Meditations On Success, Strategy, and settlers of catan (Part II )

Like I said in Part I, the best Catan players have definite strategies, like the best Life players. Here are three more Laws I've gleaned from the board game and (un)successful people: 

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4. Distinguish Consumption from Investment
The Law of (No) Return

Observance in Catan: Road races are when two or more players compete for the treasured "Longest Road" card, which grants the player 2 Victory Points {20% of what's needed to win the game}. That's a substantial point swing if you can take 20% from an opponent and add it to your own count. 

However, I've lost many games draining resources into expanding my road when I could have invested in new towns and cities {one-time investments that pay for themselves in the long run}. Ironically, the "Longest Road" race is often short-sighted because players must constantly pour resource cards into an investment that requires upkeep. At a certain point maintaining the longest road is no longer an investment but a burden, thwarting your advance.

Observation in Life: Ninon de Lenclos, a 17th Century French courtesan, was desired by royalty, aristocrats and commoners all across Europe. She was beautiful, artistic, and extremely sexual - but also Ninon was furiously fickle. Dozens of suitors experienced her elusiveness as they showered her with gifts and even cash payments just for the chance that she would dump her current lover and select a new one. In this way, her mob of suitors drained their time, energy, and cash into a flighty gold-digger. 

Instead, they should have invested in an honest, faithful woman who could provide them with long-term happiness. Sadly, many didn't and came to financial ruin or even killed themselves. 

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5. Tunnel Vision is Paralysis 
The Law of Many

Observance in Catan: I've learned the hard way that in Catan, you have to diversify your portfolio as much and as early as possible. There are five resources on the map. You need all of them in some capacity to win. Heavy concentrations in particular resources, even with a port to help you trade for others, is deadly. Place your first two towns in areas that provide for you at least four of the five resources. Get to the fifth with your third town. 

Observance in Life: Leonardo da Vinci apprenticed in Verocchio's studio for over seven years, learning the craft of painting. But his real apprenticeship that continued until the day he died was with Nature, "the mistress of all masters". Da Vinci was fiercely inter-disciplinary. He didn't focus solely on painting techniques, but also on anatomy, architecture, and engineering. In this way, he was able to recreate human faces, landscapes, and angel wings with an unrivaled sense of realism. His secret was expanding his knowledge of the sciences, "the branches" of art.

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6. Break Late
The Law of Envy

Observance in Catan: Being in first puts a target on your back. Being first at the beginning of the game puts an even bigger one on your back. You will attract every Robber roll* and Knight card*. 

*{when a 7 is rolled or Knight card is played the roller can steal one resource card from anyone and block one of their lands from getting future resources}

Break late, even if that means holding yourself back from an early Victory Point or two. In the end, I think it pays off to coast in second place and let other players take the hits from envious players. Or, take first place with a defense ready, like a Knight card - or three. 

Observance in Life: In the 1760's Leopold Mozart was touring Europe with his musically inclined family, including his son, Wolfgang Amadeus. His son performed on the keyboard and violin and it soon became clear that the child was a prodigy. Leopold pressed him into performing in the Salzburg court in Austria and for years his son was the primary source of income for the family. 

But Wolfgang was growing restless playing unsophisticated and conventional compositions day after day. He wanted to compose new music and to stretch his abilities, but Leopold would not hear of it, thwarting his artistic and financial freedom until his death in 1787, just four years before Wolfgang's own death at age 35. 

Leopold's motives for preventing his son from expanding and growing is suspicious to say the least. Be wary of those who hold others down, especially when the thwarted is better than the thwart-er.