2017 - 12 Month Pile Program

I wish Xbox Marketplace had a wish list of any length.

It's not the length of the wishlist, it's how much pleasure it gives you.

beeporama wrote:

It's not the length of the wishlist, it's how much pleasure it gives you.

Yoink!

Well I cracked last night and got myself Mafia III, Bioshock Collection and the two Phoenix Wrights for 3DS on eShop. Honestly, I have more than enough time to play through World of Final Fantasy and Mafia 3 before Gravity Rush 2 releases, but with the caveat that I also would like to have a "highlights of 2016" video for my channel completed by end of month and the time required to capture the necessary game footage combined with MAGFest next weekend could spell trouble for potential productivity.

Phoenix Wright is a non-issue, though, as it can be my work/toilet/travel game. And probably "right before bed" game, too, honestly.

Unrelated, I did end up deciding that, when it comes to my thoughts on GOTY stuff, the year for me ends with Christmas. So even if I start Mafia 3 tonight, I'm counting it as a game played in 2017. Arbitrary, sure, but it definitely impacts how I approach games around the holidays.

OK, I've made my plan.

As you may know, I usually make yearly plans, broken down my month. Although a little arbitrary (and subject to some change), the idea is to force myself to justify any given purchase by figuring out where I can fit it on the schedule.

This really only barely keeps up, so I might be going through my pile, giving up and dropping some things that have been sitting there for a while.

January 2017: Final Fantasy XV; Inside
February 2017: Firewatch; Abzu; Dear Esther; The Last Guardian
March 2017: Horizon Zero Dawn (Feb 28)
April 2017: Mass Effect: Andromeda (March 31)
May 2017: Republique
June 2017: Watch Dogs 2 (final DLC due Q2 2017)
July 2017: Cuphead (good chance work will be VERY busy this month)
August 2017: Mafia III replay (with DLC)
September 2017: Dishonored 2 (with DLC)
October 2017: SMT: Persona 5 (Feb 14)
November 2017: The Witness
December 2017: Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (tentative)

Other possible 2017 pile additions: Elex; Final Fantasy 7 Remake; Ni No Kuni II

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I doubt I'll finish anything else this month, so here's where I stand since my game buying challenge started on 12/8. [...]

I knocked out four games in December. That was really satisfying. :)

Make that five games in December! I snuck in Shiren the Wanderer right at the end of the month.

Well done Clocky!! You're on a roll.

Ok so my turn: I have absolutely zero plans for 2017 outside of playing games. I admire you folks who plan out the year month by month, just wow.

So much of my game playing depends on my current mood. Even if I tried planning everything out, it wouldn't last since if that month came and I'm just not in the mood for that game or even that sort of game, no matter how much I may otherwise love it, I wouldn't be able to play it, and I can't predict what my moods will be ahead of time. They seem to so suddenly change on a whim.

I think I'll just have to be content with Eleima's method to just play games.

Making a list ensures I don't play the games on it.

Something about plans just makes my brain hit a big red "eff you" button in my head and then I don't go near those titles until I've long forgotten they were ever on a list.

Silly brain...

m0nk3yboy wrote:

Making a list ensures I don't play the games on it.

Something about plans just makes my brain hit a big red "eff you" button in my head and then I don't go near those titles until I've long forgotten they were ever on a list.

Silly brain...

Then your solution is obvious! Make a list of games that you're required to buy and play. Voila! Now you won't get any of them!

m0nk3yboy wrote:

Making a list ensures I don't play the games on it.

Something about plans just makes my brain hit a big red "eff you" button in my head and then I don't go near those titles until I've long forgotten they were ever on a list.

Silly brain...

There's real science around this phenomenon. You don't like being controlled and the list is a control on your behavior. The paradox is that having no controls can lead to indecision and then nothing happens. (I deal with this same thing.)

Maybe I should try this.
My pile is turning into a monster.

Just remember that if you gaze long enough into the Pile, the Pile will gaze back into you.
And that the Pile is the mind-killer. The Pile is the little-death that brings total obliteration. You will face the Pile. You will permit it to pass over you and through you. And when it has gone past you will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the Pile has gone there will be nothing. Only you will remain.
Welcome, Shadout!

As I've noted in previous years, the "list" is a little arbitrary and I don't make myself stick to it. I'll move things based on mood or whatever. Mostly, it forces me to be realistic about how quickly I can get through games, so I control the inflow instead of buying and saying "oh, yeah, I'm sure I'll play that some time in the next year or so."

Of course I understand it's not for everyone, and you have to do what works for you. But mind I'm not actually as obsessively structured as my methods suggest.

Here's where I stand, going into 2017

  • Bloodborne
  • Borderlands 2
  • Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
  • Destiny: The Taken King (playing)
  • Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze
  • Fallout 4 (playing)
  • Gravity Rush (playing)
  • Hitman (intro pack)
  • Life is Strange
  • Resident Evil Revilations
  • Resident Evil Revilations 2
  • Super Mario Galaxy 2
  • Talos Principle
  • Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (playing)

I also have a few things I'd like to replay, but I'm not going to list them here, as they don't really count for backlog purposes.

