Dude! Take Your Turn!
A Gaming Life
Friday Night Shots – Who’s First Player?
Welcome back!
It wouldn’t be a Friday night without seeing you here.
I hope your week has gone well and, if you’re like I am, looking forward to a long weekend.
Grab a seat, and let’s chat about “first player rules”!
This will probably be a short one, but for me it’s entertaining.
I was inspired by this post on Boardgame Geek.
Entitled “Does the person with the first player marker for the first turn have a disadvantage?”, it’s a serious question (kind of) about advantages/disadvantages of being the first player in Terraforming Mars, by Stronghold Games.
However, that’s not the point of this post (I seriously have no idea if there is an advantage/disadvantage to going first in the game).
It’s this quote, from the rulebook, that the post highlights:
“The player who most recently won a game of Terraforming Mars is given the first player marker…”
Further discussion in the thread indicates that the poster seriously considers this a rule that should be followed.
What?
Am I the only one who always thought that those are just a bit of fun from the designer?
(Yes, I know I’m not the only one).
I do love this one, in response to somebody saying “that’s just a suggestion”:
“Thanks Mike.
for trying to salve my conscience but it looks like a rule to me:
Page 7
“SETUP
This describes the setup for the standard game for 2-5 players…
4) Players: The player who most recently won a game of Terraforming Mars is given the first player marker.”
The section entitled “Suggestions” is on page 12, and does not mention the setup.”
Some people responded to the spirit of the thread, talking about first player advantage/disadvantage, but others just kept saying the equivalent of “that’s stupid. It’s not a rule. Get over it.”
My mind just kind of boggled reading that.
Thankfully it’s not a long thread.
(and the poster could be trolling, but it had a serious question wrapped around the troll, so…I wouldn’t think so?)
Anyway, what are some of your favourite “first player is the player who…” rules?
I do appreciate the designers who don’t even go for this at all.
Shem Phillips (at least in Architects of the West Kingdom), just says “choose one randomly.”
Others, actually say something like “The start player is the last player to have major surgery. (Or you can just choose one randomly)”
I actually really like that, because it’s a nod to the joke instead of ignoring the joke.
Beyond the Sun, published by Rio Grande Games, doesn’t even mention choosing the start player.
I guess it’s just assumed!
(The PDF rulebook I have doesn’t even mention how to set up the game, so I’m wondering if it’s actually on a separate card or something? If so, then the start player may be mentioned there. I’m assuming it’s something like “whoever was last on an alien planet” or something)
Some games, like Elder Sign, from Fantasy Flight Games, actually use a game component to determine start player.
How fun is that?
This game has you shuffle the Investigator markers and randomly choose one.
Or some games actually make you roll the die.
How boring!
Everdell gets into the spirit of things, though.
The rulebook in that one states that the “most humble” player goes first.
I should ask the original BGG poster how you would determine that.
Then you have Planes, from Alderac Entertainment Group (probably the first time I’ve mentioned this game on this blog, even though I own it).
For that one, the last player who flew on a plane is the starting player.
That is quite adorable.
Most designers, if they are going to go for the “cute” rule, have it be something related to the game.
Like if you’re playing Rise & Fall of the Third Reich or something, the first player could be “the last player who invaded France”
(just making sure you know, but that is a joke. I know, I know…but I can’t assume)
Anyway, this is a very light topic so I’m not going to go on and on about it. (Editor: “Too late.”)
What are some of your favourites?
And do you think that if a rulebook includes it, it’s mandatory?
Let me know in the comments.
(Edit: And I forgot to include a couple of things!
As noted in the comments below, there are start player apps now. Those are very cool.
And the Boardgame Stats app actually has a start player function now, which is what we do all the time.)
(This post brought to you by Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum, the number 762, and the letter Ñ)
Dude! Take Your Turn! 
Haha, I am always impressed by you Dave finding another topic for Friday Night Shots! That one is truly cool. We solved first player issue by using “Chwazi” application, when you touch the screen with your finger and first player is chosen. This is also good for splitting people into teams.
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I forgot about the apps! I’ve edited the post to include those.
We use Boardgame Stats all the time for this type of thing.
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Why would anyone think these rules are set in stone? – The TM cannot even be followed in all circumstances (e.g., when all players are new or at least haven’t won a game yet), so to me it’s clear this is nothing but a slightly more thematic way to choose a starting player.
How do these people deal with chess? Sure, White always goes first – but can they decide who gets to play White if the rulebook doesn’t provide instructions on how to do that?
Anyway, the “Whoever was the last to invade France” would never be necessary. (Historical) wargames have clear instructions on starting players. If you attempt to resolve it contrary to the rulebook, you summon a demon who yells at you that you’re doing it wrong because CLEARLY Napoleon had the initiative on July 5, 1809, proceeding to cite an obscure, out-of-print book on the matter published in the 1960s.
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LOL I do love your wargame comment. 🙂 But I still like my idea if they did come up with one of these “suggestions” 😛
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