Showerthought: a guy at my Tuesday game night told me my turns were taking too long, so I started timing myself | Board Game Geeks - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
Showerthought: a guy at my Tuesday game night told me my turns were taking too long, so I started timing myself
About two months ago I was playing Terraforming Mars with the usual group at my place in Portland, and halfway through, a guy named Ray looked at me and said "you took nine minutes on that turn, I counted." I laughed it off, but then I actually counted the next one and it was eight minutes. So I downloaded a chess clock app and started giving myself two minutes per turn at home against the AI, just to practice deciding faster. The first few games were rough, I made dumb card picks and lost bad, but last week I finished a full game in 90 minutes instead of our usual three hours. Ray didn't say a word about it, which honestly felt like a win. Has anyone else tried a turn timer with their group, or does that kill the fun for you?
Nine minutes is not a turn, that is a lunch break. I love that you trained for this like Rocky, except instead of punching meat you were punching card combos in your living room. Ray counting your turns out loud is the most board game guy thing I have ever heard, and of course he went silent once you got faster, because his whole bit only works if you stay slow. My group tried a timer once and it turned Settlers of Catan into a yelling match, so now we just shame each other gently. Your 90 minute Terraforming Mars game sounds like a small miracle.