Finding the Time to Play Games - Part 2

Back in January 2012, I wrote about my deep desire to play more tabletop games, even though the ever-present bugbear of limited free-time was keeping me from doing just that. I came to the conclusion that I needed to focus my attention on the 3 Fun Things that I enjoy doing more than anything else, and spend my time on those things. I even went as far as suggesting the scheduling of regular fun-time events on my social calendar. So how did I do? Read on dear blog-readers...  

It's now late-summer and I'm a bit better off than I was in January 2012. But truth be told, I still have a long way to go until I reach a satisfactory level of gaming nirvana. The 3 things I chose were:

1. Designing and playtesting my miniatures wargame rules (Sword of Severnia) and its associated campaign system (Crown of Severnia).   
2. Participating in the Wars of the Third Age wargame campaign with my friends Wally, Kevin, and Geoff (which use the Crown of Severnia rules, and Sword of Severnia for tactical battles). 
3. Painting Miniatures.

So why did I choose those 3 things?

Number 1 was a no-brainer. I've been seriously developing my miniatures wargame rules since 2006. Progress has been somewhat spotty the last 3 years, due in large part to the demands of my job. I simply have a lot less time to work on the game than I did in previous years.

That said, I've made damn good progress on the rules (both tactical and campaign sets) in 2012. I'm starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel and hope springs eternal that I will (God willing) eventually get these wargame rules published within the next 1 or 2 years. I admit to being a bit of a design perfectionist at times, and continue to hone these game rules into something that I can be proud of, and which don't feel like every other set of fantasy mass-battle rules currently on the market. But bottom-line, I enjoy the creative process of designing these games immensely, so it's something that I desperately WANT to spend my time on.

Number 2 was also a shoe-in for my top-3 list. I had a goal of getting this grand fantasy war campaign going in 2012, and by God, we did it! The Crown of Severnia campaign kicked off in May 2012, and it's going strong as we speak. We're still in early stages of the campaign (middle of Season 2 out of 8 total seasons) and not only are the four of us enjoying the hell out of our roles as Warlords of Severnia, but it's proving to be a great way to fully test out my campaign and tactical battle rules. Truth be told, it's the ONLY game that I'm currently playing right now.

Number 3 ties into the first two things on my list, but it stands on its own merits as something unique. I've always enjoyed doing hands-on art projects. In fact, I was very close to entering college as an art major. Ultimately, I fell in love with computers in 1981, majored in Computer Science, and the rest is history.

But art is still dear to my heart. Painting miniatures serves as my "art release" and fills a definite happiness niche for me. I don't do it nearly enough. And I will NEVER paint all the unpainted tiny tin-men and plastic soldiers that I own! But by putting this as Number 3 on my list, I'm going to MAKE THE TIME for it now. Eight months into 2012, I have failed on this goal, but I fully intend to get back into it as soon as I complete some pending work on my wargame rules and things calm down a bit there.      

Picking ONLY 3 fun things was truly excruciating. So settling on Number 3 was a gut-wrenching decision for me; as much as choosing to do something FUN can actually be considered gut-wrenching!
 
I love playing strategy board games, and I've got a pile of new games sitting on the shelves of my bedroom closet just begging to be played. But the truth is, despite repeated attempts, it has been extremely difficult finding a group of committed players who want to play board games on a regular basis. And with the time that I'm spending on miniatures gaming & designing, I simply don't have the time to organize a board-game club or host games at my house on a weekly/bi-weekly basis.

While I haven't given up on the board gaming hobby, it has become painfully obvious that I only have so much free-time to spend on gaming. So board games have taken a back-seat to minis gaming. I'm even planning to start selling off part of my board games collection, with the sad realization that I have more games than I'll ever have time to learn and play in my life-time. Such is life.

In the end, I've come to understand that TIME IS IN SHORT SUPPLY once you're a middle aged man. You'll never be able to do all the things you wish you could do. So the key to finding happiness, and not being overwhelmed by it all, is to FOCUS. Find your favorites and throw all your energy into those things.

