Gamers’ block
Posted by Rob Herman at November 29th, 2006
Sometimes I don’t want to write (or work on game design) because I’m afraid that whatever I end up creating will suck.
Other times, I don’t want to play a game because I’m afraid I’ll embarrass myself through poor play. This isn’t a dispositional trait or feeling about any one game; it’s a (thankfully rare) mood.
Computer games usually pull through thanks to the mercy of a difficulty slider or suchlike–it can always be made easier. There’s no such switch available in tabletop games!
The common PC game “difficulty slider” will traditionally cut down on possible AI paths and decrease the AI perception range, effectively making your opponents dumber. While there is no board game that can implement this though rules, that is not to say it cannot be done. All that needs to be happen is for you to make your friends dumber. My suggestion is to host games at your place. The amount of psychotropic substances you slip into their drinks, the easier the game becomes.