The Settlers of Catan

[Moss]

 

 

 

I just read an article about how this game revolutionized the board game industry and has caused an increase in board game sales, how CEO's are playing it, etc...

 

I have actually never heard of it but I am thinking about giving it a shot. Anybody ever tried it?

[Guest Speed Racer]

Spare yourself the misery. I can't stand that game, and every day I make a notch on the wall, hoping that soon my sentence will be lifted. Everyone I know is in love with that game, and for the life of me I can't figure out why it's remotely interesting. After missing five or six meet-ups with friends because I didn't want to play, I've taken to playing Tetris on my iPod while they play that god-forsaken game, because I realized that was the only way I'd enjoy their company. Thankfully, they seem to have moved on, for the time being, at least.

[Winston Legthigh]

I like the kraut games, but I don't have Settlers. I play Puerto Rico occasionally (and have been successful turning people on to that one), and have tried getting into Agricola, but it takes too damn long to set that game up properly, and it takes a good commitment from participants to learn how to play it.

 

boardgamegeek.com is a good reference site.

[Guest Runaway Jim]

My brothers and I have played Settlers a few times. I'm not much of a fan, probably because I'm no good at it. But my brothers will sit around and talk about playing the game, that's how much they love it.

 

I prefer Ticket to Ride.

 

 

Edit: I was confusing Settlers of Catan with Goa. I've never played Settlers but I know my one brother loves it.

 

Edited December 29, 2009 by Runaway Jim

[OOO]

I've been playing settlers since high school and I love it. These days, my friends and I only play with the "Cities and Knights" Expansion, because we outgrew the original game, but the original still holds up. The game really gets fun once you play with people who really understand the intricacies of the game. I highly recommend it.

 

I even made a Settlers of Catan music video...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4fuABV1Fhs

[Winston Legthigh]

I even made a Settlers of Catan music video...

That's awesome. I'm going to share with a co-worker who's a big Settlers slut.

[isadorah]

The only thing I know is it is the BEST game ever! I played it all the time in college. Sadly I don't have it now or others that would play. In all seriousness, I think it is a really great game and pretty much any game from the company that makes Settlers has never disappointed. I have played 3 other games by that company and have enjoyed them all. Settlers is my favorite though. There is strategy, the board changes, there is plenty of interaction with other players, opportunity for rivalry and alliances, and can be a lot of fun.

[Moss]

 

 

I even made a Settlers of Catan music video...

 

 

Danke Klaus!

 

 

I very highly enjoyed that, it is now quite stuck in my head.

 

 

I'm hearing mixed reviews so far but I think I will give it a shot.

 

Is it something you can actually figure out by just reading the directions or do you have to find someone that knows how to play it?

[OOO]

Is it something you can actually figure out by just reading the directions or do you have to find someone that knows how to play it?

 

I was taught by friends but the rules are not very complex - you could definitely pick things up with just the directions. It takes a couple times playing it to get used to it, but don't hold off if the only thing daunting you are the rules.

 

Also - It's much more fun with 3 or 4 people - I don't recommend 1 on 1 that highly.

[augurus]

Pretty intricate game. There's a lot of decisions involved and a lot of angles to attack.

[Gobias Industries]

Yeah. I play it on occasion. My roommate is a Settlers fiend. Not so much anymore because he wins all the time, which makes Settlers less entertaining as an enterprise. Online, he's a top-100 player, and so I have picked up quite a few Settlers nuggets. But it's a great game, as long as you have some cool people to play it with.

[augurus]

Recently played Small World and Power Grid, both of which also include a lot of weighted graphs and lots of decision making.

 

I guess some people could feel daunted by a game that asks players to make use of their brain and constantly recalculate good moves.

 

I think someone mentioned Puerto Rico but not Ra earlier. I enjoyed playing all of the aforementioned games.

[Guest Speed Racer]

I guess some people could feel daunted by a game that asks players to make use of their brain and constantly recalculate good moves.

 

I think that might be taking it a little far to say that people don't play because it requires use of their brain. I dislike games where strategy and thinking are a part of reading the rules, and I didn't find Settlers an intuitive game to learn. That, and I HATE playing board games in large groups of people (30 minutes to sit down, 20 minutes to explain rules to the newcomers, 10 more minutes to explain the rules to a late newcomer, a 15 minute break to say goodbye to someone who has to leave, 15 minute turns), and trading sheep for bricks doesn't constitute my idea of a fun time, but that isn't to say I don't have a number of pastimes that involve strategy or thinking, I just don't care to do many of them with anyone, and few of them with more than one other person.

[OOO]

This had nothing to do with settlers of Catan, but I'd really love to get good at the game of "Go." I knew the rules once but it's supposed to be one of the best games for intense strategy. Computers can regularly beat top human players at chess, but they haven't figured out Go, which intrigues me.

[Moss]

This had nothing to do with settlers of Catan, but I'd really love to get good at the game of "Go." I knew the rules once but it's supposed to be one of the best games for intense strategy. Computers can regularly beat top human players at chess, but they haven't figured out Go, which intrigues me.

