Tales of the Empire

Tales of the Empire is a six-episode series of shorts (each running 12-18 minutes). It is basically season two of Tales of the Jedi. It focuses on formative moments in the lives of two people in particular: Morgan Elsbeth and Barriss Offee.

As with Jedi, it is hard to get any real depth in such short episodes. The first three were about Elsbeth; the last three were about Offee. I enjoyed them all, but you need to be familiar with the movies, the Clone Wars series, and Ahsoka for these to make any sense. These are more connective tissue between established tales than independent stories. I wish they had made more and made them more stand-alone.

Rating: B+

Super Hero Squad Card Game

Today's review is of the 2012 collectible card game, Super Hero Squad. For two players, it takes 15 minutes.

Overview

Can you deplete your opponent's deck before they do the same to you? In this fast-moving game, you launch an attack (with a magnitude and type of energy) and your opponent tries to block. If they can't, they'll mill cards . . . and the first to deplete their opponent's deck wins!

Sample card; image from here

A turn is straightforward:

- flip a coin. If heads, the level (for both you and your opponent) goes up one

- draw a card.

- play an attack. To be eligible, the attack number (upper left) cannot exceed the current level. Attacks have a magnitude and type of energy (middle left); your opponent will try to block by discarding a card with the matching type (lower left). If they cannot, they mill that many cards from their deck until they reach the attack value *or* mill a card with a matching energy block. Come cards may also have special abilities that increase damage or have other effects.

Players keep trading attacks/blocks until one deck is depleted.

Review

This game is (by design) simplistic. While I appreciate how quickly it moved, and the "coin flip to increase the level" mechanic was interesting, I didn't care for this. It seemed incredibly luck-heavy and ultimately a pattern-matching game. If you can 'match the pattern' (by blocking with the appropriate symbol), great. If not, oh well. And how well you can match the pattern seemed largely out of your control, with six energy types available (perhaps three would have been better, for more of a 'rock-paper-scissors' feel). You could build a deck to have a low probability of countering everything, or a tuned deck to counter one or two specific things . . . hard to say how you would design a deck around any sort of defensive strategy. Offensively, I see how it could be done. As it is intended for ages 8+, I don't want to ding it too hard . . . but I understand why I could pick up a starter deck at Ollie's for $3 even though the game has long been out of print.

Rating: C

Building Blocks of Tabletop Game Design (Engelstein & Shalev)

In any mature industry, there is a shared language: terminology, categories, and other things that have developed over the years to give participants a way to explain their designs, ideas, and thoughts. The tabletop game industry, though, lacks this language. There are informal terms in pockets, but nothing universal. 

In Building Blocks of Tabletop Game Design, authors Geoffrey Engelstein and Isaac Shalev aim to provide both "a stepping-stone to building a common vocabulary [and body of knowledge] among game designers" and "a compendium of game mechanisms, grouped together thematically, that map the territory of modern gaming." This is not a 'how to' on game design; rather, they've "chosen to look at the building blocks of games themselves: the mechanisms [or mechanics]." So think of this "not [as] a recipe book but rather a catalog of ingredients and how they can enrich a dish." 

Across 13 major sections, they look at 203 different mechanisms, attributes, or facets of game design. (In a given section, the different mechanisms might be variations of each other.) Each mechanism has a description, discussion (including the possibilities and potential pitfalls), and sample games. This list, as the authors state, is not comprehensive: they recognize that they cannot hit on every single thing out there, but try to focus on some basic elements to help both beginner and designer alike. In addition, it can be hard to cleanly delineate between some mechanisms—some things could fall into multiple categories—so they do their best and mention related or alternative groupings.

The sections:

- Game Structure

- Turn Order and Structure

- Actions

- Resolution

- Game End and Victory

- Uncertainty

- Economics

- Auctions

- Worker Placement

- Movement

- Area Control

- Set Collection

- Card Mechanisms

They reference a whopping 838 sample games total, giving readers plenty of ideas for games to try or examine to learn more about a given mechanic. 

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I got this book to help my goal of designing a board game one day. I intended to use it as a reference only, but was unexpectedly engrossed and ended up reading it straight through. (Well, I read each section introduction and mechanism description, and read or skimmed the mechanism discussions as suited my fancy.) 

