I’ve long been a fan of Martin Fowler.  Even sat down for lunch with him back in 2000 when we were both speakers at Software Development Expo in San Fran.  Now I learn that he’s into board games.  What’s next, a book on Refactoring Puerto Rico?  Or perhaps Strategy Game Analysis Patterns?

Oh, so much more.  I detest meta-blogging, but let me start by apologizing for the lack of content around here for a while.  You’ve missed out on all the gaming that happened when the Ginns visited (though Jim blogged it), several playings of Twilight Struggle (awesome game that I hope to play again Saturday), and the rest of my trip to Israel.  Time to play catch-up.

Side note: gaming actually started Thursday evening as the boys and I wrapped up our long-postponed game of Attack! the Expansion.  I pulled out a narrow victory over Matthew, who made a surprising comeback and shocked both Jacob and me with his final point total.  We played a slightly shortened game to 10 “eagle” cards.

While most of the the rest of our gaming group journeyed to Sunriver for Doug’s semi-annual gaming retreat, those of us Left Behind decided to gather at my house for as much gaming as we could squeeze in.  Ken and Brandon spent the weekend with us, with Ken taking a brief break on Saturday morning to run a Cub Scout meeting and the boys and I taking part in a Pitch/Hit/Run competition.  We opened up the weekend on Friday night with the roleplaying game Cat – it was a huge hit and everyone is anxious for another play.  It was the perfect end to a late night (we didn’t even start until about 10pm as the boys had baseball practice that evening) with everyone being a little punchy and tired.

Saturday early afternoon we started our big game for the weekend – Conquest of the Empire II.  This was a much-appreciated gift from the Ginns that fell onto my wishlist after I traded away Struggle of Empires.  I was certain this game would have the right mix of depth, theme, and components to delight my family and friends and I wasn’t disappointed.

We played game II – the more strategic Martin Wallace / Glen Drover game that features alliances, cards, and 2–action rounds that kept downtime to a minimum.  We found ourselves using a narrow strip of the map (surrounding the Med) which I suspect isn’t unusual for this game, and the game was tight and fun through the end.  We called it after three ages so that we could continue playing other games after Peter and Eric arrived.

I was surprised at how approachable the game was for Matthew.  The money management was difficult, but I think he learned his lessons and would be much stronger in a second play.  We had a healthy dose of diplomacy and influence going on in the game… much healthier than the conflict I often see when we play games of this sort.

While I cooked up some dinner for everyone Peter, Eric, and Ken played Peter’s construction of Schact’s InterUrban.  Don’t know much about the game – looked like a deeper Carcassonne-style game.

KC arrived at the tail end of dinner and we brought out Peter’s copy of Vegas Showdown.  The buzz is escalating on this game as it shows some staying power with gamers despite the Hasbro / WOTC heritage, and I can see why.  The game is compared to Amun Re and Princes of Florence and I think it holds up favorably.  Peter dominated the game from the start, getting some early cashflow advantages that left us scrambling to keep up and losing out on bids.  This is probably going on my purchase list.

Even after the crowds left Saturday night, Ken and I persisted.  We decided to knock a few 2–player games off my burndown list.  First up was the George Parker classic Chivalry / Camelot.  While not a game I would play often, there is some real depth to this game and you can really get caught with your pants down if you don’t pay attention (ahem… thanks Ken).  The pieces move similarly to the kings in checkers, but there are some special knight pieces that can jump their own pieces before jumping (capturing) enemies.  You also have the option of moving a single piece to a single square, keeping the entire board reachable by any piece.

The end game can drag a bit and I ended up resigning before we let it go that far.  Worth a try if you can find it.

Next up: Tally Ho.  I’m not sure where or when I got this game, but I know it has been on my shelf for about 2 years unplayed.  This is an asymetric tile flipping / moving game that was entertaining if a bit one-sided.  Maybe this is why we are supposed to switch sides and play again… or maybe I just stink at it.  This will be a fun one to play with younger kids.

On Sunday morning Mike joined Ken and me for his first play of Parthenon.  I raved about this game last year but my opinion has dropped a bit, mostly due to the lack of player interaction and luck factor.  For example, in this game I found a wool shortage harbor card on my first turn (I happened to be the big wool producer) and this launched me into a significant lead early in the game, allowing me to finish my 2 wonders about mid way through the second year.  Now of course Ken and Mike made me pay for this fortune by keeping me out of the Archon role and punishing me heavily with events in the second year, but a string of bad cruises across the Med by Mike kept them from catching me.  I know I came away with a not-so-satisfying victory and Mike wasn’t impressed with the game.

Ken still maintains that it is his kind of game and I certainly will continue to play it with the kids, but I’m less enthused about it.

While we played Parthenon, Graham joined the boys for a 2v2 game of Duel of Ages with a few expansions.  Apparently Jacob and Brandon came out on top.

Our last game of the weekend was Tycoon, a game I had been trying to play again since my initial play in Arizona nearly three years ago.  We had a bit of rules confusion early on but quickly got started.  Mike and I made crucial money management mistakes in the first season, forcing us to return home for a loan just as the season was running out.  I think this is a bad thing to happen, and it certainly kept us behind the curve.

Mike responded very well, taking apart Ken action by action and ending up the victor by a narrow margin.  Fun, relatively quick game (for the depth) if a bit dry.  I also think the game is better with four people as you get a little more action and competition for spaces in the cities.

Missing Sunriver was a bad thing, but such a full weekend of gaming made up for the loss.  Thanks to everyone that joined us.

