The Tao of Gaming

May as well knock this out, too. To recap:

You are New Sparta in a 3 player game (against Alpha Centauri and Epsilon Eridani, if you care). The deck hits you over the head with:

• Alien Tech. Institute (Alien 6-dev)
• Lost Alien Warship (Defense 5 Windfall, +2 Military)
• Deserted Alien Colony (5 Cost Alien Windfall)
• Replicant Robots (-2 Cost for worlds)
• Blaster Gem Mines (3 Cost Rare Windfall, +1 Military)
• Spice World (Novelty Production, +2 to trade a novelty).

The panel selected:

• ZZdroman -- RR & BGM, Exp+5
• Alexfrog, Huber, Lou -- RR & BGM, Exp+1
• Frunk -- DAC & SW, Exp+1
• Linnaeus, Rubbo -- ATI & DAC, Exp+1
• Tom Lehmann, Jeff -- RR & SW, Exp+1
• Phil -- RR & SW, Exp+1

OK, apart from ZZdroman, everyone explored + 1. I see one strong argument for exploring +5. New Military Tactics. If you get that, it's off to the races. Keeping DAC for a 2nd turn play is interesting, and one I overlooked.

Brian at the table. As usual, I took a different road. I pitched the Blaster Gem Mines and Deserted Alien Colony, saving SPICE WORLD as my expected first play. At the table, the deck hits new sparta over the head with the explore, given you Avian Uplift Race and Alien Rosetta Stone world. There was a T1 Settle, so I dropped the Avian World, sold it next turn ... on my last turn I played the 6 cost alien production world for free (thanks to Robots, ATI, and Rosetta Stone)... a brutal game for the opponents.

But, was I right? In retrospect, keeping the DAC would have given me a better backup plan (but pretty much anyone will be off to the races with that explore. I can see pitching RR, but keeping them gives options, especially when you've got a very good non-military play (Spice World). If there's a Develop and Settle (which is unlikely, but not impossible), you could drop SW on T1 (at the cost of your hand). More realistically, you can develop on T2, which lets you get SW for free and keep one other card to develop (two if there's another explore).

To recap:

You are Old Earth in a four player game (no Epsilon Eridani). You get:

• Mining Robots (MR)
• Terraforming Robots (TR)
• Expedition Force (EF)
• New Military Tactics (NMT)
• Free Trade Association (FTA)
• Pan Galactic League (PGL)

And the options:

• Frunk -- MR & FTA, Develop and build EF (Explore+1 if group doesn't often explore).
• Kester -- FTA & PGL, Explore +5
• Tucker -- MR & TR, Develop EF.
• Matt -- TR & PGL, Explore+1.
• Alexfrog, Lou & Phil -- MR & TR, Explore+5
• Joe & Luthrin -- MR & FTA, Explore+1
• Anthony & Jeff -- MR & TR, Explore +1
• Wei-Hwa -- FTA & PGL, Develop

Brian at the table -- You know, it's been several weeks. Fortunately I remember. MR & PGL, Explore +1.

Almost everyone pitches mining robots. I can see the point behind pitching both sixes, the mining robots could become good really quickly (you get radioactive world or destroyed world and can turn it into a production world). In fact, given the speed issue, I think that Terraforming Robots may be better as the first card to pitch.

As for the sixes, which one to keep is a matter of taste, and 'none' could be right.

The 'consensus' pick (MR & FTA) splits between +1, +5 or Develop. In fact, there is no real consensus. The +1s try to get a worlds and stay greedy (as I like in 4 player games). The +5s bank on practically locking up a good world.

The develops delay the explore for one turn, and make sure that if someone else explores and a settle hits, they can drop NMT if they got a conquerable world. This argument can't be dismissed lightly.

In summary, I don't think there is a consensus play.

Results at the table -- The Explore + 1 resulted in crap, just FYI.

Brian after reflection -- Actually, I'm leaning towards the early develop, to drop EF or NMT. (I haven't decided). I'm also leaning towards pitching the FTA & PGL. They are both long-term speculative plays you can't afford. You need something good to happen, but both of those require something great. Even if I keep them, they should have money. (To be fair, TR is almost certainly money as well and MR will be unless you get a cheap rare windfall).

No scores given, since I can't decide.

If there's a game you'd really like to see me bring, let me know. (Nothing huge, like Starcraft).

Update: And here's a sign of the Apocalypse ... Race is my #2 game played in the last 30 days.

Well, I did play Die Mauer again (finally opened my copy), and it's a quickly little psychological/tactical game. Blind 'bidding' sort of. The leader places one of their pieces in hand, and everyone tries to match him. If nobody matches, the leader gets rid of his piece. If others match then they get rid of their pieces and the leader doesn't. (But if the pieces can't be placed by all the matchers, then the leader discards after all). It also allows for 'empty fist' as an option.

The sort of game for people who like that sort of game. I think I'm one of them, although I've probably had this for 3 years without opening it.... (I'd played before).

In other news, I'm witnessing a career destroying season by Matt Holliday. Too bad I drafted him as my first pick. (And yes, I know that 40 PA is way too small to make a statistical statement, but I'm getting my amusement where I can).

And no jokes for you this year.

Update: Although, let me go on record as saying that I've had a suspicion that the Risk-Black Ops thing is Aldie's prank this year. I haven't followed the thread, but it just strikes me as off...

Update: And I should mention that JKLM's online games now allow for turn-based games. Which means you can do your "Login once a day" game of Phonecia (or Tulipmania or On the Underground).