Other games?

[Tobias]

Carcassonne might be what we play the most - but we do play a lot of other games as well. Me and Sara have a go at Fjords regularily, it's a nice little tile laying game, but it suffers from having way too few tiles. Stll it's a quick game with some tacticts in it.

Roborally is another one of those games that we play a lot. Particualry if we're six people or more. An full eight player game with the maelstrom board is great fun! It's especially fun since three in our regluar group can't tell left from rigth - sometimes they even have to get up from the table and sort of use the card as a map If I had to choose one game only to ever be played from now on I'd probalby pick Roborally. It's a game where you can howl in frustration and laughter at the same time.

Other games we play are Puerto Rico, Metro and Game of Thrones - the latter is the best wargame I have, and we like it! I've yet to win a single game of Puerto Rico though, and I don't understand why, so it's not about to change I guess ...

These are some games that render us enjoyment at the gaming table, how about you guys?

[mjharper]

We're playing Thurn und Taxis a bit at the moment, and I'm trying to persuade my girlfriend to give Caylus another go…

[Gantry]

Used to play a lot more games in the past, but these busy days I'm only starting to get back into them.  Back in the day was an Axis & Allies hound, and Nat & I play probably Scrabble and rummy card games the most.  I admit I love the computer fps games!

[Tobias]

I admit I love the computer fps games!

Doom II was hot back in the day - we played it waaay to much! Now days I still enjoy the odd fps now and then, but they are a tad too easy often. Other then that I play strategic games (heh) like settlers (up to #3 - after that they degenerated) Sim City, Civilazation etc.

I used to play Everquest a bloody lot - End game raiding 5 days a week. Right now I'm deepy hooked up with Travian though. Seems like I can't be without games in one for or another.

[mjharper]

If we're on computer games, then I'm a big fan of Unreal Tournament, Diablo and Myst. Right now I'm playing Heroes of Might and Magic V. But I can't recommend any as being especially similar to Carcassonne… 

[Tobias]

Original UT is still maybe the best clean fps in existance. UT 2004 was awesome and 2003, well - let's leave that out of the discussion!

For those of you that havn't tried Metro - the board game that I mentioned in my first post: here's an online version: http://www.bluering.nl/sieuwert/games/metro/index.html The average computer player is nigh imposible to beat maybe one in ten, but next time we sit down to play it "live" I'll win so easily

[Gantry]

well since we're at it, what I currently play: Team Fortress Classic, Day of Defeat, Battlefield 2 (rarely tho)

Metro looks really interesting... i like games like that.  I got "java applet failed", will have to explore this some more, thanks for the link!

[likie]

I haven't really got enough time for computer games - I have two small kids and another one very soon.

In terms of board games, as I've said before we enjoy Carcassonne because it can be played quite quickly - we also play Settlers quite a bit with my brother (he owns it) but have recenty bought a copy ourselves and have had one go at Klaus Teuber's recently released two player rules - seemed to work OK - but I think still more fun with 3 or 4.  Also set-up and play time requires more time than we normally have spare in an evening.

I'm also doing a bit of research as to what boardgame we should get next (apart from further Carc expansions).  Obviously we want something that works OK with two but is a good 3 or more player game as well - for when we have people round or to play with the kids once they are old enough. 

My idea is that I can't go too far wrong with the top ranked Euros out there, so I'm at the moment tossing up between Puerto Rico and Tigris and Euphrates.  I briefly considered El Grande (as I liked the sound of it) but from what I've read I don't think it would be very good with only 2.  Puerto Rico has an official 2 player version and I'm leaning toward it, mainly as T&E is a tile laying game - with limited funds I think it would be good to have a range of game types.  I'll probably get T&E eventually though. 

[Tobias]

likie: El Grande works well with two player. It's strength is that you have to totally change tactics when playing with three, and then again with four, and once more with five players. It's a very nice game, and I don't know why I left it out in my first post.

The two player option in Puerto Rico is allright, but it's a vastly better game with four and five players (it would be better still if I could manage to win!).

Metro has actually got a good scalability, it's okay with two players and it's still okay with six - the main dfference is that you get more and more dependant on other people's mistakes the more players you are.

Oh! I almost forgot - one of the best games there is! Once upon a time. If you're into story telling, this is the game you're looking for. Plays as welll with two as with eight people - and probably more!

[canada steve]

We play Kingmaker, an 80's game based on the War of the Roses a lot and its a great game. Also we play Risk Godstorm and Conquest of the Empire as well. Thursday nights are games night when the whisky comes out and me and th elads leave the ladies for the evening to enjoy trying to outwit each other.

[likie]

Thanks Tobias - might put El Grande back into the mix then (although it is also more expensive as well - the other thing putting me off), and I'll also do some research on Metro.  I can't say I've seen this one down here in NZ - mind you unless you go looking it isn't that easy to find many of these games - the big chain bookstores (that also sell boardgames) here stock Settlers and basic Carc and that's about it.   Fortunately I live in a biggish city so we have a couple of Comic/Wargame/RPG shops that also stock Euros - and hopefiully would be obliging/bright enough to order in games that they don't ordinarily stock.

Bit of a shame I didn't discover some of these games a few years ago - (pre- kids) as it is hard to organise to play as often as I would like.  Mind you it won't be that long before my kids can start playing - my daughter is 4 and has already asked if she could play Carc - we might give her a try out some day soon and see what happens.  Might make for an interesting session report!!

[Tobias]

About El Grande: It's my firm belif that you shouldn't buy all expansions. Only Grand inquisitor & the colonies is worth having - if any at all. So I recommend you to buy it vanilla style - if you can.

[albie]

Back when my gaming group numbered 4, we played a lot of Axis & Allies. One of the guys in my group collects old games - mostly the old bookcase games from, uh, crap, can't remember who put them out, but Acquire was a favorite. When one member of our group moved away, I bought Axis & Allies D-Day 'cause it is for 3 players. Had fun w/ that a couple of times before one of the guys brought Carc to one gaming session, and we haven't looked back since!

Now we have 2 copies of every dang expansion (except Cathars, which we will get when it comes out in the next GQ). I was feeling left out of the buying frenzy, so I just purchased Carc: The City, which is still enroute to my door. I also want to buy Arc eventually.

Something tells me we will be playing some form of Carc for a long time to come!

[SteveBme]

As with Canada Steve - Kingmaker is a great game of old.
That and another from the eighties 'Rail Baron' were/are/were my favourite games until the mighty castle took hold of our game time.
I also recommend the Steve Jackson 'Munchkin' card games for a group of four or more.

[Wishmaster]

The same group that I play Carc with are also Formula One fans, so we run a Championship playing the 'Formula De' board game. It's a fantastic game and like all the best ones, fairly simple to understand.

Regards computer games; back in the 80's I got addicted to the Sinclair Spectrum game 'Lords of Midnight', a classic and very advanced game of it's day. With the internet age I discovered some amazing remakes of it a few years back as well as the most amazing and best ever on-line version - Midnight/MU. It's a turn based wargame and has a very friendly and lively forum... you might spot me in there a bit!! Links below :

Game: http://www.midnightmu.com/games_home.php
Forum: http://forum.midnightmu.com/index.php

....and Carcassonne has been discussed there quite a bit also, so it must be worth a look at!!