Bit by Bit, Board by Board, Card by Card

I had discussed in a previous post about taking time for crafting by reclaiming those spare chunks of time, and taking a bite or two out of a project. Especially if you have a family, you usually don’t have dedicated chunks of hours at a time to spend on hobby projects. But, this just means a project gets spread out a little longer, which means, for me anyways, more enjoyment in the project.

I like to craft and create. A lot. So even if it takes a while to complete a structure or game, or other project, it is still enjoyable. I would argue that this kind of activity is a stress reliever and relaxer. It is a nice way for me to wind down before the day ends.

Case in point: last night, my wife was working on some details of her home business she started up, so I sat down at my crafting table (actually just a folding table I set up when I am in the mood for crafting) and got to work.

First up was a project I have been slowly working on: a house for my HO layout.  Working in 1/87 scale can sometimes be a pain, but over all it is not to bad. The house is not done yet, but it is much closer. I need to roof it, add steps to the porch, add a chimney, finish any trim, and then paint and weather it. But, I am closer to completion than I was.

 

 

 

Another project I started work on was a micro game I am working on designing. I wrote out the rules and basic design while at work one day, and last night started on the first prototype. I still have some more cards to finish, but I am curious to see how this game turns out.

In essence, the premise is that you and the other players are surveyors, surveying the Northwest territory for expansion, shortly after the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition. It is a dice based worker placement game, and I am excited about how it will turn out.

 

Once I have refined it a little, and have gotten it made into computer files, I will be looking for playtesters…..hint hint! 🙂

So that’s my evening of crafting. What projects have you been working on?

Unplugged Gaming

I don’t think it is any stretch to say that we are a plugged in society, what with all out electronic gadgets, computers, phones, phones pretending to be computers, etc. Now this isn’t all bad, per se. But, I would argue, and I am sure most of us would agree, that there is value in  unplugged time. Instead of getting together with friends to play video games, or facebook chatting each other, why not do something more interactive, more face to face?

Image credit: “Goldy” (freedigitalphotos.net)

This is why I am a proponent of playing board games. The face to face time is valuable as you face off together, matching wits in a game. It provides a great avenue to laugh, chat, and discuss life’s most pressing issues.

Such was the case Tuesday night when I had the opportunity to get together with some good friends and play some games, and enjoy some time to discuss deep philosophical and theological questions together.

We played Harbour, which all seemed to enjoy. I did note that this game does take longer with 4 people. The last time I played 4, I thought it was just a fluke that it took over an hour to play. However, the game was a lot of fun, and was fairly close.

After Harbour, we played a game called Caylus . My one good friend brought this along and it was a lot of fun. This is definitely the quintessential worker-placement game. There was a lot going on here and I really enjoyed it. In essence, players are “working” for a king in France, building up his castle and the surrounding town, and so earning his favor. There is a lot to take in when learning it, but once you play through a round or two, it was really quite good, and fairly easy to understand, though there was plenty of deep strategizing going on. This is a game that requires and rewards planning ahead.

Times like these are so rewarding and valuable. This is why I believe gaming with friends and family is a big thing- a valuable activity to strengthen your relationships together.I certainly enjoyed myself, even if I didn’t get home until midnight and I had to get up in 5 hours after that for work.

How about you? Have any recent get together with friends? How do you like to unplug and enjoy your time with others? Comment below! And, make sure to subscribe! (There might be a contest coming soon….)

Saving Humanity, One Dice roll At a Time ( A Review of Infection Express)

Disease is not a pretty thing to think about. But at the same time, the abstract concept of it is intriguing and terrifying to us. The idea of criminals using modified viruses to attack the earth is a potential reality, to be sure, and the concept is a popular one in fiction books and movies. While it is certainly, by its nature, intense and uncomfortable, it also draws out attention in a somewhat morbid kind of way.

A popular board game as of late has also chosen this setting and theme to define it, and I am sure many of your are somewhat familiar with it: Pandemic .I had heard of this game for some time, and got a chance to play it with some friends a year ago or so, and man was it fun! Unlike other board games, this was a cooperative game, meaning it is you and your friends against the game. It is hard work as you work together to try and stop viruses and diseases from overtaking the world.

This review however, is not for that game. As much as I really enjoyed Pandemic, I knew that realistically, I wouldn’t get it played too much, other than 2 player sessions potentially. Who knows though, really. But, I did find an express version of Pandemic called Infection Express.

For those unfamiliar with “express” games, they are a newer trend in board gaming, similar to micro games. However, they tend to just be simplified versions of bigger games that typically use a lot of dice to simulate the feel of the “parent” game. For example, you could get Monopoly Express, Risk Express, Phase 10 Dice, etc. Basically, it is a popular game boiled down to a bunch of dice, and maybe a few cards and bits. Infection Express is a Print and Play game (as are many express games- usually unofficial versions of the big box games), but don’t let that scare you away. This little game has a lot to offer in its dice

OVERVIEW

 

In essence this game is a 2 player version of Pandemic. In Pandemic, you are trying to save the world. In Infection Express, the map is smaller- just the United States/European Union. (Depending on what map you choose to build.) The game is also designed to be played solo, so if you are into solitaire kind of games, this is also for you. (I played the solo version while sitting in a hospital waiting room. Quite the appropriate setting, don’t you think! 😉 )

In essence, you (and a friend) are part of a special disease fighting team. There are four strains of viruses threatening to engulf the population of the United States, and become a regional pandemic. You must zip around the country, stopping outbreaks of the disease from happening, treating the suffering population, and work on a cure. You win if you can successfully find a cure for all four diseases.

