Entry 32: Publisher Loyalty

            

            Sports fans across the globe show loyalty to their favorite teams by purchasing hats, scarfs, jersey’s, t-shirts, jackets, team playing cards, car stickers, and more. You can usually tell they are a fan by something they display of that team. You will find me most often wearing something from the following teams: Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Sounders FC, FC Bayern Munich, and the German National Team.

           Before moving further in this entry, a definition of what loyalty is would be helpful. Oxford Dictionary online states that loyalty is as a “strong feeling of support or allegiance.” 

            Has there ever been a game company in which you have enjoyed their games so much that you “have to have them all?” Of course I am not talking about Parker Brothers or Hasbro or other companies that have been around for 40+ years who has published hundred plus games. I am thinking more along the lines of companies that have twenty or less games currently published but have more than, let’s say, three games. 

            For my wife and I, there are a few companies that we really like and have most, if not all, of their games in our collection and there are quite a few that are still new companies which only have one or two games out so far and we are keeping an eye out for their new and forthcoming games to see if they are ones we will continue to support. 

Factors in our Loyalty 

            What are some things that influence our loyalty to a publisher? There are four main factors that we look at in a publisher which are good quality in their products, communication, customer service, and (most important) integrity. 

Good quality of product 

            If we support a company over and over again, we would want the quality of their products to last for a good period of time. We don’t want game boards that fall apart after a few plays or cards that can easily rip and get worn out fast. If you want us to invest in you, we expect you to invest into your product.

Communication 

            This category mostly covers the games we back on Kickstarter but not always. We appreciate when companies keep us informed of upcoming projects, changes in policies, etc. etc. Being open with your fan base and customers strengthens a companies client loyalty. I will speak more of this further down the post about a company who excels in this area. 

Customer Service 

            A major factor regarding any publisher or store or brand is how well they treat their customers. The ability of a consumer to speak with a company about anything, good or bad, reflects the importance and value a company places on those who purchase their goods. This also ties into the integrity of the company as well. 

Integrity 

            Oxford Dictionary online defines integrity as “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.” 

        There is a company that we backed on Kickstarter who has shown poor integrity and we will never directly support again. They placed an order with the manufacturer that was well below the amount that was pledged for their new game. The lack of communication and then putting blame on someone else for their mistake which resulted in backers waiting over six months for them to fix the error was unacceptable.

            It is believed they created another game to cover the costs of their blunder, this will only trickle down from game to game and we do not want to support that. 

            Companies who communicate well and keep us informed on what is going on with the production and the reasons for major delays show that they care about those who support them. More of this as I speak about the three companies below. 

            Now, let’s examine three companies that have earned our loyalty and the reasons behind it.

ThunderGryph Games 

            One of the first few games we backed on Kickstarter was, my #1 game still, Tang Garden. The look, design, & gameplay got me hooked right away. With all that they were doing to make sure the game was done properly and to the high standard they set for themselves upon release, I put my trust into them right away. 

            At one of our quarterly game swaps that we use to go to in pre-Covid days, we game across a vendor that had the majority of the previous releases from ThunderGryph. After reading what the games were all about we picked them all up and fell in love with everything they had. This covers the quality of product criteria, what about the other three? 

            During the Tang Garden campaign, I felt like the communication was great and for all the other campaigns since then, not an issue with keeping us informed as to the progress. 

            As for customer service, we had placed an order through their website once and got our product in a timely manner except for items that became backordered. Once the backordered items became available I got a shipping notice that it was on the way. 

            A day or so later I got an email from one of the ThunderGryph crew saying that they sent the complete order not just the backordered items and to go ahead and keep the extras. In my email response back, I stated that it would not be a problem to return the extras because they have been so good to me as a consumer. The response back I got was basically just a huge “thank you” for liking the games. 

            We ended up giving the extras away as gifts to family members who enjoyed playing them with us. This showed great integrity from them and is why ThunderGryph Games is my favorite publisher. 

Final Frontier Games 

            We love the themed games that Final Frontier publishes (we have all of them). Following the progression The Five Relams storyline has captivated our interest as well as the Western and Medieval Robin Hood games too. The newest Kickstarter was for two games in a new Pillars of Creation series.

            Each game, both large and small sized, they publish is done with high quality components and fine attention to detail. In the most recent update for an upcoming game they had communicated some of the major behind the scenes changes within the structure of the company which is causing some slight delays in the production of the game. Being open and honest with us backers help to set this company apart from others (you know, integrity). 

        We, personally, have not dealt with any customer service related items with the company but what I have read from previous Kickstarter campaign updates, they have helped those with issues with great satisfaction. 

