Unity Games Etiquette - REVISED June 1, 2004

This is an auto-post...

The number of posts for the Unity Games list has grown rather substantially in
the past months and so here are a few tips to help those who feel a bit lost
under the weight of the emails.

1. When posting to the Unity Games list, try to keep your subject lines in tune
with the content of your message.  If you reply to one email but the subject
starts to drift, please feel free to change the subject line to reflect the new
topic.  This makes it much easier for those reading to filter on the subjects
that interest them most.

2. When posting to the Unity Games list, try to cut down on the unnecessary
quoted text (text from the person you are replying to).  This is especially true
of the boiler-plate Unity Games material that is appended to every posted
message.  It's hard to read these messages with lots of extra quoted text -
especially in digest mode.  The number of messages has grown substantially
lately and not everyone can keep up - so please be judicious in cutting out text
in replies.

3. If the number of messages is getting to you (!!), feel free to go into digest
mode where you receive one message a couple times each day containing a digest
of all posts.  You get the same information, but slightly delayed.  There is
also web-based browsing of the group where you can read the messages online (and
get no emails).  You can configure this at the Unity Games homepage (see below
for the link - use the Edit My Membership option from the UG homepage) or you
can send a message to Unity_Games-owner@yahoogroups.com and we can do it for
you.  If you decided to stay in email mode, be aware that most good email
clients allow you to filter your incoming messages and file them away in a
folder different from your "inbox".  You can easily search on the word
"[Unity_Games]" which appears in every message from the list and use that to
trigger storing your messages in a convenient folder for later viewing.

4. For posts which are off topic, please use "[OT]" in the subject line (without
quotes) to make it easier for those of us filtering content based on subject
lines.  For discussions on the maintenance of the list itself, we recommend
"[META]" be in the subject line.  For Session reports, "SR:" in the subject line
works well as does "SA:" for session announcements.

5. Speaking of off-topic posts... Please try to keep these to a minimum. 
General game discussion is fine but the list has gotten large enough that
off-topic comments (even if short) can overpower and bury the reader as they
might not have time to read everything. I've gotten emails from people who have
missed event announcements buried around lots of off-topic or only marginally
game related postings.  Posting short semi-off-topic or humorous follow-ups to
messages is perfectly fine - just cut down on the original post as much as
possible to keep the read-time short for others.

6. We do allow occasional game-related for-sale or for-trade messages as well.
These should be only for personal trade/sell game-related items and should not
be too frequent - do not flood the list with personal sales emails.  If you have
more than one item for sale/trade, consider posting them together in a single
discrete email.  Do not conduct your sales on the UG list - after the initial
post please keep all excahnges/haggles off-list in private email.  Basically, a
good use of this is when someone wants to clean out thier closet and sell/trade
games to local friends to save on shipping, hassle, etc.  Mentioning bargains
found at a store you have no affiliation with is fine (and encouraged!).  We
currently do not allow any auctions on this forum (either direct auctions or
links to auctions at another site like ebay) and we do not allow posts from
commercial sources (stores or other related parties).

Taking the time to read and understand these steps will make reading the UG list
more enjoyable for everyone.  Thanks!

To configure into digest mode or to change any of your settings, you can visit
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unity_Games

Our main homepage is now at http://www.unitygames.org

--
Dave Bernazzani
daveber@...

Russian Rails was my first foray into the world of "crayon railway"
games, and I enjoyed it enough that I picked up some miniature trains
from Mayfair to run on my tracks.  When I got Australian Rails
(Mayfair Games, 2005 -  Larry Roznai), I was once again pleased to be
playing on a continent that I was unfamiliar with, because it's more
interesting to me and a bit educational, too.

	 Australian Rails (AR) wasn't as interesting to me as Russian Rails -
simply because the "Fall of Communism" made the latter game so
fascinating.  However, I did enjoy the map quite a bit.  All of my
comments from my Russian Rails review
(http://www.thedicetower.com/reviews/russianrails.htm) apply to AR,
with the following comments added…

1.) Australia:  Perhaps not so exotic for native Australians, but to
the rest of the world, or perhaps just Tom Vasel - Australia is a
pretty neat place.  The map is quite interesting, with the majority of
the cities scattered around the edges, and players will compete to
build routes that run from one side to the other.  I confess to
knowing little to none about the Australian map before playing this
game - now I can tell you where most of the main cities are.  That's
education for ya!

2.) Desert:  The middle of Australia is filled with large deserts.
It's quite possible for a Sand Storm cards to be drawn from the event
deck, which wipes out all tracks in a certain desert.  All players
should be notified about this possibility before the game begins, so
that they aren't surprised.  If a player's tracks are destroyed in the
desert, it should be because they took a knowing risk, and it didn't
end well.   Building in the desert isn't THAT expensive, but a player
still thinks twice about it!

3.) Demand Cards:  I think I'll follow Shannon Appelcline's advice in
one of his blog columns and write the coordinate numbers on each
demand card.  Because of my initial unfamiliarity with the Australian
terrain, a lot of time in my first couple games was in staring at the
board, searching for each city.  On the other hand, I didn't think it
was overly difficult to deliver goods - it seemed more obvious what to
deliver to where.  In Russia, there were often several choices for
each good.  In Australia, the choices are a little more obvious.

4.) Players:  AR plays quite well as a "Honeymoon" game - or one in
which there is only two players.  The rules include a way to make this
a little more challenging, but for some reason it just really worked
well with two players.  Three and four also were great, because
there's a bit of jockeying for position to get to many of the critical
cities on the coast.  (I don't know about five; I won't play a crayon
rails game with more than four - it takes too long).

5.) Dry Rivers:  There are many "dry" lakes and rivers scattered
around the board; all of which can be built over for no additional
cost.  A "Rainy Season" card will fill all of them with water for the
remainder of the game.  So often AR is a race as players struggle to
get tracks over these areas before they fill up with water and double
in price.

I'm not sure how many games of the "Empire Builder" series one needs.
Some fanatics will need every one, while others may be satisfied with
just one.  For me, one is not interesting enough, as I like the
variety of maps.  Australian Rails really was an enjoyable game for
me; and although it's only my second game of the series, I look
forward with interest to playing more.

Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games"
www.tomvasel.com

When I originally played Card Chess, I wasn't sure who would be
interested in this version of four-player chess.  While I enjoyed it,
it certainly wasn't for everyone; Chess purists would be unhappy with
how the game worked, and folks who didn't like Chess were unlikely to
be won over.  When I read the rules to Bosworth, I figured that the
same thing would be the case, as it was another four-player variant on
chess.  However, John Kovalic's artwork and the small board interested
me, so I was ready to give it a go (Oh, who am I kidding - I'm always
ready to play a new game!)

