Building the Christmas list...am I gamed out?

So I'm putting together the Christmas list (of stuff I want) for my in-law side of the family (really, I don't go in for lists, but they want a list, so I figure I might as well put stuff I want on there).

I just went through all of the Fortress Ameritrash "recommendations" and didn't come up with anything to put on my list. Marvel Heroes and Warriors of God almost grabbed me....

I think I must be gamed out. I just finished moving and while I've downsized how many I own a lot the past few years (it all fits in on one bookcase), when you look at it in a tower of plastic tubs, you realize how much you already have.

Is there anything new out there that's worthwhile or anything old that still holds up really well?

My favorite styles of games are low-mid complexity strategic level war/strategy games (especially with a dash of historical flavor). Examples: Twilight Struggle, History of the World, Samurai Swords.

A few other questions:

1. Is it still possible to buy Citadels with the expansion? All I see listed new anywhere is a big box without the expansion. What was so wrong about a little box with the expansion?

2. Anybody played the "new", yeah I realize it's been out for awhile, House Divided? That would be my ideal game to snatch up in about a second- a strategic level Civil War game with about the complexity of Twilight Struggle. The old House Divided was a bit TOO simple. For the People is way to complex to get someone who is not a wargamer to play. The Price of Freedom looked promising but glancing over the rules it still seems too complex, anybody tried it?

Thanks for any suggestions. It's just really wierd to sit back and think....there really aren't any board games I want right now. In pretty much all ways, I think this is a very good thing- play what you have, enjoy the games, and get to know them. I attribute it all to me stopping hanging around over on BGG with it's cult of the new. Just wondering if there isn't even one game out there that would scratch a new itch to put under the tree.

Dan Daly, I was going to write something similar next month. Like you I feel pretty 'gamed out'. You wouldn't tell it because the last few weeks I've been asking lots of questions on various games. Well, having culled my games, I feel I need just a few more key pieces, then I'm done. For a year.

I'd like to turn my hobby time back to about '93. No internet, no forums, no instant gratification. I want a few really outstanding games that the fellas and I play and really dig into. I tire of only playing a game 1, 2, or 3 times then on to the next new one. I tire of enjoying a game, then researching games that are 'like' it. I want to go back to when I actually did more game 'playing' than game 'reading' or 'discussing'. I play a lot of games now, but lurk on games sites much more.

Anyway, it's really no one's business, but I think it'll be a good personal challenge for me to not visit any games sites in '09. I hope to not buy any games at all, but if I do it's because I discovered it in a game store or a friend brought it over. I've already got enough games I'd like to play more frequently.

Before I go cold turkey though I plan to binge and get a few titles that i really want to have. The games I've decided on are:

Jambo
Liebe and Intrigue
Warrior Knights
Cosmic Encounter
40K

Two for the wife and I to play with her family, two for my friends and I, and one that provides tinkering/hobbying on weeks when game nights don't come together.

I'm joining a soccer team in Jan and a triathlon group in April, so I'll have more demands on my time. It'll be good to not be caught up thinking about games all the time and I think my game evenings will be richer because of it.

(It's going to be very difficult for me to not buy Chaos Over the Old World, the new BattleCry, Talisman FFG, and Wizard Kings, but I'm sure they will still be just as good when I buy them in '10.)

What is this "new" Battle Cry you speak of?

I have the command and colors Hasbro game. I know there was an older game by the same title (Milton Bradley I think). Is there a new game with the same title coming out or out now?

From boardgamenews

"• FRED Distribution will release a new version of Richard Borg’s Battle Cry, which has a working title of – wait for it – Richard Borg’s Battle Cry. Borg mentioned that some elements of the game will be updated, but the release will remain the same game and not be a sequel. No helicopters will be included, and marshmallow guns have also been nixed. "

I played a lot of the old one, but never bought it. I'm eager to see the new updates.

Same boat here, though for me it's a Chanukah list, you anti-Semite.

Anyway, my collection is pretty much right where I want it. I find myself more interested in expansions to games I have rather than biting off something new. Over the next 12 months, these are the games I could see myself trying to land:

JAMBO
LIEBE & INTRIGUE
MARVEL HEROES
SHATTERED EMPIRES expansion for TWILIGHT IMPERIUM
DAYS OF THE FOX expansion for TIDE OF IRON
OCTOPUS OF THE ICE FLOES or whatever-the-fuck comes out for ARKHAM HORROR
FURY OF DRACULA (GW edition, I'm leaning)
CONFLICT OF HEROES expansions/builds/books/whatever--this thing is awesome.

Jeb, Dan Daly,

I see you both are showing an interest in Marvel Heroes. If you have any knowledge of the comic book world of Marvel comics, it's a no brainer. I know it's not popular with some, and it may seem fiddly the first few times, but I've *always* had fun playing this one. It's one of those games where even if you're losing it's a blast. From wining little self-set goals (there's lots of things to do), to storing up a good hand of baddies to oppose the point-leader with. Fun game, and it's one I hope to pull out more this year.

Yeah I'm kind of with you guys on this one. In addition to the downturn in the economy, I'm realizing I have more games than I get to play. And I really like most of the games that I have.

Here's what I'm thinking about putting on my list:
A Touch of Evil
Growing Hunger (LNOE expansion)
Any Arkham Horror expansion

And that's about it. And they are both maybes. I'd probably be fine if I didn't get any board games this year.