Stonemaier Games 

            Of the three companies, Stonemaier Games (SG) is the only one where we do not have every title. We were late joining in on the SG “bandwagon.” Our first experience was when we picked up a copy of Charterstone at the game swap because we heard great things about the game and it was our introduction to the legacy format. Wingspan came next and that is when we became hooked. Each game they publish has high quality components, is aesthetically sound, and are easy to learn just by reading the game manuals. 

        One thing that sets SG apart from other companies is that Jamey Stegmaier (one of the founders and head honcho of the company) is very open, sociable, and always (I stress ALWAYS) keeps his customers interests in mind first. He does a weekly Facebook update/Q & A session, releases blog entries and Youtube videos weekly, and listens to the suggestions that others provide him. 

            Honestly, I can say that it is because of the things Jamey does is what keeps us coming back to SG. Will we get the other games that we don’t have? Not sure yet. We will continue to support SG with their new releases? Yeah, I think so because of the loyalty we have with the company. 

Final Thoughts…. 

            Like with most things in life, having and giving loyalty is a part of living. At the same time, loyalty can change based on the actions of others. 

            An example of this is that I had a best friend who ended up being not the person that I once knew back in college. He was there for me when I was going through hard times (my divorce) and I was there to support him with his marriage and eventual divorce as well. The biggest difference is that he was not open to the advice that was given to him by those all around him to help him try to mend his marriage. He decided to remove himself from the lives of most around him blaming people for his misfortune. 

            We are still friends with his ex-wife who has become a dear and trusted friend of ours. As she had put it “she got us in the divorce and he lost it all.” We did not put one person above another and I would still be friends with him if he did not do the things he did to break our friendship. 

            An example of a game company that has lost a lot of loyal consumers in the States last year is Asmodee. They had changed their missing parts policy and started requiring consumers to return the whole game to the store they purchased it from. If you received the game as a gift (with no receipt) or got it second hand then you are out of luck. 

            The overall consensus by consumers and other game publishers is that Asmodee has made the biggest mistake ever. I just checked to see if they rescinded the policy and they have not. So in this case, if you want a game from this publisher… buyer beware. 

            Bottom line folks, loyalty comes and goes. Treasure it when you receive it, value it when you give it.

Entry 31: Component upgrades… worth it or not?

      

         Every game comes with basic “parts” such as tiles, cards, meeples, scoring coins, tokens, game board, and etc. One can always hope that the basic components that come with the game are study enough to last a few hundred plays. I think this is a core value of smaller game publishers that do not mass produce products like the “big boys” (Hasbro). 

        Let’s briefly talk about some of the “big boys” products and what lasts and what does not hold up. Games like Monopoly and Scrabble have components that can stand up against the test of time. Wooden letter tiles, metal playing pieces, and even paper “funny” money that are handled constantly can last decades. Playing cards that are shuffled all the time in games like Uno and Phase 10 do get worn out after a period of time so then the game needs to be replaced. 

        The nice thing about the mass produced games from large companies is that when you are making hundreds of thousands copies of the game the price point of manufacturing them goes down so the cost of the game to the consumers are much lower than games from smaller companies who only product a few thousand copies in a single print run. 

        Would you want to pay $30 dollars for a single deck of the basic Uno cards? I know I wouldn’t. Speaking of games with cards, what do we do with the games from smaller publishers, such as the Dale of Merchants series by Snowdale Design who only does limited printing runs of their games? Two words… card sleeves. 

Card Sleeves 

        What is nice with some publishers, like Snowdale Design and Thundergrpyh Games, is that they offer card sleeves (some custom made) as an add-on to protect your cards for their games. My wife and I have found that the games with cards we know we will play over and over again, sleeving them does make them last longer. We have invested quite a bit into having sleeves of various sizes on hand for when we open new games. A simple way to protect your investment. 

        Are card sleeves a component upgrade? To a lot of people, it is, that is why I discussed that first. Now let us discuss a few other component upgrades that can add more to the aesthetics of a game. 

Custom Meeples & Tokens 

        Going back to the “days of old” in board gaming, playing pieces typically consisted of pawns, for a visual, they looked like upside down martini glasses without the base (think of the game Sorry) or similar plain pieces. Game pieces have evolved over time to become my “peoplish.” Hence the creation of the word and playing pieces called a Meeple (combination of my & people). The first game to use the pieces was of course the “classic” Carcassonne. The meeple itself was an upgrade in its’ own right but now, the basic meeple has been upgraded to different shapes and sizes a great example is Everdell which uses different forest figure meeples for their workers. 

        As for tokens, these pieces can already come in various shapes and sizes. Typically you will find wooden round discs to square cubes in games as well as a myriad of cardboard tokens. Having these pieces upgraded can add more to the looks of a game but you can always just use what comes with the game. 

        A wonderful example of having meeples and token upgraded from the basic retail version of a game to a special edition/Kickstarter edition is the Gardens of Babylon. As you can see in the following two pictures each edition the upgraded pieces do add a nice touch (each seed token is a different shape in the deluxe edition).

