poll: board games

I'm seated at a table in the basement of a friends' parents' house, around 12:30 a.m. My head is fuzzy because of the late hour; I'm usually in bed two hours earlier.

"I've got sheep! Who wants wood for sheep?"

"How about a rock?"

"I don't rocks, I need wood."

"How about some wheat?"

"You have WHEAT? What do you want for your wheat?"

We're playing The Settlers of Catan, a board game in which players establish roads, cities and commerce on a remote island. I like it better than the usual games that this group plays on Friday nights because it's a "nurturing" type of game rather than the "betray and stomp out your enemies" type that tends to be more popular. There is some betraying and stomping, of course, but at least it's subtler.

I think it's very cool that this group of friends have gotten together every Friday night for years. The exact individuals change from week to week, but a core group has made it a regular part of their lives. Jeff used to play Magic with them, but then dropped out for a long while. I'd come sometimes, but would usually read on the couch or play/work on my laptop.

My family used to play board games pretty often. Our favourites: Candyland, Stock Ticker, Monopoly, Masterpiece (I think that was the name? art auction game), Clue. I'm sure I'm forgetting some.

Jeff and I haven't played many board games until recently, when we picked up Scrabble and started playing, at least as of the last visit, Settlers and Puerto Rico at the cottage. I tend not to like battle strategy games like Risk and Diplomacy, or games where part of the strategy is making deals with other players and then betraying them when the time is right. Jeff has accurately summarized my general board game and computer game preference as one leaning toward "nurturing": helping villages and cities grow, helping Sims manage their work and love lives, taking care of a virtual pet.

Speaking of which, Aspyr is coming out with a virtual pet expansion package for The Sims! Can't wait!





Yesterday my female Sim character, Candy Flirtatia, did hit it off pretty well with an exotic-looking hunk named Ocean (yes, really) in a pinball shop in town. I played The Sims last night while the others were playing Puerto Rico. The guys mocked my fascination with my little virtual people, but some of them drifted over out of curiosity and got hooked into watching for a while.

Amusing to compare my technique for getting a couple together to their technique. While I focussed on establishing a good rapport and trust between Candy and Ocean before even thinking of progressing towards any kind of physical intimacy, my observing companions were mainly interested in seeing how quickly Ocean could get Candy in bed. :-D

Sadly, Candy got distracted by a tragic clown, an annoying figure that invades the character's house if you let any of her emotion/wellbeing scores fall below a certain level. After he showed up, the clown spent all his time following Candy around, trying to cheer her up in annoying ways and trodding on Candy's and Ocean's private moments. I combed the Sims message boards for clues on how to get rid of the clown, and finally succeeded by setting him on fire.

I've never liked clowns.

But I digress. Back to board games and today's poll question...

Poll: What were/are your favourite board games?

Answer in Blatherchat

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Today's Blatherpics:

	Settlers game at Vartan's & Hrach's place with Vartan, Hrach, Scott, Jeff, Walter, John, Mark. Reid left earlier in the evening.
	Luisa & Scott at a Greek restaurant last night.
	Reid, during a game of Puerto Rico.