September 1 1999 RussCon Report

Larger than average turnout: 18 people! 14 games played.

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Puffing Billy Awards:

The award ceremony included a full orchestra, spectacular laser light show, fireworks and nude dancers. Game designer celebrities Alan Moon, Klaus Teuber and Reiner Knizia were seen hobnobbing with RussCon attendees. Resplendent in his tux, JeffF formally announced that he shall pick the free LaserQuest admission as his grand prize. That leaves second place winner Marty receiving the lovely "All Aboard" postage stamp collection (donated by Clayton, proud sponsor of the 1999 Summer RussCon Games). Third place winner Wendy was officially inducted into the Secret Society of Real Gamers, against her will. The initiation included the full ropes and mayonnaise treatment.

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Clandestine Magic:

Some of us are going to Clandestine tonight (Thursday). The show starts at 9 at Cactus Cafe; get there around 8 or 8:15 to assure good seats and chat with us in line... Tickets are probably around $10. Join us at Veggie Heaven (on the Drag across from Dobie Mall, north of MLK) at 7 for dinner. If you can't make their show tonight, consider seeing it Friday night. They're good fun.

Some of us are also planning to see the magicians at Palmer Auditorium this weekend.

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Game Results:

GhostParty 6 Jonobie 5 JeffF 3 Jerrie 1 Bob -1 Alfred -3 Fred -5
LetzteParadies 5 Marty 4 Tim 2 William 0 JonathanC -2 Dawn -4
LetzteParadies 5 Marty 4 Dawn 2 JonathanC 0 Steve -2 William -4
LostCities 2 Jonobie 1 JeffF -1
Europa 6 RussW 5 Daniel 3 JP 1 KevinH -1 Fred -3 Clayton -5
Ra 5 Dawn 4 Marty 2 JonathanC -1 Steve -1 William -4
Bluff 5 Daniel 4 KevinH 0 JP 0 RussW 0 JeffF -4
Tikal 4 JP 3 JeffF 1 William -1 Dawn -3
FreightTrain 3 Bob 2 Alfred 0 Jerrie -2
Can'tStop 3 Alfred 2 WendyWhe 0 Steve -2
UnionPacific 6 Bob 5 Marty 3 JonathanC 1 Daniel -1 RussW -3 KevinH -5
TakeItEasy 5 Daniel 4 RussW 2 Marty 0 WendyWhe -2 Alfred -4
Dorada 3 JeffF 2 JP 0 William -2
MembersOnly 5 WendyWhe 4 William 2 JP 0 Marty -2 RussW -4

So I finally played Europa aka The Giant Baby Game. Although I ended up winning it, I'm not sure I like it. We played Europa instead of Squatters, by the way, which was a game Daniel found for 75 cents at a thrift store. Published in 1961, that is a game about sheep farming in Australia, with amusing events like "Vaccinate against liver fluke", "Stud ram dies", etc. I was reminded of the KODT story where they played a farming RPG. But the rules say it could last 2.5 hours, and setup was getting very tedious, so interest in playing rapidly died off, just like a stud ram with a bad case of liver fluke.

Important lesson from Union Pacific: if you've not brought out all your stock in time for any of the 4 payouts, then you will lose big time.

Take It Easy is a fun game vaguely analogous to Bingo (in that we're playing a solitaire game simultaneously, all reacting to the same sequence of called events), but unlike Bingo there is serious decision making skill involved. We're all trying to place the called set of pieces onto our board to maximize our score. It's clever and worth checking out. Plus the pieces are kind of cool and weird.

Members Only lasted a long time again. Sometimes the fifth category just won't let people score... There was also a rules debate which Marty and William shall investigate. Is it only the first player to bet in the first round who gets to place a white chip, or is it everyone who chooses to bet in the first round who gets to?

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Evening's Soundtrack:

Clandestine, The Ale is Dear
Clandestine, The Haunting
Loreena McKennitt, The Visit
The Piping Centre, 1996 Recital Series
Piping Hot (A Celtic Bagpipe Collection)

I discovered that prolonged bagpipe exposure can drive William especially insane. This could be useful knowledge.

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Rank ratings:
 1.0000 Jonobie (2 games played)
 0.5556 Daniel (4)
 0.5000 Bob (3)
 0.5000 Tim (1)
 0.4400 Marty (6)
 0.2222 JP (5)
 0.2000 WendyWhe (3)
 0.0667 JeffF (5)
 0.0000 RussW (5)
-0.0667 Dawn (4)
-0.1176 JonathanC (4)
-0.1429 Jerrie (2)
-0.3846 Alfred (4)
-0.4286 KevinH (3)
-0.4286 William (6)
-0.5000 Steve (3)
-0.8000 Fred (2)
-1.0000 Clayton (1)

New Win ratings:
 1.0000 Jonobie (2)
 0.5000 Bob (3)
 0.3333 Daniel (4)
 0.2000 WendyWhe (3)
 0.1600 Marty (6)
 0.0667 Dawn (4)
 0.0455 RussW (5)
-0.0556 JP (5)
-0.0769 Alfred (4)
-0.1333 JeffF (5)
-0.2000 Clayton (1)
-0.2000 Fred (2)
-0.2143 KevinH (3)
-0.2353 JonathanC (4)
-0.2500 Tim (1)
-0.2857 Jerrie (2)
-0.2857 William (6)
-0.3000 Steve (3)

Jonobie is the Devil! No more shall the dining table be monopolized by the Giant Baby Game! Bob & Daniel are Co-Vice-Devils. Marty & William share the Dedicated Award. Clayton pulled off a rare and dangerous Reverse Brady Maneuver.

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I was tall and I was slim,
and I had a leg for every limb,
Now I've got no legs at all;
You can't win a race with a cannonball.

Russ