Day Two: Lots and Lots of Settlers

Class on Friday was devoted to many games of Settlers of Catan.  On Thursday, we were instructed to rank our personal ability in regard to Settlers on a scale from freshman to senior.  My first mistake was over-estimating my Settlers ability.  I thought that junior seemed to be an appropriate level for me (I probably should have classified myself as a sophomore).  I was clearly the most inexperienced player among the people at my table (2 seniors, and 1 super-senior).  Even though I was lacking in ability, I felt like I learned a lot about the strategy of the game.

I would usually being my game by placing my settlements on spaces with desirable resources rather than building my settlements on high-frequency numbers.  However, I soon learned that it is more important to have a steady intake of resources rather than have a small intake of specific resources.  There is an art to trading that opens the door for many new opportunities in the game.  

Friday, we played a team-version of settlers.  The basic rules of the game were the same, with each team aiming to obtain 17 points.  One thing I learned was the art of predicting the strategies of other players.  My inexperience causes me to focus on my personal goals, rather than considering the objectives of other players.  Charlie (one of my group members) was clearly an expert in regard to predicting other players and their moves.  

I learned a lot from watching my group play and I look forward to playing more in the future.

One question I have for the game designer on Monday is:  How many version do you make of a game before you arrive on the final copy?