Game Night, Drill Sunday and American Day - What a Weekend

Whew, I cannot believe I am still conscious (let alone ambulatory). Had a pretty packed Saturday and Sunday.

The best part was without a doubt the massive seven-player Twilight Imperium cosmic battle royale that took place at the Mokuteki ball room on Saturday.
I'd never played anything larger than a 5-player game (and that only once), but the expansion set I got for game allows for 8 players (up from the previous 6).

Ok, ok, I know for some, rehashes about "geek night" - as the wife likes to call it - is not fodder for the most entertaining blog, but guess what? I don't give a shit. That's the great part about having your own blog. For that matter, for anyone who has ever played Risk, or Axis and Allies, or Shogun; or any one who played Master of Orion (I, II or III) or (better yet) Galactic Civilizations II but would like a more sociable experience, then you'll LOVE Twilight Imperium. It quite simply is the best board game I've every played. (Have I played Risk, Dungeon and A&A more? yes, but simply because I played the hell out of those games when I was a kid). Nothing compares to the innumerable permutations that TI can throw at a player.

Think taking over planets with a minimum of troops (1) is most efficient. You won't when landing force gets shwacked by local partisans...
oops, over-compensate a drop down a massive 4-5 troop invasion....better hope the planet isn't irradiated (Whalen)....
think you're going to get to maximize a native technology advantage and load up troops on ships that aren't normally able to carry troops and surge forward to secure a distant planet? Think again when hidden guns pop-up and decimate your entire fleet.
Ready to swoop in and pummel a system that only has a few measly fighters defending it? Remember to bring along some protection for your carriers! That way your landing force doesn't suddenly and painfully become your blown-out-into-the-vacuum-of-space force.

OR
Have find happy, industrious indigenous people ready to assist your cause with money, ships, technology and the like.

Heck, that just a taste of what could -and did- happen; irrespective the plots and machinations the players themselves had in-store for each other (though folks Saturday night were exceedingly generous towards each other).

The other cool thing: one of the new races in the game, the Clan of Saar, a vaguely canine race that bears at least a similar pronunciation to Zaar:
Well that marathon game (which ended prematurely because I had to go to work Sunday Morning, though I did have the most victory points....) kept me up til almost 0100....and when the alarm goes off at 0400...let me tell you...there is a reason they call it the SNOOZE button. Well half-a-pot of coffee later I was toiling away at work, getting in some rescheduled reservist time. Then about 9 hours later it was time to go volunteer at Misawa's "America Day" that we hold for our Japanese hosts. Man let me tell you, it was the tail end of the second and final day, but the place was jammed! Unfortunately, the Chief's funnel cake table was all sold-out, so Christina and I didn't get to sell any (or sample the wares), but we did a few hours of clean-up....You know, study the senior NCOs, they chose a great spot, we broke it down FAST, and had the first truck ready in line to come and load up our goods for clean-up....

Now its Sunday night, I get tomorrow off, and its time go read the latest from one of my favorite authors: Raymond Feist's "Into a Dark Realm."

Later