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Long Live Long Games
- Jackwraith
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- Maim! Kill! Burn!
I don't think that long games are required for the epic stories or the "Remember when...?" moments. We've had plenty of those out of shorter games. Back in the early 90s, I had an RPG friend who actively disdained the idea of boardgames because he said they didn't have enough narrative sense for him (i.e. they couldn't create a story he'd remember.) I proved him wrong with 2nd Ed. Talisman and he became one of the regulars on that game and we have stories that we still remember today. But I do think that there's something even more satisfying about winning a long game because of the time and effort invested. Like Barnes, I'm not obsessed with winning, but I do play games to compete AND socialize, so that element is still there.
I think part of my tolerance for long games comes from playing GW's stuff for so long, in which a three-hour wargame is standard and playing two can easily take up a day. I'm fine with that because (at the time) it was fun (i.e. the point of games.) But I certainly understand the desire to play 3 different games in the space of one TI3 and we've done that, too.
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15-30 mins you get your quick, cheep entertainment.
60-90 mins is that transition area where you can still get cheep entertainment, or a light story arc can develop.
90 mins - 4 hours is that point where you can really develop some meat and context.
4+ hours though and you're getting into some very epic stuff.
As to where the bridge from average to long is? I'm not quite sure.
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- SuperflyPete
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JonJacob wrote: ... as for the no time thing. Jeff nailed it, it's usually "I'd rather" and that rather is things other than games. Music and family usually. But my internet time does not cut into that because I only post at work or when I have a few minutes at home.
Obviously when you say you don't have time you mean that you have other priorities. I could leave my family and band and friends and focus on games I suppose... not going to happen. But the fact remains that when I can squeeze in a quick game of something there is a huge part of me that longs for something more expansive. It may be nostalgia but that counts too.
You guys are too broad in your comments - there are people I know that literally can't escape for 8 hours, or even 4. One guy is so fucking henpecked by his velociraptor cunt of a wife that just trying to get him out for a 3 hour disc golf game is disastrous. I feel for the guy and he constantly complains, and I continually tell him that he's a great big fucking pussy for not standing up to the cunt. But, he has money and 3 kids, and I know for a fact she plays the "I'll take your kids and house" card when he does push back. like the old joke, "You know why divorce is so expensive? Because lawyers knkw it's worth every penny." funny thing is he's a good looking, smart, successful guy but his wife is fucking hideous and a total dirty dishrag bitch. I think it's a confidence thing.
Anyhow, there's other considerations, too. For me, my "long game group" is an hour away, so we're talking about 2 hours transit time, 5 hours game time, and I could drive 7 minutes to Circus HQ and play shorter games all day long, i make the pilgrimage, occasionally, but the logistics thing keeps it from happening because I dont want to drive an hour, get ripped for 5 hours, and drive an hour home, squinting and paranoid about Cincinnati cops (cunts, all) pulling me over because I have a bright red sports car.
But anyhow....
I think the only real draw to the longer games isn't immersion, but rather the long-view reward. That's bullshit. Shorter games like Heroquest, Ravenloft, Ascending Empires...all are immersive and awesome, but don't take all day. What makes them different is that you have far more turns and moves to create an overarching, long-view strategy that you cannot have with short games, generally. Some games like Dungeon Run are short but allow for a longer-term strategy, but nothing caon compare to a huge game of Conquest of the Empire where you have a 12 turn flanking maneuver that wins the game over 4 hours. that's the only draw I see. At least, that's how I feel. That said, I don't "feel" any more like a proto-Roman Emperor playing that over 5 hours than I feel like a Space Emperor playing Acending or a Marine playing Ambush Alley.
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Let's say that you're free on a Saturday afternoon and some friends are going to be playing boardgames with you. Would you rather play one big game, or 6 short games?
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I've posted too much in here when all I really wanted to say was length has nothing to do with quality. Games are good or not regardless of length. Some end too soon and some go too long, but it's based on the game that I make that call, not the length.
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- ThirstyMan
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Don't care if it turns out to be a non memorable experience.
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- san il defanso
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I don't mean to say that one kind of game is inherently better than the other. There's no single quality in a game that makes it good or bad, it's a whole combination of stuff. That's why people like one auction game and not another, for example.
But I did have a great time with that game of Fury of Dracula, and I think part of that was because that game in particular survives on the ebb and flow of its pace. There can be stretches where it seems like a lot isn't happening, and then Dracula attacks Mina and suddenly everything is cooking. Not only are those parts exciting by themselves, the contrast with the slower parts makes the tense parts even better. That only works for certain games I think (there's a reason Nexus Ops is my favorite DoaM game), but it's a legitimate thing.
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I'm sure Here I Stand is a great game. But no. Just no.
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Play Here I Stand with Jay and Flim Flam and it's over in about 10 minutes.
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wadenels wrote: I wish I could play more long games. I have a bunch of 'em and they're some of my favorites. Edulis, aren't you nearish the Twin Cities? Come on down, we'll play a long game or two and make a day out of it.
I'd like to, but my free days tend to be filled with children and children activities. My gaming time tends to be after 8 pm. So if you are up for some last night gaming... I am up in Cambridge.
I used to own Blood Royal, never once played it.
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- Sagrilarus
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My group has implemented a "play everything at least once" policy that is attempting to get all our shelf toads onto the table for a fair shot and the result is that we've gotten ten minute games and four hour games out at different times. That runs counter to the play-long-games thing, but we've uncovered a few gems that we didn't know we had so it's been good use of the time.
S.
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wadenels wrote: I wish I could play more long games. I have a bunch of 'em and they're some of my favorites. Edulis, aren't you nearish the Twin Cities? Come on down, we'll play a long game or two and make a day out of it.
I'd like to, but my free days tend to be filled with children and children activities. My gaming time tends to be after 8 pm. So if you are up for some last night gaming... I am up in Cambridge.
I used to own Blood Royal, never once played it
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