	 As much as Card Chess intrigued me, I found Bosworth to be a
"tighter", nicer game.  While retaining a luck element (something I
wasn't adverse to), Bosworth also uses a mere sixteen to twenty-four
spaces, as opposed to the sixty-four of the chessboard.  Using almost
the same rules as chess (with a few distinct differences), the game is
a quick, deadly affair and plays equally as well with four as with
two.  (Three is a little "iffy".)

(I'm assuming the reader knows how to play chess.)

The game is played on a five by five grid of squares with the corners
not used.  Each player places four pawn pieces on each end space on
their side of the board.  If there are less than four players playing,
the sides of the board that are not used have markers placed in them
to show that those four spaces are not used.   Players take the rest
of the twelve pieces (the rest of the chess set - but pictures on the
side of a disc, rather than plastic pieces) and shuffle them into a
pile, drawing four of them into their hands.  One player is chosen to
go first, and then play proceeds clockwise around the table.

On a player's turn, they must move one of their pieces on the board,
just like that particular chess piece moves.  All pieces move the
exact same way that they do in Chess, with the exception of the pawn
and King.  Pawns may, in addition to their normal move, move one space
sideways in either direction, except in their own "base camp" - the
four starting spaces.  Kings can actually capture their own pieces and
can move into check and be captured.  Players don't have to announce
that they have put a king into check; but they may if they wish,
forcing the enemy to move it out of danger, etc.

After moving a piece, and possibly capturing an enemy piece they land
on, a player then must fill all the unoccupied spaces in their field
camp with pieces from their hand.  The player then fills their hand
with pieces from their draw pile.  If a player runs out of pieces,
they place markers into their empty field spaces, effectively shutting
them down.  When a player captures an opponent's king, that player's
pieces are removed from the board, and the capturing player receives
the queen of the opponent to use, even if it's already been killed.
Play continues until only one player remains, who is declared the
winner!

Some comments on the game…

1.) Components:  The artwork on each piece shows a picture of one of
the characters from John Kovalic's popular comic Dork Tower.  Lest
players become confused, like in most themed chess sets, a silhouette
of the real chess piece is shown in the background.  Each piece is a
large, round cardboard token (a little thinner than I'd like), with a
background in red, yellow, blue, or green, to differentiate between
players.  The board has some campsite and tree artwork on it, and the
dark green/light green coloring of the spaces helps get one away from
the stark contrast of many chess boards.  Everything fits nicely into
a flat, smallish box with more artwork from Mr. Kovalic.

2.) Rules:  The four page rulebook does not take for granted that
players already know how to play chess - the moves for each piece are
explained in the rulebook in illustrations and explanations.  At the
same time, the rules that are different than normal chess are
italicized, so that players can quickly skim them to learn the
differences and grasp them.  The game is easy to set up and learn -
only about thirty seconds if the players know chess - possibly longer
otherwise (I don't know).

3.) Tight:  Bosworth is a bloody affair, with pieces being killed
right and left.  In such a small area and especially when four players
are playing, it's impossible for the game to go on too long, and
deaths occur all over the battlefield.  Sometimes a player can get
into a difficult position, when many of their pieces are dead; because
the other player(s) can simply kill off each of their new pieces as it
lands on the board.  It's tremendously difficult to guard against more
than one player at once, and this may frustrate some people.  With
three players, the game is especially deadly for the player in the
middle, as they are caught in the middle between players on both
sides.

4.) Pieces:  While queens are still the most powerful pieces, the
tight, small board causes the positions of the others to change
somewhat.  Rooks aren't nearly as strong, since they are often boxed
in and can't maneuver around as well.  Bishops are probably just as
good on the small board.  Knights are extremely useful, as they can
jump pretty much all over the board in only a few moves.  The pawn is
also more capable - as there are just so many of them! - making them
fairly deadly.

5.) Kings:  it's very easy for kings to get trapped by pieces - in the
fact that there are so many more pieces, and so fewer spaces.  Thus,
the rule that a king can capture his own piece, which usually is only
resorted to when a player has no other choice, is a nice rule.   While
it seems a bit sadistic for thematic purposes, it does come in handy;
and I've used it several times in my playings.

6.) Randomness:  There is a bit of randomness in the form of what
pieces you draw.  But I have yet to see a player who didn't hold their
king until the end, anyway, or a player who complained that the luck
of the draw was the reason that they lost.  For me - you simply had to
make do with the pieces you got when you got them.  If you drew
knights early, then it was time to get them into position where they
could slaughter the enemy.  If you drew rooks, then you wanted to get
them out where they had more room to maneuver, etc.

7.) Fun Factor:  I can see serious Chess players divided on whether
they like the game or not.  Some might see the smaller board and
multiple opponents as a challenge.  Others might be irritated at any
change to their precious rules.  For ordinary folk, like myself,
Bosworth allows me to play Chess in a light, fun way.  Sure, you can
get all serious about the game; but since movement is more limited and
play a bit more chaotic, it's just too tough to get serious about it.
Most Bosworth games that I've played have only taken about half an
hour to complete, and that's the light, fun feeling that I want.

As long as the game is played with people intent on having a fun,
quick variant of chess, I can see Bosworth going over very well.  It's
fast, a bit chaotic, but still retains the basic feel and tactics of
Chess.  Strategy and well thought out opening moves aren't going to do
a person much good in Bosworth.  Tactical maneuvering and learning how
to deal with pieces drawn both by oneself and the opponent(s) will.  I
usually shy away from Chess because of the fact that there is no luck
in it and most opponents take it a bit too seriously.  Bosworth has
neither of those problems.

Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games"
www.tomvasel.com

Hunting Party (Seaborn Games, 2005 - Ben and Patrick Christenson)
claims that it is "German Strategy meets American Fantasy".  That is
certainly a combination that I enjoy, so I was certainly eager to get
my hands on a copy of the game.  After some shipping snafus, I finally
got a copy and was intrigued upon reading over the rules.  Hunting
Party has one of the most interesting and unique mechanics I've seen
in a game in a long while - the "shares" involved.

