Final Post of 2013...

... end of the year anyways.

Well, 2013 is coming to an end, and it's the time of year many people make new year resolutions.  I am NOT one of those people.  Instead, around this time I like to look back on the year from a geek perspective, and try to predict/plan where I want to be (geek wise) in 2014.  Sort of a "what am into, what is on my radar" type of post.  If you're interested in where I may be heading in the next year, then keep reading...

2013:

I started playing a lot of games, I quite playing about as many games as well.  I'd say overall, this was the year where I started to truly draw away from being a competitive-minded gamer, towards more of just wanting to enjoy the game(s).  That's not to say I no longer want to play to the top of my ability, more so if presented with an "I win" button, I will no longer instantly press it if it will deprive myself or my opponent of potentially having a good, fun game.  Anymore, I prefer to have a good, close match, one that is won/lost through smart generalship, not little game exploits or gimmicks in list building.  The last several months have seen me heading to the LGS less and less due to not being to find anyone interested in playing the same games as I'd like to play.  As such, I've begun to look more and more towards solo gaming options.  Lately, I've also grown into a bit of a historical wargamer.

Card game wise, I've also had plenty of ups and downs.  I started playing Legend of the Five Rings, a game I've loved since early Imperial Edition, but that group committed seppuku after only a few months.  This led me to start giving FFG's living card games a serious look.  I gave both Warhammer Invasion and Call of Cthulhu a try, but found no one else truly interested.  I used to be an avid Game of Thrones player, long before FFG picked it up and turned it into an LCG, but again, no one else but myself seemed truly interested.  Netrunner had a roller coaster following, it was huge for awhile, then died down, only to be picked back up again by a whole new crowd.  Personally, I've grown a bit bored with the game.  Finally that leads me to the Star wars LCG.  I really enjoyed Star Wars, and at first there was a handful of us playing it, but as the months went on, I seemed to be the only one still interested.  Since I was no longer able to get in games anymore, I've fallen behind on the force packs, as there is no reason to continue to buy if I'm not getting use out of them.

As far as PC/Console gaming goes, SWTOR has come and gone, along with Mechwarrior Online.  In the case of SWTOR, I got to endgame much too quickly, on an underpopulated server, which caused a severe lack of endgame pvp as well there being a lack of raiding as well.   The game was fun, but in the end it just couldn't hold my interest.  MWO also had/has plenty of issues as well.  I got into an early closed beta, and I really enjoyed the game at that time.  That said, it seemed to be doing a gradual downslide with each update.  Eventually, I also called it quits after a lot of roller coaster style updates and weapon adjustments.  Eventually I felt the game had progressed to a point where I no longer truly enjoyed it.  I tried EVE, and while I enjoyed my brief time (about 2-3 months) in it, I couldn't truly justify the $15 a month cost to play.  I tinkered around with several free-to-play MMOs, but I couldn't get into them.  I played Harken for awhile, and really enjoyed it at the time, but eventually I just ended up playing it less and less for no real reason.  Personally, I think it was because I didn't find it to be all that challenging.  finally that brings me up to World of Tanks, World of Warplanes, and War Thunder.  I downloaded WoT and WoWP as part of my recent love affair with historical gaming.  WoT was/is alright, it's fun, but it has its flaws.  I still play WoT every now and then, when I'm in a "tankery" kind of mood or looking for just a quick game of something in my spare time.  World of Warplanes was a complete disappointment, but it led me to give War Thunder a try, which I have been playing ever since.  I'm also still playing around with Skyrim, as there is just so much depth within that game...

Finally, I'm still not doing anything in the pen-and-paper RPG department.  Anime wise, I've fallen in love with "Girls und panzer", I still watch Naruto, and I've watched the first disc of the "Neon Genesis Evangelion" remake, with plans to get around to the others in the future.  I used to own all of the original Evangelion episodes on VHS back in the day, so it's interesting to see what all has changed.  Comic book wise,  I've almost entirely switched from reading Marvel to DC.  I like Moonknight and the Avengers on the Marvel side, but MK can't seem to hold his own title and there are so many Avengers variants out there that i have not really gotten into them since the "Ultimate" titles stopped.  On the DC side, I've found myself reading Justice League, as well as all the various Lantern titles.