However, you lose if: there are four outbreaks of disease, or, the infection rate gets to high, or if you run out of disease pieces in one particular color. In other words, the odds are against you. Majorly. I’ve had the game beat us in just one turn before, and sometimes in just 2 rounds! If you do not like stress in a game, then I would advise you to step away, take a deep breath, and find another game.

CONSTRUCTION

There are a couple of different versions you could choose from to make this game. The simplest prints on just one page, plus rules. Or, you can go for the slightly more portable, and better looking version that prints in 6 pages (including rules) that creates a hex map. (I built this version) There is also a second edition version that has more components, and I’ve heard is a little more fiddly to play, but we will just focus on the hex version.

Once you have printed everything on your chosen paper medium, you can choose to just glues the appropriate pieces back to back and then cut them out once they are dry. (The hexed version has a front and a back to the tiles. You could choose to not print the backs if you want) I used cardstock paper, and mounted on cereal cardboard. The result is a nice, professional looking tile.

For pieces, you need 56 cubes or beads (14 each in 4 colors- red, blue, yellow, green) two pawns, and 3dice. I would recommend having one of the die in a different color so it is easier to do location rolls.

And……that’s it. This game is not a real involved build, and I think anyone could do it.

GAMEPLAY

Before the game begins, you must set up the board by infecting the cities. 3 cities get 3 disease cubes, 3 cities get 2 disease cubes, and 3 cities get 1 disease cube.In other words, your work is cut out for you, and it is going to be a tricky task to take care of it. Those cities with 3 cubes will warrant immediate attention as you don’t want any outbreaks on your hands.

All is not well in Disney World

On your turn, you get an action budget of 4. Moving from city to city takes an action, removing a disease cube takes an action, and curing a disease takes an action. So your turn will consist of a combination of these few actions- you may just move around the board. Or you may stay where you are and treat the suffering population. It is up to you. Of course you will quickly realize that it is difficult to keep up with all these diseases.

After you take your actions, you roll 3 dice for your research roll. 1-4 correspond to the different diseases. Each number rolled in that ranges brings you one step closer to finding the cure. Once a cure tracker on a particular disease hits “5”, then on one’s next action, he may choose to use an action to cure that disease. This doesn’t keep the disease from coming back, but it makes it easier to deal with that disease, and it brings you one step closer to victory.

If you roll a total of two 5’s, then a special event occurs, which can often be helpful. One 5 is worth nothing though, so it may be worthwhile to just re-roll it to try for a 1-4.

If you roll a 6, the infection tracker advances one space, increasing the rate of infection. If you roll two 6’s, the infection marker jumps to the next epidemic symbol on the tracker and an epidemic occurs. If that sounds scary, that’s because it is! Basically, you roll a city, and that city get hit with 3 disease cubes. So don’t roll a six if you can help it. (I know – fat chance with dice)

The Yellow disease is closer to the cure (yellow=2), and an Epidemic occurs!

After your research, you then roll for new infections (cities gaining more disease) You roll two cities to start and they each get one cube. As the infection tracker progresses thanks to botched research rolls, more cities will get infected per turn. (3, and then 4 per turn).

 

A yellow 3 adds a disease piece to Albuquerque

Now this is where things get interesting. Any city that has 3 cubes on it is dangerous. Basically, if something would happen that would cause that city to have more than 3 cubes, that city has an outbreak, which is dutifully tracked on the outbreak tracker. 4 outbreaks and the game is over. Now that would be nasty enough, but outbreaks don’t play nice like that. Instead those cities virtually explode with disease, so all cities connected to them each get one cube of the disease.

So, if you have 2 cities in row that have 3 cubes with a city they both connect to that has two cubes, that is disaster waiting to happen. If one of those “3” cities outbreaks, it will in turn send a cube to the “2” city, raising it to “3”,  cause the other “3” city to outbreak as well, which in turn will cause the other city that formerly had 2 cubes to also outbreak since the first city raised it to 3. See how this gets really messy really fast? That’s 3 outbreaks from one city infection. One more outbreak and the game is over. The game can literally defeat you just when you thought everything was going pretty well.

 

A Blue 4 is rolled, and a chain reaction begins. Los Angeles outbreaks into San Francisco, bringing it up to 3, and Las Vegas, causing it to outbreak as well, which in turn outbreaks, adding one more cube to Salt Lake City, and causes San Francisco to outbreak as well. 

3 outbreaks later, and a potential end game is just a roll away.

