Sam “King of the Hilltop”
B.A. Games Mission Statement
To create unique and immersive board games that provide fun and community. We do this with games focused on theme, value, and player interaction.
This is our mission statement. The last week or so has been a harrowing experience. It’s the kind of thing that makes you rethink your priorities, your actions, and your life. So bear with me as I wax philosophical.
We as a people, have a need to be social. For some, that may be merely seeing somebody once a week with a friendly hello. For others, it may be a hug. This year, this whole year, has been one trauma after another. Some people are thriving, many are not. Who we turn to in the hour of need is what we call a community. The people that we can talk to about our ideas and desires.
Sure, we have fun. We talk shop, the next greatest game, what we are excited about, our victories, and our dreams. However, we also discuss our fears, mistakes, and defeats. All of these ups and downs makes a community stronger as long as they are resolved to bear one another’s burdens.
This year, we have seen some of the worst of people but we have also seen some of the best. There are people out there right now fighting for what is right, staying on the frontlines just a little bit longer in order to help one more patient, taking a moment to listen to another human being, and people banding together to support one another through a difficult time.
I have seen some of these everyday heroes in our board game communities and not just on the frontlines of the pandemic, civil rights, or even a battlefield helping innocents. Those people are all heroes but we as a society also need people taking care of people. We need to have communities with strong roots in understanding, compassion, and camaraderie. If we can strive to do that on a daily basis, we will come out the end stronger and better.
I believe in us. It’s why I have decided to spend more time with the good people of the board gaming community. We have flaws and we make mistakes, but overall, board games are a social experience. By choosing to play older style analog games, that at its core requires social interaction, we have chosen to believe in others.
I hope you will join me in taking a moment to remember those who have lost so much during this time and to take a minute and say thank you to those friends and members of the community that have helped you. Believe in each other, believe in us. We can move forward, stronger and better than ever before.
Community is important to us as a company, which is why it is part of our mission statement. So, in honor of that we are going to postpone a small announcement we had and want people to focus on their local communities and make sure their voice is heard.
What I Love About Board Games and Community
Ed “Duke of BAzlandia”
The thing that I love about board games is the person to person interaction and the community and camaraderie that can develop around it in gaming groups, friendly local game stores, and conventions in all their varying sizes. These interactions, and the friendships that evolve in and out of games, is what I truly enjoy the most in games. As B.A. Games develops, we hope to grow a community. It is important to define a few terms in our mission statement. My brother has already defined what community means to us, I think it is important to define player interaction.
Player interaction is more then just how we interact inside the game. It really is person to person communication, verbal and nonverbal. This is what lays out the foundation of any community. With this in mind I will write a few things that I find important and what we feel at B.A. Games is important.
Respect – This is one of the most important things to any community. Without respect, any words or actions against someone else is justified. When you respect someone else you don’t discount them. The interesting thing about respect and player interaction while playing a board game is that sometimes because you respect that person you do everything in your power to make sure they don’t win and that you do. Depending on the game and the mechanics involved, this includes not trading resources, betraying alliances, buying resources or cards before they do, completing actions so they can’t, and too many other things to list. The nice thing is that with respect and understanding it can be fun and new friends can be made. (I know that may sound weird but I have made new friends after playing games where I was definitely brutally betrayed.)
Understanding – One of the keys to a successful player interaction is understanding. If you understand the people you are playing with and their current strategy, this allows you to successfully compete. Understanding others also helps to lay the foundation of respect and is vital to a community. If you understand someone you are better able to relate to them. We all could use some understanding. We have all felt alone, afraid, or outcast at some point in our lives, and if you have not at some point you will, it is a part of being human.
Attitude – This not only affects you but also those around you. Attitude can be everything in a game. When interacting with someone who is not enjoying themselves, is mean, or is bringing everyone down it becomes that much harder to enjoy anything yourself. Having a positive attitude can make the difference for a new player, a new group member, or a new person to your community. This allows for inclusivity and bringing more people into the fold.
This is just a brief synopsis of a few things that I find important to player interaction. (This is by no means exhaustive, all inclusive, or even what is most important.) The nice thing is that all of these things can be applied outside of games and the gaming community. Not only can they, but should be applied to our everyday lives and all of the communities we are a part of or interact with.
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