Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Modern Art

Kendahl and I, with the help of two buddies from Brooks City-Base, had a rocking good time playing Modern Art yesterday. Although Kendahl and I benefited a bit from the learning curve of the two new players, by the end of the game you could practically hear the adding machines clanking away between each person's ears. I really think I need to go buy a lottery ticket tonight, because this makes the third game in a row I managed to win this week. This was also the first time I consciously avoided antagonizing the Brooks group with aggressive tactics, and thus I didn't experience the typical dog-pile beat down retaliation I've experience in the past at their hands. Ah, metagaming...

After playing Modern Art, I reflected upon how it seems the Knizia games I have played each seem to get better, deeper, and more enjoyable with each play, and I never seem to get sick of them. Colossal Arena, Lost Cities, Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Rings Confrontation, Blue Moon, Ra, and Modern Art are the few of his designs I've played, and each time I play these games I feel like I'm discovering a new level of strategy. Yes, Tigris and Euphrates is conspicuously absent from the list simply because I haven't yet played it.

I originally picked up my copy of Modern Art primarily because it looked like something I might convince my wife to play (i.e., art, auctions, only indirect confrontation, etc.). I now count this game as one of the favorites in my game library, though I still pretty much stink at playing auction games!

8 Comments:

At 12:59 PM, May 24, 2006, Blogger Rob said...

Playing Modern art with kendahl last year at his house (before the official SABG was born), opened up my eyes to Knizia's auction games.

 
At 1:07 PM, May 24, 2006, Blogger Ted said...

In particular, Colossal Arena is one of my favorites. Every time I play, I feel like I have discovered a new layer in the game.

What do folks think about making the next game night a Knizia theme night? All Knizia, all the time.

 
At 4:26 PM, May 24, 2006, Blogger Ben said...

Fantastic idea, Ted! I'd really like to see what all the hype is about regarding T&E. I've read the rules, but I just don't seem to get it... The only Knizia game I've played and didn't take a shine to (though I really wanted to) was Beowulf...

 
At 7:01 PM, May 24, 2006, Blogger Simon said...

The "all x" game nights don't seem to work as great as they sound in theory. There're just too many great games and varying tastes and opinions to make it happen.

I like a good many Knizia games (Samurai, Blue Moon, Lord of the Rings), but I've played just as many stinkers of his (Duell, Scarab Lords, Schotten-Toten). I suppose that is to be expected to happen when you're the most prolific and arguably greatest designer of all time. They can't all be golden.

 
At 9:09 PM, May 24, 2006, Blogger Ben said...

Isn't Schotten-Toten the same as Battle Line? Battle Line is awesome!

 
At 10:21 PM, May 24, 2006, Blogger Ted said...

Simon, you are a sunny ray of hope in our lives. Just kidding, there. ;-)

Granted, the war game night was a bust, but I don't think that's because the idea of a theme is flawed, just *that* theme. Wargames are mostly 2 player, long, and complicated.

Knizia games, by contrast, are:

-- mostly multiplayer
-- easy to learn
-- if there're good, they're really, really, good
-- reasonably short

But hey, as dictatorships go, SABG is a great anarchy. I will lobby for Knizia, but I won't even think about twisting arms. Everyone bring and offer the games of your choice.

As for me, next time we meet I'll only bring Knizia designs.

But I'll also try to get in a game of Cash'n'Guns if Brian brings it, too.

 
At 10:26 PM, May 24, 2006, Blogger Simon said...

Hugs n' Kisses, Ted.

:^*

 
At 8:37 AM, May 25, 2006, Blogger Ben said...

Point of order: Wargame day was only a bust due to scheduling problems. Besides, every day is wargame day!

The wargames I like playing best are mostly no more than 3 hours long (with a couple exceptions) and have less than 20 pages of rules. It's all relative, but to me these type of games are not long or complicated. I write this fully realizing 99% of the general public would disagree...

 

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