Finally, you roll for a role. Roles grant special abilities. The medic, for example, removes all the disease cubes in a city he is in. The researcher can reroll any 6’s. The Dispatcher can zip around the map. These little bonuses can go a long way in assisting your efforts. At the end of the next turn, you roll for another role.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Cooperative games are a fairly new/unique concept when it comes to games. Most games pit you against your friends and family, as you vie for dominance. However, the concept of working together with your friends as you attempt to beat the game is a lot of fun, and a refreshing change of pace. There are  a growing number of games that are coop, and I definitely think that the concept is worth checking out.

Infection Express is a fun game. Being that it is an “express” game, it is a quick game, and often, you will find yourself looking for “just one more play”. It is fairly fast paced, and somewhat chaotic, as the situation on the ground can change dramatically in a roll of the die, which brings us to the one potentially iffy part of the game. The dice.

Some people hate dice. Others love them. They certainly make the game random. No 2 games will play the same. However, it can be too random with volatile results in gameplay. For some, this is not a big issue (probably for most), but it is worth consideration. As much as I love this game, it still is majorly disappointing when the game ends before you even have a chance to take your first turn (2 player game).

But, all things considered, this is a fun game, and worth your time in building it. While the dice can make or break your game, it is worth the challenge in playing. And, if the dice turn against you, it is easy enough to just set up another game!

If you are interested in the game, the files can be found here.

Some thoughts on why I craft.

Admit it. We all love to have things quick and easy. I realize this has been an oft discussed phenomenon, this American (and Western) fetish for instant gratification. But, it is still quite prevalent in our lives. I don’t intend to rehash the same cliched generalizations about this fetish (fast food,microwaves, etc, etc, etc). And while many folks no doubt have good reason to engage in this, I would like to make a case for why I choose to take my time.

In life, the benefits are endless to slowing down, enjoying life as it comes, spending real, quality time with your family and with your Creator, not these little 5 min sound bites that are popular. I would point out (perhaps more in a future post here or my other blog) that we are too busy for the best things in life, or we spend it unwisely. We have these fast conveniences to save time, but we don’t slow down. Our time spent shows our priorities, and when all we do is rush around, leaving precious little time for family, rest, hobbies, and the more simple things in life, I would argue that the quality of our life suffers. So before we even can take time to craft, or to rest, or family time, first we need to slow down.

Once we have slowed things down, then a new world of possibilities open up. For example, my wife and I limit how much outside activities we are involved so we can enjoy a simpler, quieter life together and with our little family. It gives us time to focus on what matters, and to spend some extra time working on things we like, like hobbies. So this is where I am coming from, and I would suggest that to better appreciate your hobbies, you will need to slow things down in your own life before you can proceed. Perhaps you have already, and you have ample time. Great!

With that established then, let get to crafting. To be sure, when it comes to models or to games, this have it now mentality prevails, especially in games (which is not a bad thing since it is more akin receiving a book then a model). But there are those who choose to take their time. For me, I print and play my games. It is much more satisfying to build a game from scratch and then bring it to the table.

It is probably because I am just a crafty kind of guy. I realize not all people are. To be sure, the vast majority of gamers probably do not PnP or have the desire to do so. But there is a growing number of us who are discovering the joys of making a game ourselves, and a growing number of designers who are enjoying a chance to let others play with their idea by freely releasing the files. And, like any crafty activity, you can get as involved as you want. You could simply just use cardstock paper and cut everything out and voila! you have a game. Or, you could labor over the creation of it, tweaking the digital files before you print, printing on photo paper, or label paper, mounting on cardboard or card stock, laminating cards, etc.

My most recent game project was a copy of Pay Dirt. For this project, I went all out.  I got some square dowel rods and a round dowel rod, chopped them to size, sanded them, and then dunked them in a wash of paint to get the custom pieces I wanted for the game.

The raw materials

Cut and ready for a swipe of sand paper

 

A finished cube

Once the cubes were made, I printed out the files. The files for the player boards, tiles, and chits I printed on matte photo paper and mounted on cardstock reclaimed from cereal boxes. (Cheerios boxes are the best- they are a little thicker- we always have plenty of those with a toddler in the house!)

The cards were printed on lightweight high resolution paper, and then laminated. Once everything was mounted and laminated, it was just a matter of cutting everything out. You can see the finished results:

For me, this process is very rewarding and refreshing. Maybe it is just the creator in me, but it is fun to mount the cardstock, cut it out carefully, and then admire and play your finished results. Maybe that is part of why it is fun- you craft something that you will actually use!

As for my other hobby, model railroading, the same holds true: crafting is a more meaningful activity. Especially in this hobby, it is easy to just buy kits or ready made buildings, details, cars, etc and just plunk them down. It is certainly a time saver, but you pay for it in cost. And, more times than not, you end up with a layout that looks generic. There is little originality if your main street looks like 80% of the other main streets on other model railroads.

That is why I am, with the layout I am on currently, I am scratch building everything! To be sure, it will take time. But for me, it will be an enjoyable time, carefully cutting the cardstock, making siding, carefully measuring and planning out the size of the various buildings, etc. I intend to do it cheaply with just the materials I have on hand.

When I am finished, my layout will look and feel very unique. My buildings will be unique, and there will be a certain satisfaction in knowing I made that, from the ground up. No kit or pre-built buildings here!