This is a wonderful book; I really enjoyed it. It covered mechanics I knew, ones/variations I didn't, and gave me plenty of ideas for both mechanics to think about and games to try. I will say, though, that my enjoyment is due in part to having played and reviewed a lot of games. Of the 838 games the authors mention, I've played ~80 of them (and, to date, I've reviewed 188 games on this blog). So if you are already familiar with tabletop games, I think this is a fantastic resource. If you are brand new, you will likely be overwhelmed.

Rating: A

Call to Adventure

Today's review is of the 2019 release, Call to Adventure. For 1-4 players, it takes 30-45 minutes.

Overview

In Call to Adventure, craft your fantasy hero wisely (through acquiring traits and overcoming challenges) to earn the most points and win!

To start, each player is dealt six character cards: two origin, motivation, and destiny cards. They choose one of each and place them in their respective tableaus, from left to right, with the destiny card face-down. The story decks (I, II, and III) are prepared and laid out on the table, with Act I cards face-up. Players are dealt one hero card and play begins!

game example; image from here

The goal of the game is to acquire the most destiny points (which is a combination of triumph, tragedy, and experience points). You gain these things by performing actions; on your turn, you can:

- acquire a trait (choose a visible card from the story decks that has traits you already have on your cards; put it behind your origin card with the top showing)

- face a challenge (choose a visible card from the story decks and attempt the challenge on the top or bottom of it; cast runes aligned with the challenge and your character's traits; if the number exceeds the challenge threshold, you get that card and put it behind your origin card with the top or bottom showing, depending on the path you chose)

- use a special ability (on one of your character cards or from hero cards)

Once a player has placed three cards behind their origin card, the next row in the story deck is revealed and an option for all players. Turns continue until one player has three cards behind all three of their character cards: then remaining players go until all have had an equal number of turns. Then turn your destiny card face-up, points are awarded based on your triumphs ('good' points), tragedies ('bad' points), experience, and any bonus granted by your destiny card. The highest score wins!

Review

This is a simple game (and my review simplifies it further for brevity). The rune system is intriguing (but, in the end, just a variant on dice). The artwork is astounding. It has echoes of Splendor, and be considered a cross between that and a light character-building RPG-like experience. The choices are pleasant (but perhaps not as meaningful as could be). Overall, I enjoyed it.

Rating: A-

A Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and Designers (Brue et al.)

One problem in society (and church) is the belief that technology (and technical careers) are 'neutral.' Yet this is not true; "Not all beliefs are articulated in doctrinal statements, some take shape in wood and metal." "Technology has deeply religious roots. Our yearnings and imagination reflect personal values shaped by desires and longings within our hearts." We are all religious, and how those in technical careers do their jobs is also shaped by beliefs. How should Christians, then, approach such things? In this book with a very long name, Christian engineers and professors provide thoughts on how Christians can responsibly participate in technical fields without ignoring or sacrificing their faith.

It starts with understanding God's purposes and how things ought to be. God created the world and gave humans a unique station in it. Part of that is to build culture and, with it, technology. This should all be done under the great commandments to love God and neighbor, recognizing our dependence on both. The fall of man distorted things, but our purpose and mandate remain. "A central purpose of engineering and technology, then, should be to enable all creatures to freely honor, serve and depend on each other, as a means of becoming fully what we were created to be." "Done well, our technological dreams become reality in building God's kingdom. Done poorly, our technological dreams become nightmares that pervert creation and harm our neighbor."

Technology is not neutral; it is value-laden. Things are designed with a goal in mind, which reflect hopes, values, and dreams. "The designer is evident in the design." Things we create have "build-in biases and preferences that make some activities easier and others more difficult." There is thus an idealogy behind anything we create. And this is not a one-way street: we are shaped by what is produced, for "the tendencies built into our tools subtly change the way we think, work, and interact. Ultimately, those tendencies are rooted in our identity, our culture, and our faith." We shape technology, and then technology shapes us. We must thus tread carefully.

After the above core concepts, the authors talk about design norms, including 15 modal aspects that, per philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd, are "a way to think about reality." The authors here claim that "these aspects help us think about how to design technology." These aspects help us see that any given engineering project is far more than just coming up with a solid design; there are many other factors to consider (social, economic, aesthetic, and so on), all done under the auspices of glorifying God and blessing our neighbors. 

The authors then look at various beliefs about technology, from those who make it an idol (thinking it can solve all of society's problems and create human autonomy) to those who spurn it (thinking it is the source of our problems). The right response, though, is "directing technology in obedience to God and in service to our neighbor and the rest of creation." 

