Musings on...

Moderated by David Fair and Tom Vasel

"Musings on…" pulls together a group of gamers to discuss a particular game or issue in the boardgaming world.

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Musings on… Trick Taking Games (#32)

Edited By David Fair
May 1, 2006

Welcome to Musings On..., which is a moderated discussion group in which a bunch of well known, dedicated gamers discuss and debate different games and topics regarding games. In this particular article, they discuss Trick Taking Games.

Posted by David Fair on May 1, 2006 at 03:26 PM in Special Features > Musings on... - Comments (1) - Link

Musings on… Hybrid Games (#32)

Edited By David Fair
April 26, 2006

Posted by Rick Thornquist on April 26, 2006 at 08:00 PM in Special Features > Musings on... - Comments (1) - Link

Musings on… Micheal Schacht (#33)

Edited By David Fair
April 4, 2006

Posted by David Fair on April 4, 2006 at 07:30 PM in Special Features > Musings on... - Comments (6) - Link

Musings on… Amun-Re (#32)

Edited By David Fair
March 24, 2006

Posted by Rick Thornquist on March 24, 2006 at 08:00 PM in Special Features > Musings on... - Comments (6) - Link

Musings on… Sports Games (#31)

Edited By David Fair
March 20, 2006

Posted by Rick Thornquist on March 20, 2006 at 05:00 PM in Special Features > Musings on... - Comments (0) - Link

Musings on… 2005 Games Played (#30)

Edited By David Fair
March 2, 2006

Every year, Mark Jackson compiles list after list of gamers annual games played more than 5 of 10 times (affectionately known as Five and Dime lists). This year, you can see the lists and the analysis, as well as read more about the process, by seeing the Five & Dime: 2005 Recap.

Posted by Rick Thornquist on March 2, 2006 at 07:31 PM in Special Features > Musings on... - Comments (0) - Link

Musings on… Blue Moon (#29)

Edited By David Fair
February 26, 2006

Jason Little:

I’m fiercely ambivalent about Blue Moon… I’ve got about 15-20 total plays with all but the Aqua and Pillar decks, and I’m just left… unfulfilled? I was deep into MtG, and just about every other CCG that was printed within MtG’s first 6-8 years, but finally kicked the habit a few years ago. So I’ll admit that I was tantalized by the prospect of a light, “safe�? CCG replacement.

It was a fun diversion at first, as we learned the various themes and play styles of the decks. But that wore off very, very quickly. Ultimately Blue Moon doesn’t actually fill the need I had hoped it would. Not that it’s a bad game, it’s just not the game I was hoping it might be.

Another difficulty in evaluating Blue Moon is… what exactly do you evaluate? Just the core box set and the two decks that come with it? The entire series of pre-built decks? With or without Emissaries? Based on deck construction? What exactly is the core of the Blue Moon game, in terms you would relate to an interested new player?

Posted by Rick Thornquist on February 26, 2006 at 11:28 PM in Special Features > Musings on... - Comments (1) - Link

Musings on… Acquire and Union Pacific (#28)

Edited By David Fair
February 25, 2006

Larry Levy:

The idea that Union Pacific is a direct descendant of Acquire has been around for some time. In fact, it was originally said of UP’s predecessor, Airlines. But the idea has been pretty widespread since the game’s appearance back in 1990. As a matter of fact, it had become such common wisdom that when I did research on Airlines before buying it back in the late nineties, I found mention of this “fact�? in three of the reviews of Moon’s game. I’m aware that Moon himself has freely admitted that Acquire was an inspiration for his game (although it’s been a while since he’s mentioned this-- maybe he regrets the impression it’s given). However, no game is created in a vacuum and probably every new game can be said to be “based�? upon one or more existing games. To me, the important thing in comparing games is not the starting point, but the end product--that is, do two games have a similar play and feel. And to me, Union Pacific doesn’t play or feel anything like Acquire.

Posted by Rick Thornquist on February 25, 2006 at 09:45 PM in Special Features > Musings on... - Comments (0) - Link

Musings on… Kibitzing (#27)

Edited By David Fair
February 24, 2006

Tom Vasel:

Just how much is acceptable as far as trying to steer play in a group? For example, revealing hidden but trackable information that could influence other players’ decisions...a 5-player Tower of Babel game (where most disks can be built due to an abundance of cards) and someone attempts to build a white “6�?...Is it OK to say, “That will be his third disk, we all have to include our trade cards to try and keep him from getting it�?? Or in a game of Mare Nostrum, pointing out how a particular trading choice would allow Egypt to get an extra tax card whereas another choice will deny it to them.

Posted by Rick Thornquist on February 24, 2006 at 07:45 PM in Special Features > Musings on... - Comments (1) - Link

Musings on… For Sale (#26)

Edited By David Fair
February 1, 2006

Ted Cheatham:

I will start this one. It seems we all have a tendency to like what we saw first. Like music....I like Dobie Gray’s version of “Drift Away�? much more than the new version. But, when I said to my kids, “hey, you guys need to hear the original!�?, they were not nearly as impressed. And, this has happened on several songs. So, I am hoping my comments are not just the same on board games. I always hear people saying “I really prefer the original�?. Anyway, back to the task at hand. Pure and simple, I think the bidding system of “meet the prior bid�? is much better in the original version. People tend to stay in longer and the game of “chicken�? has many more players involved and the tension is higher. It is only two to stay in with the old version but, three to stay in with the new. As that accelerates, it becomes and easier decision for a person that is 4 players away. In the old game, a lot more people stay in.

Also, the addition of the 6th player has made the span of cards much farther apart making for much wider swings in scoring.

Posted by Rick Thornquist on February 1, 2006 at 07:40 PM in Special Features > Musings on... - Comments (1) - Link

Musings on… BoardGameGeek (#25)

Moderated By Tom Vasel
Edited By David Fair
January 19, 2006

A note to readers: This topic really came about as 4 separate questions, and most participants in the forum had something to say about each one. Instead of listing responses by individual, I have grouped them in with the sub-topics. I hope this makes each of those topics easier to follow.

Also, there have been some recent, major, changes at BoardGameGeek, and this discussion took place before that happened, and concluded just as those changes were in their first stages. Still, much of what is said here is still quite relevant.

Posted by Rick Thornquist on January 19, 2006 at 09:20 PM in Special Features > Musings on... - Comments (6) - Link

Musings on… Age of Steam (#24)

Moderated By Tom Vasel
December 19, 2005

- Tom Vasel

Posted by Rick Thornquist on December 19, 2005 at 07:54 PM in Special Features > Musings on... - Comments (0) - Link

Musings on… Conventions and Choice (#23)

Moderated By Tom Vasel
November 29, 2005

Anyway, I hope you enjoy your read - and look for many more of these in the future!

- Tom Vasel

Posted by Tom Vasel on December 8, 2005 at 02:30 AM in Special Features > Musings on... - Comments (4) - Link

Musings on…Citadels (# 22)

Moderated By Tom Vasel
November 29, 2005

Welcome to the new home of “Musings On...” at Board Game News!!

BGN is the perfect home for Musings On..., which is a moderated discussion group in which a bunch of well known, dedicated gamers discuss and debate different games and topics regarding games. In this particular article, we discuss Citadels, a game designed by Bruno Faidutti and published by Fantasy Flight Games.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy your read - and look for many more of these in the future!

- Tom Vasel

Posted by Tom Vasel on November 29, 2005 at 03:38 AM in Special Features > Musings on... - Comments (0) - Link

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