Something... new? Something new!!! (Games)

I've bungled on about politics long enough, right? Right. So today, we enter another topic near and dear to my heart. (For reference, politics is neither near nor dear, it is simply necessary that we stay informed in this day and age, so I bite the bullet on that one)

Games.

To anyone who knew me during my wacky college years (I am exactly the same person still), I had a lot to do with games. Humans Vs. Zombies, Smash Brothers tournaments, weekly board/card game nights, the like.

The people who know me perhaps a bit more intimately may be aware that I developed two games of my own as well. Yes, gaming is important in my life, and I thought I'd take the opportunity this week to remind my readers (I think I have readers at any rate) of the amazing and marvelous directions that games are headed in.

To start on the topic of games that even non-nerds play (we can't have all the fun), Humans Vs. Zombies is a game that only recently became popular, largely due to college campuses everywhere taking it up in force. It's basically Tag, except that the person who's "it" recruits the other players to his team by tagging them. He's the lone zombie infecting all the living humans. There are a few more crucial differences- for example, in HvZ, the game lasts for days at a time (or longer) and is often played during normally scheduled activities such that your commute to classes becomes a terrifying life-or-death sprint through campus, followed by an hour of being paranoid about leaving the room. The other main difference is that human players can defend themselves from zombie attacks with approved projectiles (socks and nerf guns typically).

Why am I saying all this? Because it's important to recognize that so much popularity and fun can be derived from a game using a very simple set of rules and very minimal props (socks are pretty cheap from thrift stores). Not only is it a blast to play for a few hours, but you get a heightened sense of adrenaline for basically the whole week, along with some great exercise, bonding experience, and an overall sense of accomplishment. I must stress this: This game requires so few props and is so easy to set up, yet provides so much entertainment. It's emergent gameplay at its finest.


I'm also excited about traditional game platforms (board games and card games) though. Not to downplay the fun that some people have with purely luck-based games, but I'm incredibly delighted that stores like Barnes & Noble and Target have begun picking up Euro Games. This is a class of game that you can learn more about here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German-style_board_game

Euro Games employ more strategy and downplay the importance of luck. They almost always don't eliminate players before the game's end either.

When people find out I'm a board gamer, if they're not familiar with the type of game I play, they often envision Risk or Monopoly and they're justifiably wary. I've noticed that most people who "aren't gamers" are really just people who are jaded with the simplicity and boring nature of American games. These are people who:

1. Get bored doing the same thing over and over again without thinking about it (rolling dice in Monopoly and buying every property you can).
2. Get bored with games that kick them out quickly (Being the first to lose in Risk and sitting out for another two hours).
3. Get frustrated with games that rely on the throw of the dice instead of the person's individual intellect (Plenty of games).

These are common annoyances that are quite often addressed by Euro Games. However, a valid complaint is that sometimes the Euro Games swing too far to the opposite side. Some are overly complicated with far too many rules and intricate setups. Discerning between the good and the bad takes some time, but I haven't introduced many people to these games without having them come back for more.
Examples of good introductory EGs are few and far between, but Settlers of Catan represents a cross between the luck (dice rolls every turn) of American games, and strategy (deciding placement and personal mechanic building) of EGs. Ticket To Ride is another such game that treads both worlds and is easy to learn.
However, once you've picked up how Euro Games function, you can begin the plunge into:
Dominion
Carcassonne
Race for the Galaxy
Seven Wonders
Small World
Stone Age
and many others. The hobby is one that I recommend to anyone who likes intellectual stimulation when mixed with fun.


Our final topic of the evening-- video games.
The two things impressing me most about video game technology is the emergence of voxels instead of polygons and virtual reality.
1. Holy shit you guys, have you seen voxel technology used well?! As someone who grew up loving video games when the N64 came out, polygons have been ingrained into my brain as the "norm." While technology has improved, there's still plenty of obvious polygon technology in video games. But voxels? Jesus tap-dancing hullabaloo, that stuff is impressive.
2. Virtual reality. Ten years. Mark my words.

Games are getting better and more accessible in every way with the exception of plot, which isn't technology-based. Combine the height of technology with amazing writing and you have my favorite stuff in the world. Ever.

(When Bioshock 1 first came out, I swear...)

Anyway, yeah, games are impressive, and even if you're not a gamer, you should consider dipping your feet into the territory. Loads of fun.

-
Waddles