inconsequential ruminations

I have sampled some play-by-web games recently. All the links to the PBW games are on this excellent geeklist.

• Bus: I was disappointed by this. The web implementation was good, but the game itself felt like a bit of a mess. It did not help that the gaps between turns were too long, so the game lost continuity, but I was confused almost until the end of the game. I thought about Bus while reading Greg Aleknevicus’ article German Games are Fraudulent. Bus has a fun theme, but it does not fit the mechanics enough. Having said that, what sort of theme could match such confusing mechanics? I think Bus might be better stripped down and presented as a purely abstract game. It could be that it would be much less confusing played face-to-face.
• Hare and Tortoise: This true classic works very well PBW.
• Robo Rally: I only dabbled with the tutorials but it felt more like a video game than any of the games I have played so far. It seems like an enjoyable but shallow free-for-all luckfest.
• Blue Max: I have only just started this, but so far I am very impressed. I read the rules to this as a 12 or 13 year old at a friend’s house and wanted to play it but never got around to it. The web implementation is very slick and it looks likes this will work very well. I played a similar game pbem, called Sopwith at For Whom The Web Rocks, but did not enjoy it because it was slow moving. Fortunately, Blue Max is more elaborate and the computer-moderated PBW interface speeds it up and makes order generation easy.
• De Bellis Antiquitatis : This is a huge download and orders go via a server between the clients, so it does not really qualify as PBW as it is not played through a browser. It was handy for polishing up my DBA technique, but the interface is clunky, to match the slightly clumsy rules of DBA. It is also expensive, so can only really be recommended for DBA fanatics.
• TransAmerica: I had heard this game was simple, but I was suprised to see how simple! Some have said this barely qualifies as a game and I can understand that. I can see this would be great for parents and young children, but I am suprised this is so popular with adults.
• Puerto Rico: This is rough around the edges but all the important stuff works very well. I hope the server comes back online soon.

Executive Decision

We played a three-player game of this 1971 Sid Sackson business game last Wednesday. I had heard mixed reviews, but it sounded different and it is still talked about, despite being as old as me, so I bought it an unused copy on eBay for £10, which did not seem like an unrealistic gamble.

Executive Decision has to be the most perfect economics game ever produced. It encapsulates the concept of supply and demand perfectly. The 1971 components are fantastically old-school: just some Monopoly money, a laminated blue board covered with tables, a crayon and player record sheets. It is such a contrast to modern components like those in Pirate’s Cove. Some might dislike them, but I think they add to the charm of the game.

Players have to make as much profit for their corporation as possible in twelve months. To do this, they invest in raw materials, make finished goods and sell them. All decisions are taken in secret and revealed simultaneously. If people choose the same options, raw materials are more expensive or sold goods are cheaper. This emulates supply and demand and the uncertainty of markets exquisitely. You have to think about the desires of the players, given the raw materials they already hold and which options they are likely to choose. Although there is a lot of luck with the secret action selection, this is a subtle, skilful game.

Unfortunately there are some aspects of Executive Decision that show its age. Firstly, it is very dry. Players only use paper and pencil to micro-manage financial figures. There is lots of arithmetic required which will drive off a lot of people. One player said it reminded him too much of his work. Secondly, once players are behind, it’s difficult to catch up, as this is a game of incremental gains and losses. I got a big lead at the start of this playing as I quickly realised it is fatal to price yourself out of deals. By the time the others realised this, I was comfortably ahead and impossible to rein in.

Bruno Faidutti normally dislikes dry games, but gives one a surprisingly good review. I think this is because of the blind bidding and it is certainly an original, thoughtful game. After playing lots of light German games recently, Executive Decision felt like reading the Financial Times after a regular diet of the Daily Mail. I would not play this all the time, but occasionally it would be good to stretch my mind and arithmetical skills.