'Puerto Rico - 5 players'
Games night, 10th October.
Dicken arrives early at Kendall's house in order to peruse the final version of the box tops and bottoms for the two new Ragnar games (see elsewhere on this site for details) and then spend twenty minutes reflecting on the state of the Universe and Mankind in general - slightly pessimistic though they are they take comfort in the small things in life i.e. spicy pringles, Michael Owen, Charlemagne (tiny little fellow) etc.
Spiller, Liz and Paul arrive late blaming traffic in Kingston whereat Dicken caustically calls out "What Jamaica?" and inevitably sets off a chorus of "No , she went of her own accord!". As I said it's the small things that count.
Paul proceeds to empty out a selection of 'speciality' beers, the sort that go by the name of 'Old Bull Buggerer' and 'Throat Stripper'. He is immediately dubbed a 'Beer Toff' and is ribbed unmercifully for his expensive taste in brews. After the mirth has died somewhat we begin the proceedings with a game that has become known amongst the Ragnars as 'Dicken's game'. The fact is that it is his game actually but also he never seems to lose at it (except once when he came a close second to Liz). Kendall and Spiller defiantly assure the gathering that this is the night to change Dicken's fortune and so we begin.
Essentially this is a game in which players have to process quite a lot of information quite quickly. There are eight role types to choose from each turn, but as each one is chosen the options available to you diminish/change. So that if you are the Governor and are choosing first your options are wide open but if you are choosing next or last then your options are considerably different. Each player has to assess what the sequence of roles will mean in terms of actions that are possible for him/herself.
An example may help at this point. Lets say that Dicken is choosing a role first and takes the Builder. He will now be the first person to build that turn and he may choose the last building of a particular type, say the Construction Hut (allowing him to pick a Quarry instead of a Plantation during the Settler's phase). This will affect what the next player can build and also his/her strategy for either generating money or goods and when the next player has chosen a role, the options for later players will change again.
So, this is a game of constant reassessment of what is the best move for you as compared to other players, for what you choose can also benefit other players. That said I don't want to make it sound as if it's a monstrously complex game because it isn't, but you do have to have your wits about you.
As the game progresses Paul sets himself up as the future Malboro Man with tobacco plantations coming out of his ears and Dicken strays into the stimulating world of coffee production. Spiller and Liz concentrate on fields of indigo while Kendall develops a mixed portfolio. Spiller makes what is probably the biggest haul of victory points that we have seen, in one trip to the docks, of seven points. Everyone is very impressed and Spiller immediately becomes the tall poppy.
Dicken has quietly bought himself a combination of buildings that will allow him to earn more doubloons for the goods he sells and thus allow him to eventually purchase two of the very large buildings that are crucial to winning the game. Paul feigns a lack of knowledge of the rules to excuse his failed attempt to load sugar on to a waiting ship but the others give his suggestion of re-doing his move short shrift though Dicken magnanimously makes the offer that if Paul fails to win by that one missing point he will be declared the winner. A wry smile plays across Dickens face as he reaches for the tangy tortillas that are substituting for spicy Pringles tonight - Kendall and Spiller exchange knowing looks, they can see an empty gift when it's proffered.
The evening progresses extremely pleasantly with jokes from Spiller and plenty of healthy badinage amongst the New World business tycoons. However, Dicken ends the game by filling up his last city square,again just too soon for the liking of Kendall and tallys are ...well tallyed I suppose. Dicken has 49 points and wins by a clear ten from Spiller. Kendall cannot work it out, but graciously admits that Dicken seems to have a mastery of the mechanics of which he and the others can only dream. Dicken grins like the bloody Cheshire Cat and polishes off his beer with gusto.
'Puerto Rico' is perhaps the present pinnacle of this type of game i.e. ones that require regular readjustment of tactics and manipulation of numerous variables, although we do like 'Princes of Florence' and 'Traders of Genoa' a lot as well. Maybe we'll acquire more of such games this Christmas, if anyone would like to suggest some we would be keen to hear from you.
