Gamicon-First Night

Tonight was the kickoff for this year's Gamicon, a convention I haven't gone to in over a decade. With my recent heavy involvement in gaming, I thought I'd wander over there and see what was up. At the worst, I'd get a chance to play some games with people I already know, and contribute $25 to the con itself.

I was around the 150th person to register, and I could see quite a few gamers wandering around the IMU. It looked pretty promising, really. I agreed to join a game of Carcassonne: Hunters & Gatherers with Ziggy and Dan. While they were setting up, I ran off to sign up for the 8 O'clock Puerto Rico game Dan was running, and visit the dealer area.

The dealer area was pretty boring. Really, it was 5 different dealers seeling in-print games, and one table of people selling some pretty cool, arty fantasy t-shirts they had made. I'm not a crazy t-shirt fan, so it wasn't too exciting. I was hoping for some kind of selection of used/out-of-print stuff, but it wasn't to be.

Returning to the table, Andy Miller jumped into the game, and we all exchanged some banter with Steve Groom while he was opening some AGOT packs. Dan taught Andy the basic rules, and the game got underway. As an abstract game, Hunters & Gatherers seems better constructed than basic Carcassonne. However, I have a hard time getting into it. The tile layout just never really coalesces into something interesting to me. Consequently, I think it contributes to me not paying as much attention to the game, and me having less fun. The bonus tiles can be a really big thing, too, which can be somewhat arbitrary. It adds a little more of a swingy nature to the game, and the chaos can be nice. Dan seemed to be the early threat, for some reason, but the tile-laying was sowhat random. I committed too many fishermen early, three of whom ended up getting trapped until fairly late in the game. As a result, my point scoring opportunities were very limited. I got the tile to release one of my fishermen as my last tile of the game... after playing him on maybe my third or fourth play. Things were back and forth, although Andy ran behind most of the game. He had a big hunter at the end, but not as big as Dan's, who's gigantic hunter went very well with his huge fishing hut (courtesy of the four fish bonus tile). I got into position to tie into Dan's big hunter, but Ziggy drew the standing stone bonus tile, and set it where it would tie him in too, if I played a piece to tie in. Of course, I didn't play that piece, even though I drew it. In the end, Dan won, putting me in second by about 5 points. Ziggy followed in third, and Andy brought up the rear of the formation.

After H & G, we had a little time to kill before Puerto Rico, so I taught the other two San Juan. Ziggy had a really nice opening draw of small purple modifier buildings, which set him up well to progress in the game. I had a poor hand, and went right for coffee, hoping to produce and draw cards. Ziggy's early gold mine paid off big several times in this game, generating some nice buildings for him. Getting to look at four and pick (when it works) makes it pretty good, I think. I ramped up to sugar, putting out a Guild Hall and 5 production buildings. I was a turn away from a Palace, which would have given me the game, but Ziggy wisely closed off the building while Dan and I had little money, and his massive number of purple buildings, big building, and Chapel were enough to take it, with me in second, and Dan frustrated to the point of not even counting his victory points.

Dan went right to setting up Puerto Rico, as Jerod had arrived from the dealer area to join us. We got set up, and it ended up Dan first, then me, then Jerod, then Ziggy. Dan settled for quarry, and I got corn. I built for small market, and Jerod and Ziggy picked up construction huts, which served them well. As the early game progressed, I planted more corn and scored a couple pretty good Captain rounds. In the midgame I lost the plot, and chased a couple of the wrong buildings, misanalyzing how many more shipping opportunities might remain. I ended up with both a small and large market, but got kept out of trading two or three times, which really cost me. Jerod ended up making quite a bit of money, and despite buying the wrong building at least once, he got to purchase two good big buildings. This proved to be the decider that would carry him over my early shipping. I should have shipped or produced at least two more times, rather than building myself. In the end, Ziggy chose to build for the last big building, when it would end the game (as Jerod had only one spot left), and when he was pretty clearly losing the game. Despite my pointing this out to him, Dan egged him on, and he went through with it. When the adobe set, Ziggy was in last, with Dan in third, me in second, and Jerod in first. I was a little frustrated as I didn't understand Ziggy's play at all, when he clearly needed to produce to try for another shipping round (of course this would have helped me also, although I don't think I would have won). It was a pretty enjoyable game, up until the end. I only wish I would have been a little more intellectually involved.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll get to check out the auction, and play a couple games I haven't played before. Chris and Edie run the board game room there, and they have several games (Torres, Java, Power Grid, Caylus...) that I haven't played and would love to try. Hope I get a chance to spend some time with them tomorrow.