Tom Vasel
Encyclopedia
Tom Vasel is a well known podcaster and reviewer of board games. Vasel co-hosts a long-running and popular gaming podcast
titled The Dice Tower, and has posted over 1200 reviews on the internet database BoardGameGeek
.
, Vasel taught mathematics
at the International Christian School in Uijeongbu
. He assumed the role of Pastor
of Uijongbu Baptist Church, succeeding Pastor Rick Kelley in March 2007. After leaving South Korea
, he has worked as a teacher in Florida
.
about board game
s and wargames
. Originally, Vasel represented players who prefer designer games
, while Joe Steadman advocated for those who prefer wargames. Steadman left the show in May 2006 after the 50th episode. Vasel, hosting alone with occasional input from Sam Healey for a few shows, rearranged the format to include recorded segments by guest reviewers and players. Gradually Healey began to take a larger role and was eventually promoted to co-host. Healey has since left the show and been replaced by the show's voice-over man, Eric Summerer.
Each episode of the podcast includes several regular segments and several occasional segments. The core of every episode is the "Gaming Top Ten", where Vasel and Summerer provide their top ten games in a particular category. Most shows start with Vasel and Summerer discussing the games that they have recently played. News from the boardgaming world usually follows, which is in turn followed by a segment from German contributor Moritz Eggert
. The podcast also features frequent contests, where listeners can enter to win one or more games from a sponsoring company.
The Dice Tower web site features past top-ten lists and Vasel's in-depth reviews of boardgames. Vasel's reviews are also used by board game publishers and retailers for promotion of their games.
The fund is a not-for-profit with a simple goal: raising and distributing funds to help gamers in their hour of need.
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
titled The Dice Tower, and has posted over 1200 reviews on the internet database BoardGameGeek
BoardGameGeek
BoardGameGeek is a website that was founded in January 2000 by Scott Alden and Derk Solko as a resource for the board gaming hobby. The database holds reviews, articles, and session reports for over 45,000 different games, expansions, and designers. BoardGameGeek includes German-style board games,...
.
, Vasel taught mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
at the International Christian School in Uijeongbu
Uijeongbu
Uijeongbu is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.The city is located just north of Seoul with many U.S. and Korean military bases for the defense of the Korean capital. The U.S. Second Infantry Division has established its headquarters in the city with main troops deployed in Dongducheon...
. He assumed the role of Pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of Uijongbu Baptist Church, succeeding Pastor Rick Kelley in March 2007. After leaving South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, he has worked as a teacher in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
The Dice Tower
Since May 2005, Vasel has co-hosted The Dice Tower, a podcastPodcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
about board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
s and wargames
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
. Originally, Vasel represented players who prefer designer games
German-style board game
German-style board games, frequently referred to in gaming circles as Euro Games or Euro-style, are a broad class of tabletop games that generally have simple rules, short to medium playing times, indirect player interaction and abstract physical components...
, while Joe Steadman advocated for those who prefer wargames. Steadman left the show in May 2006 after the 50th episode. Vasel, hosting alone with occasional input from Sam Healey for a few shows, rearranged the format to include recorded segments by guest reviewers and players. Gradually Healey began to take a larger role and was eventually promoted to co-host. Healey has since left the show and been replaced by the show's voice-over man, Eric Summerer.
Each episode of the podcast includes several regular segments and several occasional segments. The core of every episode is the "Gaming Top Ten", where Vasel and Summerer provide their top ten games in a particular category. Most shows start with Vasel and Summerer discussing the games that they have recently played. News from the boardgaming world usually follows, which is in turn followed by a segment from German contributor Moritz Eggert
Moritz Eggert
Moritz Eggert is a German composer and pianist.- Life :Moritz Eggert began his studies in piano and composition in 1975 at Dr. Hoch's Konservatorium in Frankfurt , at the Musikhochschule Frankfurt and at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München...
. The podcast also features frequent contests, where listeners can enter to win one or more games from a sponsoring company.
The Dice Tower web site features past top-ten lists and Vasel's in-depth reviews of boardgames. Vasel's reviews are also used by board game publishers and retailers for promotion of their games.
The Jack Vasel Memorial Fund
Following the loss of his infant son Jack Vasel at the end of 2010, Tom Vasel established the Jack Vasel Memorial Fund, at www.jackvasel.org.The fund is a not-for-profit with a simple goal: raising and distributing funds to help gamers in their hour of need.
External links
- Tom Vasel's blogBlogA blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
at The Dice Tower