	 The game itself resembles a little bit of Clue mixed with Fantasy
special abilities, and a bit of "fighting".  There are some problems
with the game - such as some game length issues with certain players,
and sometimes entirely too much chaos with special abilities.
However, the components are very nicely done for a new company (with a
few problems), and all in all, it's an impressive first offering from
Seaborn Games.  Hunting Party certainly won't please everyone, and I
can see that certain combinations of special abilities may take some
games to endless loops of repetition, but anyone looking for a fantasy
deduction game will find it here.

	 The game works best with three players, although rules for two, four,
and five players are included.  Each player is given a "prophecy
tablet" and a sheet of paper, eight "shares" of one color, and three
pieces of gold.  The rest of the gold (and silver, four of which
equals one gold) is placed in the bank.  Twelve stacks of cards are
shuffled and placed in a four by three grid, so that they form a map
of a kingdom.  Three piles represent market locations, four represent
Hunting locations, and five represent Hiring locations.  Each player
takes one card from the top of the Hiring location of their choice,
which becomes their "Hero" for the game, and all eight shares are
placed on that hero.  Twelve Prophecy cards are included in the game,
broken into three groups: Seeking (bait, sorcery, tracks, knowledge),
Fighting (subdue, melee, range, mage), and Guiding (Palace, Catacombs,
Darkwoods, Mystic Vale).  Each player is randomly given one of each
group, and the final three are secretly placed face down under the
"Shadow" card.  Players use their prophecy tablet and sheet to mark
off the skill they get, because only the three skills under the
Shadows card can defeat him.  One player goes first, and then turns
proceed clockwise.

	 On a player's turn, they have three options:
- Hiring:  A player may flip over the top card from one of the five
hiring locations and put that character up for auction.  Each location
shows a specific fighting skill, which means that characters with that
skill most likely are in that deck.  The player putting up the
character for auction chooses whether to bid first or last, and then
each player bids once with the highest player receiving the character.
  Bidding is done in number of shares, which are placed on the
character by the person who is the winner.  Players may not bid shares
that are already placed on other characters other than their hero.
- Item Purchase:  A player may draw one card from the top of each
market location and look at them.  They may buy as many of them as
they want, paying one gold for each.  Players may equip their
characters with many of the items, as long as each character has only
one equipment of each type (body, hand, head, and foot).  Unpurchased
items are placed under the stacks of market cards.
- Hunt:  A player may go "searching" for the Shadow.  To do this, they
must "fatigue" (tap) their hunters who are going on the hunt.  The
hunters must have at least one skill of each of the three types.
Players declare what three skills they are using (for example,
Catacombs, Tracks, Subdue).  Starting with the player to the left, and
continuing clockwise, if any player can reveal a Prophecy card that
shows one of the declared skills, the hunt is thwarted.  The player
must then fight a "Dark Agent".  They turn over the top card of the
deck that matches the Guiding skill they mentioned (if they used
Catacombs, for example, they flip over the top Catacombs card).  Each
Dark Agent card shows a minion of evil, and the skills required to
kill them (sometimes one of two different ways).  If the player has
the skills in their party needed to kill the creature, then the Dark
Agent is defeated, and the player receives rewards from the card.  If
the player doesn't have the skills, then the player on their left
decides which of their characters dies (can't be their Hero).  If a
player has successfully named the three skills under the Shadow card,
then they must fight the shadow and have two of the fighting skills
needed to kill it.  If they do, they receive forty gold (split between
shares), and the game ends.  Otherwise, one of their characters is
killed (chosen by the player on their left).

Players can disband any of their hunters at any time, as long as they
pay them one gold per share on that hunter.  Each hunter has a
"normal" ability that they can use - sometimes for free, sometimes for
the cost of a gold coin, and sometimes if they "fatigue" the hero.  If
a hunter is equipped with the item that lists their name, then that
hunter becomes a "champion" and has one share removed from it.  Both
champions and the player's starting Hero can use the "champion
ability" on their card, which are noticeably more powerful.

	 Some hunters "hate" other hunters and cost an extra share when in the
same party.  Others attract certain hunters, causing them to cost one
share less.  Players can sometimes steal characters with potions and
special abilities, and some "handicap" characters are included in the
game to give to players who have more experience than other players.

	 Whenever a player gets a bounty of gold from killing a Dark Agent or
the Shadow, they do not receive all of it.  They must "pay" the
hunters in their party for the shares on them.  Therefore, they only
receive one-eighth of the bounty for each share on their hero.  When
the game ends, the player with the most gold is the winner!

Some comments on the game…

1.) Components:  The gold and silver pieces are large painted wooden
tokens, and the shares are wooden pie slices (similar but larger to
those in Trivial Pursuit).  They were very nice and chunky, making
them easy to handle.  The cards were fairly large (about 50% large
than normal playing cards), nicely laminated.  I wasn't so keen on the
Prophecy Tablet's, which were folded cardboard pieces that were to be
placed on top of a paper.  I would have much preferred simple sheets
with grids, like in Clue.  Hopefully one will be put up at
www.boardgamegeek.com for download purposes.  All the pieces did fit
very well in the plastic insert in the large, very sturdy box.  I must
also mention that small pencils and paper were included.

2.) Artwork:  A friend of mine called the artwork "old school D & D".
I'm not sure if that's accurate, but I must admit that I wasn't a fan
of the drawings.  The characters seemed a bit lifeless.  The cover of
the box is especially jarring, as it looks like a bunch of people were
pasted together into one picture to form a large scene.  I will state
that I can't draw worth a lick, so take my criticism at face value.
However, the way that the backs of the cards formed a map on the table
was a nice touch, and THAT artwork, as well as the art on the item
cards, I found very agreeable and nice.

3.) Rules:   If there's one thing to be impressed with in Hunting
Party, it's the spiral bound rulebook, complete with tabs for each
section.  I was very impressed with the high quality, picture and
example filled book.  Each set of pages shows rules on one side and
then related examples on the other.  It was very simple to find any
rule needed, and I hope that other rulebooks take this turn in the
future.  It was a little odd to read the rulebook straight through
because of this compartmentalization, but overall  the rulebook is a
thing of marvel.  The game is easy to teach - at least three people
said - "Oh, like Clue!", when I taught it to them.  The special
abilities may throw some people off, but the game isn't that difficult
to learn or teach.  An exceptional flash demonstration is available at
the website, www.seaborngames.com.

4.) Deduction:  Learning the skills needed to defeat the Shadow is an
interesting task, but one that is a little easier than it sounds.
Unless special abilities come into play (and they very well might),
most players will learn the abilities needed at the same time.
Getting those skills into your parties is an entirely different
matter; and although a player has an inkling of where to hire people
with the right skills, it's a little more difficult than one might
think.