  

Coins 

        This category is short and sweet. Most games that use coins as a monetary or victory point system to keep costs down will just use cardboard pieces. This is completely acceptable for most of the games out there since you would just set these aside for final scoring. 

        There are a handful of games that metal pieces are a part of the game already. Dread Pirate is the best example of a game that comes with metal pieces. The coins sound nice when clanking together and the metal ships look great while sailing across the cloth map. 

        For other games, purchasing the metal coins upgrades are a nice touch because they seem to fit nicely with the looks and design of the game, especially pirate games. Tang Garden’s metal ancient Chinese coins add a nice touch to the design of the game. Unicorn Fever’s metal coins used for betting provides the game a “are you lucky or not” feel while you stack the coins on your bets, clink, clink. 

Organizers 

        Have you ever had a game with many components be put into a box loosely that scatters every time you move it and when you open it up it is a complete disaster? Have you ever organized your games using zip lock bags? If you have said yes to either of these then you are in dire need of an organizer. 

        Most of our games that we support via Kickstarter that are heavier weight (complexity)and/or Euro style games are now coming with plastic tray organizers. These are designed to hold and organizer all cards, bits, and pieces for the game. 

        One game that I was impressed with that came with some plastic trays for just the cardboard tokens was Uwe Rosenberg’s A Feast for Odin. You can see them on the left side in this picture along with the rest of the game components that are just stored loosely in the game box.

        However, there are companies that design and sell more complete organizers for many different games. Some are 3D printed plastics, some are laser cut wood, and some are foam core organizers. Many of the wooden and foam core ones you have to assemble and glue yourself. For me, these are great because it provides me a sense of ownership being a part of the process. 

          I have to give a shout out to my favorite company that makes wooden organizers, The Dicetroyers from Italy. They do have their own website and are also on Etsy. Their organizers are strong, sturdy, and their instructions are clear and concise. We own multiple of their products for our games. The following pictures are for A Feast for Odin.

Playmats & Cloth Boards 

         Another upgrade/add-on that my wife and I feel is worth it only some of the times are play mats and cloth boards. A few games come to mind in terms of these two items. 

        As mentioned before, Dread Pirate has a cloth map that you sail your wooden ships on. A traditional cardboard game board would get well abused playing this game with the glass gems, metal coins, and metal ships. 

        For Unicorn Fever, if you have the KS Ultimate edition, the game comes with jumbo unicorns that are played on a gigantic cloth game board. It also comes with the regular base game with the smaller unicorns that are played on a standard game board. The cloth board is a necessity for the jumbo unicorns and make the game totally worth it. (First picture.. retail version on a 4'x3' table, second picture.. jumbo cloth board on a 4'x6' [play area] table.)

        A few other games that we enjoy playing using a playmat is Sovereign Skies, Solar Storm and Wingspan. A few of the Tiny Epic games have playmats, currently we only have one of them and have found it worthwhile to have. We are deciding which other ones we may want to pick up as well for the series. 

        Again, the bottom line is that playmats & cloth boards that help organizer a game and keep things together and organized on the table are good for some games but may not be worth it for others. Use your best judgement as to the value of this upgrade for your games. 

Other Upgrades & Final Thoughts 

        I have seen, mainly on Etsy, people creating 3D parts and other upgrades to popular games that replaces the basic components to a game. Are these upgrades needed? For some people yes and some people no. 

        A popular game that people often upgrade parts to it is Everdell. From slotted leaves for event cards to acorn shell resource holders, and more, these upgrades are functional but are more for looks than anything else.

         If the game is one that you will be playing over and over and it is not a mass produced game that you can go to your local store that has a toys and games section to replace it, then yes component upgrades are worth it. For us, card sleeves are always a must. We have a collection of the various sizes that most games use. 

        As always, us your own judgment when it comes to where you invest your funds in the board gaming world. If you want a game to last for a few generations of use, protect it well. I wish that I had taken better care of some games from my youth that I am now wishing I still had and not worn it out.

Entry 30: Always Remember.... Never Forget

        

        Today’s blog is not about board games but a subject that touches reality for many of us. 20 years ago yesterday was a day that will forever be imbedded into our hearts and minds. The gruesome foreign terror attacks on the United States. 

        I think that most generations alive today have historic events that they will have vivid memories off. For example…. Listening to the Sputnik “beeps”, the JFK assassination, the first man on the moon, the fall of Saigon, the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, the fall of the Berlin Wall (and the communist bloc), and the 9/11 attacks. 

        Over the past few days watching and listening to the old reports and coverage of the events of that day does weigh in on my heart. I still remember the Challenger explosion, and I sure as heck remember with vivid details the events of September 11th 2001. Where I was, what I was doing, who I called, the bucket loads of tears, the fear that built up as the additional events happened that day. It was a day in which the world did stop turning. All flights were grounded for days, all transportation was halted, the world literally shut down. 

