Catch Up 10,17,24 June

Just a few notes by way of catching up.

Games Expo

I was at Games Expo on the Saturday and Sunday, but didn't actually play many games. Saturday morning was spent was spent demoing Great Fire, which seemed to go down well. Feedback was positive and Richard Denning is going to look for a publisher on that basis. There have been another couple of changes in the game since then and I hope to get the game on the table again to try them out.

Saturday afternoon was spent wandering including a game of Battle Line (old Knizia title) with Mike, it's OK for a 2 player game, but not one I'd want to play regularly.

Sunday morning was more wandering before going back and actually playing Great Fire in the afternoon. Dave & Ben were also around both days playing parts in the Living Dungeon.

10 June

We had to wait for the room upstairs to become free, so spent some time in the bar playing some short games. 6 of us played a couple of games of Tsuro.

Tsuro 15 mins.
Posn.	Player
1	Mike
2	Ben C
3=	Dave F
3=	Dave D
3=	Steve H
6	Steve Pe
Tsuro 15 mins.
Posn.	Player
1	Steve H
2	Dave F
3=	Mike
3=	Ben C
5	Steve Pe
6	Dave D

While Dave C and another 3 tried Days of Steam, which he had picked up at the expo. The game was not completed before we moved upstairs. I had a chance to try this with Dave (2 player) on the following Saturday and it seemed OK, but probably needs more players. It seems fairly light and could make a reasonable filler.

Days of Steam 20 mins.
Posn.	Player
1=	Dave C
1=	Paul
1=	Donald
1=	Nigel

We moved upstairs and split into 2 5 player groups. On one table was Pillars of the Earth, I think this was Dave's first try at the game, Ben had played once before but not with the expansion. The 2 Steves finished comfortably ahead, with the rest of us trailing.

Pillars of the Earth, The 140 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Steve H	55
2	Steve Pe	52
3	Dave D	43
4	Dave F	41
5	Ben C	35

On the other table was Automobile, the new Martin Wallace and another one that Dave had picked up at Expo, I had thought about getting this myself, but knowing that Dave & Andy had both bought copies decided against. The game seemed to go down well and I enjoyed my try the following week.

Automobile 140 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Mike	3990
2	Paul	3680
3	Nigel	2870
4	Dave C	2810
5	Donald	2790

17 June

7 this week and a 4/3 split.

I had my first try at Automobile, which ended with a second win for Mike, I think this a game that's going to take a few trys to get the strategy. I gather though that after 2 wins Mike came a bit of a cropper at the Rosliston weekend, speaking of which I'd be interested in seeing some sort of info about the games played there.

Automobile 120 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Mike	4680
2	Dave D	4150
3	Donald	4040
4	Dave C	3050

We finished off with Tsuro

Tsuro 15 mins.
Posn.	Player
1	Mike
2	Dave C
3	Dave D
4	Donald

On the other table the first game was Stone Age, a game which I didn't take to when I tried it

Stone Age 80 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Steve H	165
2	Gordon	159
3	Dave F	155

Followed by an old favourite, Ra, I see that Gordon didn't win for once.

Ra 50 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Steve H	56
2	Gordon	52
3	Dave F	40

24 June

With 8 players, we started with Tsuro, while waiting to see if Dave & Ben would appear.

Tsuro 15 mins.
Posn.	Player
1	Donald
2	Steve P
3	Gordon
4	Mike
5=	Dave D
5=	Daniel
7=	Steve H
7=	Dave F

After that it was another 4/4 split, no one else having arrived. 4 of us played Power Grid. Dave was new to the game and Daniel, I gather, has not that much experience. We used the China board, which I think could be my favourite. It has a slow build up due to the ordered appearance of the power plants, but this seems to lead to a great climax.

This was the closest game I have known with all 4 players tied and separated by money. There were only a few elektros between Dave & myself at the end and he would have won, if he hadn't spent 2 much on buying extra raw materials he didn't need, I think it was a case of inexperience showing. Steve was looking good for a lot of the game, having been left quite isolated in the south, but lost out at the end, when he went last to build and there were only 2 cities available in the far north, the connection costs were enough to drop him down to last.

Power Grid 120 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Dave D	17+++
2	Dave F	17++
3	Daniel	17+
4	Steve H	17

On the other table was In the Year of the Dragon

In the Year of the Dragon 90 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Gordon	98
2	Donald	89
3	Steve P	88
4	Mike	68

And Dominion, I don't have the scores or positions for this game, although I am told that Gordon won.

Dominion 30 mins.
Posn.	Player
1	Gordon
2=	Donald
2=	Steve P
2=	Mike