Episode 10: The Hostess with the Mostess

10 D10 for 10th Episode

We have achieved double digits in our number of podcasts!!! I know it doesn't seem like much being only #10, but hey, when you set goals and you achieve them, you got to celebrate them. The next goal is to make it to #26 which will mean we have achieved a full year of podcasting. That is right, we have a full year planned and already working on year two.

So in this episode, we discuss how to hold a game night. Marty and I know that a bunch of this stuff is common sense, but it might not be something you think of right away. Of course you are going to have drinks out, of course you will have game appropriate snacks, but did you plan enough room for all that stuff and the game? It is the little things that can really make the night enjoyable for all and make it so it is more than a one shot.

• Atlanta: Nerdiest city in America (01:30)
• The Hostess with the Mostess (03:52)
• Filler Games (27:00)
• Casual Games for Game Night (31:30)
• Wrap it up (41:00)

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5 Minute Initiative: You wouldn't like me when I am angry

Just watched the Dice Tower Video on the 10 games not to play with angry people and it got us thinking, what games get under our skin especially when we lose.

Now, we love playing games and generally don't have an issue when we lose, because it is all about how you play the game that matters. Yeah, right, losing stinks and you can't help but feel a little anger, it is natural. So, what games get under your skin?

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Episode 9 - I am Your King!

In Episode 9, we talk about worker placement games. Next to card games, these have become some of my favorite games to play. They provide the strategy that I enjoy in a game as well as just enough luck to keep the game interesting. And more importantly, they tend to drip with theme. And it is the theme that will help you decide on the type of worker placement game because there are a bunch out there.

• What is Worker Placement 8:26
• Casual Corner: Lords of Waterdeep 15:16
• Closing thoughts 47:00

Enjoy the show and until next time, keep rolling dice and taking names.

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Video from Tabletop Day

Our game club, Queen City Game Club, hosted a Tabletop Day event on March 30th. We had 30+ attendees, prizes and lots of gaming and fun. We threw together this little video to commemorate the event.

5 Minute Initiative: Deduce this, Resistance is futile

In this short segment, Marty and I discuss our opinions on whether or not social deductions games like Resistance, Resistance: Avalon, Ultimate Werewolf are good games or not. This discussion came about from our recent interview with Alex on how to form a game club and how he liked to finish the night with this type of game. I am not a big fan of these games, where Marty does enjoy them. Give it a listen, post your opinions, especially those that help me win this discussion.


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Episode 8 - Lets Go Clubbin'

In Episode 8, Marty and I invited to the show the founder and leader of The Queen City Gaming Club, Alex. We had always planned to bring Alex on the show for without his commitment to get this club going, Marty and I may not have discovered some of the games we have grown to love nor discovered this incredible community of gamers that goes beyond those playing trading card games.

But what makes this show even more appropriate this week is that Saturday, March 30 is International Tabletop Day. So with this day getting so much notice, you might be able to actually get a game club going and we hope this show can give you some advice and things to avoid as you get started.

• The first segment is all about the history of the club and what it takes to get going (2:16)
• We then talk about some of the tough decisions you have to make (21:17)
• Finally, we discuss the future of our club and how community service is becoming part of the club (38:00)
• International Tabletop Day (01:01:30)

As I listened to the finally version of the show, which Marty went beyond the call of editing, I did walk away with a few key items that I will go ahead and share:

• Use Meetup as your means to get it started
• Expect drama because we are people, but deal with it when it happens
• You need to be willing to ask for volunteers and be willing to take it when given
• This is a club for social enjoyment, not a club to make money.

Enjoy the show

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Fantasy Baseball Draft Day and APBA Baseball

Every year, Marty hosts a fantasy baseball draft. This group that has been together for 13 years and during that time, I have never won. And while I still enjoy the draft, I have become less than engaged with baseball and fantasy baseball. I remember when I would spend weeks developing my draft sheets, reading about teams and trying to get the latest news. Now, I download projected stats, sort them by position and price and away I go. I know that to win the league, you need to pay attention to baseball and to be honest, I don't. Watching baseball on TV is painful for me, but love sitting in the stands at a game.

Anyway, what does this have to do with board games. Well, before fantasy baseball, I played a game growing up called APBA Baseball with my friends in the neighborhood. It was our first fantasy baseball experience.  The game was very simple, you needed these special cards representing baseball players, situation boards, baseball score sheets, and two D6 (each a different size or color so you know which was the tens and which was the ones).

The cards of the players mimic their stats from the baseball season so the better the player was, the better chance he had to get you on base, hit a homerun, or steal bases. Pitchers had grades and depending on the grades would determine outcomes on the situation boards for certain numbers. One other aspect of the situation boards was that the team on defense would total up their points and depending on that total would determine how good a team's fielding was. A poor fielding team would generate more errors where a better fielding team would get an out.

During your at bat, you would roll the dice and look on the player card to see the resulting number. You would then look that number up on the situation board depending on if players were on base and which bases they were on. Also, as the manager, you could tell your players to bunt or perform a hit and run before you rolled and look up the result in another book. You would continue to roll until you made three outs and then it would be the other player's turn. You would play nine innings of course and the games went very quick.

So, how was this fantasy baseball? Well, every year my friend's dad would order the previous seasons year and when the teams arrived, we would gather around the table and draft which teams we wanted. So, you had to research how players did that year to determine which teams you wanted to pick. You would then take those players and add them to your roster and of course cut those that no longer able to make the team because we had to keep a roster size of 25. We had Minors, AA, and A teams as well, but they were never a lot of fun to play. What was even better was sometimes my friend's dad would order teams from the past and I would learn about that season in baseball and I think it was his way of teaching us of a time when baseball was truly the Great American Pastime.

I know APBA is still around and you can order the base game for $22 (currently out of stock). I have no idea how it has changed and I know it is a lot more to it than when we played it. I bought the base game back in 1991 and taught it to Marty. Someday, we will play again because it is truly my first fantasy baseball game.