Yogi Berra
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Kick that Pig!
American Football has fascinated me for a long time, but I never really investigated on the fascination. Until recently. I've been a huge fan of the GFL-series (Galactic Football League) by Scott Sigler for a long time (wrote a blog entry about it a few years back...), and so has my friend Shinan, who a while ago wrote that he had started watching the real deal - inspired by Siglers' books. He had picked a team at random and started following their progress. I decided to follow suit.
Only I didn't choose a team at random, I just opted to follow the same team as he, and became a Minnesota Vikings fan. Having now seen a handful of matches I can come to a few conclusions...
I really enjoy watching the games. I've seen a few matches before, but it has mostly been the finnish "maple-league", and although they probably mean well, the class of play in the NFL is totally different.
The flow of play feels quite "boardgamey", and that is both good and bad. It's amazing to see how each player - or "pawn" - is a cog in a machinery which, when it works, is beautiful to watch. At first glance one might make the mistake of thinking it's all about the quarterback, and although all offensive plays originate from him ("her" if you're watching the Lingerie Football League) his efforts go to waste without the support of his team. It's tremendous to see how the entire wall of men push open an avenue for a runner to hopefully pass through, with movement synchronized to the second. The seemingly controlled chaos turns out to be meticulously rehearsed and executed.
On the other hand - when it goes wrong, even if only for one of the participating "cogs" the entire play falls apart and ends up in disaster. What the QB:s perform continue to amaze me; How they are able to, whilst running away from charging defenders, throw the ball twenty to thirty yards placing it firmly in the lap of a receiver running at full steam...
The sport also appears to the rules-lawyer in me. Back when I was studying for my security guard-license I took the legal bit a tad too seriously and ended up reading more criminal law than was required. I simply love the way laws and rules are written - the method of getting them so that they cover every angle and possibility so that there is as little room for interpretation as possible. It feels like american football has more rules than "regular" football (soccer), icehockey and basketball put together, and the referees and commentators all sound like lawyers on Law & Order when they explain the situations and penalties to come. Much like in TV:s courtrooms, factors like "intent" have to be taken into consideration when judging situations and what results from them.
Rules this rigorous has a dark side, though... It's easier to "play" the rules. Although I understand why it happens, I always feel a bit disgusted when the leading team plays out the last minute or so of the game by immediately kneeling after a snap. It feels very unsportsmanlike to me, but as a boardgamer I understand it. You play the game as the rules are written...
I remember seeing a satirical YouTube-video about how to get americans to enjoy soccer, where they showed a soccer match and consequently filled it with product placement-type advertising and statistical overdrive. As most successful satire, there was some (quite a lot, actually) truth behind the fiction.
The product placement is a very american way, I guess, but feels very foreign to me. The "VISA™ half-time report" and the "Snickers™ replay" come hand-in-hand with the "count-down-clock is brought to you by Miller Light™, it's Mmmm-good!" These all come so natural to the commentators that they probably feel as natural to american viewers. I bet most people don't even notice them anymore...
The statistical part, on the other hand, fascinates me. I'd like to see the stats-sheet that each and every match produces. No matter what situation arises, they seem to pull out the appropriate stats to boot. How that interception was the 14th of the season for that player, in the third quarter, while leading against a team from a city with the letter "A" in it... (okay, so I'm exaggerating a little bit...) Not only do they know exactly how many yards every player has ran in every season, they also know where he ranks within the team, within the franchise, within all teams as well as in NFL history. All this appeals to the Excel and MySQL-nerd in me, and it would be interesting to view their databases.
Of course I can't say I understand the game having now followed "my" team for five weeks - I have a basic understanding of it but there's still some jargon I need to learn and some reasoning to fully appreciate it. I fall off the wagon when the commentators start talking about "clinching the first-round bye" and so on. I need to find a good book, a "American Football for Dummies"-kind of book. I'd also like to learn all the positions of the players; what it actually means to be a "tight end", "safety" and "wide receiver".
In hindsight, I'm glad I dipped my toes into football, it's been quite an interesting experiment, and I've become quite a fan. I expect to continue to follow the Vikings next season. I could have picked a better team - things haven't been going so well for "my" Vikings, but on the other hand I might not have been so interested if I had just watched some team steamroll their opponents. The Vikings might have lost almost all matches I've watched, but they fought well and most fights were tight to the very end, and the one victory I witnessed tasted sweet!
