Session Summary – 10 March 2010

10 this week with Dave & Ben arriving a little late and playing a few games of Memoir '44.

Memoir '44 40 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Ben C	5
2	Dave C	3
Memoir '44 40 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Dave C	4
2	Ben C	2
Memoir '44 40 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Ben C	5
2	Dave C	2

Over on another table 2 games were played, being Steel Driver and San Juan.

Steel Driver 110 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Andy	1350
2	Colin	1190
3	Mike	1090
4	Donald	1030
San Juan 40 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Andy	30+
2	Donald	30
3	Mike	26
4	Colin	15

The other 4 of us played Pillars of the Earth, using the expansion. We have played World Without End a lot and this was a return to the earlier game. I like both and wouldn't like to choose between the 2. I think with 4 players, I would go with World Without End, as I think WWE is best with that number. Pillars is probably a bit too open with the expansion and the opposite without it, but I don't have a problem playing an expanded 4 player game. With 3 I think an unexpanded Pillars would just about shade it. Neither game would be my first choice as a 2 player game and of course you can't play WWE with more than 4.

In this game Steve continued his rich form at the game, which has been played 14 times at the club.

Pillars of the Earth, The 120 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Steve H	50
2	Dave F	46+
3	Dave D	46
4	Andrew S	36

The table below shows how Steve dominates this one with 7 wins and a tie in 13 plays.

Game: Pillars of the Earth, The
Plays: 14
Play Time (Hours): 26.08
Player Hours: 101
First Played: May-07
Last Played: Mar-10
	Plays	Wins	Ties
Steve H	13	7	1
Mike	4	0	0
Steve P	1	0	0
Dave D	12	2	1
Richard B	2	1	0
Matt	1	0	1
Gordon	3	1	0
Steve Pe	5	1	0
Jeremy	1	0	0
Simon	2	0	0
Paul	1	0	1
Dave C	1	0	0
Ben	1	0	0
Jonathan	1	0	0
Andy	1	0	0
Dave F	2	0	0
Ben C	1	0	0
Andrew S	1	0	0

Session Report – 3 March 2010

This week saw the return of Dave and Ben C for the first time this year, following a period of being involved in pantomime rehearsals on a Wednesday night. It was also to see John for the first time in a long time. We ended up with 9 players, split initially 3 ways.

While Dave and Ben were introducing John to Mordred and then Power Grid, Colin, Steve & I played World Without End. This time we only had 3 players and Steve went with the Medical path for a narrow victory over myself following the Building route, although I did have a slight bit of medical knowledge. All but one of the building projects were available at the end and I think that this degree of choice may have had a bearing on the fact that the tower was not completed for the first time, this combined with the only 3 players meaning not so many builders. I had thought that with fewer players there might be fewer missed obligations, but it turned out that everyone missed at least one obligation at least once, although this was certainly partly due to a series of above average tax rolls.

World Without End 100 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Steve H	42.5
2	Dave D	41
3	Colin	21

We finished at about the same time as Mike, Dave and Andrew finished Louis XIV and we all giot together for a few rounds of 6 nimmt, a game that I have played a couple of times, but the plays are too far apart so I always need to be reminded of the rules. It seems as if this is the same for other members of the group and there was some discussion about the way to play. We came up with a playable version of the game, but it didn't seem quite right according to my memory. I went home and found a copy of the rules online that did seem to agree with the way I'd played before and there were some differences.

• Only 4 rows of cards to play to
  
• Each player is only dealt 10 cards
  
• It is the 6^th card that takes the row, the player gets the 5 cards already in the row and the 6^th card played now becomes the new base card, meaning there are never any gaps.
  

Our game ended up playable, but that does look better.

6 nimmt 30 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Mike	39
2	Colin	44
3	Dave D	61
4	Andrew S	63
5	Steve H	69
6	Dave F	102

The scores for Louis XIV

Louis XIV 100 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Dave F	53
2	Andrew S	42
3	Mike	40

Scores for Mordred

Mordred 30 mins.
Posn.	Player
1	John H
2=	Ben C
2=	Dave C

The scores for Power Grid (I think this was on the German map). This was game 49, next up is number 50 for Power Grid and will be the first game that we have 50 recorded games for.

Power Grid 160 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	John H	18+
2	Ben C	18
3	Dave C	15

Session Report – 24 February 2010

A split into 2 groups of 8 this week and further run outs for the 2 games, not played before this year, but currently sitting on top of the year's most played.

First World Without End, played for the 3^rd time with the same player line up on each occasion and the speed with which we were able to get though the game is an indication of the advantage of having all players with recent experience. With 3 times played we also have had 3 different winners, me taking my turn having previously finished 2^nd all the time. Although this is certainly a different game to the earlier Pillars of the Earth, the 2 games do have a certain random element in common, which adds variety to the game play and this is something I feel is sorely needed in many of today's games. The trick is getting the balance right and I think that it is with this one. All that said, however, it is inevitable that it is going to catch people out on occasion and this certainly happened to Steve and to a lesser extent, Dave.

