The Vasels go to Essen. Was it worth it?
Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
-
I've always wanted to go to Essen, after reading my first Essen report seven years ago. But it seemed to be a fairy dream, mostly because Essen is held in the middle of the school year, but also because I simply couldn't justify it.
But in August, I was planning a trip to visit some fellow pastors in Germany, and was working out the schedule for that, when it occured to me that I might combine the two. I did some ticket checks, and it worked out - and my wife consented, not only for me to go - but to come with me!
Finding babysitters for five kids isn't simple, but we managed it, and off we flew to Essen this past weekend. I was able to go to Essen for both Thursday and Friday, and armed with a press pass - was able to get in early and look around.
I thought I'd make this geeklist detailing some of my experiences of the fair - as a newbie to the event.
-
Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
-
Preparation:
I read threads like the one above, but more seriously now, since I was actually going. The biggest expense was the airplane tickets, and the cost of the hotel right behind that. Other expenses would be buying any games (depends on the person) and food.
I asked around to people who had gone before, and got various advice, but eventually Laura and I arrived Wednesday night around 9 PM. I was ready to go, but didn't see anyone around our hotel - although I did see one guy carrying an Alhambra bag. I ate at McDonalds (a tradition I do in each new country - to see what the culture changes are), and then went to bed.
And woke up at 3 AM. I was so excited - you can see me here - ready to go, but I had to wait until 9 AM, when I was meeting Moritz Eggert.
Six hours pass slowly. I had done a thorough reading of the Essen preview at www.boardgamenews.com, which is gigantic, and had made a small list of 86! games I was interested in. I had my list, my pass, my wife and baby, and was ready to go.
I passed the time checking my email, talking to people on the internet, and finally eating a marvelous breakfast. At 8:45, I was in the lobby, waiting for Moritz. He showed up at 9:10, we dashed for the subway, and off we went to wonderland.
-
-
Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
-
Essen was great, but having someone who was not only a German speaker and an expert on Essen, but also a good friend and companion was tremendous. I first heard about Moritz from some pictures and reviews he had done on the ‘geek here, and he has wormed his way onto our podcast, the Dice Tower, over the past several years.
Moritz was enthusiastic, always ready to go and I fear I dragged him all over the fair as I wanted to see and take in everything.
Thanks, Moritz, for a great time!
-
-
Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
-
As wonderful as it was to spend time with Moritz, however, I was even more thrilled to take my wife. I’ve always wanted to travel to a game event with my wife, but having six children does tend to prevent that from happening too much.
Now, Laura is not a huge game fanatic as much as me, but she does gladly play many games with me, has edited my reviews, and simply enjoys spending time with the family playing games.
I know that Essen probably wouldn’t be her first choice for a vacation spot, but she was a good sport about it, and she did seem to enjoy herself, especially when we met person after person who knew me and treated me as an old friend.
She got a kick out of hearing two people whisper excitedly upon seeing me while I was in conversation with a publisher. I told her (and it’s true) that those are probably my only two fans, and I was glad that they were at Essen.
Would I take Laura again? Perhaps, but probably not. Essen is more of a time to see new games, rather than to play them and Laura would much rather play games. She said that she enjoyed the spectacle, but I think she enjoyed the evenings much more when we simply sat around and talked and played some games.
But it was a lovely time I spent with my wife (and baby), and I’m so glad she could go.
-
-
Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
-
One of the best things about Essen is that you can meet almost every designer and publisher you can think of - at least all of those who reside in Europe, and quite a few American and Asian ones as well.
I had a great time meeting so many designers, and spending time talking to them in person, rather than via email.
Now I suppose if you have some sort of "hero worship" thing going on, this would make Essen very attractive, especially as many designers and publishers will gladly sign your games (not me - I want my games looking nice, thank you!). But you could walk around and speak in hushed tones - "Look! It's Dr. Knizia; it's Martin Wallace, etc., etc."
But I prefer to just treat them like normal folks (while still having some awe because of their superb designing skills), and it's great to see that the "superstars" of this industry act and play games like normal people. No waiting in long lines to meet people at Essen - just walk up and talk to them.
-
-
Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
-
I had heard that Saturday and Sunday were really crowded days. I do not know about this, I was only there Thursday and Friday.
But this I must say - that if Saturday and Sunday were MORE crowded than the days I was there, then I'm glad I didn't go then. Essen is PACKED with people. Some places more than others - the two halls I was most interested in (those with the smaller publishers) were completely full in the afternoon, and you really had to push to get through.
And so while you are able to meet many designers and publishers, they are surrounded by people wanting to see and play their games, so you may only have a few moments.
I don't mind the hustle and bustle, although two days of it were enough for me - but it did stand out in contrast to the much slower pace I am used to at Origins. It was neat to see the crowds, not so neat to maneuver my piles of games through them, but neat nonetheless, and encouraging to see such a huge number of people playing games.
And everyone is there. Tons of men and women, children of all ages, just people of all different sorts jostling and moving around, trying to see the latest games that were there.