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As an engineer, I was excited to read this book. It is a basic guide, covering the same ground (concerning the cultural mandate and devoting every aspect of life to glorifying God) as many other works do. That wasn't bad, but the book's value is more in the technical focus. I appreciated how the authors pointed to various portraits of technology in the Bible (though we rarely recognize it as such), and that there is a very religious bent to everything we do—even in seemingly 'neutral' things like designing an app. The section on design norms was interesting, and they spent time looking at the past and speculating on the future, too, which was decent. With three authors, I felt it did get repetitive, and they didn't go as deep (or cover the complexities/nuances in some matters) as I hoped. Still, there is value for those unfamiliar with how to integrate their faith with all of life.

Rating: B

Men's Retreat

Two weeks ago, I attended my church's annual men's retreat. The speaker was Rev. Bob Bjerkaas, who gave a series of excellent talks on the apostle Paul. Below is a summary with select questions for reflection from each session.

Talk 1: Paul the Patient Apprentice

Paul was from Tarsus, an epicenter of learning. He had everything: education, pedigree, citizenship. And yet everything changed for this 'Hebrew of Hebrews' on the road to Damascus (see Acts 9). This man, who had sought to kill or imprison followers of Jesus, would become one of them. 

The Lord appeared to Paul and sent him to Ananias, a teacher with whom Paul would spend three years in Damascus (Galatians 1:15-18). He then went to Jerusalem for 15 days, but then out again to Syria and Cilicia (Galatians 1:18-24). He would spend 14 years in various regions (Galatians 2:1-2), ending up in Cyprus (Acts 13:1-12). During this time, he was under Barnabas' teaching for a decade (and was first called Paul) before returning to the City of David. All told, from Damascus to Cyprus, the learned Paul submitted himself to the teaching of others for 17-20 years. What marvelous patience!

Reflection Questions:

1. Am I happy where God has placed me now? 

2. Am I benefiting from people God has put over me now?

3. Do I have unholy discontent where I am, and with what I am doing?

Talk 2: Paul the Slave of God
We shy away from the word 'slave' today, but Paul embraced it and used it to describe himself in relation to God. Then as now, the title was as derogatory and shameful as possible. Since the Greek has one word for slave and servant (doulos), we tend to use the latter because it is easier to swallow . . . but the former better captures what Paul means.

In the Hellenistic context, a slave was part of the family but without rights. They would be considered part of the household (see Philippians 4:22); Caesar had 20K slaves. Slaves had rank; the pride was to whom you belonged. They were property and could be willed to others. Importantly, the ancients had a concept called sacral manumission: if a slave was willed to the temple, he was off limits to anyone else—ever. He was free from earthly masters to serve God! This context is vital to understood Paul's teachings.

Paul routinely invokes verbiage directly or indirectly related to slavery to describe the life of the Christian in relation to God (see Romans 6:15-23, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Corinthians 7:20-22, 2 Timothy 2:22-24). Whether our English translations render it 'slave' or 'servant,' it is the same word. In Paul's view, he has been sacrally manumitted to Christ: set free from serving sin and is bonded to God, never to be sold again. We all are slaves to something or someone . . . Christ is the superior master.

Reflection Questions:

1. Do I see myself as a slave of Christ? Do I delight in this?

2. Am I focused on pleaseing people or serving God?

3. How often do I remember that I am not my own—that I was bought with a price?

Talk 3: Paul the Humble Preacher
Paul was unmistakably familiar with the culture of the day. His birth city was a hotbed of sophists, and Paul uses their languge in his letter to the Corinthians. And yet, Paul was shockingly countercultural. Though trained in the methods of the day (as seen in the Isthmian games in first-century Corinth), Paul was focused on bringing something that was unmistakably different: he taught in a way that embodied the Gospel. He would contradict the value system of the day to show the wisdom of Christ. How?

Paul deliberately avoided building his ministry on popular technique or method. He didn't come with lofty speech or wisdom, but in weakness and fear, so that their faith would not rest in the wisdom of men or words of flattery but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2, 1 Thessalonians 2). He valued message over method, recognizing that "what you win them with is what you win them to." And He modeled Jesus, who (among other things) focused on interacting with people vs. public sermons. Paul wanted people vs. their respect or support (2 Corinthians 12:14).