I've drastically cut my wishlist down to just stuff I would both be excited to get, and have time to play if it showed up randomly.

Right now that's just these

  • Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
  • Nier: Automata
  • Ratchet & Clank
  • Shantae: Half-Genie Hero
  • Sniper Elite 4
  • Watch Dogs 2

I have a few things on my wishlist that I'd like to reacquire and replay, but again those aren't really backlog. I also have a few games I'm interested in, but don't plan to get them unless I clear space on my pile (no more big RPGs until I finish the 2 I have, for example).

For those of you that don't know, information on the quarterly JRPG has been added to the OP, with a brief rundown.

For those who don't like to scroll, here it is, in all its glory...

Quarterly JRPG Thread as run by Damnable Bear (and his naked bingo calling, dood) can be found here. The thread has a running list (thanks to its members) of games they'd like to see completed! Each quarter, users will be given five (5) votes each to spend on these choices, or to add a new game to the list. Based on the number of votes each game has at the deadline, a cutoff will be put into place. (This is based on how many Bingo Balls Damnable Bear has.) Games above that cutoff will have one Bingo Ball placed into the Bingo Cage per vote. They then run the lottery and play the game that gets picked!.

Jan/Mar: First quarter sees Earthbound getting all the love.

And, because we don't want Sally feeling left out, here is the other community focussed focus group added to the OP. If you can think of any others, let me know.

Monthly Game Club as run by SallyNasty (Супер Sassy!) can be found here, "Where the Games come monthly, but the cheevos are forever!". Games are chosen through discussion in the main thread, and then breaks off each month into smaller nominated game threads. Spoilers/discussion guidelines are set each month, but the main ones are as follows.

1. Games should be at least 1 calendar year old. That makes it easy to find games that are either a) on most people's piles or b) cheap to pick up(I am thinking 10-15 bucks max).
2. Games should be either episodic or broken up into easily agreed upon stopping points (i.e. achievement for ch.1 or reaching certain checkpoint). I would like it to be about an hour to an hour and a half for each "assigned" session, no more than 5-6 hours a week needed to participate.
3. Games shouldn't be more than 20 hours.
4. No console exclusives. Has to be on Microsoft/Playstation/PC platforms.

January: Fallout 4 (not the whole game, just progress throughout the month)
February: TBA
March: TBA
April: TBA
May: TBA
June: TBA
July: TBA
August: TBA
September: TBA
October: TBA
November: TBA
December: TBA

As befits a Blackadder fan long-time strategy gamer, I have a cunning plan.

I shall be aiming to play one game at a time. The more I focus, the more the game holds my interest. The more it holds my interest, the more I play. Then I finish it sooner and can move on. I enjoyed focusing most of December on FFXV. I actually finished it! Which is more than can be said of the various Final Fantasies which I tried to play alongside other games.

I found keeping a little paper hitlist useful last summer, so I'm doing the same this winter. I've drawn it up into two categories: "quick wins" for games of 10 hours or under, and a generic "finish" category for everything longer. As I finish games I'll cross them off. I find that satisfying. ;p I'll play some which are not on the list; it's a reminder rather than restriction.

Near the top of my target list is Dragon Age Inquisition. It takes up 60GB of precious PS4 HDD space, and I've been chipping away at it since release. The sheer bloat of dull content combined with the lacklustre combat keeps on driving me away from the game. I like enough things about it to want to finish it but it needs to "get thee behind me". This is January's prime goal.

I want to finish my Wii U, PSP UMD and 360 backlogs this year, which shouldn't be an issue provided I get on with it. The 360 is Tales of Vesperia and Fable: Anniversary. The UMD backlog is Star Ocean 2, Jeanne d'Arc, and Crisis Core; the rest can be played on other platforms so I count them separately. The Wii U has a more prodigious pile. I suspect I'll be dropping a bunch midway through as they're platformers which survived my genre cull, so I'll either get stuck or become bored. That still leaves me expecting to finish the likes of Twilight Princess, Pikmin 3, Tokyo Mirage Sessions, Paper Mario Colour Splash, and various virtual console titles. Must try Xenoblade X again to see if I'll have to drop it because of the tiny UI text. At release I found it unplayable.

When my 360 is finished with, I'll use that HDMI port for my PC. Currently I have to disconnect something each time I want to use big picture mode. I should look into an alternative to 360 controller as that d-pad was designed by Satan and I've got a bunch of games which require d-pad usage. Unfortunately it appears that both dualshock 4 and xbox one controllers require jumping through hoops and I'm not sure I can be bothered.

