“You should never meet your heroes, they always disappoint you.” - Vlad, from the movie Camp.
The only comic to win the Hugo award and the only ‘graphic novel’ to make it into Time magazines’ top 100 novels of the century, Watchmen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchmen), is a serious piece of work.
First published as a series of 12 comics in 1986/7, it is now available in one complete volume. I bought this complete volume and took me a week to devour it. I paused only to catch my breath, to ponder upon the many issues brought up and to pick up the pieces of my rose tinted worldview. Yes, boys and girls, this comic is not for the kids.
The title of the comic does not refer to any group or individual in particular. Rather, it is an allusion to the people of power in the comic: the heroes, the superheroes, the men of strong beliefs and conviction, men who transcend their boundaries to wield influence over the masses. They are the people who watch over us. They are the figures of authority represented ominously in the centuries old question: ‘Who watches the Watchmen?’
The world of Watchmen is set in an alternate version of earth in the 80s. The world is a bleak utopia where ‘God’ is alive, but his presence aggravating a nuclear stand off between the Americans and the Soviets. ‘Costumed adventurers’ secretly walk the streets at night saving lives, but being persecuted in fear of their power. It is a world where the good is being perverted and subsequently rejected by the masses. It is a world where peace and love is denounced as false, keeping instead to the tenets of fear and suspicion. Anger and accusation are favored over understanding and tolerance. It is a world not so different from our own.
The heroes – ‘costumed adventurers’ – of the Watchmen universe are wretched beings. Forced into hiding by a mob fearful of their powers, they themselves display moments of weakness, an all too human failing even as they try in vain to save the mob from themselves. It is here where Watchmen is at its darkest, showing us the base nature of Man, and how Men in power solves problems by abusing their power, imposing their will upon others, justifying their version of good over existing ‘wrongs’. How, in the end, even super beings with power cannot rise above the darkness of society, and how they themselves merely accelerates the cycle of destruction plaguing mankind since the beginning of time. There is no good in the nature of Man. There can be no hope for salvation in the hands of Man.
“… Can you practise what you preach, would you turn the other cheek?…” - Black Eye Peas, from the music Where is the Love?
I can’t recommend this comic enough to anyone and everyone. Despite the dark material, there is enough hints and hopes for the future. If everyone reads this novel and learn the lessons within, there is no doubt that our world will be a better place.
Has usuals, our Klang gaming session starts off with a BKT breakfast at Teluk Gadong. This time, we have a victim privileged guest joining us - see wei.
After a hale and hearty meal, the gamers - aik yong, ivan, suan sim, see wei and alvin - settled down for the first chick-friendly game of the day: Carcassone.
This game is not an easy game for veterans to play with newbies as newbies tend not to ‘get it’ in the first game. And as history repeats itself, see wei came out of the game dazed and confused, letting other players make the choices for her more than making one herself. Next game with newbies, I will definitely enforce a ‘no advise’ rule during a newbie’s turn.
Next game we did was 6 Nimmt/Take 6. Now this is an easy game to teach that is new to the rest of the group and this is where see wei suddenly perks up and pay attention. The mechanics of the game are pretty simple to follow and the luck factor is high in this game, so newbies can get into the groove of things easily.
As Lunch time looms near, Blokus Trigon was pulled out to give the group a game of spatial challenge. Again this game is a hit for see wei due to the simplicity of the rules. She starts asking about the game prices, which is an early sign of game addiction. 
Lunch was Dominos delivery so that we don’t have to leave the comfort of home and gaming paradise. Gaming apparently gives everyone a big appetite as the order that was supposed to feed 5-6 person was barely enough for 3 guys and 2 gals.
Blokus Trigon session 2 was started again after lunch as we wait for the arrival of june as well as vincent, who rushed all the way back from singapore to join us (hehe boardgame addict, apparently he did Lifeboats while in singapore…)
Bang! was the order of the day as the group number finally hit the magical 7 mark. Alvin took first duties as Sheriff of Klang town but was gunned down helplessly in the first turn by neighbouring outlaws vincent and ivan. Second game saw June becoming the sheriff and she did a better job at it, surviving the first few rounds effortlessly. Vincent the renegade tried to get on the sheriff’s good side by shooting down outlaws, then turning sides in an instant by gunning down the sheriff’s deputies. Sheriff June ignored the two-face traitor, however, as she found herself in the crosshairs of outlaw aik yong. When the dust finally settles the sheriff team still won due to superior firepower. Fun game this, 7’s the perfect number to play.
As there were a large number of chicks in the group, Ticket to Ride: Europe was brought out for some non-confrontational gaming. Ivan and Suan Sim did a couple tag team while Vincent was forced to play separately from June. I fill up the arbitrary fourth space while Alvin helped out See Wei in the last space. There were a few tense moments as the gamers quickly snatch up the popular tracks in middle Europe. Ivan executed his long tracks strategy to perfection and won the game. My own enforced ‘keep all tickets while playing with newbie’ rule backfired as I failed to complete a crucial track. See wei did well enough with Alvin’s help and again she enquired about the game’s price (hehe). June seems to have a brain churning good time while vincent seems to be suffering through the brain-burning session (heh).
