Three Wise Men

The story of Dice – for beginners

“What is needed for playing board games ? What are board games ? How can we play them if we don’t have good player base? Where is the fun in losing?”

All this questions and more will be answered by the post before you. We will look at the board games from general point of view. Additional posts will expand this board games section to include some specific game board posts.

Now lets emerge ourselves in the cardboard, plastic and dice …

Board game

It is an activity with specified rules in which multiple minds can participate by moving the game pieces with crude random determination methods that are placed on game boards path. Minds usually do this for their entertainment.

Let’s check which resources are required to play a board game.

First of all the all important …

Dice or dices

They come in all shapes and sizes.  From normal 6 sided dices to more advanced 20 sided dices. Board game players use abbreviations for their dices. For example six sided dice is abbreviated as D6 dice and 3 sided dice¹ is D3 dice. Here are some pictographic evidence of the perversion of the board game designers in the art of complicating dices:

Dices, dices, dices

Dice are used for to making the board gamers lose their interest in playing board games. Or make them fall in love with board game playing. Seriouslly they provide crude but effective random number generator. Just roll the dice and read the number that is required to be read. For normal D6 dice you will read the moast top one. Since there is presumably some luck involved in dice rolling … Good luck ;)

Game Board

Can you play a board game without a game board ?!?!

Game boards are made of carton, plastic, paper. They usually define path or paths that a player can take to move through the game. With the all important crude random number generator this can sometimes be quite tricky. Depending on the game board, it can include spots which mark negative or positive events which can be applied to the players path. Here is an example of a game board:

Modular game board

Now boards can be a single fold up board, they can be modular comprised of several fold up boards, chopped up card like pieces which player use to create game board during the play.

Tokens, markers, cards

Can be described as game pieces. We use them to mark events on game boards, mark position of the player, describe events that are happening during the game play, mark player status. Cards are almost always supplied by the game while tokens and markers can sometimes be created by players them selves. Players can use almost any non volatile substance known to man. Usually wood or plastic is used. Here are some examples:

Plastic trinkets

Posse of players

The most crucial ingredient that is required for a good entertainment is player base. Board games usually require 2+ players. General rule of thumb goes like this: The more, the merrier. So if you are having a 2 persons board game, invite a friend or two along to help and support you in your choices, and afterward when you loose another friend can take a turn. Now if you don’t have a good player base then search for it. Weather in your local store, on the web in school. Expand player base to as many as possible because at a crucial time, when you least expect you will not be able to find a willing player and the game will be lost ;)

Rules of conduct

There is only one obligatory rule of conduct. Be a good looser. Congratulate the opponent even if you were not beaten fairly. Use good sense and preferably have a good time while playing the game. Follow the rules that are prescribed for the game you are playing.

So there you have it. Get your friends together,  buy table top or board games, use your mind² and most of all have fun while doing it.

1. yes they do exist :P [↩]
2. not reflexes [↩]

Related posts:

1. EVE-Online: The story of a pod pilot
2. Are Elves from Ios planning a coup ?