Normally, in a game like Monopoly, Settlers of Catan, or even Chinese Checkers, the game’s rules explicitly state that there can be only one winner. In many games, this is usually not a problem. However, in many games that we play, this can lead to very large multiplayer stalemates. Nobody wants to make the first move because doing so would use up one’s own resources to attack another, leaving the board position heavily in favor of everyone else. In my circle of friends, there is a de facto system in place in order to help end board games quickly when they are dragging on too long: the Glory system. Board games don’t have any money or anything else riding on them; but there is a certain amount of glory to be had by winning. To us, this glory can be split up and distributed as we wish.
Example, as taken from last night. Erik, Daniel, Mikix and I were playing a game of Blood Feud in New York. Somehow we all amassed all of our most powerful armies right in the middle of the board such that any one of us could strike any other person. Clearly, nobody wants to attack, leaving his own army vulnerable to retaliation from the others. So Mikix suggests to me that he and I split up the glory, 50/50. I know that if I refuse, I probably have as much chance as anyone else of winning, i.e. 25% (since there were four of us). Having an almost guaranteed 50% maximized my expected value, so I accepted the offer. I ended up winning the game due to Mikix’s first assault, allowing me to be the player that sweeped in and cashed in on the first big attack. So, according to the rules, I technically won alone. However, the rules don’t say I won anything. What I did win is glory, as agreed implicitly by the players when they start playing the game. I yielded half of this glory to Mikix. (I think I got ripped off. I should have held out for at least 60%.)
Historically, whenever glory is split up, it always seems to be between Mikix and myself, and sometimes a third person. This usually pisses off whomever else is playing the game. But they can suck it, because I have more glory than them.
Some other notable examples:
a game of Attack!.
Participants: Swifty, Max, Mikix and me.
Winner: Mikix, I think.
Glory: Mikix and me.
Very pissed off: Max.
a game of A Game of Thrones. Participants: Ben, Evil Matt, Mikix and me.
Winner: Nobody. We decided that given the board position, there was no clear winner. We had been playing for like 10 hours and did not feel like playing any further. However, what was clear was that Evil Matt was the loser.
Glory: Ben, Mikix and me.
Filled with shame: Evil Matt
I am also told just now that as I blog this, a game of Monopoly Party has just been concluded by Mikix’s brother Daniel splitting up the glory with Erik to crush Mikix. Possibly out of spite for last night. But more power to them! They just won some glory.
Dave is being kind when he says that my first attack softened Erik up. That was the plan, but once Dave’s war machine was mobilized, it became clear that he was unstoppable. I don’t think he needed me too much.
But, I disagree with holding out for more. In these kind of situations, I think splitting equally is the only way to go. You don’t want a coalition of the miffed.
The game had been going for maybe one hour. Stalemate? It was only a stalemate in the sense that nobody could really attack someone else’s BOSS, the most heavily defended piece in the game.
Everyone was just starting to get their vehicles. At that point it would have exploded into raids to “whack” enemy family members. I got one of Mike’s in a daring riverboat raid. Once we got helicopters, it would have been crazy. The point of the game is to weaken your enemies’ income by killing off vulnerable family members in quick raids. Once you cut their income down they’ll be vulnerable enough that you can take out the boss.
Why not just refuse to play the odds and have EVERYONE team up so that everyone wins and gets a share of the glory right at the start? You’ll end up with the same expected value and save a ton of time since you don’t even need to play the game anymore.
You’re just mad you didn’t get any glory.
Erik, we already play games like that. See Matt Cheung Wins for one example. Let’s play a game of Dave, Erik, and Mike win… Yay, we won at life! More glory.
yo.
This concept, although new to board games, is nothing new to modern warfare. Infact, you actually reinacted the seige of Berlin.
There was much debate between the western allies and the soviets on who was going to invade Berlin. Stalin was looking for a propaganda victory, the allies, however, didnt want to spare the troops, especially since Berlin would be in the sovet zone. Stalin recieved his glory and the Allies recieved thier victory.
Point is, with the advent of the cold war, it was evident that Soviets and the allies were two seperate sides with the same goals, I cant help but draw an analogy to the last days of WW2.
That’s what’s great about guerilla. There’s no production aspect so it’s rare that someone falls so far behind that it’s hopeless, and even the people with a big lead can et left behind if their faction doesn’t win.
Man, I forgot how extremely pissed off I was about that game of Attack.