Author Archives: porternm

Game of the Week Blog Reflection Week 10: D&D Week 2

This week in Tabletop Leadership, we finished our D&D session. In this session, the people who have never played D&D before got better because we learned a lot from the first session. The hardest part about this game is the decisions you have to make. My health was really low this week, so I was afraid to do anything aggressive. We even had disagreements on what to do next, so we had to work together as a group to decide what is best.

The game has ties to leadership because there are a lot of decisions you have to make. Leaders have to constantly make tough decisions and use their resources. I had low health in this session so I had to be mindful of that when deciding what to do with an enemy. I think my friend Canon would enjoy this game because he is competitive and likes to think things through. In D&D, he would think ahead a lot in order to make the best decision on what to do. He would act as a leader and make sure the group benefits from every choice.

I really enjoyed my time playing D&D. It wasn’t as tough as I thought it was going to be. I like the story aspect and I would compare it to playing a role playing video game. My favorite thing about the game is that you can make every session completely different. I would want to make my character completely different next time so that I can do all new things. There is nothing I dislike about the game because our session went so well and the experienced people did a good job helping those of us who have never played.

Leadership’s Like a Game Reflection

Nick Porter

Leadership has many different characteristics involved. There is not a simple definition of leadership because it can take a wide range of forms. However, there are several qualities that are consistently important for a leader. Leaders usually have a sense of authority. They control and manage groups or situations. Possibly the most important quality in a leader is that they influence others. All of these qualities are also important in a game. That is why leadership is like a game.

Authority is very common in leadership. Leaders often take initiative within a group or situation and they make sure they get done what they want to get done. This is the same when playing a game. You are the leader in a game because you have power when it is your turn and you have to make decisions. Leaders make decisions on a daily basis and they have to use their power to take control of circumstances. Authority is important in a game and for leaders because they you must have it to achieve a certain goal.

Leadership often involves a lot of management and control. Leaders have to manage all of their resources and run things a certain way. In a game, there are often several things you have to manage such as cards, powerups, money, resources, etc. A game requires control over everything you own, and you have to manage things well in good shape at the end. Just like in a game, leaders have to manage their resources wisely or things can get out of control quickly.

Finally, one of the most important qualities in leadership is influence. Leaders must have influence over others in order for them to follow the leader and achieve their goals. A game often requires influencing your opponent into making a mistake. You want your opponent to think they are doing something right when they are actually doing something wrong. A leader with good influence is able to convince a group of people to work hard do what you want them to do. In a game, good influence will cause your opponent to do something you want them to do which ultimately helps you win. If you can obtain the qualities of a good leader, you can utilize them to help you succeed in a game.

Luck v Chance v Skill Reflection

Nick Porter

There are many different ways to win games. Some games require luck, others are based on chance, and some games require skill to out play your opponent. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages in being part of a game. I will explain in detail what luck, chance, and skill are exactly and what games you might find them to be used in.

Luck is defined as the events or circumstances that operate for or against an individual. In other words, luck is something you cannot control and it either helps you or hurts you. No amount of skill or knowledge can help affect the outcome of a play in a game. It is all in the hands of the cards, dice, spinner, etc. An example of luck in a board game is when you need to roll a 6 on a dice in order to win the game. You roll a 6, and that is considered good luck. If you roll a 3 and the game makes you go back 10 spaces, that is considered bad luck.

An example of a luck-based board game is Bingo. In this game, different numbers are arranged on a card and the host draws numbers at random. These numbers are marked on the card if the player has it on theirs. The first person to get a full line of marked numbers wins the game. This is luck because all of the outcomes are chosen at random. The outcomes of bingo depend on if you have the same number on your card as the one chosen at random. There is no strategy or skill that goes into Bingo. The player has no control on what numbers are chosen. Good luck in this game would be getting matches often and in line. Bad luck in this game would be not getting the same numbers drawn as the ones on your card. Another example of a luck-based board game is Yahtzee. This is a game where 5 dice are rolled, and you have to try to get certain patterns of numbers in each turn. This is luck because the player has no control over the dice being rolled. There is some skill that goes into this game getting a Yahtzee, which is 5 matching die, is pure good luck.

