Gamers Alliance REPORT
Winter 2007 Vol. 2 No. 21
EDITORIAL
Mind Expansion
Back in the psychedelic sixties, all sorts of new philosophies of life flowered on the popular landscape. Some good, some bad, some just, well, strange. One of these came from Dr. Timothy Leary who suggested a "Tune in, Turn On, Drop Out" approach to life that focused on mind expansion fueled by the use of a drug known as lysergic acid diethylamide. The philosophy enjoyed a vogue as did its drug of choice, more commonly known as LSD. (The Beatles' Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was only one of several popular songs that made reference to the drug.) Dr. Leary's particular push for mind expansion came and went, and while I don't agree with Dr. Leary's approach, I do believe that expansions to challenge the mind are a good thing; they have certainly found a home in the realm of game design. The mantra of keeping a good thing going is no more evident than in the proliferation of expansions and modifications to successful games to inject new life into a game before it starts to get old. (And, not to be minimized, to keep the money generating aspects of these games well oiled and very, very productive.)
You don't have to think very hard to come up with some examples. The Settlers of Catan (originally featured way back in the Fall 1996 GA REPORT), Carcassonne (Summer 2001 GA REPORT) and Alhambra (Summer 2003 GA REPORT) have spawned many expansions for the aficionados of these titles to enjoy, creating a virtual cottage industry in and of themselves, to encourage gamers to dig a little deeper into their pockets and come away with a new slant to an old favorite thereby increasing the life span of these games, a span far exceeding the typical life expectancy of most of our gaming diversions that often last merely a season or two.
Now lest you think I'm criticizing this trend, I'm not. I look at it like this: if an expansion or variation on a theme results in a successful permutation adding a certain freshness and vitality to a favored title, then I'm all for it! It's very true that not all expansion attempts at injecting life into a title are successful. But this issue highlights a few examples of expansions and variations that do the trick quite well.
In this issue, for example, Bruno Faidutti expands on a key mechanic from his well-received Citadels game and blasts off! Alan Moon devises a new ticket and expands our railroad ride! You get the idea? The bottom line: when it comes to expanding a game or game system into a new and different mind expanding experience, I don't mind expansion at all.
In this issue of GA REPORT, we expand our sights as we embark on a mission to Mars, grab another ticket for a ride and find a great way to invest in Great Powers! Joe Huber discovers what it's like to be an "elephant" in a china shop, Chris Kovac finds all roads lead to Rome while it's all Greek to Pevans. Meanwhile, Frank Hamrick becomes inventive while Ben Baldanza just monkeys around! And, of course, much more!
Until next time, Good Gaming!
Herb Levy, President
Affentennis Der Elefant im Porzellanladen Gloria Mundi
Hollywood Blockbuster Iliad Imperial Leonardo Da Vinci
Medici vs. Strozzi Mission: Red Planet On the Underground
Perikles Silk Road USA:1910 Yspahan