Rejoice, Wednesday fans
First off, I think I'm going to start scheduling these newsletters for Wednesdays. I'm working on-campus regularly on Tuesdays, and work is hectic, so I'm just not finding the time to do it any more. Apologies, if for some reason your Tuesday enjoyment hung on one of these dropping into your inbox. Be strong 😜
You might also have noticed that reviews have slowed right down. That's down to a couple of things. Firstly, the aforementioned work. When you work for a university doing behind-the-scenes systems stuff, things get really busy when the students go home. That's the best time to get systems work done, which is where I fit in.
Secondly, I've been playing with my Python.
Cracking the code
It was a capital p in Python, you dirty-minded people. Every December a competition called Advent of Code begins. For 24 days the hosts post some programming problems daily, and nerds like me who get a kick out of programming, and solving problems, get very excited.
This year I've roped-in my fellow nerds on the Gaming Rules! Slack server, and we're having a good time so far. There's a good mix of experienced and novice programmers between us, so it's great to be able to offer help as often as I'm asking for it myself.
If you're curious, head on over to adventofcode.com and join in. It's free!
Games
Although I haven't had the time to write much, I have been playing games. I've gotten in some quality time with Solar Sphere, from Dranda Games. This was a Kickstarter I backed, and I was really looking forward to playing it, after first seeing it at UKGE two years ago. First impressions are good, it's a clever mix of worker-placement and engine-building, IN SPAAAAAACE.
I'm not sure why, I always have to say IN SPAAAAACE like that.
Other than that, I've also been playing lots more Obsession. I have a review copy from Kienda that I've been playing, and there's a brilliant implementation on BGA, which I've been playing in beta for a while, and which went live today! It's a great game, and the theme of Austen-esque lords and ladies playing whist and swooning is alive and well. You should give it a go.
I've also had my Kickstarted copy of Wayfarers of the South Tigris turn up, which I'm very excited about.
Your feedback, please
I've been thinking about a non-review piece for a while, and after a discussion with fellow UK-based writer (and podcaster!) Oliver from Tabletop Games Blog, I'm going to give it a go I think.
I want to take a look at war games, and in particular - is it okay to enjoy something which simulates the death of untold numbers of people? And if so, what's the cut-off date? I wouldn't even consider playing a simulation of the current Ukrainian conflict, for example, but I will play something like Fire In The Lake, which is set in the Vietnam war.
It's a touchy, personal subject, so I'm just curious to know if that's the sort of thing you'd like to read. Let me know. You can email me, or pop on over to the Discord server and say hello. We're a friendly bunch on there.
Until next time,
Adam