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Thought about games
Nov. 28th, 2006 12:31 pmIn a recent entry at ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ohiblather, there was some excellent discussion about board games, and I was prompted to comment about what I like in a game. I thought it deserved further thought and exposition, so here it is.
I'm competitive by nature. I like to win; when I play a game, the enjoyment of the actual play is magnified if I win, and, yes, somewhat diminished if I lose. How diminished depends on lots of things; if I think I had a chance to win, but blew it, I'm hard on myself. Vice versa, I appreciate good play by a skilled opponent, and losing to someone who does something exceptional makes it easier to accept.
On the other hand, the majority of the joy in a game comes from (a) the actual play of the game and (b) the social interaction it generates. If there's a game going on without any scoring system, I can enjoy it just fine.
My favorite games of all time share some specific characteristics. They're all the sort in which skill will win out in the long run, but in which there is an element of randomness or luck, so that the lesser-skilled player can win occasionally (or more, depending on how close the skill levels are). It's why I really don't like chess or Othello; there's absolutely no luck involved, and a player with a spectacular memory has an overwhelming advantage. I reserve judgment on Go; it's also a pure strategy game, but one in which there's such extraordinary complexity that the memory advantage may be mitigated. (I've never played it, despite knowing the basics.) Cathedral is a pure strategy game I enjoy, but would probably walk away from for the ones listed below.
Given that, you can imagine which games I prefer: bridge and other card games (spades, hearts, euchre, and pinochle); backgammon; Scrabble (though I strongly prefer to play with only two players, rather than three or four); Cosmic Encounter. Monopoly, Risk, Careers, and a bunch of other classics are okay, though they do take serious time. I enjoy but am not very good at Encore; I need a better index to lyrics and search engine in my head.
Games I need to learn include Go (as noted), Apples to Apples (I hear excellent things about this game), and mah jongg. It'll help if I ever have time and opportunity to socialize with adults again, I think. Until then, there's always Sid Meier's Civilization :-)
ohiblather, there was some excellent discussion about board games, and I was prompted to comment about what I like in a game. I thought it deserved further thought and exposition, so here it is.I'm competitive by nature. I like to win; when I play a game, the enjoyment of the actual play is magnified if I win, and, yes, somewhat diminished if I lose. How diminished depends on lots of things; if I think I had a chance to win, but blew it, I'm hard on myself. Vice versa, I appreciate good play by a skilled opponent, and losing to someone who does something exceptional makes it easier to accept.
On the other hand, the majority of the joy in a game comes from (a) the actual play of the game and (b) the social interaction it generates. If there's a game going on without any scoring system, I can enjoy it just fine.
My favorite games of all time share some specific characteristics. They're all the sort in which skill will win out in the long run, but in which there is an element of randomness or luck, so that the lesser-skilled player can win occasionally (or more, depending on how close the skill levels are). It's why I really don't like chess or Othello; there's absolutely no luck involved, and a player with a spectacular memory has an overwhelming advantage. I reserve judgment on Go; it's also a pure strategy game, but one in which there's such extraordinary complexity that the memory advantage may be mitigated. (I've never played it, despite knowing the basics.) Cathedral is a pure strategy game I enjoy, but would probably walk away from for the ones listed below.
Given that, you can imagine which games I prefer: bridge and other card games (spades, hearts, euchre, and pinochle); backgammon; Scrabble (though I strongly prefer to play with only two players, rather than three or four); Cosmic Encounter. Monopoly, Risk, Careers, and a bunch of other classics are okay, though they do take serious time. I enjoy but am not very good at Encore; I need a better index to lyrics and search engine in my head.
Games I need to learn include Go (as noted), Apples to Apples (I hear excellent things about this game), and mah jongg. It'll help if I ever have time and opportunity to socialize with adults again, I think. Until then, there's always Sid Meier's Civilization :-)
