Monday, January 26, 2009

The Game

I played a game as a child; my cousins showed me.
I don’t remember the name in the old tongue, we called it Sticks.

Draw a card with a figure on it, keep it hidden. This is your goal.
Drop the sticks onto the board in a confused pile and the game begins.

It's played on several levels and utilized a host of skills.
It teaches you patience, precision and foresight but also subtlety.

We take turns drawing a stick from the confusion and set it on the side.
Both actions are significant: you can’t disturb the chaos or it will collapse,
Placing the stick realizes the simple shape on the card you drew.

If the pile comes down you lose. If you are too slow,
Your opponent will complete his geometric shape first.

However, there is also an advantage to holding your sticks: the patient win.

The shape can be usurped by an opponent with a well placed stick:
half your square can be made into a triangle.

You can play the game with any number of players:
The shapes are more or less complex, the thickets of sticks more or less dense.

Keep and eye on the chaos and know the easy sticks,
Lest you miss an opportunity.
Avoid the precarious or pivotal ones,
Lest you bring it all down.

Look at the shapes emerging, know when to draw and when to pass.
Anticipate your opponent’s goal and keep yours hidden as long as possible.

I haven’t played Sticks in years,
But here in Peace River, it's all coming back to me

1 comments :

Heavy Josh said...

Edited spelling and punctuation.

I take it then, Georges, that you've figured out what is the fulcrum about which the entire plot moves?


 
Hermes 72 - Heavy Gear RPG - Most artwork Copyright 2002 Dream Pod 9, Inc.