We go our separate ways for another week.
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“Captain, my Captain”: The Northern Ragnars encounter Puerto Rico
For the past three months Phil has been exposed to a series of reports on the perceived excellence of Puerto Rico (from Dicken, who always wins) or the slightly flawed charms of same (from Kendall, who always seems to come last). A mammoth weekend transfer of Ragnar stock (how many games does it take to fill a Peugeot 406? Answers to Dicken: 1st prize, a quick run-down on the strengths of his fantasy football team; 2nd prize: an evening of good food and fine wine in a top restaurant, but still with the same conversation). Meanwhile, to summarise the earlier unfinished sentence – Phil successfully abducts aforementioned game to the frozen North.
Scene change: it’s now December 1st, 23 shopping days to Christmas, and it’s Phil’s kitchen. Children have been untimely ripped from the womb of bath time ("Sorry, love, but daddy’s friends are coming" . . . "but daddy doesn’t have any friends", etc ), Puerto Rico is set up and the wine has been opened (more of this anon).
Phil has ‘read’ the rules. Roger has also ‘read’ the rules (the boardgamesgeek website strikes again.) This is a good thing. Whilst the game is described as ‘simple’ by lots of people, this is probably not the case first time through. Reading these rules is a bit like listening to directions from an elderly relative – you’re told it’s easy enough and can’t go wrong, but there’s an awful lot of information coming at you, and it’s hard to tell what’s important and what’s not. Phil read the rules Saturday morning, and has already had a re-read twice. Perhaps it’s age but little details seem to keep drifting away. Anyhow, after a fairly brutal explanation, the lads are away.
You know when a game is going well – you don’t notice the time. This is the case with Puerto Rico. It’s a very busy, interactive game with lots of discussion going on. A good sign, as with ‘History of the World’, is that everyone seems to have an opinion on what the current player should be doing. This is another good thing. We are playing the five player version – which in spite of Slade (aka the Beast of Bradford - ed.) putting in an appearance – still seems to bowl along very nicely. No one is quite sure who is winning. Highlights include:
1. Phil gesturing (see: Tikkal) and sweeping a full wine glass the length of the kitchen (get tested for epilepsy Phil - ed.).
2. Colonists swarming ashore in the manner of Easy Company on D-day
3. A huge run on quarries (is this a good option?)
4. Some astute use of the Builder when most players have no money.
5. Ian telling a joke (the one about the blonde who does odd jobs and is asked to paint the bloke’s porch, does so successfully despite ‘the difficult bits round the windows’, and then helpfully points out that it is actually a Ferrari).
Come 8.45 Phil is cooking the pizza, making tea and finding sandwiches – not a good time. Choosing the Mayor is a mistake: the last colonist disappears, and the end of the game begins. Nonetheless, just enough time for Slade to choose the Craftsman, thus setting Roger up nicely to be the Captain, corner the market in tobacco and win the game at a canter. ‘Baiting the imbecile’ then ensues to the enormous satisfaction of all bar Slade.
An excellent session. A splendid game, very lively and a source of much humour. Nice one!
Postscript: Phil chats to Kendall midweek. It turns out the Southern Ragnars have been playing the game wrong (have they ever played any game right?) Kendall absolves himself of all responsibility – apparently it was Dicken who read the rules. They have been playing that the Mayor loads six colonists onto the ship. This is as per the example in the rules – Dicken hit a similar minefield in ‘Tigris and Euphrates’. Phil is very smug.
And just to make sure he puts the phone down and rereads the rule. He is also wrong. The Northern Ragnars have played it that it’s the total number of empty circles that generate colonists. But of course it’s not. As you all know, it’s buildings only. This alters the game hugely. For starters, the ship will no more resemble a packed slaver en route to the West Indies.
