Board Game Breakfast - Slave to Theme

Tom Vasel takes a look at things he found on the internet. Are you a slave to theme? Plus, many great segments from a plethora of board game experts! Episode # 305

Dice Tower East Registration is going on now!

Segments:

0:22 Welcome
2:07 What I Found on the Internet This Week
4:20 From The Page To The Table
6:23 Ryan and Bethany Board Game Reviews
8:14 Board Game Bakes
10:14 Dice Tower Productions
11:44 We Game Together
14:08 The theme is…
15:54 Mystery Component Monday
18:14 SpeedQuiz
20:08 Tom Thinks
24:17 Quick Draw!
25:27 Dead Last
27:23 Closing Thoughts

This Weeks Internet Links:

The blacklist show on nbc, episode the aired on Friday October 25th , showed Ticket to Ride being played and verbally mentioned mtg

Check out the friendliest conventions on Earth!

[carlrobinson]

Ryan and Bethany- Great idea to have a board game and fitness con!! Too often we spend the whole time sitting and snacking, but breaking up game days with fitness between plays is such a smart idea. Thanks!

[VikingKittens]

Yup Matthew collecting is such a powerful feeling. On the one hand I am excited to get a new game but then there is that bit of doubt wondering how many expansions there will be in the future that I will need to own. Here's looking at you Wingspan!!!! :)

[jaredschulz]

As someone who doesn't drink, I have an issue with themes that are heavy on that. I get completely lost and don't understand why any of it makes sense. This means that while I have forced myself to play a few, I have learned to just walk by that theme. Viticulture, Heaven & Ale, Homebrewers, and quite a few others all fall into this bucket.

[jasonbrown]

Looking forward to your take on Aquatica

[richardklug]

This week scored a hit on two fronts for me...themes and collecting. I'm guilty on both counts with Star Wars. Managed to get every set for Imperial Assault, original X-Wing, Armada and Rebellion. Finally came to my senses when FFG started pumping out 2nd editions and SW Legion. Maybe the urge to collect/complete is hard-wired in the brain from our ancient past as hunter-gatherers (must get all those nuts and berries before winter!)?

[NecromancerFluffy]

I think the drive to collect is instinctual. We are a hunter/gatherer race that does not need to hunt and gather. we also are extremely slow to let concepts go, especially the very basic ones. We collect games, we collect resources (in and out of games), we collect money. Money isn't even a real thing, it is simple a concept we created to unify value of more tangible things and we created it simply to collect and use to collect goods and services. Collecting is simple part of human nature, and I guess that means Mathew Jude is a typical human ( in that regard).

[canionboyd]

I think it would be nice if the games behind Tom were his queue for the next week or so. ☺️

[mkitten]

Dead Last: I definitely have that collecting gene, which has cost me a pretty penny over my lifetime. I've finally been able to stave it off a bit recently by tidying up my existing collections and facing the reality that by having big collections I am essentially holding onto a lot of padding. I've halved my DVD collection in the last 1-2 years, given away merchendise that I ultimately did not love, sold games I no longer care about. I do definitely relate to the desire to have everything for a specific game, but thankfully it's never gotten to the "at any cost" type of level. I do love getting the promos, but within a reasonable price point. Once I even sold off a promo that I initially planned to keep because the other person offered me a too lucrative trade for it. So, yeah, it's nice to have everything for something, but it's not the end all be all for me.

[cassandracastro]

I think is "wholesomeness", people can't stand uncomplete things, and as soon as a game gets an expansion, it's seen as uncomplete without it (in a strict sense, it isn't, but still is easy to perceive it as such). That urge comes from that human trait of needing to complete things, to fill in holes, etc.

[evalien]

Tom Thinks: Whenever I see a food themed game I'm tempted to buy it straight away; space themes get the opposite reaction, even knowing a game is good.

[hanseathl]

My wife just bought the advent calendar the other day. Looking forward to enjoy this with my family.

[seamuspadraigmcgowan]

DEAD LAST: All in <<< one word: Kickstarter. What a wonderful world we are living in!

[kirkbeiser]

I love the female gunslinger time lapse skepth at the end. I gotta follow that guy.

Dead Last - I would like to consider myself the anti NEED EVERYTHING board game buyer but I have fallen victim to it occasionally. Most of my all in buys have been content related.

Raiders of the North Sea - everything including playmat and solo mode but missing a few promos
Champions of Midgard - everything including playmat and a few promos - missing a lot of promos and I don't care
Anachrony - I ended up backing the expansion with everything and adding on the cool resources. My #2 (recently demoted) overall game. I am unsure if I will use much of the expansion content since it is already too heavy to play very much with my groups.
Tang Garden - backed it at all in because it looks so beautiful. Oops that isn't gameplay content related.
Arkham Horror LCG - this game will destroy me financially but it became my #1 overall game this fall. Every expansion adds more and more deckbuilding options. Ugh...
Terraforming Mars on the other hand I don't feel any need to go all in. It is my #3 overall game but not all of the expansions add to the game imo.

[RazBaz]

Anyone else thinks there some Steve Urkel/Stefan-thing going on between Oliver East and Matthew Jude?! I swear they're the same person!

[arcubal]

Being prejudiced (for or against) towards theme is the same as being prejudiced towards game mechanics. It's such an incomplete sentiment that it's shortchanging yourself and the designer. One might hate the zombie theme, but love negotiation games. Well, then City of Horror is worth trying. You might hate victory points, but love Amerithrash exploration. Well, then Vindication is your jam.

My point is not even that a theme can outrank a mechanism or vice versa but that it's the combined game experience that should be judged on its merits. If the game experience is the total motivator, then theme is the skin and internal organs and the game mechanics the skeleton and muscles. You need all of them to have a complete and functioning body. Being a slave to theme (or mechanics) is like judging a game on its cover or its BGG dissection: it's incomplete at best, narrow-minded at its worst. And who wants to be labeled narrow-minded?

[jerrodwarr]

Red Rising is SO GOOD. Very happy to see it here. Lords of Hellas is the game I always think of when thinking of this series.

[thecaryou]

I feel the same about collecting. I was trying to get everything for Imperial Assault then realized I had not even played it in like a year even though I was still collecting for it which was insane, but I get that same urge.

[wroot_lt]

Ha, i thought it looked like a princess in Love Letter, but the gun and the beer.. :D I like these drawings with a twist :)

[thepeacockpodcast]

@matthew Jude; Collecting just provides some kind of satisfaction of just having a thing on your shelf.

[DanielHolding]

*made a suggestion for quick draw last week* well played sir... Well played xD