Time to start another game of Wallenstein.  Game: Cubs Rule.  Password: maddux.

The Ohio State University and GAMA are conducting a comprehensive survey of the hobby game industry.

Or just about…

I abandoned Julie in St. Louis (I have a habit of doing that) and flew to Israel via Washington DC and Frankfurt on Sunday, arriving at Ben Gurion on Monday mid day.  We are staying in Herzilya just up the Mediterranean coast from Tel Aviv, about 500 yards from the hotel I stayed at last time I was here.  This one is quite a bit nicer though not up to even the most basic western standards.  Understandable as this country is often pre-occupied with other more important matters.

Today (starting yesterday at sundown) was a national day of remembrance for the holocaust victims of World War II.  It was touching to reflect on the events that so greatly impacted all of us and so hurt the Jewish nation.  I’ve personally visited two former concentration camps (Dachau and Mathausen) and it should be a required side trip for any European vacation.  We can’t forget the attrocities and it pains me to think that there are those that continue to deny the magnitude or even the reality of the events that transpired just a brief 60–65 years ago.

The weather here is surprisingly like it was when I left Portland about a week ago – mid 70s with a mix of sun and clouds.  The sea is churning with lots of surfing and kayaking activity in the surf.

It’s looking like we’ll get some brief time for tourism activities on Friday, perhaps allowing a trip to Jaffa or some interesting sites in Tel Aviv.  Unfortunately I don’t think we’ll be able to make it to Jerusalem this time to visit Yehuda.  We have a very early flight out Saturday morning at 5:30am, requiring that we be at the airport by 3:30am.  Maybe we should skip sleep altogether.

Went for a run this morning (it is common to wake up very early the first morning after traveling 9 timezones to the east) and enjoyed the suburban community.  Even happened by the American embassy, situated right on the coast.  I don’t know if it is the embassy here (I suspect it is in Jerusalem) but this was definitely a significant presence.

Julie and I spent the weekend in St. Louis visiting our alma mater, Washington University.  The last time I visited was in 1995 at a five year class reunion, but Julie and I decided it was time to return and join a special celebration.  I was a member of Thurtene, the junior honorary, a group of thirteen students chartered each year with putting on the Thurtene Carnival.  This is presumably the oldest and largest student-run carnival in the United States.  Members are selected early in their junior year and spend the next 4–6 months doing the prep work for the carnival.  It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my college years.

The campus has changed significantly for the better since my time there, with the most dramatic changes being the residential area, aka the “South 40”.  What used to be a collection of boring 60s and 70s-style cement buildings has turned into a terraced landscape of classic brick buildings and winding pathways.  Gone are the ugly skyscrapers (and firetraps) and one-by-one they are taking down the older dormitories and replacing them with buildings much more in step with the architecture of the campus.  Some things never change though, making our visit an exciting blend of revisiting old familiar spaces and discovering new aspects of this beautiful university.  Thankfully, student groups still paint the underpass with event advertisements – losing that would have been a hard pill to swallow.

Our reason for coming this weekend went beyond just attending the carnival – the faculty advisor for Thurtene, Coach Jim Burmeister, is stepping down from his role after serving in that capacity for 35 years.  I swear he hasn’t aged a day since serving as our advisor in 1989, and members from his 1st years back in the 70s affirmed that their view was consistent with mine.

We had a spectacular turnout from our year, with seven members making the trip from all corners of the US (Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Oregon, and St. Louis).  There’s something special about a group charged with a single monumental task each year (putting on a carnival to raise funds for a children’s charity) that maintains a level of continuity that far surpasses most institutions we encounter in our lives.  While the names change every year (as does the makeup of the organization – it went from all men to co-ed in 1992), the traditions stay the same largely due to the adept guidance of an individual like Coach.

Thanks Coach for your loyalty and dedication to Thurtene these past 35 years.  Thanks to my fellow Thurtene 1989 for creating and sharing one of my most memorable college experiences.  Finally, thanks to those current and future members of Thurtene that will carry the tradition forward.

It has been too long since I’ve played some online PBW games.  So, join me in a game of Wallenstein, Bus, or Amun Re over at Spielbyweb.  Look for the games with the prefix “RipCity”, password is “sunriver”.

My (other, last) grandmother passed away this week.

Madge Meredith Gardiner, 97, of Morristown Manor in Morristown, Ind., formerly of Carmel, Ind., and Shelbyville, Ind., died Wednesday, April 5, 2006.

Born Feb. 14, 1909, in Chanute, Kan., she was the daughter of E.T. and Mabel Alice Robertson Blackwood. On June 2, 1934, she married George Gardiner. He preceded her in death.

Mrs. Gardiner taught first grade at Perkins Elementary School for 21 years.

She was a graduate of Parsons College in Fairfield and did graduate work at Drake University, Northeast Missouri State College and Western Illinois University. She was a member of DAR, a charter member of Abidah Circle of King's Daughters, Alpha Kappa and a longtime member of Grace United Methodist Church in Burlington.

Survivors include one daughter, Lynne Brooks of Shelbyville; two sons, Larry Gardiner of Lincoln, Calif., and Don Gardiner of Bloomington, Ind.; eight grandchildren; and six great–grandchildren.

Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, one sister and one brother.

Her body has been donated to the Indiana School of Medicine.

A memorial service for Mrs. Gardiner will be at Grace United Methodist Church on Saturday, Aug. 5.

A memorial has been established for Grace United Methodist Church.

The Hawk Eye Newspaper.

Read this GeekList.

I’ll be posting photos as much as possible to my Flickr photo stream.