Friday Night Gaming: Power Grid, Palastgeflüster
March 22, 2009
There was a good chance that I wasn't going to make it this evening because of Kublacon. But the problem with playing in Friday night games at Kublacon is the 30-40 minute drive home at 2:00 a.m. and then having to get back to the con by 9:00 a.m. the next morning. So, a game has to be really enticing for me to commit. And since Ian had called for a return of Power Grid, it was an easy decision for me to join the regular gang. We were missing Zach (who was not at the con), whose new job/home in San Francisco has been limiting his participation and probably will continue to do so into the future. We had Merwin, Brian, Robert, Ian, and myself.
Power Grid
As with the first game, Step 3 seemed to come a little late. This time, it was Brian just waiting to pounce to trigger the end of the game. Seeing this and that he could power 13 cities to my 12, I picked up a power plant that increased my capacity to 13. Unfortunately, between this cost ($16), buying garbage for my 6-city plant, and expansion to 13 cities, I spent a little too much money. I finished behind Brian by $13, iirc. Merwin, who consistently had the fewest cities, managed to connect 7(?) new cities in one turn to bring him up to 13 cities as well. but this left him >$100 behind Brian and I.
We played on the U.S. map (minus New England), which as the usual "western problem." That is, the major cities are concentrated in the east and expanding into the west is expensive. You see this in games like Empire Builder, Ticket to Ride, and many others. It is not really a problem, so much as an element of geography that one has to account for. In our game, Merwin owned the west. Brian had the best position in the east and the lack of serious competition helped to bring about his victory. But that's the rub. If someone had been butting heads with him, neither Brian nor this other player would have done as well, leaving opportunity for a third player (such as I, who was concentrated in the midwest) to win.
Of course, Merwin "hates this game," but his analysis paralysis wasn't so bad. And though he'd martyr himself and play again if the rest of us wanted, I doubt I'll be able to play again for a long time.
Palastgeflüster
Once Power Grid was over, we had time for a filler, but I wasn't too keen on the usual Bang! or The Red Dragon Inn. So we pulled this out instead for a second time. After a good start, tied with Brian and Merwin in the lead, I proceeded to stink up the place and finished in last place. The horribleness of people's hands in the last few rounds was astonishing. But Merwin got the best of it, beating Brian in the tie breaker.
There was a good chance that I wasn't going to make it this evening because of Kublacon. But the problem with playing in Friday night games at Kublacon is the 30-40 minute drive home at 2:00 a.m. and then having to get back to the con by 9:00 a.m. the next morning. So, a game has to be really enticing for me to commit. And since Ian had called for a return of Power Grid, it was an easy decision for me to join the regular gang. We were missing Zach (who was not at the con), whose new job/home in San Francisco has been limiting his participation and probably will continue to do so into the future. We had Merwin, Brian, Robert, Ian, and myself.
Power Grid
As with the first game, Step 3 seemed to come a little late. This time, it was Brian just waiting to pounce to trigger the end of the game. Seeing this and that he could power 13 cities to my 12, I picked up a power plant that increased my capacity to 13. Unfortunately, between this cost ($16), buying garbage for my 6-city plant, and expansion to 13 cities, I spent a little too much money. I finished behind Brian by $13, iirc. Merwin, who consistently had the fewest cities, managed to connect 7(?) new cities in one turn to bring him up to 13 cities as well. but this left him >$100 behind Brian and I.
We played on the U.S. map (minus New England), which as the usual "western problem." That is, the major cities are concentrated in the east and expanding into the west is expensive. You see this in games like Empire Builder, Ticket to Ride, and many others. It is not really a problem, so much as an element of geography that one has to account for. In our game, Merwin owned the west. Brian had the best position in the east and the lack of serious competition helped to bring about his victory. But that's the rub. If someone had been butting heads with him, neither Brian nor this other player would have done as well, leaving opportunity for a third player (such as I, who was concentrated in the midwest) to win.
Of course, Merwin "hates this game," but his analysis paralysis wasn't so bad. And though he'd martyr himself and play again if the rest of us wanted, I doubt I'll be able to play again for a long time.
Palastgeflüster
Once Power Grid was over, we had time for a filler, but I wasn't too keen on the usual Bang! or The Red Dragon Inn. So we pulled this out instead for a second time. After a good start, tied with Brian and Merwin in the lead, I proceeded to stink up the place and finished in last place. The horribleness of people's hands in the last few rounds was astonishing. But Merwin got the best of it, beating Brian in the tie breaker.
Labels: Other Games
posted by Patrick at 4:20 PM
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