Reflection Questions:

1. Am I relying on the world's techniques/wisdom, or the power of God?

2. Am I focused on relationships? On authentic life with people?

3. Am I interruptable?

Talk 4: Paul the Servant Leader
Paul demonstrated servant leadership in many ways. One example is when he is a prisoner and on a ship caught in a violent storm. Here, he displayed leadership throughout the event, comforting and guiding people, and when they wrecked on Malta, Paul gathered brushwood as others looked on though he was old (late fifties), cold, wet, and probably starving (see Acts 27:1-28:10). The locals were blown away and eventually invited him to the main house, where he healed and used his gifts there. He demonstrated important truths:

- Leaders see needs and act.

- Nothing is beneath the dignity of a shepherd in Christ's church. 

- Great leaders focus on serving others, even when suffering.

- God can do incredible things when faithful leaders apply their weak gifts in the service of others. You don't have to be good at something for God to do something good through you. You have strengths . . . God wants your weaknesses (see 2 Corinthians 12:1-10).

Reflection Questions

1. What are the 'sticks' in your world? 

2. How can you look for ways to serve?

3. How can you serve God in your weakness (doing things you are bad at)?

Talk 5: Paul the Optimistic Mentor
Before his conversion, Paul was wreaking havoc on Christians (Acts 7:54-8:3, 9:1-2). Ananias was understandably alarmed at the prospect of helping Paul (Acts 9:10-19), yet trusted the Lord and called Paul brother (see v17), welcoming him. Paul, who learned under Ananias, displays this same cordial attitude towards misbehaving Christians. 

Paul is always thankful, praying with joy, and confident that God will complete the work that He starts in the lives of His people (Philippians 1:3-6). To quote a Puritan, Paul "learned to rejoice whenever [he] detect[ed] the slightest whiff of Christ in a person." He doesn't look backwards and downwards, but forwards and upwards. He doesn't rest on his laurels, nor does he beat himself (or others) up for failing, but keeps his eye on the prize (Philippians 3:1-14). He is optimistic.

Paul remains optimistic even when faced with conflicts, hardships, and opponents. He encourages maturity (Philippians 3:15-16) but doesn't deny others the status of 'brother' or fight with them, reminding even those who quarrel that their names written in the book of life (Philippians 4:2-3)! Paul recognizes that God works in a different order and different pace in different people. And he is confident of people's obedience (Philemon, esp. v21) because of God's promises. 

 

Reflection Questions

1. Do you look at people optimistically?

2. Are you confident in God's promise to finish the work He begins—in yourself and others?

3. How can you cultivate optimism towards others in your life—especially your spouse?

Final Thoughts

I couldn't capture everything in the above, but I hope that I captured the gist. It was a wonderful insight into Paul the man, and there is much to reflect upon here.

Skull King

Today's review is of the 2013 release, Skull King. For 2-8 players, it takes 30 minutes.

Overview

Skull King is a trick-taking game with some twists. Like Spades, there are four suits, one is trump, and a player wins a trick if they play the highest-value card of the suit played (or played the highest trump card). But here, there are ten rounds. Each round, players are dealt the number of cards equal to the round number. Players bid on how many tricks they will win, and they must win exactly that many tricks in the round to get bonus points (otherwise, they lose points). And there are extra types of cards (see next paragraph). The round proceeds, and when it ends, tricks are tallied and points are awarded based on both the bids and bonus points certain cards grant. Then all cards are shuffled back into the main deck and the next round begins. After ten rounds, the final score is tallied. Highest score wins!

card examples; image from here

Another twist to this game is the extra types of cards. There are pirates (which defeat all cards except the skull king, and have special abilities of their own), mermaids (which defeat all numbered cards and the skull king), the mighty skull king himself (which defeats everything except mermaids), and more (see the publisher page for more cards and rules on hierarchy). Do you have what it takes to win?

Review

This is a fun, light game. I played this as a 2-player game (but failed to see or use the two-player variant rules found in the rulebook); there were some obvious drawbacks to that approach, but it was entertaining nonetheless. The 'exact guess' requirement for bidding was a huge element here; there were times losing a trick was preferred to winning. The pirate cards having unique abilities was a neat twist, too (though the ability is not listed on the card, so keep the rulebook handy). Overall, this is a winner.

