When I say "actual game play" I'm looking at it from a purely mechanical point of view.

There's more to game play then the pure mechanics. So if you are going to speak about pure mechanics you should say so, because game play involves more than just the mechanics.

And no I don't think most people would agree the game would be better without the models even if they get in the way from time to time.

If this game had been produced with nothing but cardboard tokens, it would have 1/10th if that the popularity it does. The thing that attracts most people to it, is how it looks on the table. There's a reason why miniature games are still fairly popular but the old cardboard chit type games have for the most part died out.

Game play is mechanics. Now play experience may include more than that but you can have the exact same game and get two completely different experiences from that game even if the mechanics are completely the same.

I never said most people would agree, I just said they should agree. I'd put this down to emotion vs. logic and so many people, especially here, seem to let emotions rule when it comes to things like models. I'd say a similar thing happened back during the great dial debate where a lot of emotional support when behind an early answer while the logic backs up how things eventually turned out.

You know what, I'll agree with you on that last point that the game is far more popular because of the pretty models. The models provoke more emotion and emotions are what will drive sales. Something that is pretty may attract more attention but may not make it function any better. Pretty sells otherwise how could one explain $1000+ chess sets when cheap plastic sets work just as well as far as the GAME is concerned.

If miniatures are such an essential part of the game how in the world could the game be played on vassal where miniatures do not exist as everything is represented by a two dimensional shape?

If you play for the "game" leaving the models home would sure make things a LOT easier. Sure it turns X-Wing into a board game instead of a miniatures game but the minis add nothing to actual game play.

If it weren't for the models, I wouldn't be playing the game, my wallet would be fatter and I would've missed out on meeting a lot of good people both in person and on line.

No models and you have a board game w/o a board. We'd be better of playing Avalon Hill games with a true board and printed terrain.

If miniatures are such an essential part of the game how in the world could the game be played on vassal where miniatures do not exist as everything is represented by a two dimensional shape?

I will say that the game is not as popular on Vassal, but I wish I could get into playing there. The difficult UI may be Vassal's biggest issue. I just haven't had the time to figure out how to play.

but the minis add nothing to actual game play.

I don't agree, the visual appeal of the models add a great deal to the game play IMO. I wouldn't be nearly so involved in this game if was just cardboard tokens.

The FFG modelers are wizards.

Game play is mechanics.

That may be true for you, but you don't speak for everyone else. Also this wouldn't even be a miniature game at all if not for the miniatures. The visual part of the game is very much part of the game play, which is the same thing as the game experience.

Game Play does not equal mechanics, if so then there would be no need for the term game mechanics.

If miniatures are such an essential part of the game how in the world could the game be played on vassal where miniatures do not exist as everything is represented by a two dimensional shape?

If they didn't matter then why does Vassal offer so many images to use for the models? Just a simple square with a name on it should be enough. Yet they offer not only nice looking images but also alt art versions.

That may be true for you, but you don't speak for everyone else. Also this wouldn't even be a miniature game at all if not for the miniatures.

It's not a miniatures game. It's a card game. You don't need the miniatures to play. You need the tokens, templates, bases, dice, ship tokens, dials, and cards to play. The miniatures are superfluous to how the game is played.

X-wing is a game of my cards against your cards. The bases and ship tokens show the relative positions of our cards so that they can shoot at each other. The ships themselves are just decoration.

No one complains about having to buy cards they don't want in order to get a ship. They do complain about having to buy a ship they don't want in order to get what is really important: the cards.

Granted, the miniatures are a huge part of the draw for the game. X-wing has a great personality, but few would care about her or take the time to get to know her if she weren't also pretty.

In case anyone is confused about my comments let me say this:

I would not have gotten into X-Wing if it were not for the models. They most certain are a major selling point for the game and what will draw the most people in. HOWEVER, they are not actually something that needs to be required to play the game which really doesn't care if the models are used or not.

I believe Arschbombe's really gets to the heart of the actual game. X-Wing is a card/dice/token/template game that happens to use miniatures as its main selling point. If you take away the miniatures the game certainly loses a lot of appeal to many people but it still plays just like it alway has. Take away any other component and the game falls apart just leaving you with the miniature for you to set up on a shelf of find some other game to use it with.

my VT-49 Decimator kept falling off the peg when i moved it

Try using a Huge ship peg.

Do small ship pegs work?

Nope. Do you own any Large ships? They have an entirely different peg hole size than the small ships, and they share that hole size with the huge ships, so you can use the Huge pegs for Large ships.

I can't imagine this would ever be enforced, but from the tournament rules (Page 1, under Component Modifications)

Each ship in play must remain attached to its base. If two or more models in play could potentially touch, causing conflict with movement or placement of ships (e.g. two Millennium Falcon ships are placed with their bases touching), players must adjust the number of plastic pegs to increase or decrease height until the ship models are not touching. Under no circumstances can a player continue his turn while a ship model is removed from its base.

It's not a miniatures game.

Really? So then why is it called X-Wing Miniatures? If what you said is true, it should be called X-Wing Cardboard.

Bottom line is this. You go to a Store Championship and put your bases on the table without a model to go with it, odds are really good you'll be asked to get out the models or go home. The rules are quite clear on that point.

What you do in a casual game is up to you. But myself I'd refuse to play someone who doesn't get out the models.

Nope. Do you own any Large ships? They have an entirely different peg hole size than the small ships, and they share that hole size with the huge ships, so you can use the Huge pegs for Large ships.

Really? So then why is it called X-Wing Miniatures? If what you said is true, it should be called X-Wing Cardboard.

Are you suggesting that what something is called determines what that thing is?

It's not a miniatures game.

Really? So then why is it called X-Wing Miniatures? If what you said is true, it should be called X-Wing Cardboard.

X-Wing Cardboard would not sell. Star Wars kicked off the whole merchandising mania almost 40 years ago. Star Wars fans have always liked the toys. It's just smart business to use the models to sell the game. Because of the nice models particularly since they're pre-painted, a lot of people who would otherwise not be interested in any kind of tabletop game are drawn to X-wing.

For example, one of our local TOs was gifted the game a few years ago, but never even opened the box. He went on a business trip and wandered into a game store because he saw Star Wars stuff in the window. He walked in during an X-wing tournament. He was amazed that such a thing existed and asked the players about it. One of them showed him the box and he said, "I think I have that." When he got home he dug the box out of the closet and has been playing and building the community since.

That's why they called it a miniatures game when the miniatures are the only unnecessary pieces.

Bottom line is this. You go to a Store Championship and put your bases on the table without a model to go with it, odds are really good you'll be asked to get out the models or go home. The rules are quite clear on that point.

Yes. It's an FFG-sponsored official event and they want the game to look its best. But the OP wasn't talking about official events.

What you do in a casual game is up to you. But myself I'd refuse to play someone who doesn't get out the models.

Oh, the drama. I have yet to encounter anyone in person who wants to play without the models. The closest I have seen to someone with your level of emotional involvement in this silly issue was a young lady who was saddened when she realized that the models were completely unnecessary and that you could still play the game without them (We had bumping ships and she took a Decimator off of its base).

I think I would look silly yelling, "pew, pew, pew" without the models.

Play with no models... VASSAL. Weird, but if you find people who want to give a try to your idea, tell us.

If it is ok on a PC screen, why not on a table. Strange, but this is a game.

Thing is though, even Vassal has visual representations of the model, not just the base.