Tabletop Gaming and Costs

[bob48]

In 1960, when my folks caved and bought me Avalon Hill's Gettysburg, the AH games were $7.00.  I suppose with inflation that would be around $50 today.  And until SPI got rolling, you only had one wargame a year from AH.
Now miniatures, you could get a box of about fifty Airfix troops for fifty cents. 
At a quarter a lawn, you could easily build up pretty sizable armies.  And there were tons of articles on modifying Airfix ACW into Napoleonics.  And you needed cheap soldiers because everyone did one-to-twenty Napoleonics, or one to one WWII.
Problems, problems.  The real issue, as then, was finding an opponent.  We didn't call it solo or solitaire gaming, it was right hand versus the left.

Arfix figs and vehicles made it possible to play decent games without too much cost. The Airfix mag had lots of conversion articles for the (then) limited range of stuff available. brings back good memories.
And you are so right about the 'left-hand-against-the right-hand' gaming. I've grown so used to playing that way over the years that I don't even think about it. You play the best you can for both sides. What you miss is the ability to fool or be fooled by your opponent - devise and execute, or be the victim of, a cunning plan........

[Bison]

I've been in 3 LGS this weekend.  Only non-MtG game being played was 40K.  I saw exactly 1 game that isn't your typical euro style game.  GMT's Twilight Struggle and the shop owner knew nothing about it or GMT.  I was a game someone had him order and never went back to pick up.

[W8taminute]

This hobby is ridiculously expensive.  I got back into tabletop gaming a little over a year ago and I've already spent more now than I have on PC games in the last 5 years combined.  Kind of weird when you think about it as board games are far more inconvenient.  Not only do you have to worry about all the components and rules, you also have to try to find an willing opponent and then find a time and place to play which usually entails driving somewhere.  Bloody irritating, especially when they decide they don't care for the game and want to play again. 

I found that to be the case with a number of games that I'd like to play as I tend to be the groggiest of the group at any of the 4 local game stores I frequent.  I bought Wing Leader for $70 and have only played the physical game twice.  I've got a lot more play out of it against Barthheart on VASSAL than I have through the physical copy.   Same with Bomber Command.  I've played the physical game maybe half a dozen times.  The hobby can definitely be frustrating at times.

I have to admit that while I love physical board games (wargames to be more precise) I hate spending hours punching out counters, reading the rules, then setting up the game.  Vassal sure does take a big chunk out of the setup time and without the corresponding Vassal module I probably would not buy a wargame.  Life as an adult filled with all of it's responsibilities is quite different from life as a teen living in your parents basement and without much if any real responsibilities.   Hence Vassal is the way to go for me if I have a board wargame itch to scratch. 

[Please note that I won't play a Vassal module unless I own the physical copy of the game.]   ;)

[bbmike]

^ You forgot to include the time it takes to clip the corners.  :P

[Barthheart]

 >:(

[panzerde]

I would use Vassal to game more if it didn't take so long for me to go in and edit all of the counter graphics so that the corners looked clipped.  ;D

[Barthheart]

I would use Vassal to game more if it didn't take so long for me to go in and edit all of the counter graphics so that the corners looked clipped.  ;D

Don't laugh, but I actually thought of doing this to the new series of LnLP Tactical series modules I'm doing, to match the actual game pieces... but it's a colossal PITA and then came to my senses.

[panzerde]

With more and more games being laser and die cut to have rounded corners, the entire clipping debate may be a moot point soon. Then I expect that there will actually be people complaining if the Vassal modules don't have rounded corners!

[mirth]

With more and more games being laser and die cut to have rounded corners, the entire clipping debate may be a moot point soon.

Some people will then spend time and money squaring the counters.  :D

[Barthheart]

With more and more games being laser and die cut to have rounded corners, the entire clipping debate may be a moot point soon.

Some people will then spend time and money squaring the counters.  :D

O0 

[bob48]

I would use Vassal to game more if it didn't take so long for me to go in and edit all of the counter graphics so that the corners looked clipped.  ;D

LMAO

[Bison]

It begs the question does it take even more time to go in and edit for raggedy, unkept corners simulating poorly die cut counters?

[bob48]

One for Vance to answer, I think.

[Pinetree]

I would use Vassal to game more if it didn't take so long for me to go in and edit all of the counter graphics so that the corners looked clipped.  ;D

I could create a script in Paintshop Pro to do this. Maybe then I could licence it to Oregon Laminations and we could have Deluxe Corner Rounder - Digital Editions...... ;)