|
 Games
Night
Letters to the Games Night Editor You are visitor number |
|
Games
Night
Letters to the Games Night Editor You are visitor number |
Caleb _____ wrote:
Please excuse the ignorance of an outsider, but I stumbled across your site and read about the "first time played" rule. This sounds like a sensible thing, but I can't be sure, as I don't know what it is. Could you please explain the first time played rule for me?
Thankyou
CALEB
***Zechariah 6:7***
Reply:
Hello Caleb _____,
The first time played rule was first put in place in our gaming group when a player brought a game, cosmic encounters, that he was very experienced in and that none of the other players had ever played. I didn't seem right that the experienced player should score an easy victory that would count in the player's statistics just because he/she was the only experienced player in the game. It later became apparent that the first time played rule had other benefits. It gave players the chance to try out the limits of the game, e.g. hold LOTS of cards or very few cards, with out being penalized in their statistics. This wild, shooting from the hip, type of play quickly exposes the nuances of the game as well as any pinch points in the game's mechanics. All of the players in a game played this way, not counting towards the statistics, learn the game more thoroughly and very quickly as well.
The standard for the "First Time Played Rule" is now: Any time a game is played at Games Night for the first time it does not count in the players statistics. There are times that the group plays a "practice hand" to get the order of play or the parts of a turn correct in the players minds. This does not count as a "GAME". After that practice hand the group restarts the game and that game is the first time the game is played in full. That first FULL game falls under the first time rule and does not count in the statistics. This part of the rule allows players the free wheeling play during the "end game" and that facilitates a full learning of all of the game's nuances.
In the case of a game that many or even all of the players in the group have played but, that game had never been played AT games night, that game also falls under that first time played rule. There have been a few games that play much different in the game group than they do in a family setting. There are still things to be learned about the even most pedestrian game in the crucible of a highly competitive gaming group.
The player's stats have become how player measure their gaming strength against the other in the group. They want the game play to be "tight" and fair and, that should also carry over it to how the stats and collected and compiled.
It does all seem like we are making too much of what amounts to just "bragging rights" but, that's the way our group is.
I hope this helps you.
Email me anytime.
Later, Spanky ;-)
Letter to the Editor
From: Bob ______
To: Editor
Dear Ken,
Why am I the only person who writes letters to the editor? Well nevermind, I just wanted to say that I am honored to be the quote of the millennium. I always knew that my mouth would get me something some day. I also wanted to point out that I have managed to restrain my frustration and anger at game nights in the most recent nights. This I believe has given me the right to make my commentary that you posted because I have been able to take a step back and see what some others may not be able to see due to their long exposure to the prevailing culture at game night. If you let me know where game night is this Saturday I will attend regardless of the location as long as that is acceptable. I just think that everyone including myself needs to think about what we are doing at game night, namely trying to have fun, and when a difference of opinion occurs we need to come to a simple solution or roll a die to resolve it.
Your Friend,
Bugbreath
Reply:
Dear Bob,
I guess that games nights are no longer the civil gatherings they once were. This is due to many changes that have taken place. Not all of these changes have been bad. Such as, all of the players have improved their game playing skills. This improved game play makes for closer games in which more players have a chance of winning near the end. In games of all types, when the game is tight and the outcome is may hinge on a single and often small play, blunder or missed call the excitement builds to a fever pitch. The best football games to watch are the close ones and, it is even better if a team you care about is in the game. At games night, we all have a team that we care about, the only thing that is different is that there is only one fan for each team. Not only do the players act as their own fan but, they must act as the coach and advocate in disputed plays. The advocate part is the trouble spot. More often than not, these "advocates" are called upon to be judges in the dispute and there are clear conflicts of interests. In most cases, the disputes are handled quickly and fairly. Personally, I'll take quickly and fairly over quietly and capriciously every time.
Games nights have always been loud events. I believe that they were more boisterous when we were playing at Jeff's old place. Often was the time that I would wander off into another room to escape the sound and the fury of the gaming room. I remember people getting mad and staying mad back then. I can not think of anytime that something like that happened in the past year. I think that is a good sign. Now that I think about it, games night was never very civil.
