“I’ll just have to learn as we go”
“Let’s just start”
“I’m gonna grab a couple beers”
I find a couple “couple” to help things right along.
People who teach by trying to explain everything all at once are doing it wrong. Piecemeal everything.
for some reason this actually works pretty good
Most people that say this are then mad when they weren’t told important rules until it’s too late.
I was so heavy into MTG in highschool and now when my friends start explaining new combos to me I black out
MtG is very much a “you had to be there” kind of game imo. I play weekly, and I love it, but the moment someone starts describing their build or whatever, my eyes glaze over.
I hate it when it happens, and also when it isn’t the case but I feel that way, I feel that I miss out a lot of shit because of this reason.
Me learning regex for the 5000th time
Me: Where the fuck are we putting the slashes today
this should be the meme
It’s actually not so bad if you just resign yourself to having to look to the really advanced stuff every time you need it. The basic stuff is just a matter of memorising like 5 types of symbols
As a table top enjoyer I generally prefer to explain the Big Idea to people up front. Then explain the specifics as we go. This works pretty well for most people
Yes, top down explanation of the game is the best: this is how you win, this is how you get there, this is what you do on your turn, etc. so many people try to explain a game starting with what you do on your turn and the player doesn’t even know what their goal is.
The other great tip I’ve learned (for games and life) is explaining the rule before the exception.
Let people mull around the usual way things go for a bit before introducing all of the instances where things don’t.
And honestly I forget a lot of rules and exceptions of many games or I don’t get the chance to properly explain.
So my rule of thumb is to allow it this time only or provide some special restitution so that they know the rule for next time.
Example
Someone tried in Catan to put a settlement one road away from another settlement, before I could say specifically where settlements could be placed. I let them spend the cards and have a free settlement coupon to use once they had an appropriate place to settle if they wanted.
Me when my brother brings some new over-complicated boardgame every time we hang out.
The entire game is them explaining the rules tutorial style… and the next time it’s a different, totally new game instead of the same one twice.
Also they’ve already played it like 12 times and know the meta so you are going to lose.
Even if they don’t, most games share the same handful of concepts, so playing a lot of different games generally makes you better at them
We bought a star wars board game for a decent amount of money. Kids wanted it (20+ year olds) and once we got it home the directions were literally 60+ pages.
‘Stares in F117A’ ………
“The manual is the point…”
This is what Syd Barret did at the end of his time in Pink Floyd
Nice…
I also spend this whole board game tutorial time zoning out because I know I’ll just pick it up by playing it.
If Yugioh taught me anything the most important rule to rememeber is, fuck the rules I have money.
that quote lives rent free in my head all these years later
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I miss playing various card games, only because it took you forever to actually learn the stupid things, but of course by the time you were starting to feel some mastery, your friend group suddenly gets over its MtG or Texas Hold Em Poker era.
So now you know what a big blind is and you won’t even use that knowledge again, with any luck, because it would mean throwing the retirement savings away on fuck all.
Shit man, I miss Apples to Apples, to say nothing of getting trashed and playing Cards Against Humanity, what a time that was.
Exploding Kittens. It’s designed by the guy who drew The Oatmeal. There’s black holes involved. About the time we all got sharky on the ruleset oh, we’re not playing this anymore.
Fucking card games, man.
Card game doesn’t even mean “played with little bits of cardboard” anymore.
No, it means “video games where cards are used as a play mechanic” now. Fuckin card games.
That’s why I draw the line at UNO (ok, with the exception of Gwent).
Classic UNO with physical cards, or (one of) the digital versions of the game?
(I just switched the direction, so it’s your turn again!)
Only physical: To +4 your enemies, see cards taken before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women
(loosely based on Conan)
nods
but wait, are you sure you don’t want to play VR Uno with realistic card turning action?!
I have the highest of all pixels and most realistic movement and physics in reality so far.
With the exception of GWENT because I have a gold card with my picture on it that has 20 Power. It’s basically Exodia.
FTFY
I just played occationally Gwent in Novigrad, Skellige and Toussaint. No real life card trading. That’s the only exception of a card game I had more fun virtually.