Oh, yeah - Go Vikings!
And no, I still don't understand why it's called "football"..!
It is filed in the category Personal with the tag(s) nfl, minnesota vikings, american football, scott sigler, gfl
The permalink is http://themosse.net/blog/?s=323
2 comments 
Got to get them all!
Many have told tales of being caught in the money-pit that is Magic: the Gathering or indeed any other CCG (Collectible Card Game), TCG (Trading Card Game), CMG (Collectible Miniatures Game) etc. Marriages have been ended, careers lost and credit trustability questioned because of excessive spending on these. I'm the other way around. For years I tried to get in to collecting in a game.
At first it was a way to stack orders. Back when I was actively purchasing new boardgames I always looked for smaller games to add to orders to get free shipping. I ended up with massive amounts of small in-between games or fillers that were all basically the same. If there was only a game system which I could just add to instead of buying new games instead... Together with my kid brother Jens we tried to find such a game system.
Bring on the Cardboard!
We tried the Axis & Allies Miniatures-system but didn't like it, mostly or at least partly because it would have required a tremendous investment to get armies of a sufficient size to get an enjoyable experience. We also dipped into some games using the Clix-system, which didn't really ring any bells despite of fantastic miniatures. I also bought a few packs of Star Wars: Pocketmodel TCG, but when putting together the models is more fun than actually playing the game, I am going to have some issues with it.
Finally we found what we had been looking for in Dreamblade! It packed all the punches; really, really nice miniatures together with a proper actual game that was as interesting to play as it was to collect. It tickled all the right nerd-nerves, Jens and I bought several boxes of miniatures, made Excel-sheets of which ones we had, which ones we wanted, traded figurines we had too many of, and yes - even played the game when we had the chance. Then the inevitable happened. Wizards of the Coast cancelled it and no more pieces were produced or sold... Sure, we still had a great game in Dreamblade, and had gathered a nice army for ourselves, but as the game was no longer available, the collectible aspect was gone, and so was our ability to lure new players into the game.
Fast forward a few years, and I moved away so I no longer live near my brother or other old boardgaming friends. Although I've made a few subtle attempts to create new gamers among the locals here (doesn't that make me sound like a friggin' missionary?) I've moved over my attempts at finding a nice collectible game to the computer world.
Digital Bits
I decided to start with the king of them all, and bought Magic: the Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers... As I played through the tutorial I was happy to see that it's not a complicated game, and all my years of playing board- and cardgames (specifically learning new games at a great pace) meant I quickly got in to it. It quickly showed its' ugly face though and I lost interest, as I wrote in an earlier post.
To quickly recap my thoughts about M:tG, and specifically the computer game, is that almost the entire game of it seems to center around the deck-building leaving the actual gameplay to be automatic. The designers of the computer game either missed this (highly unlikely) or they decided to leave the deck-building aspect out, wanting to have the computer game just act as a lure to get new players into buying the actual cards. There is some - customization - of the deck available, but just in leaving newly unlocked cards out of the deck or not.
I had better luck with the next game, but on the other hand I feel ashamed and almost dirty for saying I like it... But I do, I like a lot better than M:tG at least - Pokémon TCG. It plays in a browser (although I'd actually prefer a stand-alone application - can I have that, please?), is free to play and I actually feel like I'm playing a game rather than just hope for the best as it feels like I'm doing in Magic...
I know I'm not the only adult who likes to play this game, as Eric Summerer listed it as his number one when Dice Tower in episode #228 made their Top 10 Collectible Games (to Tom Vasels continuing taunts), but come on - it's still Pokémon!
Well, I'm trying to get past the theme, and when I do, when I'm alone in the house, I close the blinds, put on dark shades and play. The collectible aspect is a bit missing here (in the computer game), as you get a basic deck for free, and unlock single cards by beating the A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) opponent, but in order to get "packs" of new cards (as I've understood it) you need to buy the real cards and enter some code from the packs to unlock them in the game. It's a "clever" (from their point of view) way of getting people to buy Pokémon-cards, but I just want them in the computer game. It will be years before my kids learn (a) to read and (b) english well enough to play the real game...
