Weekly comments from Dale Martin

Dale Martin
City Manager
City of Fernandina Beach
December 2, 2016 1:00 a.m.

As some of you are aware, one of my great interests is collecting and playing boardgames. My collection current has approximately five hundred games with a variety of topics and mechanics, nearly all of which are relatively unknown to non-gamers. Obviously, my games include such common titles as Scrabble, Sorry, Yahtzee, and Monopoly.

Most of my games, though, include other unfamiliar titles such as Advanced Squad Leader (fight small battles), Age of Steam (build a railroad), Clash of Civilizations (build a civilization), Food Chain Magnate (manage a diner), Drum Roll (manage a circus), Merchants and Marauders (plunder and pillage). I have dozens of other games with subjects as obscure as chariot racing, space colonization, art collecting, power plants, and German parliamentary politics. My games also include several party games for larger groups.

Some of those unfamiliar games, however, are somewhat more complicated and involved that the familiar titles- they are not games that are easily grasped (including by me) without several opportunities to play. Part of the allure of the games is to explore the depth and variety of strategies in the games. It is that exploration that is very enjoyable.

One of the things I do miss from my time in Connecticut was a group of friendly gamers. We’d gather every Friday night and play for hours, enjoying the camaraderie and competition. It was a wonderful way to end each week and kickoff the weekend. We’d rotate through each other’s homes, with Lisa either enjoying her quiet Friday night when I was away or, when I was home, shaking her head that grown men were acting like geeks around a table with cardboard, dice, and cards.

Finding these games has become more and more difficult. I purchased my first games decades ago at were commonly referred to as hobby stores- retailers selling plastic models, rockets, and radio-controlled toys. Those specialty stores have too often now succumbed to online sales. Here, the closest game stores used to be located in Jacksonville (clustered somewhat together on Atlantic and Beach Boulevards.

While those stores are actually still operational, the closest game store is now on the Island- Amelia Comics and Games has opened at 1897 Island Walkway (Suite 6; immediately south of the CBC National Bank site off of 14th Avenue). Zachary (Zach) Williams is a native Fernandina Beach resident who has returned home to start this relatively obscure niche business. Since Christmas is upon us, this is my annual opportunity to not only shamelessly plug games as a great family Christmas gift, but also the opportunity to support a new local business.

The resurgence of games in the United States often has been linked to a 1995 game, The Settlers of Catan (now simply Catan). That game won the prestigious Spiel de Jahres (Game of the Year) in Germany. Catan requires that players collect a variety of resources to build roads, settlements, and cities, the latter two earning victory points. It is possible to trade or steal resources from other players, or, through shrewd building, thwart the efforts of others. It is a relatively simple game, and often referred to as a “gateway” game: an introduction to new gaming.

Another award-winning gateway game is Ticket to Ride. In Ticket, players collect cards to complete sets (based upon color) to claim railroad connections between U.S. cities. Longer connections generate greater victory points. Victory points are also claimed by completing specific routes between cities identified on tickets, which are not revealed until the end of the game. Like Settlers, the game is simple. Each turn takes mere seconds because a player only has three options: draw two cards, claim a route, or draw additional tickets. This game is a wonderful game for older children, but it can be competitive enough for adults.

Other gateway games include Stone Age, another resource-gathering game that requires players prioritize their limited actions each turn, because every action is not available to every player. 7 Wonders is a card-based game that requires each player, all with a somewhat different starting inventory of resources, to select a card to “build” in their civilization, and pass the rest to a neighboring player. This is repeated seven times, completing an Age. After three such Ages, scores are tallied for the cards placed for each player’s civilization. The path to victory can be wildly varied from game to game. 7 Wonders is another simple, competitive (and quick) family-oriented game.

Mr. Williams has invited me to demonstrate some of the games that I have described (and that he also includes in his inventory) and show many other games of my collection. The variety of games can be somewhat overwhelming to many people, most of whom are only familiar with many of the American classics. I will be at Amelia Comics and Games on Sunday, December 4, from 3:00- 6:00 PM. If you would like to learn more about boardgames for the Christmas season (and, actually, year-round), please stop by. I look forward to seeing you.