In the first game, Dave won by virtue of medical knowledge, in the second Steve's building won the day. In this one I supposed I also went with building (I had no medical knowledge at all), but at the same time I didn't do that much building, in addition I picked up points from my houses and donations to building projects, together with collecting from the favour track based on my piety and loyalty, both of which I was pretty flush with for much of the game. I was also able to take advantage when others were unable to meet their end of chapter obligations, where I always made mine.

World Without End 90 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Dave D	54.5
2	Dave F	48
3	Andrew	42.5
4	Steve H	33.5

After that we discussed playing again, but I think we would have been pushing it to get a second game finished. We played Ra: The Dice Game, after which I left, while the others played a repeat game of that, I do not have the result of that second game at this time.

Ra: The Dice Game 30 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Steve H	38
2	Dave D	32
3	Dave F	30
4	Andrew	26

Second game added on 11 March, looks like a low scoring game

Ra: The Dice Game 30 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Dave F	29
2	Steve H	25
3	Andrew S	18

On the other table the repeated game was Louis XIV, which has also had 3 different winners in 3 games, although in this case that is from a pool of 3 total players.

Louis XIV 120 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Andy	43
2	Colin	42
3=	Donald	39
3=	Mike	39

February 2010 – 4 meetings, 15 games played, average attendance 8.5

Session Report – 17 February 2010

With 11 people we were spread across 3 tables this week with 5 on one and 2 3's on the others.

On the 5 player table we had Amun-Re, one of our top 10, this is a game that I like but prefer to limit myself to once or twice a year. When looking over the stats for last year I discovered that it hadn't been played for the first year since we have records (starting 2003), so I decided it could do with another run out, knowing it is a game that Steve and Mike certainly like a lot. The history on this one is.

Game: Amun-Re
Plays: 16
Play Time (Hours): 29.92
Player Hours: 133.42
First Played: Sep-03
Last Played: Feb-10
	Plays	Wins	Ties
Gordon	9	4	0
Mike	10	2	0
Steve H	14	3	0
Dave D	8	2	0
David	1	0	0
Dave C	2	1	0
Steve P	2	0	0
Jonathan	1	0	0
Julian	4	2	0
James	1	0	0
Richard B	6	1	0
Daniel	1	0	0
Duncan	2	0	0
John C	1	0	0
Matt	3	1	0
Luke	1	0	0
Richard C	1	0	0
Andy	1	0	0
Ben	1	0	0
Donald	1	0	0
Colin	1	0	0

We were joined in this game by Donald and Colin who were trying the game for the first time and the scores perhaps indicate that this is one of those games where first timers are at something of a disadvantage. Steve, Mike & I were 16/15/14 in that order after the first epoch, with each of us gaining 5 points for most pyramids on one side of the Nile, I had a power card (all provinces away from the Nile), while Steve and Mike scored for 2 point temples.

Going into the second epoch I had 3 power cards to aim for and was able to make them all (all on one side of the Nile, all in the upper Nile and 7+ power card symbols) adding to this I spent all my money on building stones on the final turn to build 3 pyramids for a total of 9 to ensure the 5 point bonus on my side. Steve had a couple of temples and spent 20 in the last turn sacrifice to just about get the value up to the maximum 4 (Colin & I had played our -3 cards), but in so doing he found himself only 3^rd in the most money behind Donald and Mike. I think if Steve had spent 2 less the temple value would have dropped without him gaining in the money order, but I've an idea if he had dropped his bid still further he might have been able to get to most money without dropping the temple value to 2, which would have gained him 4 on the money, while losing 2 on the temples and giving him the win. As I said I can't say that for sure, but as it was I won on the tie break of most pyramids.

Amun-Re 130 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Dave D	44+
2	Steve H	44
3	Mike	38
4	Donald	31
5	Colin	27

The other major game played was Dungeon Lords, which seems to be getting a lot of good buzz at the moment. It is designed by Vlaada Chvátil, designer of Through the Ages amongst others, a game which I have recently had the chance to play with Dave & Ben, an enjoyable game, although I am nowhere near getting the hang of it.

This game has a theme that certainly appeals to me, although from what I have read of it, it seems that the mechanics are not what I'd normally think of as my favourite type. I have to play this to see where I stand.

Dungeon Lords 120 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Steve Pe	23
2	Steve P	13
3	Paul	9

On the third table, while the rest of us were playing 1 game, 3 games were played, first was Dominion, for the first time this year (the 21^st play in total). I think that the Seaside expansion may have been in use, but can't say for sure.

Dominion 80 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Dave F	62
2	Nigel	54
3	Andrew	27

Next up was Roll Through The Ages

Roll Through The Ages: The Bronze Age 40 mins.
Posn.	Player	Score
1	Dave F	33
2	Andrew	19
3	Nigel	18

And finally Tsuro, completing a hat trick for Dave F. This is also the 21^st play for this one.

Tsuro 20 mins.
Posn.	Player
1=	Dave F
1=	Andrew
3	Nigel

On a general note, I've made a few changes to the layout having discovered a few new features available. There are some other things currently behind the scenes but the most obvious visible changes at the moment are the search in the top right and the calendar has gone (it will be back); also I've made the page a bit wider.