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[Scott5114]

I'd really like to get better at chess, but I've never managed to find anyone to play with that is about my skill level. Either I completely demolish them or they completely demolish me, neither of which is much fun.

[webny99]

I say about chess the same thing that I've heard some people say about Rook: I'd like to learn how to play it, but it seems fairly complicated, and I don't get it just from watching.

[Ned Weasel]

I say about chess the same thing that I've heard some people say about Rook: I'd like to learn how to play it, but it seems fairly complicated, and I don't get it just from watching.

Chess is actually stupidly simple.  Getting good at it is what's complicated!

[Scott5114]

Rook is also pretty simple—it's just a trick-taking game played with non-standard cards. If you're not familiar with the genre, try starting with Whist and, once that becomes old hat, you should find Rook less daunting.

[1]

Rook is also pretty simple—it's just a trick-taking game played with non-standard cards. If you're not familiar with the genre, try starting with Whist and, once that becomes old hat, you should find Rook less daunting.

It's actually not that nonstandard. You have a fourteenth card in each suit, that's all.

[Scott5114]

Rook is also pretty simple—it's just a trick-taking game played with non-standard cards. If you're not familiar with the genre, try starting with Whist and, once that becomes old hat, you should find Rook less daunting.

It's actually not that nonstandard. You have a fourteenth card in each suit, that's all.

"Non-standard" in this case means a proprietary deck that can only be purchased from one supplier. In the US and England, that'd be any deck that can't be derived from one or more 52-card decks composed of A-K-Q-J-10...2 in diamonds, hearts, clubs, and spades. (Other countries have different standard decks, often with only 32 cards, using different suits, like bells and leaves.)

[webny99]

Rook is also pretty simple—it's just a trick-taking game played with non-standard cards. If you're not familiar with the genre, try starting with Whist and, once that becomes old hat, you should find Rook less daunting.

Yeah, I know - I've played Rook a lot, so I was sort of using that to think about how someone else might feel about my similar take on chess. Rook really isn't that hard, although I do still make an occasional blunder when I don't think things through properly, especially as the bidder. I'd be afraid of doing the same thing in chess.

[Scott5114]

Catching your opponent in a blunder, and exploiting when your opponent has made a blunder, is basically what all of chess is about.

[webny99]

Catching your opponent in a blunder, and exploiting when your opponent has made a blunder, is basically what all of chess is about.

Well, right, and I can't stand the thought of the outcome hinging on a stupid error I made. I know that's part of the fun, but I tend to prefer long games that hinge on the cumulative and can't completely unravel in a single play or two.

[Scott5114]

Catching your opponent in a blunder, and exploiting when your opponent has made a blunder, is basically what all of chess is about.

Well, right, and I can't stand the thought of the outcome hinging on a stupid error I made. I know that's part of the fun, but I tend to prefer long games that hinge on the cumulative and can't completely unravel in a single play or two.

Can't argue with that. It can be really satisfying when you make a mistake, catch your error, and manage to successfully recover.

[JayhawkCO]

Just picked up three new ones for my gaming group.

Azul - Super light, easy to teach to anyone, deceptively strategic
Wingspan - A little more involved, among the prettiest games I've ever seen, I think this one would appeal to most
Brass: Birmingham - A lot heavier, but easily the best game of the bunch

Chris

[JayhawkCO]

I know this is an old thread, but no need to start a new one.  I've been playing a ton of Age of Steam lately and since I know there are a lot of railfans on this site too, I was curious if anyone else had ever played any train games.

[Max Rockatansky]

I referenced board games in my original post.  If I was to pick a video game the one I always find my way back to is Doom, Doom II and Final Doom.  The original games are so well designed and there is so much community WAD maps to load up for new experiences.  I never really got into the source port stuff or Brutal Doom much.

[allniter89]

Backgammon or poker, either in person or online, no keepsies