Robin Schmidt (u/robin_schmidt57)

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Tried two ways to teach my non-gamer friends Catan and one worked way better

Last weekend I had two different groups over, and I tried two ways to teach Settlers of Catan. With the first group, I just set up the board and started explaining all the rules at once, like how to trade, build roads, and get victory points. They looked totally lost after about five minutes. For the second group, I did something different. I set up a simple three-player board with basic numbers and just said 'the goal is to get to 5 points first, let's just play a few turns and I'll explain as we go.' We played a short game to 5 points, and they picked it up so much faster because they could see how the pieces moved and the dice worked. The difference was huge. The first group never really got into it, but the second group asked to play a full game right after. Has anyone else found that a short practice round is the best way to teach a new game?

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c/backyard-chicken-keepers•

robin_schmidt57•2d ago

Rant: I thought putting a mirror in the coop was a silly idea until my hens proved me wrong

For months, my three Rhode Island Reds seemed a bit bored, just pecking around without much spark. My friend in Portland told me to try a simple mirror, saying it would keep them busy. I laughed it off, thinking it was just a weird pet store trick. But after a slow molt last fall, I grabbed a cheap $5 mirror from a garage sale and hung it low in their run. The change was instant. My lead hen, Bertha, spent a full hour chattering at her reflection, bobbing her head and doing little dances. Now they all take turns, and it's cut down on their feather picking a ton. Who knew such a simple thing could work so well? Has anyone else tried something they thought was nonsense that actually helped their flock?

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c/auto-body-repairers•

robin_schmidt57•16d ago

Remember when we used to hand-mix every batch of filler? My first shop in Akron had a 5-gallon drum we'd scoop from.

Now I just grab a cartridge and a mixing nozzle, which saves about 15 minutes per panel but honestly, I kinda miss the feel of getting that perfect peanut butter consistency by hand. Anyone else still mix the old way for small jobs, or is that just a waste of time now?

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Posts

Tried two ways to teach my non-gamer friends Catan and one worked way better

Rant: I thought putting a mirror in the coop was a silly idea until my hens proved me wrong

Remember when we used to hand-mix every batch of filler? My first shop in Akron had a 5-gallon drum we'd scoop from.

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