The biggest advantage for having luck determine the outcomes of board games is the fact that there is no skill required. More people will be willing to play a game that requires luck because there is less to learn before playing. Games that require skill take a few play sessions for an individual to get better and have a chance to win. Games based on luck give all players an equal chance of winning. The biggest disadvantage for having luck determine the outcomes of board games is less complexity. Board games that are more complex are usually played more than once because there is more to learn. Luck games can get boring quickly when the winner is random every time. Complex games that require strategy and skill have more opportunity for players to learn new strategies and play the game differently each time.

Another way to win games is from chance. Chance is similar to luck because they both involve random outcomes. Chance is defined as the objective reality of random outcomes, while luck is viewed as good or bad fortune. Chance is based on probability. For example, if you roll 2 dice and you are trying to get a sum that is 10 or more, the chance of that is 25%. There are 12 possible outcomes you could get and 3 of them you need. You’ll have a 25% chance of rolling a sum of 10 or higher.

An example of a board game based on chance is Skunk Bingo. This is a game that uses probability to determine the outcomes of each turn. Players are given data and analysis on particular issues and they have to make decisions based on the probabilities derived. Another example of a chance-based board game is the Horse Racing board game. In this game, players bet on horses and roll dice. The players discuss with each other on which horse is likely to win the race. This is probability in action. Games in which you bet are usually based on chance because you would bet on something that you think is likely to happen.

An advantage of having chance determine the outcome of a game is it teaches probability. Players learn to make decisions based on the probability of their outcomes being successful. Chance can also serve to give hope to a more inexperienced player over an experience one. A disadvantage of chance is that it requires very little effort. This can be frustrating to someone that has put in a lot of practice and thought to a game. While there is an element of chance in a game, an individual can succeed with little to no effort.

Finally, board games could require skill to succeed. Skill is defined as the ability to do something well. Skill-based board games require practice and a development of strategy in order to win. These games tend to be more complex and less suitable for a party setting.

A perfect example of a skill-based board game is Chess. This has been a very popular game for a long time, and it requires a lot of practice. Any first-time player would struggle against an experienced player because the experienced player will know more moves. Chess requires a lot of thinking ahead, you have to be a move or two ahead of your opponent in order to succeed. As your skill develops in Chess, you will be able to outsmart your opponent and even predict what they are going to do next. Another popular skill-based game is Catan. Catan is all about resource management and negotiating. An experienced player will know the best ways to allocate their resources and they will know how to get what they want in negotiations. It takes several plays in order to develop your own strategies and skill.

The biggest advantage of having skill determine the outcome of a game is that it is the most competitive. Players will have to use their own strategies and experience to outsmart their opponent. There is no element of luck or chance giving less skilled players freebies. It is all about multiple skillsets competing. Skill-based board games can also be more complex. There can be more ways to strategize or use your skills when everything is in your control. The biggest disadvantage for skill-based games is that experienced players have an edge. An inexperienced player would have no chance in beating an experienced player. This means that less people would want to play the game and it takes more effort to be successful in the game.

Game of the Week Blog Reflection Week 9: D&D Week 1

Today in Tabletop Leadership, we played Dungeons & Dragons. I have never played this before but I enjoyed our first session. It is a roll playing game that requires a game master and a lot of creative players. The hardest part about the game is managing all of the character stats and being a good roll player. I don’t consider myself that creative so it is difficult to carry on the story.

This game has ties to leadership because it is a group working together. There are many different perspectives by each of the players and you have to make decisions as a group. Leadership requires making decisions and managing different perspectives within a group. The game master also acts as a leader because they have to initiate the story.

I think my friend Taylor would enjoy this game because she likes to roll play. I think her creative mind would make this game more enjoyable. She is very good at following along with a story which would let her get into it easily. I started to get into our play session after our first combat. I like how we won our first combat and then made decisions as a group on what to do next. I look forward to next week in order to see what interesting things develop in our game.