2014:

I expect I'll be further looking to play more solo games than anything, although there will still be some of the standard 2 player tabletop games in there as well.  I was a big fan of the Star Wars X-Wing miniatures game in 2013, and while I hardly get any games of it in anymore,  I expect I'll continue to collect the new miniatures, including the huge ship models, just because I'm such a Star wars fan.  The real question will be whether or not I pick up Star trek Attack Wing and Wings of Glory as well.  If I'm not really able to get many games of X-Wing in, I doubt I'd get many games of Trek or WoG in either.  However, I do enjoy the overall game system shared by all 3 games, I am also a bit of Star trek fan, and of course WoG would scratch that historical wargamer itch I've recently contracted!  Likewise, Sails of Glory looks pretty interesting, but as with everything else the key will be finding opponents.  40k and Fantasy are both probably out.  I've got some ideas for a cool themed Cygnar and Circle force for Warmachine & Hordes, but I doubt I'll ever really get around to them, though you never know.  DUST is something I tried to play in the past, but I could not get any games in.  With Battlefront at the helm, I still really would like to play, but I'm not going to hold my breath.  Infinity and Malifaux both seem cool, but as with Warmachine & Hordes, I'm not sure I'll ever get around to them.  Krosmaster Arena is another game I picked up this last year, but I've not been able to find opponents for.  That said, I may continue to sporadically pick up stuff for it, even if only to hold onto until my daughter gets old enough to start playing with me.  Next up, Dreadball.  I picked up a copy of it after several guys from the LGS picked up copies as well, fully expecting to be able to get plenty of games in.  Sadly, that does not seem to be the case.  I've got both of the starter teams fully painted, but I wont be picking up anything more for it until I start to get in some consistent games.  last year I backed Kingdom Death Monster and Arena rex and kickstarter, so I should have those to play around with, although I expect I'll get more playtime out of KDM.  That brings me to Flames of War, and after having a bunch of FoW stuff sitting on my shelves for several years, I've finally decided to try and do something with it, seeing as I've been in such a historical gaming mood as of late.  Board game wise, I'll continue to look primarily towards those with solo playability, the main one being the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, which I've played a ton of in 2013.  Zombicide, AVP, Brimstone, and Journey: Wrath of Demons are also all on my radar as they all feature solo play and may bridge the gap between board game and tabletop miniatures.  (Though that would require the last 3 games being made available in 2014)

Card game wise, I doubt I'll see anymore L5R action, which deeply saddens me.  Warhammer and CoC are both out, as well as I doubt I'll play any Game of Thrones, so sadly it is probably out as well.  I'm personally over Netrunner, so it's probably out though I could get talked into a game here and there provided I do not trade off all my stuff.  Star Wars, much as it saddens me deeply, is likewise also probably out due to a lack of being able to get any games in.  As always, if I'm not playing, I'm not buying!  However, I'm leaning towards  trying out the Lord of The Rings LCG as it features solo playability.  My future in card gaming may very well lie in LoTR...

On the PC/Console front, I fully expect to continue playing War Thunder, provided my computer can continue to run it in the coming year.  Tanks should be arriving in War Thunder very soon, and once they do, I imagine World of Tanks will no longer exist in my eyes.  I'm also looking forward to Elder Scrolls online, and Star Wars Attack Squadrons also looks promising.  Aside from that, nothing else is really on my radar in that department.  I know PS4 and Xbox One have both dropped recently, but I next to no desire to pick up a new console anytime soon.  It would take a significant game, unavailable on the PC, to push me one way or the other.

Once again, I do not see myself doing anything in the RPG department.  Sure, I'd love to play the Star Wars RPG, Shadowrun, or Pathfinder, but I doubt I could find the time, nor a solid, serious, dedicated group in my area to play with.  Anime wise, I'll continue to keep and eye out for future "Girls und Panzer" releases, I'll continue to watch "Naruto", and "Evangelion" will likewise be on my "to watch" list.  Comics wise,  I don't expect to read much of anything from marvel, and even reading the DC titles I enjoy will likewise slow down.

So there you have it.  These are a lot of the topics I'm predicting you'll see me posting about on here in the coming year.  Again, this is merely a prediction, you never know what new game may be around the corner, or how my local gaming community may unexpectedly shift towards  a new gaming system.  

Do you have any games you are looking forward to in the coming year?  Any plans/predictions for what 2014 may hold for you in the geek department?