I believe that your comment about the mind-set of the players at games night to be very pertinent. The mood of players affects the group as a whole. I will try to be cheerful and ready to share in the fun of games night when I arrive. If all of the players do this one thing, it may reduce the amount of stress at games night.
Maybe we need to say a "Gamer's Creed" every week. A short list of thing that we should keep in mind as we play our games.
I (state your name) do hear by pledge to you, my fellow gamers that:
Later,
Spanky ;-)
Letter to the Editor (Bob _____, Mon 16:51)
To: spanky2001@geocities.com
Ken,
When are we going to do the random picking of games for the first game of the night? I also suggest that one person can write a review for that game only. This way the burden of writing the review is spread out over all the people and it is only one review a week. Maybe the biggest advocate or the owner of that game can be the one to write the review? I hope to hear some other input on this topic.
Your enemy till the bitter end,
Bugbreath
Reply:
Dear Bugbreath,
The first thing that I would like to say is, thank you for your letter.
Now, to your first question, the equipment needed for the first game random draw. It shall be done as soon as I can get to it. It may even be ready by this next Friday.
Games reviews is something that I would REALLY like to get done. What if, when we pick the first game of the night from the games jar and play it, the winner and the person who comes in last have to write a review of the game. I would like to have a few reviews of each game so that people can get a better idea of what the game is really like. Only the first game of the night would get reviewed every week. In that way, the reviews will get done at painless pace and will be done in less than six months. I hope that having this little extra job riding on the outcome of the first game would not "stress out" any of the players during the game.
Speaking of "stressing out", after searching the globe I have found "THE BIG BLUE BUTTON O'STRESS". I will bring it with me on Friday. This powerful device may be just what we need to be able to play more games per games night. Just how it is to be used should be a group decision.
Later,
Spanky ;-)
Letters to the Editor (Bugbreath , Mon 22:49)
To: spontelli@worldnet.att.net
Born: May 24, 1998
Died: September 2,1998
"Might have been better if I had never lived at all"
Reply:
Dear Bugbreath a.k.a. Bob,
IT"S ALIVE!! Thanks for breathing new life into the letters page. I took the opportunity of your letter to "upgrade" the letters page to the new layout and colors that the rest of the "games" pages have.
Later,
Spanky ;-)
Letter pulled from page on September 21, 1998 per author's request.
Reply:
Chuck,
I guess I feel that a quick "I'm sorry, now what's your point." in the heat of an exchange, doesn't REALLY count. I don't think that anything can be gained by going over the details of argument that happen ten week ago.
I know that I lost my cool and answered you harshly and I'm sorry about that.
Now, due to this email exchange, I have other issues with you that may not be so easy to resolve. Only time will tell.
Later,
Spanky
Stats Page ("Robert L. Jones" , Mon 23:38) To: spontelli@worldnet.att.net
Dear Ken,
Oh sure, just as I start climbing in total percentage, you decide to stop the stats page. OK, post this....bawk, bawk, bawk, cluck, cluck, cluck.....what are you chicken? I had just gotten you and Bill in my sights.
Thanks, Bob "Bugbreath" Jones
P.S.-And now I thought I would do well seeing as I won't have to play Scrabble for another year, thanks....that is the last time I will play Scrabble until the stats page is reinstated.
Reply:
Dear Bob,
Friday night, after most everyone had left, Brendan and Jeff told me how they felt that the keeping of stats had ruined games night. They made it clear that other games nighters felt the same way. They want to have everyone vote to either to end stats forever or keep them. If they vote to keep stats, then they want to "weight" the game in the interest of "fairness". They want longer and more "complicated" games to be worth three or four times what "simple" games are worth. They felt that I like to play all of the quick games due to the fact that I win most of them. I check some of the early stats pages that I had around the house to see how true this has been in the past. I found a stats page on which about 45 games had been played. On that stats page I found, No Blurt, Balderdash or Bop-it and, very few Jengas and Split Seconds. Looking at this old stats page further I found that, even without having play many of the "short" game, my win percentage was higher then.
Before I began keep the stats page my winning percentage was even higher. Back in the pre stats days player often asked each other "who won this game last" as to ascertain a target for "extra" attention. I knew that when I started the stats page and all of the players had a clear image of who wins at what, I would be the target of this "extra" attention. I also knew that some of the more lackadaisical player might try harder when playing games if stats were kept. So, in an attempt to make game play faster, tighter and more competitive I decided to keep the stats for games night players.
