Projects in April

 

Day 30. End of April. Another month has gone by. An intense one, concerning projects in the land of games. Dealing with letters. Among the wit of letters and word engineering. Among different languages, revising, perfecting, polishing, or writing from scratch. From the big picture to the tiny detail, to patterns, misalignment, errors that stand out. Once an OTR, always an OTR (as in Official Text Reviewer, for those who have not shared previous lives). From the tiny detail to the big picture, giving sense, telling stories, photographing stories. 

Translating. From English to Portuguese. This time a familiar game, one that I like, and that will now get a revised and expanded version, in Spanish and Portuguese. Another collaboration with the Spanish publisher MasQueOca. Adding to previous ones, for well-known and interesting games: the expansions Venus, Balearica & Cyprus, for the excellent Concordia; the Kegs & More expansion, for Heaven & Ale; and, more recently, Pavlov’s House, in final production phase. Not to mention a number of games for the younger ones!

Proofreading. In Portuguese and small format, for the German publisher Board Game Circus, as in one of the first collaborations, a couple of years ago. In Portuguese as well, for the Portuguese publisher Pythagoras Games, continuing a collaboration started almost two years ago with 6 Castles and Garum. A brand-new partnership with the German Vuca Simulations, in English, in the form of a wargame scenario booklet, one of those games with hexes and many counters.

Writing. About The Isle of Cats. Based on a copy provided by Frank West, The City of Games, who was in search for different approaches to game-related content and enjoyed some of the stories shared in this blog! And this is how Cat Stories and Cat Moves came to life.

The beginning of the month was also a time for other writings for this blog: about the feelings of players on their gaming experience, and around photographs in packs of six, on the occasion having rulebooks, words yet again, as object. 

And yet, some games hit the table: Canvas, Railroad Ink - Deep Blue, Isle of Cats, Solenia and Codenames. Now the gaming table has been taken by Mini Express, firstly for a solo multiplayer, with my alter egos as opponents, to relearn the rules before facing the true solo version, against the bot.

Let May come!

The Isle of Cats: Part II - Cat moves

 

Game copy provided by Frank West, The City of Games.

Glad you decided to come along! Seems those cat stories of mine sparked your interest, huh? Well, here we are, on the Isle of Cats. As you may see from the ships at anchor, we are not alone, there are other adventurers around, in search for cats, riches, and fame. Better stay close to me, observing and learning from my actions. I will guide you step-by-step. This will be a full hands-on-the-job training day!

It is dawn. Time to wake up!

I know, from years of experience, what will soon happen: cats will come from their hideouts and will take to the fields on both sides of the island, in equal numbers. It seems as if they are drawn by us, foreigners, venturing into this island, as they always show up in pair numbers, twice as cats on each side as there are explorers on the journey. Which is intriguing, but fortunate, as there will thus be cats enough for everyone to rescue. 

Look! There they are! A Hissnipper and a Mhoxxite looking straight at us, a Garmin on the right, a Teruvian stretching down the hill, and another Teruvian by his side, and there are some more in the background. A wonderful sight, ain’t it? 

Yes, I know the impact of this first encounter with the cats colour … but now stop gazing! We need to pay attention and think quickly, as we will only be able to catch one of them at a time, two at most, before carrying them onto the ship, emptying our baskets, and coming back for a new pick. In the meantime, the fields will be left fully open for others to make their catches. We therefore need to devise a strategy, to start making our own choices. Which one will we be picking first, today? The green Crystal Garmin?

Sure, we will go to the hills, but we still have some prior work to do. I have already told you these are elusive beasts, that we will be needing fish to lure them, and big baskets to carry them away onto the ship. 

First things first! And the first thing for the day, in fact, in every day, will be fishing. Not an expert fisherman, you say? Not to be a problem! Cats are smart, and they must have chosen this island for good reason: there happens to be plenty of fish around, making for easy catches. There will be no rush, no competition, no hardships in finding fresh fish.

