Editor in Chief Bill | 10 Jun 2016 11:07 a.m. PST |
What is holding you back? |
Cosmic Reset | 10 Jun 2016 11:21 a.m. PST |
It doesn't include TO@Es for NATO and WarPac armies. |
Coyotepunc and Hatshepsuut | 10 Jun 2016 11:23 a.m. PST |
It is unreasonably expensive for what it is. Literally more money than I paid for either of the armies I have built for it. And, on the three occasions I had the money and wanted to buy it despite the cost, it was out of stock. |
Vigilant | 10 Jun 2016 11:28 a.m. PST |
Played earlier versions of DBA and disliked them. Too much beloved by rule lawyers for my taste. |
BelgianRay | 10 Jun 2016 11:30 a.m. PST |
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Winston Smith | 10 Jun 2016 11:35 a.m. PST |
DBA never struck me as having anything much to do with Ancient battles. I'm not asking for "realism", but believeability. |
79thPA | 10 Jun 2016 11:38 a.m. PST |
The sticker shock made me lay it back down on the table. I haven't completely ruled it out, but I haven't convinced myself to spend that much money either. |
Allen57 | 10 Jun 2016 11:38 a.m. PST |
Price. Earlier versions were simple stapled rules. This one is a hard cover book probably with pretty color photos. No thanks. Barkerese made the earlier versions a struggle. I liked v.1 and still play it but as the complexity increase with each subsequent version they lost me. (bet I end up buying it anyway) |
HMGSMS | 10 Jun 2016 11:48 a.m. PST |
It has a good following in the Midsouth. A better question might be why people bought it. It encourages people to talk about their passions for the hobby rather than what they dislike. |
DisasterWargamer | 10 Jun 2016 11:50 a.m. PST |
Still playing 1.0 when I feel like a DBA, DPM or DBR game |
Buckeye AKA Darryl | 10 Jun 2016 11:56 a.m. PST |
Costs more than DBA 1.0 and a foot DBA 15mm army together. If one is trying to pimp an intro level set of ancient rules, keep the bloody price affordable. |
Ed Mohrmann | 10 Jun 2016 12:05 p.m. PST |
DBA – too many rules lawyers about, so not a game system…. |
The Nigerian Lead Minister | 10 Jun 2016 12:10 p.m. PST |
Didn't like the previous fifteen versios despite trying them several times. Not going there at that price. Now if WADBAG will translate them to English again for us I might give it another shot. |
kallman | 10 Jun 2016 12:20 p.m. PST |
Never been a fan of the game and many who play it were not too inviting when I would inquire about the rules and game play. So less than zero interest in playing DBA or any of its clones. |
wrgmr1 | 10 Jun 2016 12:34 p.m. PST |
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Bashytubits | 10 Jun 2016 12:35 p.m. PST |
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Guy Innagorillasuit | 10 Jun 2016 12:45 p.m. PST |
Because after substantial initial enthusiasm, our club slowly began to realize that none of us enjoyed playing DBA. |
zippyfusenet | 10 Jun 2016 12:45 p.m. PST |
Tired of buying a new book every few years, and this one costs *way* too much. |
Gunfreak | 10 Jun 2016 1:04 p.m. PST |
Never tried any of the previous ones. Don't like the look of DBA games. |
steamingdave47 | 10 Jun 2016 1:19 p.m. PST |
Got 1.0 and 2.0. Played about 6 games total, not enough figures on the table for my liking and it is too stereotyped. |
lkmjbc3 | 10 Jun 2016 1:37 p.m. PST |
Strange… the battles in this book don't look like chess… at all. Maybe you guys are playing a different form of chess than I play. They also don't look small or stereotyped. They are all DBA 3.0 link Hmmm… Joe Collins |
Andy Skinner | 10 Jun 2016 1:37 p.m. PST |
If it was HotT 3, I might. I've always wanted to like HotT, and think this might clean it up a bit. But I don't want to combine DBA 3 and HotT 2. I know someone else has done some of the work, but it would be nice to have one book. andy |
advocate | 10 Jun 2016 1:38 p.m. PST |
I did. Why pick on one ruleset for this question? Many rules have more than one edition. This seems unduly… provocative. |
Joes Shop | 10 Jun 2016 1:38 p.m. PST |