The afternoon session wraps up with an introductory session of Take 6 for vincent and june. And since this brain-less game is right up vincent’s alley, he absolutely loves it.
Dinner was out at one of Klang’s seafood restaurant at Teluk Gong. Tyng Ruey joined us for some seafood action and everyone had a satisfying meal. The guys ordered some tuak/tapai (fermented coconut) to go with the food and drank themselves silly.
As See Wei bid us goodnight as she had to drive back to Cheras, the rest of us did Formula De, partly to satisfy ivan’s craving for some dice chucking action and also to make sure vincent and june had their fill of gaming. Since Shanghai track was brought out for Fri nite OTK, the Bahrain track was brought out instead. Now this is a deceptive track, one which I was caught unawares in the first corner and had to limp all the way back to the finishing line with a wreck. There were a total of 3 spin outs among the 6 cars, although there were no casualties. Luck with the dice is really important in this track as a mis-throw can mean the difference between winning and crashing out. Alvin won the game despite a strong late challenge from ‘mad max’ ivan. This game got on at a good pace and we took about 2 hours to complete.
As the time approaches midnight, it’s time to call it a day and retire to sleep. We all had a good time, next gaming shall be christmas time with ivan’s Starcraft boardgame!
credits: photos by aycee
A proof that Boardgamers are going mainstream: demands to be acknowledged for their work!
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/222917
Barely months after the Barnes Debate (should gamers be censured for their ‘inflammatory’ content?), we have another quality discussion about the political correctness of a game company using other people’s game photos about their own games.
Granted that I agree with the photo taker that he should be credited, the whole issue again has been blown out of proportion by the gaming masses and handled badly by all parties involved.
IMHO though, the photo taker himself did not have a generous intention of sharing those photos to begin with. He craves recognition and he craves ownership. He forgets that in the end, we are all just dust and all our talent and inspiration ultimately comes from the Father above. In this respect, I say let him take back his photos and don’t share them in the first place. If he is so attached to them, let him keep them in his own pc and NOT let it out there.
Gaming started 9-ish as a miscellaneous of usual and returning gamers descend upon OTK. A table of Reef Encounter was started up in order to honor wolfx’s effort in deciphering the cryptic rules. Bi Lin, wolfx, ayheng and Nelson were the brave souls in this experiment. The rules are simple but the mechanics convoluting. All the mechanics interconnects intricately and yours truly held up the game with serious AP issues. To wolfx’s credit he did not miss any important rules and did a great job explaining. In the end I walked away with a thumping victory in coral dominance scoring, but my strategy for the game isn’t clearly defined… it’s too complex! Nelson gave it a thumbs down rating but mainly due to its theme, this guy is a wargamer a la Champion Eternal (hehe). wolfx and bi lin gave it an OK rating, which means it’s interesting enough, will give it another go, but not dying to play it.
The other table meanwhile settle down to a game of Gang of Four, and then proceed to Bang! as more Pudu gamers join the fray. Jack208, waiyan, rhyen as well as alantan and friend joined them in a big riotous group.
Meanwhile, bi lin, wolfx and nelson listened to an explanation of the Tikal rules before it was decided too late to start the game there. Instead, Incan Gold was brought out and with the departure of nelson, waiyan and jack208 joined to fill up the space. This game is really a light distraction, super filler - short and quick.
Gaming wind down over OTK and the groiup now move their gaming to New BGC @ Cheras Business Centre. It took awhile to find parking place (hint, next time should car pool from old BGC to new BGC) and settling down as gamers got acquainted with the new place.
There being 12 players and 1 moderator, Werewolf was the first on the menu. Can’t remember all the pudu gamers’ names but rhyen, wolfx, steven and myself were in the game as well. First game saw lots of talking and lynching while the 2nd game and 3rd game saw less and less talk as the talkative players found themselves voted out quickly! The 3rd game saw some serious deduction from the players as 2 players declare themselves as fortune tellers! In the end, everyone except myself picked the right guy to lynch (wolfx the great pretender villager), man I just can’t read people.
As the Pudu gamers bid goodnight, myself, steven, jack208, rhyen and wolfx started a game of Formula De at 3am in the morning while waiyan retires citing sleepiness. The expansion track: Shanghai was brought to the table and man, it was a riot! The ending saw the total elimination of 40% of the participanting cars (each person gets two) and rhyen held on to his lead to finish the game first while his other car was taken out by another crazy driver (hehehe). Only Steven manageed to get both his car to safety and thus wins the constructor championship. The game moves along constantly as players remind each other to shift their gears and move their cars. The result is a fairly fun game which doesn’t feel too dragged out. Will definately use this method next time.
As day breaks at 5am, the Formula De group broke out a relaxing game of Ra. The game was played till 6am and there was much laughter as wolfx reveal his final bidding tiles to be all low values! Poor guy never got a set until everyone else pretty much done their shopping. Needless to say wolfx was royally screwed. (hehehe)
Gaming wraps up then and there. Another satisfying 6AS gaming @ BGC
Next Page »