Game of the Week Blog Reflection 8: Ladies & Gentlemen

This week in Tabletop Leadership we played Ladies & Gentlemen. We had 8 players in the session, 4 ladies and 4 gentlemen. We only got through one phase because it was difficult to get set up. I would say that the most difficult part of the game is knowing what all of the cards and pieces do. It is very different gameplay depending on if you’re a lady or gentlemen. Each one has there own pieces and cards that go with it and it was hard to not mix them up.

This game has ties to leadership because you have to work with your partner in order to win. You must make the right choices together so that you do not put you or your partner in a bad situation. Leadership is all about making decisions for the betterment of the group. I think my family would enjoy this game because it is silly. The theme is fun and my family doesn’t like games that take it too seriously.

Our play session was going well, but we did not have enough time to play. The game says it can be completed in 30 minutes, but that was nearly impossible with 8 people who have never played before. The game can be confusing because there are a lot of tasks and a lot of people going at the same time. I think I would enjoy this game if I got another shot.

Game of the Week Blog Reflection 6: Incan Gold and Can’t Stop

This week in Tabletop Leadership we played Incan Gold and Can’t Stop. I think these games are my favorite this semester so far. They were both easy to learn, easy to play, and a lot of fun. They both had risk taking aspects which was why I enjoyed them so much. I like the feeling of being reckless and potentially getting rewarded out of it. I don’t think there was anything hard about the game. I think my family would enjoy Incan Gold very much, including my Niece, because it is easy to learn and we can get a lot of laughs out of it.

The session went really well because my playmates enjoyed both games as well. Personally, I liked Incan Gold better because it had a theme. Can’t Stop was fun because you can take risks but I would often get bored when it wasn’t my turn. I would definitely recommend Incan Gold to my friends and family because we can play it in a party setting. It doesn’t have much strategy or cognitive thinking going on, while Can’t Stop definitely has a lot of strategy with numbers.

Both of these games tie to leadership because being a leader involves taking risks. I found myself in a lot of high risk / high reward situations. In Incan Gold, I would often step up and be the only one furthering my adventure and I got 17 gems all to myself because of that. In Can’t Stop, I didn’t do so well because I wanted to take risks like the first game but refusing to stop left me back to where I started. In leadership, it is good to take risks for a high reward, but if you get too risky you can lose a lot of progress.

What Type of Gamer Am I?

I have never been much of a board game player. I play every once in a while and only in social settings. I am never one to suggest playing a board game, but I am willing to if I see that we can have good fun out of it. After taking this test I learned a lot about what my motivation is to play board games compared to others.

In the first category, I received a 37% conflict and 74% social manipulation. I have never been a very competitive person. I think playing with very competitive people usually takes the fun out of it for me. I look to have fun and laugh while playing board games instead of trying to win. Social manipulation scored high because I think it is fun to bluff or deceive the other players. It’s different from being competitive because you can laugh about tricking your friends and it makes the game interesting.

In the next category, I received a 18% strategy and 4% discovery. I tend to prefer more relaxed games with less cognitive challenges involved. I like more fast-paced games that don’t require a lot of pondering for each move. Discovery was my lowest score on the test and that is because I don’t like to take the time and learn complex game mechanics. I prefer traditional gameplay that is easy and familiar.

Next, I received a 60% immersion and 44% aesthetics. I definitely enjoy immersion in board games and other aspects of entertainment. I want to feel like I am a part of something that is out of this world. Having the ability to become a character while playing a boardgame is fun, but I don’t want to spend the time learning an extensive background or complex stats about my character. To me, aesthetics is a plus, but it is not necessarily important. I feel that aesthetics helps a little bit with immersion so I will never complain about that.

Finally, my highest score on the test is a 84% social fun. This is my main reason why I’d participate in a board game. I enjoy having fun with other people. It is not about winning to me, but just enjoying the process with friends and having a good laugh. I also scored a 58% cooperation because I believe it can be fun to work together with your friends to reach a common goal. It is always satisfying when you work with someone else to beat another group of people. Even though I scored low on conflict, working with someone else can really enhance the social fun aspect of a board games when you are cooperating with your peers.