5.) Shares:  This mechanic is an amazing little twist that works
tremendously well.  When bidding, players are actually bidding with
future money they will earn.  Yes, I might win the knight because I
was willing to give him five shares, but that means I will be paying
him 5/8 of all the loot I get from him.  Thus a player who has hunters
who reduce shares on others is at an advantage, and champions are
important.  I've seen players who have huge, strong parties, but they
get a measly few gold pieces whenever they kill an enemy.  Sometimes a
player can get in a situation where they have a few people with a lot
of shares on them - in which they can't go hunting and earn any money.
  The game does allow a "reset", in which a player can discard all
their money and hunters.  As terrible as this might sound, I've seen
it happen on several occasions.

6.) Special abilities:  Players have all kinds of special abilities;
and when there are several hunters on the table, these abilities can
start causing havoc.  From "stealing" another player's hunter, to
fatiguing hunters, to resurrecting hunters, to looking at other
player's prophecy cards, to removing shares, to loaning their skills
to other players - there are several combinations that can occur.  The
rulebook deals with timing, and even though we ran into a few minor
snafus, we didn't have any real conflicts between using the special
abilities.  People who like a nice, quiet deduction game will be
absolutely horrified at all the odd things that can happen between
turns, and the chaos of using many special abilities from items and
hunters will not be pleasing to them.

7.) Fun Factor:  However, this chaos adds a lot of fun to the game for
me.  Don't get me wrong, I don't mind the sheer abstract thinking that
a game like Zendo or Sleuth requires, but sometimes it's just time to
shake things up a bit.  Hunting Party may be classified as a deduction
game, but the auctions and fighting and usage of special abilities
make it a hybrid that, while occasionally clunky, works on many
levels.  There's a lot of laughing and interchanges occurring; the
game is very interactive betwixt players.  Even folks who aren't fond
of the fantasy genre can get into it.

8.) Variations:  There are some variations in the back of the book,
for other than three players (which I don't particularly recommend)
allowing trading (which I do think is good), handicap characters
(interesting, but not needed), and Shadow rules.  The last I think is
almost a necessity.  Players can know what the final combination to
beat the Shadow but refuse to go fight him, deliberately guessing
wrong and killing Shadow Agents to increase their money.  This can be
stopped by having a "track" that means the Shadow kills everyone after
eight or sixteen lost fights.  This keeps players from going around in
circles and helps the game out tremendously.

Do I recommend Hunting Party?  That depends - if you think a
fantasy/deduction game with chaotic elements sounds interesting, then
you will love it.  But if the chaos scares you, then it's probably
best to shy away.  This mixture of elements may not be for everyone;
for me it was an enjoyable, tasty stew.  I found Hunting Party to be
fun, easy to play; and while there were lots of changes every turn, I
was immersed enough in the play to enjoy them.  The share mechanic
alone is worth it to me to play the game again, and I hope to see more
innovative titles from Seaborn games in the future.

Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games"
www.tomvasel.com

Hi, Mike here in NH but able to travel New England easily.  Looking for a
game of Stellar Conquest if anyone is interested.  Maybe we can meet up at a
Unity Game event.

Thanks
mikpel@...

I called B&N. They're open til 10 tonight. Lucia won't
be there. I probably will be.

E




__________________________________
Yahoo! for Good - Make a difference this year.
http://brand.yahoo.com/cybergivingweek2005/

BauSquitMiao (Post Scriptum, 2005 - Matteo Panara and Mario Sacchi) is
a name that is derived from the noises that a dog, mouse, and cat
make, respectively.  The idea of dogs and cats and mice morphing into
one another, coupled with the great artwork of Angelo Porazzi (of
Warangel fame), caused me to have great interest in this game.  There
are actually two different games in the box, BauSquitMiao - in which
players play a sort of abstract game as they morph and move around the
board; and BauSquitMiao Race - in which the morphing animals race
around the kitchen.

I have very different feelings about the games.  While BauSquitMiao
felt dry and lifeless to me, as players' options seems forced and
thrust upon them, the race game was actually pretty much fun.  So I
haven't gotten rid of the game yet, because I think playing the race
game is worth keeping.  However, as funny as the theme is, and even
though the race game is fairly enjoyable, I still can't recommend the
game, because there are many better racing games out there.  Humor and
theme weren't enough to draw me into this game.

A large grid of 187 squares is placed on the table, representing the
kitchen of a mad scientist.  Two potion discs are placed on the board
in designated locations, and then players, in turn, place food tokens
(bones, fish, and cheese) around the board.  Each player takes a die
of their color, which has sides that correspond to the three different
types of animals.  Players randomly draw a "position" card (from one
to six) and roll their die, placing it on the numbered space matching
the card on the board.  A pile of turn cards is shuffled, and the game
is ready to begin.

For each turn, the top turn card is flipped over, and its effects are
applied.  First, all players who match the animal pictured on the card
must roll their dice to "transform" their creature.  The background
color of the card indicates which player moves first during the round,
and arrows on the card show whether turn order is clockwise or
counterclockwise.  When moving, players must follow these
restrictions:
- Dogs:  Must move five spaces, can jump over dogs, cats, or mice, and
can eat bones.
- Cats:  Must move six spaces, can jump over cats or mice, and can eat fish.
- Mice:  Must move seven spaces, can jump over other mice, and can eat cheese.
- All movement must be made in straight lines orthogonally.  Players
may turn and move but cannot enter the same space twice.  They must
use their total movement.
- If a player jumps over another animal (which can only be done in a
straight line, over one animal, with a clear space after it), they may
steal one item from that player.
- If a player jumps over another animal that is smaller than them,
they may "bite" it and score one point on the scoring track.
- If a player jumps over one or more items of food that they can eat,
or one of the potions, they may place them in front of themselves.

Some turn cards cause special effects.  If the card shows the "Oddball
scientist", then all animals must draw a position card and immediately
move there.  If the card shows, for lack of better terms, "crap", then
each player must take one food token that they've collected; and place
it face down, so that the excrement side of it is showing.  From now
on, if a player lands on the excrement, they will slide until they hit
an obstacle in their path, which does not count as part of their move.
  If the "Wererat" card is drawn, then for the next turn, mice can bite
all other animals and can only be jumped over by other mice.

	 A player who has gotten a potion can use it when they must transform
their animal and may turn it to the side they wish, instead of it
being random.  The game continues until the turn card deck has been
gone through twice.  Each time the deck is depleted, points are
scored.  Each player gets one point for each food token they have, and
two points for each food token that matches the animal form they are
currently in.  The player who has the lowest score gets a potion card,
which they can use in the next round.   After scoring has occurred
twice, the game ends, and the player with the most points is the
winner!