You may not be able to do everything you want, but at least you'll have a blast doing a few things that you truly love.

Peace!

6 Board Games Worth Your Time

Are you a video gamer, card player, or casual family gamer who has never really delved all that deeply into the realm of board games? If so, this blog post is for you.

Last week, I found a very interesting and informative article on KOTAKU by Quintin Smith, one of the guys who talks about board games for the Shut Up & Sit Down show.

In the article, Quintin discusses 6 Board Games that Video Gamers Should Play. He makes some excellent points and I must say that he made me very eager to try out the games he mentioned. I only own one of them (Cyclades, which I haven't played yet); and that's amazing coming from someone who owns in excess of 200 games.

It's Stanley Cup Time -- time to play Slapshot

Ah yes, fond childhood memories come creeping back with this one. Of what am I speaking you ask? Slapshot, that simple yet surprisingly addictive hockey-themed card game.

Originally an Avalon Hill title from the early 1980's, this Tom Dalgliesh designed card game was recently re-published in an updated edition by Columbia Games.

If you're looking for a brain-burning strategy game, Slapshot definitely isn't it. But if you enjoy a fast, light-hearted beer & pretzels game with similarities to "War" and cartoon artwork of players with tongue-in-cheek names like Puck Rogers, Antoni Zamboni, Ice Capone, and Slash Gordon, then Slapshot will light your red lamp.  

With the Stanley Cup playoffs in full-tilt mode, why not break out the Molson or Labbatt's, talk a little smack, and try out this great little game. 

2012 Blood Bowl Tournament to Benefit Childhood Cancer

Just wanted to share something interesting that I recently came across while browsing the web.

On May 19, 2012, The Adventurer's Guild (a terrific hobby game store in Harrisburg, PA), is running a Blood Bowl tournament that benefits the central Pennsylvania Four Diamonds Fund. The fund helps children with cancer.

The tournament will be held at the Masonic Lodge on 350 North Harrisburg Street, Oberlin, PA. Entry fee to play in the tourney is $25.

For more information and pictures from previous years events, check out the AGGBL.

It's pretty neat to see a tournament that not only provides plenty of fun for its players, but supports a great cause at the same time.

Finding the Time to Play Games - Part 1

I recently turned 48 years old. There's really nothing magical about that particular age. Talk to me in two more years and I might feel drastically different. But for now, I'm just another year closer to a milestone birthday.

That said, flipping another page on my Life Calendar did trigger me to stop and ponder the state of my life. What significant problems do I need to fix in my life? How do I boost my happiness level? What are my plans for the future? There are always dozens of things to think about.

Over the past 3 years, one recurring thought has continually bubbled it's way to the top of my brain: How do I find the time to do those fun things that I truly love to do? I wish I knew the answer to this one of life's many puzzles. But I haven't figured out the magic formula yet.

You see, I love to play tabletop games (board games and miniatures war games). They fill a very special niche for me, exercising the strategic-thinking and creativity portions of my brain. But try as I might, I have failed miserably to achieve any consistency in getting my friends together for regular game nights. I have done much more in the way of researching and thinking about games than actually playing them. That's truly sad.

There are a host of reasons why getting games to the table have failed for me. For starters, 9.5 to 10 hours of every weekday are spent working or driving to/from work. Then it's home for dinner with my wife Anna, followed by doing dishes. So most nights, my "free time" doesn't begin until 7:30 or 8:00 pm. Some nights are devoted to spending quality time with my honey, who unfortunately, does not share my same passion for tabletop games. So that doesn't leave a big window of opportunity for gaming during weeknights. Not to mention, I'm mentally exhausted from work many of these nights. Those of you who work in the IT field can probably relate to this well.  

My gaming buddies are of a similar age, and although they may be home earlier than me, they have their kids' activities to deal with. So free weeknights are typically limited for them as well.