Game of the Week Blog Reflection 5: Fiasco Week 3

This week in Tabletop Leadership, we continued playing Fiasco. In this session, we were able to complete Act 2 and the Aftermath. The hard part about this week was the wrapping up the storyline. I am not very good at making up stories, but my playmates did a good job helping me through it. I tended to have my character only experience bad things. I ended up with all black die and my tilt choice was “Something bad will change your life forever”. This caused my character to not have a happy ending at all and he ended up in jail.

Overall, the play session of Fiasco over the last 3 weeks was a really good time. I enjoyed the story we came up with because my playmates had really great ideas. I probably wouldn’t play again just because it isn’t my style of game, however, if I were to play again I would be able to come up with a much better story now that I have a good feel for the game. I would recommend this game to my friends that are very creative. I mentioned my friend Alex in the previous weeks but I think it would be good for any of my friends who have a creative mind. You can really come up with some intricate stories if you play with creative people.

This game ties to leadership because you can really take control of the group if you choose to do so. That is something I needed work on because I couldn’t figure out how to move my character’s story along. A good leader would be able to develop the story in a way that they want to because they have to influence the group and how the rest of the story unfolds.

Game of the Week Blog Reflection: Fiasco Week 2

This week in Tabletop Leadership we continued playing Fiasco. We were able to complete Act 1 and part of the Tilt in this week’s session. This session did not come without challenges. Unfortunately, we were having bad connection issues because we kept getting disconnected from the server and it would take a few minutes to get everyone back in it. We also had a hard time coming up with scenes at first because no one in my group has played any game like this before, but we did get things moving after a few tries. Luckily we were able to help each other out to make the game go smoothly.

That brings me to another way this game ties to leadership. Fiasco requires a lot of cooperation. First, everyone has to pay attention to each speaker and really consume all of the information coming their way. Then, you have to tie all of the stories together in some way while at the same time trying to tie your scenes with the attributes given to your character. In order to help the story make sense, we had to cooperate with each other and sometimes help each other finish scenes. Leadership is about cooperating with other people in order to benefit the group as a whole. Each of us had to step up and tie in our stories with each other. Leaders must think about the rest of group in order to benefit the group as a whole.

In week 1, I mentioned how my friend Alex would enjoy this game. I stand by that because it’s a game that gives you the opportunity to influence the story in a major way. This is also something I enjoyed about our game session because some of the scenes really drove the development of the story. If you want the story to go a certain direction, you can do that. That is something I like about this game but it can also be difficult if group members don’t carry the story along well. Luckily, my group didn’t have that problem in this session and we were able to get a good start on the game.

Game of the Week Blog Reflection: Fiasco Week 1

This week in Tabletop Leadership we played Fiasco. Fiasco is a role-playing game in which 3-5 players develop characters, relationships, objects, and locations together to create a scenario. These scenarios will either end good or badly, depending on how your mates perceive your situation. In my opinion, the hardest part of the game is understanding the point of it. It is very different from any game I’ve ever played. I struggled to understand what the overall goal is. Even when I knew how to play the game, I would get lost in the set up phase because there were a lot of characteristics to remember and keep track of. That is why it is good to write notes while you play!

Fiasco ties to leadership because it requires a lot of thinking ahead. If you are on top of everything then you can manipulate situation so that it goes well for your character. Leadership is all about influencing others. In Fiasco, your characters can be very influencing and you can steer the direction of the story to your favor. That is why I believe my friend Alex would enjoy this game. I see him as a natural leadership and he would want to get a full grasp on the situation within the game. He would be good at influencing others to help his character out and find the best possible solutions for the end.

In week 1, my group was only able to complete the set up phase. The session ended as soon as we named our characters. It wasn’t hard to figure out how to pick die and develop the characters, so we went faster as the game went on. None of us have played before which is why it took longer for set up than some other groups. I believe the session went well and we are all excited to see how it goes next week. I don’t have a complaint about the game, however I am worried about how well I’ll do while playing. I’m not particular skilled on improvisation, so coming up with scenes might be a bit difficult for me. Luckily the rest of my group seems to have a good handle on the game and I’m excited to see how crazy this story can get.