Purchasing plans are currently slim. Dragon Quest VIII on 3DS is definite as the PS2 version is a top favourite of mine. Mass Effect. Other than that? It's all a bunch of maybes, I think I'll wait or pass on most of them particularly if they're going to do the DLC/patch lifespan bloat which I've come to dislike so much. I do not currently intend to get a Switch. Nintendo have a lot of convincing to do, particularly regarding release dates for Europe.

Think this is 'tier 1' of my pile. Somewhat sorted in the order I might try to play them. In the end it will depend on mood etc.
Surely not going to play all of these in a year, as I will get distracted. 50% would be a nice goal/pipe dream.
It is more of a guideline on what I could jump to next.

Hyper Light Drifter (Completed - January)
Doom (Completed - January)
Abzu (Completed - January)
Dishonored 2 (Completed - February)
Firewatch (Completed - February)
Final Fantasy XV (Completed - February)
Oxenfree (Completed - May)
Gravity Rush Remastered (Completed - June)
Stellaris (Completed - May)
Rimworld
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
Subnautica
Fran Bow
Lightning Returns
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Her Story (Completed - May)
Homeworld Remastered Collection
Momodora Reverie Under the Moonlight
Europa Universalis IV
Underrail
This War of Mine
Oblivion (modded to oblivion and back again)

Games added through the year:
Inside (Completed - May)
Gravity Rush 2 (Completed - July)
Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Completed - July)
Prey (Completed - July)
Hollow Knight (Completed - August)
Age of Decadence (Completed - August)
Super Hot (Completed - October)
Resident Evil HD (Completed - October)
Cuphead (Completed - November)
Super Mario Odyssey (Completed - October)

New games that will likely take over whenever they arrive:
Torment (Completed - February)
Horizon Zero Dawn (Completed - March)
Mass Effect: Andromeda (Completed - April)
Nioh (Completed - April)
Nier: Automata (Completed - May)
FF12 Remaster (Completed - July)
The Walking Dead: Season 3 (Completed - July)
Divinity Original Sin 2 (Completed - October)

I'm contemplating updating my backloggery...

I'm not sure I have that amount of time available to me

m0nk3yboy wrote:

I'm contemplating updating my backloggery...

I'm not sure I have that amount of time available to me :lol:

One never does... One never does.

Hemidal poses the question... Do You Recall Where You Left the Pile?

If you know the answer, head on over there

frogbeastegg wrote:

Near the top of my target list is Dragon Age Inquisition. It takes up 60GB of precious PS4 HDD space, and I've been chipping away at it since release. The sheer bloat of dull content combined with the lacklustre combat keeps on driving me away from the game. I like enough things about it to want to finish it but it needs to "get thee behind me".

Ugh, tell me about it. 50-60 hours of Bioware at their very worst is a daunting prospect, but something about it prevents me from crossing it off the pile altogether. I can only assume (silver lining here) that it gets much better, or that there's some sort of big story pay off because otherwise I can't understand how it was so beloved.

Note to DA fans- I know I'm wrong

So, I've just bought Knack, thanks to Hemidal's thread, and Earthbound thanks to Damnable Bear's thread...

I think I'm (continuing to) do this wrong...

So the plan for Jan. I too am taking part in a couple of the game club threads in the hope will help to stick with those titles.

Am also in for Earthbound and SallyNasty's Fallout 4 thread. I'm not looking to rush through these and am giving myself 2-3 months for Earthbound and 4-5 months to play through Fallout 4 (+ DLC which bought in EU January Sale).

Alongside those longer game goals I'll dip into shorter games like Letter Quest, maybe Steamworld Heist. Plus those never-ending, pile detractors - Overwatch, The Division and the latest... Steep - on the side! I want to move away from those time sinks being main gaming focus.

Game time fell off a cliff over the festive period, but normally get maybe 30-40 hours a month to game, so all realistic I reckon.

Saying all that... if Abzu pops up in a psn sale, after the love it's received in the goty thread I'll pick up and play that immediately.

As an extra motivator to myself, I've moved a chunk of my PSN wishlist over to Amazon and added comments for each game. The comments are the price that I'm willing to buy that game at and a brief list of other games in my collection that are the same genre that I could finish (or give up on) first.

If I get a particular desire to buy a game from my wishlist, this will help motivate me to clear games out of my backlog to scratch the same itch or make room in the pile, and setting price points ahead of time helps me gauge my interest in a game when I'm on neutral terms with it.

Ooo. That's a good idea.

Yeah I might have to yoink that idea too

This year I'm going to try to focus less on "finishing" games and more on just enjoying them, who cares if I want to spend months farming in Stardew Valley right? There are several games I do want to get back to that I stopped playing last year and never got around to finishing them, but not going to make an obligation out of it.

Short list of things I would like to get back to (because I like lists)

Witcher 3 and its all expansions
Disgaea 5
Mad Max

I continue to enjoy my complex and arbitrary list rules. Here's to another year of limiting my gaming decisions as much as possible!

Started: Legend of Heroes - Trails in the Sky, Final Fantasy XV, Stardew Valley
Played: World of Final Fantasy