Severus Snape
Canada
Nulli Secundus
One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew.
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Well, I have had my kick at the cat, and it is now time to pass the mantle to Jens Hoppe. I have always had a soft spot for Danes; I guess that's the spirit of the great Bent Larsen within me. Danes are brave, resourceful, independent, creative, imaginative and they never quit, never say die, and never surrender; just what you need in a geek buddy like Jens.
Here is Jens gaming biography, followed by two truths and a lie:
"Although I did play more mainstream games as a child, I guess I really started as a "gamer" around 1980-1981 or so, when I was in my early teens. One day I walked into a big toy store in Copenhagen - they had a huge selection of model airplanes, tanks and such - but on that fateful day I also spotted a number of strange cardboard boxes with various military illustrations on them. "What can that be?", I remember thinking. "More model soldiers?". As it turned out, of course, they were games, but games unlike any I had seen before. I walked out of the store with a lovely pink box with an illustration of a samurai warrior on the front, not knowing what I was getting into. I had just bought my first Avalon Hill wargame but many, many more were to follow it: Games like The Civil War, Mosby's Raiders, Source of the Nile, Civilization, B-17, The Legend of Robin Hood, Magic Realm, and Napoleon followed within a few years. At some point, my friends and I came across Diplomacy and it was all the rage for a while.
Shortly after buying Samurai, I discovered role-playing games (D&D at first, other systems later on), comic books and fantasy and science fiction novels, and a lifetime of geekish hobbies and interests was born! Another geeky interest that started in the 80's was the love of computers, something which has led me directly to my choice of a career in software development.
One summer, a friend of mine and I discovered Up Front. It was a huge hit with us, and we spent our entire summer vacation sitting in his house playing the game! Up Front led to Squad Leader, which in turn led to ASL, and that in turn led to our becoming involved with the primary club for ASL players in Copenhagen, Københavns Brætspilsklub (KBK). And this is actually the club which now, 16 years later, is still where I do most of my gaming. I stopped playing ASL a number of years ago, but luckily (for me) KBK has slowly but steadily morphed into a mostly-eurogames club, although still with a strong concentration of ASL players.
The 90's introduced me to two new genres of games: First of all, I found a new obsession in Magic: The Gathering and it dominated my gaming for 4-5 years. I played it daily, participated in tournaments, and helped judge tournaments, including national championships and one Grand Prix tournament. Good times, as one can imagine, and to me MtG is still one of the best and most satisfying games I have ever tried.
The other novelty introduced by the 90's was of course eurogames and this particular aspect of gaming I have stuck with, although I still do play some wargames, 18xx games, and other older styles of games whenever I get the chance. So, when it comes to tastes and preferences in games these days, I am primarily a eurogamer, but having started out with Avalon Hill wargames, my tastes are not clear-cut: I appreciate the simplicity and general accessibility of eurogames but at the same time I love history, historical games, and detailed maps. It is no surprise, therefore, that I generally prefer the heavier and better themed eurogames to the lighter and more abstract ones. I find that I have also become much more jaded and critical over the years and it takes a lot for a game to impress me these days...
With a full-time job, a family (wife and two kids), and, dare I say it, the responsibilities of someone rapidly approaching 40 years of age, the days of unlimited gaming time are long gone, and these days I am grateful to get an evening of gaming in once in a while. Most of my gaming takes place in KBK, which I visit once every other week, and I also manage to play a few games in addition to that, either at home or elsewhere. I have been to Essen for the last couple of years, and it truly is gaming nirvana for any eurogamer!
With the people I have played with, I have always been the primary board game buyer. My collection has therefore consisted of an ungodly number of games throughout the years, but luckily I am not a collector as such, and I sell many of my games again. Still, I have enough games left, and more are added all the time, to ensure that my collection doesn't stagnate! I have also always been the rules explainer with the people I play with, and it gives me great pleasure when people specifically ask for me to explain the rules to a game.
I write about games (and other interests) on my blog at http://blog.amun.dk - for now, it is in Danish, though.
Board gaming isn't my only hobby. I also play a lot of computer games, mostly various RPGs. Presently, it's the MMORPG "The Lord of the Rings Online" (LOTRO), and prior to that single-player games like Morrowind, Oblivion, Fable, Sid Meier's Pirates, and others. For me, computer games supplement board games perfectly: Board games give me a chance to play something involving strategy, and allow me to interact socially with other people. Computer games - RPGs in particular, of course - allow a level of immersion and escapism not to be found in board games, and as much as I like to sit around a table with other people playing board games, losing myself in, say, a virtual version of Tolkien's imagined world is great fun too!
