I am not gaming much, but have the spark back.
X-Wing, as a mostly 1st edition thing is very much alive, but well over from a buying perspective (a few 2e reprints promised may be bought and retro fitted), with only the odd slip like the Gauntlet for 2e. I would grab any new 2e TFA period or Armada ships, not that there seem to be any (some broad hints for more Armada ships, mainly a pack of fighters for all those little Clone Wars ships they missed and the massive Separatist monster from series 1).
Attack Wing is a little harder.
I kept my Delta Quadrant and Enterprise collections complete (as complete as I had made them anyway) because the buyer of the rest had little interest. I also kept a quite satisfying if small scattering of TNG, TOS and TOM sets made up of some duplicates and hard to gets*and the Kelvin set, going on to prove that a little Attack Wing goes a long way. I was happy with that.
The “Lost in the Delta Quadrant” and “Adversaries of the Delta Quadrant” sets have given me pause (and renewed thoughts of the probably long gone Borg faction pack also). There are a few tantalising cards, a couple of new enemies, some more bits for those already represented and new “metallic” models.
Problem.
The metallic ships are annoying, as my whole Delta Quadrant fleet is older paint except for the Delta Flyer (easiest of fixes). If I go Silver, then they match the TNG ships, except for the Promethius and Dauntless, but then again I could re-paint which ever. There would then be waste and bloat, something I addressed.
I culled for good reason.
Point costs are all reduced as has been the habit. This makes my earlier ship cards redundant. In fact the upgrades are such that I have that familiar old devil on the shoulder telling me to go with the new, when the angel of first editions says, use what you have. Balance is retained with either, but not both.
Several Janeway Cards (Skill 8 which is enough***), and at least two of most crew, several with captain options, the 30pt Voyager, 20pt Delta Flyer, lots of weapons, tech upgrades and others (including some TNG cross-overs) and most of the older hypotheticals, so more than enough to give me varied builds.
Let’s not mention slight anomalies of scale.
There are some new crew, many of which I had to google to remind me who they even were, including some holo crew, a ship from the past (The Raven), Vidiians, which I have avoided in the past (not a fan) and more Hirogen of which I have plenty including the card pack. There are Numiri, re-using the Bajoran Scout, but that is really it and two of these ships would have been nice to fit the scenario.
The fact is, they cover actual shown hypotheticals, ones that I could make up anyway (Holo deck anybodies, a lost Akira or Nebula class, some deep exploring Romulans, maybe some lost Xindi) and I have several better ones now (Marquis ship, Dauntless, Promethius, Klingon, Romulan, Bajoran, Equinox, Cardassian Dreadnaught, Tholian) and a decent range of actual foes (Hirogen, Borg, Kazon, Krenim, Sp. 8472).
I could buy and scavenge, avoid the whole points thing, or ignore it, fix it or apply a “handicap” system maybe?
So, buy two or three sets at $120-180au, just for some upgrades and the odd extra or repainted ship? That is where it gets frustrating and hard to cap.
This is the future for most of my gaming, making (first world) tough calls to quit while not too far behind or in this case, to not re-commit to a mixed journey.
I generally see a point in hind sight where I could have stopped and been happy.
For Armada it would have been to dodge the prequel stuff completely (or just buy it if they had finished the range as I originally assumed), for X-Wing it would have been to dodge the later movies in 1e, then not feel compelled to do 2e at all. For Attack Wing it would have been to chase the Delta Quadrant, TOS and early Enterprise series ships, but nothing else.
So for AW, quit buying and use what I have, chance that I will later lament missed packs, or continue but to what end?
Even my little TOS set is decent enough. A house rule is to allow larger upgrade buys, but only have active the amount of icons on the ship/captain cards, meaning Kirk may pull out any of his tricks, but still has to pay for them all (even duplicate crew are allowed).
Savage Worlds Pathfinder with new books coming (Bestiary 2 and Advanced Player guide 2) and 13th Age with their second edition are doing the same.
With SWPF I have this very neat little set. The second books just feel like more bloat, on an all too familiar road. Maybe the Bestiary later or the card packs, but not much in the APG2 appeals. SWPF also has the flexibility to let you add these elements anyway, which is part of the attraction. Classes are only archetypes, not fixed paths.
13th Age is a game where a little or a lot of GM license is fine, so are house rules and play to flavour**, which to me make more sense than second ed rules fixes, which are often treading the same ground as many have already trod before. I have two core books, some well respected rules expansions and lots of ideas, so is a second edition even needed?
Unmatched, a game that got out of control, but I can happily accept that. It is a rare thing that seems bullet proof to power creep, adds something new every time without making anything redundant or over complicating the core ideas. Even Tales to Amaze added options, but not confusion.
We take RPG rules as written far too seriously.
Role playing is actually a lot easier than we make it some times, rules lawyers and number maximisers go home! My idea of gaming hell is when players play the rules as written against the GM’s and their story design.
Maybe the best thing I can do is keep reminding myself that a little of many games is better than full immersion in a few (or often obsessively just one for periods of time). A bit of X-Wing 1e, 2e, Armada, Sails and Wings of Glory, metal minis, Attack Wing (various periods) and others are fine, just move on when one gets bogged down, don’t try and buy your way back into enjoyment of one system when variety does add spice and often a little time helps you appreciate where you are now.
My Eldritch Horror, Everdell sets are examples of deliberately “reduced” games and have done well.
A nice, sensibly little game, a real victory of common sense over compulsive collecting.
Knowing when to call it is a big deal.
So much simpler when these things die off naturally.
*These all have the benefit of several repeated cards from my duplicate culled ships, the Borg and Sp 8472 factions are intact, many have a plethora of options.
**Which is why it was made in the first place, a designers notes, house rule compilation.
***Debate rages over the skill of Janeway, but it is fair to say after being hand picked for the Voyager and a few years of nearly constant conflict, she is one of the most combat experienced Federation captains. She is however a match for anyone in the Delta Quadrant at 8.