Jason PatersonDo you ever just run across a game you've never seen before and suddenly it becomes an obsession to try and find a copy? That's currently happening to me with "RAF Battle Of Britain" from Decision Games. Trick now is to score a copy of the current edition for less than $200.
playersaidalex@nakedcardboard RAF has the single greatest campaign arc of any solo wargame. clinging on tooth and nail, getting new planes, but terrible green pilots, trying to inflict as much attrition on the Luftwaffe as possible, and out last them. Glorious.
@playersaidalex Have you had any chance to encounter Skies Above Britain? I know they are very different games mechanically speaking, but I'm starting to wonder if one might be more "meaty" and in step with the kind of experience I'm looking for in a Battle of Britain game.
@nakedcardboard I have it, but just haven't had a chance to play it yet. RAF is more like a strategic tower defense game, where as Skies Above series are more dogfighting style games.
@playersaidalex Tower defense, that's an excellent analogy and may help define which one I go with (first). I'd love to pick up RAF eventually but it's a little pricey at the moment.
@nakedcardboard even when it's in print it's mega expensive since they mounted all the maps.
@playersaidalex Yeah. Maybe I can trade a copy of Glory To Rome for it or something. 😂
Russ W - Cardboard Conflicts@nakedcardboard @playersaidalex so the Skies Above Britain has rules to combine the two. Hard to parse never playing RAF, but I suspect it handles the strategic stuff where the tactical game is played out via SAB. I’m sure it’s a feat that is way too much…but cool it’s included in the box
@wetlir @nakedcardboard those rules would work if you were doing like a single one day scenario, but any other length would be far too long in practicality I would imagine
@playersaidalex @nakedcardboard I can only imagine. Even a single mission in SAB isn’t something that is super quick.
YurkshireLad@nakedcardboard I sold my DG copy of RAF but I still have an old WEG copy. Damn good game.
@[email protected] seems like it gets a lot of praise and I'm surprised I've never run across it before (I probably have and just ignored it). It's now officially on my wantlist, but I think I'm just going to have to be patient. :)
evildrganymede@nakedcardboard lol, my *brand new copy* of the DG version of RAF cost over C$200 because of shipping from DG and UPS' "handling fees" (a.k.a. extortion).
@evildrganymede Yup, that's what I'm facing. Found it for $186 which is better than most, but that's still really high. I may wait for some future reprint and try to pick it up locally.
Poilu@nakedcardboard @evildrganymede There's also Burning Blue for another tower strategy. Out of print. I played it a couple times, it didn't really grab me but always meant to come back to it, esp if I could find a live opponent.
Fred Kiesche 🇺🇦
View from the Turret@nakedcardboard @playersaidalex
Here is the first printing. Not really much different.
https://www.nobleknight.com/P/2147406767/RAF---The-Battle-of-Britain-1940-1st-Printing
Alphawolf@nakedcardboard I'm not sure but the Geek has a lot in the normal price range. Where's your home-base?
@nakedcardboard Ah, from what I could gather being in Canada (shipping-wise) from the US to you can be as fun as living on the other side of the pond.
The Game is great but I'm still stuck in Skies above Britain so it is still on my to-play Stack.
@Alphawolf Yup. I think I'll aim for SoB first, which should be getting restocked at a local shop in the next few weeks. I'll just keep my eyes an ears tuned for RAF.
@Alphawolf @nakedcardboard it can be the same price to ship from Canada to Australia as from the U.S. to Canada.
@YurkshireLad @Alphawolf It's crazy. As soon as it crosses the border (which could theoretically be less than 1km away) it's +$40 minimum, plus potential brokerage fees, plus the exchange rate. This is why I can't P500 things from GMT or take part in the fall sale. It's just cheaper to wait for retail.
Grant@nakedcardboard I agree with most of that, but I find with P500 and the fall sale, I get things as cheap or cheaper than they will be at retail, but I get them right away. The place the US>Canada shipping kills is if you just order a game at rull retail price.
@pushingcardboard I did the math during the last sale and even with the reduced prices I couldn't come out ahead of retail. The only way I've ever found to make it work is if you order multiple games at the same time, which gets it close to retail (and you should get it faster).
@nakedcardboard I did the math as well, but it’s always been on multiple games where possible. That’s probably the difference.
@pushingcardboard Yup. Additionally, since I don’t P500 during the regular season I’m usually not qualified to buy many (or any) during the sale.
@nakedcardboard I’ve made out like a bandit on the sale thanks to p500s. But it’s not as useful to me now that there aren’t many back catalogue titles I still want.