Greg Schloesser

The collected columns of Greg Schloesser, former Friday regular and current columnist at large. Greg frequently contributes game reviews to BGN. Here's what Greg has to say about himself:

Greg Schloesser is a prolific reviewer of games, with his articles and reviews appearing in numerous publications and websites, including Counter, Games International, Knucklebones, Gamers Alliance Report, Strategy & Tactics, Moves, The Game Table Online, Games Journal, Games Quarterly and many others.

Greg is a committee member and current president of the International Gamers Awards, a set of awards established to recognize outstanding games in several categories. He was also the force behind the Westbank Gamers, a weekly gaming group that met at his home in the bayous of New Orleans, Louisiana for ten years. He built and maintained the Westbank Gamers webpage, which is one of the most popular gaming club websites in our hobby. He moved to East Tennessee in mid-2005, and organized the thriving East Tennessee Gamers group, which meets every week. He now builds and maintains the group's website: EastTennesseeGamers.com.

Greg has been a gaming enthusiast his entire life, growing up in our hobby mainly on the war game side. His foray onto the internet exposed him to the wonderful world of German and European games and now nearly all of his gaming time is devoted to this area of our hobby. He travels to several gaming conventions each year and is the co-founder of Gulf Games, a regional gaming get-together held in the Southern USA.

Greg was born in 1961 and has lived his entire life in New Orleans until June 2005, when he moved to East Tennessee. He is married and has one daughter.

Greg lives in Talbott, Tennessee in the United States.

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Headlines August 15, 2007 - Finalists Announced for 2007 International Gamers Awards April 9, 2007 - Greg Schloesser: Thoughts on the 2007 Gathering of Friends November 12, 2006 - Knucklebones:  A Noble and Outstanding Endeavor August 20, 2006 - Greg J. Schloesser:  Old Gamers Tales July 14, 2006 - Greg J. Schloesser: Hooray for Mattel! June 30, 2006 - Greg J. Schloesser:  The Other Side of the Box June 23, 2006 - Greg J. Schloesser:  Back in the Big Easy June 9, 2006 - Greg J. Schloesser:  Memorial Day and Quick Overviews June 2, 2006 - Greg J. Schloesser:  Camping May 26, 2006 - Greg J. Schloesser:  Something to Remember May 22, 2006 - Greg J. Schloesser:  Reaching Out May 9, 2006 - Greg J. Schloesser:  What it is all About - Redux

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Articles

Finalists Announced for 2007 International Gamers Awards

I’ve had the great pleasure and honor of being associated with the International Gamers Awards since its inception back in 1999.  The awards were created to recognize outstanding games and designers, as well as the companies that publish them.  At the time, we perceived some problems with the major awards that existed.  No doubt, the most recognized award for European-style games was the Spiel des Jahres.  That group does an outstanding job of promoting games that are suitable for typical German families.  However, they generally only consider games released in Germany or nearby countries, and “gamers” games generally have little chance of winning, particularly since the composition of the jury changed drastically a few years ago.  Further, in order to be eligible, a game must have wide distribution, which eliminates many fine games from consideration.  Further, the jury is comprised solely of individuals from Germany. 

A group of us felt there was room for a set of awards that were truly international in scope, with committee members representing countries throughout the world.  Thus, the International Gamers Awards were established.  It is our belief that these awards will truly select the “best of the best”, and our hope is that they will come to be respected by not only hobbyists, but the general public at large.  We hope that this will lead to greater exposure for these wonderful games to more and more people and help spread the word of the “wonderful world of gaming” on a global scale.

