New to Gaming

[Goondocks]

I currently own a decent collection of board games, however some of them I have not had a chance to play because I have a hard time convincing enough people to play games like Puerto Rico and Year of the Dragon. So this place seems like a really great avenue for me to get a feel for how some of the games actually play, however seeing as I do not know the rules to a lot of the games available, how does the community treat people like myself and others that are looking at this as a learning experience? I would love to some day become familiar enough that I can give some of the veterans a run for their money, but at the same time I am a little intimidated that people will be frustrated having a new person who does not quite grasp the rules, that might make the wrong moves and cost someone the game. Any advice?

I am very interested in Year of the Dragon and Puerto Rico, as I own both games and they are still in shrink (San Juan is one of my girlfriend's and mine's favorite games). I Hope something like BGA would make it a lot easier for me to grasp the rules and therefor make it easier for me to get my friends to play.

Thanks,

[sunrise]

Hi Goondocks,

Everyone starts off as a beginner, so don't be too intimidated. The community here at BGA is great and largely welcoming. I've learned to play quite a few games here on BGA. I have a few suggestions for learning the games.

1. If you're not already aware, boardgamegeek.com is a great resource. You can find video tutorials for most popular games under the video section of each page. BGA also has some video tutorials on each game's page.
2. Read the rules. The video tutorials generally give an overview of the game, and won't go into the nitty gritty details, so reading the rules is still a good idea.
3. You can watch replays, or spectate ongoing games here at BGA. This can give you an idea or game flow and strategies.

If you're the type that likes to jump right into the thick of things without learning the rules first, then I would suggest creating a game, and writing in the description that you're learning the game, and you need some assistance. That way, your opponent(s) have the expectation that your turns may be longer, and that you'll need help. As long as you're upfront about your play experience before the game starts there shouldn't be any complaints. There are players from all over the world who may or may not speak English, so ensuring that you're able to communicate effectively would be important.

Best of luck!