tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post113396570095771948..comments2024-03-28T05:12:10.477-07:00Comments on Gone Gaming: Today's Theme is ThemeColdfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11636345146138362966noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1134160614717869072005-12-09T12:36:00.000-08:002005-12-09T12:36:00.000-08:00Melissa, that's a very interesting point. This ex...Melissa, that's a very interesting point. This explains why I have so strongly objected when people have called the theme to Web of Power "pasted on"; it just makes more sense to say I am exerting influence over Europe through the church and the nobility rather than placing pieces of wood on marked points.<BR/><BR/>That doesn't mean Connect 4 becomes an attractive option if you slap a medieval politics theme on it. Hmmm, could red be the Church and yellow the Crown?Pawnstarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14138454253813433739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1134091601915305982005-12-08T17:26:00.000-08:002005-12-08T17:26:00.000-08:00I was taught to play Ys one day. The four of us pl...I was taught to play Ys one day. The four of us playing (taught by a non-player) were all confused, and didn't enjoy the game at all. It wasn't until after we'd finished, and looked at the box, that we learned what the theme was. How much more interesting the game would have been if we'd known what the little blocks of wood we were placing so randomly were meant to represent!Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12731608339380263848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1134056107486158752005-12-08T07:35:00.000-08:002005-12-08T07:35:00.000-08:00Rick, I think you may be nipping a bit at the mead...Rick, I think you may be nipping a bit at the mead yourself! :-) I bet I could go up to a dozen Torres lovers and no more than one or two could give me any details about the game's theme. It's about as close to a pure abstract as a themed game can get.huzonfirsthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12857915477472022870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1134006292136257502005-12-07T17:44:00.000-08:002005-12-07T17:44:00.000-08:00I agree, Rick, that the theme is perfect for the g...I agree, Rick, that the theme is perfect for the game play but it doesn't *drip* with theme, especially if you know nothing of the game. My point is that many people do not *feel* the theme of a game unless it's so thick that it can't be mistaken for anything but what it is. Pirate's Cove, for instance, which I've never played, is without a doubt a pirate game. Look at the ships, the treasure chests, etc. and you know what the theme is. And some people require a game's theme to be that thick while you and I can see a simpler version of the theme and enjoy the game for its characteristics.Coldfoothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11636345146138362966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1134003499640948742005-12-07T16:58:00.000-08:002005-12-07T16:58:00.000-08:00Mary, I'm disappointed. Torres has a very rich and...Mary, I'm disappointed. Torres has a very rich and strong theme. You cannot divorce the theme from the game's mechanisms. If that is done, the whole thing suffers. I believe that's the reason why Torres won the 2000 Spiel des Jahres - it has the perfect blend of fairy tale backstory, whimsical graphic design, and theme-to-mechanism integration. It's the best game ever awarded the Spiel des Jahres! Sure, it's abstract, but I'm not sure we would want to play a game where knights have to polish their armor, sharpen their swords, drink gallons of mean and eat whole roasted calves before they can clank slowly up staircases. It would be even more tedious for us to go through the entire process of building castles brick by brick. So it's all abstracted, quite excellently, into one of the best Eurogames ever made. :)Rickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10374893549602893334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1133972209900339142005-12-07T08:16:00.000-08:002005-12-07T08:16:00.000-08:00Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.Coldfoothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11636345146138362966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1133971850513584072005-12-07T08:10:00.000-08:002005-12-07T08:10:00.000-08:00The Disgruntled Postal Worker Game??!! Brilliant!...The Disgruntled Postal Worker Game??!! Brilliant! Double your salary, Weisbeck!huzonfirsthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12857915477472022870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1133969741277832222005-12-07T07:35:00.000-08:002005-12-07T07:35:00.000-08:00I can vouch for the fact that playing lots of game...I can vouch for the fact that playing lots of games online makes one "rules stupid". You just let the server handle all the fiddly stuff, and take your turn. Even with games I know well online, the first time I played them face-to-face, I had to comb the rules for setup, and other small stuff: Medina, Ra, Meuterer, St Petersburg, etc.ektedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02200891099572736360noreply@blogger.com