We will stick to getting twenty fresh fish every day. No less, no more. Don’t ask me why, it just seems the right amount to carry. It will prove enough, both for cats and for our own meals. Should there be some spare fish, by the end of the day, we will store it overnight, to be of use for tomorrow. Cats won’t turn them down.

So, twenty fresh fish it is!

Yes, yes … we will get to the hills. But before, we must sit here around this circle, with the other adventurers, and share some plans for the day. Well, we will not disclose all of them, as they still are competitors.

The day will go by fast, and will be of no use considering more than seven exploration steps. Why? Time runs. And there seem to be some magic numbers around: cats in pairs, doubling the people, twenty fish, seven steps … This is a strange isle.

Here is how this works: firstly, consider the seven moves you may make today; choose two of them and pass the remaining five to the one sitting on your left; in doing so, receive five possibilities from the one on sitting on your right; choose two more; repeat and, again, choose another two; and a final one. In the end we will still have seven options, but not the same from the start.

There will be baskets, walking boots, lessons, treasures, rare cats, fish, and some tricks at stake. This is tricky, but if we do it well, we will improve our chances for a good day. Of course, all expect to do the same, and in the end we may all be able to rescue some more cats! 

Then, it is time for planning, as each step will take time and effort, and we must also eat! So, we will carefully choose what we will be doing for the day, always counting the fish in our stock, making sure we will have enough to later lure some cats. 

Therefore, it may be wise not to go for too many steps each day, balancing exploration with cat rescuing. Think we will only keep these four for today. What do you think? Ok, and there goes three, plus one, and plus another one, making five fish in total. Not bad. Still fish enough for the kittens.

No, this is not yet the time to head for the fields: it is study time. 

You see, there may be lessons to learn, each day. If you remember well what I have told you, some days ago, there will be lessons to be shared with no one, for our eyes only, and there will be lessons to be shared, by reading them aloud, so that they can be of use for anyone.

Such lessons, written by the old ones, tell us a bit more about our own village, our own people, revealing what they value most. Thus, they will be a precious guide for our journey, if we want to have a warm homecoming welcome. Need to make the right choices along the way!

Ok, we are almost ready to run up that hill! 

Let’s count these baskets and put them to good use. Keep in mind that some baskets are sturdy and may be reused. Unfortunately, we only brought one of those in the ship … it may be worthwhile to try to make some more! 

In the meantime, we will resort to baskets that will be used only once, as these ancient cats have claws, and do not fancy the ride! And we may even assemble makeshift baskets, one from two broken ones.

Remember: one cat, one basket.

Fish, check! Basket, check! Walking boots, check! Now we just have to decide whether we walk, or we try to outrun our journey mates, so to make the first pick. Tighten your boots, for they are the key to positioning! 

Just don’t forget: you will probably not have the stamina to outrun everyone, everyday. Better find out the right pace, to make the best of the five days on the isle.

Those cats on the path to the mountain, you say? They are always watching us! Each one of them kind of adopts a different adventurer, and they are always there, in sync with our running position onto the fields. The purple one adopted us, and you see, we will be making the second pick of the day. Not that you will get an advantage, nor for the matter, any disadvantage, for rescuing Vandermills, the cats of the family of our watcher. It is what it is, a constant reminder.

The long-awaited moment has arrived! 

Focus on the baskets. One basket for each cat. Two baskets, two cats, but usually one at a time. No, forget the Hissnipper on the left, or the Teruvian on the right. A basket can carry a single cat, whichever the family. Leave the cat sketches for your notebook, as a memory to be remembered. 

Observe the fields again, the cats remaining on each side, the fish in our stock, the cats already on board, the time to go and come, and then … make your pick!

Thtat's right, cats on the right field always seem to be hungrier, and they will not come for less than five fish … perhaps because it is steeper, and they usually take longer to get to the bay. A bit more than the three fish required for those on the left side. Something to remember when planning, which cats to rescue first.