Crafting is a enjoyable subset of these hobbies of mine, and I would argue a worthwhile one. It takes time, but I feel that it is rewarding to finish a project and say “I made that”. It might be, in a small way, this is a way we reflect God, in that He created everything, and declared “It is good”.

One of God’s many works. Not even one of our best models can come close to capturing this!

 

In the same way, we  who are made in His image, also, I think find a certain satisfaction in making something, because He made us to be like His image. Now granted, these are my thoughts and not scripture, though I think that the creativity we have and the drive to build and create can be attributed to the One who created us.

In other words, crafting is a wholesome, refreshing activity. I encourage you to take some time to craft, and enjoy the benefits of it.

Taking the time for…Sightseeing!

This weekend, we traveled to my grandparents in DC. It has been the latest in many visits over the years, and each time, we pass by Point of Rocks, MD on Route 15. I have heard about the railroad station there and have thought about stopping many times as we have traveled by. Today, we finally just took some time, and went to see it for ourselves.

 

 

If you are a railfan, and are in the area, it is worth looking at. Notable because of the beauty of the station, and the uniqueness of it being in the middle of a junction, I definitely enjoyed looking at it. It was also interesting to me in part because this old station is still being used for MARC commuters.

So, today, we took some time to stretch and enjoy the scenery. A fine start to the weekend. Hope you enjoy you all weekend as well.

 

Downsize Your Hobby (the case for the small and micro)

 

As I have alluded to in several posts (here, here, and here)there is a growing trend towards the  small and micro in the hobbies that I participate in: model railroading, and board gaming. I think this worth noticing. The fact of the matter is, we Americans are pretty excessive in a lot of ways. We have big cars/trucks, big houses, eat big meals, excessive amounts of meat, etc. This big mindset also carries into our hobbies too. We have big model railroad layouts that take up entire basements, small barns, whole living areas, etc. On the gaming side, we have the massive game closets with hundreds upon hundreds of games that we will likely never play, or we focus on the big ticket games with lots of pieces and the big sticker price to go with it.

We like things big. However, I am not convinced that that mindset is entirely sustainable or wise. After all, we have finite time and resources, and it seems to me, no matter how wonderful the hobby, that it is a bit of a waste when we get too excessive with how we enjoy our hobbies. Now to be sure, each person’s standard of excessiveness varies, in part to income and time available. I am not trying to point fingers at anyone in particular or draw a line at what is excessive. I am merely suggesting that perhaps we spend too much and invest too much in our hobbies.

Perhaps this is more visible to me because of my frugality, and frugal constraints. I have some time to spend, but little money. So I am more conscious of what I put into my hobbies.This is why I craft games and why I keep myself limited in my layout, and intend to scratch build everything on the layout. I have card stock, a printer, tools, glues, and bits of plastic details, etc. I don’t have money budgeted to my hobbies. So I build everything cheaply, frugally. I keep my scope limited in keeping with my limited resources.

And, I limit my time. While I have lots of time thanks to the way my job is structured, I have other obligations too. (as I discussed in this post) My family needs to come first. While I don’t always get my priorities straight, I do my best to not let my hobbies squeeze out my family and my other commitments.

This is why I am a proponent of this micro movement I have alluded to. They are smaller, less excessive, and more manageable. In the gaming world, they are less work to craft, require less extra pieces, and the main highlights: play quickly. For someone with few game times and limited times in those gaming evenings, it is nice to have a little game that gives you the same feel of a much bigger game in a much smaller footprint and play time.

Publishers and PnP designers are noticing, and there is fast becoming a plethora of good little games to buy or build. I think the investment going into this is laudable. Not only are these games much more affordable (which here at the Frugal Hobbyist is a very good thing), they are just as much fun. I have reviewed 2 micro games so far, and hope to do more. (If you are a designer or publisher with a micro game you want reviewed, let me know! =) )

A scene from my last small layout. Even though it was small, it still was enjoyable and realistic

On the model railroad side, focusing on the small and micro is rewarding too. There is a whole website devoted to layouts in minimalist spaces with many innovative designs, and the majority of them are smaller than 4 square feet! Even if you don’t want to confine yourself to a layout that small, the ideas and techniques used to build these small masterpieces are certainly applicable.

So why confine yourself to such a small area? Several reasons come to mind. First, a small project is manageable. By that I mean both in time spent, and money spent. Typically, the smaller the layout, the less you spend, which I think is a good thing. Secondly, a micro or small layout can be just as much fun to operate. Granted you can’t host the massive operating sessions with a small army of people, but if you are like me, it is  not like you have a group of people to do that with anyways. And, likely, you don’t have 3-4 hours to spend just running trains. A small layout can be interesting to operate, even realistically, and while it could be an enjoyable chunk of time, it wouldn’t monopolize your evening.

Also, because the layout is small, you can focus more on the detail. If you want, you could scratchbuild everything (a route I am going down, in part because it is cheaper, and in part because it is fun, and I can make a unique model). Plus the layout doesn’t take up as much valuable space in the house, and in some cases, give space back. My 40″ x 60″ layout sits in our study, and also serves as a storage area for all my stuff, which helps cut down the clutter. Plus it doesn’t overwhelm the room.