My original love of historical wargames also led to a more general interest in history. That interest has in later years been centered mostly around the ancient and classical world: I have taken several classes on Near Eastern archaeology and egyptology at Copenhagen University.
Another great interest of mine is Irish folk music. In addition to listening to it, I love to play: I started out with the tin whistle, but have in later years been playing mostly wooden flute. For a couple of years I did play regularly with some friends of mine and did manage to go to the occasional session, but the raising of a family and, well, a general lack of time has put a stop to most of that. These days, I mostly only have the time to play a quick couple of reels or jigs at home.
And finally, here are two true and one false statement about me. At least, I think the two true ones are true, but my memory isn't what it used to be!
1. One year in the mid-90's, I was asked to be the head judge of the Magic: The Gathering Danish Championships, an event taking place over the course of two days in a school outside Copenhagen. However, early in the morning on the second day my wallet was stolen, and I had to rush back to Copenhagen to get my credit cards cancelled, report the theft to the police, etc., so as it turned out my day of fame - judging the finals of a national championship - was snatched from me.
2. Playing a certain board game in KBK a couple of years ago - one obviously involving a fair bit of negotiation and diplomacy - an opponent (let's call him X) who I was considering as a target pointed out to me that I could make a better move by attacking player N, who was however doing very poorly already. Hearing this, player N flipped and declared that if I attacked him, despite him being in the obvious last place, he would leave the game, ruining it for all of us! Being a big softie, and not wishing to break up the game with everyone having bad feelings, I started to reconsider. Upon hearing this, player X announced that if I let player N get his will by threatening to leave the game, then he (player X) would leave the game in protest! So, my opponents had put me in a position where, no matter what I chose, someone would leave the game in anger. Naturally, the game didn't finish, and a couple of people left for home earlier than usual that night. :-)
3. While vacationing in Egypt, my wife and I naturally visited The Valley of the Kings a couple of times. On one such visit, while exploring the tomb of Amenhotep II (KV 35), I overheard a guide trying to explain some details about the Amduat frieze shown on the walls of the central chamber to a group of tourists. Problem was, he wasn't very knowledgeable and having listened to him for a while, I finally got up the courage to approach the group. I ended up doing a 15 minute lecture about the scenes on the frieze, and the group was very grateful for it - and I felt a little proud."
Jens, you play a wider variety of games than I do. Pick a favourite wargame and a favourite Eurogame (make sure they are different games).
1) Conmpare and contrast the pleasure you receive when you play each.
2) Compare and contrast what it takes to win (think areas like tactics, strategy, memory--whatever you can add) each of these games.
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Congrats on the GOTW - that rocks.
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Melissa
Australia
Melbourne
Victoria
Best wishes to you all for 2011. xxx
Mostly offline, but trying.
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Happy Geek of the Week!
I think #1 was the lie. Maybe you spent half an hour on the phone or something, but you did not have to leave the event.
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M Dornbrook
United States
Arizona
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Congratulations Jens! I'm pretty sure that 2 is the lie. The others sound like unique events that could have happened. Number 2 is such a common complaint that I suspect that you're trying to slip one under the radar!
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Stephan Rasmussen
Denmark
Odense C
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Hi Jens grats on the geek of the week (first dane I think).
My questions are kind of a selfish as I am about to get hold of your copy of Battle of Five armies the games workshop game. Have you played the game? Are the minis painted? and what was the reason for you to first get this game and since selling it? 
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Josh Adelson
United States
State College
Pennsylvania
Hello, can you run as fast as me? I hope not, because if you catch me I will thrash you!
This space available for rent.
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Clearly number three is the lie. It all happened exactly as you stated, but rather than feel a little proud, you wake up screaming some nights from the memory that you omitted at least seven EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FACTS from your impromptu lecture. Happy Geek Week.
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Joe Grundy
Australia
Sydney
NSW
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Good pick for GotW. Congratulations!
I'll guess #1 for the lie.
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Fad or not, it´s here to stay! The League of Extraordinary Heroscapers!
Denmark
Aarhus
Comfortably numb...
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bentlarsen wrote: Danes are brave, resourceful, independent, creative, imaginative and they never quit, never say die, and never surrender;
Truer words were never spoken!
Tillykke til dig, Jens!
(Just saying "congratulations!" in our fair native tongue!)
