These are not New Year resolutions, just running down some ideas.
My Candyland post got a lot of attention, and I'm working on a post about Monopoly. Guess what? It's a Markov-chain too (nearly). There is a lot of material available on this (just Google Monopoly game math), but I think I can add something a little different.
Are there games people want to see analyzed? I'm not sure I can take requests like that, but the question itself might be interesting.
Someone asked what other games I've analyzed (maybe over-analyzed), and I'll have to think about that. Probably not all that many in any depth, but I've never made a list (maybe I should).
I've got a series of posts that require a fair bit of spreadsheet work to set up, and a laborious effort to describe so that someone else might be able to figure out what I've done. This is painful to write, and probably more painful to read. This is also my best way to "share the math" in a way which is accessible to others, and really essential to what I am trying to do. I need to find a way to make this type of post work.
The downside of writing a lot is I'm not doing much painting (or much laundry). I need to balance things a bit better, or become a faster/better writer. Of course, writing a lot is the key to becoming a better/faster writer.
There is a big topic I've been trying to work up to writing about: Game Theory. This is another one of those hard to write but important to do things I need to figure out how to do.
What else is in the works?
More miniatures pictures, an interview, a browser game with mecha in it, that long-promised Facebook Games followup, Elo scoring, some old-but-great games in my closet, some new games, the game I'm trying to write, some simple "demonstrate the math" games, not to mention following up on my blogroll and some of you nice people who are following this blog.
So that's a bunch of ideas even at one post each, and some of those need multiple posts. If I could hit on all those topics and do a decent job on them, that should easily keep me busy for a good part of 2009, and that's not counting the other games I find along the way.
So that's a quick rundown of some of the topics coming on GBR, at least the ones running through my head at the moment. Happy 2009, and happy gaming!
PS: 3-4 more ideas since I "finished", but this is enough
5 comments:
It must be hard to think about putting the blog down when you have so many people stopping in since the Blogs of Note post.
I'm looking forward to the Monopoly post. It's the only game that I actually have different versions of. Well, Axis and Allies too, but those are actually different games and not just different NAMES inside the game. =) Happy New Year.
Getting the BoN has been amazing/overwhelming, and yes it's hard to think about doing less when I know people are paying attention. It's a bit like some of those games I like to play too much.
I need to learn to be less of a perfectionist too, instead of spending 10 minutes trying to think of the perfect way to end a comment. ;-)
Hey Dan,
Happy New Year. I just want to point out that things might go better if you take full sized pictures. They are easier, faster to do, than those pesky miniature pictures. :-)
Sam
Hey Dan,
I've been meaning to reply to your post on my blog for a while now, but I've been snowed under with articles to write and my dissertation deadline is looming. I'm also fairly absent minded.
As for social gaming, I think it's certainly viable - as well as a lot of fun - but I also find that it's quite a lot of hard work. The only way it's ever consistently worked with me is by playing with people I already know, creating a sort of insular network which is the contrary to the "Jump In" message Microsoft are trying to promote. I've always found social gaming on the PC very difficult, for obvious reasons, and the same thing applies to online gaming. It's easy to find people to play games with, but it's a nameless, faceless kind of socialising that's devoid of any real conversation. Unless, like I said, I know them already.
Of course, the party game genre is a whole different experience entirely. Having a few people around a TV and playing something like Rock Band, Singstar or Buzz is a social experience in itself.
Also, your blog is so clever it makes my brain hurt. That's what I get for being an arts student, I imagine.
Martin
Hi Martin, thanks for stopping by, and also the kind words. Those dissertations are quite time consuming things, no matter what your discipline, I think. Best of luck to you on your.
If anyone else is wondering, Martin is replying to this comment I made over on his fine blog.
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