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Another Tennessee Game Days has concluded, and I had just as much fun at it this year as I have in the past.

I stated before the event that I really didn’t have any idea what I wanted to play. Had no plan at all for the weekend. Lately I’ve become jaded with the typical Euro’s and find them to be not as much fun as I used to find them.

If I had a goal for the weekend, it was to not really play any new games unless I thought I might find them interesting, or perhaps, unless they were really quick filler type games while waiting for something else to happen.

I sort of succeeded in my goal I guess, as really I only played like 4 new games.

FRIDAY
So I decided for once, I was going to take off on Friday and go early, so that I didn’t arrive so late on Friday and lose one whole day of gaming. (Plus, I had a vacation day at work that I would lose if I didn’t use it before June 30, so that worked out well).

So Val and I packed up early in the morning and headed out, putting me in Nashville around 10:30 or so.

So I immediately registered and started looking for a game. Found a couple of guys also looking for a game and we selected San Juan.

After San Juan, I hooked up with a different crew that was around the “Learn to Win” (LTW) table, with games where you could write your name on the sheet if you played it, and at the end of the event, they would give the game to someone on the sheet.

We grabbed Gem Dealer, a game I had heard a tiny bit about, but it was quick so I agreed to play it. Unfortunately, I didn’t really enjoy it all that much there was a little bit to much luck of the draw, and not much going on as far as strategy.

The group I was with after trying Gem Dealer wanted to stick with the LTW table, and I didn’t have much else to do, so I stuck with them, we played two games of For Sale. I have played For Sale before and like it very much, so I taught the game to the crew, and they signed up for the Learn to Win.

That put this crew in the mood for more Auction games, so D asked to play a game of Modern Art. Another game I know pretty well, not that I like it all that much, but I don’t dislike it. I’d just rather play some other auction games more. Anyway, I taught them the game.

After that we played Acquire, another great classic

I decided I wanted to play something with a little more guts. I found another person D (different D) and he wanted to try 1960 the Making of a President. So I taught him that game.

I filled out the rest of my evening with two games I had not played before, but were quick easy to learn games. Fits, which I thought was quite interesting, and 10 days in Asia, which I was luke warm on.

SATURDAY
So, Saturday started with me setting up my table for the Flea Market. I of course took this opportunity to purge a little bit of my collection. My constant goal to try to keep the number of games in my collection small but still robust. I think I sold Dominion, the Revised Axis & Allies, Onslaught, Hellas, Elfenland, maybe a few others. Had an interested party in Formula D, but ended up not taking my price, and I didn’t really want to come down. Picked up a copy of Trans Europa though for 5 bucks. Which turned out to be quite a popular pickup.

So, while the flea market was still going on, there was no sense in wasting our time, so I set up and started playing a game of Trans Europa. I don’t really consider that a new game, since I’ve played quite a bit of Trans America. I’m not a big fan of it, but for five bucks, I thought I’d pick it up and see if Val and the Kids might like it. If they don’t, I’m sure it will be in the TGD Flea Market next year again if I go. (Of note, though I don’t really like either Trans America, or Trans Europa, I think America is slightly better).

I had set up a game of Die Macher for Saturday Morning which of course, turned into Saturday Afternoon. I love this game though, and enjoyed every minute of it, though I kind of got pushed out of the sixth election which kind of killed my plans. Ended up losing to T, actually, ended up in 4th place. I blame the loss on having to play the Grune Party instead of FDP.

After that I went out for an extended dinner after that, and returned late that evening to find L asking me about 1960: the Making of a President, after finding out I had taught someone on Friday and asking if I could teach him as well. I of course agreed right away and off we went.

After playing my second 1960 game, I found a crew trying to LTW the game High Society. I enjoy this filler, and they needed to be taught, so I volunteered.

I finished off the night with a few rules of Zendo. Of which I purely stunk it up after a long day of trying to win two elections.

SUNDAY
I walked in Sunday Morning with a few people just wanting to fill out the time before the Take it Easy tournament. So someone grabbed Cities, which was a Very nice game for the amount of time that it took. I very much enjoyed that one, Thanks goes to J for teaching it.

After a couple of games of Cities, it was time for the Take it Easy tournament. I was determined to not only not come in last place this year, but to actually try to win it. I thought I had a great shot too, and after calculating my final score of 219. I was sure I had it. But then, someone good at math double checked me and found out I actually had 171. Unfortunately, this was not enough

After that, I jumped into my second game of Small World. I like the game, but I’m not sure how much I like it or not yet, and I’m not sure how many plays it will be worth, and whether or not I actually want a box that big on my shelf. Enjoyed my second game of it very much, and coupled with the Variant Map rules which have just been posted recently, I am becoming more and more interested.

