Prosperity Has Arrived!

UPS delivered my pre-ordered copy of Dominion: Prosperity from Coolstuffinc today. I just finished cramming all the cards from all five sets into the new box (the old one is falling apart) separated by my custom dividers. They all fit! I managed to get in three games with my daughter. We went through every card during the course of the games. I've been really pumped about this expansion, and so far it's meeting/exceeding the hype. Several of the 25 all-new Kingdom cards are just beefier versions of old cards, but many are quite unique, usually affecting the buy phase.

Using an Expand to upgrade a Province into a Colony (10 VP, 11 Cost) is nice. The feeling of buying a Platinum (5 Coin, 9 Cost) instead of a Province in exhilarating! And using King's Court with Pirate Ship for three attacks is amazing! I can't wait to discover the crazy hidden interactions that always lurk just around the corner. I realized why Dominion is my favorite game: it's really about 1,000 games in one box. As far as I'm concerned, Donald X. can keep 'em coming!

Your 168 Hours

I just finished reading a great time-management book called 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam. It turns out that we all have 168 hours every week (24x7). As a game designer, assistant pastor and homeschooling father of 3 (4 in mere days), my schedule can get a bit hectic and disorganized. Vanderkam urges her readers to reevaluate their priorities and restructure their lives to accomplish what they truly want rather than just taking the path of least resistance.

I followed along by keeping a spreadsheet time diary, logging each activity and how long I spent doing it. I feared discovering 168 hours packed with wasted time and useless web-surfing. I discovered that I sleep about 8 hours a night (the average/recommended amount) and that I work 30-40 hours a week. This week I also spent over 15 hours reading (more than I intended, but it could be worse). I spent about 10-12 hours interacting with my family and about 8 hours attending church and related events (some of this counted as work). I spent 10 hours watching TV with my wife (this number could be a bit lower). One obvious area in need of improvement: 0 hours spent exercising.

Overall, I discovered that things are going better than I thought. The book had many other great ideas for tweaking your schedule to get the most out of life. I definitely felt more intentional about my time when I had to keep a log. That step alone might help you get control of your life. So, are you really doing everything you want to be doing with your 168 hours?

Some Nice Pictures

I just stumbled onto a blog called Geek Game Night. I have added them to my blog roll. They have some amazing pictures over there as well as a nice, in-depth session report of Revolution. You should definitely check them out! Here is one more of their pictures:

Axis & Allies For Christmas

I received the new Axis & Allies Anniversary Edition (commemorating Avalon Hill's 50th) for Christmas from my parents (and almost from my wife, too). It is simply amazing! I've been playing Axis & Allies since the mid-80's when it was first published by Milton Bradley. I thoroughly enjoyed the Revised Edition released in 2004, a comprehensive upgrade of the original. I played that version in tournaments and even got it signed by the designer, Larry Harris. I loved it.

This one is even better! First off, the board is GIGANTIC, as you can see. The graphic work is excellent, incorporating a topographical quality. There are more territories in key areas (Eastern Europe, China, Soviet Far East). There's even a new spot in Northern France--a likely foothold for an allied invasion. The packaging is magnificent--boxes are included for the units. And all the boxes fit together to form a picture when packed away. Nice touch. Everything is linen-finished, euro-style. The individual unit sculpts return with a few upgrades/changes. Americans now have P-51 Mustangs instead of P-38 Lightnings. Germans have big Tiger tanks with 88s. We also get a new unit: the cruiser.

The rules have also been improved significantly. The 2004 Revised Edition brought the game light-years ahead of the MB version, but Mr. Harris has taken this opportunity to fix nearly every single gripe and issue. The sub rules are masterful (they can be ignored by surface ships). The new 0-defense transport is perfect. The lowered unit costs should add more units into the fray. The research scheme is forgiving and enticing. The national bonuses inject pure history into the game. And the 1941 starting setup puts you right on the front lines. I believe the moment I completely fell in love with this game was when I first placed those 2 fully-loaded Japanese aircraft carriers in the same sea zone! My Japanese turn was spent trying to put together an invasion of the Philippines and/or a fighter attack on Pearl Harbor (can you say historical accuracy?).

This version includes Italy as a separate power, which seems to work well. It also brings in Chinese forces. These are controlled by the US player, but they get new units (all infantry) based on the number of Chinese territories they control. China becomes a living, breathing beast that Japan cannot afford to ignore. This new reality affects the entire Pacific theater.

I was pleased to find my buddy's name in the playtester credits. Greg Smorey has done just about as much for the Axis & Allies franchise as any other non-paid fan. He runs several tournaments every year. I look forward to facing off with the pros over this new and exciting version of one of the greatest war games ever conceived.

Mention on Purple Pawn & New Review on BGG

Revolution got a nice little thumbs up from David (see comments on the previous post) over at Purple Pawn. There's even a picture!

He was also kind enough to write a nice review of the game on the BGG page. Looks like the playtesting is proceeding well...

Agricola Has Arrived!

After waiting for many weeks for my first-ever preordered board game, Agricola (the most hyped game of the decade) finally came. I played my first game last night (a solo game, of course). I scored a 41! It was lots of fun! I can't wait to play with other people. I just hope my wife and friends will take to it. There are a lot of "moving parts" and "helps" printed everywhere. Add in all those little bits and it's fairly overwhelming. But, when you boil it down, Agricola isn't really overly complicated. There are 14 turns. On a turn you put your little family discs on an action and do the action (usually this involves taking some stuff or sending some stuff). Then your family members come back. And repeat. Simple! Every once in a while you have to feed them or you get wicked -3 points cards and you lose the game, but other than that...

Overall, this seems to be a very solid game. The staggering number of cards (360+ several extras) guarantees a fresh experience each time. This might be one time when the hype is justified. Time will tell.

Some Attention for Revolution in...Italy?

I got an interesting email from Alex Nuti this morning which included a link to an article on his Italian game site. I put the text into Babel Fish and got this as a translation:

Often the small ideas have the strong hands, and are therefore that they often become large. Often the moneies for being able are not had to introduce them to the greater part of the persons. Well Philip du Barry has had the force to carry its plan ahead, Revolution! she is its creature and presentation in flash) and through arcinoto the BGG is introducing it to the players of all the world through its situated Revolution Games is one. The game is a mix of bluff, negotiations, deductions, auctions, control territory and placing. In synthesis a game that can appeals to to the overwhelming majority of we, only "neo" if we want is the fact that the diagram is simple nearly spartana. One left of 3-4 players hard on the 60 minuteren. If you are curious to see the regulations (English): Revolution rulebook.

Sounds pretty good, I guess? Anyway, it's pretty cool to be mentioned by someone on another continent. Thanks, Alex!