I confess that I have other outside interests that eat into my time, like dining out, going to the movies with my wife, reading, listening to podcasts, walking, painting miniatures, designing games, surfing the internet, occasionally playing the drums, etc. Perhaps I have too many other interests?

All I know is that it adds up to one thing: I don't get to play games often enough.

At this moment, you're probably thinking, "so do something about it Nancy Boy and quit whining!" And you're right; all the whining in the world doesn't result in problems fixing themselves. So after mulling it over in my head, I believe that I need to do a couple of key things:

1. Prioritize which Fun Things are most important to me. 
2. Take that priority list, cut it down to the 3 most important things and focus solely on them. 
3. Schedule regularly recurring Fun Time events on my calendar and stick to that schedule.

I've often said to myself that scheduling fun time seems silly. I have a schedule at work; why do I want to create a task schedule for FUN stuff? But after several years of failing to achieve what I wanted (which is playing more games), something has to change. Flying by the seat of my pants is NOT working.

Perhaps a disciplined approach will produce the desired results? I guess I'll never know unless I try.
So it's off to create a prioritized Fun Things list. I'll share that in Part 2 of this blog-post series.
Wish me luck!

Loving the Dice Tower News

As much as I love to drop in and peruse Board Game Geek on an almost daily basis, finding easy-to-digest, headline news about board games isn't quite as simple to find there as it should be.

Enter the new (at least to me) Dice Tower News blog by Tom Vasel and company. Wow, this is exactly what I've been looking for! Small, bite-sized chunks of gaming news in a clear, concise, easy-to-read format. It reminds me in some ways of the Tabletop Gaming News website geared to miniatures wargamers, and it steals some of the thunder from Purple Pawn. But you can never have too much GOOD information, so this is truly a welcome addition the board gaming community. Check it out!  

WarParty coming to a table near you

Great news! Looks like Lock N Load Publishing is officially publishing WarParty, their new fantasy wargame, sometime in the 1st quarter of 2012.

I know this because (a) the game was just fully funded on Kickstarter, and (b) LNL just charged my credit card for the pre-order that I placed last year.

For more info about how the game plays, check out this helpful video review by the illustrious Undead Viking.

 Party On!

My Favorite Gaming Podcasts

I'm a very odd bird. Why? Well it's not because I squawk and peck at my dinner. No, no, no. Rather, it's because unlike most people, my iPod Touch contains very little in the way of actual music. Instead, it's bursting at its electronic seams with podcasts. More specifically, it's loaded with podcasts about gaming (board games and miniature wargaming). Yeah, go ahead and think it. I suppose that I'm truly a geek.

Over the last 5+ years, I've listened to more gaming-related podcasts than I care to count. Heck, I have well over 500 gaming podcasts currently stored in my iTunes library. There's such a wide selection of shows to listen to. 

The vast majority of the podcasts that I listen to cater to hobby board game enthusiasts. There are also a couple of good shows geared towards miniatures wargames. As mini-gaming is my favorite hobby of the moment, I wish there were more podcasts on this subject. But since wargaming with miniatures is such a visual hobby, that probably goes a long way towards explaining the lack of audio-shows that discuss this form of gaming.  

You might be wondering, which podcasts have become my absolute favorites? Well, let's start with the cream of the crop. These shows have stood the test of time, and are still as interesting and informative today as they were when I first started listening to them several years ago. 

The Dice Tower -- I listen to a dozen different podcasts on a fairly regular basis. When faced with the inevitable question of "what shall I listen to tonight?" as I scroll through my iPod playlist, my first choice is always the Dice Tower. This well-produced, 60-90 minute variety show is chock full of interesting segments that never drag on too long. In addition to the weekly insights provided by co-hosts Tom Vasel and Eric Summerer, there are a host of other contributors (Moritz, Geoff, Mark, Sam, Joe, Giles, Mary, Ryan, Dexter & The Chief, etc.) so you're guaranteed to get a smattering of opinions on just about every type of board game imaginable. The Top-10 Lists, a staple of the podcast, are always fun and have caused me to buy more board games over the past few years than I care to admit! But the Dice Tower truly shines because Tom Vasel, tireless game evangelist, is the Energizer Bunny of gamers. He just keeps going and going, enthusiastically playing and reviewing games, and sharing his vast knowledge of board games with anyone that crosses his path. I find that my tastes in board games often mirror Tom's more closely than any other podcaster out there, so I'm always keen on hearing about new games that he adores. 

