Player Profile: “THE” Thomas Feirick
When you enjoy a game, it’s easy to think about what it might be like with more people. Megagames provide that exact experience and then some.
‘THE’ Thomas Feirick (right) poses with the rest of the Star Alpha crew after a game of Den of Wolves.
“I am a board gamer first and foremost,” ‘THE’ Thomas Feirick said. “In particular, I love games that provide a lot of opportunities for negotiation and play above the table as well as giving everyone an asymmetrical power. (Games) like Cosmic Encounter, Captain Sonar, Battlestar Galactica, and Blood Rage. So the idea of a game designed with a ‘mega’ number of people really scratches that itch for me.”
Megagames provide an experience beyond even that of some of Feirick’s favorite games, pushing at his comfort zone in ways smaller games are unable to.
“My biggest strength as a gamer is my ability to understand complicated board-states. In most games, I can tell you what everyone’s special power is, what everyone has done, what still needs to be done, all intuitively. Megagames are too big to do that with. There is always something new to discover, there are always new roles, new special powers, new objectives that become relevant from round to round.”
“I also have trouble initiating conversation, approaching strangers, and reading people out in the real world. Megagames have been a huge boon for me to get to know new people and talk to strangers in a purposeful way.”
Megagaming has provides some great opportunities for Feirick to think outside the box.
“In (Aegon’s Conquest) the unofficial Game of Thrones Megagame, we spread a rumor around that our house wanted to repaint the Iron Throne when we conquered the other houses. We put it to a vote between Lime Green, Sky Blue, and Hot Pink and Lime Green won. Later on, I was thrust into a competition where we were given two pieces of paper and a box of crayons and tasked to ‘depict our house on the Iron Throne.’ Everyone else started drawing; when some 20 year old connection in my brain brought back my Fifth grade Origami lesson from art class. I was able to make a LIME GREEN Origami Iron Throne to win the competition.”
One thing that makes Megagames unique is the variety of player responsibilities. Feirick leans on these differences when talking about the games.
“I pitch Megagames as a great weekend activity that can accommodate many different playstyles. I personally HATE role playing but I love when other people can get into it and have a good time. I love having a job and having a position of authority to make tough decisions with a lot of information. But if you don’t want much interaction, you can easily go into positions where you just do your own thing. Megagames are a group of people coming together to have a shared experience, but how we have our experience within the confines of the game is up to the individual players.”
Before a game, Feirick believes finding the fun, owning your role and being engaged are the best ways to be successful at a Megagame.
“First, have fun. We may be put under stress but ultimately it's just a game and these decisions don’t actually matter. After that, just own your job! I tell the new players around me that I may make suggestions but I will totally support them no matter what decision they make. Even if it is the wrong decision or involves stabbing me in the back! Whether we are on the same team or not, we are all in this together and nothing brings me more joy than to see people interacting, being decisive, creative, and engaged.”