I was like a machine, just plugging away - trying to visit every stop, but I must admit I was glad to sit down at the end of the day - there was just so much going on.
-
-
Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
-
And FINALLY I got to meet the BGG crew. They were all wonderful and nice folk (even Derk, which was a bit of a suprise
 ), and the GeekBuzz system seemed to work very well. And hoorah - I think I was the first person to give it a whirl.
Now gamebuzz at the convention is difficult, since you certainly don't have time to play all the games, but it still was a lot of fun to rate the games we did play. It seemed to get off to a slow start, but by Friday, the computers were in constant use, and you could see Aldie interviewing someone pretty much all the time (which did seem to lose him his voice at night).
Having the camera there was neat, and I know I would have been watching it had I not been there myself. Moritz and I amused ourselves by making faces at it for a while, but then we were off to see the games.
-
-
Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
-
Before I go any further, I must stop and say that I LOVED the food in Germany. I didn't realize it was so close to my home state (Pennsylvania)'s food, but it was amazingly good. There was nothing I tried that I did not like, and it was a welcome thing to eat.
Even when we were boarding the airplane at the end, I was running around the airport in Munich, looking for some more stuff to eat before I had to leave this wonderful land of food.
Moritz picked some choice German dishes out for us - although this picture was maybe my favorite - a traditional German meal we ate later on in the trip.
If I go back to Germany someday, it very may likely be the food that draws me there.
Oh, and you will enjoy a convention more on a full stomach. I'm just sayin'...
-
-
Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
-
Wow.
Forget about the food, let's talk about games.
I knew that there were a lot of games in the world, and I know I have played quite a few myself. But I cannot really tell you about the size of Essen, and the number of games that are there. It's one of those things that you simply have to see for yourself.
Remember I made a list of games I was interested in? Forget it. I forgot all about it as I went through the halls and was just enamored with game after game.
You could get wargames, Eurogames, party games, chess variants, dexterity games, American games, and more - there was nothing that I did not find. The used game stalls were chock full of all sorts of games, and I honestly had trouble deciding which games I wanted to take home with me - because of luggage space.
The games were also much cheaper than I imagined, and you could get a lot of bargains at the used places (which were mobbed by people).
You could also find all sorts of game-related stuff. I browsed the game part section for a long time, looking at all the neat wooden bits you could buy. I finally decided not to get any this time, but I was certainly tempted - especially when I saw a big bag of random game bits. I was glad that I brought my wife, who asked the obvious question of what exactly I would do with them. Sigh. Practicality wins again.
But I was able to find more dice for Descent and Commands and Colors, and the dice folk were there in full blast. You could buy game themed dishware and card sleeves. There was one stand that sold custom Carcassonne and Settlers boxes, and the ONLY reason I didn't get one was because of luggage space.
So many games!!!
And everywhere, people were playing them, on tables, on the floor, in the restaurants and hotels! It was an amazing thing.
-
-
9.
Board Game: Ants!
[Average Rating:6.42 Overall Rank:2546]
Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
-
So what games did I see/get/am interested in?
I must start out by saying that I played very few games while there. It was more of a "look at me" convention, and while that was fun, I was very anxious to get home and look at my games.
Although I'm still sorting through them. Wow!
There were so many games there, that I simply looked at ones that interested me. If they have a stupid theme (hint: trading in the Meditteranean) I passed them by. I didn't have time to look at everything, so here's what I found interesting.
Ants! - this game has me really intrigued, with a neat theme, player elimination, short playing time, and fun interaction and pieces. Look for a review soon - I plan to get this one to the table as soon as possible.
Dominion Seaside - Duh. I will say that I want more of the coins included in this game for use with other games. Maybe Jay will sell them separately?
Loyang: I was really pumped about trying out this third game in the Agricola / Le Havre triology. But after reading the rules and playing part of a game, my enthusiasm has been dampered quite a bit - to the point where I didn't pick it up. It seems a buy low / sell high game, and a very "thinky" one at that. I'll try it eventually, but it certainly has lost a bit of it's luster.
a la Carte: I was pleasantly suprised to find a new version of this game there - with fantastic components! I quickly snagged a copy and had fun putting it together. Then I sadly realized there are no English rules to the game! Now I wait for someone to post them. Anyone? Anyone? I'll give you thirty geekgold!!
Stronghold: I love the theme of this game, although the rulebook was bigger than I thought. Still, this one will hit the table soon.
Dungeon Lords: This looks like my style of game, and I love the components and rules. My initial impressions are high - hopefully a few plays will hold this out.
-
-
Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
-
Savannah Tails - I liked Snow Tails, and it might be more strategic than Savannah tails, but I liked the new one better. It's light, fast, and fun, and was one of the few games we played at the convention. Laura pulled her usual stunt of pretending not to know what was going on as she sneaked ahead of Moritz for the win at the end. I like this one a lot.
7 Ate 9 - I played this game against the designer - Maureen Hiron, and she trounced us. Fast and crazy. I like it.
Agricola Expansion: Yay! More Agricola stuff!
