Essen and technology

I have packed, counted my Euros and printed off my Spiel preview.Good to go.
For some reason the intro to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales keeps springing to mind, except its October showers not April though Spiel is a pilgramage of sorts.

Since my last post i have added Merchants & Marauders and After Pablo to the buy list. Merchants is on the list because i am still searching for 'the' pirate game and After Pablo because it looks very interesting ; both theme and mechanics wise. There are rumours that the new FF Civ game will be there and whilst i don't believe it i will be heading to the FF stand first thing Thursday morning. Its a shame that Vinhos won't make the shshow, however it will be welcome when it arrives later in November.

My Blackberry packed up last week so i changed up to a Iphone 4. Before i started playing with it i thought mobile phones were just for calls and emails. The Iphone has changed that - it really is amazing and is like carrying round a computer. Of course i downloaded loads of boardgame Apps :- Neuroshima Hex, Wabash, Samurai , Tichu and High Society. All are outstanding - especially Tichu. Apet from Wabash none of these are games that i play very often and i think a Iphone App is a great way of finding out if you like a game or not, or discovering games that i gave not played before. It might sound odd but i am not that interested in playing games that i love face to face against the computer. i don't think the medium is suited to longer games as the omotional investment tails off after 15 minutes or so.

If i have time i will post my first impressions of games i play in Essen.

Essen wishlist

I imagine i am not the only one hitting the refrsh button on boardgamenews Spiel preview, searching for details of the lastest releases.

I have been reading the rules of Essen releases when they become available, and whislt they are not the best guide to how well a games going to play (last year i dismissed Endeavor, Vasco Da gama and Hansa Tuetonica after a rules read - big mistake) they, and the occasional word with play testers, are the only thing to go on.

So whats on my list

Category 'Will wrip it out of the hands of the seller on early Thursday morning'

Merkator
Poseidon
Navagador
Master of Economy
7 Wonders
Key Market
Vinhos
Grand Cru

London would be top of this list but its being delivered to Treefrog subscribers before Essen

Category '....Now rush to get these'

Norenberc
51st State
High Fronteir
K2
Luna
Porto Carthago

Category '2 hours till back to the hotel go grab'

German Railroads
First Train to Nuremburg
Charon
Baltimore and Ohio
Troyes
New Adlung Spiel
New bambus
.......

Friday will be spent loading up for the shop. Looking at the list, if this was a 'pick up and deliver' game i would not be doing very well - some purcahses can be combined and if i have paid for it it can be left till the afternoon. However, i plan playing on Thursday late into the night and there are on or two games that just must be played (7 wonders springs to mind twice)

There are a few titles which will get a Rio Grande or Z man Uk release within a few weeks of Essen so they are not on the list (Rio del Plata, Incan Empire) so they can wait.

My main aim is not to buy everything i see and come back with a bunch of games that will be played on a regular basis and not traded after a few months (i'm looking at you Megacorps...)