Rating: A

The New City Catechism

A catechism is a summary of truths presented in question and answer format. "All children and adults observe and interact with the world through their personal worldview." "To catechize children is to build their worldview, to teach them from Scripture about the world, and to inform their interactions with those they will live, play, learn, and work alongside." Thus, The New City Catechism's goal is "summarizing God's truths into digestible questions and answers so that as our children experience life and the world around them, they are able to understand" God, man, key truths about each, and how they should live as a result. 

This particular catechsim is 52 questions and answers separated into three categories:

- God, Creation & Fall, Law

- Christ, Redemption, Grace

- Spirit, Restoration, Growing in Grace

I love summaries, and this is no exception; I hope to work through it with the family in the coming weeks. Like the Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms, this contains valuable truths distilled into a succinct and potent form. The format is done well, too. Recommended.

Rating: A

The Bad Batch: Season 3

Shortly after Season 2 . . . the Empire badly wants Omega back. Her brothers—the 'defective' (and elite) fighting force now opposed to the Empire they once served—won't let that happen if they can help it. But against the might of the Empire, a hidden facility, and a terrible secret project . . . what hope do they have?

The Bad Batch series ends with a bang. Unlike the first two seasons, this final one felt more directed towards a purpose. It had occasional (and pleasing) cameos or homages to various other stories/series (the movies, The Clone Wars, etc.), and a reasonably satisfying conclusion.

Rating: A-

The Legends of King Arthur (ten-book set)

The Legends of King Arthur, by Tracey Mayhew and illustrated by Mike Phillips, is a 10-book

retelling of the Arthurian legends, intended for children aged 7-9. Each book is 95 pages long and has illustrations on every page. The volumes:

- No Ordinary Boy

The boy Merlin is of supernatural parentage; taken to King Vortigern, he displays his power and predicts the coming of Arthur.

- The Dark Sorceress

Morgan is the daughter of the Duke of Gorlois and his wife, Igraine. One day, Morgan's world is turned upside-down when King Uther declares war on the Duke. Sent to a nunnery for safety, Morgan is horrified to learn of her father's death—and her mother's subsequent marriage to the king who killed him. And then, a baby boy—Arthur! Morgan's rage is uncontrollable. She recognizes a power in her and trains in it. She becomes Morgan le Fay, dark sorceress. And she will see Arthur fall.

- The Sword in the Stone

Arthur and his older brother, Kay, chase away robbers attacking an old man. Through him, they learn of a tournament in Londinium. They attend, and when Arthur forgets Kay's sword, he grabs one in the town square that will change his life forever.

- Twelve Rebel Kings

Arthur puts down a rebellion against his rule, acquires Excalibur, and defends King Leodegrance from an attack. He meets and marries Guinevere, the King's daughter, and receives the Round Table as a wedding present.

- Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain gets more than he bargained for when a mysterious giant offers a 'blow for blow' contest. Will he prove true? 

- Tristan and Isolde

Tristan saves King Mark and Cornwall from the Irish, only to require healing at their hand. There, he meets the beautiful Isolde . . . with tragic consequences.

- Lancelot

Raised by the Lady of the Lake, Sir Lancelot was introduced to Arthur's court when he turned 18. He has various adventures away from Camelot, is tricked into being with Elaine, goes mad, and returns to his senses (and Camelot) as he faces his greatest love (and fear): Queen Guinevere.

- The Quest for the Holy Grail

Lancelot has a son! Galahad shows up at Camelot one day, and his name appears at the Round Table. And the end is near; his arrival heralds the quest for the Holy Grail. As Arthur's knights pursue this adventure, only three will prove worthy enough to find it, and only one to drink from it.

- The Death of Merlin

Merlin meets a mysterious girl, Nimue, in the forest one day. Over the ensuing months, he trains her and teaches her much. But all is not as it seems . . . and his downfall is near.

- The Fall of Camelot

Guinevere has been kidnapped. After her rescue, she and Lancelot fall in love and are caught. Spurred on by Mordred's and Morgan's hatred, the kingdom divides. It—and Arthur—will fall.

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I was happy to see a children's version of the Arthurian stories. They read quickly and cover the basics, though they do make some changes (like Merlin living until near the end). I will say that these tales are often robbed of their potency to make them shorter and suitable for a young audience. That disappointed me—I think it is important to teach kids the good and bad of the world—but the books were fine otherwise.

Rating: B