The IGA has just announced the list of Finalists for the 2007 awards.  I am VERY pleased with this list and am happy to say that, in the multi-player category, eight of the games were actually on my voting list!  The only two games on my list that didn’t make the list of finalists were On the Underground and Khronos.  Still, I’m happy with the list of finalists as they are all truly outstanding designs. Here is the list of Finalists for the 2007 IGA:

General Strategy Games - multi-player category

• Age of Empires III, by Glenn Drover (Tropical Games
• Canal Mania, by Steve & Phil Kendall (Ragnar Brothers
• Colosseum, by Wolfgang Kramer & Markus Lübke (Days of Wonder
• Die Baumeister von Arkadia, by Rüdiger Dorn (Ravensburger & Rio Grande Games
• Die Säulen der Erde (Pillars of the Earth), by Michael Rieneck & Stefan Stadler (Kosmos & Mayfair Games)
• Factory Fun, by Corne von Moorsel (Cwali)
• Imperial, by Mac Gerdts (Eggertspiele & Rio Grande Games)
• Jenseits von Theben, by Peter Prinz (Queen Games)
• Notre Dame, by Stefan Feld (Alea & Rio Grande Games)
• Through the Ages, by Vladimir Chvatil (Czech Board Games)
• Yspahan, by Sebastien Pauchon (Ystari & Rio Grande Games)

General Strategy Games - two-player category

• Battle Lore, by Richard Borg (Days of Wonder)
• Combat Commander: Europe, by Chad Jensen (GMT Games)
• ConHex, by Michail Antonow (Clemens Gerhards)
• Medici vs. Strozzi, by Reiner Knizia (Kosmos & Rio Grande Games)
• Mr. Jack, by Bruno Cathala & Ludovic Maublanc (Hurrican Games, Asmodée Editions & Neuroludic)

You can visit the International Gamers Awards website for descriptions of the games, information on the judges, and the history of the award.

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Greg Schloesser: Thoughts on the 2007 Gathering of Friends

I once again had the great pleasure of attending Alan Moon’s Gathering of Friends in Columbus, Ohio.  While I couldn’t attend all ten days of the event, the five days we spent there were once again filled with fun, games and friendship.  This was my 10th event, and was made even more special for me by the attendance of my wife Gail, a first-timer.  She was quite apprehensive about attending, fearing that she would feel overwhelmed and perhaps left out.  She need not have worried, as everyone made her feel extremely welcome.  She is now looking forward to attending again next year!

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Knucklebones:  A Noble and Outstanding Endeavor

I remember when I discovered Games Magazine.  I was enthralled!  After all, with a name like ”Games”, it had to concentrate on board games ... right?  Well, it didn’t take long for me to discover that the magazine concentrated more on puzzles rather than the type of games I really enjoyed.  Oh, there would be the occassional review or article, and the Games 100 list was always delightful.  However, the main focus of the magazine was puzzles.  The magazine certainly did this well and had some devilishly clever puzzles, but that wasn’t my love or passion.  I wanted information on board games. 

Over the past several years, John & Robin McCallion have expanded the boardgame section of the magazine a bit, and have concentrated more on European style games, which is a good thing.  Still, however, board games are a small part of the magazine’s overall content.  There really wasn’t a magazine out there that concentrated on board games AND was aimed at the general public.  Until now.

Knucklebones magazine came along just over a year ago.  The focus of the magazine was to discuss all types of games, primarily board and card games.  Well, that’s been done.  After all, we have Counter magazine, which is a fantastic magazine for gamers.  We’ve had numerous other magazines that performed this task admirably.  However, they have all been aimed primarily at the converted—gamers.  There really wasn’t a professional board and card game magazine that targeted the general public.  Now, we have that magazine, and in my opinion, it performs that task extremely well.

I must admit that I am distressed at folks on various internet forums who are displeased with the magazine and are taking shots at it.  What do they expect from it?  If they wanted in depth reviews and articles on “gamers” games and various game strategies, then they should turn their attention to magazines or forums that concentrate on such subjects.  In that vein, I would heartily recommend Counter magazine and the various forums on Boardgame Geek.  If they want the latest news on upcoming releases and what is happening in the board game industry, they should faithfully read Boardgame News.  But we are gamers, and such things are generally beyond the interest or even knowledge of the average person who may only play games occassionally.  That is the target audience for Knucklebones. 

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Old Gamers Tales

We’ve all heard such bits of advice as:

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.�

“It is bad luck to open an umbrella indoors.�

“It is bad luck to break a mirror.�

“If you blow out all of the candles on your first puff, you will get your wish.�

There are literally hundreds – if not thousands – of such sayings, which are commonly known as “old wives talesâ€?.  Some of them may have a grain of truth hidden somewhere deep in the past, but most likely arose from some illogical connection made by a superstitious individual.  Still, the sayings persist to this day, and even have their adherents.