It seems to me that some of the players at games night want to keep thing very light and just for fun with not a lot of competition. I can understand their position and have often suggested having three weeks on and one week off for the stats. With this arrangement, I thought, we would have the best of both worlds. I must admit, that the idea of a night off from stats has some appeal, even to me. Brendan and Jeff, for reasons that are still unclear to me, didn't like this idea at all.
This will all sort it self out with time, I guess. Until then, we can all take a little break from stats.
Later,
Spanky ;-)
PS Thanks for your feed back. It means a lot to me.
Letter pulled from page on September 21, 1998 per author's request.
Reply:
Dear Chuck,
You may have been hurt be my last email due to a timing issue. The most recent email you received from me sat in an email outbox for more than a day. That is to say, It had been written before friday night but, set unsent, till early saturday evening. I hope that undoes some of your anger.
As far as this book thing, you AGREED to read the book when I asked for your opinion of it, and even often told me that you would read it. If you didn't want to read it, you could have told me so. I can only go by what you said.
We can agree to disagree if you would like but, Chuck, I'm done with this.
I hope that we can return to a cordial relationship.
Spanky
Letter pulled from page on September 21, 1998 per author's request.
Reply:
Chuck,
We can talk about the Berne stuff at a later date. It is not at all clear and, I have been receiving conflicking information as to many of the murkier parts of it.
Thank you for acknowledging the fact that I did not manipulate the posting policy of this site for any reason. My final comments were about the book you said you would read years ago. I believe it had something to do with the fact that the book can be found in most libraries and why you never took this easy step to get it.
Your responce was a blank stare.
Then I left.
If I said a final fuck anything, It was a "fuck this" directed toward Jeff, expressing my aggravation with the situation.
Later,
Spanky
PS Are we done with this yet? We can agree to disagree if you would like. I hope we can put this behind us soon.
Letter pulled from page on September 21, 1998 per author's request.
Reply:
Chuck,
Thanks for clearing up the matter of your permission to post the E-mail in question. If you change your mind, let me know and, I will remove them from the site a.s.a.p. I am sorry that the posting of the e-mail upset you. That was not my intent.
Later, Spanky
Received: 8/26/98
Letter pulled from page on September 21, 1998 per author's request.
Reply:
Just tell me what you want on or off this site and I will do my best to meet with your wishes as soon as possible.
Received: 8/25/98
Letter pulled from page on September 21, 1998 per author's request.
Reply:
1) It's the Berne
Convention Implementation Act of 1988, H.R Rep. No. 609, 100 Cong.,
2d Sess. 23 (1988). Not Byrne.
2) I did post the first of your E-mails. I did not start to post in
the middle.
3) I don't remember you apologizing, *right* or otherwise.
4) AGAIN, I did post the first of your E-mails. I did not start to
post in the middle.
5) I made NO presumptions about your activies. Your only activity I
ever said anything about was your sending E-mailing to me.
6) Does the phrase "an admission of my culpability in the exchange."
ring
a bell.
7) Sometimes, when someone interrupts me TEN TIMES in a row, over non-germane
points, my nerves become frazzled.
8) Sometimes, YEARS of constant lip service on the reading of a book
can get on my nerves too.
Received: 8/23/98
{Per the author's request, the name of the letter's author and the letter it self are not being posted.}
Reply:
Dear (letter writer),
Yes, I am trying to see your points.
My understanding of "private" E-mail is that it may be read, forwarded, "published" or posted by the recipient. The recipient owns it.
The E-mail "posting" policy of this web site has always been that if the author of an E-mail makes it clear, in the body of their message, that they do not want that specific E-mail to appear on the games night site then, their request is honored.
I was trying to keep the entire games night group up to date on the situation. I felt that this was called for due to the questions I had been fielding on this subject. I felt that, the posted E-mails in question, were heart felt and honest. I also felt that the posting of these E-mails would help to heal the situation.
As to your opinion that I am being a "jerk" about this. It was never my intention to make the situation worse. I am NOT trying to "take this to the next level".