But why do we keep getting these odd rules wrong? Senility? Too much alcohol in the system? The parlous condition of Huddersfield Town and the England cricket team? In defence, the Northern interpretation makes better real life sense. Surely it should be all the spare jobs that generate the colonists – not just the jobs in the city. The rules say you need colonists to work the plantations, and yet you ignore any empty plantations when you come to bring in new colonists. Strange. Methinks words like ‘game mechanism’ and ‘balance’ are at work here. Enough said.
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Games Night 4th May 2006 – ‘Puerto Rico’ by Andreas Seyfarth.
One of the latest starts to a games’ night on record (if such a thing were kept). Ros is without Derek, but her sister Kate has popped over from New Zealand to fill in – the repute of the Ragnars hath marvellous power! As per usual Dicken is asked to give a guided tour of his extension (he’ll be selling tickets soon). To make time matters worse, Dicken has yet to set up tonight’s game and ‘Puerto Rico’ is not one that you can slap on the table.
Fortunately, Ros had felt inspired to locate her copy of said game, tear the shrink-wrap off, read the rules and play a first game. Apparently it was bought some time ago, but was deemed ‘tricky’. And so it proved. Consequently Dicken also has to give a (brief) resume of the rules.
So it’s well gone 9.00 p.m. when the first turn starts.
For those of you who don’t know ‘Puerto Rico’ there is at least one earlier review on this site. In addition you can read about ‘San Juan’ – that being an off-spring of the Big Daddy. Suffice to say that ‘Puerto Rico’ is regarded as a classic game by the majority of the hobby and one that is held in high esteem by most of the Ragnars. The Northern Ragnars get frustrated with it because their best-laid plans only just get started when the game ends.
Kate starts, followed by Ros, Kendall and Dicken. This is noted here because the suspicion is that turn order is pretty critical. Kendall is well-positioned following the two novices and preceding Dicken. It should mean that he gets fed some juicy opportunities by the ‘learners’, leaving the scraps for the other Ragnar. A good thing too as Dicken has an enviable history of victories in ‘Puerto…’ and Kendall has yet to breast the line in first place.
Dicken provides Pringles; Ros has brought some cheesy bread sticks. Apparently these are best served hot – that’s the bread sticks, not the Pringles. Kendall liberally imbibes John Smiths Bitter knowing that, courtesy of the Ros-mobile he doesn’t have to drive home.
And so the game gets going with Dicken quickly forging ahead through some canny trading and by building three quarries. Ros builds two and there’s one each for Kate and Kendall. This denudes the quarry stock until one turns up in the plantation pile. Kate grabs it, leaving Kendall to lick his wounds and feel sorry for himself. ‘I should have taken a quarry and not the indigo’ he moans.
But… that’s just where he’s wrong. Having started with corn, then produced sugar and with a coffee grinder about to come on stream, he begins to find himself in a position of unfamiliar potential. Dicken however has already grabbed his first 10 point building and is continuing his urbanisation policy. Meanwhile, Ros and Kate are making steady progress, although the regular selection of the Prospector suggests an unwillingness to take the game to the Ragnars if not an absence of a strategic plan.
But credit where credit’s due. The ‘gals’ muck in with the gibberish coming from Dicken and Kendall and gainfully disregard the shabby nonsense that passes for advice. And how many other women would travel half way around the world for a night in, with a game and a few drinks? (Ellen McCarthy excepted)
Kendall has twice chosen the Trader and sold coffee. As he also has the small market, this gives him 6 ducats a time – which in the context of ‘PR’ is very big money. Now he gets tobacco going and to cap it he buys the factory. With all five commodities in production he claims 5 ducats each time the ‘Craftsman’ is taken. Although it’s now late in the game, this happens twice more.
The game’s up. Kendall’s wealth has enabled him to buy two large buildings and he completes the town and ends the game.
Scores on the doors: Kendall 48 points, Dicken 44, Ros 34, Kate 33.
Dicken is gracious in a rare defeat and Kendall manages to restrain his gloating. Ros starts talking about strategies and Kate promises to visit again (before returning to New Zealand).
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