It has come to my attention, as many things do, that my friends are nerds. This should not surprise anyone with a frequent eye for the MonstroBlogue, as they can undoubtably guess from the subject matter here, I too am a nerd. There is however, a new manifestation which I fear I will be sucked into before long. It is a board game called Settlers of Catan.
To the best of my understanding, the board game is based on the concept of imperialism. Each player represents a political interest trying to best exploit the natural and human resources of a fictional land called Catan. Whether it is raising sheep to treat as bargaining currency or conscripting locals into your war machine, Settlers of Catan provides fun for the whole family, plus you get to learn why some parts of the world suck more than others.
I have yet to see this game in action, but I can judge from the rabid way my friends talk about it that it is complex and compelling. Fellow Monstronaught Drew apporoached the game from the angle of manipulating other players. This reminds me of my old Robber Baron style of Monopoly play:
ME: "Ah, it appears that you've landed on my railroad monopoly. Pay me thousands of dollars!"
FOOL: "Oh no, if I pay all that, I can't buy the hotels I want."
ME: "Ok, how about this: You keep your money, but in the future, I stay for free at all your yellow properties AND have first chance at meeting your minimum starting offer on anything you put up for sale."
FOOL: "Thanks Robber Baron Matt!"
In this way, I would manipulate the board so that I was virtually invulnerable, able to move where I pleased and control other people's properties against their will. This is no fun and probably explains my early interest in Ayn Rand. Also my unhappiness with elementary school. Drew wanted to find ways to play the players of Catan. Apparently this doesn't work.
If you can't actually play the other players, then there has to be a way to play (intonation, evil) the game. I want to break it. I want to ruin Settler of Catan. There are friends of mine who have been playing this shit since they were in elementary school. I want to break their spirit. I don't want to enjoy the game. I don't want to build roads and churches and collect soldiers and grow crops, I want to see people's faces lower in shame as they realize that their favorite game is no longer fun. That's my game. Now I just need to learn how to play.
this is a very fun game
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