	 In the race game, the other side of the board is used, which is a
race track made up of squares.  Each player places their pieces behind
the starting place, with food and potions placed on the track like in
the original game.  Everything plays the same as in BauSquitMiao, with
the following changes:
- Players no longer get points from food or "biting" other animals,
but instead can move an extra space for each ''bite" or food item they
get.
- The "oddball scientist", when drawn, prevents the leading animal from moving.
- When an animal finishes a lap, they score points according to their
position (six points for first place, five for second, etc.)  The
player with the most food tokens gets another point.  Players then run
the race in the opposite direction, once again scoring points.  The
player with the most points after two laps is the winner!

Some comments on the game…

1.) Components:  The components aren't as high quality as I'd like,
but I understand the constraints of a new publishing company.  The
dice are colored cubes, and the food tokens are small plastic tokens -
all with stickers placed on them.  I haven't heard other complaints,
but in my game, the stickers were just a smidgen larger than the
tokens and sides of the dice, making them a bit difficult to work
with.  The scoring tokens are plastic tokens, and everything does fit
well on the double sided board, which is simply a heavily laminated
folded piece of cardstock.  The cards are of okay quality, needing to
be punched out before the game plays.  I will give high props to the
artwork of the game; it's very cartooney and humorous, and one can
sense the fun loving nature of Mr. Porazzi from the insane looking
mice and other animals.  Everything is stored in a very sturdy, thin,
pink box.

2.) Rules:  The rules are on two sides of a piece of paper and are
fairly understandable, although occasionally one can tell they were
translated from Italian.  There are some pictures, but no examples -
which would have been nice.  Still, the game isn't that difficult to
understand, and it was remarkably simple for me to explain to others.

3.) Problems:  One of the biggest problems I had with the game was
simply the fact that horrible positioning can really destroy a player.
  There's really not much room for clever moves.  If you are a dog, and
you have the chance to grab a potion quickly, there's nothing anyone
else can do.  And while the dogs are much stronger than the cats and
mice, it's really not that difficult for the smaller creatures to stay
away from them.  Also, it's tremendously annoying when you are a dog
sitting next to a couple of cats, and then transform into a mouse.
The player who happens to get lucky enough to grab the most food
tokens is going to win the game, and there's not much else that the
other players can do about it.  Everything, from the starting
positions, to the cards that are flipped over, to the rolling of the
dice to see what creature you become is random.  There's not a lot of
maneuvering a player can do, and all the food tokens vanish quickly.
I don't mind randomness in games, but there's simply too much of it in
BauSquitMiao.

4.) Good things:  there are some clever ideas in the game, however.
The turn cards are rather interesting, as they determine who goes
first and what direction gameplay goes.  The idea of dogs, cats, and
mice balancing out is also a great thought - it just isn't implemented
very well.  Near the end of the game, the mice can simply scamper into
a far corner, and the cats and dogs simply can't catch up.

5.) Crap:  There aren't too many games that feature excrement as a
main feature of a game - only Ursuppe comes to mind.  It's really a
little disgusting in BauSquitMiao - in Ursuppe, it was all abstracted
to a degree; in BauSquitMiao, it's explained in detail, shown
pictorially, and actually affects the game, making the board more
slippery.  I'll admit, I smiled when I first read about it in the
rules, but it got old quickly and will probably appeal to the same
people who think gastric jokes in movies are just the funniest thing
EVAR.

6.) Race:  The race is a much more interesting game, because of the
curves and clogging that can occur.  Yes, one player may transform
into a mouse for the whole race and stay in the lead, ignoring
everyone behind him; but usually it's a tight, close race.  Again,
though, the race may come down to the person who gets the most lucky;
and while it was more fun, it still was too random for my tastes.

7.) Fun Factor:  I don't really care for games that "pretend" to give
you options, while at the same time determining who wins via a random
method.  In every game I've played, all the players felt that the
winner was simply the one who was able to maneuver quickest (and
luckiest) to the food items the most.  Scores were usually fairly low
- (there aren't that many food tokens), and the whole experience just
left me unsatisfied.  I won't even play the basic game again, although
I could be talked into playing the race every once in a while, if only
to see the funny artwork.

Sadly, however, great artwork does not a good game make.  There may be
some who like the theme, artwork, and poop; and at the same time don't
mind the massive random elements.  But many people will be annoyed by
the fact that this game seems to be an abstract strategy game, but yet
in reality simply a luck fest.  The race is okay, when played every
once in a while.  I regret to say that's probably not enough to
warrant purchase of the game.

Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games"
www.tomvasel.com

As it's the first Tuesday of the month we're on tour.  This month our
host is Rich Z in East Greenwich.  If you're interested in coming email me!

        Mark

At 06:25 PM 1/2/2006, Unity_Games@yahoogroups.com wrote:

>Reminder from the <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unity_Games/cal>Calendar
>of Unity_Games
>GSG: Mark's House
>
>Tuesday January 3, 2006
>6:30 pm - 11:30 pm
>This event repeats every week.
>Notes:
>Guy Stuff Gamers: Meet at my house in South Attleboro, unless it's the
>first Tuesday of each month when we're hosted by another GSG member.
>
>Email me (danger-mouse@...) if you are interested in attending.
>ADVERTISEMENT

"Logan...  you renewed!"
     Francis-7

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

We just played Saint Petersburg for the first time and a rule
question was asked that we couldn't answer for sure from the rule
booklet.  The game ends when you run out of cards in any one category
but does running out of cards mean needing a card and not having any
left or the moment the stack is empty it officially runs out.  To put
this question in context we had three Artistocrate cards left and
needed all three but not four.

>From: Fever <johnnyfever@...>
>
>We just played Saint Petersburg for the first time and a rule
>question was asked that we couldn't answer for sure from the rule
>booklet.  The game ends when you run out of cards in any one category
>but does running out of cards mean needing a card and not having any
>left or the moment the stack is empty it officially runs out.  To put
>this question in context we had three Artistocrate cards left and
>needed all three but not four.
>


The end game trigger happens when you exhaust one of the 4 decks.  It
doesn't matter if you fill exactly or are short cards.  Note that the game
does not end immediately.  You always finish the round with the deck of
upgrade cards.  So if you run out of blue building cards, you finish the
round of buying blue cards, place and purchase aristocrats and then end with
the placing and purchasing of bonus cards.

