The Classic Misadventures in Gaming #1

By Dan Bosley
May 31, 2006 (Originally Posted on December 18, 2002)

I really enjoy playing games. It’s a passion of mine. I’m good at some games, and rotten at others, but I pretty much like all of them. I enjoy winning as much as the next person, but it’s the game-playing experience itself that is the real draw - I don’t have to win a game to enjoy it. Just getting together with friends to play some games is just something I really like to do. 

Which is why I’m very thankful I’m in a gaming group! I get to play many, many games, both new and old, with a bunch of great people, on a regular basis. And may I emphasize, with a bunch of great people who also WANT to play games! It’s simply very rewarding, and I look forward to each session eagerly.

And because I enjoy that experience so much, sometimes I try to share my passion. I try to play games with non-gamers...... I should know better.....

I’m in my mid-forties. And just about all of our non-gaming friends are of a similar age. These are people whose gaming experience consists of Monopoly, Scrabble, Poker, Oh Hell, Pictionary, and Trivial Pursuit. And that’s pretty well it.

In their minds, one only plays games:
a) with kids
b) when there’s betting and money involved
c) or it’s a party and a party game is involved

To play a game in any other situation is just about unthinkable. Why would someone want to do that? I must be weird or something....

And maybe I am. In my own little sphere of weirdness. But I’m not alone. I think just about everyone has their own “quirk.�

I have a friend who collects (empty) beer cans. And not just to get the refunds. He COLLECTS them. He currently has a collection of about 1500 cans. They are displayed on shelf after shelf after shelf in their family room. They come from all around the world. Each can is different - no two are the same. When you first walk into the room, your jaw drops. So many cans, all different colours and labels, from hundreds of different breweries. It’s really quite fascinating. It’s his hobby, and he really enjoys it.

Now - I have no interest whatsoever in collecting beer cans (other than for the refunds). Seeing his collection in no way triggers anything within me that would want to start my own beer can collection. I can certainly appreciate his collection for what it is. It’s taken him many, many years to get it to its current state. And he obviously derives great pleasure from his collection. But would it inspire me to get interested in collecting beer cans? No. I’m just not interested. The subject doesn’t appeal to me.

I believe the same type of thing is true with games. Let’s face it, gamers are a minority. The vast majority of people are not interested in games. Games are just not within their field of interest. They can see my collection and not be interested in playing any of them. Or else they might say, “Say, I don’t see Monopoly anywhere. How come you don’t have a copy of Monopoly? I wouldn’t mind playing Monopoly.â€?

Well, I do have a copy of Monopoly. (Isn’t it mandatory in every North American household?) But it’s downstairs on one of the basement shelves along with the party games. It’s not with the “German� games. So I’m a game snob.....

Or they might say “Boy, you have a lot of games. I bet they cost a lot of money.� But said in the tone of voice that means “Boy, what a waste of money.� Of course, they have a boat that they use only 4 weekends a year max...... I guess we all “waste� our money in our own ways. It all depends on your point of view.

Anyhow, amongst my non-gamer friends, I’m considered rather “odd� for my collection of games - as if there’s something more unusual about having a large collection of games than there is for having a large collection of comics, or Royal Doulton china, or stamps or whatever.

So - I understand that my non-gamer friends don’t share my passion for gaming. I don’t expect them to run out and buy a game - ever. They simply aren’t going to do so. But they like party games. And they like card games. And so - every once in awhile - I’ll try out a German game on them.

Sad....sad....sad....

We had 4 of our non-gaming friends over for dinner the other night. After dinner, I bring out TransAmerica. It has no lengthy rules to explain, it’s light, it’s fast, it requires not much thinking - how can they not like this game?

So I open up the box for the 6 of us (3 men, 3 women) to play a game of TransAmerica.

“Oh my, look at all those pieces. Is this going to be hard? It looks complicated. Are there lots of rules?�

“No,� I explain. “It’s quite easy. It’s cute, and it plays quickly.�

“The board is hard to read upside down. Can we turn it around?�

“But if you turn it around, it’ll be hard for me to read.�

Suddenly, my forty-year old friends have all turned five years old.

We get the board orientation settled.