These small, micro trends certainly seem like they are here to stay and I think they are worth paying attention to. Do we really need to spend as much as we do, and take up as much space as we do? I don’t think we do. To be sure, some folks love the way they enjoy their hobbies, and I can’t fault them for that. It is, after all, a hobby, and there is plenty of room for different viewpoints. But, I think a case can be strongly made that small is good too. Now, if you excuse me, I have some small projects to work on!

Please feel free to comment below. What are your thoughts on smaller versus bigger?

Caravans of Cubes- A review of Serica: Plains of Dust

I really enjoy studying ancient history. There is a lot of interesting aspects that would have been neat to see or participate in. Who wouldn’t want to walk through Rome, or visit the streets of Jerusalem during the reign of Solomon, stroll through the great amphitheaters, ride a chariot across the Roman network of roads, visit the temples of Greece, or ride a camel across a dry,hot, dusty desert, carrying goods to far off places? Ok, so maybe you and I wouldn’t want to do the camel ride. It is dusty, hot, long and dangerous. And did I mention it is hot? And dusty? Dodging bandits and raiders, rationing supplies to make it across the desert, getting covered in dust, dirt and grime, looking out for snakes, battling heat exhaustion….I think I’ll just stay right here in the air-conditioned 21st Century, thank you very much!

Illustration by Photokanok on freedigitalphotos.net

In our day of fast cars, fast trains, and fast airplanes, long distances are nothing to us. In 5 hours from now, I could be in Chicago, Seattle, Houston, Miami, or even farther, Mexico, Canada, etc, etc. We easily forget that a long journey used to take weeks and months of time. In that ancient period, there were no railroads to ship goods to other places. Everything went by caravan- load up your donkeys and camels for a long, arduous trip to get your goods to foreign markets and gain wealth. The concept does have an allure, even if you don’t want to get dirty!

Now, however, you could recapture some of that excitement with a game. While this kind of theme is few and far between, it is certainly intriguing. Todd Sanders, a prolific designer has done just that with his game Serica: Plains of Dust. All you need is some good paper, glue, ink in your printer, a steady hand, a knife or scissors, and a bunch of cubes.

OVERVIEW

Serica is a two player game depicting the trade between the Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire. For a PnP game, the art really is quite nice. Todd Sanders, who is a prolific designer on Board Game Geek, has created many well designed PnP games and this is certainly one of his finer offerings. It is amazing how many games this guy cranks out. As a budding game designer, I just don’t know how he does it!

At its heart this is a card drafting game. For those unfamiliar with the term, in essence players start out with a small deck of cards, and slowly buy more cards to add to their deck, giving them extra abilities, points, and other advantages. While a little more abstract, you do get a sense for building something as your deck gets bigger and bigger.

However the gameplay goes beyond just collecting cards and playing them. There is the whole process of shipping goods to the other player, moving your cube caravans across the attractively illustrated barren desert. In fact most of the points to be had can be found here, but more on that later.  Plus, you can choose to take cards out of your deck (sacrificing their abilities) and building them for points. There is a lot to see here but it is not too overwhelming or complicated.

CONSTRUCTION:

Photo paper, ruler, glue, brush, knife. Steady hands not included. Also not included: Card stock, laminator, etc.

For those who are not particularly crafty, or DIY-inclined, the build could present some of a challenge. There are 54 cards to make (6 sheets of paper, plus the backs to, and a game board. Depending on your method, the construction could take a lot of time or very little. The simplest would be to print everything out on thick card stock, double sided to get the back artwork (not necessary, but is a nice touch) and cut it out. It may not look the greatest (card stock tends to not render as sharp of an image) but it would be quick enough. A better solution might be to print it on high quality paper, laminate it, and then cut it. Since I got a laminator, this has been my favorite process- you get a better looking card that is pretty durable. You can find the same laminator here: Thermal laminator @ Amazon

However, at the time I made this, I did not have those resources, so I printed it all on single-sided photo paper, which looks great. But, then I had to carefully line up and glue the card fronts and backs together, press them in books for days, and then cut them out. The end result was a nice card/tile that looked and felt pretty nice. But it was a lot of work, and the cards don’t shuffle the greatest, especially because the photo paper finish like to stick to each other somewhat (not a problem for the finish, but it makes shuffling more of a pain)

The game board was also printed on photo paper and then mounted on heavy duty card stock This is pretty simple. You can scale it larger or smaller if you want. I made mine a little bigger.

Cubes! It must be a good game, right? Right? …

You will need 110 cubes or pieces for this game. 15 cubes in 7 colors (Blue, red, yellow, green, white, purple (I substituted dark blue), and black). You also need 2 cubes, one yellow and one red, for the player colors on the VP track. You will also need 3 pieces in red and in yellow to represent caravans. You could use whatever you want like a cool Camel meeple, or just use cubes. The cubes I used are the counting cubes I referred to in my review of  Empire Engine  You can find the cubes here: Counting Cubes

GAMEPLAY

The game consists of 4 phases, which are taken consecutively on a players turn, and then play passes to the other player. In front of you is your hand of cards, (4 cards) which are drawn from your deck each turn. This means that all the abilities you accumulate through your purchases are not always available (part of the mechanics of a deck builder. You do want to be somewhat selective about what cards you fill your deck with. If they are a bunch of cards with few abilities, it might be better to just build them to the playing field and get points out of them. Ideally you fill your deck with powerful cards as possible so each turn you have different but powerful abilities to help your empire grow and thrive.

your hand. These are your abilities….this turn

The phases of the game are fairly straight forward: Produce, buy/build/defend, Trade, and Discard. For production, each player has 8 production points. What this means is that there are resources you can produces, but some take more points then others. For example, Gold costs 3 points while Glass costs 1. For your turn you produce a variety of resources from the budget of 8 points available, so you might produce 2 gold and 1 wine for one turn, or 4 glass and 2 wine, or 5 glass and 1 gold, etc.

