Because I simply can't win at that game. There was a Settlers of Catan tournament that I decided to take part in today, a qualifier for Gen-Con in Indianapolis. I thought, oh I know how to play Catan, that's the one where you trade sheep for wheat and roll dice and stuff. A little more complex than that, but... I've definitely played before, and I've definitely won handily before. I'd like to think I'm pretty good at Catan. I'd like to make one thing clear to you that only became clear to me today:
I AM NOT GOOD AT CATAN.
Everybody there played two games. My first game, I scored a total of two points. Two points! And you always score at least two points because you start the game with two points! I did as poorly as any player can possibly do in Catan. As I lay in the corner of the game store, weeping softly into my dice bag (I don't know why I brought my dice bag, Catan comes with its own dice; I was probably trying to strut my nerd stuff) I remembered there was still one more game to play. Perhaps my credibility could be redeemed, my image restored. Let me make one thing clear:
I AM STILL NOT GOOD AT CATAN.
I lost my second game, though I did score six points. So, an increase by 300%. When you look at it by the numbers, it's not so bad. But I did not only learn today just how paltry my Catan skills are compared to apparently the rest of the gaming world, but I also learned just how technical these tournaments are. I expected to go in, play a round of games, and then those winners would play each other and someone would be crowned a winner, elimination style.
I AM NOT GOOD AT PREDICTIONS.
It was way more intense than that. Everyone's win/loss record was tracked, and that was the first determination of who won the tournament. In the event of a time between number of wins, it would then be broken down to how badly each player beat the rest of the team. Someone who won by five points would be ranked higher than someone who only won by two. This would allow someone who perhaps lost one of their games to still be in the running if they won they game by a larger margin than the other. Very interesting.
I have to applaud the store that hosted the tournament, The Game Shoppe of Bellevue. Not only did they set aside space for the tournament, but they handled all the bracketing, rules, set up, etc. In addition, they were hosting a WarMachine game day as well (I actually don't know much about that game, it's some sort of miniature army game, and those intimidate both me and my wallet), so their attention was technically split, but it didn't feel like it was, as they ensured everything went smoothly and everyone was, above all, having fun. There was even time in between the rounds for a game of Ticket To Ride, which I have never played before but actually thoroughly enjoyed.
That's why I love these local stores; they know their stuff, they are passionate about what they do, and they love to share that passion with their customers.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go play the app version of Catan against some Easy computer opponents to build my self-esteem.
I AM NOT GOOD AT CATAN.
Everybody there played two games. My first game, I scored a total of two points. Two points! And you always score at least two points because you start the game with two points! I did as poorly as any player can possibly do in Catan. As I lay in the corner of the game store, weeping softly into my dice bag (I don't know why I brought my dice bag, Catan comes with its own dice; I was probably trying to strut my nerd stuff) I remembered there was still one more game to play. Perhaps my credibility could be redeemed, my image restored. Let me make one thing clear:
I AM STILL NOT GOOD AT CATAN.
I lost my second game, though I did score six points. So, an increase by 300%. When you look at it by the numbers, it's not so bad. But I did not only learn today just how paltry my Catan skills are compared to apparently the rest of the gaming world, but I also learned just how technical these tournaments are. I expected to go in, play a round of games, and then those winners would play each other and someone would be crowned a winner, elimination style.
I AM NOT GOOD AT PREDICTIONS.
It was way more intense than that. Everyone's win/loss record was tracked, and that was the first determination of who won the tournament. In the event of a time between number of wins, it would then be broken down to how badly each player beat the rest of the team. Someone who won by five points would be ranked higher than someone who only won by two. This would allow someone who perhaps lost one of their games to still be in the running if they won they game by a larger margin than the other. Very interesting.
I have to applaud the store that hosted the tournament, The Game Shoppe of Bellevue. Not only did they set aside space for the tournament, but they handled all the bracketing, rules, set up, etc. In addition, they were hosting a WarMachine game day as well (I actually don't know much about that game, it's some sort of miniature army game, and those intimidate both me and my wallet), so their attention was technically split, but it didn't feel like it was, as they ensured everything went smoothly and everyone was, above all, having fun. There was even time in between the rounds for a game of Ticket To Ride, which I have never played before but actually thoroughly enjoyed.
That's why I love these local stores; they know their stuff, they are passionate about what they do, and they love to share that passion with their customers.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go play the app version of Catan against some Easy computer opponents to build my self-esteem.
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