Still occasionally playing Pokémon TCG I looked onwards, as Jens then pointed me to Spectromancer. It's not really collectible (at all, actually) although the game could easily have been turned into one - h*ck Richard Garfield (the guy behind Magic: the Gathering) co-designed it! You can actually build your "deck" but that customized deck can only be used against the A.I. in the single player campaign. As my brother said, it feels more like a game in the Kosmos Spiele für zwei-line.
Found and Acquired?
Then I saw a video by internet gaming guru TotalBiscuit (the same guy whose videos introduced me to Pokémon, by te way...), WTFree is Shadow Era. Although the video doesn't actually teach the game, the fact that it was free meant I downloaded it. It took maybe another week before I installed it and registered, but when I did, I just might have found what I've been looking for.
So the game is Shadow Era by Wulven Game Studios, and it's an online-only CCG. No real cards to buy, no TV-series or toys to sell. It also fixes some game-mechanism problems I've had (personal issues) with both Magic: the Gathering and Pokémon. It's so good TotalBiscuit placed it at number #9 on his Top 10 Games of 2011, and that guy plays a lot of games.
Let's start by looking at the collectible aspect. It's basically a freebie, or "freemium" as they call it, meaning it's free to play but you get a premium experience by paying. Registering is free, and you get a starter deck when you do. That deck is good and will suffice against early A.I. opponents and other players who also only have their starter decks. You can then purchase new starter decks (25 random cards) or booster packs (15 random cards including rares) for 100 Shadow Crystals each. Just looked the site, and that would be between 11 and 64 cents (per deck) depending on how many Crystals you buy at once. In my opinion, that's a fair price, concidering I just saw a booster pack of 10 Pokémon cards in the kiosk for four euros. You can then build your active deck as you see fit from your entire collection of cards and play this deck against the A.I. or other players online.
The actual gameplay is also great. The problem I've had with Magic and Pokémon is their use of Mana-cards and Power-cards respectively. As in, if you don't draw them, you can't do anything. Sure, the more you put in your deck the better your chance of drawing them, but sometimes you just don't and instead sit there taking punishment unable to respond. Shadow Era (and probably other CCG:s as well) solve this by letting you sacrifice any one card at the beginning of your turn to get a "resource". This way you'll always be able to get that resource even if the choice of which card to sacrifice can be a difficult one. These resources can then be "tapped" every turn to summon allies or cast spells with which to attack your opponent, either directly or the allies he has summoned.
I've only played about a dozen matches in Shadow Era so far and all of them against the A.I., so I'm in no way an expert (yet!) but I feel I enjoyed the game enough to purchase some Shadow Crystals and have bought a handful of booster packs. The problem, of course, with a digital-only CCG is that when (not if) the game is no longer profitable it will disappear and so will all of your purchased cards. The game is online-only as your collection is stored on the Wulven server, and can not be played offline. I can still play Dreamblade if I find an opponent but if Shadow Era is discontinued I won't be able to play... Well, so far I've put about four euros in the game, so I'm not afraid yet.
The best thing (well, no, but a properly good thing) about Shadow Era is that it's available on a wide variety of platforms. Not only is it a downloadable application, you can play it in-browser (provided you install a plug-in) and it's also available for Android and iOS. I have it installed on my HTC Desire, and it's perfectly playable, although probably a lot better on a tablet than a phone - merely on account of screen real-estate.
Finally there's some Magic, but it's not in the Gathering!
It is filed in the category Boardgames with the tag(s) dreamblade, magic the gathering, mtg, spectromancer, shadow era, pokemon, cmg, tcg, collectible, dice tower
The permalink is http://themosse.net/blog/?s=312
0 comments Year 2011 in Review
Last year I did an end-of-year review, where I listed the video-, boardgames and movies that I liked the most that year. The year is not yet completely over, but I don't think my opinions will change that much in these next few weeks. So here you go, my year 2011 in review...
Top Videogames
I've played (and bought) a lot more indie-games in this past year than ever before. That's not to say I don't play the "big" games. I still don't have a top-notch gaming rig, so games like Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 are left on the virtual shelf for me, not only because my machine wouldn't handle them to a satisfactory degree, but also as I don't feel like caughing up fifty bones for a game anymore. I have a house to uphold and children to feed now...
