A Tribute To Dave Farquhar
David Coutts
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
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Dave Farquhar was my brother-in-law for over 2 decades, and sadly passed away last year. Here is a great tribute on Brett & Board from his long-time friend Mike Siggins:
http://brettboard.dk/art02.htm
I was thinking of making this list "Games Playtested by Dave Farquhar", but by and large you would end up with a long list of games designed by Reiner Knizia.
Instead, the list should represent gaming stories you remember about Dave. I've listed just a few gaming stories about Dave of my own...
I couldn't make it from Australia to England for the funeral, so this is my public tribute to him. I hope his other gaming friends will join me in paying tribute to a great man.
I will miss him.
David Coutts
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David Coutts
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
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Decades ago now I was designing a strategic wargame about 2 fictional countries. Dave, who was then only dating my sister, came to our house one day with this unpunched classic wargame under his arm.
I dropped my design. I taught myself how to play, then I played Dave, and from that moment we both accumulated huge games collections, starting with wargames but both branching out into "German" games.
From this unlikely start, we both became lifelong gamers.
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David Coutts
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
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I've taken the liberty of adding this game on behalf of Mike Siggins, and others, who played Dave at METW quite a bit...
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David Coutts
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
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Yes Dave was a playtester for this one, but I've listed it for the amazing two page summary of the Lord Of The Rings books at the back of the rulebook.
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4.
Board Game: Up Front
[Average Rating:7.87 Overall Rank:95]
David Coutts
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
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Going on holiday to Scotland (again) one year, I hopped in Dave's car for the trip up from England (roughly 600-700 miles). I was clutching this game under one arm...
My sister Heather should be sainted, as she drove the whole way whilst Dave and I learnt the game and played it on the back seat all the way there!
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David Coutts
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
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My sister Heather asked me if there was a game I would like from Dave's collection. I requested this one because I have the photograph of Dave getting it for Christmas the year it was released. Heather is also in the photo.
I can't remember if I bought it for him, or Heather did...
It's my favourite photo of Dave & Heather, and it features a game!
I have the photograph next to my game's collection.
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David Coutts
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
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Another one that Dave playtested, but my reason for listing this one is that Reiner mentioned to my sister Heather something to do with this game and their two boys Stephen and Alistair. Possibly some input from the boys into one or more of the cards, or possibly some new "promotional" cards relating to the boys. I'm not sure, and I'd love to find out. If anyone is in touch with Reiner can you please ask him? Heather would like to know too.
You see, Dave was also a great father.
Apart from games, Dave was heavily into soccer (Portsmouth FC), cricket, and walking....which leads me to...
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David Coutts
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
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I will never be able to play this game without thinking of Dave...
He was fanatical about cricket. He even used to listen to cricket through his headphones in bed!
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David Coutts
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
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Apart from playtesting for Reiner Knizia, Dave also did numerous reviews for Counter magazine and other games publications.
Click on this game and scroll down to read Dave's review on The Games Cabinet.
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David Coutts
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
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Long before I knew Dave he was mad about soccer. Portmouth FC only recently made it to the English premier league, and Dave would have enjoyed seeing them promoted last year. How would have loved seeing them play this year! His son's continue in his footsteps...
I never played Dave at this one, but I knew he was once a fan of Subbuteo.
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David Coutts
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
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Dave and I used to play this a bit before Games Workshop ceased being a boardgames company, and became a miniatures company. It's an OK game.
I remember sitting next to Dave at a Games Workshop seminar at London's big Games Day one year. He stood up and accused Games Workshop of dropping boardgames, which they denied, and now everything they do relates to miniatures!
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David Coutts
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
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Dave and my sister separated a few years back (and he married again some time later), and for a while we didn't communicate due to the awkwardness.
This was silly, and I'm pleased to say we remained friends until his death.
One of the last emails Dave sent me was about this game. I own the original version, and Dave knew I was keen and sent me a link to the new version - Divine Right 25th Anniversary RPG - limited edition.
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David Coutts
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
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Another wargame for balance. We spent years just playing wargames before Dave discovered German game.
I have distinct memories of playing the first scenario with Dave at his home in his beloved Hampshire. He won, as I recall. Quite right too.
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13.
Board Game: Ra
[Average Rating:7.60 Overall Rank:48]
Mike Siggins
England
Cambridge
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Until I tested this game at Reiner's, I didn't really know to what extent Dave was involved on the development side. Apparently Reiner had run this game through many incarnations. Too many. The final version suddenly came to him, just in time for the publisher's deadline, and the loyal playtesters were called in at short notice to test it. That was a great night of gaming for all of us, because we could all see what an excellent game this was, and it was evident that Dave had been present for much of the game's evolution.
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Mike Siggins
England
Cambridge
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This was the first game I played with Dave. I had just purchased a copy from Esdevium in Aldershot, and we played the next day. I guess that would have been around 92 or 93?
Still think these are the best maps ever done for a wargame.
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David Coutts
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
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Another one that Dave playtested, but I've listed it for the "Farquhar group (a real place north of Madagascar, part of the Seychelles)", which was pointed out to me by a gamer who read the list - thanks mate!
I must get this game!
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16.
Board Game: Attika
[Average Rating:7.08 Overall Rank:252]
Mark Johnson
United States
Santa Clarita
California
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Last year I attended Essen for the first time. It was a quick trip, just one full day, but I made the most of it by meeting up with other English speakers. Some of the Counter crew I knew to expect, but getting to play a game of Attika with Dave was a great surprise. I instantly remembered his distinctive last name from my earliest days discovering the hobby, reading Sumo archives on The Game Cabinet.
Dave made me feel welcome as I joined him in a try of the hot, new game, Attika. Friendly & smart, I am grateful to have had the brief opportunity to meet him.
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David Coutts
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
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I remember Dave buying this game, and if memory serves I think he wrote a review for Counter magazine in the UK.
I've included it here to reflect Dave's love of walking. I spent many hours walking with him and Heather in Scotland, and I treasure a photograph of Heather and Dave eating Mars bars sitting on a boulder high up Ben Ledi near Callander. Here's a link to the walk itself - beautiful.
http://www.incallander.co.uk/walks/benledi.htm
It was pouring with rain, and a mist was begining to envelop us as we may our way down the mountain.
In the evenings, of course, we would sit around and play games.
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David Coutts
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
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If there's one game Dave would have loved to play, it would have been this classic
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Kalamazoo
Michigan
Melbourne
Victoria
Nice one. Did you know that Dave used to write and dungeonmaster his own Runequest / Glorantha adventures... (which normally included War Ducks...) with me and my friends as the hapless adventurers? This was Dave as the DM
By the end of the adventures we felt a bit like this...
and a bit like this
but mostly we had fun and felt like this...
Regards,
David
Melbourne
Victoria
Dan's cat?
I'm intrigued...please get someone to tell the story!
Regards,
David
Braintree
Essex
I met Dave several times whilst playtesting games with Reiner, and on every occassion found instance solace with dave.
I was shocked by his death but will remember his passion for gaming and all things for the rest of my life.
Especially I will be reminded whenever I see a copy of the Lord of the Rings, as it was when this being playtested that I got to meet and know Dave. And the fact that we both share a great love of JRRT.
London