Useless accolades

[martin goddard]

It is common for games companies to lean on useless accolades.

Thought I would start an interesting topic . I do accept this is the "way" of the advertising world but still worthy of comment (?)

Probably no more so than any other area of sales.  BMW have the "ultimate driving machine" clearly rubbish unless they never intend to make a better or improved car ever.
My latest shampoo says "inspired by nature", gosh.

I have recently seen a fair few  "written by wargamers for wargamers". Are there any rule sets written by  people who are not wargamers?  Are there any wargame rulesets written for non- wargamers?

[pbeccas (Paul)]

This one annoys me. 

10 out 10 combat veterans agree our rule mechanics are so realistic they simulate real combat. 

[martin goddard]

Yes "it is just like being in combat". They asked some chap who was in the TA.

[John Watson]

I find most ladies beauty product adverts are total codswallop. You know....the ones that claim their shampoo makes your hair look stronger and that sort of thing. Most of the glowing statements that they come up with are actually meaningless.
I'm surprised that the Southern Water haven't been advertising "our wettest water yet".

[Leslie BT]

Ruleset accolades.
I have rules are ' A great game in 2 hours'
and 'Gordon's alive'
and 'An elegant 2 hour game'
and 'A complete ACW riverine battle system'
and 'Clever game design'.

[martin goddard]

"Fast play" seems very popular on rule sets.  Never seen a set labelled "slow play".  In the same way that all income is "hard earned".

[Martin Smith]

"Fast play" seems very popular on rule sets.  Never seen a set labelled "slow play".  In the same way that all income is "hard earned".

Waaaay back I played Newbury Fast Play Ancients......it wasn't 😳 (but it was faster than some of the competition, I guess).

[Leman (Andy)]

I use the 1871 Fast Play Rules. Compared to the other rules in the same stable (1859, 1866 and 1870) they are remarkably streamlined and much quicker to play. In this instance Fast Play is particularly pertinent and not at all a useless accolade. However, WRG maybe should have labelled their rules Tedious Play.

[martin goddard]

"For the collector and gamer."
" Our team has 70 years of experience ".  A team of 70 I assume?
"The finest"

[Lluis of Minairons]

"For the collector and gamer."

I've heard or read this one more than once, and humbly believe it not to be that wrong, exaggerate or insidious but accurate enough for describing products suitable either to wargamers and to static diorama making modelers as well.

Please don't feel offended by this, but when being a maker giving priority to 1:72/20mm (as I am) one uses to meet often customers no way related to wargaming, but just to model building and collecting.

Er... I wouldn't be able to swear I have never used that particular expression 

Lluís 

[Colonel Kilgore]

I'd have to agree with Lluis on this one 

Indeed, I would argue that many of the PP ranges (e.g. WW2 Germans and Russians; latest NVA and Vietcong; WOTR; Western; Pirates, in particular), while aimed primarily at wargamers, have such range and variety that they lend themselves to dioramas / collections of fine figures!

But I also agree with Martin on the proliferation of meaningless epithets in wargames marketing. Anything that claims to be the definitive game for a given period is particularly irksome.

[Stewart 46A]

I consider myself both a collecter of miniatures and a gamer.
I have over 40years gaming experience so my team is doing well.

Stewart

[martin goddard]

"feels like you are really there"

[Colonel Kilgore]

"feels like you are really there"

OK Martin, you win with that one!

[Leman (Andy)]

Had I ever wanted to be really there I'm sure one of the services would happily have given me a billet. I play wargames because I really don't want to be there.