 

I once met with a Computer science professor at UC Northridge who's main work was trying to program a computerized Go game. As soon as I told him I played go with my dad he said "your dad must be an electrical engineer". Apparently almost all Go players back then were EE's. I played a bit and loved it but never played enough to really learn the strategy.

 

This is a good site for Go, I think it has some freeware for computerized go games on it but I have not tried any of them. I'm glad you reminded me about it, I think I will check it out as well.

 

http://senseis.xmp.net/

 

The free software is here:

 

http://senseis.xmp.net/?GoPlayingPrograms

[augurus]

I think that might be taking it a little far to say that people don't play because it requires use of their brain. I dislike games where strategy and thinking are a part of reading the rules, and I didn't find Settlers an intuitive game to learn. That, and I HATE playing board games in large groups of people (30 minutes to sit down, 20 minutes to explain rules to the newcomers, 10 more minutes to explain the rules to a late newcomer, a 15 minute break to say goodbye to someone who has to leave, 15 minute turns), and trading sheep for bricks doesn't constitute my idea of a fun time, but that isn't to say I don't have a number of pastimes that involve strategy or thinking, I just don't care to do many of them with anyone, and few of them with more than one other person.

 

Learning curve hour(s) is mingling hour(s)!

[Guest Speed Racer]

Learning curve hour(s) is mingling hour(s)!

 

Not at all, but when you're assessing how long it takes to learn a game at a place where the game is being played, would you count in fantasy time (10 minutes to learn the game in perfect conditions) or reality time (30 minutes to take 10 minutes to learn the game because people keep interrupting you)? When I use my brain for recreation I prefer not to have a roomful of mingling, cheerful people; furthermore, when I'm gathered with friends, I prefer not to have something like a learning curve or strategy-based board game structuring our time. Just my preference.

[Winston Legthigh]

That, and I HATE playing board games in large groups of people (30 minutes to sit down, 20 minutes to explain rules to the newcomers, 10 more minutes to explain the rules to a late newcomer, a 15 minute break to say goodbye to someone who has to leave, 15 minute turns).

That kind of shit would bother me too, but these kinds of things would make playing the games mentioned in this thread all but impossible.

 

These games are for small groups (5 or less), so, either you have a dedicated group to play or you don't play. If someone wanted to leave early, that would end the game. And someone arriving late would either be out, or let in and the game restarted.

 

Rules to these kinds of games can never be fully covered before playing - you can give someone the objective to the game, and then give them their options when it's their turn. There's always questions and clarifications during the game.

 

But, for me, the game isn't the main attraction - it's the gathering of friends (the mingling cheerful stuff). The game is fun because my friends are competitive and like strategizing.

[Guest Speed Racer]

I completely agree, and my Settler-crazy friends are also an all-inclusive batch of people, which drives me nuts (OMG! Larry is coming! Don't start the game yet he'll be here in 20 mintues! No wait he stopped to get wine but DON'T START! Hi Larry! OMG Daniel is coming...)

 

I played once with a small group of acquaintances who just sat down and played, and had the most fun I've ever had playing Settlers (most fun playing Settlers, not most fun ever), but I don't enjoy the game enough to set aside a dedicated batch of time to play it. Again, trading bricks for sheep just isn't fun to me, even if I get to think about the most strategized way to do it. Like I said, I enjoy doing intellectually stimulating tasks either alone or with one other person. I love board games, just not this kind.

[Winston Legthigh]

I love board games, just not this kind.

So, I think it's fair to say that if someone reads the description of Settlers, and is intrigued, then more likely than not they'll like the game? (assuming they have enough nerdy friends to play it with?)

 

Because you WILL need nerdy friends to play it with.

[Guest Speed Racer]

So, I think it's fair to say that if someone reads the description of Settlers, and is intrigued, then more likely than not they'll like the game? (assuming they have enough nerdy friends to play it with?)

 

Because you WILL need nerdy friends to play it with.

 

Yes on both counts. Well, double-yes on the second. But if they pick up the box and are intrigued by it, it is likely they already have nerdy friends to play it with.

 

A former teammate of mine went into labor during a game of Settlers. She made her husband keep the board as-is because she was finally winning a game for once, and they finished it with their friends when she got home with the baby.

[OOO]

I concur. You definitely need nerdy friends to play catan with. Luckily, those are the only friends I have.

 

 

I once met with a Computer science professor at UC Northridge who's main work was trying to program a computerized Go game. As soon as I told him I played go with my dad he said "your dad must be an electrical engineer". Apparently almost all Go players back then were EE's. I played a bit and loved it but never played enough to really learn the strategy.

 

This is a good site for Go, I think it has some freeware for computerized go games on it but I have not tried any of them. I'm glad you reminded me about it, I think I will check it out as well.

 

http://senseis.xmp.net/

 

The free software is here:

 

http://senseis.xmp.net/?GoPlayingPrograms

 

Thanks! I'm going to check that site out. I'm going to be a Go-getter

[Elixir Sue]

I prefer Ticket to Ride.

 

I love me some Ticket to Ride! We usually play the Europe edition.

 

After reading this thread, I'm intrigued by Settlers of Catan...I may have to add that to the collection.