I extend this to most board games as well. And I find people “eager to teach me” often are “eager to play, you’re slowing the fun down by not immediately picking up the fundamentals” and I get bored because I don’t know what’s going on and then players cop out with “just watch, you’ll pick it up.” No, Frank. I have six cards in category A in my hand, three face down in category B, six glass pebbles, one plastic pyramid, and staring at a large cloth with hexagons and two dice with Japanese Kanji on their faces. Two of the players are fighting about what sounds like K-pop album names, and using abstract nonsense like they are actually explaining.
“You know six knuts make one Orin, right? You have six knuts and one Orin in front of you, got that? Now the lead sanu, thats Jim, has the advantage of Doshuikk because he’s on the golden path here. You got that? So you need to find another player to use THEIR Orin so you can pass Jim and bargain with knuts OR use your Orin to pass the time gate nearest to you, your partner, AND Jim. But if Jim passes the rainbow bridge, you’ll have to start over. That’s why–”
Oh, I’m sorry, I stopped caring hours ago. I see literally zero point in this last hour to give a fuck about any of this.
Board games are a very good test at your abstract learning ability. Like going into a new job having no context.
This reminds me of Bamboozled from Friends.
This game is stupid.
This is the best game ever.
When I was a kid, my grandparents tried to teach my mother and I how to play bridge. We never figured out how to play bridge, but we laughed and laughed because it was just so confusing.
There are 52 cards and you pick them up.
My sweet child discovered this game on the Internet and demanded I play “52 pickup” with him.
I had him explain the rules. The I asked him to simulate it. He throws all the cards down… One giant pile. Then picks it up again.
I love this kid so much.
I learned recently that struggling to learn the rules to tabletop games is a very common symptom of ADHD
Quite sure that’s a pretty common symptom of being human.
Everything is a symptom of ADHD these days.
Bro I’m just trying to throw a breadcrumb to folks who may not realize they have ADHD yet. Struggling through life not knowing why you find things so difficult that most people find easy is a hellish experience. I’ve got a friend who wasn’t diagnosed until her 30s and the diagnosis was a game changer since the diagnosis allow her to identify resources and services to help her live better that she never would’ve considered without a diagnosis
