Jan 10 Reflection

Jan 10th Reflection

Since I transferred to Calvin, one of the constants that I've noticed is that everyone seems to have played Settlers of Catan at least once. I myself played it back when I first arrived over a year ago, but I didn't completely understand what I was doing, and my overall impression of it was that it was fun, but not something that really fired me up. Over New Year's Eve these past few weeks ago though, a group of my friends ended up playing it, and although I didn't participate, I was surprised by how much I remembered of when I played. So, I figured I would give it my best shot when we played in class on Friday, and just try to enjoy myself. I didn't expect the game to take over two and a half hours, but I also didn't expect to end up winning either! As I played, I really began to notice the finer points of the strategy behind it, and that each person who plays it has their own style that they undergo. I myself remembered that roads were important, so I ended up having the longest road for much of the game. As time went on, I gradually upgraded my cities and expanded, opting for saving and making large spurts of growth rather than a continuous approach. For a time, this was a good plan, because the other players would focus on improving themselves as well. I also forged a balanced reputation with them early. In trades, I wanted to gain their approval early, so that way when I needed certain supplies later, they would be more inclined to work with me on something. I would offer two of my resources for one of theirs, and build something small like a road. As time went on though, I expanded and when I would need a sheep or grain to make a new settlement, I would usually have someone willing to work with me. It showed me how interesting a game like Settlers could be, because the goal is obviously to win, but you need to enlist the help of the other players to have a decent shot at doing so.

Another interesting aspect I noticed was how much of a role momentum played in the final result. On the final few turns, I had a large amount of resource cards, but I had lost the longest road and was in 2nd with 7 VP, with the leader having 9. As the other players went, I began to hatch a plan that would allow me to build a settlement and 3 roads in one turn, swinging the game in my favor to win. I had been in 1st for most of our play-through, so I think it helped that once I fell off from being so close, the other players didn't seem to have regarded me as big of a threat as they had previously. Then, with luck in my favor by not getting the robber on any of the other rolls, I was able to completely take them by surprise. I ended up winning, and although I count myself as a pretty level-headed player (i.e. not super-competitive), I must admit it was somewhat of a good feeling to lay down all of my cards and see their expressions change as I detailed what I ultimately did. I really see how different Catan play-throughs can be, and I chalk up my previous opinion to my misunderstanding of the finer points of the game. I really enjoy it now, and I look forward to playing it with my friends back home a lot in the future.