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Nick Bos
Denmark
Copenhagen Ø
Sjælland
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Hej Jens,
Congratulations with your well deserved geek of the weekiness!
Now I finally know a celebrity in person! 
I think #1 is the lie, I think you find magic more important than your wallet (I mean, you DO play magic, so )
I only have 1 question, will you be at the club tuesday? :] haven't seen you for a while.
Har det godt!
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Claus Jensen
Denmark
Stenlose
Sealand
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Grats to Jens
Knowing your impressive collection (bear in mind that this man's collection was built on 50% income tax, and 25% vat before he ever got to the store), I'd just like to know:
What game WOULDN'T you play?
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Chris
United States
Huntington Station
New York
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Congrats! Very nice.
Good luck with all those 'ribbon cutting' ceremonies that you'll have to perform in the next week.
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Congratulations Jens!
I think 2. is impossible... I mean... Jens being a softie... and in a game like Diplomacy?
... just kidding - Jens is a very nice person
Which reminds me: when are you going to visit us, try Power Grid and realize that it's a very fine game after all?
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Pete Belli
United States
Florida
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Interesting BGG profile!
#3 IS the prevarication.
Why do I say that?
Form your own theory or check the "spoiler" below.
Spoiler (mouseover to reveal): A classic "red herring" gambit by a skilled and cunning game geek. Jens knows that we can view his BGG profile, and this profile has Egypt splashed all over it. We might be expected to fall into his trap and make an assumption that the story about Egypt is true. I think not...
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Robert Wesley
Nepal
Aberdeen
Washington
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 GRATZ! and "hejsa" Jens 
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Jens Hoppe
Denmark
Frederiksberg
What are you, like 80?
It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.
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Well, here I am, fashionably late for my own party!
First of all a big thank you to Joseph for picking me as Geek of the Week. I was very surprised when he wrote me, and of course greatly honored.
I am thrilled to see the all the interest in determining which of my three statements is false, but don't forget to keep the questions coming also - it's what I am here for! (this week, at least)
bentlarsen wrote: Jens, you play a wider variety of games than I do. Pick a favourite wargame and a favourite Eurogame (make sure they are different games).
1) Conmpare and contrast the pleasure you receive when you play each.
2) Compare and contrast what it takes to win (think areas like tactics, strategy, memory--whatever you can add) each of these games.
I have played and enjoyed a lot of wargames, but for combining a great subject, very nice components, and brilliant rules and mechanics, I will have to go with Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage.
As for favorite eurogame, I presently have two euro "10"s, Tigris & Euphrates and Amun-Re, and I will pick one of those (do you see a trend in my favorite theme yet? )
Question 1 is quite an interesting one, and I have given much thought to the why do people play games? (and more specifically, why do I play games?) issue. I remember a couple of articles in The General written by Patrick Carroll, examining different types or personality profiles of gamers: Some people play for the social aspect, some for the competition, some for the historical insight, and some play in order to let their imagination roam freely (and most people probabably for a combination of all of the above). This is of course in the context of wargames, but I think it applies to all sorts of board games.
Personally, when playing wargames, I am very much a "let the imagination free" kind of gamer. Richard Berg often refers to the paper time machine effect of wargames (who came up with that term, BTW?) and it is really something I can relate to. I love to play historical games where I can get some kind of feeling that I am somewhere else, part of an unfolding story. I will even admit that strict historical accuracy isn't a big issue for me, as long as the game is at least accurate enough to maintain the illusion of being a model of something real. For that reason, nice components are important to me when playing wargames: The components alone won't save a game where the mechanics or historical aspects are bland or missing, but if the components get bad or generic enough, the paper time machine illusion fails for me, and I lose interest in the game.
Next, in order of priority comes the social aspect of gaming, as well as the competitive. I value both, but not at the expense of the paper time machine: I am not above solitairing a wargame, and whether I win or lose isn't much of an issue for me. It's not completely irrelevant, of course, but it doesn't carry much weight.
Now, when it comes to eurogames my priorities are both similar and at the same time different. I still do value theme, but obviously in a eurogame the paper time machine effect isn't as strong as in the average wargame. Still, a nice map and components evocative of the theme do make a difference to me. In the case of my two favorite euros, T&E and Amun-Re, it's obvious that their choice of theme explains at least part of why I like the games as much as I do. True, T&E could be about anything, in principle, or it could have been a completely abstract game, but the fact that it's about ancient Mesopotamia, has a map showing two rivers, etc. is actually enough that I do get some kind of feeling of the subject it portrays. And in the context of a euro, that is often enough for me.