Yeah, but that’s because ADHD is a spectrum, not something ultra specific. Not every person has the same “feautures” from that spectrum.
Just had me kids for the first time in 4.5 years. Long story.
My 10-yo daughter’s ADHD is real and scary. Managing her sensory overload is a whole new world to me. We’re getting there.
I have adhd, I’m the one reading the rules to explain others how it works
Weird, it’s like different people with ADHD can focus on different things.
Yeah, I just can’t. Board games/table top games are a huge no for me. I get frustrated and bored, and I am a whole lot of not fun when I’m either of those things. (So I just avoid them and everyone benefits)
I’m starting to think being human is a common symptom of ADHD
Ace can be 1 or 11.
So I have 13 or 3 – I’ll stay.
That’s a ballsy move. Or, I mean, a ballsy stay!
What annoys me is when people don’t explain how to win. In know what happens every turn in texas holdem, BUT HOW DO I KNOW IF IM WINNING OR LOOSING?
EZ. If your hand is T̸̢̡̡̡̡̧̡̡̛͖̦͉̖̖̹͓͎̫͎̙͚̟̼͓̯̹̣̥̩̖̦͖̩͍̻̪̤̭̺͎̟͉͎̺͍͕͍̘̟̰̈́̇̀̇̓̎̄̀̋̏̾̾̋̓̿̑̐̇̆͌̒̀͒̇̌͗́̏̌͗͌́͐̒̅̌̅̈́̈́̌̔͒̾̾̃̓̂̈́͆̋̿̌̎͌̽͋͊́̈͑̈́͑̀͗̏́́̂̒̚̕͘͘̕̕̚͜͜͝͠͝͠͝͝h̸̢̡̢̢̢̢̫͙̼͈̗̻͚͍͎̩̘̣̩̯͙͉̟̝̓̒͒̌̔͌͆͑̏̂̀̑̔̑̍̃̒̒̀͐͊̇̀̀̀̎̃̅̋́̈́̅̈́̓̓̚̚͘͘ȩ̵̧̡̨̛̛̛̛̛̬̣̗͙͍͈͚̤̱̳͕̗͎̰̼͇̥͈̟̖̪͍̗̤͈̤̃͆̊̓̎̈̏̊͑͂́̆̋͑́̀̓́͂͑̉̐͆̑̊̉̋̌͆͊̋̈́͑̄̀̑̂̽̃̉̈́̄̀̓͋̉͊́͊̈̉̍̈̑͐̂̓͗̅̐̍͂͂̑̇̍̓͋͗̈̈́̄̔́̈́̆͊̅̓͗̾̊̀͊͂̎̔̉̀̈̈́̀̿̉́͘͘̚̚̕͘͠͝͝͝͠͝͝ ̷̛̛̙͓̯̣̥̦̦̰̬̞̱̤̱͚̪̥̣̮̥͇͓̠̝͖̖̺̾͋́͊̓̋̅̽̑̈́͛̐̾́̈́̿̒͗̓̍̎̊̅͐̾͋̃̇̍̍͑͐̃̋̊̿̈́̔̇͛̋̑̾̈̈́̍̑͊̉͋̉́̓̀̈́̈́̂̒͂͆̅͐̉̍͌͗̋̎̉͌̎̔͛̉̍͋͗̈̐͋̂̈́̔̾̉̅͋͑̾̇͗̍̾͌̑̊͌͊́̅̍̑̉̓͘͘̕̕̕͜͝͝͠͝͝͠͠͝͠͝b̸̨̛̛̛̛̛̛͚̜̟̥̙̪͓͙̥͉̠̠̮̓̐̂̃͑̋̀̐͛̎͛̀̿͒̎̑̊̊̔̏̈́̓̔̽̅͗͒͋̃̍̉̄̃̈́̓̇̈̎͂̀̓̇̃̏̔̌̈́̈́͊̉̒̒̆́͊̎̈́͌̓̉̒̔͌̀͂̑͛̇̓̇̍͛̎̐́͌̆̉͑̇͐̂̔͛̈́̍̏͌͋̑̀͊̕̕̕̚̕͜͝͝͠͝͠͝͠͠͝͠͝͠į̷̧̡̨̢̧͕̺̖͎̦̭͔̙̜̹͙̩͎̺̹͍͓̺̟̣͕̭̹͕̲̱̱͇͓̺̥̗̩̹̩̯̰̘͎̭̭̝͇̫̝̗̺̺̺͎̦̙̼͚͓̲̭͙̫͚̰̫͕̣͓̮̬̼̬̼̳̪̂̍͗̽͋̈́̏̄͌̑̈́͒̈́͛̽̅̉̀̍̕͜͝͝͠͝ģ̵̢̨̡̧̛̛̛̛̣̮̜̳̙̻̫̫͓̯͉͇̜͉͓̩̠̪̩͓̼̹͔͉̜͈̻̲̬̲͎̣̻̤̗̻̩̩̞̟̳̦͔͚̯͔̪̗̂̄͗͒̍͐̈́͊̑͌̈́̈́̉̈̍̇͗͂̋͑͑̂͐̀͗̂̈́̆̒̐̀͒̂͂̌̇̾̈́͆̃͗́͑̈́̀̇͊̓͘͘͘͘̕͜͜͝ͅg̴̨̧̨̨̗̹͎͖͙͚̤͖̭̳̼̹̥̻̤͍̰̤̫̰͖̙̰̤̹̣̳̻͉̞͍̟̬̗̺͚͉̼̘̗̱͔̠͙̳͙̪̲͍̜̣̺͇͖͇̺̫̮̙̭̝̭͇͎̻̱̗͇͔̲̜̖̪͎̱͐͆̽̿͌̾̑͋͐́͛̿̕͜͜͝ͅȩ̵̢̛̛̱̭̖͖̖̜͉̲̜̜͊̈́͑̈̉̋̄̓́̎̈́̈̎̋́̈̓̉̍s̴̡̨̢̢̧̢̢̛̛̝͙̻̬̰͙̙͈͍͓̘͇̳̥̮͈͖̲̖̼̜͓̙̳̜̜̙͚̰̣̹̭̞͇͉̩̲͓̣͍̯̟̰͉̖̖̣̖̟̱̫͕̫̫̜̞̝̰͙͙̳̟͕̗̣̥̗͙̼̒̇͛̏͑̎͌̈́̂̏̔̓̈̋̿̀̆̉̅͛̓̄̈̓̈́̅̐̒̎̇̊͂̽͋͋͆̓̓̐͌̇̑͆̆̀̾̆͐̌̿̍̊̍̌̉̓̋̍̓̀̉̐̽̑̈́̓́̊͂̂̂̉̅̒͆̈́̀̆̀̃̌́̀͛̄̾̈̀͐̓̀̆̇́̓̋̒̓̑̓̚̚̚͘͘͘̚͘̚̚͠͝͝͝͝͠ͅͅt̷̢̛̛̛̛̛̫͇̟̭̰͎̱̗̹̖͔͍̹̄̀̓͋̉͗͑͌̓̈́̈̂̉́̏͆̍̈́͌̂̇̾͗̈́̓̀̊̃̎̐͐̑̄͗͛͂̏̍̈́͌̇̈́̀̇̈́͗̾͒̒̑͑̏͋̂̍̉͗̎̈̿̎̂̉̈́̿͑̂̅̒͐̓̃̈́̍̎͗̇̀̎̎̏́͂̇̾̉̄́͌̆͗̚̚̕̚̚͜͝͠͝͠͠͝͠ͅͅ , you win the round.