Everything else I want:
War of the Ring
Marvel Heroes
Galaxy Trucker

I'm OK with just trying to trade for.

yay I love xmas lists. I always build a substantial one cuz some members of my family always end up getting my sweaters and stuff I hate. Last year for the first time ever, my mom actually bought me a video game (I've been playing video games for more than 15 years). She bought me Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and it was a sweet moment. Since then, I always maintain a nice xmas list so I'm more likely to get something I want.

It always consists of board games, video games and books. Here is the latest version:

Board Games (in order of preference)
1. Race for the Galaxy
2. The Princes of Florence
3. Age of Steam
4. War of the Ring
5. Dominion (OMGOMG, Have you guys heard anything about this? There is a lot of good buzz on this)
6. Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage
7. Shogun
8. Die Macher
9. Brass
10. Paths of Glory
11. 1960: The Making of the President
12. Ra
13. Goa
14. Railroad Tycoon

Xbox360 Games (in order of preference)
1. Left 4 Dead
2. Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
3. NHL 09

Books (in order of preference)
1. High-Low-Split Poker, Seven-Card Stud and Omaha Eight-or-Better, for Advanced Players by Ray Zee
2. Caro’s Advanced Strategies for Draw Poker (The Mike Caro Reports)
3. Blackbelt in Blackjack by Arnold Snyder
4. The Blackjack Shuffle Tracker’s Cookbook: How Players Win (and Why They Lose) with Shuffle Tracking by Arnold Snyder
5. Professional Blackjack by Stanford Wong
6. Blackjack Secrets by Stanford Wong
7. Sklansky Talks Blackjack by David Sklansky
8. Million Dollar Blackjack by Ken Uston
9. Read the Dealer by Steve Forte
10. The Theory of Blackjack by Peter Griffin
11. Blackjack Attack, Playing the Pros Way by Don Schlesinger
12. Getting the Best of It by David Sklansky
13. Theory of Gambling and Statistical Logic by Richard Epstein
14. Casino Tournament Strategy by Stanford Wong
15. The Casino Gambler’s Guide by Allan Wilson
16. Gambling and the Law by I. Nelson Rose
17. Gambling Scams by Darwin Ortiz
18. A Winners Guides by Bob Dancer
19. Comp City” A Guide to Free Las Vegas Vacations by Max Rubin
20. Advantageous Slot Machines by Charles W. Lund

Patty McBarney, you still don't have War of the Ring yet? I told you to get that years ago, LOL.


My list:


Boardgames:

1. Battlestar Galactica
2. Galaxy Trucker
3. Rails of Europe
4. Talisman Upgrade Pack (FFG)


Movies:

1. The Dark Knight
2. The Incredible Hulk
3. Battlestar Galactica Season 2.0 and 2.5


Video games:

1. Guitar Hero: World Tour
2. Twilight Princess
3. Metroid Prime 3
4. Castlevania: Order of Ecli...Elec...Eclesiastes
5. Rock Band Track Pack Volume 2



Nudie Magazines:

Too many to mention

Kenny B,

I talked a close friend who lives right close to get War of the Ring and he did. We have yet to play it (he also got Arkham Horror which we tried once). The problem with War of the Ring is that he said it's only good as a 2-player game and I rarely get the opportunity to play 2-player games with anyone other than my fiancee. So I still want to get it so I can play with her (she loves Twilight Struggle, C&C Ancients and Battlelore).

Lemme know how Battlestar Galactica is. It sounds pretty nifty.

I can't believe you wanna get Incredible Hulk and BSG seasons. UGH.

Why don't you get Rock Band 2 instead of GHWT? I mean the drums in GHWT are amazing but the game itself is meh compared to RB2 in my opinion. Although I think you (maybe) might like the tracks better in GHWT?

It's the drums. I've demoed both and the GH kit is just incredible. It totally feels more like real drums. The track list for RB2 is a bit better, but GHWT has plenty of good stuff to play.

I will likely get Rock Band 2 but I need to find out how RB2 handles the drum compatability thing. I know GHWT can adapt to the RB2 kit, but I don't know if it works the other way around.

The Incredible Hulk (2008) was great, man. Why you hatin'?

Ken B. wrote:

The Incredible Hulk (2008) was great, man. Why you hatin'?

Ugh. I just watched this for the first time last night. I think my wife put it best "for an action packed movie, this is incredibly slow". She also astutely observed the trend among action movies based on cartoons/comics to go way overboard with both the length and number of special effects in the final fight scene. This was most horrible in Transformers, but Hulk suffered from the same problem (among others).

ugh, yeah I really didn't like Incredible Hulk. First 30 mins was good. MAYBE even the first 60 mins but that's it, yo.

I'm almost 100% sure the GHWT drums will work with RB1 and RB2. Man, I hope so anyway.

For the kids: Spore PC

For the family: Wii: Mi Music?

For me my bonus check doesn't come until January. So I'm not making any board game purchases until January. Top of my list is Conan and StarCraft Broodwar but I'll wait to see what other people like Malloc, Uba and IgannaDitty are planning on buying. I'm assuming Malloc will buy Conan and Uba and IgannaDitty will buy Tales of Arabian Nights.

Hmm gifts for a F:ATtie.

I suppose the top of my list would be the Galaxy Trucker: The Big Expansion and Vlaada Chvatil's new game Space Alert. Vlaada really pushes what a co-op game can be with that one. Good stuff. For more conventional co-op faire there's Ghost Stories. Believe what you've heard about its difficulty. My friends and I are five games in and we've yet to win on newbie mode. Hard but very fun.

There's a few other new titles that have Christmas potential (Dorn, After the Flood, Planet Steam) but they're either hard to get in the US or I haven't tried them yet so I can't be sure.

-Will