So here is a question for HN. What is a good boardgame which has
(1) rich tactics
(2) does not need "memorizing openings" type efforts to be good at or where such strategies don't work.
(3) is easy to set up and play (4) has some online community
I don't pay chess these days for much the same reasons as jacquesm. Miniature wargames are fun but a bear to setup and tear down. Most popular boardgames aren't very rich tactically, mostly dependent on luck/die rolls etc.
I guess Go would be a good choice but I can't get anyone to play with here and/or teach me some interesting tactics :-|. I know the rules but don't quite "get" it yet.
Chinese chess is fantastic. It's strategically rich, but much harder to screw yourself in the opening than with regular chess. It's also different enough to be delightful to learn for people who already enjoy chess. Two examples that really charmed me:
1. There is a jumping piece which attacks by leaping OVER pieces and landing on whichever piece is on the far side. It's possible to defend against this piece by moving other pieces into and out of the path between it and it's target, effectively redirecting the attack.
2. Kings cannot face each other on the board, or leave a very small 3x3 section of their territory. This complicates endgame, but makes your king more powerful in locking off the options of your opponent.
Arimaa is a game that you can play with a chess set. Its designed to be easy to learn but hard for computers to play. There is an unclaimed cash prize for the first bot to win the annual open tournament. Google 'arimaa' to find the rules.
(1) rich tactics (2) does not need "memorizing openings" type efforts to be good at or where such strategies don't work. (3) is easy to set up and play (4) has some online community
I don't pay chess these days for much the same reasons as jacquesm. Miniature wargames are fun but a bear to setup and tear down. Most popular boardgames aren't very rich tactically, mostly dependent on luck/die rolls etc.
I guess Go would be a good choice but I can't get anyone to play with here and/or teach me some interesting tactics :-|. I know the rules but don't quite "get" it yet.