GEEK OF THE WEEK: Mike Siggins (SUMO)

Profile: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/user/sumo

Geek of the week is an open forum focussed on getting to know our Geek of the Week. Join in by asking our world-travelling Geek of the Week for some tips for the travel of life or some stories of his journey thus far.

This week's Geek of the Week is a name in the hobby that most oldtimers will recognize.

For a stretch of about 5 years, Mike Siggins may have been the single most influential voice on Euro games in the English language. In the early days of the Euro game hobby, his collaboration with Ken Tidwell provided a vital lifeline to gaming developments in Europe. The Game Cabinet told most of us in the United States not only what to buy, but how to play it. Before the ready accessibility of translations by German publishers and Rio Grande games, the Game Cabinet was THE source for German rules. If they weren't there, better get out the German dictionary.

http://www.gamecabinet.com/

After a hiatus from the hobby, Mr. Siggins has returned to us with renewed zeal. Its a pleasure to begin this weeeks inquisition with a series of 20 questions.

1) I note that you have chosen the cross of St. George as your national flag. Why not the Union Jack? What do you think of devolution? What do you think of European integration. Don't you think that the Welsh would have the coolest flag on the British isles if they were their own country?

2) You have travelled to the United States many times. If there was one thing you could take from the United States and firmly implant it in the United Kingdom, what would it be? What do you think American's should take from Britain?

3) If you were driven into exile, what country would you like to go to?

4) Two years ago, you designed Shakespear: The Bard game. Do you have any particular interest in this great master of our common tongue? Have you ever been in a Shakespear play, if so, what play and role?

5) You are crazy for American sports. Why? Baseball is the national passtime in the United States, should it be? What should the national passtime of the United Kingdom be, Cricket, Rugby or Football (your kind)?

6) You list Brazil as one of your favorite movies. I should add it to my list, as I agree. However, do you think it is an Orwellian look at English society, or just the observations of someone who has been through Heathrow Airport?

7) You have supported the notion of European-American style hybrids. If you were making a Frankenstein monster, name an American game that you would marry with a European game, and how the two would intersect.

8) Every year, Matt Groenig, the genius behind the Simpsons, posts a list of "forbidden words" in his comic Life is Hell. These forbidden words are typically overused phrases and metaphors that have gotten old quickly -- "cautiously optimistic" made the list for 2005. Don't you think its high time we had a list of banned themes for German designers? What themes would you ban?

9) Over the last two years, the British Comedy, the Office, has made quite a splash in the United States. What's good on British TV that we don't know about yet?

10) You have been known to dabble in Role Playing as well. Are there any particular themes there that draw you in? Would you rather be a player character or a DM?

11) You've written some brutally honest reviews. Yet, the hobby is still a pretty small circle. Has a designer ever approached you about a review you gave him/her?

12) Do you consider yourself a contrarian? Do you avoid movies just beacuse they are too popular? Are you always the odd man out when people are ordering food?

13) Are there any game designers whose work you enjoy so much that you will purchase their games sight unseen?

14) You recently moved. Which is worse, death or moving?

15) You're a history fanatic like myself, do you read many historical works? What has been your favorite non-fiction work?

16) Gladstone or Disreali?

17) Who is your favorite painter or sculpter? When you finnish unpacking, will you have art up on your walls? If so, what?

18) What games have you played lately? What was your favorite game from Essen this year? What was your favorite game from Nurenberg this year?

19) You are a fan of historical miniatures. Do you play Warhammer games as well? What is your favorite scale, period and rulset? Are you a good painter or "best viewed at a distance?"

20) What film do you quote from most often, and what is your favorite quote from that film?

Jason

Firstly, thanks Jason for the intro and some great questions. It is a great honour to be here. I look forward to many questions, not least from Mr Power...



I feel very much an Englishman and not British. I don't see much wrong with being proud of that fact, but defining Englishness may take the rest of the week. It is also a kneejerk reaction (or positive response!) to mainly Scots people who display their flag rather than the Union flag. I very much like the Welsh flag, which remains unsullied - it is unfortunate that the Cross of St George is often associated immediately with football (soccer) supporters - a breed apart from me.



Apart from baseball, which I don't feel will ever settle here, I just like the American spirit. Not the American Dream necessarily, though it overlaps, but that sense of hard work, and positive drive, that seems to pervade society. From us? I think you need longer vacations.



Oh, too easy. Canada is the country where I would emigrate tomorrow. Also Italy, but I would be dead in two years from the food. So, France I guess. In years gone by top of the list would have been the Republic of California, but those earthquakes and crime... Seriously, California is close to my perfect place on earth.



I had an interest on a par with any English citizen who is taught it at school. That it was taught so poorly in my case (too much analysis, too little imparting the flow and genius) meant that I was ambivalent. But returning to the history, and the works, while designing the game actually opened my eyes wide. Now, during the summer in Cambridge, you will find me at every open air Shakespeare performance I can get to.