Meeples & Miniatures -- Without a doubt, Meeples & Miniatures is simply the best podcast about miniature wargaming in existence. As an American wargamer, it took me a few espisodes to get used to the thick British accent emanating from the mouth of host Neil Shuck. I've grown to love it now, and Neil seems like an affable chap and TRUE wargamer. What I mean by TRUE is that his interests lie all over the map. Neil enjoys exploring new rules and checking out the latest shiny figures, and he owns more minis than he'll ever actually have the time to paint. Plus, he's not just focused on the mainstream games and models (e.g. Warhammer and DBA) that every wargamer already knows about. He explores the true depth of this great hobby with an honest and thought-provoking perspective. And his "View from the Veranda" chats with Henry Hyde of Battlegames magazine are always highly entertaining.  

The Spiel -- Interestingly enough, I first discovered this podcast by way of The Dice Tower, as Tom Vasel said it was one of his favorites to listen to. Co-hosts Stephen Conway and Dave Coleson have a love of games that's truly infectious. Their exhaustive game reviews are the best in the business, but their varied segments (Back-shelf Spotlight, Truckloads of Goober, and Game Sommelier) are really what makes this podcast shine. They also do a superb job breaking their podcast into easily searchable segments, so you can skip around if desired. Recently, the show lengths are creeping up and over the 2-hour mark, which is overly long in my opinion, but that hasn't stopped me from listening. Spiel on guys!

Game On! with Cody & John -- This podcast hasn't been around as long as the previous three, but recently reached the 50-episode mark and shows no signs of slowing down. Self-proclaimed "regular guys" Cody Jones and John Richard pull you into their conversations as if you were a friend sitting in their living-room chatting about games. Amazingly, Cody sounds eerily like my childhood next-door neighbor (Mike Rajnik) and even tosses out similar witty remarks. It's kinda freaky, but it also pulled me in to listen to the show more closely from the beginning. One great thing about the show is that it's an easy listen, and never drones on too long, falling into that 60-90 minute listening sweet-spot more often than not. I really like the new, free-wheeling conversation format that Cody & John have switched to, and I hope they stick with that as it helps differentiate them from my other favorite gaming podcasts.  

There are also several gaming-related shows that haven't been on the podcast scene for 5 years, but are definitely worth your listening time. If I had to choose a "best of the rest", it would include these podcasts:

Gameopolis -- Episode #1 of this podcast got me hooked because these guys went "old school" and listed several old classics among their favorite games of all time. It's refreshing to see gamers who aren't purely smitten by "the cult of the new" when it comes to tabletop games. Their regular "dusty old box" segment is a real treat. Another big plus is that Mark and Jeff don't take themselves too seriously and come across as down-to-earth guys who would be fun to game with. I also love that they keep their main shows around 60 minutes in length, and supplement those with shorter "game session reports". The session reports give you the feel of how a particular game plays without the hosts needing to spend 30 minutes on a boring, blow-by-blow rules regurgitation. Well done guys; looking forward to future episodes.  

D6 Generation -- I'm torn between loving this show and hating it. Why? On the one hand, it's really well-produced, colorful, often hilarious and thought-provoking, and nobody does in-depth game reviews any better than the D6G gang (Russ, Craig, and Raef). Craig Gallant really cracks me up. I admire the fact that these guys are unabashed mini-gamers and lovers of Ameritrash games; they speak to my tastes more often than not. What bugs me about the D6G is the length of the shows. They're too friggin long. Who has the time to sit down and listen to a 3 or 4 hour show? Not me. So far too often, the podcast sits on my playlist untouched, until I can miraculously find a free night to hide from my wife and listen to a whole show. Less is sometimes more guys.  