I am sorry for my part in this whole thing. It's time to forgive and forget, in my opinion.
Later,
Spanky ;-)
PS Please relax a little. I feel you are make WAY to much of this whole thing.
Received 8/15/98
Letter pulled from page on September 21, 1998 per author's request.
Reply:
Dear Chuck,
I see.
Later,
Spanky ;-)
Letter pulled from page on September 21, 1998 per author's request.
Reply:
Dear Chuck,
I have no problem in honoring your request to receive no future E-mail about game’s night. I was keeping your name on the game’s night update E-mail list as a way of keeping the lines of communication open between us. I had hoped that this maintenance of a communication link would be seen, by you, as an olive branch. The attachments were customized by me to act as an extra little invitation, by me, to entice you back to games night. I am sorry if I am not up to snuff on what is and is not the polite way to send attachments.
Due to a great number of reasons, game’s night players can become upset with each other. This happens quite often and, even the most level headed of us can "lose our cool" from time to time. I have yet to see an argument or disagreement, at game’s night, so derisive that it should end a friendship. Another player’s bad behavior has been forgiven by every one of us at one time or another. I feel that the exchange that we had on June 24th is no different. I had hoped that the fact that I made myself "Jerk of the night" would be seen, by you, as an admission of my culpability in the exchange.
Game’s night players have always been a very forgiving and accepting of the other players. I hope that this is a trend that can continue in the future.
Later,
Spanky ;-)
PS I don’t have your snail mail address or your phone number and felt that I had no option but to send you this though E-mail. I hope you will forgive the forward nature of my E-mailing this to you after you made your view on receiving games related E-mail very clear. Again, I was out of options.
Dear Ken,
Getting real tired of games where 1 player has multiple turns, it has a tendency to BORE the shit out of the other players. We seem to be getting away of keep it simple and FUN!!!!!! 1player, 1move, then move on.
Brendan
Reply:
Hey Brendan,
Thanx [sic] for your E-mail. I too, felt a little bored between turns this past friday. Most of the delays were due to the fact of a game being tried for the first time by the group. The way that I dealt with my boredom was to verbally attack a player on my own team. While this raised the tension of the entire group, it did relieve my boredom. This, of course, was unfair to the player being attacked and, I would like to take this opportunity apologize to said player. I'm sorry Bob.
I'm sure that the next time the group plays Axis and Allies that the game will move much quicker and be less boring. I also enjoy some of the faster paced games. Maybe we could pick a mood for the night. One night could be "no brainer" night and we could play Jenga, Blurt, Battling Tops and Monopoly. Next time, maybe, "Tough Game" night with Ubi, Scrabble and Rail Barron. Other night could be: "Quicky", "Cards only", "New Game" and just for you Brendan a "1player 1move" night.
Later,
Spanky ;-)
Dear Ken,
I have a suggestion in regards to the selection of games for games night. I think that we should have one person in charge of picking all the games for that night. If the person would like to play just one long game then on their night that is their choice, if they want to set up a tournament of several short games or one short game several times they can do that. This way nobody can say that they don’t get to play the game that they want and nobody should complain about playing something that they don’t want to because everyone else would be subject to the same rules. I think that the choosers should be limited to you, Jeff, Chuck, Bill, Brendan and I because we are the most consistent players. Let me know what you think because I think that this is the only way that I can get you guys to play Axis & Allies which I am really getting disappointed that we have not played even though I have had it for almost five months. If we do this I will volunteer, just like Wilfred Berry, to go in the worst spot, last.
Please consider this suggestion,
Bob
Reply:
Hey Bob,
Thanx [sic]for your E-mail. I like some of the aspects of your plan. With a little fine tuning I think it may work. One problem that I do see in a plan that has a fixed rotation is that players who like to play unpopular games may have lightly attended games nights when it is their night to pick the games to be played. To avoid this it might be better to draw the name of the player who will pick the games at the start of games night. I was thinking that the names of the last two player to have the "honor" of games chooser be removed from the drawing for the current evening.
Well, I guess this is all just food for thought. I hope that some sort change is made in the near future. In other words; You can count on my help to make sure that your ideas get a fair hearing by the group.
Later,
Spanky ;-)
since 5/26/98