This weekend, the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland hosts Sci-Fi on the Rock 10. Sandbox Gaming is back again this year in the Gygax Gaming Room. Ā In addition, the schedule boasts several events of interest to tabletop gamers.
Here is a consolidated guide to gaming at Sci-Fi on the Rock 10!
Events
(Schedule and descriptions fromĀ http://scifiontherock.com/schedule-maps/schedule/.)
D&D Roll Up (Jason Gosse)
Friday 5:00 - Lucas Room
Have you ever wanted to play dungeons and dragons but sure where to start? Then come by the D&D role up and we will help you build a character and take you through the steps of levelling the character.
Werewolf (Fat Apollo)
Friday 6:00 - Lucas Room
Gaming with Friends: Building a Community (Adam Jennings)
Saturday 12:00 - Tolkien Room
Have a hobby, but lacking a group to play with? Already have a play group, but looking to expand it further? Then feel free to drop on by to get some advice from an experienced community builder on how to start or expand a hobby following.
D&D Character Battle (Jason Gosse)
Saturday 6:00 - Nimoy Room
Have you ever wanted to play dungeons and dragons but sure where to start? Then come by the D&D character battle and we will teach you the basics of combat in a player vs player tournament.
Geek Bingo
Saturday 7:00 - Lucas Room
A surprise hit last year, Geek Bingo is back again! Come and play on our geeky bingo board for a chance to win some fun prizes
Tabletop Freeplay (hosted by Mochanopoly)
Saturday 8:00 - Roddenberry Room A
This workshop will be a quick rundown of what Mochanopoly is, how it works, and their plans for tabletop month as well as some games for people to play while theyāre there. Weāre going to have a list of popular games and games that Sandbox Gaming will not be bringing to SFotR and intend to bring those along for some variation.
During the freeplay, weāll be talking about the board games we have at the cafe, the cover system, the roles of our game-gurus, and the swag-bag coupons. Weāll also be mentioning that over the entire month of April weāll be giving away games and prizes in celebration of tabletop month, and all the other events we have planned all throughout the spring and summer months (Christmas in July, possible cat cafe, live shows, liquor license by summer, future tournaments, etc.)
Epoch on the Rock - LARPing in St. John's
Sunday 3:30 - Lucas Room
Ever wanted to know about LARPing(Live Action Role Playing)? Then come and check us out! We're Epoch on the Rock and we're a swords and sorcery fantasy LARP based out of St. John's. We started in 2014 and have been growing ever since! Come find out if LARPing is right for you with Epoch on the Rock!
Gygax Games Room
(Schedule and description from Sandbox Gaming)
Don't forget to pop into the Games room at SFOTR run by Sandbox Gaming this weekend. Besides video games tournaments and free play we'll also have board games. Here's a schedule for the board game side of the room. Besides this we'll have many games available at all times for playing unscheduled game and a few board game gurus around at all times.
Friday
12:00 Betrayal at House on the Hill
2:00 Castle Panic
6:00 Carcassonne tournament
Saturday
11:00 Mice and Mystics
1:00 Sushi Go Tournament
3:00 Dead of Winter
6:00 Slash
Sunday
11:00 Boss Monster
12:00 7 Wonders
2:00 King of New York
Vendors and Groups
The following vendors and groups will be present at Sci-Fi on the Rock 10:
Hue and Saigon heat up in Fire in the Lake. Probably the most enjoyable game of this Iāve played, although itās still a bit of a ridiculous whack-the-leader-fest. #bgg #boardgame #gmt #fireinthelake
If trends in board games could be compared to any other trend, like something fashionable, Iād say that theĀ āmicro-gameā orĀ āsmall-gameā is like the bearded-flannel-shirt-guy-living-in-a-tiny-home trend. Maybe. Anyway, thereās this guy, Scott Almes, and heās been making some small games lately. SPOILER ALERT: I like them. This review is one-of-two games that Iām reviewing that have been designed by Scott Almes (different publishers)
Harbour is one of those games that somehow, in some mysterious way, takes you by surprise. And has some innovative efforts as well. What are they? Read on dear blog reader.
This isnāt about dropping names (although, names are going to be dropped).
And this isnāt a guilt trip.
And this isnāt prompted by anything other than my own conscience.
And this certainly isnāt about Ā my desire to want what I canāt have.