1. Minecraft
Minecraft is without a doubt the game I've played the most of during the year, and still regularly watch let's play-videos of. When I get inspired to build a house I get stuck for hours on end. As a kid I loved Legos, and this is how I continue to play with Legos without having to clean up afterwards.
The day I actually get to start playing multiplayer means I'll be really really stuck for a whole while longer, but I'd need to find a server with people I "connect" to. I wouldn't like to be in multiplayer on a server where everybody just builds their own stuff - I'd like some co-op action! Building together, covering each others' backs when exploring and mining etc. If I had the extra income I'd start my own, with a TeamSpeak service to boot!
2. Frozen Synapse
The only reason Frozen Synapse isn't on a shared first position here, is that I rediscovered it too late in the year, so I've played Minecraft more. Make no mistake, this game is bloody brilliant! It's one of those games that change the way you think. After a long session of FS I actually "plan" my route to the kitchen, with waypoints, 
where and when I'll check left, when and where I'll check right. I explained the game deeper in my previous post, and since writing that I've only become more engaged in the game.
3. Trackmania 2 Canyon
Trackmania United was on the top spot on last years' list, and the sequel is as good. It's not (yet) as popular as the first, which shows when you're trying to find a populated server. There are some, but not that many to choose from. Other than that, it's more of that racing goodness with the controls honed to perfection. It's a very unusual build, in that it's a racing game designed for PC, and more to the point designed to be played with a keyboard. I've played no other racing game which gives so satisfying controls on keyboard. It's not exactly the same as TM1, the cars feel more powerful now, and they do powerslide but in a fashion where you feel like you're in full control of it. It's neither better nor worse, just different, and at least just as good.
Top Boardgames
It really hasn't been a big year for boardgaming for me. I moved away from my "regular" gaming group (ie. my brothers) and started fresh, teaching boardgaming to new players who haven't played boardgames like these before.
1. Fauna
The triviagame Fauna has been a really big hit with everybody. There aren't a lot of rules to explain, and it's basically not about needing to know exact facts, rather be in the ballpark more often than others. How much does an adult giraffe weigh? How long is the tail of a cheetah, and where does the European swallow nest?
2. Sekigahara: Unification of Japan
This was one of my most anticipated P500-game (pre-order from the wargame publisher GMT Games), which I've had pre-ordered for years, almost since the initial announcement. It finally arrived, and boy, is it gorgeous! Still haven't found any local opponents, although my "brother-in-law" showed an interest - he's a keen Total War: Shogun 2-player, and I told him this is the boardgame version of it... How would I know, I've never played Total War..? I am in the middle of a Play-by-email game of it and the mechanics feel solid and fun, although not optimal for pbem:ing...
3. Pueblo
This has been a favorite of mine for years, and one of the games I've introduced to new people over here, both my girlfriend (or "spousal equivalent", as dictionary.com says it is called) and a few new, local friends I had over for a boardgaming evening a while back. It's relatively easy to explain and appeals to anybody who's ever played Tetris, even though my spous... girlfriend insists she has never played it.
Top Movies
I don't watch that many movies anymore. No movies really blew my mind at all, so just see these movies as "flicks that don't suck" rather than a top-list of magnificence. Next year I'll probably skip the Movies-list if I don't watch a lot more movies next year.
1. Arn: The Knight Templar
I rewatched this with the girlfriend, and it really is a very good film. We watched the sequel Arn: The Kingdom at Road's End the following evening. If you have any interest in the period I sincerely recommend the film"series".
2. Red
I didn't really expect much from this title, and knew very little of it, but it did hit home a lot more than the similar-feeling Knight & Day...
3. Hall Pass
This movie is a silly comedy like so many others, but it was the only movie of the few I've watched this year that I felt could be added to this list.
It is filed in the category Personal with the tag(s) year in review, 2010, movies, boardgames, videogames
The permalink is http://themosse.net/blog/?s=321
0 comments Freeze!
Having watched some YouTube-video recently I got inspired to get back into a game I bought a while back, after Total Biscuits WTF is-video (oh, how much money that man has cost me!) but had since been forgotten. So many games to play, so little time to do so. I'm talking about the most excellent indie tactical turn-based strategy game Frozen Synapse.
