Where to go...

I've finally made a decision about the ol' Game On: Players and Pawns blog.

It's time to wrap it up here and move on to better digs, I think.  The Game On legacy spans 3 years, most of them good, but a few of them a little rough.  It's not with a little sadness that I release back into the wild from whence it came.

However!  There is something new afoot.  It's just getting started, but head over to http://boredsword.blogspot.com/ and have a look.  I think, in the long run, we will have more fun over there.

So, from all of me here, to all of you out there who have followed along: Thanks!  It's been an interesting ride.  Now let's go check out the new thing.  Come on along, you are all welcome there.

Catan 3D

There are very few things that are better if done in 3D (film industry I am looking at you).  However, some things are undeniably better when done in three dimensions.  One of those things is the board game The Settlers of Catan.

Of course, if you have great gobs of money laying around unspent, you can opt for the official 10th Anniversary 3D special Edition from Mayfair Games at $380.00.  If you can find it.  Mayfair is out of stock and even eBay seems to be lacking in copies of the giant treasure chest version.

On the other hand, you could, instead, opt for something a little easier to acquire.  Kotaku recently carried a story about one artist's 3D printable tiles which are all set and ready to go on whatever 3D printer you might have access to.  They run about $20 a pop, so, given the number of tiles needed for the game it maybe isn't all that much more economical than trying to track down the official version, but it is a nice alternative.  You can check out the pieces both on Kotaku and on the designers home site, Shapeways.

Saturday, November 12 is National Gaming Day at your library!

We like board games. We like books. Therefore, it makes sense to combine the two. I give you National Gaming Day at your local library.

With over 1,200 Libraries participating there is more than a reasonable chance that your local atheneum is one of them.  Board Games, RPGs and even some computer gaming will be going on in most locations.

If you are looking to do some Board Gaming then make sure to put Saturday, November 12, 2011, on your calendar now for National Gaming Day at your library.

Memoir '44 on Steam

You've heard my co-hosts and I talk about the Commands and Colors system of games before on the show.  You'll know, of course that these games include Battle Cry, BattleLore, Commands and Colors: Ancients and Napoleonics, and Memoir '44.  Both GMT Games and Days of Wonder have done a fine job of bringing the system to life in an extremely playable way and really making designer Richard Borg's system shine.

Days of Wonder in particular has done some interesting stuff.  From Battlelore's single figure expansions in molded plastic to Memoir '44's every growing list of Campaign Books and scenario expansions, both systems have created a truly unique gaming experience within the Commands and Colors line.  Back in October, DoW took things one step further for Memoir '44 by bringing out a version for the Steam Gaming Platform.

NaNoWriMo '11 - Part II

Oh NaNoWriMo, how fond was our meeting, how bitter sweet our parting.  Yeah, I know, we're only 7 days in to NaNoWriMo, but I've already failed it.  I can't, apparently, just vomit masses of text onto a page without editing.  I have to stop, I have to go back and correct or tidy or clarify.  I can not just keep typing like a mad man and carry on and on.  I know what the next bit is, but I can't stick it on paper until I've got it all worked out.  So we part, not because I have lost the spark, but because I can't participate in the contest in the way in which they want.    Herewith, the entirety of my entry for NaNoWriMo '11 (as unedited as I get. It needs it though.) :

Reasons to Dislike Monopoly even More

Really, we know about Monopoly and I.  Let me offer you these as reinforcements though:

Monopoly: Rapture Edition - Not what you think, unless you thought that first.  I can NOT wait for the kerfuffle over this one.

Anglesey gets a local version - Talk about a narrow market.  Apparently it is an island in or near Wales.  Someone will clarify I'm sure.

Monopoly: The Aristocrats - Clearly fun for the entire family.  Especially if you can't play properly.

Speaking of Islands, Man-Opoly probably isn't what you are thinking either.  Narrow Market AND the potential for inappropriate jokes.

See, I hardly have to say anything.  We all get it.

Click, Click, Bang, Bang.

Then, in keeping with the last post, I came across this bit of silliness.

Yes, Bang!, the Spaghetti Western game is coming to an electronic device near you.  Bang! is all about hidden roles and take-that style game play.  Things happen at different ranges depending on where you are sitting at the table and it's the Sherrif's job to take out the Outlaws before they send him home in a pine box.  Fortunately he has a couple of Deputies to help him, but unfortunately there is a Renegade who wants nothing more than to be the last man standing.  Everyone get's a character to play and it is ridiculously fun the more people you add.

And strangely, I think it would work rather well as an electronic version of itself, with only one exception.  Table banter.  Half the fun is trying to fool people about what role you have, or reacting to the Dynamite being passed around the table or just generally kibitzing on the game itself.

If you are interested, you can check out more at the Bang Video Game website.

iPad Board Gaming

Gizmodo carries an article under the headline iPawn Interactive Pieces Bring iPad Board Games To Life. Essentially it's about gaming pieces you can use to interact with your iPad rather than just your sweaty little fingers.

That's all well and good, but it does sort of beg the question: Is this how you REALLY want to play board games? Especially when you then consider the GameChanger attachment. We all know that various, more traditional, Board Games have made the jump into the electronic world and done so successfully. Are we prepared, though, for an almost totally digital transition for most games?

For example, would you be pleased with a Digital Version of Arkham Horror on your iPad? It would certainly make some of the background activity, adding monsters, moving tokens around, generally keeping up with the mechanics of the game, easier. You could, with some effort one imagines, play with 6 of your friends on an iPad, but would it be worth doing? Is this the future of Board Gaming?

Let me know what you think in the comments below.