So, this past Monday, I finally played my first game of Malifaux against an actual person. It went pretty well, I think, if a bit slow (which was totally my fault). I got creamed, but that is to be expected, and I don't tend to care much about winning anyway, so it was all good. There were a few things my opponent did that really helped me get a handle on what was going on, so I wanted to point them out here.
I have already mentioned that I work in education, so I am aware that people learn best in many different ways. For me, I cannot learn by reading alone. I have read the rules manual numerous times, and it just doesn't click. I learn best by repetition and by writing. For my classes, I need to recopy my notes and problem sets several times over the course of the semester, else it won't stick.
My opponent talked through everything that was going on, before he drew cards he would state what he needed to make the ability work. This was invaluable to me. By the end of the game, I felt like I had a vague understanding of what was going on. We didn't play a particularly sophisticated game, just a shared strategy and no schemes, which was good, because I can't handle too much information all at once, I lose focus (because ADHD).
I need to get used to the noise of a game store at night. I don't care for loud, busy environments in general. So, it was difficult for me to concentrate (probably due to this, I forgot my opponent's name, as well as the name of the person who introduced himself while we were setting up, so I apologize for that - I am pretty bad with names in general).
My plan this weekend is to go through the rules manual and the cards for my starter crew (Lady J is what I think I will concentrate on for now) and write down relevant information. Then reorganize and rewrite. We have another game set for Monday, so hopefully I can have enough of a clue at that point to not spend hours looking at my cards each activation.
On a related note, several people have expressed interest in the game, so things are looking up at the local level (the scene here was pretty dead when I started this - deader than a twice resurrected guild autopsy (could not resist)). If you are in Austin and looking to play Malifaux, feel free to contact me through this blog, the Wyrd forum, or centexwar (my user name is pretty much the same in all 3) and I will let you know where we're at.
It's always good to finally get to play a game you've been obsessing about. I noticed the centexwar thread got a lot of activity, so that's a good sign. I live in San Antonio, but if I get the chance it'd be fun to go up to Austin and play Malifaux with a different crowd.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I wish I had time to get around more. You can email me through my profile if you are ever up this way. What are the main stores in SA for Malifaux?
ReplyDeleteThe main one for me is Dragon's Lair (a franchisee of the one in Austin) at Medical and Fredericksburg. It's open late nights on Monday, Tuesday and Friday. It has a little less space than the Austin DL, but more of that space is divided up into rooms -- which helps to, for instance, shelter the wargamers from the din of a packed Magic tournament. Malifaux turnout has kind of bottomed out from its peak last fall, but lately I've had a standing playdate on Friday afternoon with a guy who's new in town from California. Every now and then I get a game in with one of the old group, but that's rare.
ReplyDeleteThere's another group in town centered around Alien Worlds at 410 and Marbach, which is an interesting location that opens onto the Alamo Drafthouse. Downside is that they only have late-night gaming on Thursday; but the good thing is that if you do play there you can get a beer from the Drafthouse bar and drink while you game.