Bonus Gaming

Early on we had Jon, Michael, Jacqui and I. So we broke out the Race expansion ... well the new homeworlds, anyway. Jacqui was the separatist colony (look at 2 extra cards during exploration, +1 military), Jon was the Ancient Race (Gene Windfall, only keep three cards instead of four at the start) and Michael was the Damaged Alien Factory (Alien Production world, but you have to discard a card to produce). Two of the new homeworlds are shown below. We didn't use the Doomed World...
I randomly rolled for my HW and got Epsilon Eridani (from the base set). I had a great hand, assuming that I got one more military, so I explored +5. Fortunately for me the opening was slow (with Jon trading and Michael producing). Early on, it seemed that we got into a ping-pong rhythm, two people trading one turn, the other two trading the next (since most everyone was on a windfall). Eventually things sorted out. Michael got out the trade league, a few other small planets and tourist world, so he could consume x2 vp and trade ("6 Cards, 6 VP, please"). Jon had put out an early Pan Galactic League (+2 VP per green world, +1 per military) and a contract specialist. The PGL paid off nicely, earning him more cards than he spent over the course of the game, as well as 12-ish VPs. I did get a reasonable start which included the mediocre new economy, but I needed a bit of luck (an explore +1, hoping to get a good card and a bonus card to spend paid off) and I got a huge piece of luck when Jacqui settled on the final turn that I developed, allowing me to end the game before Michael got in an 8 or 10 point consume. (I dropped New Galactic Order and the Lost Alien Battlefleet, for a total of 13 VPs. Those two items allowed me to eke out victory, 39 to 36.

We broke out Glory to Rome with Chris, but Tiffany arrived so we switched to Stage II. Michael has added to the list of categories where he has successfully stated the theme, but only as an off-hand comment and not an actual guess. He also got a theme on the first clue, when the correct answer was so awkwardly worded ... well, you try. The answer to the first question is "The left field fence at Fenway Park." I think Chris won, but I'm not sure. I lost, although I did get a few categories.

Next was celebrities. We did have a simpson, a superhero, but no muppets. We also had Oda Nobunga, Benjamin Disraeli, Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones, Han Solo (that was a brutal combination, all put in by one evil person), the surprisingly difficult 3rd rounder Tom Hanks (I considered putting in Otm Shank, but decided not to), Aaron Copeland, Bon Jovi, Peter Cottontail, Bugs Bunny (twice), the Trix Rabbit and Gregor Mendel.

After that the inevitable split occured. Jon and Michael got the band back together, with the help of some aspiring groupies (Thanks to J&M for letting Rebecca and Aidan play). The rest of us became farmhands. Chris quickly got out the devastating-looking occupation that let him pay to take the first action (and then let it revert to the start player and go around the table normally, so he could get his second action before anyone else got the first). But the real impact play was Tiffany's "You must pay me a food to go on the grain space." This froze that space out for most of the game ... which made my grocer (stack 8 goods, buy them one at a time for one food each) powerful, since the first or second item was a grain. I also dropped the outrider, who gives grain when you take the newest action. I quickly had two grain, and played some acreage (basically, two fields for grain) and had 3 grain fields before the second harvest. Combined with the master brewer (convert 1 grain to 3 food) and I was off to the races. Chris got the first family growth, but was on the bleeding edge of hunger. I got the next two family growths and never had problems feeding my family.

After that the full band played a set or two, and things dispersed... thanks to everyone for showing up!

In which no Race was played

Well, not much, anyway.

Michael and I showed up early, and played a single game of Race before the crowd arrived. Jeff, Amy and Simon joined us for a quick game of Escalation.

I have played Geschenkt. Geschenkt was a close personal friend of mine. You, sir, are no Geschenkt. (Or Fairy Tale, or Flauschenteufel, or Bridge, or ... or ... or...). A "Play as many hands as you want" card game has to bring serious mojo to the table to be played again. Escalation is not that game.

When Sean arrived we split and played Power Grid. John showed up a bit later and joined in the side game of not much. Meanwhile, by busting my ass working a ridiculously stressful 32 hour week, I provided power to France.

After that was the chockingest choke that ever choked in a game of Celebrities. Choking was involved. Grand Moff Tarkin was not choked. Wayne Brady did some choking. As did several players. Winning for the "most amazing 3-time appearance in a single game" honorary MVP -- Master Chief. Why no, I don't have an XBox. Not bitter at all. Thanks for asking.

Then we closed with two games of Kutschfahrt, in which we learned that if several players simultaneously decide to deceive, everyone will get hopelessly confused. But we managed to get unconfused when Al and Sean kept swapping their "one use" professions with the device that reset them. They quickly declared victory, and we let them.

What, you say you want to hear how the games went, and not my surreal summary? Should have attended, I say. You'll have your shot next Monday. We may even play Race.