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CF Secret Santa 2021: better than ever!
CF SANTA
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Critical Failure's Secret Santa 2021!
A week earlier than last year. How exciting!
>Who Is This For?
CF is a haven for all sorts of tabletop gamers and hobbyists, including role-players, miniature gamers, board gamers, and more. If you see yourself as part of the CF community, this Secret Santa event is for you.
>Awesome! What are the rules?
Signups will be accepted until 2359GMT ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 5TH, at which point no further names will be accepted. Names will then be picked at random and assigned to individuals, with PMs sent out shortly thereafter with the name of your Santee (the person you will be gifting). Remember the point of this event is that you are a Secret Santa, so please don't go spouting off to all and sundry. Based on the preferences that your recipient will post when they register to be a part of the event, you will then be prompted to buy/convert/paint/whatever you deem suitable for a gift.
You will then be able to collect or work on whatever is being sent. The deadline for your recipient to get their gift is going to be JANUARY THE 31st 2022 - that hopefully leaves you with plenty of time to put together whatever it is and get it sent out. THIS DOES NOT MEAN TO START THINKING ABOUT MAYBE BUYING A GIFT A WEEK BEFORE THE FINISH, YOU SILLY GEESE. If anyone fails to provide a gift within a reasonable time (or at all), they will be summarily barred from the next event - or possibly worse. Past events have gone (in general) without a hitch and I'd like it to stay that way. With the potential issues with global shipping (and pandemic and holidays and and and… I can’t believe I basically didn't have to change this part from last year...) please try to get everything together and shipped as soon as possible!
>What would constitute a suitable gift?
This is where we unfortunately get subjective. I'd like to think we all have the good common sense to pick good gifts in this regard. For guidelines, I'd suggest something like $15 (or $20-ish with shipping) as a minimum. SET A BUDGET AND SET ASIDE YOUR GIFTING MONEY BEFORE SIGNING UP THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR GHOSTING ON YOUR SANTEE.
The minimum price on the gift is there to prevent someone from sending like a single arm, half a body or the random pages that fell out of someone's D20 OGL book. If you wish to do so and have the means, then feel free to go wild as far above this minimum limit as you want. We have had some fantastic gifts in previous years and remember that giving is just as important as receiving (however don't feel that you need to break the bank)! You will basically be held to the honor system (and the threat of being pointed at and beaten with internet-sticks) to ensure that the person who you are gifting does not feel cheated.
Gift recommendations are a combination of what you're capable of, and what your Santee wants. A PnP gamer who's never touched bare pewter is probably not the right person to give a complete Cryx strike force too. On the other hand, they might greatly appreciate receiving a nicely painted rendition of their PC from their long-running forum game, or the latest expansion sourcebook in their setting of choice.
Popular gifts in the past include miniatures, books, board games, or accessories, so long as they meet the $15 minimum requirement. However, there's no need to feel obligated to get someone a complete set of Kingdom Death: Monster with expansions, for example just because they express an interest in it (then again, no one can stop it if you do…). Be careful though - it's no use having an amazing plan if your Santee never actually gets the gift. Don't go wild and end up never getting anything sent.
Again, SET ASIDE YOUR GIFTING MONEY BEFORE SIGNING UP. Everyone understands that times are tough right now, so please make sure you are able to commit so we don't leave one of our friends hanging. Don’t leave your Santee hanging; that wouldn’t be cool of you.
>I live in [insert country no-one has ever heard of]. Can I participate?
ABSOLUTELY! Ideally, we would get a few people from all over to participate. If possible, I will organize everyone into categories based on location while drawing the names to try and keep international mailing to a minimum. This cannot be guaranteed though so keep in mind postage and check weights, etc. before buying gifts.
>How do I sign up?
Entries are not considered official until I (@CF SANTA) receive a PM from you containing the following:
1. Your name
2. Your address (Please include a country so I don't have to guess)
2a. Your email address
3. What games you collect / play, or what you would like to see in a gift
4: Suggestions - 'I play Exalted' doesn't help your Santa much in narrowing down what would be a good gift. Saying something like, 'I play Exalted and have been looking at getting Dreams of the First Age, Graceful Wicked Masques, or Scroll of Heroes' gives your Santa an idea of what you wants, and helps Santa if he's not familiar with your chosen system.