Good catch, a Mhoxxite. Not that hard, right? If you have the fish, you will have a cat in the basket in no time. As simple as that!

Upon catching a cat, we must head on to the ship and release him on board. Now, that is not a straightforward thing to do, for there are many things to think about. These are shape-shifting creatures, and they may require different space on the deck, even roaming across different compartments. Above all, don’t forget the lessons learnt.

Consider the Mhoxxite we just caught. Will he better go near the ones already on board, enlarging their family, or stay on his own? Will we choose to completely fill in the moon starboard compartment, keeping the ship tidy? Will he find for us a matching treasure map? Will he rather expel some of the rats? Will we leave him by the ship’s rail, where he may look back, one more time, at the isle.

All this takes time to ponder, and while we make the come-and-go journey, the other adventurers will be giving a go of their own at cat rescuing.

Now that we have rescued some cats, and the growing shadows signal the ending of the day, it is still time for a final move, attempting to find treasures or, maybe even, those fascinating Oshax. 

And, again, we will give some consideration on how to distribute the cargo on board. Maybe we will use treasures to fill in some empty spots, among the laying cats, or to completely fill in some of the ship’s compartments, or even to terminate some of the remaining rats!

Throughout the day we made use of our bag of tricks, to get the upper hand: getting extra fish, a brand-new basket to use all the way throughout the journey, some more treasures. We may as well become more creative when releasing cats on board.

There is a whole range of things that may help us fulfil our mission. But beware, the other adventurers will, for sure, also resort to tricks of their own!

As darkness creeps in, all cats turn into that same greyish tone, becoming indistinct, as they vanish from the fields, not to ever be seen again.  This day has come to an end and the fields on both sides of the island are now empty. You may be sure that tomorrow, as the sun brightens the island once again, a flurry of cats, of different cats, will take once more to the fields.

And this is it, one full day on the Isle of Cats! Quite an experience, right?

After the fifth day, the scouts will spot the black sails of Vesh Darkhand ships. You do not want to meet such a fleet on open sea, neither be surrounded in the island. It will then be time to leave.

There is not anything else you can do: the mission has come to an end. You may well rest and admire the now more colourful fleet sailing home.

Well, no doubt there will still be some rats on board, making the trip back home on their own right, having survived the growing numbers of cats, and the heavy treasures scattered on the deck.

Upon returning, safe and sound, it is then time to settle the scores. 

As you well know by now, this was not just about rescuing cats, or reuniting the largest cat families. That will help in the end, no doubt about it, but the journey was also made of shared and private lessons, treasures, expertise on deck management, and rat termination! 

All this matters, if you are to be hailed as the greatest cat rescuer and treasurer hunter!

I can tell from your eyes that you will be back soon to the island, or to similar islands, so great is the appeal, and so uncertain is the outcome. And you will be returning with the same or with other explorers, in family, or even alone. Well, never entirely alone, since you will find out your sister made it on board, and she makes for a redoubtable opponent.

I will now rest, before a new adventure, already waiting for me down the line. Meanwhile, I can’t stop imagining how all this should look from a cat’s perspective, high up on the hill, scouting the ocean beyond the cove, for sails, ships, and men…

The Isle of Cats: Part I - Cat stories

 

Game copy provided by Frank West, The City of Games

The ship is ready and about to set sail. It is time to turn off the music I have been listening to, about dirty paws and furry friends, something of monsters and men, as appropriate as it may seems. The sounds surrounding me will be quite different on the coming days: the murmur of the waters, the creak of the wooden deck, the drumming of cables slapping on the masts, and the wind high pitch caressing the sails. As we head for the isle, ready to start the exploration, looking forward to learning new lessons along the journey, to find treasures lost in time, and, foremost, to rescue cats, lots of them. 

