| Title | Gaming with Children: Thursday opens a window |
| Author | J.P. Lucas |
| Posted in | Game diaries |
| When | January 19, 2012 |
This happens about once a week, when just about every free minute of the day is spent in gaming bliss. It's not easy to find and you never know what day it will happen. This week, it happens on Thursday..
Read the full articleMr Lucas, thank you for these updates! I too am a gamer dad struggling with time management; I paid my dues changing the diapers of two little dudes and I'm just starting to reap the harvest-- working through the Marvel Alliance 2 campaign with my 6 year old son and even, occasionally, the wife (I set up the little one with a spare controller; he *thinks* he's controlling Spider-Man.) So hang in there, it can get better!
My next project is to start him on Duels of the Planeswalkers...
EU3 is great for so many reasons.
Most strategy games, Castille attacks you and it's game over. Here it's more realistic. Wars have realistic goals, and not every war is life or death. Hell, it's usually not possible to completely wipe someone out in a single war.
Portugal's great for learning the colonization game. So long as you can keep Castille happy, no one will bother you in Europe.
Play another country, and you get a COMPLETELY different experience. If you want to learn trade, play Hanseatic League or Venice. You're actually LESS powerful the more territory you directly control, beyond a certain point. Your wars are about gaining access to goods and forcing people to be in your league rather than land.
For diplomacy, the Holy Roman Empire is good. Playing a middling realm within it (Bavaria, say, or Bohemia) is one of my favorite ways to play. Relations with your neighbors are preeminent. If you can become Emperor, things get more interesting still. Rather than that being an end-goal, while you are more powerful, the new challenges that entails counterbalance it nicely.
Then there's the Byzantines trying to reestablish their empire, or a proto-russian land under the cloud of the Horde.
You'll never really have learned everything until after many, many campaigns. I'm rather experienced, but I've never tried an Eastern country, like China or Japan, that have mechanics all their own.
Good luck and have fun. The Paradox forums are indispensable, and far more polite and helpful than forums for most games. Probably something to do with the sort of person who really enjoys games like this.
I am enjoying these posts, please keep up the excellent work. On the other hand, my sympathy for you is rapidly waning as it seems you have more time to game on a Thursday than I do my entire week! ;-)
For those that game on iOS devices there's a ported and re-skinned version of Spectromancer called Kard Combat with a cooler theme and card art but a much sillier name. It's my main game on the iPhone and works wonderfully as an asynchronous multiplayer card game.
There exists a game where there are dwarves. It's a good thing I'm so awesome at my job (just let them TRY to replace me with freelancers!) because it frees up the time I need to cower from my wife and avoid all contact with my kids. I call her to lie about having to work late. At this point she would respect me more if all these late nights meant I was having an affair.
The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow
There'll be sun!
Just thinkin' about
Tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs,
And the sorrow
'Til there's none!
When I'm stuck a day
That's gray,
And lonely,
I just stick out my chin
And Grin,
And Say,
Oh
The sun'll come out
Tomorrow
So ya gotta hang on
'Til tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow!
Tomorrow!
I love ya
Tomorrow!
You're always
A day
A way!
Wow this is....um...brutaly honest stuff man. I think you need to consider a separation. It sounds like you're checked out of your marriage.