I was going to make this a poll but there weren’t enough options to make it the way I wanted to. So pretend this is a poll and tell me your favorite part of buying a new game!
1. Researching the game - this includes reading reviews, searching BGA for the best price, etc.
2. Buying the game - whether online or in a FLGS - the act of spending the money on the game
3. Opening the package - slicing into the Amazon box or opening the shopping bag from the store and admiring your new acquisition
4. Taking off the shrink wrap
5. Punching the cardboard/Unpacking the components
6. Reading the rule book
7. Setting the game up for your first play
8. I don’t like getting new games
9. Other
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BenjaminK 15 months ago
5 and 6. Punching and unpacking help me get acquainted with the new arrival. And since I'm a rule book editor, it's only natural for me to open up the book and see how many errors there are it all comes together. Even if I've read the rules online before purchasing, I'll always dive into the physical book.
9. Playing my first game. Sometimes it can be rough (OK, most of the time), but there's still that satisfaction of learning something new and playing a (hopefully) fun game.
philryuh Owner15 months ago
What's the most common error you find? Or... what type of error bothers you the most?
BenjaminK 15 months ago
There are always little errors here and there. It's rare to have something 100% perfect. Industry standard for copy editors is 95% accuracy, so if there are errors, I get that. We're human. And I can't be too critical, because someone will undoubtably find an error in one of my edited rule books.
However...
The biggest bother for me is incorrect page numbers. That really should have been checked at the proofing stage. In the Legend of Korra: Pro-Bending Arena rule book, I looked all over for an example that was listed on a page that was obviously the wrong one.
Starfall also has a big "oopsie!" on the scoring card, showing the same scoring condition twice, essentially making what should be worth more points worth the same as something easier to get. Not a big deal, sure, but you'd think that would be something you made sure was right.
The most common error I find is probably punctuation. With semicolons, em and en dashes, commas and colons all intermixed, there's bound to be one or two misplaced. I can always tell when a rule book hasn't gone through a professional editor, and it's usually in the punctuation that gives it away. But, I understand that it editors cost money--especially for those big fatty rule books--so I get why some don't get the full service. It can be difficult to separate work from pleasure sometimes, and it took practice to not worry about rule books that are already published. :)
Marshwiggle92 Supporter15 months ago
For me it is a tie between 1 and 5. I love the research process, and then I love opening the game, organizing it.....
philryuh Owner15 months ago
For me I think it's (1) researching the game/the thoughts and time I put into just before purchase. I like to make comparisons between different games I have in mind and figuring out which will best suit the needs of whoever I'm wanting to play the game with. For example I'll have a handful of games like Raiders of the North Sea, Architects of the West Kingdom, Champions of Midgard and then start looking into the pros and cons of each. And I get excited when my wife starts showing interest in the games I'm thinking of. This is my general purchase habit for anything even besides board games. I rarely buy anything just because I like it and it's usually centered around how I'll be able to enjoy it with my wife or family/friends. And I like to put enough time to know that I'm making the best purchase possible that is worth the cost.
JamesReid860 Supporter15 months ago
Seeing others getting interested in the games that I'm interested in definitely adds to it for me as well.
philryuh Owner15 months ago
Good thing I make very few purchases! So no disappointments yet.
The majority of my plays with new games are either through Trent's purchases or (recently) publishers sending us a review copy like in the case of Skulk Hollow.
Skurvy5 Supporter15 months ago
For me I really enjoy punching the cardboard and sorting all the components. The tactile nature of board games is one of the best parts of gaming. Imperial Assault does a great job with this. All those terrain pieces to punch, new miniatures to look at, whew. Opening an Imperial Assault expansion is quite the experience.
JamesReid860 Supporter15 months ago
Punching is fun too! It's probably my 3rd favorite part though.
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JamesReid860 Supporter15 months ago
Researching and Setting up the game for the first play are my most favorite parts!