Session Summary – 19 March 2008

For those of you who are interested, Steve Hilton & I got together outside the club to give Fury of Dracula another go. The saga that unfolded can be found here.
Anyway, on to tonight, we were back up to 7 and a split of 5 & 2 with Dave & Ben wanting to practice their Memoir 44 for some kind of big family showdown over the weekend, the scores are below, but I don't have any further details.
1. Omaha (Ben – German, Dave – American)

Memoir '44 35 mins
Player	Posn.	Points
Ben	1	6
Dave C	2	1

2. Omaha (Ben – American, Dave – German)

Memoir '44 30 mins
Player	Posn.	Points
Dave C	1	6
Ben	2	3

3. Battle of the Bridgehead (Ben-German, Dave – Canadian)

Memoir '44 55 mins
Player	Posn.	Points
Ben	1	5
Dave C	2	4

The other five were myself, Mike, Steve Perkins and Paul; together with Mike's son Jonathan back again from Oxford. This game would be a small landmark for me as it would be my 500^th recorded at the geek, although my total played over the years before records began would be far in excess of that. Being a little short on 5 player options, there was only one real choice, Power Grid. This one was played on the French map (South West region eliminated) with the Plant deck 2. Steve and Paul had never played with the new deck, while Jonathan was new to the game. Mike and I could not really claim much experience with the new deck as I'm not sure we've played more than one game using it on its own as opposed to some combination with the original deck.
On with the game. On the first turn I picked up plant 3, Jonathan 4, Mike 6, Paul 7 and Steve 8, so I was left to go first in the acquisition of raw materials and building. I don't like going first on the first turn as it seems that wherever I go someone contrives to block me in. I went in to one of the Paris locations while Jonathan went slightly South West, Paul slightly north west, Mike to the east. This left Steve with most of the board to choose from and he went down on the south coast. Everybody built to their capacity so the 1 & 2 plants remaining in the market disappeared right away.
Some good plants came down in the following turn, Mike picking up the number 30 (1 coal -> 4), while I waited until the end and was rewarded when the number 32 (green 4) dropped in my lap, the number 21 (3 trash -> 5) was also available but went un bought at this stage as the trash price was high and the operation of that plant would have resulted in at best it's stagnation or maybe more likely it's rise. The split of plants at that stage meant that all fuels with the exception of trash were very cheap and Mike was able to power his 30 for the price of 1 elektro.
Things now went quiet for a turn or two as we built up our cities to match our increased capacity, some players bought another plant, but I stood on what I had as I could power my five for next to nothing, as a result of this I remained on 5 cities while others went past me and I was therefore given first chance to build when step 2 arrived courtesy of Steve.
Just before the first step 2 building, we had the only major auction battle of the game, everyone had their eyes on increased capacity and the 31 plant (1 nuke->5) was up, by this time, the price of uranium had fallen to 2 and only stayed that high when Steve declined to use his 8 plant. Everyone bid on this plant and 3 fell by the wayside when the bidding reached 50 or so, leaving me and Steve, I eventually let him have it for 67. I knew that 29 (3 hybrid-> 5), which I also liked the look of was available, so I sat out the rest of the auctions, while no-one bid on that and actually the 34 (3 coal->6) dropped at the last and I picked that up at face value. It was at this point that Mike picked up the 21 plant, while the 27 (1 trash ->4) also went and the trash price started to edge up. This was also when the price of coal took off as I stocked up my 34 plant, knowing that my time of building and buying early was likely past. When the building phase came I built out to 10, picking up the rest of Paris and some other cheap connections, tied with Paul and the others were back on 8.
The game went on for 2 more turns, the following one I bid on the 29 and was a bit surprised to get it at face value, at which point all the remaining available plants were 4 capacity or less. I had 15 capacity but not quite enough money to end the game so I just bought connected 2 more cities to put me 1 behind Paul on 13.
The following turn there were still no plants more than 5 capacity available, so no one was able to match me and they had to fight for second. Step 3 turned up during phase 2, so it was too late to make a difference to the market and I was just able to pick up the 3 cities I needed.
At the end of the game Steve was well behind in capacity but had lots of money, he had been waiting for plants to appear, but was caught out because of the differences in the new plant deck as compared to the original which he apparently knows off by heart from many games on BSW.