Fleeing enraged shoggoths on Fri, 30 Dec 2005, Andrew Young shrieked:

> Any EE players in Unity Games land?  I've played via cyberboard (once) but
> never FtF.  I'd love to get it on the table!

Once a close friend who's also my landlord gets back from vacation, I'm
going to help him organize his attic precisely so that I have a place to
set up EE (and leave it set up overnight away from pets).  The first game
will be with a couple of other friends and so will be full, but once it's
clear, it'll be good to go for other opportunities.  I'll send a message
when it's ready.

Crisis on Infinite (well, two) SOGs:

The first SOG session of 2006 was actually held in two different
locations:  Mark T. hosted a daytime SOG, and I hosted an evening SOG.

Since I didn't go to Mark's, I don't really know what happened there.
Here's what happened at my place:

In attendance were Mike (fresh from Mark's SOG), Don, Paul, Chris and
myself.

Mike, Don and Paul all arrived fairly close together, and we started
the night off with a game of Big Kini, one of my recent acquisitions
that I was anxious to give a try.  This is an exploration and
influence game.  There are 18 tiles representing a network of atolls.
In the four-player game, these tiles are arranged in a grid with the
four player's starting tiles at opposite corners.  Players can earn
points by occupying positions of influence in the various atolls (1,
2, or 5 depending on the position), acquiring sets of goods (3 points
each), accumulating money (1 point per 8 'Bay Baron'), and discovering
new atolls (2 points per discovery).  The game ends after a set number
of rounds or when all atolls have been discovered.

During each round, each player has the opportunity to take two
actions.  Actions include proliferation (adding colonists), movement,
earning money, elections (to gain control of an atoll), acquire goods,
and discovery.  The trick is that each action may only be selected in
a given round a certain number of times.  The first time an action is
selected it can be performed twice.  The second time it is performed a
single time...and the third time is a single time that you have to pay
money for.  Once everyone has selected and executed their actions, the
round ends and start player passes and you do the whole thing all over
again.

Our game played fairly quickly -- it ended after eight rounds when the
last tile was discovered.  Paul took the victory with (I think) 31
points, which included 10 points for discoveries.  Other scores were
close -- I was in second with 28, Mike had 27, and Don had 26.

The game was fun, and there was some competition, but it seemed like
the play was really over before it got started, since discovery is not
particularly difficult to do, is worth a good number of points, and
hastens the game end.  Paul had two atolls that produced good income
and his high income I think was influential in giving him the
victory.  All in all, one I would play again, one I enjoyed...but it
didn't blow me away.

Chris joined us at this point for a game of Die Sieben Siegel.  About
which, the less said, the better.  Chris won with a score of 6, and
Don and Paul were close behind at 11.  Mike and I were well back,
although I have the distinction of claiming last place.

Our last game before Don had to leave was Fettnapf in Sicht.  I had
heard some good things about this game, but I was wary because it has
a memory component.  The gameplay is quite simple:  There is a deck of
island cards numbered from 10 to 20.  Players have a hand of three
movement cards from a deck of cards numbered 0 to 9.  Everyone gets an
island card, which is shown to all players then hidden.  Each player
in turn plays a movement card and adds to the total.  So, 4+5=9,
9+4=13, 13+5=18...etc.  The trick is that if you play to a total that
matches the island card of another player, you take a 'stew pot'
card.  I believe that this symbolizes getting stuffed in the stew pot
by cannibals.  To make matters worse, once the total passes 30, two
things happen:  the flow reverses, and you start counting backwards,
and the player to the right of the person who crossed 30 gets an
additional island card.  This happens again when the total falls below
10, and so on and so forth.  Eventually quite a lot of island cards
are out there and it becomes quite difficult to remember which numbers
are still safe.  The game ends when a player takes their fourth stew
pot card, with the winner being the person with the fewest stew pot
cards.   The game can also end when the last island card is handed
out, but this seems fairly unlikely.  In any case, the memory
component is present but I found it delightful.  For a frantic, fast
little game, this was really enjoyable.  Don ended up taking his
fourth stew pot, leaving Chris, Paul and I to share the victory with
two stew pots each.  Mike had three, so he got slapped with a wet tuna
(it's in the rules!).

Don headed out and we played a game of Ark.  This is a card-based area
control game with the theme of filling up Noah's Ark with animals
before the flood.  You're trying to fill up cabins while being mindful
of not mixing carnivores with anything they can eat, not overbalancing
the ark, etc.  The rules for placement are in some cases fairly
complex. to the point of being fiddly...but I did enjoy the game.  In
the end, you get points based on five categories:  Heavy, Slow,
Useful, Shy and Provisions.  My brontosaurus gave me top marks in
heavy animals, and this along with some good scores elsewhere was
enough to win me the game by a good margin (35 points, with the
highest other score being around 28).  I'd have to play this game
again to be sure -- I found it pretty fun and challenging, but the
rules for placement seem almost needlessly complex.  I have to wonder
if the complexity makes the game a problem to play.

Mike went home, and Chris, Paul and I finished off with a game of
Aloha:  a push-your-luck tile-laying and area control game.  On your
turn, you essentially can keep drawing tiles until you end up with one
you can't place properly.  You can stop before that, in which case you
get to keep all the markers you've laid that turn...but if you draw
the wrong tile, you lose your work for the turn.  I liked the game
better with three players than I did with four, having done a
four-player version at a previous SOG.  The shapes of the islands are
fun to watch as they form, and the decisions as to where to go and
whether to push your luck or not are not trivial.  Sadly, my score was
just as bad as the previous time:  Chris won with 21 points, Paul had
18, and I had 8.  I kept getting second place on the good
beaches...which is worth a big fat goose egg.  Another good game from
Cwali.

That was all for the night.  Tune in next week...

Josh

ok i am looking to trade more games at UG X 2.0

carcassonne
mystery of the abbey
breakthru (3m, 1960's)
travel settlers of catan
battleball
sleuth

i am looking for:

power grid
apples to apples
wallenstien
nexus ops
el grande

or any other suggestions one might have

God Bless



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Happy New Year! I trust that everyone had a wonderful holiday season.
During all of the holiday festivities, the UG staff has been busily
making preparations for UGX.2 which is less than two weeks away.  Dave
B. has promised to camp out in the lobby of the Sheraton Framingham in
order to make sure it is open the day of the event.  Beyond that, there
are a number of things coming together to make UGX.2 a great day for
everyone.