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Saber6 | 10 Jun 2016 1:41 p.m. PST |
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lkmjbc3 | 10 Jun 2016 1:42 p.m. PST |
Here are the official published versions of DBA DBA 1.0, 1990 DBA 1.1, March 1995 DBA 2.0, February 2001 DBA 2.2, January 2004 DBA 3.0, 2014 5 years 6 years 3 years 10 years… 5 official published version in the last 26 years… Yea, that is a lot to ask someone to purchase. Joe Collins |
Wretched Peasant Scum | 10 Jun 2016 1:57 p.m. PST |
I tried. My credit card declined the $40,000 USD charge. |
Ben Avery | 10 Jun 2016 2:13 p.m. PST |
Joe Collins, many thanks for that link. |
lkmjbc3 | 10 Jun 2016 2:19 p.m. PST |
Hmmm… Start Ancient Wargaming… The DBA 3.0 rules with about 30 army lists…by Sue Barker It is $9.00 USD for the kindle version. link Not sure the average wargamer can afford it! Damned expensive. Joe Collins |
dragon6 | 10 Jun 2016 2:31 p.m. PST |
link DBA 3.0 is available in paperback? $23.44 USD |
Buckeye AKA Darryl | 10 Jun 2016 2:40 p.m. PST |
Joe – First of all, there are not that many rules that have gone into a second version, let alone five. Okay, Empire, but not too many others. So yes, having to buy five versions is silly. Get it right the first time, or at least the second time. :) Second, I don't use Kindle, so to use the Kindle price is disingenuous. Talk about the printed prices. Far more expensive, but there IS a sale going on at Lulu so both your scenario book and the starter set are far more affordable than the base 3.0. Push people that way and you might have a better argument. Not picking a fight, just making certain that all aspects are talked about. Dragon – Well, yes and no…that version does not have the examples of game play as the 3.0 main version does (from what I have been told), but it does include the rules! And I do agree, why this topic? Are we then going to see this same question for the hundreds of other rules out there, many of which are overpriced? Actually, the initial question is fairly innocuous, but it seems to have gone off the rails a bit. |
Yellow Admiral | 10 Jun 2016 2:45 p.m. PST |
not enough figures on the table I've seen and heard this comment many times, and it troubles me. You can use as many figures as you like. DBA is really a fast-play game of large battles, and the only reasons not to use big units are cost and space. I eventually stopped liking the dinky size of DBA armies too (especially in multi-player big battle games), so I started collecting more miniatures for the goal of large bases full of figures, Impetus-style or larger. - Ix |
agrippavips | 10 Jun 2016 3:16 p.m. PST |
Basic Impetus is more fun and free. |
nazrat | 10 Jun 2016 3:20 p.m. PST |
The fact that for me DBA has to be the most incredibly awful excuse for a game that has ever been created. Well, you asked! |
KSmyth | 10 Jun 2016 3:28 p.m. PST |
I like DBA, and purchased 2.0 and 2.2, but the price tag for 3.0 is ridiculous. I have friends who think the new version is a big improvement, but I generally avoid all the the expensive hard cover games. The cost is just silly. |
Zargon | 10 Jun 2016 3:40 p.m. PST |
Things have moved on got DBA1 andf HOTT1 they played fine then some folks got it into their heads that these were great vehicles to prop up their fragile egos by lawyering the hell out of the system to the nearest mm. So if I want to help some poor sod feel like a winner I go over and let him play me with his vers3 or whatever and beat me, no skin. But if I want to have some fun with like minded players we'll use something fun like Lions or Dragons Rampart. My thoughts on rules that I in my limited comprehension always had a hard time interpreting they do seem expensive just to have on the book shelf really. |
Yellow Admiral | 10 Jun 2016 3:51 p.m. PST |