Power Grid 110 mins
Player	Posn.	Points
Dave D	1	15
Paul	2	13++
Mike	3	13+
Jonathan	4	13
Steve Pe	5	8

After that there was time for a filler and Steve produced Saboteur, which Mike, Jon & I hadn't played before, I'm not sure about Paul.
The idea is that the players are dwarves mining for gold, but at least 1 or 2 of them are saboteurs who aim to prevent the others from reaching the treasure. The game is played by placing cards on the table showing tunnel sections and the good dwarves win by successfully making a connection from the mine entrance card to the card with the gold on it, which will be one of three face down cards on the other side of the table. Instead of placing a tunnel section card, a player can also play a number of other types of card. Maps give the chance to look at one of the face down cards, equipment breakages (of various types) prevent a player from playing tunnel sections until the equipment is repaired, equipment repairs repair broken equipment and rock falls remove previously played tunnel sections.
From the evidence of this game it seems to me that saboteurs (who are determined at random) are on a hiding to nothing as the good dwarves found the gold without difficulty in each of the 3 rounds we played, even if there were 2 saboteurs in play, in addition there is an advantage to the good dwarf who make the connection to the gold in that they get first pick of the gold cards and will end up with an extra card when compared to whoever is late in the picking order. It was these factors, I think, that determined the scores.
Jon was a saboteur 2 out of 3 times and ended up with only one card. Mike was never a saboteur, but was always low down the picking order. Paul was a saboteur once and had first pick once but ended up with only one gold card on the other time he was a good dwarf. Steve and I were saboteurs once and had first pick once, but unlike Paul, on the other round when we were a good dwarf, we still ended up with 2 cards.
So, all in all, it's OK but seemingly a bit lucky on this evidence. Maybe with fewer players the saboteurs would have more chance against less opposition and maybe there would be a more even spread of gold.

Saboteur 30 mins
Player	Posn.	Points
Dave D	1=	7
Steve Pe	1=	7
Paul	3	5
Mike	4	4
Jonathan	5	1

Until next week

Session Summary – 12 March 2008

Just 3 this week, Mike, Steve & I. We played 2 games, the first being Pillars of the Earth, not being Mike's favourite game, but having 3 players he agreed to give it another go as we suggested that some of the randomness would be mitigated with 1 fewer player.
So off we went building yet another Cathedral. Considering the number that we and many other gamers must have built, surely there is a surplus by now. Maybe there is a gap in the market for a game based on demolishing them and the castles and towns etc., perhaps involving the bits from this and something representing a wrecking ball.
Anyway back on topic I moved into an early lead by taking the 2 points from the priory and 3 from the crying Madonna and held it until turn 5, unfortunately for some reason I did not build up my craftsmen in the middle game and whereas the other 2 were soon at their full complements, I was sitting on just 3 after the cathedral roof collapsed, having added just an early mason. I also felt I was short of cash throughout, my stonecutter having been killed by the roof, meaning I hadn't got the ability to sell stone.
Steve played a steady game and was able to keep a good flow of victory points and cash and gradually overhauled me, going ahead by a point on turn 5 with the help of the conflict between Prior Philip and Bishop Waleron (all lose 2 VP), which event he avoided by being at the Archbishop's office.
Mike grabbed the woodworker (4 gold for 1 wood twice) at the beginning, but I don't think he used it to its full effect, I think if you have this craftsman you really need to give him 2 wood every turn, although I think there was one turn when Mike was cut out of the wood completely.
On the final turn it was between me and Steve, he had the final round goldsmith, a couple of sculptors and a few others. I managed to get the Bellmaker and Organ Builder to add to my sculptor. This was the first time I reached my craftsman limit in the game. I would have matched Steve's score if it weren't for the -2VP event and being short on taxes on the last turn, but he would then have won the tiebreak.
As we were putting the game away we spent some time discussing the game and comparing it to Caylus. Mike, while agreeing that Pillars is better with three, doesn't like it, especially when compared with Caylus, in which he can imagine the building of the town and the castle. Steve sits on the fence somewhat, liking both, but when pushed prefers this. I regard Caylus as an exercise in tedium involving the placement of pieces of cardboard and wood, so my vote is definitely with Pillars of the Earth. Scores

Pillars of the Earth, The 110 mins
Player	Posn.	Points
Steve H	1	52
Dave D	2	49
Mike	3	38

We finished off with a quick game of Taluva, this doesn't really lend itself to lot of description, but as Steve has said before it's not really his type of game, I think he said he just doesn't understand it and I think it probably is one that requires a certain mindset.