With eurogames the importance of the competitive and social aspects of gaming are much more pronounced, however. While general enjoyment and "having a good time" is still my main priority, I do care about playing well and winning when I play a euro. A eurogame has to be balanced and has to present interesting decisions if it is to be a favorite of mine - the theme in a euro is almost always thin enough that the game has to have mechanics and gameplay that work well. A euro that leaves me wanting in terms of gameplay won't succeed, no matter how gorgeous ancient Egyptian components it has.
Addressing question 2, what it takes to win, it comes as no surprise that I make more of an effort to win when playing euros than wargames. With a wargame, I keep the objectives / victory conditions in mind, and I try to point my troops in the right general direction, set up favorable attacks, etc, but since most of my enjoyment comes from just seeing the action unfold, I am not above choosing an "interesting" move over a more efficient one, if the latter move seems to lead to a less interesting game.
I am much more competitive when playing eurogames, of course. Euros almost always present a much more limited decision tree than a wargame, so there are fewer options to choose between, and one can more easily try to determine the "best move", as opposed to a wargame where gut feeling is more likely to be a decisive factor.
To me, eurogames are ideal for competitive play. The limited decision tree does not so much mean that the game is simple or trivial, but more that the decisions available have been distilled down to the essential ones: There may not be as many decisions to make in a eurogame, compared with a wargame, but in a good euro (at least), every decision counts. Of course, the decision tree should still be complex enough that players can't simply see all of it and choose the best path, but then again this is true for all but the simplest euros. Which leads me to...
I vastly prefer euros that have a slight amount of randomness in them. The presence of randomness effectively prevents total analysis of the game situation, and makes instinctive decisions more viable. I dislike completely deterministic games, as I feel the decision-making process in those games becomes too dry ("if I do this, then my opponent does this, and then I can do this, etc.").
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Jens Hoppe
Denmark
Frederiksberg
What are you, like 80?
It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.
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Stradk wrote: My questions are kind of a selfish as I am about to get hold of your copy of Battle of Five armies the games workshop game. Have you played the game? Are the minis painted? and what was the reason for you to first get this game and since selling it?
Heh, the short answer is "no", "no", and "it was unlikely to be played in the foreseeable future".
I remember reading some positive comments about the game (could Mike Siggins be the culprit here?) and being a big Tolkien fan, I decided to get the game, despite not being a miniature gamer. Alas, my enthusiasm didn't last beyond getting the game. I guess I am just a board gamer, rather than a miniature gamer at heart: I want my games to come ready to play!
I have also been tempted to try out GW's Lord of the Rings miniature game, but again the knowledge that I will have a bunch of unpainted miniatures and no board has kept me from making the leap. I also considered Lord of the Rings: Combat Hex Tradeable Miniatures Game, which after all has painted miniatures AND a board, but the collectible nature of it kept me away, and now of course it is out of print...
Buying a game and selling it unplayed is not particularly rare for me, though. Even though I like to play the part of the old-not-easily-impressed curmudgeon, I still get excited when reading about new games I haven't played, and I do buy a lot of games. Since I am not a rabid collector, I often have no scruples selling a game again if it looks as if I won't get it played. There is enough competition for my limited gaming time that I have come to realize that realistically I won't have the time to play everything I buy, even though I always have the honest intention of playing every game I buy! And if that sounds just a little bit contradictory, I am not sure I am going to disagree.
However, since buying a game, opening it, reading the rules, etc. also brings me some pleasure, I don't consider unplayed games to be a complete waste of money.
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Jens Hoppe
Denmark
Frederiksberg
What are you, like 80?
It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.
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Faerun wrote: I only have 1 question, will you be at the club tuesday? :] haven't seen you for a while.
Yes, I certainly will. And I was there only two weeks ago, playing among other things In the Year of the Dragon!
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Jens Hoppe
Denmark
Frederiksberg
What are you, like 80?
It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.
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NetSapiens wrote: What game WOULDN'T you play?
Hi there, Claus!
Well, first of all it depends on whether we talk about games I haven't played yet (ie. games I wouldn't play based merely on descriptions of the game), or games I have played, but won't play again.