Itās about the stuff we use in our board game hobby, so please read this and consider my words (thereās quite a few, actually).
For those of you reading my blog for the first time, thanks for stopping by and reading. Iāve kept this blog going for a few years now, and itās had a few makeoversā¦but I do this 100% because I love my hobby: board games (and iterations thereof). I donāt do this for reward, for blog hits, for money, or for recognition. I do it because itās a good way for me to share my experiences with the rest of you, whether you care or not.
The point of this post is about paying for the things we use, so stick with me.
I have a job (like most of you). I work for a company that sells a service (or a product) and the clients and customers purchase our services and products. Our doors wouldnāt be open very long if for some reason we never got paid for the work we did, but yet our customers demand we still put out the same quality of service or product. Itās absurd to even consider itā¦right? As a result of getting paid for our services, we can then continue to pump out quality services and products, take on more customers, get paid more. Wash - rinse - repeat.
Guys like Rodney Smith, from Watch it Played, do the same thing, but they rely on the generosity of the public (and for some reason, the board game hobby community is easily one of the most generous communities Iāve ever encountered). It hit me today, that Iāve been using a productā¦a service provided by Rodney Smith and his family / crew, and I havenāt paid for it. I suddenly felt gross (this isnāt to say that you should feel grossā¦itās just me vamping in my melodramatic methods to get a point across). I mean, Iād be bummed out if Mr. Smith shut down the whole operation because I loveĀ the entertainment he provides.
I remember at BGGCon 2014 when I bumped into him one evening. We had a brief chat about his work, his son āLuckyāĀ Luke, and how itās one of the few board game media bits that my wife actually enjoys watching with me (mostly because she gets a kick out of Lukeā¦who doesnāt?).Ā Silently though, I made a commitment to send him money the next time his fundraising campaign started up becauseā¦wellā¦Iāve beenĀ āusingā his service now for a few years, and yet I havenāt paid for it.
Donāt get me wrong here. Itās a free service that he provides, but itās also his livelihood, too. Itās his job. So if you feel the same conviction I do, send the guy a couple of bucks. Heās offering some pretty amazing promos right now at certain pledge levels, but even just a few bucks can help.
No, he didnāt put me up to this. The nicest guy in North America wonāt do that. Heās too modest. Thereās other guys out there too that could use the financial love, so donāt forget about them. Guys like Richard Ham (Rahdo Runs Through), Tom and Eric (The Dice Tower), and other podcasts like Flip the Table and The Secret Cabal. Their love for the hobby has grown because of people like us that love the work they do. But at some point free media becomes expensive to maintain (hence, why Iām hosting on Tumblr now instead of self-hosting).
I know that as soon as I can tweak my own budget, Iām going to send along a few bucks. Go here to check out his campaign, and until next time ā¦ thanks for reading.
Tired of Monpooly: Canadian Edition, Poleconomy, and VCR Hockey Night in Canada? Ā Here are seven Canadian-flavored board games for your Canada Day gaming table!
(Images and descriptions from BoardGameGeek.)
1812: The Invasion of Canada
The year is 1812. War is raging across Europe and Russia. Napoleon, emperor of France, is seeking to dominate Europe through conquest. Franceās enemies, led by England, are engaged in a desperate struggle to defeat Napoleon. England, in dire need of men, is impressing men to serve in its navy. Included are Americans who are pressed into service at gunpoint.
The young American nation objects. Eager to defend its sovereign rights and to strengthen its position in North America, the United States declares war on Britain on June 18, 1812. Taking advantage of the British Army being occupied in its struggles against Napoleon, American forces invade Canada in order to drive the British from its last remaining colony on North American soil. Surprised, Britain reels from the attack and now has to face another enemy threat on another front.
In 1812 - The Invasion of Canada, players take on one of the roles of the major factions that took part in the War of 1812. On the British side these are represented by the British Regulars (Redcoats), Canadian Militia and Native Americans; and the American Regular Army and American Militia comprise the American players. Players for each side will cooperate with each other in order to plan and conduct their campaigns. Each side will attempt to capture Objective Areas on the map. When a truce is called, the side that controls the most enemy Objective Areas wins.