        Alan Jackson sang it best with his song "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning"….

Where were you when the world stopped turning 

On that September day? 

Were you in the yard with your wife and children 

Or working on some stage in LA? 

Did you stand there in shock at the site of that black smoke 

Rising against that blue sky? 

Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor 

Or did you just sit down and cry? 

Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones 

Pray for the ones who don't know? 

Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble 

And sob for the ones left below? 

Did you burst out in pride, for the red, white and blue 

And the heroes who died just doing what they do? 

Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer 

And look at yourself and what really matters? 

I'm just a singer of simple songs 

I'm not a real political man 

I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you 

The difference in Iraq and Iran 

But I know Jesus and I talk to God 

And I remember this from when I was young 

Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us 

And the greatest is love 

Where were you when the world stopped turning 

On that September day? 

Teaching a class full of innocent children 

Or driving down some cold interstate? 

Did you feel guilty 'cause you're a survivor 

In a crowded room, did you feel alone? 

Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her? 

Did you dust off that Bible at home? 

Did you open your eyes, and hope it never happened 

Close your eyes and not go to sleep? 

Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages 

Or speak with some stranger on the street? 

Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow 

Go out and buy you a gun? 

Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching 

And turn on "I Love Lucy" reruns? 

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some stranger 

Stand in line and give your own blood? Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family 

Thank God you had somebody to love? 

I'm just a singer of simple songs 

I'm not a real political man 

I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you 

The difference in Iraq and Iran 

But I know Jesus and I talk to God 

And I remember this from when I was young 

Faith, hope and love are some good things 

He gave us And the greatest is love 

I'm just a singer of simple songs 

I'm not a real political man I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you 

The difference in Iraq and Iran 

But I know Jesus and I talk to God 

And I remember this from when I was young 

Faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us 

And the greatest is love 

And the greatest is love 

And the greatest is love 

Where were you when the world stopped turning 

On that September day? 

        Our nation and the world became more united and more patriotic than ever following the events of that day. It was a new battle that we never saw coming. It changed how the day to day life we lived to the point that we, the older generations, can remember what it was like before and for the younger generations to question us if it was really like the way we remembered (for example… meeting people in the airport terminal when the got off the plane, not just at luggage pickup). 

        Over time, that unity has long faded. Our nation is again in shambles over various events that have happened in recent years (and unfortunately for events from 100+ years ago being “blamed” for today’s unrest). With the “closing" of the War on Terror, and fall of Afghanistan in the recent days, I am actually afraid that the world is left open for another event such as the 9/11 attacks. 

        I look at my beautiful 2 year old daughter and pray that the only thing that she would have to deal with is the Covid-19 pandemic which she won’t even remember because of her age. In reality, I know that this will not be the case. I know that she is going to have to be tougher than any of us today or even the generations from the World War’s. 

        Let us always remember and never forget how our world had changed that day for good. Let us pray that the future generations may never have to deal with things like we did “on that September Day.”

Entry 29: Logging Plays & Analytics

        This week we have a friend from Utah who flew up to spend some time with us. The first evening during discussion after dinner at my parents’ house she had said “You know that game we played when [her now ex-husband] and I visited four years ago. That was fun, I enjoyed that game.” Umm… yeah like we really remember what we played fours years ago one night. 

        When we returned to our place, she and my wife started going through some of the games we think we had at the time (our collection now is 100+ times larger). We then searched our Facebook logs from back then to see if anyone had taken a picture or mentioned the game at all…. NOPE! 

        So that got me thinking about the importance of keeping data and a record of what was played. Because this year we decided to do a 10 x 10 challenge and we challenged ourselves to play at least one game every day keeping a log has made a world of difference. From January 1st until August 31st I have played a total of 487 times with 116 different games (July 1st was the only day we missed). How do I know this, I have logged each day that we played a game. 

        I just use the BGG database for my logged plays. I record what we play, where we played it, and who we play with. For this year I just wanted to keep track of the basics to get into the habit of logging our game plays. Maybe next year I will add length of time, scores, etc. I am sure there is a way I can export all the information and run more statics on it if I really wanted to that is. 

        There are other programs out there that you can use to track game plays. I encourage you that if you want to start keeping stats, find the one that works for you. 

        I had asked the ladies to give me a few dates from this year and I could tell them exactly what, where, and who played that day. It was nice to review some of those dates and see what we play “back in the day.” 

        By the way... we think we found out which game it was and while we were in Leavenworth (a Bavarian town in the Cascades) for a day trip with our friend, my wife and I stopped at the local game shop Krampus Kave and bought the game we think it was that we played four years ago with her. Or maybe was it….. oh well, too late now.