My only acting role was as a townsman in Aladdin when I was about 10. It scared the tar out of me and I have never even considered doing it again.



Well football is so popular here and worldwide, much to my annoyance, that is little real competition for the most popular sport. But the national pastime is cricket, and that is perfect in every respect, from watching village cricket on a balmy afternoon, to spending a day eating and drinking at Lord's. I also like rugby, but nothing like as much as I did in the 70's and 80's.

The American Sport angle is probably part reaction to soccer here, a love of sports games, and a search for exoticism in my youth. I was asked recently how I ended up as a Steelers fan, and most were taken back when I said I have followed them since the mid Seventies. One of our commercial TV stations used to show 20 minutes of Superbowl highlights a year. That was it. But the lengths I went to to see that coverage was unreal. In time, American bars opened and I ate there to watch the college games on the screen, and then it arrived in force, on TV and on the field.

I still like football, but my real love is baseball. I have been following the Phillies since 1980 as a result of picking up a Herald Tribune with a feature on Steve Carlton. He remains a hero to this day. This combined with playing Statis Pro for years, learning the game rules from scratch, and seeing the Young Pittsburgh Pirates at Chelsea Football Stadium all set the tone. I trialled out for a London baseball team, and was hopelessly outclassed by ex-pat Yanks, but found my level in slow pitch softball. I founded a mixed team and we went on to enjoy some success.



I think it is just a cynical look at society in general, with the random bombings having a historic and very current poignancy. Heathrow has to be better than Dallas Fort Worth by some margin!



I should think that is the easiest question on the list. A cross between Robo Rally and Torres - that is overlong, tedious and a pointless waste of time - would see me running for the hills.



Sore point. I would never ban any theme. I think the complaints about theme overuse are born of gamers being spoilt with good games that happen to use similar themes. Too bad. Live with it. I would take Renaissance Italy games from now until I die. Anyone who remembers gaming before the German Invasion (say up until 1988) should be dreamily grateful for anything. The real issue here is theme to mechanism linkage.



The Gervais follow up, Extras, is actually funnier. But both are studies in painful embarrassment rather than outright humour. Outside of the odd drama and historical epic, and the brilliance of Stephen Poliakoff, there seems to be little of merit coming out of the TV at the moment.



I am usually drawn to historical themes, but must add Call of Cthulhu to that mix. So games like Pendragon, Bushido, Five Rings all appeal. Even the D&D campaign I ran for years was more gritty medieval than high fantasy. In the past I exclusively DM'd. Now, I love to play as long as someone is doing good work in running an atmospheric game.



Yes, of course. And sometimes this becomes awkward. But not as many as you might think because I retain anonymity where possible. Now a picture finally made it onto the web, I am fair game! There are at least two miniatures hobby individuals who have threatened to thump me, and there is the famous fatwah after my review of Waldesfrust (which was a long long time ago).



I am unusual in my tastes, I know that, but this is not based on being contrarian, just the way I am. I will always give a movie a chance, and try to read reviews after the event.



There used to be many, but I have become very careful nowadays. Knizia was an obvious candidate, but he is so diverse in his output now it is impossible to buy with confidence. Certainly Charles Vasey is a must buy, and Joe Balkoski, Randy Moorehead, and Terry Goodchild if they ever re-surfaced. I would also buy anything by the current hot new designers like Richard Sivel, Stefan Feld, Peter Prinz and the team that did War of the Ring.



After two days this week, I might have taken that under advisement. But moving comes to an end eventually, whereas death, I think, still technically stops me reading, painting and gaming!



Sometimes it seems I read nothing but history. For a break I do read fiction. It is impossible to say which is my favourite work, but I enjoy the likes of William Boyd, David Lodge, Peter Ackroyd, Umberto Eco and of course Flashman.



Gladstone.



My favourite painter is Rembrandt, but it is not work I would put on the walls if that makes sense. For that I would go with Detaille, Canaletto, Gerome or any of the Dutch landscape artists.

I own quite a lot of art. Almost too much. Such is the nature of my apartment (angled loft walls and lots of bookshelves) I will have to rotate. I will start with a poster sized Enki Bilal but that is for sentimental reasons.



I have been playing like a madman in recent months, almost like the good old days. Only five hours ago I finished a little known game called Twilight Struggle. My favourite Essen game is Endes des Triumvrates. It is a little early for Nuremberg arrivals.



Favourite scale is tactical and 28mm, period is Napoleonics, and I am still looking for the perfect ruleset (more than 100 sets tested...).

I don't play Warhammer except to keep my knowledge up to date for comparative purposes. I do however love Space Marines, Tau, Bretonnians and Empire troops. I have a small scale addiction to the GW LOTR miniatures.

I think I am a decent painter, but there are hundreds better. You can judge for yourself - there are plenty of pics at my website.



