Board Game Geek website

[matt56]

Every time I go to the Board Game Geek website, I am overwhelmed by the chaotic (to me, anyway) way it seems to be set up. There is way too much visually going on on the homepage! I would like to support our game there and see what others have to say about it. I know Andrea and others have skills in boardgamegeekjitsu; can one of you senseis out there offer an old fart some tips on how to navigate and find things on the site, please? I just did a search there using the keywords which Andrea posted in the other thread about PragueCon and pictures, and all that appeared were the duel pack and RAP for Wings...

I'm sure there is a relatively easy way to actively use that site, but perhaps I am just blinded by the 'organized clutter' of the home page...it makes it so I don't even want to spend the time trying to learn how to use the site

Any help would be appreciated!

All the best,
Matt

[Teaticket]

I'm with you on this Matt. The Geek has a lot to offer but I have not gained the insight on how to use it to any extent.

[OldGuy59]

Well. It is information-rich. Considering the global participation, and the number and type of games covered, it actually does well.

For anything Wings of Glory, use the search window in the top-center of the screen. Type in 'wings of glory', and then click on 'Wings of Glory Rules and Accessories', which leads you to the page for that.

Once on the Wings of Glory page, I clicked on Andrea's name, and that page has 'Linked Forums' and 'Linked Items'. One of the Linked Items is Battlestar Galactica.

That's my method of navigating BBG. There's too much stuff there, for my simple mind. Got to take little steps.

PS: Within the 'Files' section, or 'Images' gallery, there are lots of neat stuff I use for graphics. I do cards for more than Wings. Games like: X-Wing; Tanks; even Zombicide.


Card front for last year's local convention:

[flash]

I'm with you chaps on that - can't seem to make progress on there so I gave up

[Stumptonian]

Add my two bits and ‘thumbs down’ to the list.
All I have found it useful for is looking up a specific game and seeing reviews etc.
I guess Keith has spoiled us ....

[Ken at Sunrise]

I predominately use the Board Game Geek (BGG) web site. For games that I like or for which I have an interest, I subscribe to the game itself and get a notice on anything posted about that game, whether in the files section, reviews or general comments etc. If I don't want that much but I'm browsing I can subscribe to an individual thread. This is much like most forums.

I agree the home page on BGG may be a bit much for some people. But at a quick glance I see what games are hot, the last several games I looked at, new images and/or contests, etc. But usually I jump right over to my subscriptions. When I come here, if I don't have the page saved as a favorite, I get to the home page first, then click on 'Forums', then click on 'Today's Posts'. In that regard BGG isn't any different, only it's one click less to get to my subscriptions and they are faster on the page too. Also since there are so many games, I can read dozens of reviews, cross-post and ask for comparisons, read up on other games, post questions about other games or interact with other designers and/or users, etc. And some (some) of their blogs provide good reading and/or information. Some can be as entertaining as the AARs here, some not of course. There's even a weekly Kickstarter report of new games, which is a great read if you're looking for that.

Like any place, even here, you have to learn your way around a bit, find what you like and for what you're looking. If you're looking for Wings of Glory, wingsofwar.org is a great place to be. But if you're promoting Wings of Glory, or looking for a different game then Board Game Geeks seems to be the best place, at least for me.

[Tokhuah]

Ken and I use the same names on BGG as here so I have some stories...

For higher level organization I like the Quickbar feature on top. It provides a place to categorize links to various areas on the site. There are 10 "favorites" pages with 10 links each to organize the experience. For example, I have sections dedicated to war games, guilds I belong to, and even a full 10 links to Martin Wallace games.

BGG has massive resources. For example, an alphabetized thread that lists almost every game created that has cards. For each game it tells you haw many of each sized card that it uses and who manufactures the sleeves. It might not have the wealth of WoG uploaded files that this site does but it does have game enhancements for virtually every game in the database. Did you overhear someone talk about a game named Titty Grab? No way, right? Maybe you should look it up and see if something so preposterous could actually exist. Wonder how much buzz the upcoming BSG miniatures game will create among the general gaming community? I know because they had an article with a thread for comments a few days ago (see: News on the upper right of main page).

Anyway, tons of content, if that is something you are looking for. If you are a dedicated WoG player then maybe posting a few images of the beautiful planes in action into the appropriate section could help the cause.

[matt56]

Thanks for the advice, folks! I knew someone(s) would be able to offer advice and assistance...

I shall take your suggestions and try navigating BGG later today when I have a chance. I am sure there is good stuff there to be had; as I said, the general look of the site overwhelms me. I never had that feeling on this forum - while it has lots of threads to 'distract', they don't, for some reason.

Thanks again for the help!
All the best,
Matt

[gully_raker]

Yeah I have problems with the BGG site as well.

[Stumptonian]

Spent an hour or so last night reading old posts on the Wings of Glory forum tied to the Deluxe Set. Thanks for the tips, Ken and Scott.
Makes a bit more sense to me now.

[milcoll73]

been a member on bgg for awhile now. dont go there mush as i also find it exceedingly difficult to navigate. hell. i had a hard enough time figuring this website out lol.