2014 Pile thread - The 12 month plan.

frogbeastegg wrote:

The other half of my attack will be on my Playstation Plus backlog. In the last 6 months I've found that too many of the games which they include in the service are ones I have a moderate interest in instead of a real interest, so they either sit around and make me mildly stressed or they get played instead of games which I am more excited about. Neither is good. If I clear the Plus backlog of games which I am keen to play then I can make my decision on whether to resubscribe free of that baggage. Currently, if I let my sub lapse I will have to replace a bunch of games and that's not good.

I have always treated PS+ games as games I will boot up for a bit, and see if I am feeling it, if I'm not I delete it and forget that I technically "own" it.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

So of my short list of eleven games I wanted to beat this year, I finished 5. Possibly 6 if I can wrap up ZombiU this month. My short list for 2015? Yeah, a couple of those I didn't beat from my short list last year were going to be on this one.

I wish I had finished 5 games from my pile. I only beat 2 (1 I started in 2013) and a couple games from the Mega Man X collection, which puts me well below my original target. On the other hand, I did a good job this year beating new games I purchased, so the "pile" short list is going to be smaller next year as a result.

frogbeastegg wrote:

On one side I want to catch up with three big JRPG series where I own a lot of titles but have finished few of them. This means Shin Megami Tensei, Tales of [whatever], and Final Fantasy. If I can finish at least several titles in each series that will be good progress.

I'm in the same boat. This year I did a small exercise where I wrote out what my current gaming priorities were and the very first thing on that list was making an honest effort to catch up on the JRPG series I had fallen behind on. I know I would be very happy to finish Persona 4 and at least give Final Fantasy XIII a go next year.

Looks like I need to get a 2015 thread up and running sometime in the next few days

Started prepping my 2015 list. Just a reminder, really, to take a good long look at what is vying for your time.

trueheart78 wrote:

Started prepping my 2015 list. Just a reminder, really, to take a good long look at what is vying for your time.

I'm doing the same. Kinda depressing how long some of these games have been on my pile. Keep looking at some of them and thinking "this came out that many years ago?!"

Mantid wrote:
trueheart78 wrote:

Started prepping my 2015 list. Just a reminder, really, to take a good long look at what is vying for your time.

I'm doing the same. Kinda depressing how long some of these games have been on my pile. Keep looking at some of them and thinking "this came out that many years ago?!"

I still have SNES games on my pile...

Actually, I may just invoke a pile definition for myself.

Anything not 'plugged in' is designated 'cellared' or 'archived'. That means my current pile would only cover my 360, PS3 and PS2, aswell as the DSXL and Vita.

I can also discount my Steam pile, as I am currently booted up in OSX, rather than Windows.

m0nk3yboy wrote:

Actually, I may just invoke a pile definition for myself.

Anything not 'plugged in' is designated 'cellared' or 'archived'. That means my current pile would only cover my 360, PS3 and PS2, aswell as the DSXL and Vita.

While my Backloggery lists my entire library, I had to do something similar a couple years ago with my pile mindset in order to make it feel manageable. So I only prioritize current + previous generation of systems that I own which is essentially what's "plugged in" with some exceptions (we still have a PS2 and Wii hooked up so PS2 and GameCube games are fair game).

shoptroll wrote:
m0nk3yboy wrote:

Actually, I may just invoke a pile definition for myself.

Anything not 'plugged in' is designated 'cellared' or 'archived'. That means my current pile would only cover my 360, PS3 and PS2, aswell as the DSXL and Vita.

While my Backloggery lists my entire library, I had to do something similar a couple years ago with my pile mindset in order to make it feel manageable. So I only prioritize current + previous generation of systems that I own which is essentially what's "plugged in" with some exceptions (we still have a PS2 and Wii hooked up so PS2 and GameCube games are fair game).

My Backloggery has sooooo many duplications I am thinking of nuking it and starting a new identity, or just using my Grouvee profile in a better way. I'm a sucker for a pretty UI...

I actually completed more than double the games this year then I did last year (currently at 35) and I still have the whole December ahead with week and a half off. So I may be able to make it 40 by end of the year. I have a few normal length games in progress that im actually digging enough to finish.

Gonna be honest, I still have mixed feelings about shoving Assassin's Creed 3 off the pile. It was a Christmas gift from my cousin when it was still full price and he didn't have a lot of money, so while if it were my own money I'd just be rid of it, there's a guilt factor for me now.

For now, I shall be counting it as abandoned, though. So there's at least one old game that won't be making it into 2015.

I've been watching this thread from off-curtain for the last two weeks while trying to get my backloggery account in some shape to be ready for that 2015 thread!

I'm pumped!

One question for you all though - I know there are any great personal rules for how people make their piles. Does anyone have any good ideas for trying to, say, have a nice low number of games "on deck", rather than just trying to face down the entire list at any given time?

marcelp wrote:

I've been watching this thread from off-curtain for the last two weeks while trying to get my backloggery account in some shape to be ready for that 2015 thread!