In the first category, there are very few games I would write off without having played them. After all, I am eager to try new games and I wouldn't want to miss a potential new hit. That being said, I know my own tastes pretty well by now, and there are certainly a lot of games, or indeed genres of games that I have no great desire to try. Most classic AT games of the plastic-figures/sci-fi-or-fantasy-setting/multi-player-attack-each-other sort are games, I won't seek out myself. In the same way, I don't go looking for very big, long, or complex wargames (as interesting as they might be, I prefer my gaming in smaller doses). Also, classic deterministic abstract games are usually not to my tastes, although I won't mind trying them. But I suppose you could find games either too long, complex, trivially simple, distasteful, or something else that I would rather pass on than play.
But in general, there are very few games I won't try, but on the other hand a lot of games I have no particular desire to play.
If we talk about re-playing games, there are certainly a lot of games I don't want to play again. Most games in my collection rated 4 or less fall into that category and if presented with one of these, I would do my best to get the group to choose something else. Whether based on one or many games, once I have a negative impression of a game that impression is unlikely to change, and having as little gaming time as I do I don't want to waste it with a game I know I don't enjoy.
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Jens Hoppe
Denmark
Frederiksberg
What are you, like 80?
It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.
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Little Dragon wrote: Which reminds me: when are you going to visit us, try Power Grid and realize that it's a very fine game after all?
Hej Andrea!
I certainly wouldn't mind visiting you for a couple of games, but forget about Power Grid! That game got more than one chance with me, but the experience just got worse with each game. So, Power Grid is a game I can't see myself returning to.
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Marshall P.
United States
Wichita
Kansas
"Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution" - Theodosius Dobzhansky
There is grandeur in this view of life, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.
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Hi Jens,
I was reading through your game ratings to get a feeling for what you liked and I found a mistake. Amid all of the sensible ratings, and well-thought-out comments you have Power Grid down for a "4". I'm sure you meant "9". I'll check back later to see if you fixed it. 
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Marshall P.
United States
Wichita
Kansas
"Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution" - Theodosius Dobzhansky
There is grandeur in this view of life, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.
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jens_hoppe wrote: I certainly wouldn't mind visiting you for a couple of games, but forget about Power Grid! That game got more than one chance with me, but the experience just got worse with each game. So, Power Grid is a game I can't see myself returning to.
Whoops, just saw this. Ok, now you have to explain yourself. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark!
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Jens Hoppe
Denmark
Frederiksberg
What are you, like 80?
It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.
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mdp4828 wrote: Ok, now you have to explain yourself. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark!
Something certainly was rotten, but don't worry, we quickly moved on to better games!
Apart from that, bear in mind when reading the following that my experience with Power Grid was limited to two or three games back in ... 2004 (yikes, how time flies!)
Referring back to what I wrote at the time, I see that I found the mechanism for power plant acquisition to be the main culprit. I found it too random, and disliked the way you could be forced to choose an inferior power plant, only to reveal a better one for the next player. Also, the fact that all power plants were shuffled together led to the mechanism feeling inherently unstable, and it seemed as if a myriad of fiddly rules had been added to the mechanism in order to ensure that it "stayed on track", so to speak: "Remove the lowest value power plant in these situations...", "remove the highest value power plant if...", and so on.
Generally, I remember thinking that the whole game felt as if it could easily go off its tracks: If the power plants came out in a sensible fashion, the timing of the game might be good, but in other circumstances the timing would be off: I think in one of our games, the last phase was triggered immediately before the end of the game.
In my last played game, the power plant mechanism broke down. A couple of players had gotten good power plants, but the remaining power plants for sale were so bad that buying one felt like in-game suicide. As a result, our game stagnated completely, with no new power plants being bought for an hour. Finally, the bank was emptied and one of the players not doing well chose to escalate the game to its next phase - the player in question didn't have a chance after that, of course. Anyway, that particular game left a bad taste with everyone, and I don't think the game has been played much afterwards in our club.
Randomness and timing issues can be excused in lighter, faster games, but I remember thinking that Power Grid was much too long and fiddly for that kind of behavior. I may easily be wrong, of course, but I don't mind sticking with 18xx or Brass for my economic game fix.
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Fraser
Australia
Melbourne
Yep that was 12 Power Grid maps back to back over two days. Worth doing, but possibly not in such a concentrated burst.
Ooh yes, now a little to the left - my nose is itchy. No, no the other left! Now what colour is 12 supporter badge going to be I wonder?
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Game related questions later, but for now how is our (ex)Australian Princess going?
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Rasmus Hviid
Denmark
1763 København V
Unspecified
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Why do you dislike most of Martin Wallace’s games ? I know you enjoy Brass even though you rarely (read: never) win.
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