In the northwest corner of Nunavut, Canada, a formerly inaccessible bay off of the Arctic Ocean has become reachable through a secret inlet. Untouched by the hands of time and fed by both the ocean and warm fresh water springs, Ridback Bay is teeming with sea life. A remote, timeless bayside village is now being inundated by entrepreneurs awaiting the influx of the world's greatest fisherman to harvest this plentiful bounty. The docks and warehouses are being revitalized, and now it is time to begin the real adventure. Go build your Fleet and become master of the high seas!
Fleet is an exciting, strategic card game with in-depth decisions and thrilling game play that new and experienced gamers can enjoy! In Fleet, you'll acquire licenses, launch boats, and fish the great briny blue. The player who best manages his resources and acquires the most VP via fish, licenses, and boats will build the strongest fleet and lead his crew to victory!
(This is an expansion for the board game Power Grid.)
The object of Power Grid is to supply the most cities with power when someone's network gains a predetermined size. Players mark pre-existing routes between cities for connection, and then bid against each other to purchase the power plants that they use to power their cities.
However, as plants are purchased, newer, more efficient plants become available, so by merely purchasing, you're potentially allowing others access to superior equipment.
Additionally, players must acquire the raw materials (coal, oil, garbage, and uranium) needed to power said plants (except for the 'renewable' windfarm/ solar plants, which require no fuel), making it a constant struggle to upgrade your plants for maximum efficiency while still retaining enough wealth to quickly expand your network to get the cheapest routes.
A war fought at the edge of two mighty empires. For over one hundred and fifty years Britain and France were locked in a struggle for domination of North America. Thousands of miles from their homes, settlers and soldiers were faced with impenetrable forests, unpredictable American tribes, and formidable distances. Despite these obstacles they were able to engage in bitter warfare, with the British ultimately taking the prize of Quebec. A Few Acres of Snow is a two-player game that allows you to recreate this contest. You can change the course of history by your decisions.
A Few Acres of Snow takes an innovative approach to the subject, using cards to represent locations and manpower. As the game progresses you add to your selection of cards, increasing the range of actions available to you. There are many strategies to be explored. How quickly should you build up your forces, do you employ Native Americans, what energy should be expended on your economy?
18xx is the collective term used to describe a set of railroad-themed stock market and tile laying games. This 18xx game takes the basic mechanics from Tresham's 1829, and adds several new elements. Players seek to make the most money by buying and selling stock in various rail companies located on an map of eastern Canada. The board itself is actually a fairly abstract hexagonal system, with track tiles placed on top of the hexes. Players buy and sell stock in various share companies, whose actions are controlled by the majority stockholder. The stock manipulation aspect of the game is widely-regarded as one of the best. Plus each 18xx title adds new and different elements to the game.
This game features the formation of the Canadian Government Railroad, and government loans as well as major obstacles for railroad growth. A game is finished when the bank runs out of money or one player goes bankrupt, and the player with the greatest personal holdings wins.
A game takes place over four centuries. Each player plays on average 5 to 7 turns per century. On each turn, players choose one of these actions :
Start a new building with his architect
Complete part of a building
Send a worker to a zone of influence
Take a leader card
By contributing to the numerous buildings, players acquire influence with the authorities of the time: religion, politics, commerce and culture. Players also help build the famous Citadelle.
The game ends after the fourth century. Players then receive points for the buildings they completed. The player with the most points is declared the winner.
This game is like shuffleboard in the round. Players take turns flicking disks on a board, trying to score points by attaining central regions. The main stipulation being that contact with the other teams' pieces must be made in order for the disk to remain on the board afterward. Although the game uses quite a bit of skill to flick the disks, there's a very significant strategy element to the game. There are many different variants and rules, as this game is very old and has had many different incarnations over the years.
The game is of uncertain origin, however the oldest authenticated board was made by Eckhardt Wettlaufer of Sebastopol, Ontario, Canada (near Tavistock) in 1876, and the game has remained particularly popular among Canadian Mennonites. It was patented in 1880. It is also called Pichenotte.
The World Crokinole Championship (WCC) is held in Tavistock, Ontario, Canada each June. The current WCC Champion is Brian Cook of Toronto, Ontario.
Attica. Enjoyed playing it for the first time in at least 10 years, but I probably donāt need to play it again for at least another 10 š“ Iām told itās pretty good 2p though. #bgg #boardgame
jimmyeatworldofficial
titsay
2087
germansingergirl
kianamaiart
origamiaround