I'm pumped!

One question for you all though - I know there are any great personal rules for how people make their piles. Does anyone have any good ideas for trying to, say, have a nice low number of games "on deck", rather than just trying to face down the entire list at any given time?

I keep three lengths of list. One is the short list of things I've already started OR were day one purchase kind of games. One is the medium list of games I'd like to play in the near future, which move up to the short list when I actually get around to them. The other is the ridiculously long list of all the games I'd like to play if I had infinite time. I have esoteric rules I use to move things up and down the lists and am pretty much always playing a game from near the top of the short list. When I've played a game 20-ish hours (depending on the game) I move it to the bottom of the short list to get some rotation going.

marcelp wrote:

I've been watching this thread from off-curtain for the last two weeks while trying to get my backloggery account in some shape to be ready for that 2015 thread!

I'm pumped!

One question for you all though - I know there are any great personal rules for how people make their piles. Does anyone have any good ideas for trying to, say, have a nice low number of games "on deck", rather than just trying to face down the entire list at any given time?

Make a list of the games you own that you consider to be "on your pile". The first step is looking it in the face. Use a spreadsheet or a text file (I use the latter). Backloggery doesn't fit this purpose as well as I wish it did (you can also try Grouvee).

Once you've done that, go through and start picking the games you are confident you want to play. The rest? Well, I advise jettisoning them / not tracking them. You've made a list of them, just don't dispose of it - you can pull them up as you see fit (hint: you probably never will).

Remember: the key to this is to spend time playing games that interest you. You're not here to chew through the pile — you're looking for the games that make you happy and respect your time.

Kamakazi010654 wrote:

I have always treated PS+ games as games I will boot up for a bit, and see if I am feeling it, if I'm not I delete it and forget that I technically "own" it.

That's similar to what I have been doing. The thing which makes me unhappy about it is that all those 2-3 hour taster sessions in mediocre-appeal games adds up. It's time taken away from my high-appeal games, and I already have more of those than I can sensibly hope to finish. I never claim any game which I know I am not interested in and despite that I still have a big pile of games to try. I'd be happy keep the sub if they were still offering games which I have a high interest in on the service but for most of the last year that's not been the case.

shoptroll wrote:

I'm in the same boat. This year I did a small exercise where I wrote out what my current gaming priorities were and the very first thing on that list was making an honest effort to catch up on the JRPG series I had fallen behind on. I know I would be very happy to finish Persona 4 and at least give Final Fantasy XIII a go next year.

Funnily enough those two are amongst the few which I've finished in those series! Big-hype JRPGs have a bad habit of launching when I'm busy, so I play a few hours and then drift away. After a decade of this my JRPG backlog is ... comprehensive.

marcelp wrote:

One question for you all though - I know there are any great personal rules for how people make their piles. Does anyone have any good ideas for trying to, say, have a nice low number of games "on deck", rather than just trying to face down the entire list at any given time?

I've got another schema to throw on the pile of piles. Most of my games being in Steam, I use its "categories" feature to sort my games:

Completed - self-explanatory
Don't Care For - I gave it a fair shot and don't like it.
Don't Wish to Complete - I don't dislike the game, might have played it for awhile, but it's no longer fun and I'm calling it done. This was an important one to create, helped me start to make progress in backlog.
Multiplayer - games I'll only play in multiplayer, if I know someone who's interested (e.g., Borderlands 2)
Want to Complete - equivalent to other people's "short list," things I know for certain I want to play, either because of good reviews or because I've tried it out and enjoyed it.
Want to Try - the largest category, these are all the games I've picked up in sales or as gifts or in bundles and either haven't played long enough to say for certain I want to finish it, or haven't played it at all.
Replayable - the select few games that I could beat over and over again and never consider "done." Right now it only contains Spelunky, but previously held Alpha Centauri and Dark Souls.
Currently Playing - does what it says on the box. I try to keep it as short as possible, and if something's been on it a long time, consider moving it to "Don't Care to Complete" or back to "Want to Complete" to try another time.

SO MANY PRO-TIPS!!!

Thanks all

Also, remember that you can hide games completely from your Steam list. On the Categories page you can mark it as Hidden or something like that.

It is nice for those games you have that you either have no desire to play again, or never really wanted to begin with (looking at you Humble Bundle).

Makes for a cleaner list, which I really like.

I have everything that isn't something I am currently playing, or look to play, hidden. So right now I think it has about 6 games two of which are EUIV and Rome 2 Total War, which I constantly go back to.

Just to throw a picture to what I am talking about, because I am really happy with how organized things look here is what my Steam list is now that everything is hidden:

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/ME3LqjX.png)

I got my Backloggery all up to date and ready to go. I removed everything that wasn't unfinished because I want to see and track just what's new and beaten in the New Year. If I finish anything between now and then, I'll remove it. I realize that I can do some of this with the memory card feature, but I kinda like the idea of resetting the clock (as it were).

