I am Insane and My Wife is Insanely Angry!

[Clupper21]

So here's what's come in the mail the past few weeks:

PG: Eastern Front Deluxe
B-17 Queen of the Skies
Superfortress (game, like B-17 QOTS)
Combat Commander Europe
ASLSK 3

Preliminary reactions after rule book read-throughs:

PG: EFD. Wow. Easy to understand rules. Wonderful graphics. Can't wait to play.

B-17 / Superfortress. Far more wonky than PG:EFD, but a fun mind-trip awaits if I can find a dark corner, a bright 20-watt lamp, a leather flying helmet, and turn the AC full blast while listening to Wright Cyclone sounds on my Ipod.

CC:E. Can't make heads or tails of the rules, written in a distinctive ADHD style with my favorite item -- different words and terms for what seem to be the same things! Fate cards, order cards, action cards, card cards -- they're all the same damn cards! Graphics distinctly less cool than PG:EFD, closer to ASLSK. Can wait to play. (Of course, it's possible that the rules may just have been read in a distinctive ADHD style, but there it is -- a praying mantis on the windowsill! And am I due for a 3K oil change? But I digress, which rhymes with tigress . . .)

ASLSK3 -- "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore." Somehow I think Herman Kahn and RAND had something to do with these rules. I haven't felt this dumb in a long long time. I want to learn this game just to say I did it, but will probably have to settle for it being put in my coffin in case there's time later.

[JayTownsend]

So here's what's come in the mail the past few weeks:

PG: Eastern Front Deluxe
B-17 Queen of the Skies
Superfortress (game, like B-17 QOTS)
Combat Commander Europe
ASLSK 3

Preliminary reactions after rule book read-throughs:

PG: EFD. Wow. Easy to understand rules. Wonderful graphics. Can't wait to play.

B-17 / Superfortress. Far more wonky than PG:EFD, but a fun mind-trip awaits if I can find a dark corner, a bright 20-watt lamp, a leather flying helmet, and turn the AC full blast while listening to Wright Cyclone sounds on my Ipod.

CC:E. Can't make heads or tails of the rules, written in a distinctive ADHD style with my favorite item -- different words and terms for what seem to be the same things! Fate cards, order cards, action cards, card cards -- they're all the same damn cards! Graphics distinctly less cool than PG:EFD, closer to ASLSK. Can wait to play. (Of course, it's possible that the rules may just have been read in a distinctive ADHD style, but there it is -- a praying mantis on the windowsill! And am I due for a 3K oil change? But I digress, which rhymes with tigress . . .)

ASLSK3 -- "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore." Somehow I think Herman Kahn and RAND had something to do with these rules. I haven't felt this dumb in a long long time. I want to learn this game just to say I did it, but will probably have to settle for it being put in my coffin in case there's time later.

Too funny! You should have stuck with PG games and brought them in from the mail when the wife wasn't looking.

[Shad]

I own the first three. Of those, I've played the first 2. I'm saving Superfortress for a long, long business trip.

The Combat Commander series does absolutely nothing for me. I'm in the 1% on that. Can't stand it.

ASL? I'd only ever get this gritty if I had a reliable face-to-face opponent... and even then I'd lean towards ATS because of their (mostly) all-you-need-is-in-the-box game structure.

HOWEVER, ignore all of the above and enjoy yourself to the fullest!

[campsawyer]

So how is the wife insanely angry? Just that you bought the games or because you are finding the rules quite different. I presume with the later she must play as well and with the former she does not play.

[Hugmenot]

Learn to spread your purchases over a longer period of time!

[Dean_P]

The real good ones know what time of the day UPS comes by and knows when their spouse's have something that takes them out of the house when the UPS would normally come by...

Not that I'm in that group... I've tried, but for some reason it's never worked out.

[Matt W]

Work out of your house, that way when the packages arrive, they can be for "work".

[vince hughes]

I have to admit my Mrs has NEVER moaned about my gaming, either buying or playing. Then again, I only buy into the one series with perhaps 2 other games added in the year. I guess I am not one of those games hoarders buying games I will probably never use and thus perhaps not burning £££ doing it at an un-necessary level. Even so, she knows the hours I put into work with overtime et al, so even then, I still don't think she'd moan if I did buy a lot more.

Secret to all this... Before getting involved with ANY woman. Make sure they know you like gaming, having a beer, and have sporting interests. Also make sure they are a good cook too !!! (anything positive after that is all bonus !) hehehehehehehehehe !

[wkenney53]

I tell my wife 'I'm the boss in this house and if I want to sleep on the sofa, then thats where I'm going to sleep'.................No, I didn't think anyone would buy that. Gaming is one of my hobbies ( the other is flyfishing). This one is waaaaay cheaper. Besides, I don't comment on the 4K pairs of shoes she has in the closets.

[rmakowsky]

Some great games there. You know you can get a program that does B-17 turns. Not so fun solo, but I have used it to run a simulated B-17 squadron. (I supplied the HQ support and target selection, the players each ran the simulator and reported back results.) If they lost men, I replaced them.

Was very interesting and with historic losses it showed how deadly that was.

Combat Commander - Rules at first are tough to read but once you get them you will see they are the tightest rules in gaming. Everything means exactly and only what it says. Index easily leads you to the right places. The card based activations make it an ok solo system as well. The biggest thing to remember is not give up. CC games are not over until the sudden death roll. Anything can and will happen. Good fun.

PG - no need to go on, great system. All the games so far I have played have been great. Even the "historical" scenarios are interesting.

ASLSK - have not gotten it. Have read the ASL binder rules. Interesting system but by far the worst written rules I have dealt with. RUle effects are good, but so poorly done for learning. No need to jump on me ASL fans, I am a fan of the game, just not the rules for learning.