Just curious about how many games y'all buy

[Guest Thomas William Davie]

Typically, I buy about 2 or 3 a year. Most often, I figure that whats out there is not worth the risk (or I should say was not worth the risk, until an Electronics Boutique was discovered about 5 km from where I live). Simply put, if it was opened, it wouldn't matter if I couldn't run the game, I was only allowed to exchange it for the equivalent title.

But, I've bought about 5 games in the last couple of weeks, at least one of which went back to the store.

Now, as wargamers do you;

a) budget (what's that? )

buy any good strategy game that comes out figuring that they really are few and far between

c) stick to a certain genre or type of game (eg, specifcally turn based historical)

d) buy a strategy guide if it is really good

Just curious about what factors play a large role in purchasing decisions. And yeah, I know that some people have pretty low standards.

Tom

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email address:

thodavie@videon.wave.ca

[chaos]

One of the biggest factors in my purchasing decisions is whether or not I feel I'll ever finish a game. In the past, I would buy any game that intereseted me (multiple genres), play it for a couple of weeks, then move on to the next. It became apparent that doing this was a waste of money and, more importantly, space! I then went into a 3 or 4 a year mode, vowing to play any game I bought to the finish. This could be tortuous in the extreme Recently, I've gotten back into the "hot title of the moment" mode, and find myself once again being walled in by game boxes and jewel cases. My wife says that she would "almost" prefer that I bar hop and womanize (more) .

chaos

[Tom Servo]

As of now, it's if I can afford it. Most of the games I've bought in the last year have been used... I rather pay $15 for the same thing i'd get for $45. Who cares if it's been used a bit.

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Formally Tom punkrawk

"Tomorrows killed by yesterday..." -Link80

Go to my soldiers at war page~!! http://www.geocities.com/soldiersat_war or I'll sick a goat on you!

[Guest Ol' Blood & Guts]

Well here's my $.02.

Lately, even before reading the Battlefront.com Manifesto, I've been extremely hestitant in buying anything because of just what the Manifesto states. Recently games have been so buggy that I'm not willing to even try out the games.

Not only are the games buggy, but the quality of the games are not up to my standards in gameplay and re-playablity. For example, Hidden & Dangerous. Great concept, but tremendously buggy with ground graphics that turn into a trapdoor to Hell when your soldiers suddenly fall thru them to a funny death. Oh then they come out with it's add-on Devil's Bridge and it's code is apparently so screwed up that a PIII-600 can't even run it with acceptable frame rates. Other games are just so lame in gameplay and purpose that they're just not worth trying.

But just before I stumbled across the Beta Demo, my buddy and I were discussing that someone needs to make a 3D tactical WWII game such as Combat Mission. But like I've said before in other posts, I first saw advertisements when CM was in its early Alpha days last summer and I wasn't too impressed with it then. But of course, my opinion has done a complete 180 since then.

But as to your question about how many games I buy, I'll probably buy Klingon Academy when it comes out, but not before I try the demo first . I'll also probably pick up Diablo II when and if it ever comes out, boy Blizzard sure has screwed that one up!

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"I want you to remember that...no bastard ever won a war...by dying for his country...He won it...by making the other poor dumb bastard...die for his country."--George S. Patton

[Los]

In my opinion this is a banner year for us wargamers.

Great new games or updates that I'm playing:

Tacops 3.0

Brigade Combat Trainer (BCT exp pack 2:JRTC just came out)

Shogun: Total War.

and of course...

Combat Mission.

Plus isn't HPS supposed to release point Of Attack 2?

Los

Of course if no other games were ever released again I'd be happy with just CM.

[howardb]

Usually I buy all the great games you just know will become classics (Diablo, Quake, Panzer General etc) but if it's a WW2 game I'm usually sold. Damn those titles with Panzer in the name. Maybe I gotto see a psychotrickeratist ?

[Guest Babra]

I'm a finicky buyer. I used to buy a couple a month until I realized I had a boatload of crap that wasn't worth the bus fare to the store in the first place. What looks pretty ain't always good. I want to read the manual first. I want to try out a demo. I want... No, better not; I don't have enough cool points to say I want THAT.

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Floreat Jerboa !

[Eichmann2]

A number of factors: genre, REVIEWS, then demo, if all are good/ ok etc then I'll part with my hard earned dosh!!! But the demo I think plays the biggest part here

[Guest Thomas William Davie]

Thanks for the replies.

The games I bought were;

Age of Empires 2

Age of Wonders

Rising sun

Chessmaster 7000

Heroes 3: Armageddon's Blade

I haven't opened CM7000 yet, so I can't comment on it at all. Rising sun went back because of copy protection. I will probably end up playing Homm3:AB to the full extent of it's value to the neglect of the others.

I guess I want a resaonably bug free game, a decent manual, and a good AI.

Ah well, more ramblings later.

Tom

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email address:

thodavie@videon.wave.ca

[Guest Thomas William Davie]

Thanks for the replies.

The games I bought were;

Age of Empires 2

Age of Wonders

Rising sun

Chessmaster 7000

Heroes 3: Armageddon's Blade

I haven't opened CM7000 yet, so I can't comment on it at all. Rising sun went back because of copy protection. I will probably end up playing Homm3:AB to the full extent of it's value to the neglect of the others.

I guess I want a resaonably bug free game, a decent manual, and a good AI.

Ah well, more ramblings later.

Tom

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email address:

thodavie@videon.wave.ca

[Fionn]

Well I used to get a game every couple of months. I stuck VERY much to wargames but every few years I buy a flight sim (yeah, adventurous aren't I? ) ..