Over the next two weeks, I hope to post a few top 10 lists to the UG
list to prime everyone for the big day.  Whether these lists accomplish
this or not remains to be seen.  Knowing this, remember the new year is
a great time to update spam filters as well.

So here is the first list leading up to the most anticipated UG event
ever - Craig's Top 10 Gaming Resolutions for the New Year.

10.  Post more content to the Unity Games list - Back when UG was much
smaller, the UG mailing list was a forum for a lot more content and
commentary.  Things have changed.  The community has grown and the list
serves a different function albiet an important one.  There is often an
uptick in the commentary come UG events, but it rapidly dies down
following the event.  I'd like to see more on this list as it is the
local game players that I am likely to sit at the table with the most,
but I can't grumble about it unless I contribute.

9. Thin The Herd - My collection is threatening to spiral out of
control. Lots of good games that just don't get played enough and are
taking up space that need happy homes.  If you read this and can't
figure out there is an impending sale.....

8.  Control Impulsive Behavior - This is probably the resolution most
likely to be broken before UGX.2.  New games keep coming out and they
keep finding a way into my collection.  There has got to be some group
therapy out there for this.  Unfortunately, my insurance probably
wouldn't pay for it.

7.  Play favorite games more - This is the time of year when it is
easier to get old favorites to the table.  The Essen buzz has died down
some and until April/May, there just aren't as many new and shiny
things to catch one's eye.

6.  Worry less about the time it takes to play a game - When push comes
to shove, should anyone really care whether they play two one hour
games or one two hour game if they only have a two hour window in which
to play them?  If you think about it, play the game with the people
that will give you the most pleasure in the time allowed.  If you
happen to sit down to play a three hour game and you enjoy yourself,
you cares if you missed out on something else.  Everyone repeat after
me - quality not quantity.

5.  Get some forgotten oldies to the table - I have my list of
favorites that see regular play year in and year out like Ra and Web of
Power.  But there are other games that haven't seen the light of day
since the 20th century that need to be dusted off.

4.  Write about games more - I enjoy writing though I'm not
particularly good at it.  Like so many skills - actually probably all
skills, you only improve with practice.  If anyone knows of a skill
that improves without practice, drop me a line.  A related resolution
would be to improve editing what I write - starting with the next
article/list.....

3.  Flip over a game table in a fit of rage - just checking to see if
anyone is reading.  I've threatened this before, but there is probably
a better chance of me winning a beauty contest.  I'll definitely up the
number of games pieces I throw at people though.

2.  Revisit old friends - Not only are there games that don't get
played enough, but there are some people out there in the UG community
that I had the chance to play games with more often in less hectic
times.  This really needs to be rectified.  First stop south of the
Mass Pike in 06 - GSG.  Phil and company, you've been warned!

1.  Play more games - A wish I'm sure everyone shares.  FYI - this only
seems like it contradicts #6.  My game playing hit a six year low in
2005.  Truth be told, the numbers have shown a steady drop every year
since 1999.  All things considered, I get to participate in the hobby I
enjoy more than any other, but I still would like to play more games
with more friends.  I can't think of a better place to start than UGX.2

See everyone in a couple of weeks.

Craig



Craig W. Massey
cwmassey@...



__________________________________________
Yahoo! DSL – Something to write home about.
Just $16.99/mo. or less.
dsl.yahoo.com

--- Craig Massey <cwmassey@...> wrote:
> 4.  Write about games more - I enjoy writing though
> I'm not
> particularly good at it.

Lord knows that's true!

> Like so many skills -
> actually probably all
> skills, you only improve with practice.  If anyone
> knows of a skill
> that improves without practice, drop me a line.

My skill at never being on time gets more and more
refined on its own, with no effort whatsoever on my
part.

Richard



__________________________________________
Yahoo! DSL – Something to write home about.
Just $16.99/mo. or less.
dsl.yahoo.com

Games that I played 10 or more times in 2005:

Chicken Cha Cha Cha
Coda
Diamant
Disney Magic Kingdom Game (ugh!)
Guess Who
Ubongo
Volle Hutte
Zirkus Flohcati


Games that I played 5 - 9 times:

Buggo
Crokinole
Europa Tour
Glory to Rome
Gracias
Gulo Gulo
Kayanak
Klunker
Lost Valley
Mole in the Hole
Reef Encounter
Santiago
Walk the Dogs


Just missing the cut at 4 plays:

Fjords
Magic Hill
Moby Pick
Oltremare
Penguin Ultimatum
Quandary
Rosenkonig
Schicki Micki
Shadows Over Camelot



Year in Review:

I played 201 unique games, 84 of which were new to me, a total of 552
times.  I played games on 197 different days.  Although the unique
game total is slightly up from last year (186), the other numbers are
down (91 new games, 646 total games, 218 game dates in 2004).  I am
not overly concerned, as I still have a strong craving to play games.
Yet I had hoped that my total plays would have tracked a little
better.  Must...Play...More...Games.

Of the 201 unique titles, 101 were played a total of one time each.
Is this typical?

There are 102 game titles I played in 2004 that I did not play in
2005.  The most glaring omissions are Ticket to Ride (13 plays in
2004, 0 playes in 2005) and Die Sieben Siegel (11 in 2004, 0 in 2005).
  I enjoy both of these games, so it must be that these were overlooked
in favor of shiny new games.  I'll have to make sure these titles make
it to the table real soon.  Other omissions that I'm sad to admit
include: Call My Bluff, Die Fugger, El Grande, Expedition, For Sale,
HeroScape (how could I have missed this -- my sons always seem to have
it set up...), KK&K, Magna Grecia, Memoir'44, Tahuantinsuyu (missed it
]this[ much when two others joined us after the rules explanation),
Traders of Genoa, and Viking Fury.

There are 61 games that I've previously played that didn't see the
light of day in either 2004 or 2005!  The ones I miss most include:
Carcassonne, E&T, Medina, Seafarers of Catan (once a lunchtime
staple), and Sunda to Sahul.

I think that 2006 will be the year to revisit old friends.

Best Wishes for a fun-filled New Year!!

- Phil



--
Eastern MA Gaming
http://www.unitygames.org/

"When playing a game the goal is to win, but it is the goal that is
important, not the winning."
- Reiner Knizia

Phil Alberg wrote:
> Of the 201 unique titles, 101 were played a total of one time each.
> Is this typical?