There is something fascinating about these shape-shifting creatures, able to fully stretch under the warm sun, curl as a ball in winter, or snug into a box way too small. You may as well add the elegant leaps or the uttermost immobility, the soft purring, and, of course, that innate superiority pose.

I have heard of other islands inhabited by way more cats than humans, surrounded by another ocean, one known to be peaceful at times. Aoshima, is the name of one of them. Neko no shima, if you understand what I mean. Yes, that is right, Isle of Cats.

Please excuse me, as I am meandering… As you may tell, I do like cats! Not that it is a precondition to venture into the Isle of Cats, and to enjoy the challenges laying ahead. But well, if you do like them too, this journey will be seen under a different light, no doubt about that.

As the story goes, our scouts from Squall’s End have found that old legends were, after all, real. The Isle of Cats is, indeed, populated by ancient races of cats.  And you will quickly be learning how to tell them apart by a mere glance, mainly by their colours, ones you have never seen before on a cat, and by their tail. You may even learn their names, or at least some of them.

The naming of cats is a difficult matter

It isn't just one of your holiday games

You may think at first I'm mad as a hatter

When I tell you a cat must have three different names *

You see, there is the sensible name for daily usage, with some cats even sharing the very same name, just as we humans do. Then, there is that exquisite, distinct name, a name that never belongs to more than one single cat.

Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum

Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo or Coricopat

Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum *

Munk ... Munkust… what? Hmm, harder than you thought? Let us make this simpler. You will not be able to tell each single cat’s name on the Isle. We better stick to family names, not that different in tone from the Munkustraps or Jellylorums: the blue Hissnipers, the orange Mhoxxites, the red Teruvians, the pink Starry Vandemils, the green Crystal Garmins, and the even more unique stripped Oshaxs.

But above and beyond there's still one name left over

And that is the name that you will never guess

The name that no human research can discover

But the cat himself knows and will never confess *

Ok, that third name is clearly out of our reach!

Almost there, almost reaching the welcoming cove. And suddenly, the pressure hits me! This will not be a walk in the park, for this is an emergency rescue mission. Shadows are coming, fast, in the shape of Vesh Darkhand’s floating armies, that will spare no one in their way! We will not risk such an encounter, and as soon as the red hand over the unfurled black sails will be sighted on the horizon, we will leave the island to safely sail back towards Squall’s End.

This is, in fact, a race against time, rescuing as many cats as possible, gathering treasures, and taking advantage of lessons learned. Five days is the best estimate. Five hard-working days on the isle, from dawn to dusk, to fill-in the ship, fulfil the mission, and face public scrutiny upon arrival.

But how on earth will I lure those free-spirit cats onto the ship, you may ask. Not with city food for sure, as they are used to have fresh fish for meal! Well, I will fish for them, as cats will be cats. They will readily believe we were trained to feed and to serve them, getting increasingly confident, not to mention they will never turn away tasty food. Then, they will even dare to snatch fish from inside the baskets. That will be the moment! Snap! You got it, we just have to close the basket, and head for the ship.

Now, we did not bring along that many baskets, and it takes a basket for each cat … Therefore, we will have to come and go, one cat at a time, releasing them on board, as they will not jump into the water. Back and forth as necessary, upwards with empty baskets, downwards carrying felines. Baskets, fish, and ships will do the trick. Sooner than later there will be cats running on the deck.

Look! There already are cats wandering about, painting the fields with patches of colour. The left field of the island seems easy to reach, but you may well prefer to catch some of the cats on the right side, as this journey will not be about making the first catch, nor the easiest one.

After all, keeping cat families together and numerous, will prove worthwhile on the way back home.  That is the reason why there will be some cat picking, trusting that among you all, adventurers, many cats will be rescued, and ships will return fully loaded.

Have I mentioned treasures before? Are you sure? Yes, treasures, lost in time. Scattered all over the island. Why not get richer while saving cats? 

