too much work to do around the house when we aren’t actually “working” for income to live on (LOL). We’re doing good if we fit in a couple of quick games of Sorry, Dominoes, or what’s that marble game called that you play on a board with all the holes??? I have SUCH a short memory. Anyway… we’re doing good to play a few of those games once a month or so.. and then the couple of timesa year card games with the grandparents usually at during a holiday celebration. We only play games in the winter when it isn’t nice enough to be outside.. and we don’t wear funny hats (LOL)… not sure which category we fit into……
now if you consider blogging a “game” then I think I’m a serious gamer…. but if blogging doesn’t count then I suppose I’m not much of a gamer.
Great picture of Jenn and Katherine! Loved the hats…
I married a serious gamer. He gets together with his buddies once a month, networks a bunch of PC’s together & they play against each other in some computer game or other. They graduated to this from role playing games. He DID get me hooked on Settlers of Catan & I will happily play that. We play the Knights & Cities version – way fun! Although, he had to put together a series of handicaps since he was winning ALL THE TIME! Now I have a fighting chance & even our 10 year old son has won a time or too so I guess it’s working. However, when said son & I gang up on him, it works REALLY well.
I think I fall into an as yet unnamed gaming category, I think I like all of them. That is not to say I like all games, but will eagerly play at least some in all of the aforementioned categories. Alas, we too have found that not too many commuting gamers exist, but there are few!
It is not as fun to pillage your opponent with the pirate or thief in Catan when they are only 9 years old and not all that interested in the game to begin with ! haha!
We expect a long marathon game weekend when we make it back from the land of no games. Cards are not even legal to sell here, let alone play an innocuous game of Scum! Shhh, don’t tell, we have smuggled in several decks!
Game on!
Thank you, all, for commenting. Kathy was starting to laugh at me, since her blogs routinely generate 15 comments, and I had considerably less than that, especially earlier in the morning.
Lisa in ME — we’ve had a few LAN parties like the one you describe, mostly with Age of Empires II (Conqueror’s Expansion). A long while back I had Kathy and several of the kids playing Age of Wonders, but it hasn’t happened for many a year.
Tina, I think that you are still in Category 4, although you are more open to the ‘lesser’ categories than am I.
Cynthia — one of the things we have really enjoyed about some of the Gamewright games has been that many of them are playable in less than 20 minutes (like in that time before dinner when everyone needs something to do that doesn’t involve standing around in the kitchen).
Lisa (not in ME) — I’ve come a long way since my early days when I had to win all the time. These days I often lose, and I try to act very mature about it (I stop pouting after 30 or 40 minutes). Maybe you and your husband will arrive at my lofty maturity any day, now.
Posie — I’ve never really forgiven you for ‘taking me down’ in so many of those Rook games, and I still tell the story wherever I can find new listeners. One of these days, I’ll have my revenge …
Joyce — Kathy became so fond of that ‘look’, that she wears it all the time, raising many an eyebrow at the local grocery store. OK, maybe she doesn’t, but it would be funny if she would.
I’m not sure I can be mature while playing games. Must. Win. LOL
Lisa not in Maine.(LOL, I like this new siggy.)
Hi, since I left off commenting on this- while on a mini break in upper MN (Duluth), I get to read the other comments. FUN.
Posie, I can’t imagine how it must have been to try to compete with your 2 brothers. My sympathies go to you!!
I love games- but have never been around the long lengthy deadly games. JW doesn’t even like the more simple ones MUCH, so we don’t get into them nearly as much as I’d like to.
Cindy and Bill are so good at Quiddler that I sometimes feel discouraged. Hymm- could be that I like to WIN?? I can play kid games for hours (Uno, Monoply, Peanut Butter and Jelly, etc.).
I’d like the opportunity to ADVANCE. Love, Aunt Kate
Aunt Kate, you need to spend some time with us and play one of our middle length games (not the super, duper, long ones). They are lots and lots of fun and we promise we’ll let you win (at least once).
Lisa (not in ME), I’m sure if Tim knew you were really Lisa in FL he would have addressed you properly.
He doesn’t spend a lot (ie NONE) of time reading all of the wonderful blogs in my RSS reader. He would certainly appreciate your title since the circus is something we can greatly identify with here as well.
Tina, I have some great pictures of you as well (wearing funny hats too) but I couldn’t find them (ran out of time). You are a serious gamer who is up for almost any and all games. I think that’s probably the definition of a True Gamer.
Wish we could see you all. You would really like Puerto Rico (although I may be biased as I just won last night and it’s now my favorite game).
Cynthia, you just need to come over and play with us once in a while, we’d convert you to a true gamer in no time. Ha! Haven’t you heard about that old adage about too much work and not enough fun games??? Lol!
Tim & Kathy,
I’m actually quite competitive and that’s why I don’t play many games. I have Obsessive Compulsive tendencies and HAVE to win!!! So, if we end up coming out in Nov, I’ll definitely have to make time in our schedule to come to your house for an afternoon of games! Now, you’ll need to email me privately and remind me how far away you are from Lee’s house. I don’t even know where they live in comparison to the football stadium, but we’re hoping to head out there to the Bears game in Nov! I’d LOVE to meet up with ya’ll for some GAMES! I LOVE pictionary. Can you believe that another friend and I just think alike.. if you could see my drawing you’d wonder how on earth we ever win when some of the words we get correct are barnacle (LOL)! I’m not the greatest artist, but my other pictionary friend and I just think alike (LOL)! Anyway…. sounds like GREAT FUN!
oh.. and not to mention, again, that we don’t take time to play games very often.. but we do LIKE to play them….. we just need to figure out a way to fit in more time for FUN!
I tend to be very competitive…my children do not “get to win” very often. I’m not one of those wonderful mothers that let their children win to boost their self-esteem…we play Candy Land, you better hope the cards fall your way, because I am going to try and beat you! LOL
You sure have an impressive stack of games. I’m going to write down some of those titles to add to our collection.