by Allen Cheng
Situation: another dateless Saturday night. You’re tired of endless partying and have already tried to hook up with anything that’s breathing. Your friends are just as bored but all they can come up with is another night of singing in some KTV, which is what you guys have been doing for the past trillion weekends. Why not open up a box and take out a board game instead? Board games are, of course, games which include a board. But more than this, players drain their intellect to compete with other players, fend off adverse alliances, and, in many cases, resist attacks made by the game itself. Usually, when people talk of board games they think of Monopoly. But board games vary in miraculous ways, and each one imitates a different aspect of life. Board games have been around for a long time and have been played in most cultures and societies throughout history. The earliest recorded board game, Senet, dates back to 3500.B.C. and was played by the ancient Egyptians. Board games became widely popular among the general population early in the 20th century, when the rise of the middle class, with their disposable income and leisure time, made a receptive audience. The popularity of board games expanded after World War II, a period from which many classic board games date. German board games in particular are famous for their delicate game pieces, fancy tokens, and precise rules. German-style games require more thought, as opposed to those such as Pictionary. Here are some of the most popular: Carcassone, named after the medieval fortified town of the same name in southern France, is famed for its city walls. This is a tile-based game for two to five players and it received the Spiel des Jahres award in 2001. The game board is a medieval landscape built by the players as the game progresses. On each turn a player draws a new terrain tile and places it adjacent to tiles that are already facing up. Each player, by placing a delicately made person token, can claim ownership of one feature on that tile: Road: the token becomes a thief, and when the road is fully built, Aladdin. One point for each road segment. Castle: the cute little guy becomes a knight, and when the castle is finished, a paladin. Two points for each castle tile. Church: now he’s a priest, and, when eight adjacent tiles appear, Jesus. Giving birth to Jesus brings in nine points. Field: Farmer. Unfortunately, when you’re a farmer, you’re always a farmer. Three points for every castle on your field. The game ends when the last tile has been placed. The goal is to have the most points at the end, which can be tricky to control considering your choice for each turn isn’t the tile itself, but rather the placement of the tile that you drew. Carcassonne is an excellent “gateway game,” that is, a great choice for board game newbies since the rules are simple, no one is eliminated, and the play is fast. There is a substantial luck component to the game. However, good tactics greatly improve one’s chances of winning. Settlers of Catan, a multiplayer board game, was the first German-style board game to achieve popularity outside Europe. In this game, players collect raw materials to build up their civilizations to gain enough victory points to win the game. The players represent settlers who establish a colony on the previously uninhabited island of Catan. The island itself is laid out randomly at the beginning of each game. Starting with two settlements and adjoining road sections, players build roads, settlements, and eventually cities as they settle the island. Positioning of roads and settlements allows a player to deny other players access to essential resources, and good building is one route to victory. Each roll of the dice determines which place produces resources. The resources can be spent to build more roads or settlements, upgrade settlements to cities, and to obtain development cards for later use; or they can be stored for trade. Players are allowed to trade among each other the resources they have produced, and to trade “off the island” for a hefty price. If a player is winning, other players may refuse to trade; this allows them to catch up with the leader. Swan Panasia, the dominant board game company in Taiwan, was founded by German board game player, Johannes Goeth (a.k.a., Yo-Yo). As a Chinese major, he came to Taiwan during his youth and decided to settle down and dedicate his life to the promotion of board games. In a way, the Taiwan board game market might not even exist if it were not for his popularization. Swan Panasia’s calendar revolves mainly around two events: the Taipei International Book Exhibition in February and the Children’s Game Camp in summer. The former spreads the word about board games, and at the same time sells discount board games, which was a great success in 2008; the latter promotes board games to young people and at the same time nourishes their mental development. During the rest of the year you can also find board games elsewhere. The popular restaurants Witch’s house (next to NTU) and Style (nearby NTNU) both feature delicious cuisine along with after meal entertainment – free board game sampling. Swan Panasia’s employees, who are always there on standby, show a surprising willingness to teach you all they know about these games. For those who are just eager to find someone to beat and are too full to eat, on Wednesday nights the Intellectual Games Club of NTU meets in the New Math building’s discussion room on campus. The club is always welcoming and willing to pass on their knowledge. According to scientific research, board games increase mental development and ward off senility. When you feel life is just repetitive and out of spice, don’t forget that board games are always there for the bored you. a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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