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Greg J. Schloesser: Hooray for Mattel!

A few years ago, my Westbank Gamers group had the pleasure of play-testing several games that were under development by Mattel, the American toy and game giant.  The designer of these games was my friend and Mattel employee Brian Yu.  Brian has several game designs to his credit, all of them being games aimed at the mass market.  Most of these were movie or television show tie-ins, including Batman, Sponge Bob Square Pants, and Lemony Snicket. 

The interesting part of this story is that the games we play-tested were decidedly “Europeanâ€? in nature.  It seems Brian had been urging Mattel to produce games that offered a bit more in terms of choices, decisions and strategies.  He helped expose other Mattel designers to European-style games, and their collective efforts seem to have finally born fruit.  After several years of development, Mattel has finally released two of Brian’s designs:  Voltage and Desert Bazaar.

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Greg J. Schloesser:  The Other Side of the Box

Everyone tends to enjoy having their opinions validated by others.  It feels good when others think the same way about a subject as you.  It’s that “seeing eye to eye” feeling.

When writing reviews, I also enjoy hearing from folks who agree with my opinion.  However, that isn’t always the case.  There is always someone who thoroughly enjoys a game I feel is lacking, and times when I feel a game is loads of fun and some feel it is duller than 10-year old varnish.  That is to be expected.  Indeed, I even enjoy hearing contrary opinions when they are well developed and substantiated. 

Every now and then, however, I develop an opinion of a game that seems to be contrary to just about everyone in the gaming community.  Sometimes I’m on the “fan-boy” side of the audience, while other times I tend to be the lone naysayer.  Trust me, these are not positions I endeavor to stake-out, as it often results in some bruised feelings and strong outbursts.  But, such is the risk of writing reviews and commentary on public forums.

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Back in the Big Easy

Sorry for my conspicuous absence last week, but my wife and I traveled back to the Big Easy—New Orleans—to visit with family and friends over the Father’s Day weekend. I was hoping to send my entry from there, but as fate would have it, their internet connection was slower than the FEMA response to Hurricane Katrina. And, truth-be-told, I really, really enjoyed just visiting with everyone, and didn’t try to take the hours that would be necessary to prepare the entry and rot while trying to upload everything. Your forgiveness is humbly requested.

I had another topic in mind, but my visit to the Crescent City is still fresh, so I wanted to pass along some thoughts—some game-related, while others are most decidedly not.

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Memorial Day and Quick Overviews

Over the Memorial Day weekend, we had the great pleasure of visiting our good friends in the Cincinnati area in what became known as the first Queens City Confluence.  We had a great time visiting, socializing and gaming with Dale & Tracy Yu, Scott & Cheryl Tullis, John Palagyi, Valerie & Tyler Putman, Craig & Kim Berg, Warren & Sharon Madden and a gathering of some of the local Cincinnatti gaming clan.  We had a super time with some super folks.

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Camping

I’ll be out this weekend, enjoying a camp out with our church Outdoors group.  I’ll be making a post later in the week concerning our Memorial Day weekend get-together in Cincinnatti, including some thoughts on the new games I had the opportunity to play. 

Sneak preview

“New” Games I enjoyed:  Combo King, Mykerinos

Games I didn’t enjoy:  Double or Nothing, Fuddy Duddy

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Something to Remember

Memorial Day seems to be one of those holidays that people take advantage of, but rarely really consider its purpose or true meaning.  Memorial Day was officially established shortly after the U.S. Civil War to pay respects to those who had fallen during the course of service to our country.  Usually this means military personnel, but it can also be civilians.  Anyone who has died during service to our country is to be honored. 

Like most Americans, I tend to use this holiday as a chance to take a break from work, perhaps take a small vacation, or maybe just relax around the house.  Sadly, I often forget to bow my head and give thanks for those who have died protecting and serving our country.  For all its faults, our country is still a great place to live.  I have the freedom to travel where and when I want.  I have the freedom to choose my profession.  I have the freedom to basically do just about anything I desire within the confines and restrictions of a civilized society.  A LOT of people have died to establish these freedoms and make sure they are maintained.  They didn’t know me and I didn’t know them.  But, they put their life on the line for me and everyone else who lives here.  The very least I can do is to take a few minutes once a year to bow my head and give thanks for their sacrifice.

