Friday Night Shots – Game Systems

Those of you who follow this blog (hi, Doug!) know that I’m a huge Final Girl fanboy.

See that page for all of my individual feature film reviews!

I have everything, except maybe some promos and stuff.

I have the Season 3 Ultimate Box and the Season 4 Catch-up box (which is basically the Ultimate box but with only the final Series 4 film as well as other stuff, but room to place the Series 4 films I already have).

The release schedule of the films, every few months, has seemed pretty cool, but since I came in near the end, I have been playing catch up by buying films as they became available.

I didn’t really think anything of their film release schedule until I saw a troll post on Boardgame Geek questioning how Van Ryder Games is handling the releases of this game (which I’m not going to link to, because the guy posts things and then just runs away without engaging) and then this review from user Andrew Clarke.

I’ll talk more about it after the break.

The review of the Final Girl series is actually fairly positive, but then there’s this bit at the end:

“It’s been said by others, but I do kind of think the game’s marketing and pricing is a little bit… predatory (ironically). Not bad value, incidentally- I don’t mean that. A fully playable set is around £35-£40 which is pretty fair for the components and gameplay time/content. And a feature film is a shade over £20; again, not bad value given what you get. It’s just… there’s so much stuff… and I feel there’s a bit of exploitation of the completionist going on.”

What the fuck?

Unless you just love the system like I do, the recommended way to enjoy Final Girl is to choose a couple of films where you might like what movie they’re based on (maybe Aliens and Into the Void?)

At least if you’re going to try out the system, you shouldn’t be buying a whole bunch of films trying to see if you like it.

Buy something in your wheelhouse and see what happens.

The troll post I mentioned (which I’m still not linking to) called out the game for basically selling a “core game” (with no film attached) that has all of the pieces, rules, cards, etc, and then requiring you to buy a film to actually be able to play the game.

If you were spending $40+ a piece for both the core system and the film, I could see that criticism.

However, combined, buying a film and the core set requires about $45 or so, and they even sell a “Starter Pack” that has the core system and Camp Happy Trails (that’s how I started!) for about the same price as a basic game.

The reason that this is not a bad thing is because how varied the feature films are in this series.

Maybe you want to try the system, but you’re more of a fan of Little Red Riding Hood than you are the Friday the 13th movies?

Then just get the core set and buy Once Upon a Full Moon.

If you end up loving the core game play, or if you love a bunch of different genres of horror movies, then you have other feature films that you can also buy along with it.

The best feature of the Final Girl system is that you can mix and match killer, location, and final girl, and all three can be from different films!

So having a bunch of different films gives you a lot more variety for future plays.

But you certainly don’t need to buy them all.

If you’re a “completionist” and have to have everything, well, that’s on you.

But the system is specifically set up so that you don’t have to do that.

I think the main difference with this, and where I don’t think completionists necessarily will fall victim to this, is that some games just have an expansion or two, some promos, etc, and completionists feel like they have to have everything involving that game.

And they complain if, for example, a promo isn’t readily available.

That’s insane!

Final Girl, Advanced Squad Leader, they are all game systems.

They are not designed for completionists (at least not totally), where you have to have everything.

Hell, if you have a completionist mindset for Advanced Squad Leader, kiss your wallet goodbye!

All of those expansions are hugely expensive, and sometimes out of print.

Final Girl is the same way (without the out of print part, though now that they are done with Series 4, that might become more of an issue, but we don’t know yet).

It’s a game system, not a game.

I have some semblance of completionist feelings. While I don’t stress about promos that aren’t readily available, if they become available (like a recent Garphill Games Kickstarter that let you get a bunch of previous promo packages), I’ll probably buy them.

But I don’t get upset if I don’t have them.

Game systems are different, in my opinion.

Sure, some people may fall prey to the idea of buying everything.

But some people just love the system so much, and love how interconnected it all is, that they’re willing to buy everything.

That’s not a completionist mindset.

That’s a “I can mix and match as I want!” mindset.

It’s the same with Advanced Squad Leader.

You can buy the basic Yanks expansion that gives you the Americans and the Germans, and then maybe the Beyond Valor expansion that gives you the Russians and Germans.

Sure, you could get Hollow Legions (which gives you the Italians and some desert warfare rules), but you don’t have to.

In fact, Advanced Squad Leader, you have to spend almost $100 just for the rules, not to mention playing the game!

Hell, Advanced Squad Leader has “Starter Packs” with basic ASL rules which are almost like the “the first one is free” drug dealers (though in this case, it’s not free but reduced cost) to entice you into the system.

This makes it so you don’t have to spend that money just for the rulebook. You get a subsection of the rules (and I’ve heard that there isn’t a 100% correlation between the Starter Kit rules and the main rules) that will get you started and give you a feel for the system.

I really don’t get a criticism like this.

It’s like the poster doesn’t understand the difference between a game and a game system.

Buying a game and then a couple of expansions, and that’s all that comes out, is one thing.

When you’re investing in a system, you need an entry way into it, and then you can pick and choose how you navigate the system.

Some people buy it all because they love it that much.

Some people buy an extension here or there, enough to play what they want, but they don’t go any further.

It’s your choice.

There’s nothing predatory about that.

******

Incidentally, if you’re a fan of ASL, or wargames, or just games in general, and are looking for a bunch of likeminded people to play with for four whole days (!), why not join us at Bottoscon from November 5-8?

There are 20 tickets reserved specifically for the ASL tournament, but also 12 passes currently available for general admission.

The unsold ASL passes will be released to general attendees beginning September 15.

I’ve written up all of my experiences in previous years, and they have all been great.

A wonderful group of people to game with, very friendly, some of the ticket prices go to a good charity, and you get to spend four days in the beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia area!

It’s a win win.

I wrote up my last year’s experience here, though take note that this year we are going to be at the Element Metrotown hotel instead of New Westminster.

Come join us, and maybe we can get a game in!