Episode 84 Introducing AP Table Talk
Introducing AP Table Talk
Episode Summary
In this podcast episode, Dave Eng and his cousin Brian discuss their new podcast called AP Table Talk. They explain that the show will explore different board game mechanics such as area control and deck building, and they will discuss the history and design variations of each mechanic. They also share their early memories of playing board games separately and together, including games like Monopoly, Hero Quest, Risk, and Life. They talk about how they got into gaming and how they used to play together with their family and friends.
Dave Eng:
Hi all. I just wanted to use this episode of Experience Points to announce a new podcast I've been working on called AP Table Talk. I'm joined by my cousin, game design partner and co-host of AP Table Talk, Brian, so we can give you a brief introduction to the new show. Thanks for joining me, Brian.
Brian Eng:
Hey, happy to be here and I'm excited to tell you all about our new show.
Dave Eng:
Great. Do you wanna start?
Brian Eng:
Sure. Okay. So on AP Table Talk, we'll be exploring the ins and outs of different board game mechanics, such as area control, deck building, work replacement, those kind of things. Each episode will pick a different board game mechanic and discuss its history, uh, design variations of the mechanic,
Dave Eng:
Right. And we'll also share our thoughts on the implementation in some of the games we've also played.
Brian Eng:
So I also thought it'd be a good idea maybe if we share some of our background in gaming. And maybe just some of our earliest memories. For me, one that comes to mind is a rather infamous board game. When I was young from, I think it was a birthday or Christmas, I got Hero Quest. Um, but unfortunately, I did not have anyone to play board games with. My brother Chris, Dave, you know him, was my only board gaming partner at the time. He was not interested in fantasy. Um, so I did try playing it with my mom once, but not really her thing either. Although I will say my mom is, is a bit of a gamer, so was nice of her to try. But yeah, I'd say a lot of my competitiveness in games comes from my brother, who is, uh, for the audience is much older than I am. So it was always a struggle to keep up.
Dave Eng:
And I think that, um, honestly one of my first and earliest memories is playing a classic tabletop game Monopoly. But on our very first family home computer, I'm talking 5.25” floppies with my dad in the basement. Playing down there and just being really enthralled with every time I hit the space bar, I get to roll the dice and eventually running out of money or Monopolizing all of the other AI opponents. So, I did not grow up directly with cardboard, but did end up playing a lot of Monopoly on our very first family computer. But that's our history separately. Wwhat do you think about our first memories, playing board games together, Brian?
Brian Eng:
Yeah. And I know we've discussed this memory a few times, but, the one that's strongest in my mind of an early time was at some point, I wanna say early nineties, we started getting into hardcore board games and cuz we were always into, into video games together and I know you were big into your war stuff, you was like your war stuff. And we, got into risk. Yep. Um, I remember playing some computer versions of it and I think that you had a physical copy mm-hmm. So we played that a little bit and then we wanted to um, kind of bump that up and I think your dad took us to the store, cuz he would always take us and, and get us a game. Which I remember. And we were looking at them and of course looking for more war games. We saw Axis and Allies the logical step after Risk Of course. Yes. So, yeah, I remember we, we bought that, um, brought it home, spent about, I think the rest of that evening and night hunching out everything and setting it up and then the next day I think we started playing. Um, and needless to say, cuz we would've been about, I would've been about 10 or 11. Yeah, it was, it was way over our heads.
Dave Eng:
I remember, I don't know how we got that copy of Risk. I just know that it materialized at my parents' house somewhere because we had our gaming staples of a very old copy Monopoly, the, the cardboard version that was from some thrift store. So there's multiple components in money missing. We had Boggle that I think is still in shrink to this day. And we also that Risk game and, like you said, Brian was, um, you know, like kind of our inception of gaming together. I think it was, it was when I learned about a Defender Advantage and always winning those ties, which, I still think screwed me over to this day. But I remember going to, Wizards of the Coast back then and getting that Axis and Allies and learning, which I guess now we know, um, spending the majority of the time punching out components and then setting up the game only to learn that you've run at a time to actually play the game. But I remember there was also, uh, the other classic game Life we played at Auntie Mehoy’s that's right down in the basement. Something about gaming and basements, cold basements that is has run in our family and in life. I, we played multiple games together, but I always remember you playing as, the Rockstar one game and, just hitting every single one of your spins. And I forget, I think I chose not to go to college and eventually had a bunch of kids and did not do well in that game, but you were a rockstar. So, I think it ended up working out. But uh, that was our like earliest moments in gaming, uh, individually and together. Uh, what now, uh, how did we, um, find each other in this like modern era of tabletop gaming?
Brian Eng:
So yeah. My rec, because yeah, we, after we, we did some board game, we, we got probably stuck more with video games at that time that we knew each other. And then, we kind of, that's when we used to visit a lot. We were seeing each other, probably multiple times a year our families would visit. Um, and then I think it would've been probably when I went away to university, when we probably visited less. I mean we both got a light life, we both got older and then I think we were chatting and I saw a Facebook post. Uh, you had posted a picture of yourself at PAX. And that was, um, I was very envious because I knew about PAX but in my mind I, it was not something I was gonna go, it was just a thing that existed, but was not really something within reach that I would ever do. And I remember talking to you about it and you were like, oh yeah, you should, you should come with me. And, and that's when I really thought like, oh yeah, I could just go with Dave.
Dave Eng:
Exactly. I was like, Brian, uh, you gotta find this. Um, I found this collection of uber nerds who gather and descend on Boston in between February and April of every year and you should totally come with me. And I remember specifically going to that event and discovering that um, they had Munchkin there, which I would say is my first modern tabletop came. And something that I think you own too, Brian, you had um, munchkin Quest though I still have my original black and white copy of Steve Jackson's munchkin on my shelf. But I think that's when we discovered that we were both into this, uh, modern tabletop gaming scene together.
Brian Eng:
Yeah. Cuz that was kind of a natural evolution too cuz again, we went and spent that first pack that we went together. We spent the majority of our time on the expo floor doing the video game thing. But then us, we started going to them, we realized we enjoyed our time much more in the board gaming area. And it got to the point where I'm pretty sure the last couple that we went to, we almost exclusively stay in the board gaming area and maybe just go stretch our legs and walk the expo floor for a little bit in between games.
Dave Eng:
That's right. And I also remember the first year you came, I think you flew in and I told you to bring a huge suitcase because they just give away a lot of swag that has since diminished significantly in the years since then. But uh, you can still get a lot of swage packs just not as much as when we first started going together.
Brian Eng:
Probably for the best for both of us. That's right. I don't think we need any more lanyards.
Dave Eng:
That's right. I had to throw away a bunch of my lanyards. There's no way I'm using those again.
Brian Eng:
Well that's a good trip down memory lane. Thank you, uh, audience out there for listening. Hopefully it gives you some insight into, the feeling for our upcoming podcast.
Dave Eng:
Yeah. Thanks everyone. I hope you enjoy AP Table Talk. Uh, new episodes are gonna be released sometime this spring 2023, so stay subscribed this podcast feed and hopefully you'll hear those new episodes soon.
Internal Ref: UXP9T6PZWK42