Not only does Frozen Synapse have interesting (and probably quite unique) gameplay, but also a creative sales pitch, which I haven't seen before. Every time you buy a game, you get a second copy for free. No, it's not a campaign, it's how it has always been. It's probably quite a drag if you don't have any friends, but it's a clever way of making sure a lot of people get to try out the game.
In Frozen Synapse you plan out the movements of your units in five second segments. You control them completely, setting out waypoints, telling them where to look, when to move, whether or not to engage enemies on sight etc. Units are all specialized with their weaponry; assault rifles are good at medium range, shotguns reign the short range, while snipers are deadly at long range.
Then there are units with explosive weapons, which you need to tell exactly when and where to shoot (the other units automatically shoot enemies in their line of sight unless you instruct them specifically not to). Grenades bounce off walls and explode after a set distance killing everybody in sight (including friendly units, naturally!) and rocket launchers fire a straight line until they hit an obstacle, at which point they explode and take out both units and structures alike. They do not explode on impact with units, so they are useless against targets in the open.
Who gets hit is not random, but rather the result of mathematical calculations; which one is in better cover, which one is standing still versus moving, which one is aiming in the correct direction, and what is the range etc. You set the planning for your units, and you can even program the enemy units as you think they will move and preview the outcome as many times as you wish, before committing your plans. When both players are committed you see the outcome, and more often than not curse as the enemy is not moving the way you had anticipated, and you now have your own units in vulnerable positions.
There's a single player campaign and a handful of multiplayer modes, from extermination (kill'em all) to hostage rescue and domination-modes and all modes can be played either "dark" or "light". In light mode you can always see the enemy units, whereas in dark mode you only see them if your units have a line of sight to them.
Because of the turn-based nature of the game it's perfect for play-by-email-ish gaming. You can start a new multiplayer game either by inviting a friend, or a random opponent in the list of online players. Alternatively you just click a button to find a random opponent. You can then have several games going at once, getting a message or email every time your opponent has committed his planning.
Did I say this game is bloody difficult?
This game is bloody difficult but also bloody rewarding. It's painfully slow but you still get sweaty palms and raised pulse when it's down to the endgame of a scenario. Scenarios are very short, usually ending within five turns (remember a turn is five seconds of gameplay) but it still feels like you've played a full game.
It is filed in the category Videogames with the tag(s) frozen synapse
The permalink is http://themosse.net/blog/?s=320
1 comment NaNo Game Over?
As I was listening to episode 7 of the The Shared Desk - a writing podcast from noted authors Philippa Ballantine and Tee Morris - I asked myself the same question as they did about NaNoWriMo; Why is NaNoWriMo during probably the busiest month of the year?
At least where I work, I'm having more appointments, which means more evenings and week-ends at work, than ever before. A lot of companies and organizations are having their end-of-year meetings and parties, and they rent the banquet hall of which I am the caretaker. We are also getting into what we call "Pikkujoulu" in Finland. Literally, it means "Little Christmas" and is the time of year when companies are having their christmas parties.
Add all of this to the fact that I spent the last few days feeling less than optimal and I'm way behind on my NaNoWriMo wordcount. I should be at 25k today but I'm somewhere around 18k, and I'm not writing machine Nathan Lowell with his crazy wordcounts. I thought I'd try to get a few thousand words from him, as he seemed to have no shortage, but alas - he declined. Probably for the better, he may be a great writer (not only in quantity, but also in quality!) but I suspect his swedish is at least a bit rusty...
The good thing about doing NaNoWriMo (among other things) is the great kick in the behind you get, when you just have to write a bit more to meet that daily target. The bad thing is when you get far enough behind, you also get that hopeless, sinking feeling. I was close to giving up, when I got a new spark as I figured out how to add zombies to my story, and all stories are better with zombies, right? Now I just need an extra week in November and I just might make it. I really want to make it too, as that 50% off deal on Scrivener seems sweet, now that the program is out for Windows!
Well, I'm still writing, hoping to have the time and the inspiration (and the health) to win, but I am determined to finish the novel whether I make it in time or not. I just hope i make it in time.
It is filed in the category Personal with the tag(s) nanowrimo
The permalink is http://themosse.net/blog/?s=319
0 comments