ericmwalters
Member
The question is...what old game do you have fond memories of...you dragged it down from the top shelf to play...and then realized, upon playing it, that you were victim of "musty nostalgia"...once you began playing you realized why you'd left it up on the top shelf of the closet because better games had come along?
The key here is that there was something that still draws you to the game, some experience you had or something about it that warms to you. But once you actually get back into the game, you realize, to your sad horror, why other games have passed it by, leaving it in the dust (figuratively, if not literally).
Got this thread idea from the other one, wondering about what old games you'd still play today. Some of the reponses genuinely surprised me...until I thought of this.
For example: I still keep PANZERBLITZ and PANZERLEADER on my bookshelf. I even take them down and fondle the boards, the pieces, read the scenarios and remember old battles past. But I tried playing them both once and realized why I hadn't played either of them in so long. The games were too chess-like compared to the higher levels of fog and friction found in other tactical games I'd played since. The terrain seemed to stylized and the system too oriented around the armor, to the detriment of the artillery and infantry.
But what drew me and continues to draw me to both these games? One, it's the graphics--the boxes scream at you to play the games. The game pieces and boards still look great and look good together. Two, it's the warm memories of playing these games when I first got into wargaming in junior high and high school...two player games with friends, home-brewed "Race To Berlin" scenarios for three players using both games, creating home-made Katyusha and Maus pieces, etc. We grew up on these games.
Since then I've been spoiled by PANZER COMMAND (Victory Games), GDW's ASSAULT series (the best system for that scale, though "modern" era), MECH WAR 2 (SPI), West End's TANK LEADER series, and now Avalanche's PANZERGRENADIER. I won't even get into ADVANCED TOBRUK SYSTEM and ASL (which are at different scales, after all).
In contrast, I can pick up RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN or PANZERGRUPPE GUDERIAN and they feel just a fresh and exciting to play them now as it did when I first began playing them in 1976. Interestingly, I've been equally spoiled by newer games, but they didn't necessarily seem to replace these. GMT's EAST FRONT SERIES is great, but I still like PGG. I've never run across a relatively simple Russian Front game I liked better than RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN.
What games have you wistfully reminisced about like a long-lost girlfriend, only to find them again and realize why you separated so long ago?
--emw
The key here is that there was something that still draws you to the game, some experience you had or something about it that warms to you. But once you actually get back into the game, you realize, to your sad horror, why other games have passed it by, leaving it in the dust (figuratively, if not literally).
Got this thread idea from the other one, wondering about what old games you'd still play today. Some of the reponses genuinely surprised me...until I thought of this.
For example: I still keep PANZERBLITZ and PANZERLEADER on my bookshelf. I even take them down and fondle the boards, the pieces, read the scenarios and remember old battles past. But I tried playing them both once and realized why I hadn't played either of them in so long. The games were too chess-like compared to the higher levels of fog and friction found in other tactical games I'd played since. The terrain seemed to stylized and the system too oriented around the armor, to the detriment of the artillery and infantry.
But what drew me and continues to draw me to both these games? One, it's the graphics--the boxes scream at you to play the games. The game pieces and boards still look great and look good together. Two, it's the warm memories of playing these games when I first got into wargaming in junior high and high school...two player games with friends, home-brewed "Race To Berlin" scenarios for three players using both games, creating home-made Katyusha and Maus pieces, etc. We grew up on these games.
Since then I've been spoiled by PANZER COMMAND (Victory Games), GDW's ASSAULT series (the best system for that scale, though "modern" era), MECH WAR 2 (SPI), West End's TANK LEADER series, and now Avalanche's PANZERGRENADIER. I won't even get into ADVANCED TOBRUK SYSTEM and ASL (which are at different scales, after all).
In contrast, I can pick up RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN or PANZERGRUPPE GUDERIAN and they feel just a fresh and exciting to play them now as it did when I first began playing them in 1976. Interestingly, I've been equally spoiled by newer games, but they didn't necessarily seem to replace these. GMT's EAST FRONT SERIES is great, but I still like PGG. I've never run across a relatively simple Russian Front game I liked better than RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN.
What games have you wistfully reminisced about like a long-lost girlfriend, only to find them again and realize why you separated so long ago?
--emw