Long time no write. I'm trying hard not to apologize for that. I don't follow the boardgaming mailing lists any more, have never been able to keep my website maintained, yet I still want to share some thoughts now & then. A weblog with RSS feed should be the best format for these irregular writings, yet I still feel a bit sheepish about writing so infrequently. Then again, I know I follow some other weblogs that publish new material only once in a while. And when they do, I'm pleased as punch to read it--it doesn't matter if it's been a while since the last entry.
As it happens, I've got several things on my mind right now. Might as well jot them down, right?
The Spiel des Jahres came & went. Even though it doesn't affect MY game selections, it affects my hobby. All for the better, as far as I'm concerned. The fact that I prefer lighter games means my own tastes are similar to that of the family-focussed selection committee (jury). More than that, the award is successful--it brings greater awareness, profitable results, and promotes continued quality in the games (both gameplay and physical production). It does this without being a popularity contest, simply picking a game that's already winning at the cash register. In fact, the robustness of the entire hobby/industry in Germany--the goal for hobbyists in other countries--is due to the Spiel des Jahres. (Okay, and Essen.)
This year I didn't follow the award closely, didn't play and can't remember the other nominees. But I hoped Ticket To Ride would win, and had bought my copy already. I think St. Petersburg would've been a good pick, too . . . if not for the paper money. That really bugs me--it's in several recent games, and a few years ago I bet it would've been coin tokens instead. Seems to me we've seen a gradual slide of coin tokens made from wood, to plastic, to cardboard, to (ugh) paper money. Part of the delight of German boardgames are the attractive components. Or used to be. Ticket to Ride is still nice. So is Maharaja.
P.S. Is the AvantGo feed still working? Last time I checked on my own PDA it had stopped synching the main content of this blog. Grr...
No need to apologize for infrequent postings, Mark. I get your posts here through a RSS feed.
It is nice to hear from you though, since you haven't been active on the forums and I enjoy reading what you have to say. I've also been seriously questioning the time I'm spending keeping up with the forums, myself. I've been enjoying various gaming blogs like yours much more.
Posted by: SusanR at July 19, 2004 09:53 PMThe AvantGo feed is indeed still working. I think what happened is that your older posts were "archived" to the June 2004 link, leaving nothing new enough to be displayed. But this post certainly appeared.
As for the paper money complaint, I'd have to agree completely. My most recent play experiences with it have been Bean Trader and Atlantic Star, and IMO both suffered for it. Saint Petersburg looks interesting, but the paper doesn't help. I have to look into getting some poker chips for cheap (if that's possible).
Posted by: Dave Wilson at July 20, 2004 10:42 AM