I Finally Did It, MoFos

For the regulars still around, you've read how I've lost a lot of enthusiasm for the board gaming hobby. Don't get it twisted, I love to play games, but the buying, collecting, keeping up with releases, etc I can do without. A few summers ago, I posted a picture of Legend of Robin Hood, BattleLine, and Condotierre on a table with a comment wishing my collection was that small...well now it nearly is.

Outside of my Blood Bowl and Dreadball stuff. The entirety of 'Dad's Games' can easily fit in one backpack...with plenty of room to spare.



The only things missing are that copy of Robin hood (at a buddy's) and there's a high chance a Star Realms pack will soon sit on top with the World Cup Card Game (thanks, Lee!)

I used to have a very large collection (though clearly not nearly as large as some) from almost the entirety of the classic GW 80s and 90s run, to a large assortment of Columbia and other wargames. There are board games that are top 10 titles for me that I no longer own: TITAN, Hammer of the Scots, Martian Rails, Talisman, GW Warrior Knights, etc. Thing is, like I've said before...anyone I would play those games with...also have them. I simply play other people's games now. Even as a board game night organizer, I'll just tap someone to bring a title or two. The only things I really need on hand are my BB and DB stuff as I commish leagues and tourneys for both games and that small game set on the right to play with the Casual Players at random pubs.

Personally, this is a better arrangement for me as I now have next to zero shelf toads. For the kids, I wonder if maybe they'll see someone who loves a hobby but doesn't allow it to consume them as they leverage resources more intelligently. I dunno. I know the journey has been therapeutic for me though.

I think the next step may be a cancellation of my BGG account. I hardly post there, but have kept it open for trades or sales. I have nothing to move though. I guess I could keep it open, but the temptation to buy while visiting there is quite strong. I almost bought that new 51st State Master Set, almost looked for a copy of Pandemic Legacy, almost bought Warriors of God (again). Staying away may be best for me.

I don't know how I feel about this... Those trophies are awfully decadent.

Wow. Posting pictures of your collection/storage solutions? That is ostentatiously board gamery behavior...

Waiting for the headline: "Anti-gaming preacher Jeff White found in hotel room tryst with copy of Cthulhu Wars"

Michael Barnes wrote: Wow. Posting pictures of your collection/storage solutions? That is ostentatiously board gamery behavior...

Waiting for the headline: "Anti-gaming preacher Jeff White found in hotel room tryst with copy of Cthulhu Wars"

"Mr. White was discovered waiting at the remote location where he was expecting a large shipment of Game Canopies."

Should I applaud? Not quite sure. If I never see another picture of someone else's game shelf, I could live quite happily. Bursting with games or bursting with minimalism, don't care.

So what is the take away from this bragadoshist modesty?

What I get is "Look how stupid all you assholes with large game collections are and note how much more sophisticated and superior I am with my discerning yet restrained shelf."

Yet another exemplar of why I have less and less interest in this site.

repoman wrote: So what is the take away from this bragadoshist modesty?

What I get is "Look how stupid all you assholes with large game collections are and note how much more sophisticated and superior I am with my discerning yet restrained shelf."

I dunno, man. It's not up to me to tell you what your take away is. I suppose like anything, you get out what you put in. If you wanted to tilt at the op or belittle F:AT then it appears you got want you wanted. Bravo.

I actually took that photo for another site asking for solutions to team storage, but I figured why not include it here with a little update? I mean, it's fairly well documented how I've felt about the culture of gaming lately, and there have even been multiple posts/threads targeted at me because of it. No biggie to me though, I'm still around. Hell, I thought Mike's post above was humorous.

I guess I could just shut up and not post anything, but being here almost a decade, feel many of the posters are friendly and some may or may not be interested in what another F:AT lifer who runs his mouth is up to.

