There is more to Catan strategy than mechanical strategy

[kindred dirge]

Hi,

I've finally reached diamond ranking. This isn't to brag or seek pats on the back. I wanted to reflect on in-game behaviour and the strategy of relationships. Not everyone will agree with this -- but that doesn't make it less true and key to doing well in Catan.

I often see people talking rudely or in demanding way. "Why did you do that?", "Red: rob this person", "Why did you rob me?", "That was dumb", "You don't understand strategy". Basically, being a bad vibe.

I see it from low and high ranking players, but more so high ranking players who get over invested in winning instead of just enjoying the game, win or lose.

Sometimes this results in them being targeted or ostracised. That might seem unfair or illogical. And it will lead to calls of being unstrategic. But I think what some people remember is that games have a strong social dimension. We're not there to play like Big Blue against Kasparov. We're there to have fun. And, to a lesser degree online, but hugely IRL, to connect with other people.

If you make the game unenjoyable for others, criticise their strategy, mock their decisions, or make incessant demands on them -- you're playing a bad social strategy. You're playing against real people, in a real world, and they'll behave with their emotions. If they find you socially and even morally offputting, it might give them more satisfaction to see you lose, than to even win the game.

There is nothing wrong with giving someone a bit of wheat to help them not lose their city in the first barb attack. There's nothing wrong with following your hunch and robbing the player you think is on the ascent. And there is nothing wrong with making a seemingly bad decision. Sometimes those even can turn out to be good ones.

tl;dr Catan is a socially strategic game, not just a mechanically strategic game. Make sure you're adept at both.

What do you all think?

[primal void]

I totally agree! Some players make the games unnecessarily unpleasant A couple comments though: in higher levels of Catan, especially in person, but also online, there is an element of the game called "table talk" in which comments are meant to influence another player's strategy. Now, though merely insulting another player's strategy or choice of who to rob is rarely effective, a well timed "red steals road next turn" can subtly turn the tide of the game. Dandy Drew, the top youtuber and 2 time US champion is a master at this. And it should also be said that the culture that has developed on this app where no one robs until sometimes 5 or 6 points(!) leads to very bad feelings when the robber is finally deployed. The robber is part of the game: use it, and use it effectively. Target the strongest player, don't just rob someone because they robbed you. At least if you want to start winning more games!😀

[lyric lotus]

I personally love it when someone gets all aggressive lol 😆 it makes for an easier time for me if they get shunned beginning to mid game. I won't go out of my way to antagonize or anything but takes the target off my back for being ahead 😂

[whole raft]

Precisely because the game is social, sometimes it is fun to trade some elo for the pleasure of inducing the loss of that player that took 'your' port!