That urge is boiling away again -- no, not that urge (perverse little monkeys aren't you?), the one desiring a massive, even epic boardgame, the sort not for the weak of heart. However, being in Alexandria faces me with the problem of finding folks interested/willing to sink a solid 3-5 hours into a boardgame of such scale.
So, who among ye might be willing for such a daunting game? As far as WHICH game, these are the ones I specifically have in mind (some I own, some I crave but have not yet purchased, some are MINE yet reside currently in Lynchburg. Depending on what people are interested, I am totally willing to purchase a new game (to feed my unearthly hunger).
The main requirements for such an extravaganza is a place with a sizeable table and occupants amenable to the playing of such games. Since we're all now adults, drinking might also be included, but I consider it optional (stupid liver). Adding in grilled meat/potluck foodage might also be a nice touch that we might collectively arrange.
Damn. Want to play so bad...
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So here are the candidates, along with some reviews of said games if you're so inclined:
Twilight Imperium (3rd Ed) (play time 3-6 hours) (not yet owned or played)
I've only seen this game in action, never played it, but when I say that it looks epic, I'm not joking. One of the cool things is that the map is made of hexes, ala Catan (aka Settlers of your mom) and changes every game. Also, one of the pieces you can buy for your fleet is a friggin DEATH STAR (War Sun).
BoardGameGeek reviewGamingReport review
Napoleon in Europe (play time 120+ minutes) (borrowable -- Omar) (Played multiple times, awesome)
This game rules, and it'd totally be worth doing the legwork to play an advanced game with some of the optional rules, for full effect. It frequently turns into France vs the World (because who DOESN'T hate the French?) but not always. It's possible for multiple winners, and clearly not everyone starts on the same footing (yeah, the ottomans' cannons still shoot rocks...) And how would you like to play a boardgame whose large battles (6+ units per side) are actually tactical in nature (the winner is the first person to punch through either the front, left, or right flank of the enemy)? Overall an awesome game.
funagain review War! Age of Imperialism (playing time 180+ minutes) (either borrowable or owned, not sure which) (Played multiple times, also awesome)
This one has similar mechanics to Napoleon in Europe and also looks just as good. A fun game, players start closer to equal (though anyone can get hosed by a bad native-number draw -- there are variant rules to counter that). The battle mechanics aren't as fun as Nappy in Europe (although the Native wave can be a strategic way to hose people). Overall a good game.
Gamerspulse review Blood Feud in New York (playing time 180 - 240 minutes) (Owned -- suitably for a mafia game, it's in the trunk of my car) (played several times, quite fun -- incredibly detailed pieces)
So I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse -- or maybe I'll just step to your grill with the hard cold steel. This is a fun game that, in the end, is all about becoming the mob-master of NYC, either through dominating the most territory or whacking everyone else. I've also got some variant rules to allow you a small benefit based on the type of gang you are (standard Goodfellas? Got it. Lo Pan's minions from Big Trouble in Little China? Yup.)
funagain review Shogun/Samurai Swords (playing time 3+ hours) (Owned/borrowable) (played MANY times since the late 80s)
Shogun was from the Gamemaster series, which included Axis & Allies, Fortress America, and Broadsides and Boarding Parties, and frankly it's the best of the series. Omar and I have played this game for YEARS (back in the day, he used to draw up complicated surrender treaties for when I wanted to stop, sometimes so demeaning that I would fight on to the last). If any game truly taught me to be a cutthroat gamer, this was the one; we'd sometimes leave it set up for days, and play a turn whenever we had the spare time -- I still stand by this arrangement as an element in an ideal roommate situation.
Gamereport review