Saturday, January 11, 2014

I hope you didn't miss anything!

I hope you didn't miss anything!

(a recap of the last few weeks at NJAGP)



        It's been crazy here at Not Just Another Gaming Podcast Studios this past month, and many of the things we have going on may have been overshadowed from the fact that we've been pumping out new content so much we don't have time to promote it all. So I wanted to put it all in one neat place!


Episode 41: Don't Be So Thematic

This episode released the final day of December and contains reviews of Bioshock : Infinite, Circus Train 2nd Edition, & King of Tokyo - costumes expansion. We also answer the age of question, "What trumps in purchasing a game - Theme, Mechanics, or Designer?". Our top 5 is board games that would make great movies.

Episode 42: The Episode of Brotherly LOVE

This episode is our first of 2014 and contains a game spotlight on Salmon Run. We also touch on Trains, Mansions of Madness, Via Appia, and Eldritch Horror. We talk about what geeky goodies santa brought us and the one thing he didn't. Our "Out of the Box" segment is a lot of fun. We talk about cheesesteak places and geeky places to visit in Philadelphia.

2014 Support Drive

We talk about this a bit in Episode 42 but if you visit the website, you'll see the drive all laid out including our goals, rewards, and plans for the future! We are giving away a bunch of games including Circus Train 2nd Edition, Darkest Night, ApocolypZe, and more! We're also planning to reward supporters with extra shows and dice! Please, if you only click one link on this blog, go check out our support drive!

Contest: Win a copy of Dice & Daggers

(from our current show sponsor General Nonsense Games)

All we ask is that you like GNG on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. Then to enter the contest, just tweet or post on their page (NJAGP SENT ME!). For further information on this you can also visit our website. For links to their pages...
https://twitter.com/GNonsenseGames (or @GNonsenseGames)

7 Card Slugfest Review & Grumpy Gamer

As if that wasn't enough, I just posted a written review of Level 99 Games - 7 Card Slugfest on the website and another blog post about me becoming a Grumpy Gamer.

 Give Us a "heart" on Board game links

This is a website that has been floating around for the past month or so that we have no idea if it will have staying power or if it will even be used that much by the gaming community, but we have asked several times if you would please take 7 seconds to go over and give us some love. (Click the heart next to our name) (We're currently around #50)

Facebook / Twitter / BGG Guild

We have so many social media outlets that even I can't keep up! But depending on where you're finding this post, don't forget that we are constantly posting to all three of the places. (And we try really hard not to duplicate content!) So if you use these sites at all, come join us there!

I'm hoping to do this every so often. Let me know what you think and if it is helpful / useful. Most of all, Thanks to all of you, our wonderful community of listeners!
- NJAGP










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Sunday, January 5, 2014

Rise of a Grumpy Gamer?

BY JIM REED


   I really don't consider myself a grumpy gamer. In fact, I believe I have been accommodating, patient, and considerate far past most peoples breaking points with regards to gaming situations. At least this is how I felt until a few nights ago. When I realized, there is a grumpy side to my gamer self. And I'm wondering, am I alone in this? Is this something that has risen out of my tenure in gaming? Is it because my game time has been limited.

Then I do remember back to a few explosions I have had in the past. A fantastic tale about a table with a fully set up Shadows Over Camelot game being flipped up come to mind. But those were rare moments. Right?

Recently I've noticed I have become much more picky about who I want to game with. I've become selective on who I want to play specific games with too. Now granted, this is based on the growing number of people I game with. I know who would enjoy heavier strategy games and who wouldn't. I know who is best to get together with when playing 2 player games. I know who to call up when I'm planning a larger party style get together and who wouldn't like to attend that type of game day. But I still don't remember being this since the beginning. (Which was about 2004)

But where I really feel like my "grumpy gamer" has come to full incarnation, is when it comes to playing longer thematic story driven games. Yes, one of the type of games that I love! This is also fueled if the game is cooperative, which many in this style are.

Some examples are games like Arkham Horror, Eldtritch Horror, Battlestar Gallactica, Mansions of Madness, Tales of the Arabian Knights, Robinson Crusoe: Adventure on the Cursed Island, ect ect.

These games are immersive. They rely heavily on a thematic story unfolding onto the table. They're awesome!

Sometimes, when you play these games, not every player may feel as strongly about them as you do. Not every player will want to engage in the unfolding arc. Not every player will stay focused during a round of, especially if it's not "there turn". And here lies the problem. When this happens, I find myself loosing enjoyment in the game. I get upset, angry even. I get GRUMPY!

I try. I do. I try to help engage those players who would rather be talking about where they went to diner the previous night, or discuss the latest episode of Dr.Who in immense detail rather than pay attention to what is developing on the table. I politely remind them it's their turn, I calmly re-explain to them events that have just happened, and I generously offer to tell them why the board looks different since their last turn (meaning all the moves from the players and the game they missed while chatting about their latest trip to the mall - that's for you ladies)

I really dislike being a part of a gaming experience like this. I want to avoid it. I want to avoid people who I know are going to do this. I don't want to be grumpy, but it is me being a grumpy gamer. I doubt that this will end. How can it? It is how I feel. I want my game experience to be a certain way, and that's that. I'm sure I'm not alone. I'm also sure this resonates to many other facets of life as well, but for me, I feel, it is just one step closer to becoming a grumpy gamer.

I'd like to know who else is in this tribe with me. Also, is there a cure (or at least a sedative)?

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