This Memorial Day weekend, Gail and I are headed north to Cincinnati for a mini-gathering of gaming friends.  The weekend is being hosted by the families of Dale Yu, Scott Tullis and John Palagyi.  Traveling to Cinci will be Tyler & Valerie Putman, Warren & Sharon Madden, Craig Berg & family, and the Schloessers.  We will eat, sight-see, laugh and, of course, play some games.  It should be a wonderful weekend of merriment, joy and friendship.  During the weekend, however, I’m going to make sure we all take a minute to remember that oppotunities to gather like this without fear of danger or injury are possible due to the sacrifices of thousands upon thousands of people, both past and present.  That is something none of us should forget.

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Reaching Out

Anyone who has known me for any length of time knows that one of my game related goals – and some would say obsessions – is to introduce others to the joys of gaming.  My motives for this are numerous, including wanting to see the hobby grow, and wanting to see others enjoy the same degree of pleasure that I derive from gaming.  My main motive, however, is the firm belief that gaming helps improve friendships and family bonds, and is a great way to spend quality time with folks.

Sometimes I get wrapped-up in the status quo, and fail to reach out and proselytize in support of the gaming hobby.  It is too easy to simply go to the same gaming sessions and events, and not make an effort to either invite others to attend, or host other gaming functions for folks who aren’t already “gamersâ€?.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that this is one of my goals, and strive to reach out.

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Greg J. Schloesser:  What it is all About - Redux

We game for a lot of reasons, and these reasons can vary from person to person.  Many folks game for the mental stimulation provided, while others enjoy giving their brain a rest from mentally taxing jobs or endeavors.  Some game to test their skills against astute opponents, while others enjoy socializing and cutting-up with their fellow gamers.  There are likely numerous other reasons, and most of us probably game for a combination of these reasons. 

One of the potential benefits of gaming is the development of great friendships.  I have been truly blessed by having met hundreds and perhaps thousands of folks through my involvement in the gaming hobby.  I’ve come to know some of them quite well, and have developed close friendships with dozens and dozens of folks.  Some of the best times I have are spent with these close friends.

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Greg J. Schloesser:  The inevitable and inescapable Gathering report

Yes, you’ve already been inundated with an avalanche of “Gathering of Friendsâ€? reports.  You’ve probably already read in-depth dissections of the latest games, learning which ones are destined for greatness and which ones will soon be forgotten.  Well, get ready for one more.  Sorry about that.

Before I give my brief synopsis of the “newâ€? games I played, let me once again extend my thanks to Alan Moon for hosting another fantastic event.  While the games were fantastic, the highlight was once again spending time with some truly wonderful folks.  I spent quite a bit of time socializing, enjoying dinner and lunch excursions, playing basketball, and just plain chatting with good people.  I renewed old friendships, and met many people for the first time.  Sadly, with over 300 people in attendance, I didn’t have the chance to spend time with everyone, or meet all of the new folks in attendance.  That is the biggest downer for me:  not getting to spend time with everyone.

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Quick overview

Since I’ll be at the Gathering most of this week, I won’t be submitting a mind-bending, gut-wrenching article.  Then again, do I ever?  :o)

Instead, I’ll give a quick overview of some of the new games I’ve played recently.  I hope to add to this list at the Gathering!

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Too Much Gaming - Part Deux

Two weeks ago, I wrote an article wherein I expressed my belief that folks can spend TOO much time focused on one hobby or aspect in their life.  In our case, I’m more specifically talking about gaming, so will concentrate my responses and diatribes on this aspect.  However, much of what I say could easily apply to other aspects of one’s life, be they good or bad. 

As I mentioned in my last article, I honestly believe that it is quite possible to become obsessed with gaming, letting it dominate your time and thoughts.  I postulate that this is NOT a good thing, as it takes away valuable time from other equally, and perhaps more important aspects of one’s life.  It narrows one’s focus, and limits one’s life.  In my opinion, proper balance must be struck amongst the many aspects one one’s life, including family, friends, church, hobbies, etc. 

