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From Glory to Glory: Development of a Block Gamer
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John Owen
United States
Maine
New York
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There has been much talk/shouting/debate lately regarding "Ameritrashers" and "Eurosnoots." This list is here to outline what is available as a "third way." Block gaming. I am an unabashed block lover, and I'm speaking up now, because I know that I'm not alone! Blockheads can move freely between the worlds of Ameritrash and Eurosnoot, enjoying what is good in each. We even like and appreciate the Grognards, though we don't always share their fondness for 80-page rulebooks and endless levels of complexity. As Blockheads, I'm certain that we all feel that, sooner or later, all gamers will convert to blocks.
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Posted Mon Oct 30, 2006 10:21 pm
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John Owen
United States
Maine
New York
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A Relationship With Blocks Begins at an Early Age
Most of us have grown up playing with some sort of blocks.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children
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2.
Board Game: Jenga
[Average Rating:5.41 Overall Rank:5212]
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John Owen
United States
Maine
New York
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Exploration
So, you spent a lot of your childhood playing with blocks. AND you spent most of your childhood playing bad mass market American games. Unfortunately, you wouldn't have come across very many games featuring wood at all. Some lucky child may have stumbled across Napoleon , but most of us had to settle for Jenga.
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John Owen
United States
Maine
New York
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Regression
As we got older, we discovered "better" boardgames, loaded with plastic. Others may have discovered cardboard chits at this time. It doesn't matter too much which. What matters is that we began to forget the pleasures of block play. Eventually, an emptiness is felt that cannot be ignored.
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John Owen
United States
Maine
New York
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Taking the Long Way Home
Sooner or later, someone introduces you to a Euro. Maybe it’s Settlers, maybe it’s Carcasonne, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that these games have lovely wooden components. Your mind and your heart experience a glimmer of recognition and are beginning to feel satisfied once more.
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John Owen
United States
Maine
New York
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Recognition
BGG is discovered. It doesn’t take long to discover the wide array of games available, including something called “block games” You read lots of "Geeklists" devoted to this "new" type of game. You pick one up. Maybe it's War of 1812. Maybe it's something else. The beginning of a great reconciliation has begun. You find yourself a bit less interested in other sorts of games.
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John Owen
United States
Maine
New York
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Surprised by Joy
Then, you move on to the middleweights like Hammer of the Scots or Crusader Rex. It doesn't take long (no longer than reading the rulebook) to realize that you've found your heart's desire. As far as gaming goes, it doesn't get much better than this.
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John Owen
United States
Maine
New York
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Commitment
It’s not long before you’re fighting most of WWII over the course of an entire day. With blocks, all things are possible.
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John Owen
United States
Maine
New York
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To Fog or Not to Fog?
The “fog of war” is what block games capture so well. Sooner or later, though, you stop caring about fog of war. You just want more blocks.
You begin to pick up games like Clash For a Continent or Command and Color:Ancients. These games could have just as easily used cardboard chits or plastic as there is no hidden info via the blocks. Yet, these companies, through these games, have caught the Block bug and it is all the better for us block addicts. Once you've gone block, you never go back.
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John Owen
United States
Maine
New York
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Needing a Fix
The next step, of course, is using leftover blocks from other games and adding them to a game that really doesn’t need them at all.
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John Owen
United States
Maine
New York
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Full Circle
Finally, when the day is done, if you’re lucky enough to have children, you go back to playing with the blocks that started it all.
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11.
Board Game: Zendo
[Average Rating:7.33 Overall Rank:194]
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John Owen
United States
Maine
New York
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Zen and the Art of Block Game Maintenance
When Buddha was in Grdhrakuta mountain he turned a block in his fingers and held it before his listeners. Every one was silent. Only Maha-Kashapa smiled at this revelation, although he tried to control the lines of his face.
Buddha said: `I have the eye of the true teaching, the heart of Nirvana, the true aspect of non-form, and the ineffable stride of Dharma. It is not expressed by words, but especially transmitted beyond teaching. This teaching I have given to Maha-Kashapa.'
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Posted Sun Oct 29, 2006 2:11 am
Tonawanda
New York
San Antonio
Texas
I'm a block gamer myself, and you captured the arc of my game history almost exactly.
I might have added Eastfront, but EE might be more representative.
Great final quote from Buddha.