One tiny detail you must not forget: when the sun goes down, the cats still on the fields will quickly disappear in the growing shadows, not to ever be seen again! The sun will rise again, and cats will take on the fields, on the brand-new day. But these will be different cats, not the same from the previous day. So, choose well!

The time to explore the island has come. And these boots, as most ones, are made for walking. And I will walk. I may even run! A matter of picking up the right pace, as we will be here for five days, with different cats to rescue each day. Sometimes I will rush to be first on the fields, choosing a cat to rescue, while in other days I may take it slowly.

Always in my toes. Looking in front, to spot the cats on the fields; looking over my shoulder, to gauge the competition; looking backwards into the cove, to assess the loading status of each ship, while trying to figure out the rivals’ plans.

There will be lessons to be learned, along the way. Listening, or better said, reading scrolls from the ancient ones. They will be a guide throughout this journey, helping me to make my mind, to choose wisely, to plan a successful return.

Some lessons are to be shared with our fellow companions, and we may all put them into good use, each one of us, at our own discretion. Others will be kept in secret, for our eyes only. And others will even be of no use whatsoever. Read them carefully, and bear them in mind when devising the strategy for the coming days. 

Who will end up being recognized as the most successful explorer that ever ventured into the Isle of Cats?

Have I mentioned treasures before? Yes?! Sorry, I keep repeating myself... Must be because of this burning sun… As I was saying, there are treasures, and treasures. Some will be kind of common ones, not that large, and easier to find on the slopes. But there are also true rarities, made of large shinny golden gems. With luck on our side, we may grab a handful of those!

Fortunately, the ship is not that small, and there will be enough deck space for cats and treasures. Even if some thinking will be required when loading the ship, as there will be no time for rearranging the load later, and you may want to keep cat families together, while carefully stacking treasures on corners and vacant spots, and getting rid of those annoying rats who made all the trip in hidding.

A real treat would be to come across some Oshax, that rare breed of cats, with reddish stripes and green patches. They are not to be seen in the open fields, together with other cats. And they are know to eat a lot! Kind of royalty, around here.

Nonetheless, they are more friendly than you might have expected, and they really fit well within a regular cat family. That is why you must befriend Oshax with other cats, as soon as you get them on board, and they will become loyal members of that family, while retaining their own characteristic pose.

In this race to beat the approaching Vesh Dharkhand, and the other adventurers, I will no doubt have to resort to some tricks, here and there, to get an edge. Be it for fishing a bit more than usual, to use makeshift baskets, to explore further into the Isle, to chase cats from one field to another, to capture two of them at once, or to make a smarter use of ship’s deck space. All goes! You name it!

Cats go well in families, as we already know. But do not forget the lessons learnt, in private or as group, when deciding the whereabouts of cats and treasures on the deck. Cats, treasures, maps, and still some mice. Quite a sight! And we are not even finished yet!

You may now have a better picture of what it takes to embark in a cat-rescuing journey. But make no mistake: you must experience it firsthand! 

So, why not join me, for a full day in the Isle of Cats? You will be safe, having me as guide, while, eventually, disclosing some of the secrets of the trade. Is that a yes? Good! Meet me here at the third sun rise. See you then.

(to be continued)

* Cats Libretto, © The really useful group. From the musical based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, by T. S. Eliot.

Six Pack - N.º 7 - Rulebooks

Tsuro

 

Six.

The sides of a dice.

The sides of the hexagon.

Photographs without comments.

Gathered together under a common feature.

Peak Oil

Star Wars: Outer Rim

Castles of Burgundy

Cerebria: The Inside World

Squad Leader

Cloud of feelings

What feeling do you most often associate with playing boardgames?

Just one word, please 😉

That was the challenge.

Posted a week ago in facebook boardgaming groups.

And 200 replies came in, in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

This is the result, upon translation and minor standardization of similar wordings. 

Are you in this cloud?