While I was playing Small World, T came up to me and asked to play a game of La Havre. But I don’t really like La Havre all that much, or at least, I don’t think I do, but T was persistant that he wanted to play a game with me besides Die Macher that weekend, so I suggested a game of Roads and Boats, T jumped at that, and we found one other interested party, and played that till the Conclusion of the Con.

CONCLUSION
It was another great Tennessee Game days. If it wasn’t for the fact that Ole Miss was in the Super Regional, losing out on another bid to Omaha for the College World Series at the same time, I would have said it was the perfect weekend.

written by Chris \\ tags: Baseball, Boardgames, Ole Miss, Tennessee Game Days

Building upon my last post about Pizza Box Football. I feel it’s only fair to mention Pizza Box Baseball. I bought this simply based upon my liking of Pizza Box Football. I love baseball, always have.

Here’s the thing though. Baseball is a different game from Football. You can play a football game, and it feels like a football game. Come back a couple of weeks later, and play it again, and it still feels like a football game.

Baseball isn’t that way. One day, I have my ace up against your lineup. The next day, I have a totally different pitcher throwing. Your batters may be on fire one day, but totally cold the next. Some of that has to do with my pitcher, but not all of it.

That’s why, before deciding my final verdict on Pizza Box Baseball, I wanted to give it a real chance. So, BW and I decided that we would play a series of the game instead. So that we can fully go through the rotations, pick up some of the subtle nuances, etc. that make baseball,,, baseball.

It’s very very good at doing the simulation. Granted, just like football, the outcomes are mostly random but can be influenced in your favor by subtle decisions that you make, but over the course of one game, random chance can definitely be more of a factor than can good decisions.

As far as the “boys of summer” aspect. It handles that quite appropriately as well. Pitcher 1 vs. 1 matchups will typically be tight, low scoring affairs. If your #5 is throwing that day, then you’ll have to make up for it with your bats. It even provides good rules for throwing on less “rest”. A #1 throwing early is still probably better than your #5 throwing rested.

A full league would be an interesting thing. But I’m sure everyone would get a little sick of trying 162 games of this.

Still, I like it. Just like the football game, it’s Freaking Fun. Unlike the football game, the stats thing needs a little bit more work. I don’t like the baseball scorecard that comes with this one, it needs to be tweaked a little bit. Sounds like a project for when Valerie is at Perry.

written by Chris \\ tags: Baseball, Boardgames, league, Pizza Box Baseball, World Series

So, Ole Miss Baseball is in full swing. That’s a pretty important thing in Oxford, especially since Ole Miss Baseball is ranked as high as No. 2 in some baseball polls.

As of right now, they are undefeated. 8-0 at the time of this writing. I’m still going to the games as before. Kids to, but this year, they have taken down the playground as there is some looming construction as they increase the size of the grandstands. So the kids have to make their own fun. They seem to manage okay.

But the main reason for my post… Friday night, the fog on the field was unreal. Supposedly the outfielders could not see the ball coming off the bat, and relied on the infielders to tell them where to run and they would look up hoping to be able to pick the ball up out of the fog.

From my vantage point in Left Field. I couldn’t even see past the third base bag in most cases. As far as picking up the pitcher and batter. Very rarely would I see something in that area. The ball was a total no show though as there was no hope of seeing that thing. Mostly, we sat in the outfield listening to the radio… However, sometimes they couldn’t even see what was going on.

I snapped a couple of pictures with my iPhone. I know it’s hard to see in the picture I uploaded. Fog just doesn’t photograph well on a camera phone…

written by Chris \\ tags: Baseball, iPhone, Ole Miss, Pictures

Well, everyone seemed to get over anything that they’ve had in the last week and everyone is doing well again.

Of course Val had to leave town this past weekend for an NRA meeting in Virginia. So what did me and the kids do without Mom for Mother’s Day Weekend… Ole Miss Baseball.

Ole Miss had a three game series with Arkansas. Of course we sort of go to pretty much every game. We sit in left field near the playground and where you’re allowed to bring in your own food and drinks.

Sarah pretty much spent the entire time on the playground. But Olivia had fun when she wasn’t asleep on my shoulder. Which ended up being half the game.

Incidently to most of you, Ole Miss lost the Friday game. But came back to win Saturday and Sunday to win the series and clinch a spot in the SEC Tournament.

written by Chris \\ tags: Baseball, Ole Miss, Valerie