FFG is the king of Ameritrash.

Yet the designers notes for twilight imperium go on and on about how they redesigned the game based on all the lesson learned from euro games, and that is evident in that game and most of their subsequent games. Interlocking mechanics, getting rid of IGoUGo turn sequence, reducing player down time, having elements serve multiple functions, those are all euro game traits that FFG has adopted in spades.

FFG is the king of Ameritrash.

Yet the designers notes for twilight imperium go on and on about how they redesigned the game based on all the lesson learned from euro games, and that is evident in that game and most of their subsequent games. Interlocking mechanics, getting rid of IGoUGo turn sequence, reducing player down time, having elements serve multiple functions, those are all euro game traits that FFG has adopted in spades.

FFG has certainly made strides towards streamlining mechanics and components. Worker placement alone is pretty euro for FFG. And some of their titles are not piles and piles of pieces. I have a ton of FFG products, and I love and respect FFG.

Rebellion = 387 total components (actually quite reasonable)

WOW= 1104 components.

Imperial assault base game = approx. 650 components.

The big FFG ameritrash titles also come with either a novelette size rule book, or 2-4 rule/rule reference/beginner rule book/etc due to the amount of complicated rules. Heck, I've had some FFG titles that it took several reads through the manual by more than one person to have the faintest idea of what was going on. Marvel Heroes takes the cake for complicating things beyond belief.

The biggest difference, in a vague, overreaching sense here, is macro vs micro.

Euro games (macro) tend to be easy to learn and play, shorter play times, indirect player interaction, abstract physical components. Small boards, short game times, simple rules. Makes it easy to get these titles to the table with new and experienced gamers.

Ameritrash games (micro) tend to have many more complicated rules (and exemptions to those rules, and errata to fix rules later), longer play times (2-4 hours instead of 25-45 minutes), direct player conflict, and far less abstraction of physical components (hence the huge number of components). Huge boards, long game times, complicated rules make getting these titles to the table a bigger ordeal and the need of a dedicated crew of players.

Honestly, Rebellion is pretty darn Euro for FFG. Not sure if this is a new design trend for them, or if it just worked better for this title.

Rebellion has worker placement with the leaders. The military pieces are pretty abstract in their representation of forces. The rules seem pretty straight forward (of course we haven't seen the actual rule books yet). Direct conflict, while important, isn't the direct focus. I'd say Rebellion is riding a fine line.

Again, I find nothing wrong with Ameritrash games. I don't see the term as an insult. I have close to a dozen version of RISK. I have like 9 or 10 versions of Axis and Allies. I think FFG puts out a higher quality of ameritrash than most.

I saw this game being played this past weekend. It is a very big game.

Ameritrash is most often used not as a negative term, but as a descriptive term.

But trash in the name implies negativity regardless.

Amerigames and Eurogames seems just as fine a description to me. I've heard one guy reverse it and say Amerigames and Eurotrash. Before it was applied to gaming Eurotrash was definitely a negative term.

Ameritrash is most often used not as a negative term, but as a descriptive term. FFG is the king of Ameritrash. Their World of Warcraft game, with the expansions took 2-3 kitchen tables worth of space to contain. It takes longer to set up than it does to play.

Ameritrash was originally a negative term, but it's something that people now use with pride.

Ameritrash is most certainly a negative term, but, its more than anything, an outdated term (for many games that fall under the moniker). It was used when the differences between Eurogaming and American gaming were stark and constistent. That is not the case anymore. Now it is far more typical that games come with both a ton of plastic AND real gameplay. There still are Ameritrash games, games printed to survive on the use of plastic alone. There still are Eurogames that offer the themeing of a wet piece of cardboard and in depth mechanics. And now there is a much more happy medium, and I agree that FFG is the king of this space. No one offers more (and such high quality) plastic with gobs and gobs of theme while still giving real rules, decisions, and gameplay.

Ameritrash used to mean glitz over gameplay when I was younger. As such, I don't consider games by FFG as Ameritrash. Yes, there is a lot of glitz, but I don't feel that the rules are therefore badly written or gameplay has suffered. There apparently is no definition for glitzy richly themed games with good game mechanics?

This review is so super positive it is sucking my wages out of my wallet as we speak.

I tend to base my definitions on whatever SU&SD uses. And Ameritrash is as previously described in the thread - lots of bits and pieces accompanies by a lot of rules, generally in a flashy package.

I also don't consider the term negative, it has outgrown the negative connotation (as words will do).

Ameritrash is most often used not as a negative term, but as a descriptive term.

But trash in the name implies negativity regardless.

Amerigames and Eurogames seems just as fine a description to me. I've heard one guy reverse it and say Amerigames and Eurotrash. Before it was applied to gaming Eurotrash was definitely a negative term.

Maybe you'd enjoy this list of 24 words that once meant negative things...

http://mentalfloss.com/article/51770/24-words-used-mean-something-negative

How bout another list of words that changed over time...

http://mentalfloss.com/article/65987/13-words-changed-negative-positive-or-vice-versa

Connotation is an important thing. To people not experienced with boardgames, Ameritrash sounds negative due to the word trash. But for those in the loop, Ameritrash no longer means bad. Those out of the loop would likely never hear the term anyways. Ameritrash just means a ton of components and a lot of rules.