You obviously aren't. But since you're around this evening, why not help out and post up some threads or articles of meaning so this site isn't a waste of your time...

repoman wrote: Should I applaud? Not quite sure. If I never see another picture of someone else's game shelf, I could live quite happily. Bursting with games or bursting with minimalism, don't care.

So what is the take away from this bragadoshist modesty?

What I get is "Look how stupid all you assholes with large game collections are and note how much more sophisticated and superior I am with my discerning yet restrained shelf."

Yet another exemplar of why I have less and less interest in this site.

This is really, really not what I got from the OP.

Mostly I thought, "This is the most Jeff White post ever."

This place is like M.A.S.H. or something and Jeff White is one of the recurring characters. Along with his more puritanical attitude toward gaming. Most of us love him for that. It's part of the color of this site. If you don't, that's cool. Move along to something else here that interests you.

repoman wrote: Should I applaud? Not quite sure. If I never see another picture of someone else's game shelf, I could live quite happily. Bursting with games or bursting with minimalism, don't care.

So what is the take away from this bragadoshist modesty?

What I get is "Look how stupid all you assholes with large game collections are and note how much more sophisticated and superior I am with my discerning yet restrained shelf."

Yet another exemplar of why I have less and less interest in this site.

No, what you do to your long time Internet acquaintance is say, "Good for you! I'm glad you're happy" and move on, because that's what people do who aren't dicks. Take it from a former God Emperor of Dicks.

repoman wrote: Should I applaud? Not quite sure. If I never see another picture of someone else's game shelf, I could live quite happily. Bursting with games or bursting with minimalism, don't care.

So what is the take away from this bragadoshist modesty?

What I get is "Look how stupid all you assholes with large game collections are and note how much more sophisticated and superior I am with my discerning yet restrained shelf."

Yet another exemplar of why I have less and less interest in this site.

I think F:AT is a big tent.

Well I'm happy for you, Mr White. Don't let the naysayers bother you. Its your life.

I haven't gone to this extreme yet, but I'm definitely headed in the "less is more" direction. I want to explore and enjoy the things I have, not constantly be hunting new hotness. I'd rather take another dive into something I really like than pull out something "eh" just because I haven't played it in a long time. If I haven't, why keep it?

Repo, I don’t know how you felt personally threatened by Jeffs totally innocent albeit boring post. You gotta stop hating yourself, it's poisoning your whole perspective. We love ya

Good post, Jeff.

Thanks for the encouragement, all. You guys are correct in that I didn't mean to post this to rub anyone's nose in anything or comment on how other folk should hobby.

I suppose not having a personal blog, the ease of posting in this forum means I sometimes treat it like a blog of sorts for my gaming.

Take from the posts what you will.

EDIT: Sorry I bored you this time around, Barney. I suppose the title is misleading and one may have thought I just did something that's a bit more...taboo...

Mr. White wrote: Thanks for the encouragement, all. You guys are correct in that I didn't mean to post this to rub anyone's nose in anything or comment on how other folk should hobby.

And it was pretty obvious that that wasn't your intention. I think it's great that, after reading your thoughts on your game collection over a few years, we are finally getting to see the fruits of your effort to cut down. You sound genuinely relieved about it, and I think that's awesome, man.

On the other topic of this thread, though: For whatever it's worth, half the reason I am only a peripherally involved member of this site is precisely because, out of the 30 or so regular posters, there are 1 or 2 who might, at any given time, reply to someone's post with something that amounts to "this is fucking stupid, shut up." Which is weird, because the "white male terrorism" thread had a pretty level-headed conversation compared to the way it went on other sites, like the RPG.net forums.

And yet the RPG.net forums has a more active community, more minority voices (it's sad that "women" has to be a minority category on the internet), and less threadshitting. Repoman's post in this thread would have earned a tempban in any other forum I have ever participated in, but here we just kind of shake our heads. If anyone is wondering why this place is struggling to get fresh membership, this is a significant contributor.

Now, feel free to tell me I'm a fucking retard.