To buy cards you need a variety of different resources. Here’s the catch though: You and your opponent produce different resources, meaning you need each other’s stuff to be able to get some of the cards, especially the really good ones. The Roman Empire has 3 resources it can produce unique to it, and the Han Dynasty has 3 resources unique to it.This is one part of the brilliant trade mechanism Todd has created, but more on that in a little bit.

Once you have produced your goods, now it is time to do something with it. You can choose to buy a card from the pool of cards available to the side called the “Crossroads” You will want a “cheat sheet” handy to decipher the symbols of how many of each resource you need to buy a card for the first few games. Some cards need a lot of one resource while others need a variety of resources. Once the card is purchased, it gets placed in your personal discard pile. Have no fear though! Just because it is in the discard DOES NOT mean you will never see it again. It will be back because of the deck builder mechanic. However, it will not be immediately available to you.

The text on the left from top to bottom: Buy cost, build cost, stacking number, victory points, and stacking bonus (white circle) On the right column is the special ability the card gives you while in your hand.

You may also choose to build cards to the table to form your empire. You pay the build cost in workers (artisans) and receive the victory points. There are various types of cards, and there are special bonuses if you can build them out in order (Example: You build a blue card with a “1” value and than later build a blue card with a “2” value beside it. Stacking them like that will give you extra points. However, if it was a brown “2”, there is no stacking bonus) While not a huge supply of victory points, these buildings are important. Sure, you sacrifice their abilities. But often, once built, they provide needed defense against raiders, ore extra points. Plus, they function as the game timer. Once someone builds 10 cards to his empire, the game ends.

The blue column is correctly stacked, giving bonus victory points. The other column is incorrectly stacked. The red 1 on top of the brown 1 yields no bonus. Sorry!

You may also choose to defend. When a bandit appears in the cross roads, you must defeat him or face potential disaster for your caravans. The defense points available to you through built cards are your only real defense, plus any extra bonuses from your hand. So there is value in building cards to get those defense icons. If your total matches or exceeds the strength of the bandit, you drive them off, your caravan is safe, and you get rewards of victory points and goods. Yay!

The big bad wolf of bandits. Yikes! You need a defense of 6 to drive him off, or he wipes out a whole caravan.

The Roman empire successfully drives off the Bandit with a defense value of 3 built cards; each yielding 1 defense

However, if you fail to defeat them, they will steal and pillage, taking goods from your caravans, sometimes wiping them out completely. Plus the bandit remains in play until defeated. You opponent must face him as well, and if he fails as well, then that bandit will be back on your next turn to steal and plunder. So keep yourself defended! It is a hostile desert out there!

Once those actions are resolved, you may then Trade. You can either start a new caravan or move all your existing caravans one space.  When you start a caravan, you choose up to 4 goods to ship. The next turn, you may begin to move that caravan slowly across the desert to the other empire.

This is how you get those needed goods to your opponents. While you may not want to “help” your opponent, you really can not succeed otherwise. Most of the points you can get are usually through your caravans unless you get a really great deck building engine going and stack up cards before your opponent has a chance to blink… Upon finishing your journey, you receive 2 points for a successful caravan, plus the value of the cubes delivered as victory points. So a caravan of 4 gold cubes, which cost 3 production points to produce yield 3 victory points apiece when successfully delivered, giving you 12 victory points plus the 2 for finishing. Not too shabby at all, especially when buildings only give you a token amount of points: 1-5 usually.  I think this is a pretty brilliant way to make the trading work in this game, and so keep the theme strong.

Once you have finished that, you discard your hand and draw a new hand for the next turn of 4 cards. If your draw deck is exhausted, you shuffle all of your discarded cards and they become the draw pile. Thus the cards get shuffled around, and those cards you bought will eventually end up in your hand. The constantly changing hands certainly makes the game interesting, meaning you may not do the same actions this turn as you did last time. It’s (really) just not in the cards….kind of.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Serica is a nice, intriguing 2 player game. It is definitely a full-featured game. A typical game lasts about an hour usually. The various cards, the trade caravans, and the deck building mechanics make for a lot of interesting decisions, and a usually a pretty close, very competitive game. Those I have played this game with have really enjoyed it. I really enjoy it to. It is a little harder to get to the table because of it’s length but it is worth the time.

Two Caravans loaded with goods labor their way towards the Roman empire, bringing spices, silk, and porcelain.

