Cwali in Essen

[Cwali]

Großverlag Cwali is back home. My impression of this fair? Like after every Olympic Games I would say: "It were the best games ever."

The organisation surprised the standholders with a new standwalls-system. Which is an improvement, if you knew it ... (I'm told that it was informed somehow.)
After things were placed in the booth there was no space enough for everything, like everytime. 10 m2 is still smaller than I hope.

The whiteboard for messages was fixed good at the wall. Problem was that it was hard to reach the board. The table-reservations on the whiteboard work in princip good. In practise the reservation rules and wiping out absent names was not followed strictly but it worked more relaxed than without the board: you could walk away for some time without loosing your chance to play a game. For getting an impressive crowd around the booth it is less good. :-)
The 3 tables for "Logistico" were filled almost all the time all days. With "Subulata" it was easier to get the chance to play. Sunday we placed the "Subulata"-table in the front of the booth.That was better for that game. It's a good game for having a quick try at the fair, like "ZooSim" was last year. But I wanted to make "Logistico" the most known during the Essen-days.

"Logistico" is more a game to play relaxed at home instead of at a crowdy noisy fair, but I've seen interesting matches in the booth too.

In respect to simularities to other games we heared the names "Merchants of Venus" and "Siedler von Catan". We missed "Auf Achse". In Eindhoven next weekend (SpellenSpektakel) I expect comparisons to "Monopoly".

For the "StreetSoccer" 'worldchampionship' sunday we were with 8 players. Last year's worldchampion Arne Hofmann did not 'qualify'. I won my quarter-final, but all my players became ill (I had too much to do so my opponent played (but lost) in the semi-finals). The final was very exciting. Ronald Lokers took the lead and even made 2-0, but supported by the yelling crowd Monique Stap made 2-1 and in the second-last minute 2-2. Halfway extra-time she even scored the winning 2-3.
Next sunday 12:00 in Eindhoven (SpellenSpektakel) I try to defend my "StreetSoccer" Dutch Champion title.

An extra hour sunday-night was good ... Erik reminded me when he left saturday evening ... but I forgot it in the morning. So I wondered why it was so quiet at the breakfast in the hotel. The Schloss-Schlotterstein-princess (from the Haba-booth) forgot it too. Finally she searched her 'late' colleques, like the Schloss-Schlotterstein-ghost, what made things clear. Was there a row at the entrance of the Messe at 9 o'clock?

"Logistico" always provokes to discuss theories about the game and how to win it. In the first rounds per game the player-order is discussed often. In this first week of the release of "Logistico" that discussion is more emphasized than I could expect by the experiences with the prototypes. Because I looked at endscores of many matches of course and could not find a significant advantage for the first or last players, if any. In the first rounds the first player(s) have an advantage. But crucial for getting the most Logi in total seems to be:
- being the first in areas with the most left blocks and discs later in the game. (When you look at the directions other players seem to go to, then you can estimate that.)
- use of your bonus-cards.
- Having a good combination of the positions of your boat and truck to use your plane in between, halfway till the end of the game. (This was the most crucial in many matches.)
The few Logi less or more wherefore players worry in the first rounds is not much compared to the Logi you can earn later. And the last player(s) have advantages later in the game.
I know 3 easy ways to make that there can not be a player-order-problem. I will write that in a message this evening and will write why I strongly advise to use none of these. I could make the game so that players quicker tell that the game is good but that is something else than making the game good. With "StreetSoccer" first reactions told that you have not enough influense. Those reactions would not occur if I made rules with (choosing) cards instead of a die in "StreetSoccer", like many new players proposed. But then players would play only 1 or 2 "StreetSoccer"-matches instead of 100 or 1000. So trust the author a little. ;-) I feel certain that "StreetSoccer" and "Logistico" will be my most popular games in the longer run. (That doesn't mean that I like my other games less much!!)

Tip for "Logistico": The economic idea of "Logistico" is making the best combinations of costs and income, not delivering the most goods. With the prototype we did hold our delivered blocks to look at the end how many each delivered. That can differ very much and still lead to close endscores. Several times the player with the lowest number of deliveries won, by holding costs low and planning the use of bonuscards good.
(I will write more about "Logistico" later.)

Looking forward to play the 'Essen'-games, and to see you again in Essen next year!
Corné
Cwali

[Dominique Cortens]

Hallo Corné,

Ik heb Logistico bij jou gekocht in Essen. Ik heb het al een paar keer gespeeld met mijn echtgenote en geloof het of niet, de verslaving heeft al toegeslagen. En wat mijn vrouw betreft, eerder een gelegenheidsspeelster, wil dat wel wat zeggen.
Een schot in de roos dus. De uitvoering is trouwens erg knap en overzichtelijk.

Bedankt voor het spelplezier!

Dominique