I realized that when I wrote the article I was risking offending some folks.  My intention was not to do this, but rather raise a topic that I felt was not being discussed in a formal manner.  I honestly feel that this is a potentially big problem, and could lead to serious trouble within marriages and in people’s personal lives.  I’m writing from some experience, here, as I feel I was dangerously close to teetering over the edge between hobby and obsession, perhaps to the detriment of my marriage and a well-rounded existence. 

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Too Much Gaming

Gaming is a wonderful hobby, as it brings folks together to enjoy fun times, interesting challenges, light (perhaps sometimes fierce!) competition, and, most importantly for me, each other’s company.  I cannot imagine my life without gaming playing a significant role.  It brings such joy to me, and some of my best memories with friends revolve around the gaming table.

However, one must be careful.  Like many other things in life, gaming can become an obsession, sometimes to the detriment of family, health and other important activities.  It can easily begin to dominate one’s time, and soon one is devoting dozens of hours per week not only gaming, but pursuing other game-related activities.  How much time do you spend reading game-related forums on the internet?  How much time to you spend writing session reports, reviews, articles, or commentary?  How much time do you spend playing online computer games?  Unless your spouse is an active participant, all of this time is spent AWAY from him or her.  Over the long-run, this can lead to trouble in the marriage, and take away time from other important activities.

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Greg J. Schloesser:  New to me

Sorry for my absence last week.  I had just returned from Gulf Games and had to catch-up on a week’s worth of work.  I’ve finally uncovered myself from the mountain of phone calls and paper work, so its time to start re-focusing on games!

Gulf Games was once again AWESOME.  They are all spectacular (we’ve held 17 so far!), and it has become virtually impossible to say which one has been the best.  The most recent one usually wins the contest, as it is freshest in my mind!  I will say that I really, really needed this one.  2005 and the early part of 2006 has been extremely busy, chaotic and emotional for me.  Not only did we move—twice—from our life-long home in New Orleans, but less than three months later Hurricane Katrina devastated our home town and much of the Gulf Coast.  Our families and business is still located in New Orleans, causing much emotional trauma for us.  Since I am an insurance agent / broker, you can only imagine how busy we have been dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane.  Every day was non-stop busy talking with clients, adjustors and insurance companies.  Plus, we had the persistent worries concerning the future of our business.  We feared that many people and insurance companies would depart the area, causing irrepairable harm to our business and livelihood.  We received a lot of emotional support from family, friends, and our faith.  Prayers were answered, as our business has actually been thriving.  There is much to be done in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, but like the legendary Phoenix, they will rise again.

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Greg J. Schloesser: Gulf Gaming

A short column this week, as after waiting since late July 2005, Gulf Games 17 has finally arrived!  Gulf Games began back in early 1998, with Ty Douds, Ted Cheatham and me, along with our families, getting together in Navarre Beach, Florida for a “get to know each otherâ€? weekend.  We played games, swam (and for Ty’s wife Shay, this was unintentional!), shared dinner, and had a GREAT time socializing with each other.  It was SO much fun, we decided to do it again in the Fall and invite some other gaming buddies to join in the merriment.  Gulf Games was born.

Now, eight years later, we have expanded our circle of friends to over 75 families.  We meet twice a year for the same purposes as that original get-together:  to enjoy good friendship, socializing and gaming.  The folks who are part of Gulf Games have become wonderful friends, and a second family.  Ask anyone who attends and they will tell you that this truly is a “familyâ€?.  The friendships that have been forged are truly wonderful.

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Public or Private?

For ten years, the Westbank Gamers met at my home in the suburbs of New Orleans.  My game room was ample size, and my collection of 800 or so games provided a wide variety of titles from which to choose.  It was convenient not only for me, but for just about everyone in the group.  We never had to worry about having a place to meet, or being subject to someone else’s schedule or opening hours.

As I prepared for our move to East Tennessee, one of the major items on my agenda was the formation of a gaming group that would meet on a regular basis, preferably weekly.  I realized that my home would be a bit remote for most of the gamers who resided in the East Tennessee area, so I was prepared to reduce our meetings to every-other week.  I still wanted to host the group, not only for the same reasons I mentioned above, but also because I really enjoy playing the role of host.  Fortunately, Kevin & Rhonda Bender stepped forward and offered to host the group every-other week, so we immediately jumped into a weekly schedule.  It has worked out incredibly well.