Taluva 30 mins
Player	Posn.
Dave D	1
Steve H	2=
Mike	2=

Until next week

Session Summary – 5 March 2008

5 this week. We were just about to start a 4 player Brass game, when Barbie arrived, so Dave & Ben went to play Up Front leaving the rest of us to play Brass 3 handed.
This is a game that I have played once before at MidCon last year and I remember having quite a good time with it, the game has been to the table a couple of times so far this year but this was the first time I have taken part at the club. Before disappearing to play Up Front, Dave gave a quick refresher on the rules as none of us had played more than once and then it was on into the Canal age, at the end of which the scores were very close (a spread of four I think). Both Steve and I had started badly by playing in Bolton without having looked too closely at the potential routes out in the Canal Age, which are only to the east. Steve built a link down to Manchester, whereas I, having a load of location cards in hand started up again down in Macclesfield, where I built a mill and was able to sell to the market in the midlands to get the income going. Barbie, I think had started somewhere over in the west. I thought a useful play early on was Steve taking out a £30 loan at the beginning, when the loss on the income track was not so great. I then repeated the ploy, but sold cotton on the same turn so I was left with a positive income as opposed to the negative one that Steve suffered for a couple of turns.
The position was very close at the end of the canal age (I think a spread of about 3 points), Steve had managed to build a ship yard, while I scored with my mills and 2 Iron works, Barbie did quite well from his transportation links.
Into the Rail Age and I had a lot of Industry cards, rather than the load of locations as early in the previous age, meaning I had to build out of Rochdale, where I had a presence from the Canal Age. I built a coal mine and used the coal to start a railway toward Manchester, where I was next able to build 4 out the 5 rail links in one turn.
In the end the game turned on Steve's building of 2 ship yards, while I could not do so, which at the time caused me some consternation as he was able to block me from using my Barrow card by building the rail link from Preston to Lancaster, meaning I could not get my own railway up there. I speculated after the game, that maybe the shipyards were too powerful, feeling frustrated by my lack of location cards. After the game Dave reminded me of the joker rule, where you can play 2 cards to represent any card ( a rule I had not remembered), I don't think this would have helped once Steve had played his rail line, but maybe using it very early to get into Lancaster, it might have made a difference.
One thing I did note was the downtime that seemed to occur when people were thinking about card discards. These discards have to take place because the running out of the deck is the trigger the end of the ages, but I did wonder if the game might be quickened up by working out how many rounds there should be and setting up a counter for the age ends. In this way discarding could be eliminated or at least made optional. This would of course mean that mean that the deck might be fully exhausted and I'm not sure whether this might have some unforeseen effect on the game. Anyway the scores were.

Brass 170 mins
Player	Posn.	Points
Steve H	1	155
Dave D	2	132
Barbie	3	128

Dave has sent me the following on the game of Up Front;
"Up Front was inconclusive; the Germans lost 4 men and the Americans lost 5. To force a win, the Germans needed to lose 6 in total and the Americans 7. So, it could have gone either way. Having said that; it was down to a straight firefight war of attrition; that was the basic scenario without the flanking fire, infiltration etc. rules in. We aim to try it again tonight; but I'll add in the cityfight rules, which is the one we played the most back in the mid 90's."

Up Front 120 mins
Player	Posn.
Dave C	1=
Ben	1=

Until Next Week.

Session Summary – 27 February 2008

After last week's big attendance, we were down to three this week and Mike, Steve & I played Rails of Europe, which I had just acquired.

This is an alternative board and cards for Railroad Tycoon, which we played a few times when it first came out, a game I quite enjoyed, but I think there was some agreement that it has a few major flaws, both physically and in terms of game play. After this playing, it seems that these flaws are to a large extent corrected, by this new version.