Lots of tank sims, WW2 sub sims etc too of course since they're wargames too of a sort.

However, to be fair, since I got the Combat Mission alpha in June I haven't actually bought a single game. I got a couple for review but I wouldn't have bought any of those... CM is pretty much all I play these days

[Lurker]

Tom, to answer your question...

(taking deep breath in preparation for a long post)

The total number of games I buy really depends on how many Mac games are on the market. On one hand, I want to buy as many Mac games as possible to support the small Mac market and encourage developers to make more Mac games. On the other hand, I don't want to get stuck with bad games.

I tend to read the reviews, but I don't put too much credence in the reviewers' opinions. Downloadable demos are nice, but aren't really the final word in helping me decide what games to get. Once I get to know a particular gaming company, I tend to stick with their products. And, if I find a product to be particularly bad, I avoid that company's products.

I purchased games that were favorably reviewed and been terribly disappointed. I've also downloaded some really bad demos and ended up buying the game and really enjoying it. Sticking with the company's that I know has been my best indicator of whether or not I would enjoy the game. Only one time has one of my favorite game companies really let me down. Three-Sixty released a Pacific Theater wargame (I've forgotten the title) that was terribly buggy. Up to that point, I'd been a supporter of Three-Sixty. I played Harpoon alot. After my experience with their Pacific Theater game, I never dealt with them again. As an aside, this is why I'm willing to wait for Combat Mission to be done right. Better to wait for something good than to get sh!t right now. Big Time Software has consistently delivered good products, so I trust them. Another company that has done well in my view in Bungie. I will probably buy every game that either of these companies releases (as long as the game runs on my Mac).

War Games tend to be higher on my hot game list than other types of games. I prefer World War II games to any other type of wargame. I prefer that my wargames be turned based versus real time.

I enjoy first person shooters, but prefer FPS games with some sort of point beyond killing everything in sight. I enjoyed Unreal more than the Quake series, and I probably will avoid both Unreal Tournament and Quake III: Arena. Even though the graphics are terribly dated, I still enjoy Bungie's Marathon series.

And lastly, budget? If the game is cool enough, I'll do without something else in order to get it. I don't need to go out to eat as long as I can get my Combat Mission! I don't need new clothes as long as I can get my Combat Mission! When I get my Combat Mission, I won't notice food, clothing will not matter (except during hot seat games), and I'll be really glad that I'm self employed and can set my own hours in order to maximize my Combat Mission gaming time.

-Lurker

[This message has been edited by Lurker (edited 02-09-2000).]

[Lorak]

humm... games i buy.

well I'm a mix and match kind of guy.

1)WW2 games(all kinds) from CM,CC,soldiers at war,ect..

2)Role playing games.(not much on hack and slash, i like thinking)balders gate.

3)FPS. Only games that have a tactical element, and teamplay(multiplayer).Tribes,Rogue Spear and TF2 when it releases.

4) budget? after CM it won't matter will it?

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"A stupid man dies a stupid death."

http:/clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/combatmissionclub

[SS_PanzerLeader]

I buy lots of games -- too damn many :-P ;

I am currently playing Shadow Company, I had bought the game for my son figuring we could play networked (which as soon as his upgrade parts arrive we will) But while waiting I found that I actually enjoyed the game - IT has camera/terrain styling similar to CM Graphics are pretty good - I dont think there is anywhere near the depth of complex calculations as in Cm as it is real time - but it is in no way a click fest as it is quite tactical. The game allows you to move in your men well together setting up ambushes and allowing coverfire etc. The game is cheap right now at EB so it is definitely worth the twenty I paid for it - shoulda got it sooner

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SS_PanzerLeader.......out

[bazooka10165]

I refuse to buy anymore games which look like Doom, Warcraft, Myth or MechWarrior. This makes selecting games easier since it virtually eliminates buying anything The only games that I have dished out money for in the past six months are my CM pre-order and an online game called Spiritwars (which you can download and play for free on WON.NET - interesting combination of strategy and tactics required - worth checking out)

[Galland0]

Well ,

They past year the wife has been recovering from three surgeries. So after work I'm rooted to the home front. I've gotten ALOT of games this year, mostly bargain. But I've spent quite a bit.

1.All the Janes titles.

2.All four Talonsoft modern titles

3.RS,HD,Quake3,DF

4.Panzer Elite,Panzer Commander

5.Falcon4.0,EAW

6.RRtycoon,Aoe2,Civ2,Midtown,Motocross,Nascar

As a result my four year old is quite good at driving, flying,Quaking,castle building, and pretty good at west-east front small scale senarios.

I make sure he's got King tigers against M4s.

He learned to count to a hundred watching game installs and can click the apropriate "next""continue""okay""finish"Micro-BS.

I've learned how to navigate matching games in Blues Clues and pass tests in Reader Rabbits preschool

What cracks me up the most is how my sons learning games with 256 colors gives me more of a config. headache than installing the patches for EAW

[Scott]

I used to buy a lot of games, but have to budget my time more carefully now. In the past year, I bought:

Asheron's Call (Good game, I spend a lot of time on it...being a monarch ain't easy!)

Panzer Elite

Starfleet Command

CM Beta Demo (well, I didn't really BUY this one )

Unreal Tournament (Nightly fragfests with my coworkers at 5...it's great stress relief )

Civ II Gold (Got my wife into this one!)

Birth of the Federation (disappointing )

Baldur's Gate

That's about everything that I've bought in the last year, all in all I think I've shown some good restraint...

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You can't shake the Devil's hand and say you're only kidding...