Noisemaker -- Of all the gaming podcasts that I regularly listen to, this one is the most "home-spun labor of love" of the batch. While the show lacks the production values of the Dice Tower or Spiel or D6G, it makes up for that with truly interesting content. Bert's love of miniature wargaming shines through. He's a do-it yourselfer and willingly shares his ideas about rules design, particularly his own home-made rules. I really enjoy when Bert voices his likes/dislikes about various mass-market rules systems. Always insightful, enlightening, and never boring, Noisemaker is highly recommended if you're a wargamer who likes to dabble in all aspects of the hobby. 

So tabletop gamers, why not do yourself a favor and take some time to check out these great podcasts? I'm sure you'll learn a thing or two about games that you never knew before, and will gather some great tips on games worth playing and adding to your collection.  

Did Ya Miss Me?

After a long hiatus from blogging, I'm back. Honestly, I kinda miss it. 

I really doubt that anyone missed me, because let's face it folks, I don't exactly have a long and storied history of faithfully writing to this blog every day, week, or even every month (GULP). Blogging takes dedication. I suppose there are too many other things that I'm more dedicated to, and my postings take a back seat to them. 

But anyway, I'm feeling the urge to blog again. Perhaps a break was all that I needed. It's not like I've run out of fun and cool stuff to chat about. Maybe, just maybe, I'll get into a much more regular routine and this blog won't fade into obscurity. At least it's time to give it the old college try. 

So what's been on my Fun Radar of late? Well... 

Several weeks ago I got to play some board games with my friend Kevin. I finally got to play CAVE TROLL. It's one of Fantasy Flight Games' board games in their Silver Line series, and was designed by the very talented Tom Jolly.

Players expecting to find a wild and wooly dungeon-crawler will be disappointed because Cave Troll isn't that type of game. Rather, it's a strategic area-control game with a light fantasy theme. Kev and I played a 2-player game. Neither of us had ever played Cave Troll before, but found it pretty easy to grasp the rules. I found it to be highly entertaining and thought-provoking for a game that plays in just 45-60 minutes. It would definitely be a lot more chaotic with 4 players, and you probably wouldn't be able to plan ahead as much, but it's nice when a game provides different flavors depending on how many people play. Bottomline, I loved the game and it will be seeing a lot more play in the future. 

We also got to play a game of DUNGEON TWISTER 2: PRISON. Without a shadow of doubt, Dungeon Twister is one of my Top-10 games of all time. The best way to think of it is a marriage of Chess and a fantasy dungeon crawl. It's colorful, highly replayable, and a very strategic thinker. In fact, this is a game you should definitely play with a 2-3 minute sand timer, otherwise some players will succumb to Analysis-Paralysis trying to evaluate every possible option. The DT2 version adds some really nice plastic playing pieces which just beg to be painted.

One thing that crossed my mind after our game was this: "wouldn't it be awesome to play Dungeon Twister with a 3D-dungeon and painted minis?" After some hunting online, I came across this article explaining how to build a 3D Dungeon Twister game board. I must admit, building this isn't for the "modelling challenged". Heck, I'm not sure I really have the time to make all that, though it certainly looks extremely cool. Another option that's probably cheaper and definitely less time-intensive might be to purchase some of those Bendy Dungeon Walls from Z-Man Games. I'm thinking about it. Heck, being a miniatures wargamer, I already have tons of proxy figures that would work great in a Dungeon Twister setting. We shall see. 

Anyway, it was great to be gaming again. Thanks Kev!

At the end of October, I'll be off to FALL IN 2010 at the Lancaster Host for more miniature wargaming goodness. I'm sure that I'll have something to report from that convention, and perhaps I'll have some pictures to share from this go around. I hope you'll visit again and see!

Until next time.....  PEACE!