Just to throw a picture to what I am talking about

Spent some time doing this today. Really helpful!

I seem to have accumulated so many things (probably from sales and bundles) that I have no recollection as to what they actually are. So I'm going to include a couple of "to try" titles in my "on deck" mini-pile. I figure, get through the video on the store page and an hour or so of play time then decide to cull or keep.

marcelp wrote:
Just to throw a picture to what I am talking about

Spent some time doing this today. Really helpful!

I seem to have accumulated so many things (probably from sales and bundles) that I have no recollection as to what they actually are. So I'm going to include a couple of "to try" titles in my "on deck" mini-pile. I figure, get through the video on the store page and an hour or so of play time then decide to cull or keep.

Never underestimate the psychological benefit of physically removing things from a space, even if they are "done."

Letting your mind focus on what is in front of you is great.

marcelp wrote:

I figure, get through the video on the store page and an hour or so of play time then decide to cull or keep.

And then you can write a TL;DP review! I've found that to be more entertaining than playing the games themselves.

(sorry for ninja edits...grammer)

I've just created a 'quick' 2015 thread if people want to get started in there. I will embellish the OP a little later. Kids got in the way las t night, but I'll have a good run at prettying it up later today, or this evening.

I'll look to incorporate a lot of the tips we've covered, just in these last few pages, rather than just cut and paste what we have in the OP now.

danopian wrote:

And then you can write a TL;DP review! I've found that to be more entertaining than playing the games themselves.

(sorry for ninja edits...grammer)

That could be a fun way to get through that stuff!

marcelp wrote:
danopian wrote:

And then you can write a TL;DP review! I've found that to be more entertaining than playing the games themselves.

(sorry for ninja edits...grammer)

That could be a fun way to get through that stuff!

YMMV. I've found TL;DP to make me rather short-attention span. I play for a while, write my review, and then wander to the next game. Sort of makes me groan when a game goes longer than 2-3 hours. Of course, that could just be the pile talking, or I could have a short-attention span any- hey, free game over at GOG... DAMMIT!

I completely forgot to post my November update when everyone else was doing it

Started:
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (PC)

Dropped:
None

Continued:
Theatrythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (3DS)

Beaten:
Costume Quest (PC)
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (PC)

100%/Completed:
Mario Kart 8: DLC Pack 1 (Wii U) (Not tracked)

Added to the Pile:
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth (3DS)

November was pretty light but pretty heavy on the Nintendo and indies. We acquired Smash Bros. for the Wii U and unlocked everything before Thanksgiving holiday which counts as a Beaten in my book. Mario Kart 8 DLC was also acquired and demolished in short order. Binding of Isaac Rebirth is "beaten" in the technical sense that I saw the credits but I'll be picking away well into 2015 since there's a lot of content I haven't done yet and there's an expansion already underway *sigh* Same with Theatrhtyhm (which I picked back up during T-day) where I'm slowly inching towards the 20k rhythmia mark which I think opens up the final boss and hopefully a credits roll. So the only pile addition this month was Persona Q which I won't start in earnest until I've gotten further into Persona 4. Yes, I'm a sucker for feelies and I'm part of the problem.

My plan for December is to just keep plugging away on stuff. I have some excess vacation time I'll be burning over the month so I'm hoping I can tackle more Theatrythm/Isaac/Smash, plow through the Grubbins On Ice DLC for Costume Quest, and maybe circle back to either Bastion or Katamari Forever. I'm also leaning toward picking up Telltale's Game of Thrones although that's not really a huge commitment so it shouldn't hit the pile. Unfortunately, Captain Toad will probably end up on the pile by default since that's on my holiday wishlist meaning I can't start it until the 26th at the earliest so that's a 2015 game for me. Yay first world problems?

In terms of games played and beaten, this may have been the worst year of the last 8 for me.
In terms of not adding games to the pile, it may have been the best.

Only saw the credits roll on 16 games so far this year:
Dungeon Keeper 2
flOw
The Stanley Parable
Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons
flower
Dragon Quest V - Hand of the Heavenly Bride
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Broken Age: Act 1
F.E.A.R.
Resonance
The Wheel of Time
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Halo 2
Halo 4
Dead Space
Call of Duty: Ghosts

Arguably, I beat Iron Brigade, but since the Steam version includes the DLC and I'm stuck halfway through that, I have trouble counting IB. Also put in lots of time into Dragon Quest VI - Realms of Revelation, but the end of that is at least another 12 hours away, which means I'll finish it sometime in March 2015.

I was able to get Transistor and Child of Light for $16 total on Steam because they were Game Awards nominees.

I'M SO BAD AT THIS PILE THING WHY

ccesarano wrote:

I was able to get Transistor and Child of Light for $16 total on Steam because they were Game Awards nominees.

That's a hell of a scoop. Good job!

(I'm a terrible terrible enabler)