Here's how I stacked up in that regard: Single plays on 91 titles, and
multiple plays on 118 titles. So roughly half-and-half like you with
lots of amazing titles falling on the single play list: Age of Steam,
San Juan, El Grande, Breaking Away, Wizard, Medici (played on Dec. 30),
and many more along with dogs like Wise and Otherwise, Killer Bunnies,
and Moby Pick. (I can't believe you played that game more than once!)

I'm not sure whether that's typical, but other stats make it seem
likely. Look at the record of "total plays" for nearly any game on the
Geek and you'll see that on average half of the people who have played
the game have played it only once:

*On Big Boss -- a game I'm looking to buy since I can no longer play
Mark's copy -- 34 people have recorded playing it, with 21 listing only
one play.

*Expedition has been played by 113 people, with 67 of them playing only
once.

*Die Fugger has been played by 148 people, with 81 playing only once.

*Magna Grecia: 139 players, 88 one-time players.

Geek users are not the sum of all players, but the numbers are still
interesting to consider. The totals skew more towards multi-time players
on more popular games, but even on Puerto Rico, 1088 users have recorded
playing the game more than once, while 551 have played it only once -- a
2-1 ratio.

> <snip> Other omissions that I'm sad to admit
> include: Call My Bluff, Die Fugger, El Grande, Expedition, For Sale,
> HeroScape (how could I have missed this -- my sons always seem to have
> it set up...), KK&K, Magna Grecia, Memoir'44, Tahuantinsuyu (missed it
> ]this[ much when two others joined us after the rules explanation),
> Traders of Genoa, and Viking Fury.

That's right -- Magna Grecia is yet another game I must buy for myself
now that I'm several hours away from the GSG copy (aka yours).

Eric-4


--
W. Eric Martin - TwoWriters.net
"And neither mathematics nor death ever makes a mistake." - Yevgeny Zamyatin

Episode 32 of the Dice Tower has just been posted.
http://www.boardgamenews.com/index.php/boardgamenews/comments/the_dice_tower_epi\
sode_32_our_top_ten_board_game_designers/

In this episode, Joe and I give a joint review of Railroad Tycoon,
listen to an audio review by Walt O'Hara, and get schooled in German
pronunciation. We talk about our top ten game designers of all times,
and answer several user questions.  And don't forget to enter the
latest contest, and win fifteen games!

Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games"
www.tomvasel.com

In a message dated 1/3/2006 9:02:43 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
cwmassey@... writes:

During all of the holiday festivities, the UG staff has  been busily
making preparations for UGX.2 which is less than two  weeks away.


4.  Write about games more - I enjoy writing  though I'm not
particularly good at it.  Like so many skills - actually  probably all
skills, you only improve with practice.  If anyone knows of  a skill
that improves without practice, drop me a line.


Hi all,
I also don't know of any skills that improve without practice... especially
math! While UGX is less than 3 weeks away, it is certainly not less than 2
weeks  away, unless of course you read this email next week, but that's another
matter.  Sorry Craig.... just had to bust yer chops! See you all at UGX. Have
fun.

B.







[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- Richard Spoonts <Richard_BOS@...> wrote:
> --- Craig Massey <cwmassey@...> wrote:
> > 4.  Write about games more - I enjoy writing though
> > I'm not
> > particularly good at it.
>
> Lord knows that's true!
>
> > Like so many skills -
> > actually probably all
> > skills, you only improve with practice.  If anyone
> > knows of a skill
> > that improves without practice, drop me a line.
>
> My skill at never being on time gets more and more
> refined on its own, with no effort whatsoever on my
> part.

Neither does your talent for being a donkey.

> Richard

Ladies & Gentlemen of the UG community, meet Richard Spoots - the odds
on favorite to be the first person I throw game pieces at in 2006.

Craig

Craig W. Massey
cwmassey@...



__________________________________________
Yahoo! DSL – Something to write home about.
Just $16.99/mo. or less.
dsl.yahoo.com

--- Hstings1066@... wrote:
> In a message dated 1/3/2006 9:02:43 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> cwmassey@... writes:
>
> During all of the holiday festivities, the UG staff has  been busily
> making preparations for UGX.2 which is less than two  weeks away.
>
>
> 4.  Write about games more - I enjoy writing  though I'm not
> particularly good at it.  Like so many skills - actually  probably
> all
> skills, you only improve with practice.  If anyone knows of  a skill
> that improves without practice, drop me a line.
>
>
> Hi all,
> I also don't know of any skills that improve without practice...
> especially
> math! While UGX is less than 3 weeks away, it is certainly not less
> than 2
> weeks  away, unless of course you read this email next week, but
> that's another
> matter.  Sorry Craig.... just had to bust yer chops! See you all at
> UGX. Have
> fun.

Canidate #2 to be plunked by an E&T temple.

See, my plan for increasing the dialogue on the UG list is already
working.

Craig

Craig W. Massey
cwmassey@...



__________________________________________
Yahoo! DSL – Something to write home about.
Just $16.99/mo. or less.
dsl.yahoo.com

If anyone would be interested in trading or buying games at UGX, my
full trade list is available at
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/viewcollection.php3?trade=1&startletter=ALL.
  Please contact me off-list with any offers.

Joe

On 1/4/06, Joe Huber <JoeMHuber@...> wrote:
>
> If anyone would be interested in trading or buying games at UGX, my
> full trade list is available at
> http://www.boardgamegeek.com/viewcollection.php3?trade=1&startletter=ALL.
> Please contact me off-list with any offers.
>
> Joe



Joe,

When I click the link, it just brings me to *my* trade page.

--
Brian Beyor
"Young fool...only now...at the end...do you understand"


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I believe this is the link Joe wanted:

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/viewcollection.php3?username=huber&trade=1&startlet\
ter=ALL

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I'll be there with Perudo/Liars Dice, Guillotine and Verrater (Note,
my 50 lb sack o games is a thing of the past).

Rob
--- In Unity_Games@yahoogroups.com, Unity_Games@yahoogroups.com wrote:
>
>
>  Reminder from the Calendar of Unity_Games
>  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unity_Games/cal
>
> Back Bay Gaming Group
> Wednesday January 4, 2006
> 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm
> (This event repeats every other week.)
>
> Notes:
> Back Bay Gaming Group
> Open Gaming
> Every Second Wednesday
> 6 p.m. - 11 p.m.
> B.Good restaraunt (www.bgood.com)
> 131 Dartmouth Street
> Back Bay of Boston 02116
> T Stop: Back Bay
>
>
> Set up birthday reminders!
>
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/cal_us/rem/?http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Unity_Games/cal\
?v=9&evt_type=13
>
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