Unless someone has a royal T̸̢̡̡̡̡̧̡̡̛͖̦͉̖̖̹͓͎̫͎̙͚̟̼͓̯̹̣̥̩̖̦͖̩͍̻̪̤̭̺͎̟͉͎̺͍͕͍̘̟̰̈́̇̀̇̓̎̄̀̋̏̾̾̋̓̿̑̐̇̆͌̒̀͒̇̌͗́̏̌͗͌́͐̒̅̌̅̈́̈́̌̔͒̾̾̃̓̂̈́͆̋̿̌̎͌̽͋͊́̈͑̈́͑̀͗̏́́̂̒̚̕͘͘̕̕̚͜͜͝͠͝͠͝͝h̸̢̡̢̢̢̢̫͙̼͈̗̻͚͍͎̩̘̣̩̯͙͉̟̝̓̒͒̌̔͌͆͑̏̂̀̑̔̑̍̃̒̒̀͐͊̇̀̀̀̎̃̅̋́̈́̅̈́̓̓̚̚͘͘ȩ̵̧̡̨̛̛̛̛̛̬̣̗͙͍͈͚̤̱̳͕̗͎̰̼͇̥͈̟̖̪͍̗̤͈̤̃͆̊̓̎̈̏̊͑͂́̆̋͑́̀̓́͂͑̉̐͆̑̊̉̋̌͆͊̋̈́͑̄̀̑̂̽̃̉̈́̄̀̓͋̉͊́͊̈̉̍̈̑͐̂̓͗̅̐̍͂͂̑̇̍̓͋͗̈̈́̄̔́̈́̆͊̅̓͗̾̊̀͊͂̎̔̉̀̈̈́̀̿̉́͘͘̚̚̕͘͠͝͝͝͠͝͝ ̷̛̛̙͓̯̣̥̦̦̰̬̞̱̤̱͚̪̥̣̮̥͇͓̠̝͖̖̺̾͋́͊̓̋̅̽̑̈́͛̐̾́̈́̿̒͗̓̍̎̊̅͐̾͋̃̇̍̍͑͐̃̋̊̿̈́̔̇͛̋̑̾̈̈́̍̑͊̉͋̉́̓̀̈́̈́̂̒͂͆̅͐̉̍͌͗̋̎̉͌̎̔͛̉̍͋͗̈̐͋̂̈́̔̾̉̅͋͑̾̇͗̍̾͌̑̊͌͊́̅̍̑̉̓͘͘̕̕̕͜͝͝͠͝͝͠͠͝͠͝b̸̨̛̛̛̛̛̛͚̜̟̥̙̪͓͙̥͉̠̠̮̓̐̂̃͑̋̀̐͛̎͛̀̿͒̎̑̊̊̔̏̈́̓̔̽̅͗͒͋̃̍̉̄̃̈́̓̇̈̎͂̀̓̇̃̏̔̌̈́̈́͊̉̒̒̆́͊̎̈́͌̓̉̒̔͌̀͂̑͛̇̓̇̍͛̎̐́͌̆̉͑̇͐̂̔͛̈́̍̏͌͋̑̀͊̕̕̕̚̕͜͝͝͠͝͠͝͠͠͝͠͝͠į̷̧̡̨̢̧͕̺̖͎̦̭͔̙̜̹͙̩͎̺̹͍͓̺̟̣͕̭̹͕̲̱̱͇͓̺̥̗̩̹̩̯̰̘͎̭̭̝͇̫̝̗̺̺̺͎̦̙̼͚͓̲̭͙̫͚̰̫͕̣͓̮̬̼̬̼̳̪̂̍͗̽͋̈́̏̄͌̑̈́͒̈́͛̽̅̉̀̍̕͜͝͝͠͝ģ̵̢̨̡̧̛̛̛̛̣̮̜̳̙̻̫̫͓̯͉͇̜͉͓̩̠̪̩͓̼̹͔͉̜͈̻̲̬̲͎̣̻̤̗̻̩̩̞̟̳̦͔͚̯͔̪̗̂̄͗͒̍͐̈́͊̑͌̈́̈́̉̈̍̇͗͂̋͑͑̂͐̀͗̂̈́̆̒̐̀͒̂͂̌̇̾̈́͆̃͗́͑̈́̀̇͊̓͘͘͘͘̕͜͜͝ͅg̴̨̧̨̨̗̹͎͖͙͚̤͖̭̳̼̹̥̻̤͍̰̤̫̰͖̙̰̤̹̣̳̻͉̞͍̟̬̗̺͚͉̼̘̗̱͔̠͙̳͙̪̲͍̜̣̺͇͖͇̺̫̮̙̭̝̭͇͎̻̱̗͇͔̲̜̖̪͎̱͐͆̽̿͌̾̑͋͐́͛̿̕͜͜͝ͅȩ̵̢̛̛̱̭̖͖̖̜͉̲̜̜͊̈́͑̈̉̋̄̓́̎̈́̈̎̋́̈̓̉̍s̴̡̨̢̢̧̢̢̛̛̝͙̻̬̰͙̙͈͍͓̘͇̳̥̮͈͖̲̖̼̜͓̙̳̜̜̙͚̰̣̹̭̞͇͉̩̲͓̣͍̯̟̰͉̖̖̣̖̟̱̫͕̫̫̜̞̝̰͙͙̳̟͕̗̣̥̗͙̼̒̇͛̏͑̎͌̈́̂̏̔̓̈̋̿̀̆̉̅͛̓̄̈̓̈́̅̐̒̎̇̊͂̽͋͋͆̓̓̐͌̇̑͆̆̀̾̆͐̌̿̍̊̍̌̉̓̋̍̓̀̉̐̽̑̈́̓́̊͂̂̂̉̅̒͆̈́̀̆̀̃̌́̀͛̄̾̈̀͐̓̀̆̇́̓̋̒̓̑̓̚̚̚͘͘͘̚͘̚̚͠͝͝͝͝͠ͅͅt̷̢̛̛̛̛̛̫͇̟̭̰͎̱̗̹̖͔͍̹̄̀̓͋̉͗͑͌̓̈́̈̂̉́̏͆̍̈́͌̂̇̾͗̈́̓̀̊̃̎̐͐̑̄͗͛͂̏̍̈́͌̇̈́̀̇̈́͗̾͒̒̑͑̏͋̂̍̉͗̎̈̿̎̂̉̈́̿͑̂̅̒͐̓̃̈́̍̎͗̇̀̎̎̏́͂̇̾̉̄́͌̆͗̚̚̕̚̚͜͝͠͝͠͠͝͠ͅͅ , of course
That’s the point right, otherwise you might beat them.
You dont learn to play card fames by sitting and listening to rules. Thats how you forget all the rules. You learn by playing a round with the safety on. You can ask everyone about cards you have if you dont understand them and play your turn. The only thing that needs explaining is how you win or the aim of the game. Thats how i learned munchkin, exploding kittens, bang etc.
You say that there are Sheldons out there that are reading the rule book first and then playing by that rule book
Nobody knows how the first person learned the rules, in a very chicken or egg fashion, it is a mystery best left unsolved. All we know is who taught us the game. And we should know no more.
I was taught Canasta at least 7 different occasions I can count. Still don’t know the rules.
I mean I was drunk on all 7 occasions, but still.
Well you see, one of the features of problem-solving card text is the use of commas and semicolons to separate different parts of an effect. Commas and semicolons have very specific meanings in context, and understanding them is important to resolving card effects properly.
Don’t forget the unspoken rule of that if you can’t resolve a seemingly optimal effect of a card, you can’t use it at all. Which is different up the other card with an optional effect which can’t be resolved.
