Summary of the game
We played a game of Kotay on 9th May in which there was sequential elimination of the strong players.
The conquerors themselves were soon conquered.
The victorious player was the one who had abstained from direct attacks till the very end.
This game did involve some strategy and tactics. However, the player with the stronghold, almost unlimited resources and tactical advantage lost the game. Partly, from heeding the poor advice of an impatient co-player. The last two players had a bit of a deadlock with three attacks and three defenses for each roll. This is reflected in the longish game time of 90-100 minutes.
Special Mention: The Incident involving desert and water tiles
Abhishek Mundhra likes to draw tiles randomly from the terrain bag for other people. What difference does it make? Chance is chance. Is it really?
“Were you looking?” L retorted, when Mundhra drew a desert for her at a spot she had picked for a fort.
“No”
She moved the explorer once more.
“Shall I draw a tile for you?” Mundhra asked, unable to resist.
“No…yes..ok, it better not be water.” L warned.
Alas! it was water.
“I won’t accept it!” L declared. Further suggesting that M was looking at the tile, holding on to it while pretending to draw randomly.
L wanted to draw again. Putting the water back into the bag. M refused. We played on.
So…
Can you really draw a tile randomly for someone else? Is your random the same as their random?
This is very close (a turn and a fort later) to what the board looked like at that point –
Note the desert and water tiles next to the red fort .
What is the probability, had we let L draw again, that she too would have picked water? Another version – given that M picked water, what is the probability that L would have had the same outcome?
Now that is a puzzle for other minds for other times.
Best leave the drawing of tiles to each player, I guess.
Design notes based on ‘incident’
Maybe we should have a tile redraw option for a price? Or a variation in which a player can change the terrain?
GG ! Thanks guys!
Kotay 
Correction – M asked L (who was supposedly playing on behalf of V) if she would like to draw. To which, L replied, no it’s ok.
Speaking of probabilities, M could’ve insisted all along that V should’ve rolled the dice for himself, as his probability of dice rolling would be different from L’s, going by the logic.
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