It is also worth the construction. While you could certainly find people willing to make it for you, it is  satisfying to play a game that you crafted. And really, it is considerably cheaper too! Don’t let the cards scare you away too much from making it! Cards don’t need to be hard to make. If you are interested, the DIY forums on boardgamegeek.com have a variety of different techniques to make the cards, appropriate for varied skill levels. No matter your craftiness skills, it should not be too much of a challenge.

There are some complaints that the game is harder for the Han dynasty, in part because the fact that military cards are difficult to get without Roman Empire goods. However, I have not noticed too much of an imbalance. There are other advantages to the Han dynasty. The court cards you can get are very powerful!

The art is attractive and for the most part functional. It is a fairly simple, minimalist style but it works well. My only complaint is that the cards can be a little hard to read. There is a lot of icons and information available to see, and it can be a little daunting. Plus, the build cost letters are really hard to see. I would recommend playing in a well lit area to make things easier for your eyes. You could ink the offending text in with a sharpie to make it easier to see but that would be a bit time consuming. I just keep a lamp in the study especially for playing games so that you can better see everything.

However, this is not a major issue, unless you really have trouble seeing things. I would say, that really, this is a good game that is a great game for 2. While it takes some work to make, I think the pay off is worth it!  You can find the files here: Serica: Plains of Dust

Feel free to chime in. What is your favorite ancient history themed game? Have you tried Serica? If so, what are your thoughts on it? Have a question about crafting? Feel free to comment below.

(disclaimer: this post does have affiliate links)

Small Ideas in a Small Space

As I mentioned in a previous post, https://joshuadewolfe.wordpress.com/2014/06/09/taking-the-time-for-crafting-capturing-the-apparently-elusive-free-time/, I have been making small steps of progress on my model railroad. By most, if not all standards it is a very small (though not a micro) layout. However, just because is is compact does not mean it can be limited in scope. Those in the model railroading world typically assume you need a basement sized layout to encompass much of what you need to capture, or for those with diverse interests, multiple layouts, either simultaneously or progressively. However, neither of those options are workable for me, in part because of my frugal restraints.

I have several distinct modeling interests when it comes to model railroads. I like modeling what I see around me (South PA) and Conrail is one of my favorite railroads. A little further south in North Carolina, there used to exist a small short line, Norfolk Southern. (not to be confused with the Modern day railroad by the same name. Related, yes, but not the same entity per se). This also is an interesting option to me to model.

In addition to those East coast themes, I also have a budding interest in railroads in the Pacific Northwest region, especially the Olympic area. After a trip to the area, I have fallen in love with the scenery there. Plus, I think it would be fun to model a freelanced German railroad, as I was born in Germany, and have felt a special fondness for the place. It would be fun to model that as well.

So, I have all these ambitious plans, and a maximum space of 40″ by 60″. Notice that’s inches, not feet. Certainly not a micro sized area, but it is smaller than what even Model Railroader magazine defines as a small space. So how do I shoehorn all those ideas on to one small area? Especially in a way that is not overly caricature-like, or contrived?

At this point, most reasonable people would make a list of the pros and cons of each distinct theme and from their evaluation, pick the one that best fits their modeling goals and dreams. And while I could do that, I also really want variety. If my previous layouts are any indication, just because it is finished doesn’t mean I won’t come along the next day and decide to tweak or change it.

However, with this layout, it is intended to be my home layout for a while. I have put a lot of my hoarded materials into it, and I am not about to go tear it apart and build something completely different in its place in a few years. Model railroading can be an expensive hobby, and while you can frugally save a lot of money by seeking out scrap wood, or finding plants and dirt outside for ground cover, etc, it will still take some investment to make something new.

The generic landscape takes shape…

Ultimately, my solution, which I will detail more of in a later post, was to make my layout generic-ish. By examining the regions I want to model, and selecting topogrophy and greenery that are similar, I can create a generic enough, though plausible landscape that with the right buildings, trains and details, would look pretty close to the model region. However, there are a few differences between regions specifically in trees.

The Northwest has an inordinate amount of evergreen trees (part of why it is beautiful out there), while Germany has a mix though is heavier on the evergreen population as well. In contrast, around here, or a little further south, it is primarily deciduous trees with a spattering of evergreens. It became quickly apparent that just building a generic scenic area is not enough. I need interchangeable trees to help better convey the region the layout is currently in. However, unlike foam scenery where it is easy enough to replant trees in the holes (or just make new ones), I have plaster hardshell scenery. It can’t really take that kind of abuse.

Enter the small solution (which is a small step to my big ideas for this space). Drywall anchors. By plugging them into the scenery (and covering them from view with shrubs, I can easily switch out the trees on my layout to convey the different regions. East coast? just plug them all with deciduous trees. Northwest? Replace all the deciduous with evergreens. Germany? pull out a few evergreen and replace with deciduous.

What follows is a photo journal of my efforts. Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

This is certainly a small idea, but it is a key step in my big idea for this small space.

ALL ABOARD! A Review of Station Master

A scene from my old model railroad

 (Disclaimer: this post contains an affiliate link)

It is no secret that I like trains. I could talk your ear off if you would let me about the history behind American railroads, why they are essential for our economy today, or the challenges and enjoyment of modeling railroads. So, considering my enjoyment of trains, a train-themed game would probably be right up my alley, right? In this case, yes! (In fact, you don’t have to be a train enthusiast to enjoy this game!)