“Oh look, there’s Medford. Remember dear, we were there a few years ago? That was a good holiday. We had a lot of fun on that vacation. We really ought to go there again. Although we just passed through, I think. I don’t think we actually stayed there. Did we? Do you remember? Maybe we just had dinner there? Wasn’t there that nice steakhouse on the main drag? Or am I thinking of another place? Was that the time you got sick? I remember, you didn’t feel very well after eating that big dessert. Oh no, that wasn’t at Medford, that was in Sacramento. Did we stay in Medford? Why do I remember it? We must have stayed there. Or maybe that was the other vacation? From a couple of years earlier. I bet it was. In fact I’m positive about it now. I just have to think for a minute.�

I interject while she pauses for breath. “So let me explain how we play....�

“Is this going to take long? Do you have Pictionary?�

“No,� I reply. “This won’t take long. This game is quite easy. And I do have Pictionary. And we could play Pictionary after this game if you like.�

“Pictionary’s a great game. It’s fun to play.�

“Yes,� I say, “Pictionary is fun. Would you rather play that instead?�

“Oh, don’t listen to her. I don’t like Pictionary. I’m no good at drawing. Let’s play this game. You said it’s good. So how do we play?�

“What’s wrong with Pictionary? You don’t have to be a good artist. You just have to be a good guesser. I haven’t played Pictionary in a long time. We should get our own copy of it. We have Monopoly at home, but we don’t have Pictionary.�

“Hey, I really like Monopoly. Maybe we could play that instead. I can’t remember the last time I played Monopoly. But that’s a really good game, and everyone already knows how to play!�

Well, I think to myself, isn’t this peachy?

“Monopoly takes too long. We have to be home by midnight. I’d rather play Monopoly next time, and start earlier. That’d be fun.�

“YES!� I agree. “Next time, next time, but not this time!�

“I think we did stay in Medford. I remember, it was a Motel 6 or a Motel 8 or something like that. The pool was pretty small, too, I think. The air conditioner was on the fritz, too. I remember that. First it was too hot, then it was too cold. You’d think a motel would get that kind of thing fixed right away. After all, if the customer’s not happy, they won’t go back.�

“Yes, but if you don’t remember which motel it was, or even if it was in Medford, then why should they fix it? There’s always a new victim coming down the highway.�

I try again. “Can I explain the rules?�

“Sure, what are you waiting for?�

“You see that the cities on the board are colour-coded. All the West Coast cities are green for instance, and all the East Coast cities are orange.�

“This looks pretty complicated. Why is there a train track in Canada?�

“That’s the score track. I’ll explain that in a minute,� I say.

“It’s pretty neat how this big board fits into the little box. That’s pretty clever, I say.�

“There’s sure lots of lines on this board. Is this like Connect 4? Connect 4’s a pretty hard game.�

I carry on. “I’m going to deal each of us 5 cards - one green city, one blue city, one yellow city, one red city, and one orange city. Keep these cards secret. Don’t let anyone else know what cities you have.� I deal out the cards.

“I can’t find this city. I don’t see it anywhere. It’s hard to read upside down. They should print the names of the cities in both directions, so it’d be easier to read no matter what side of the board you are sitting on.�

“There’s no dice in this game. How are we supposed to play a game without dice? Who goes first? This is pretty weird, playing a game with no dice.�

“I’m thirsty. Would you mind if I got myself another drink?�

“It was a Motel 6. I’m positive. It was the Motel 6 in Medford. We won’t stay there again.�

“We never stayed in a Motel 6 in Medford. I don’t think we’ve ever stayed in a Motel 6 ever.�

“No, I think you’re wrong. It was faulty air conditioning. We’re lucky we didn’t catch pneumonia. That’s all we would have needed on our vacation would be to get sick. Have you ever been sick on vacation before? :Let me tell you, it’s no fun. There you are, supposed to be having a good time, and instead you’re blowing your nose, and coughing, and you’ve got a headache, and the last thing you want to do is drive down the highway. No sir, we’re not going back to Medford. Say, why is Medford even on here? It’s not a big city like all the other cities on this map.�

“I don’t know,� I say. “The object of the game is to the first player to connect all 5 of your cities with these black railroad lines.�

“These are supposed to be railroads? These little wooden sticks?�

“Well, he says they are railroads, so I guess that’s what they are.�

“Thank you,� I say. “Each turn, you can place one or two railway lines. You can cover up two single lines, or you can cover up one double-line.�

“So you can only place one stick if you cover up a double-line? What if you want to cover more? I think you should be able to place them wherever you want.�

“Well.....you can’t� I say. “The double-line spaces are all either on the mountains or the rivers. Basically, it’s tougher to build a rail-line over the mountains or over a river, than it is to build a rail-line on plain ground. That’s why - “

“I have to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back....�

This exciting high-drama tale to be continued very soon, once I finish crying..... Tune in to the Terminal City Gamers webpage for the next suspense-filled chapter! 

Editor’s Note: Since the Terminal City Gamers website doesn’t exist anymore, we will be posting the next chapter on Boardgame News!

© 2006 Rick Thornquist

---

Comments:

You must register with BGN in order to comment. Registration is free!

No comments yet.

< Back Home