tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post113551223579453616..comments2024-03-28T05:12:10.477-07:00Comments on Gone Gaming: You mean, like Merlot?Coldfoothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11636345146138362966noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1136484722742390292006-01-05T10:12:00.000-08:002006-01-05T10:12:00.000-08:00You're right, it was interesting. :)You're right, it was interesting. :)Ezziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12494592434522239195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1136362844807922952006-01-04T00:20:00.000-08:002006-01-04T00:20:00.000-08:00LOL. and i don't lol while reading web chatter of...LOL. and i don't lol while reading web chatter often. i actually did read your post, and i agree, mostly, with your argument about "gamers'" games being complex, tuned, pieces of art. i do, however, think that theme plays a very important part in many games (in nearly all of my favorites, at least). i think that form should always follow function in a game, but if the form matches the function, the game will be much more enjoyable. case in point: ra vs. razzia! i love both games, but if it were up to me, razzia! would be the one with the thick tiles, playing board, big box, and some kind of pseudo-disaster element (maybe a strike on a specific business, or a robbery, by a rival family). i think razzia's mafia theme makes the bidding and set collecting mechanics more intuitive. <BR/><BR/>as for the niche factor, i have had the good fortune (misfortune?) of getting into a gaming group where everyone has a large collection, so my purchases have been largely big imports which forced me to look outside the local gamestores (and, in a few cases, outside the country). there is a good reason for the small print runs of companies like splotter, warfrog, and r&d games: the games are too large and complex to appeal to more than a few thousand dedicated gamers. i recently acquired a couple of splotter games and, although they are masterpieces of elegant mechanics and beautiful artwork, they are too complex and involved to see frequent play even with a group of well-versed gamers.<BR/><BR/>i guess what i'm saying is, i agree with you that there is a certain "snobbishness" to boardgaming, but it is just like any other hobby. indie music fans generally view mainstream music with disdain, believing such mass-produced "art" to be too uniform, meaningless, or consumer-friendly to be worth the silicon it is printed on. i think any gamer would agree that monopoly is worth spending a minute playing, whether the quik-e-mart is among the properties or not. however, as with independent music, designer boardgames survive because they demand and reward the time/financial investment required. there is no mass advertising or radioplay to promote the games, they are promoted by gamers (look at the buzz, and subsequent sell-out of the first run, of caylus). <BR/><BR/>i'm rambling, so i'm going to quit and go to bed.taxovichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09180719655055094387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1136352133740941902006-01-03T21:22:00.000-08:002006-01-03T21:22:00.000-08:00taxovich: True enough (about pc/video gamers). I c...taxovich: True enough (about pc/video gamers). I cry poetic license.<BR/><BR/>YehudaYehuda Berlingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16038826060312027387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1136342501925452602006-01-03T18:41:00.000-08:002006-01-03T18:41:00.000-08:00I stopped reading after the comment about pc/video...I stopped reading after the comment about pc/video gamers being pimply teenagers. Not only is it incorrect (see http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2004-05-12-gamer-demographics_x.htm ), but if any group of "gamers" fits the pimply or teenager (or both) criteria, it is the CCG crowd. Heck, BGGers frequently refer to the age, complectedness, and smell of typical Magic players as being elemental in their decision to kick the habit.taxovichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09180719655055094387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14856978.post-1136309048605302962006-01-03T09:24:00.000-08:002006-01-03T09:24:00.000-08:00Excellent and incisive article, Yehuda. You've su...Excellent and incisive article, Yehuda. You've succinctly summarized what many a gamer faces in and outside their hobby. In any field, there's always a fine line between embracing your passion for it (based on your specialized knowledge) and not appearing snobbish to those outside the field. Kipling said it best in "If": <BR/><BR/>"If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue; Or walk with Kings, nor lose the common touch".<BR/><BR/>We should all resolve for 2006 to maintain our love of our hobby, while still not looking down on those who don't understand it (which can only make them more hostile to gaming).huzonfirsthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12857915477472022870noreply@blogger.com