The Tao of Gaming

In the Aubrey-Maturin series, they play a two-player card game called Piquet. The rules are on Pagat, and it turns out it's a two-player trick taking game with a cribbage like scoring. The interesting thing is that you score the hand before the play, but scoring reveals details about your hand.

You play with a deck missing 2-6, dealing out 12 cards per player. That leaves 8 cards, and the non-dealer (elder) can exchange 1-5 cards (must exchange at least one). The dealer (younger) can then exchange 1-5, but can't exchange more than the deck (Talon) has left, so usually exchanges three. So each player will see about half the deck. That, combined with the scoring mechanism, means that you can often tell almost exactly what your opponent has ... if you aren't lazy.

The trick-taking part isn't as interesting as could be, because often one (or both) players can run a suit for most of the tricks, but there's a big score (10 points) for most tricks, and a minor score (1point) for last trick, which often requires an endplay.

I found a nice software version, with one month free demo. I'm not sure how strong the computer is ... I think the Expert version has some weaknesses in card play (or I'm misreading the hands).

Anyway, worth checking out.

And the angels came out, and they sang in voices of honey:

All the work is done and [it is] now at the printer. I am waiting for a specific date, but I expect it [Race for the Galaxy] to be ready next month. —Jay Tummelson

My general belief is six weeks from the printer to the store, so this looks like a Halloween release.

Got in a longish gaming session, including the new Fantasy Flight Britannia. I'd never played the old game; but heard good things.

Now, we were playing the 3-player 'short' scenario since none of us had ever played before. This is fine for learning the game ... you only play 7 turns (instead of 16) and eliminate the special rules relating to the Romans. I also think it's unbalanced (particularly with new players). One player starts with 22 armies on the board, another starts with 7, the third starts with 11 or so. Now, the smaller armies do get some nice reinforcements as the game goes on, but those are roughly equal to the bigger armies invaders.

So it was a runaway. Still, the game only took a few hours (with rules) and we can hopefully try the full four player game sometime soon (aka 'this year').

Played a few more games of Phoenicia. I've now hit 25 plays, and still willing to pull this out once or twice a session. (Incidentally, our four player game used the random deal on turn one, and the eventual winner started with a '4'.

Also played Glory to Rome two more times. Not quite the hit of the year, but the sleeper title this year (ok, of 2005). The new edition (which changes quite a few cards, and hopefully comes in a better box) should be out soon. I'll be picking that up.

And we've started to run into issues with Stage II. Namely -- between our group we've played every card. Ah, if only the mythical expansion had been published. This really needs an update ... Hasbro, can you hear me? (I keep meaning to make a few new cards, but haven't gotten started).