 

Station Master is an older game (2004) and is typically an overlooked gem, in my humble opinion. While not a strategy game, per-se, there is plenty going on that can allow you to plot and plan. It is one of my favorite larger group games (can play up to 6) and can either be a filler game (fill in chunks of time between games during a game night) or be a game night to itself, depending on the time available and the group playing it.

Unfortunately, this game is often overlooked, in part because of its age and in part because it is not a big ticket game like Settlers of Catan, or Puerto Rico. But, I would argue that despite some shortcomings in the art, this game is a worthwhile small game that does not disappoint.

OVERVIEW

Station Master is a fairly straightforward card game. While not quite a micro game, it is definitely a small game. (112 cards and 36 tokens). The premise is simple (though more based in European railroad practice rather than American) – players are rival station masters trying to direct the most passengers to the most profitable trains and gain point for yourself in doing it.

The theme is admittedly a little thin, but while you may not experience what it would actually be like to be a station master, you do have a lot of cut-throat fun, with bluffing, dastardly tricks, and brilliant wins. And, you do get the feeling thematically that you are putting a train together as the cards get laid out. My daughter, who is now 2, has observed a couple games and quickly recognized the “whoooo whooo’s” (anything in a line must be a train, in her mind!)

The “whoooo whooo’s”

GAMEPLAY

Fortunately for those who suffer from analysis paralysis, you can only take one action per turn, and you only have to choose between two actions; either place a passenger token, or play a card (either a railcar or special action)

Your passengers (each player has 6) have various values between 1-3. Once a train is complete, players total the value of the train and multiply by the value of their passenger(s) placed. So a train with a value of ten is multiplied by your passenger value (3) and that is the points you gain from that train (30 pt)

A typical passenger card. The game refers to them as carriages, but these are clearly stylized images of American equipment, and therefore railcars, or coaches

The “5” engine is the most common engine available. There is room for two more tokens! Any takers?

 

Overall, it is pretty straight forward. The engine cards have a value between 3 and 8, which indicates the physical number of tokens (not counting the value of those tokens) that can be placed on that train, and the number of car cards that need to be played to the train to finish it. Once the train is full, no one else can get on.

However, things are not always what they seem. In addition to passenger cards that can be played to a train that are worth positive points, there are also freight cars that can be played to trains that are worth negative points. This creates opportunities to mess with your opponents, in some sometimes sneaky ways.

 

The tokens you play to a train are played face down, meaning that your opponent has no way of knowing whether that last passenger you placed was a 3 or a 1. This can lead to some sneaky tactics, such as lightly investing in a train to get everyone else on board, and then fill it with freight cars. Ah, the joys of a good bluff!

Also of note are the special action cards, which can be used offensively or defensively. You can rearrange the passengers in play, uncouple railcars, add your passengers to a full train, end trains prematurely (appropriately the “caboose” card), etc. A well played card can certainly throw a monkey wrench in the works, or rescue your bacon, depending on the situation.

Another aspect is the special trains. There are executive class trains, with matching executive cars. They are worth big points if attached to an executive class train, but anywere else they are big negative point cards! Also to watch for: The freight engine; where all negative cards are positive and all positives are negative. These little touches help mix things up and keep it interesting.

Once the last train has left the station, all points are tallied and the chief station master determined! At this point, most people seem to want a rematch, especially since it tends to be a quick(ish) game. Unlike some games, this game really is worth the replay. Some games, either because of theme, length, or mechanics, tend to wear out their welcome either for a night, or over time. But Station Master makes for a good filler than you can come back to again and again.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It should be mentioned at this point that the art, while certainly functional is a bit bland.  This could be a non-starter for some, or inconsequential for others. I myself fall somewhat in the middle. I really like this game. It is simple, quick, easily explained, very portable, and overall is a great filler game. But the art while not quit garish, leaves a little to be desired.

Maybe it has to do with it being a small, low budget game. While it is put out by Mayfair Games, the folks who have brought us Settlers of Catan, it is obvious that this was merely an addition to their catalog and not a main attraction. The components, box, and cards are cheaper. Now, to be clear, the art does not sink the game. I can overlook it, and enjoy a good 30-40 minute game of shuffling those plastic tokens around with little confusion to what is being played. I merely suggest that there is a really good game to be had here, and maybe it would be worth updating with new and better graphics.

A game in process. Fun to play, not as much to look at, IMHO.

But enough about the art. Mechanic wise and game play wise, this game is a lot of fun. This is not a very deep strategy game, nor does it pretend to be. It is just some simple fun as you vie  for the best trains. It can certainly turn a little cut-throat, but even if no one is that aggressive, it is still a fun game. You can find the game here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006HCVYK/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0006HCVYK&linkCode=as2&tag=thefruhob-20&linkId=VOQFBU3H64HJVXD6

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For those who are interested, I am also in the midst of starting a second blog. This will be a more personal blog as I write about the faith tha guides me, and how it informs my life, and my worldview. Please feel free to follow along!