It’s quick and enjoyable, but suffers from a poorly chosen theme in my opinion. The cards represent dragons, heroes, treasure, and other fantasy inspired notions. Now, I have no problem with fantasy themed games, but it simply doesn’t fit with Dragonheart. It just doesn’t make sense. This dragon gets treasure, but so does the sorceress, who can be killed by a troll or by a hero, who can also kill the troll. Why does the hero want to kill the sorceress? She looks pretty sweet in the game art. I think he would try and make out with the sorceress and run away from the troll. The troll doesn’t have any treasure anyway, because it was taken by the dragon.

I can already tell that this post is going to ramble a bit, so if you are one of the few folks that reads this blog for game news or reviews alone, you might want to jump out of the plane now.

I was playing a game of Dragonheart online at yucata.de with a friend, who somewhat famously doesn’t like fantasy themed games, and I mentioned my idea of how to retheme the game to something more appropriate. He loved the idea, and I’m working on the specifics of how to do it as I get the time. The specific nature of the theme change isn’t the important point I’m trying to make. The real point is that I can take the game mechanism and repurpose it into a better theme. Hang on to that thought.

I had lunch at a new Asian Restaurant that opened up a few weeks ago. The food was pretty good. I had some chicken pho that was some of the best I’ve had in Fresno. The restaurant decor was pretty strange. It was a clumsy patchwork of stuff that obviously had been pulled from elsewhere. So many businesses have gone under in this economy, I imagine it’s easy to find deals on used fixtures. I couldn’t remember what had been in this location before the Asian restaurant, but I knew I hadn’t been a customer. As far as I knew, I had never set foot in the place in my life. I got up to go to the restroom and while I walked to the back of the restaurant, it occurred to me that I had actually been there many times. I realized it had been over twenty years since I had been in this building. It was a Straw Hat Pizza when I was in college, and I used to go there with my friends fairly often because we had an apartment down the street. It didn’t dawn on me until I walked into the corridor with the restrooms. Everything else was different, but I suppose it takes a major remodel to change the location of the restrooms because of the plumbing.

The building had been repurposed. What was once a Straw Hat Pizza was now an family owned restaurant that made good pho. It hadn’t been torn down. It was still a good building. It just needed a different business. This concept rattled around in my brain for a while, and then met up with my idea for how to modify the Dragonheart theme and settled down in the back of my head. The idea wouldn’t settle down all the way; however, it wandered around in my brain, like a dog that can’t decide where to lie down. It was a restless thought.

Soon after I left the restaurant, I suddenly understood why this thought was sticking with me; I am ready to be repurposed.

The last year or so has been difficult for me. It’s becoming more challenging to deal with my depression. I am extremely dissatisfied with my job, and the thought of another year in this valley weighs on my shoulders like a Yoda that loves cake. I worry that I am too old to start a new career or move. I feel like a building that was once a children’s bookstore, then changed to a Kinko’s that was eventually bought out by FedEx, and would really like to be re-purposed as a cozy internet cafe, but would require so much renovation that it’s not worth the effort.

Honestly, I don’t think my building is so old that it can’t be renovated. I think Dragonheart is good enough for me to repurpose it with another theme. One task is more daunting than the other, but both can be broken down into short steps.

I just have to start walking.

Some expectations we have for ourselves. For example, it’s been much easier for me to write and keep up with three blogs now that I have set up a posting schedule.

Some expectations we have for others. I kind of like it that my family knows that there is an expectation that we will play some games at least once or twice a week. They don’t seem to mind.

Some expectations we have for our endeavors, like this blog, for example. I expect that this blog will continue to be based upon a simple idea: Playing board games can make you a happier person. I don’t have any expectations of how long I will continue to write this blog. I will write it as long as it suits me and I enjoy doing it. I’m toying with the idea of incorporating an occasional podcast as well. I expect that some people will enjoy listening. I expect that some folks may not.

What I think is essential here is this: Our expectations affect our experiences. If I sit down and play a game a game with Dave Arnott, for example, I expect three things: First, I will most likely lose. Second, I will learn a great deal about how to play the game better next time. Finally, I expect that I will have a great time. Having these expectations enhances my experience because I mentally put myself in sort of a start position for both learning and having fun.

I don’t want to ramble, so I’ll return to this another day, but wouldn’t it be great to be able to say to yourself in the morning, “I expect to have a great day”?

My goals for the next couple of weeks are to play more games, get back to the gym, return emails and phone calls, and blow up some tanks.

I wanted a copy of Snow Tails, another game I played at the same event, but alas, the price of that particular race game eluded me. Just in the last week, we’ve have a hard drive fail, a sewer clog, medical issues, and other things that will just go unmentioned.

It not a good time for me. I know my depression is flexing it’s huge biceps around my puny head, but thankfully, I have the benefit of experience on my side. Things have been worse. I know things will likely get better. I have a support system.

And hey, in a few weeks, I’ll get to play Cities again.

Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown.
- Ross Perot

I find this an ironic quote from a man who started and stopped his presidential campaign like a broken down car, edging its way to the repair shop; however, I think it’s a good thought. I have this odd sense that I’m in this very position.

Don’t give up.

I have too many obligations to suddenly go on walkabout right now.

I’m going to try something new for me. I will ask for help. HELP!

Here’s a few of the things I need help with:

• osCommerce – If you have ever set up an online store with osCommerce, then I could use your help. The learning curve is pretty steep and the online support isn’t that great.
• non-profit legal assistance – My wife needs some legal assistance filing for non-profit status. She’s put together a good organization for people with chronic illnesses who would like to have the opportunity to explore their musical talents. There are lots of folks who want to get this started, but she needs help filing the necessary papers.
• getting off the train – If you know me personally, and you read this, call me. If I don’t call you back, call me again.