The two longest letters I received by mail from Jon Cant and Dave Berry. Other are from twitter. Thank you all for participating in our second competition, the results of the prize draw can be found here
Below you can find your letters.
Dave Berry
Most of the new games that I played last year were ones I played at conventions and I only played them once. Therefore, it is difficult to be sure about how good they are. I am classifying them slightly differently to you for this reason. Instead of “best”, my top classification is “games I want to play again”. I don’t know yet whether the games in this category will become firm favourites. 1870 is the exception to the above – I played this online, twice.
Games I definitely want to play again: 18Ireland, 1870
Average (I will play, but there are better games): 1856, 18USA, 1826, 1848LT. (1848LT is an unpublished game set in the USA – not the 1848 set in Australia).
Waiting Room (These have some interest but I’m not sure yet): 1837, 18Lilliput
Poor: 1847
I’d put 1822 into the Poor category as well, but I played that in 2017, not 2018, so that doesn’t fit your timeframe.
By coincidence, I recently looked through my 18xx collection and grouped them into four categories, based on whether I might sell some of them to make space. I haven’t actually decided to sell any yet, so this is just a theoretical exercise!
Definitely keep (the best of the best): 18GB, 1862 (East Anglia), 1880 (China), 1830, 1848 (Australia), 1861 (Russia), 1846, 18Mex, 1860 (Isle
of Wight)
Probably keep (some of these have flaws but our group likes them anyway; some are good but don’t get played by our group): 18CZ, 1870, 18EU,
1812, 18Rhl, 1849, 1858, 1817, 1889, Steam Over Holland.
First to sell (if I sell any at all): 1825, 1856, 18??, 1847. We actually quite like 1825 but these days we will always prefer 18GB.
Unsure: 18Neb, 1826, 1844/54, 2038, 18Ardennes, 1835, 18NY. I like 1844 but not 1854, so the combined game falls between two categories. One member of our group likes 1826 a lot but I’m not so keen. The others are OK but we tend to play other games instead of these.
I could add a category of games I want to buy, which would currently include 18Ireland and 1879.
Jon Cant
Start of 2018 I hadn’t played any 18xx and only heard of 1846 & 1889 ?
the best of the best
18Ireland
1846
1856 (only played online)
1830 (only played online)
1822+
1817(only played online)/18USA
18Africa
1853 (only played online)
average, we will not refuse to play games in this category, but than are better games
1822CA
1889
18CZ
1870 (only played online)
waiting room, we do not yet have an
opinion about these games, maybe their rating will increase, but it can also fall
18NY
18SA
poor, rather we will not come back to them.
18FL
18C2C (only played online)
Rail barons
Games still to play from my collection
1822 MRS
1825 first module
1826
1830 (in real life)
1835
1837
1844
1849
1853
1854
1856 (in real life)
1865
1870 (in real life)
1899
18AL
18EU
18GB
18Lilliput
18Rhl
Ur 1830
akramer16
Best
1849
1889
Waiting to play (own and unplayed)
1870
18Mex
2038
UR 1830 BC
1844/54
DomerHoo
New Game – 1817. Prior games – 1860
jehayward1
Fairly new to 18xx in 2018, but… Best: 1849 Mind not yet made up: 1889, 1846. I’ve got 1822MRS and 18Mex sitting on the shelf in the queue, and a game of 1870 scheduled for tomorrow!
PlayerToTheLeft
Best: 1880, 1861, 1856, 1846
Solid: 18MEX, 1859, 18CZ, 1867, 1844, 1817, 1830
Need more plays: 1857, 18C2C, 1841, 18Ireland
Needs no more plays: 18CLE, 1849, 1889
Sishikawa9
I’ve played very few 1830, 1846, and 18cz in the past but 2018 was definitely took my 18XX play up a notch. It was a year I found community in Slack, year I visited US and played with great people in Denver, it was a year I discovered online play and met more great people.
Best:
1849
1848
1830
18Mex
1889
18Chesapeake
Need more play
1817
18ireland
1856
1860
18CZ
I have no bad experience and no 18XX game I’ll turn down if I had a chance to play.
Of ones from need to play more, I’m most excited about 1817 and 18ireland.
th3tick
Being brand new to 18xx last year, this becomes a bit easier for me:
Best:
1830
1880
1817
18GB
18Chesapeake
Needs more plays:
18Mexico
18CZ
1867
18Dixie
1826
1889
1860
1761
1846