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Payoff

Sometimes in life, you don’t get to see the fruits of your labors.  You plant seeds, others may water, and the efforts come to fruition long after you have left the scene.  This often leaves one wondering whether one’s efforts had any impact. 

Other times, however, you have the pleasure of seeing your efforts pay off.  Such an experience is always gratifying, and an all-too-rare treat.

Lately, I’ve been experiencing a lot of “payoffsâ€?. 

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Collections

Ever collect anything?  Stamps, coins, baseball cards, arrowheads, etc.?  I think at some point, most folks do collect something.  My mom collected decorative Avon bottles.  My dad collected doubloons.  No, not Spanish coins, but rather those round coins that are thrown from floats during Mardi Gras parades.  Quite a collection, too, including some of the very first ones ever minted and tossed.

I went through various “collection” stages:  football & baseball cards, stamps, and even those “Wacky Packages” stickers.  Remember those?  I was so enamored by these humorous “doctored” packages, that I would create my own.  Ahh, the hours of fun I had ... and the amount of bubble gum I chewed.  You see, each pack came packaged with a stick of sugary-sweet bubble gum included!

Once I really got into games, I began building my collection.  First, I purchased just about anything.  Now, however, I’m quite a bit more discerning, and am actually trying to reduce the number of games I own from its present level of 800 or so.  The main reason is space, and the realization that I honestly don’t need or want that many games.  I just can’t play them all with any degree of frequency.  So, I’ve been selling games at an increasing pace.  Of course, I’m still adding new ones, too, so my collection has remained fairly constant for awhile.

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Evangelizing at Church

No, this isn’t an article on spreading one’s faith.  Yes, it does releate to “spreading the word”, but the “word” here is quite different.  Here, I’m talking about spreading the word of gaming ... at church!  Let me explain ...

When we moved to East Tennessee last summer, we immediately began searching for a new church home.  This search was delayed a bit by moving twice in two months, and by the arrival of Hurricane Katrina.  But, after visiting numerous area churches, we found a home at Emmanuel Baptist Church.  It wasn’t long before a few key folks learned of my passion for board games.  I guess having the East Tennessee Gamers and International Gamers Awards websites listed below my name on all of my e-mails didn’t hurt!  Several people asked me about this before church services, and eventually the Minister of Church Activities asked me if I would be interested in hosting a church-wide game night.  Interested?  Of course!!

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Greg J. Schloesser:  A Good Start

While the pace at work might be swiftly killing me, at least I’m off to a great start gaming-wise for 2006!  And believe me, with all of the stress related to hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, I relish the opportunities to get away from all of those insurance-related issues to enjoy some games and fun times with great friends!

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Missed Opportunities

I’ve been in sales for practically all of my career – 21 years and counting.  From the get-go, I knew that I needed to properly market myself if I was to succeed.  I couldn’t just sit back or follow the same methods as everyone else.  Otherwise, I’d be just like everyone else.  And, in the insurance industry, it is fairly well known that the vast majority of people do not succeed.  I didn’t want to be like them.  So, I worked hard to market myself … and it paid off.

I think, for the most part, game companies fail to market themselves properly.  They all seem to be falling into the same pattern and chasing the same dollar.  I’m not an industry “insiderâ€?, so I will readily confess that I don’t know all of the inner workings of publishing and marketing a game.  I do know, however, that it seems most games fall into the same distribution channels and fail to find new markets. 

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Debunking the Naysayers

And they said it couldn’t be done.  When we were contemplating our move to the mountains and hills of East Tennessee, forming a gaming group—or getting involved in an existing one—was a top priority.  Gaming is such a large part of my life, that I couldn’t imagine not having a weekly group with which to play.  I received several e-mails and commentaries from folks stating that I would have an extremely difficult time organizing a game group in this rural part of Tennessee.  The warnings claimed that distances were too great, and there simply weren’t enough people in the area who would be interested in gaming on a regular basis. 