Ghost Stories Expansion: Yay! More Ghost Stories stuff!
Dungeon Twister 2: Yay! Plastic miniatures. As an aside, the Dungeon Twister X-box game looks VERY well done. I was really impressed - it looked like this was the way that the game was meant to be played.
Shipyard: Not on my radar at all - but it looks like a very fulfilling eurogame, one that has a ton of pieces but with some neat payoff.
Luna Llena: Also not on my radar - this looks like a fun Werewolf game.
-
-
Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
-
WOW.
I was amazed when I saw the game box, which is bigger than any of my children (NOT AN EXAGGERATION!)
The game is amazing, although the price is really too high. Still, I requested it from my wife as a Christmas present - although her smirk and evil laugh suggested that I might as well forget about it.
Perhaps a kind reader here will help me out?
-
-
12.
Board Game: PiFroG
[Average Rating:6.46 Unranked]
Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
-
PiFroG - A game mixing Chess and Checkers. Sounds interesting.
Carson City - A Caylus style game in the old west? My kind of theme, hope the mechanics make up for it.
Power Grid - Factory Manager - More Power Grid, please! I know it's not the same game, but if it has the same feel, I'll be pleased.
Small World Expansions: Small, indeed, but yay! More Small World
Boardgamegeek Game: I didn't run into anyone who had actually played the game, but it sounds good. And it has my avatar on the box - come on, it's a must buy!
And there were a ton of games I deliberately passed on, because I know I'll see them down the road (like Endeavor, all the Korean games, etc.) I will say that there were some neat games that I never even learned the names of - such is the life of the big convention!
-
-
Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
-
At 7 the fair closes, and we all troop off to different places to eat / play games.
This year, I finally met the amazing Greg Schloesser, who really makes me feel like an introvert, with his outgoing ways. He introduced me to a ton of folks, and we had a great time playing games each of the two nights we were there.
The second night, however, is the one that I had the most fun. After moving from restaurant to restaurant to find one that would accomodate our large group, we ended up in a nice Chinese restaurant and talked for probably two hours about everything gaming to sports. Finally, I demanded that we play SOMETHING.
In the meantime, Aldie and I played a game of paper-rock-scissors, after some debate on the best way to play it. I won, after Aldie announced that he couldn't be beaten. Hmmm. Moritz videoed the affair, and I'll post it here when we can.
But anyway, we played Time's Up: Gamer Edition. Now, I don't know that I can recommend this game for many situations. It's basically Time's Up with game and designer's names. But here was a situation to play the game.
And
And
And
I'm proud to say that my partner and I won. Not only did we win, but we beat four other teams, including the mighty Scott Alden, Mortiz Eggert, Eric Burgess, and Greg Schloesser. Now, Greg did forget his glasses, and my wife had to whisper the names on the cards to him, but I'm taking a win anyway I can get it. It was my favorite game experience of the convention, and it was a good way to finish up the show for me.
-
-
Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
-
Here Moritz makes a new face to replace his infamous Coloretto picture.
One of the neatest things about Essen was meeting so many people who listen to our show, watch the videos, or read some of my reviews. I simply cannot remember everyone's names, or fear that I will forget some - so please don't be offended, I had a great time meeting you all!
We were stopped constantly, and I never minded, it was great to talk to others, and find out what games they thought were the hit of the convention. Talking to people seemed to be the highlight of the convention for me, and it was just a tremendous experience.
-
-
Tom Vasel
United States
Homestead
Unspecified
Top 100 Games of all Time
Dice Tower Convention, July 2012!!!!
-
I had the opportunity to preach in some churches on Sunday, so Laura and I had to travel on Saturday to get to our next destination, but I was glad to have been in Essen even for only two days.
Some final thoughts:
1. Game of the show for me? In terms of interest, it's a tie between Ants!, Stronghold, and Dungeon Lords. But I did leave with 26 games and 16 expansions, so who knows? Maybe I missed the best game of the show? But I'm happy with what I got.
2. Meeting everyone was a great experience, but Greg, the BGG staff, Moritz, and Eric were the highlights for me. And James Miller was amazing to hang out with, as usual.
3. Essen is NOT worth going to for the purpose of buying games. Use the price of the airplane ticket to purchase them. Games come out so quickly now, it's just not worth it. Essen is more about seeing the spectacle more than anything else.
4. Food isn't cheap, but it's good.
5. Essen isn't a place to play games (except at night, and then you are likely exhausted) as much as it is a place to see them.
6. Two days was plenty to see everything, and if I went again, I might do the same amount of time, and go sightseeing the other two days.
7. Essen vs. Origins? Well, they can't be compared. Essen is huge, bustling, with 600 billion games. And yet I think I have more fun at Origins. I know more people there, and we spend a LOT more time playing games. But really, it's like comparing apples and oranges.
Thanks to EVERYONE who gave me good advice about going. I likely won't make it for another decade, but it was super fun, and I'm glad I got to go at least once.
-
-
|
|
Top 100 Games of all Time
Where the heck did you pack those?