The board of Railroad Tycoon is really too big, making it difficult to find a table to put it on and because it is in 3 pieces, combining 2 tables (maybe not quite level) meant that the individual pieces did not join up properly. In addition to that there is a large area of the board which is somewhat superfluous, as it does not seem to get much use. The Rails of Europe board is still large, but not as much so and is a one piece affair, which has fewer cities seemingly more evenly spread, which lets the game spread over the whole board. I was not so keen on the shiny service, which gave some glare under the lights and like the original; there is some problem with colour contrast between the dark coloured cities. I did not find that as much a problem as in Railroad Tycoon, but Mike was a bit confused on more than one occasion.

The set also includes new decks of cards, which replace those of the original. The new Baron cards replace the Tycoon cards and seem to be pretty much along the same lines. The new operations cards are a big improvement, mainly due to the fact that the Major Line cards which gave players bonus points for being the first to link 2 cities have gone, these could be potential game breakers, if they came up conveniently for one player or another granting them a major points windfall because they just happened to have built their lines in that direction. It could be argued that you could plan for this, but this is risky as there is no guarantee that the cards will come up. In Rails of Europe, the Major lines are printed on the board and are always available from the beginning of the game, so the random element of this is removed. In addition the range of Major line bonuses is from 4 to 8, so you don't get the potential major swing like that of 20 points from the Kansas City – New York line.

Also gone are the Perfect Engineering and Government Land Grant cards and some new types of cards have been added in. Capital charters score points when people build to a city you have the charter for and City charters, which exclude other players from the city named. There are also potentially useful Tunnel Engineer cards, giving half price building in mountains.

There are some other lesser improvements such as the simplification of the rules for building in hexes containing water and it is nice to see the provision of player aid cards showing the actions and costs, together with the major lines available. The only way, to me, in which the original is better is in the quality of the cards, which were of nice cloth type.

As to this playing, I don't think any of us could be said to have played that well on first attempt. We all started on the basis of what cubes were on the board, trying to find places where there was scope for early shipments and initially completely forgot about the bonuses for the major lines. Mike won the auction for first turn and started with a route from Brest to Paris, while I followed with Amsterdam to Berlin. Steve started at the top of Italy, I think with a Marseilles/Milan route. It was in this early period that I think I lost out due to not being able to pick up any of the bonuses on offer. I extended up to Hamburg and upgraded my train to level 2 seeing a few 2 link deliveries, while the others built disconnected links and picked up service bounties and other bonuses. The Moscow service bounty was picked up by Mike with a link between there and St. Petersburg which also gave him the Passenger lines bonus for first to ship four different coloured cubes, while Steve picked up the bounties for Marseilles and Madrid. I think the only bonus I picked up all game was the speed record for first 3 link delivery and I was forced to give Mike a couple of points when I made that run or he'd have beaten me to it. As a result of this early play I was behind on income and had been forced to issue more shares than Steve, which was crucial as my Baron was Bismarck who required that I issue the fewest.

After this opening, Steve had a bit of a lead form Mike with me lagging, but Mike moved ahead when we remembered and started claiming the Major lines, he got Marseilles/Amsterdam and Moscow/Vienna, while Steve got Rome/Berlin and Madrid/Milan. I picked up just the biggest Paris/Constantinople, but I was also starting to see the benefits of better shipping possibilities and moved up into contention.

It was not until near the end that we saw the Tunnel Engineer Cards turn up, by which time it was pretty much too late, the cards would have been a great benefit to Steve earlier on who had spent a lot of money building through mountains, similarly the Paris Capital charter also turned up, but by that time Paris was pretty well fully built out. The city charters for Prague and Essen-Ruhr did appear but nobody seemed to be interested, so it remains to be seen whether these new cards have any great affect.

At the end of the game, it was very close. I had nudged into the lead by 1, but when shares were deducted, Steve & I were level with Mike 2 points back, so the Barons were all important, I had known that I had missed mine from early on and Steve had one of those requiring the most money, but I had more so he missed his as well. Mike had King Charles Albert and had succeeded in making the most consecutive links, so he won by 3 points and I missed out on the links tie break to finish third. If only I had taken a bit more notice of the bonuses early on I could have won this as the close end scores show I must have been well ahead on goods shipping.

After game discussion was agreed that this was a great improvement on Railroad Tycoon and from my point of view, I can't imagine ever wanting to play the former if this is available, I may play it if not available, but there's a good chance that I'd find something else preferable.

Rails of Europe 150 mins
Player	Posn.	Points
Mike	1	72
Steve H	2	69+
Dave D	3	69

Until next week.