It is $9.00 USD USD for the kindle version. I have to agree with Darryl, that's only an option for those already riding the Kindle treadmill. I haven't seen the "Start Ancient Wargaming" book, so I can't comment on it. I gather from this thread it's missing most of the army lists; does it have all the diagrams? It seems some critical clarifications of the rules are in that section. I balked at paying nearly $50 USD for DBA for almost a year, and as I feared, it didn't prove to be worth it – I've only played it twice since I bought it. I find the DBA 3.0 production quality to be poor value for the money, and the perfect binding and hard cover are an irritating hindrance. I would be much happier buying DBA in cheaper softcover (preferably spiral-bound) or even cheaper PDF. - Ix |
Tom Reed | 10 Jun 2016 4:10 p.m. PST |
Several guys in my gaming group have bought DBase 3.0. |
The Beast Rampant | 10 Jun 2016 4:24 p.m. PST |
Once I got over the price, and the Jason Voorhees of butt-ugly cover illustrations, I decided to get it. But if it actually in stock at that moment, something else would come up. The last instance, I made the decision to pick up Baroque instead. So, maybe in a few weeks. Maybe. If/when I do pick it up, I will again slap an interesting sticker on the cover. Care to sell yours, Yellow Admiral? |
Ragbones | 10 Jun 2016 4:45 p.m. PST |
Too much money for a set of wargame rules. I have the original DBA and pull it out to play from time to time. |
svsavory | 10 Jun 2016 4:47 p.m. PST |
I used to play DBA 1.1. When 2.0 came out, most of my armies had significant changes to the lists. I couldn't match my existing collection (manufacturer was out of business), so I quickly lost interest in DBA. Never even considered 3.0. |
Florida Tory | 10 Jun 2016 4:58 p.m. PST |
Gave up when WRG 5th edition was published. Rick |
M C MonkeyDew | 10 Jun 2016 5:03 p.m. PST |
Cost. Do not like DBA 1 enough to shell out that much for 3. |
aynsley683 | 10 Jun 2016 5:16 p.m. PST |
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rmaker | 10 Jun 2016 5:38 p.m. PST |
Because I don't play DBA. |
vtsaogames | 10 Jun 2016 6:15 p.m. PST |
Why not start another thread designed so folks can slag another set of rules? Or perhaps "when did you stop beating your wife?" |
lkmjbc3 | 10 Jun 2016 6:51 p.m. PST |
Bill likes to troll from time to time. I can't say that I am against it. It is of course his site. For the whole DBase 3.0 thing… With Clipper, it rocked. If you have carpet from the late 80s in your house… it is because of DBase 3.0 and Clipper. I know. I was there. Now DBase 4.0 sucked. Now as far as DBA 3.0 Empire -5 versions… 6 really… Johnny Reb 3 versions… well 4 really Command Decision… 4 versions… Napoleon's Battles 4 versions… Warhammer 8 versions… 9 really… 40K 8 Versions… 9 really… D&D 5 Versions… 6 really… WRG 8 Versions… 8 really… if you count warrior… The Sword and the Flame… I can' count the revisions and updates. You are correct… DBA seems really out of line for a set of game rules that has been around 26 years. Yea… and 19 bucks for a copy of Start Ancient Wargaming from Lulu with the current free shipping and 15% discount. I'm not sure folks can afford it. BTW… I still have armies unchanged from 1.0. I still play DBA 3.0 with them. Joe Collins |
Ivan DBA | 10 Jun 2016 7:33 p.m. PST |
Thanks for inviting all these negative waives Bill. To those of us who enjoy it, DBA is a lot of fun. Just as whatever game you prefer is fun for you. Also, in my experience DBA players are not "rules lawyers," because everyone just plays for fun. |
79thPA | 10 Jun 2016 8:12 p.m. PST |
I have never understood the "rules lawyers" and "chess" complaints about DBA. I have run into rules lawyers across all genres of gaming, and it doesn't strike me in the least bit like chess. |
Winston Smith | 10 Jun 2016 10:43 p.m. PST |
It has nothing to do with the cost. Nor the number of revisions. I just think the "armies" look sterile, and I don't like the game. Really. 12 elements? That's it? Heck. Chess has more than that. No need to fight duels over that. Has anyone ever played DBA with "realistic" looking terrain? That would interfere with the gaminess of it. |