I almost certainly over quote Wayne's World. Denied.

I noticed Mike in your games you're enjoying Arkham Horror. A game with a very strong theme to it. How important is theme to you in a game?

Hi Mike!!! It's always nice hearing from you. I really enjoyed reading the interview you gave Tom Vassal. I found it interesting that you found gaming to be a job for awhile which led to a burn out. You said that War of the Ring brought you back to gaming. How are things now? Are you still burning out? What games are you most excited about playing? Are there any light games you enjoy? Many of your games seem rather heavy. What are you next upcoming game designs or projects you are working on now? I noticed that you enjoy Squad Leader. Great game! Do you consider yourself a grognard or just a gaming with a appreciation for all games?

Looking forward your thread.

Arkham Horror is on my Hot List I think - these are games I am looking forward to playing (again) in the near future. So I haven't actually got round to Arkham yet. I will because I have heard very good things about it, but also have some concerns. Either way, one to try.

Theme is very important to me in a game. It is mistaken to say it is everything, because I also love clever mechanisms, or cards, which contribute to the theme. More specifically than theme, I am looking for atmosphere and narrative qualities. I seldom find it, but it is there in some games.

There are more thoughts here:

http://www.gamecabinet.com/editorials/Narrative.html

And you Robin.



Well it was a job, in that I was being paid for writing and there were real life things like deadlines and professionalism and, most difficult, finding new things to say every month. It also felt like work (I have had jobs that don't, and I wish they were all like that).

The burn out was very clear to me. I just sat at the table playing one day and wasn't enjoying any aspect of it. As I said, I don't think everyone can or will suffer from this, but 'too many games for too long' did for me.



Yes, and Jenseits von Theben.



No, I had a really long break from games and just painted instead. So I am truly back from burn out. I would say my enthusiasm is high, but not as high as before (understandably!). I am pacing my gaming, and I am making sure I do other hobbies as well. I also have a different attitude to games which I will try to explain below.

There are two aspects to this. The first is the mad rush to play every German Game that comes out. I still have this, and however many times I say I won't do it, there are days where I will play ten new games - light, medium, heavy - anything that is in a box and tempting. This coming weekend will be the same.

Balancing this is a real effort to replay games, even ones I wasn't that keen on initially, or just to try old titles for the first time.

I think the bias towards heavier games is just a strong preference, and they are the games that are likely to persist. I play light games, sometimes purely light games, but they are by their nature, ummm, disposable.

My general attitude has changed, I think because I now try to stand back a bit from the hobby (especially the politics, but as you see from the early posts I am not immune!) and not to get so caught up in the buzz. I realise that this makes me sound a little detached, but it also gives me a better viewpoint on the merits of games.



I am just unpacking after a house move that has seen my stuff in storage for some time. Now revealed are the boxes with all my notes and books on my cycling game, my negro league baseball design, and a game on sumo. It would be nice to do these as self published DTP games this year.

My next commercial game will be for the Lord of the Rings theatrical production: http://www.lotr.com/ After that, I would like to do a game on mythology because I don't think there has been a good, rich thematic one since Yaquinto's game. I would also like to return to the Shakespeare theme, as I have some good new angles on that. In short, I have about twelve games I want to push to publication in the next few years, but we shall see.



I don't think I am a grognard at all, apart from physical age perhaps! Apart from a very few titles, I don't really like the old "total information, tons of counters, hex and CRT" wargame systems at all, preferring more modern systems like narrative, cards, area movement, low counter density, fog of war and chaos. I am very keen on the idea of the meeting point of German Games and Historical Games and I think and hope we will see a lot of these.

Ultimately I do like all games, and am happy to try almost anything. Very few games will get a veto from me, but there are a few. I don't enjoy abstracts much, purely I think because I don't get them so derive very little enjoyment.

Thanks Robin.

Hi Mike,

Happy Geek of the Week!

Can you tell us something about the group(s) (people) you regularly or normally game with?

Oooh - and another question - what keeps you coming back to BoardGameGeek?

So being the current Rugby World Champions and holding the Ashes do roses smell better, food taste better and leather feel softer and do you feel less curmudgeonly? I know I feel more inclined to that trait nowadays.



I too enjoy baseball (Tigers fan) but I think the amount of baseball and cricket lovers is very small to those that love one or the other. What is it about baseball that you love?



One of my enjoyable pastimes in the states was mid week softball games. Are there large softball comps in the UK?



Have you played Bootleggers? If so your thoughts?




What are your thoughts on the "black" humour coming out of the UK? Nighty Night, League of gentlemen, Shameless (well I consider it comedy) and what else is coming out there that us colonials should hang out for?



Do you have a favorite historical era? If so, why?



I have this on order and cannot wait to get it. So what makes this a current fave?

All the best this week with the unpacking and the GOTW.
Neil