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Supporting the Hobby

One often hears comments from folks who have reached an advanced age, or from those who have derived considerable enjoyment from a particular aspect of life, that it is time to ”give something back”.  They could be talking about a business, a hobby, a church, or perhaps even just life in general.  It seems at some point many folks come to realize just how much this particular aspect of their life has meant to them, and how it has enriched their lives.  They begin to develop the feeling of an obligation to “repay”, if you will, that entity for all of the years of enjoyment and enrichment it has provided. 

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Way Down Yonder in New Orleans

For the first time since the arrival of Hurricane Katrina, we have returned to the city of New Orleans, the birthplace of my entire family.  We will be spending the Christmas holidays here, visiting family and friends, and celebrating this most joyous time of year with loved ones.  Our last visit here was in late July for Gulf Games, and three weeks later the city and area was devastated by that dreadful hurricane.

While I was excited to visit with family and friends, I was also apprehensive about what I would see.  I knew it would be sad to see the devastation, and I tried to steel myself for its impact on me.  I had seen thousands of photos and videos of the destruction, and that truly helped me.  I think I was expecting worse ... if that is possible.  In my mind, I pictured an area without any standing trees, neighborhoods without any homes standing, and filth and trash piled dozens of feet high in the streets.  I was preparing myself emotionally for utter devastation.

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Greg J. Schloesser:  Who Are You?

Sing with me now:  “Who Are You?  Who, who, who, who?â€?

Ever wonder who the person is behind the name you read as the author of a review or an article?  I’m not necessarily speaking about folks who use pseudonyms, although the same questions I pose here certainly apply to these anonymous scribes, too.  Rather, I am actually speaking of ANY person who writes a review, article, or commentary.  Primarily, however, I am more concerned with the folks who write reviews.  Just who are they?

When I ask the question “Who are You?â€?, I don’t want just a name.  I’d like a little background, please.  How long have you been playing games of the type you are reviewing?  Having a background filled with games such as Monopoly, Sorry or even Risk doesn’t necessarily give one a broad-enough background to proudly proclaim Twilight Imperium 3 or Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot the “best game everâ€?.  Now, they could well be the pinnacle of gaming, but such judgments are, after all, pointedly subjective.  Methinks one would need quite an impressive résumé of gaming experience before being able to render such pronouncements … and even then they most certainly would have to be taken with the proverbial “grain of saltâ€?.

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Greg J. Schloesser:  My Dear Watsons

Our secret is out. For 7 years, we’ve managed to keep them practically hidden from the gaming community at large. We were selfish and kept them all to ourselves. This dynamic duo worked their magic at the past 15 Gulf Games, creating an atmosphere filled with fantastic decorations, keen attention to minute details, and superb extras and niceties. Our get-togethers became FAR more than just a group of folks gathered to play games. The atmosphere was always magical, and folks couldn’t wait to arrive and be awed by the incredible decorations and theme of each event.

Two people are primarily responsible for creating such magic: Tim and Vickie Watson. These two folks were not known much within gaming circles, as they don’t maintain a strong online presence. Further, save for Gulf Games, they weren’t regulars at gaming get-togethers or conventions. They were our little treasures ... our little secret. Gulf Games just wouldn’t be the same without their special touches.

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Greg J. Schloesser: What it is All About

Why do I play games?  As much as I enjoy writing reviews, session reports, commentaries, and the like, that is NOT the reason I play games.  I play to enjoy the company of good friends, all gathered around the table with a game as the centerpiece.  Sometimes I enjoy the challenge of cleverly piecing together moves or actions to yield an impressive result.  Other times I have fun delicately balancing a block on a precariously leaning platter.  Still other times I enjoy flicking a cube off of a wooden boat, attempting to have it land inside an impossibly small square located on the fringes of the board. 

But as fun as these aspects of gaming are to me, it doesn’t hold a candle to the sheer joy I experience by spending time with great friends.  It is the laughing, the joking, the sharing, and even the sometimes serious conversations that stick in my memory and make the experience something to treasure.  Sure, I remember the games, too, and can often recall situations which occur with great fondness or glee.  But it is the people and the good times we shared that I vividly recall.

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