When I first try the game, it was something that I immediately presume that it will be hard to find other people to play with (schedule issues, price tag, complexity of the game). So I took the decision to buy everything for two players, me and my guess. This way I'm sure to play at least 5-6 time a month. If it was from me, it could turn around 15-20 time per month but wiht the fact that a game take around 4 hours total (fleet construction, set up, play and put back all in the box), it's not that easy to find a lot of time.

Between those games I try to keep calm reeding this forum or looking for WWPDSteven game'S

The setup and teardown time is one of the biggest killers (FFG, please sell games with more practicality and ease of use next time!) Anyway, here is a thread that may help speed up your setup/takedown, and overall shorten your game time and therefore make t easer for you to squeeze in games in your busy schedule.

https://community.fantasyflightgames.com/topic/223600-fast-setuptakedowns/

Agreed. As someone who can't get enough of Armada I have to say: I absolutely come here for the ships and I use the upgrade cards because that's how the game works and not because they're more fun for me.

Lots of other games don't use decks of cards for their units. Things just have the stats that they have and are customized slightly with army composition, choosing variants of the same unit type, or attaching things.

FFG loves copious amounts of tiny cards and cardboard tokens. I learned this years ago with the Arkham Horror board game. It's just their way.

No complaints from me. The game is fun enough to deal with the long setup and teardown. Just saying, FFG if you're listening, I'd happily buy games from you that don't have all these cards. Maybe even more of them than I already do.

To those of you who have hard times finding a community, what sort of infrastructure do you have?

Are there (F)LGSs who are willing to host games?

Do you have Facebook (&etc) groups to help you organize?

Craigslist?

Let's see...

The Scranton/Wilkes Barre PA metro only has (to my knowledge) one store supporting Armada/ Imperial Assault and two stores supporting X Wing. There may be 2 other stores locally I've heard of in passing, but they are strictly card shops.I have to give Tactical Advantage in Edwardsville major props. They carry the main lines of FFG and are willing to host events, but nobody comes for IA/Armada.

I currently run the local FB group after seeing how effective it is in Philly. We're always bouncing around 55 members give or take 5. It's helpful to promote games but still seems to be just as effective as calling the shop and seeing if anyone is there or looking. Honestly we're within an hour of Allentown and Binghampton NY. Even their FB groups have gone quiet in the last few months.

I am aware of maybe a dozen owners of Armada locally. I've played maybe 5 of them, the others may have bought in, but don't play. I'm a big pusher of growing the community and demoing the game. But ultimately, there isn't much of a community. Even our two X Wing shops typically only draw 8-14 players per monthly tournament.

Combined with an absolutely nutty work schedule cutting my free time to shreds, there isn't much short term hope here. I'm hoping this improves in 2017, but I do know personally I'm looking at getting married and having a kid by 2018. That means my ability to game will be coming to a severe hault in the next 12-24 months.

I'm OK with it. I love the game, but I've definitely lost some of the honeymoon glow in the last few months. I'm happy to play X Wing for fun every week or two at a tournament or random meet up. I'd even be interested in IA, but my wallet won't support another collecting dust game.

Its a shame this game didnt come out a few years ago. I used to spend a lot of time in Dickson City and Scranton. I still get up there once and a while but in general that time is allocated.

This area is odd. I think generally speaking the gaming community is more friend circles than going to the store. Mostly because of the lack of options. So, unless you manage to know someone who knows someone, you don't draw larger numbers.

Even Magic and X Wing don't have the large numbers I've seen elsewhere. Guess there is a reason why Scranton only has one store (not even IN Scranton technically).

This area is odd. I think generally speaking the gaming community is more friend circles than going to the store. Mostly because of the lack of options. So, unless you manage to know someone who knows someone, you don't draw larger numbers.

Even Magic and X Wing don't have the large numbers I've seen elsewhere. Guess there is a reason why Scranton only has one store (not even IN Scranton technically).

Well, Scranton is also pretty small. It's just been made famous by you, the Office, and Joe Biden.

But I hear you, these friend circles are hard to break into. They tend to game in order to spend time with each other, instead of spending time with each other in order to game.

I think your best bet is to try to find people who are into Star Wars, but are somewhat social isolates (without being obnoxious). There's a reason games like these draw nerds. I wonder if libraries are better places to recruit. I once ran an X-Wing demo event at the library (my wife is a Star Wars-loving librarian), which - with practice and with some promotion savvy - could be a good way to recruit.

This area is odd. I think generally speaking the gaming community is more friend circles than going to the store. Mostly because of the lack of options. So, unless you manage to know someone who knows someone, you don't draw larger numbers.

Even Magic and X Wing don't have the large numbers I've seen elsewhere. Guess there is a reason why Scranton only has one store (not even IN Scranton technically).

Well, Scranton is also pretty small. It's just been made famous by you, the Office, and Joe Biden.

But I hear you, these friend circles are hard to break into. They tend to game in order to spend time with each other, instead of spending time with each other in order to game.

I think your best bet is to try to find people who are into Star Wars, but are somewhat social isolates (without being obnoxious). There's a reason games like these draw nerds. I wonder if libraries are better places to recruit. I once ran an X-Wing demo event at the library (my wife is a Star Wars-loving librarian), which - with practice and with some promotion savvy - could be a good way to recruit.

Yeah, I'm jaded by the populations of Philly an NJ bringing slot of people out. The Scranton metro (covering Lackawana and Luzurne counties) is only roughly over 500k people, predominantly old people.

I'm pretty sure I'll just have to teach every 10 year old how to play in order to build the base.So hold on FFG, I'll have more subjects for you in roughly a decade!

I'm pretty sure I'll just have to teach every 10 year old how to play in order to build the base.So hold on FFG, I'll have more subjects for you in roughly a decade!

You make it sound like you're siring that whole generation right now...

... I mean...

I'm pretty sure I'll just have to teach every 10 year old how to play in order to build the base.So hold on FFG, I'll have more subjects for you in roughly a decade!

You make it sound like you're siring that whole generation right now...

... I mean...

Something something Dark Side...

Actually it's funny how my fiance's friends kids come over for dinner or to swim and as soon as I walk in, they want to go play X Wing.

My models are 1-3 in avoiding a super glue treatment post play date. The oldest one isn't the problem. The younger siblings like pulling the panels off the TIE's.