Tabletop Gaming and Costs

[Bison]

I need to give Vassal an honest go, but it really defeats the purpose of tabletop gaming for me.  Which is not only the social aspect, but getting away from electronics and technology. 

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

I'm of the same opinion.  If I'm going to stay at home and play on the PC, why not take advantage of all that computing power and play a game that handles all the rules for me?  The joy of table top gaming for me is the social aspect as well as the tactile one.  I enjoy moving my little miniatures around the map.

[Nefaro]

I'm of the same opinion.  If I'm going to stay at home and play on the PC, why not take advantage of all that computing power and play a game that handles all the rules for me?  The joy of table top gaming for me is the social aspect as well as the tactile one.  I enjoy moving my little miniatures around the map.

Miniature games are exceptionally pricey.  Especially when one gets hooked on certain lines, huh SDR?   ^-^

I've tried to avoid going all-in on minis games, and have avoided most of them in the first place.   Too rich for my blood.  I may sell one or two of the starter Mini game sets I own because I don't plan on venturing down that bottomless rabbit hole.  :-\


I do, however, enjoy the occasional solitaire game.  Something different & relaxing.  I've spent more time playing some of those than the majority of PC games I've picked up in recent years.  The costs come out about the same for me, overall, in the end.   But that is for tabletop games consisting of just a core set and maybe a small expansion or two.  Not a large range of expensive Minis and accessories, most of which are sold separately™. 

[Bison]

I think one thing is that you really have to buy both financially and mentally into a single system maybe two if you have the time and money resources.  Unfortunately that really means that you almost have to buy into the systems that are played at the LFGS.  Otherwise you might have $400 of Flames of War but no one to play with so you might be better off going with Warhammer just because there is a local player base playing the system even though you don't really prefer the system.

[Ubercat]

I know it can be a bitter pill to swallow when the desire is strong to see the hardware on the table, and to push towering stacks of pretty counters you so meticulously punched and trimmed...but VASSAL is the solution to most of the issues that plague wargamers who want to play games with opponents. Once you turn the corner the opportunities increase exponentially <my experience> and the many benefits (no travel, reduced setup, zero table space requirements, all players have access to the game setup in between sessions) will help you to forget about all that cardboard you left on the shelf. Besides, you still require the rules/playbook/CRT from the physical game in order to play online.

Preach it, brother. Once in a while a wargamer listens, and after trying Vassal kicks himself for not doing it sooner. You can't reach everyone but he's the one you're doing it for.  O:-)

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Miniature games are exceptionally pricey.  Especially when one gets hooked on certain lines, huh SDR?   ^-^

No idea what you're talking about.  I can quit anytime... Really...   I mean, I haven't pre-ordered any wave 8 X-Wing stuff yet so that's showing restraint, right?

[Bison]

Miniature games are exceptionally pricey.  Especially when one gets hooked on certain lines, huh SDR?   ^-^

No idea what you're talking about.  I can quit anytime... Really...   I mean, I haven't pre-ordered any wave 8 X-Wing stuff yet so that's showing restraint, right?

You have time to break still...

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Actually I'm kind of off X-Wing right now.  Most of the guys around here only want to play 100pt tournament rules and it gets kind of boring seeing the same builds each time.

I'd rather play Armada than X-Wing but after wave II for that was released, much of the interest here dried up and hardly anyone wants to play anymore. 

Thankfully Sails of Glory is holding my attention fully these days.  Having an absolute blast every time I play even though I seem to have the worst luck  (my powder magazines seem to explode a lot).

[Nefaro]

Miniature games are exceptionally pricey.  Especially when one gets hooked on certain lines, huh SDR?   ^-^

No idea what you're talking about.  I can quit anytime... Really...   I mean, I haven't pre-ordered any wave 8 X-Wing stuff yet so that's showing restraint, right?

Restraint OR.... getting sucked into a couple other product lines?   >:D

[Bison]

I love the look of age of sails but it's one of those games for me that would sit unplayed due to lack of opponents and I already have a too many of those games already.  :(

[panzerde]

I what is probably typical for me, I seem to have things completely backwards. Most of my computer gaming is PBEM and 100% of my boardgaming is solo. There is just no one around me that wants to play the kind of board games I like, and there is no way I'm playing X-Wing, MTG, or WH40K. I'm not saying those are bad games, they just are of no interest to me at all.

Ultimately I really should just start playing Vassal. All of my regular opponents are much more interested in digital PBEM, however. All the Vassal gaming I've done has again, been solo.

As to the topic at hand, yes, this is an expensive hobby. Nearly all of the board games I buy are more expensive than my computer games, often 2X as expensive. I can pick up a Tiller title for $39.99, but almost anything I buy from GMT or MMP will be north of $60, and often $80 or more. It usually has a lot fewer scenarios, too.

The appeal for me is that board games first, often cover battles or conflicts that computer games won't. Second, a twenty year-old board game is still very playable if it's been taken care of, while very often a ten year old computer game is hopelessly antiquated, and despite fond memories, really isn't as good as a new game.

I'm glad there seems to have been a resurgence in the hobby but for me, it still has exactly the same issues as it did thirty years ago: it's expensive and it's very difficult to find an opponent. I can see why it can be hard to attract new blood to the hobby.

[bob48]

Just pop over with a couple of those GMT 30yw games. I'll put kettle on :-)

[panzerde]

Just pop over with a couple of those GMT 30yw games. I'll put kettle on :-)

Honestly, we just need to fire up Vassal on the weekends and play! You've hit on the issue exactly - too many of my opponents live at least a ten hour plane flight away! My nearest regular gaming buddy is Jim, and he and I would both need to drive to Chicago to meet about halfway.

[besilarius]

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.

[bob48]

Oh yeah, I know you're right, Doug, and we can sort out times that suit us both. Being fair, we have had a quick go with both BoB and Der Weltkrieg on Vassal, so we have proved that it can be done.