Not Tonight

[TylerChuit]

I woke up about 7:30 this morning, and poured myself a nice, big bowl of cereal.  Then I went to the store to buy a few things.  One of which was milk... we were out, and if I wanted to eat that cereal it was a necessity. 

Also, the pool was running low on water when I got home from work yesterday evening, so I had put the hose in to fill it.  When I went out the back door to get into my car, I had to trudge through puddles because I had forgot to turn the faucet off before I went to sleep.  So, I had to get a few bags of shock to treat the water that had given the pool a slight green tinge.  Fortunately, that was one stop shopping.

When I got back, I poured the cereal back into the box and ate the breakfast I had bought from McDonalds on the way home from the store.  I have no willpower. 

Then, I decided to tackle my turn at Descent.  It was nine am when I started, and I had plenty of time before I had to leave for Nathaniel's. 

I figured that to make sense of the items I had given everybody, I'd go back and add some clarification to the items people already had, so that probably added a few hours to my task.  I'm not quite sure, it was all a big blur.  All I do know is that by the time I put the finishing touches on my Overlord turn, it was just after 2pm. 

I knew that if I was going to get to Charles' house for our scheduled gaming time, I woudn't have time to swing by Nathaniel's to pick up the DVD I had loaned him.  I called and we agreed that I'd come by after I left Charles' place.

When I arrived at Charles' I was greeted by the garage door opening in front of me, and Kami and Hunter ushering me in on their way outside to play.  Going inside, I found Charles and Wendy at their computer waiting for me with a game of "You Don't Know Jack" loaded up and already cajoling me to put my name in.  I lost that game. 

In fact that was my personal theme for the night.  Me losing every game, and not by any small margins.  Not even the game I had made up just a few days before and got Charles and Wendy to help me try out.  That went pretty well, ego aside.  I got a few ideas from it that I'll have to refine.

I left around 9pm after proving once and for all that I'd make a terrible lawyer.  I got gas at a 7/11 where I found a stowaway in the form of a small treefrog that had taken up lodging under the door covering my gas cap.  I shoed it out, but while I was filling up the tank I started to feel sorry for it.  It looked so helpless with its little legs splayed out, thoroughly confused.  I imagined the next car squishing it without even knowing it was there, and I felt a twinge of guilt.  Grabbing a plastic cup from my car, I dumped the stale coke-water on the ground and scooped the frog into it.  I took it over to a small grassy area near a wall and turned the frog out to start a new life abroad. 

I called Nathaniel and asked him if it was still okay to stop by and he said that everyone was still up, so sure, it was okay.  Isaac had waited up to see me.  It's a nice feeling to have someone who gets excited when they know you're coming by, even if it's your friend's five year old kids. 

I don't know why I'm good with kids, I can only take any of them in small doses.  I don't know why that is either.  Maybe because I'm a fairly private person, and kids are very inquisitive in an 'in your face' sort of way.  I don't like holding small children for the same reason I don't like holding birds.  They both go straight for the moles.

I didn't stay at Nathaniel's place long.  Just had a quick chat, picked up the DVD and headed toward home.  On the way, I though about the movie a person I know told me she was in.  The movie is "Soul Men", and she was an extra in a scene.  I decided to check out the movie theater on the way home to see if they were showing it.

No more showings tonight, but the new James Bond movie was about to start, so I decided to stay and see it.  It was pretty good.  The action scenes were all shot in extreme close-up.  They were also so jerkily filmed and tightly cut I couldn't tell who was hitting who most of the time.   Otherwise, as I said... pretty good.

Anyway, I got home and the computer was still up and logged in to this site, so I hit refresh, and what do I see but you mother effers have all already taken your turns.  Some of them, even correctly, go figure.  Well, I'm too tired, so I'm not dealing with it... Not tonight.

[Wyldwing]

It was good to see you, Chris.  Thanks for indulging us with a game of YDNJ.  It was fun...but, like St. Petersburg, it's time on your "Top 10" list has passed. 

I liked your dice game.  I think that, like Piedra, it has promise.  Both games have a certain simplicity about them.  That, I believe, is the key to a winning game. 

On some of the more complicated games that the group owns...we don't play them all that much.  When we don't play them often, we forget some of the complicated rules associated with them...and that gives us further negative feelings to playing them...if we only have 3 hours together, do we really want to spend 33.3333333% of that time re-learning the rules?

Thus simple games...are simply going to get played more often, by more people.  Take, for example, Robo Rally.  Not even one that I own, but I enjoy it greatly.  Why?  It's easy to pick back up again.  Maybe a quick 3 minute refresher as to in what order effects happen, but it's very quick.  Also, I haven't seen all of the special powers, thus there is still some new info that I enjoy with every play.

Another good example is Power Grid.  This game tests my limits as to time on one game, but I really enjoy how it plays.  The games are usually close because I rarely make such a bad error that I am out of the game, but the rules are easy to revisit and fairly easy to jump into for new players.

So...I believe your two games have real promise.  They are already better than those stupid game that PATCH puts out and sells at target.  Dragon...remember how we tried to improve those?

Anyway...after you left, Chris, I landed on the $40,000 Settle space, chose Wendy and rolled a 6.  Basically putting her in the same situation you were in when you departed.  I won the game with 8 million dollars.  Call me super-laywer, beyoch!

Anyway, thanks for coming by.  It was a good time!!

[TylerChuit]

...if we only have 3 hours together, do we really want to spend 33.3333333% of that time re-learning the rules?

That was part of the motivation that inspired my Descent thread.  Partly so if we get to play it when we're together, we don't have to waste time relearning rules.  Also, we rarely actually get game time in the first place, and I'd like to get some enjoyment out of my $220+ investment.

[Dragon]

Thanks so much for taking the time to run this game for us! If you need to take a few days to post something, that's fine. Definitely understandable considering the length of time required to keep track of all of our characters and everything else involved.

[Wyldwing]

Thanks so much for taking the time to run this game for us!

I have to 2nd that sentiment.

Chris...I know you're putting in some HEAVY DUTY time to give us this gift.  THANK YOU.

[TylerChuit]

Well, thanks.  I don't want to make it sound like I don't enjoy doing it.  Switching back and forth between the four internet windows, not to mention the source map and layers in Photoshop, so I can see the whole picture is a bit tedious, but I love the calculating and wrangling the information across all the places I have to keep track of. 

It's draining, but very fun.  I wouldn't still be doing it if I wasn't enjoying it. 

[tampamac2002]

Game on, you mother effers.   

I enjoy the game as well, thanks for sharing this experience with us, Chris.


Mac