If you do not send this PM, you will not be entered in the event! - DO NOT SEND ME A PM JUST SAYING "I'M IN"
Even if you participated in the last event, your personal information has not been kept. Also, when your Santa gets your information they receive it in the form of THE SAME MESSAGE YOU SEND ME. I literally forward your contact information and preferences to the person giving you your gift, so the reason to make you all jump through the hoops of filling the information out is so that I have something to supply to your Santa. I also want to make sure I have up-to-date information.
When you sign up, please put some money aside for the gift right then. Again, if you do not have funds do not sign up. The overwhelming majority of previous excuses that we get are from people not having enough money to actually purchase a gift for their Santee, this hasn't been an issue for a few years so let's keep it this way. I realize most of you won't know at the time of sign-up who you're getting or what you're going to be gifting, but it's not unreasonable to put twenty-ish dollars aside for the event right at the off.
>How do you assign Santas?
Utilizing super-secret scientific method and a crack team of Elves we assemble the Santa Master List™ at a classified military installation fourteen fathoms down in the general vicinity of the Marianas Trench.
It's all done in one completely random shot. I don't tamper with it in any way, though I do take some requests into consideration in setting the names in the box up (For example if there are enough Santa's we may do regional draws. If you have a real problem with postage let me know and I may be able to tweak this a bit).
>What do I do when I send/receive my gift?
A few suggestions for sending the gift:
* Include your name (forum name) so people have some idea of who is sending them this wondrous bounty! It really shouldn't be all that hard to just write your handle on a piece of paper and throw it in.
* Please use Delivery Confirmation/Tracking so you can track your package and make sure it gets there, especially in these uncertain times.
* Check in with your recipient via PM a few days after sending to confirm receipt if you don't hear anything.
Also, some guidelines for receiving the gift:
* Let your Santa know it arrived! One less thing they have to worry about.
* VERY VERY IMPORTANT: Post in the thread that the package arrived, and show off what you got!
* Take some damn pictures! Your Santa probably worked very hard on the gift, and we're all dying to see what's being exchanged.
One last final point: While lurkers are welcome to participate, I reserve the right to use absolute discretion in ruling people out of participation. If you have absolutely zero posts or a bare minimum number and you register on the boards to try and take part in this, I probably won't let you participate. Past events have shown that these users have been the most likely to vanish off the board never to be seen again, or otherwise skip on their end of participation.
And if you DO try to mess around with the system, we're going to have words...
Anyway if you've gotten this far and you're ready to sign up, thanks so much!
A week earlier than last year. How exciting!
>Who Is This For?
CF is a haven for all sorts of tabletop gamers and hobbyists, including role-players, miniature gamers, board gamers, and more. If you see yourself as part of the CF community, this Secret Santa event is for you.
>Awesome! What are the rules?
Signups will be accepted until 2359GMT ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 5TH, at which point no further names will be accepted. Names will then be picked at random and assigned to individuals, with PMs sent out shortly thereafter with the name of your Santee (the person you will be gifting). Remember the point of this event is that you are a Secret Santa, so please don't go spouting off to all and sundry. Based on the preferences that your recipient will post when they register to be a part of the event, you will then be prompted to buy/convert/paint/whatever you deem suitable for a gift.
You will then be able to collect or work on whatever is being sent. The deadline for your recipient to get their gift is going to be JANUARY THE 31st 2022 - that hopefully leaves you with plenty of time to put together whatever it is and get it sent out. THIS DOES NOT MEAN TO START THINKING ABOUT MAYBE BUYING A GIFT A WEEK BEFORE THE FINISH, YOU SILLY GEESE. If anyone fails to provide a gift within a reasonable time (or at all), they will be summarily barred from the next event - or possibly worse. Past events have gone (in general) without a hitch and I'd like it to stay that way. With the potential issues with global shipping (and pandemic and holidays and and and… I can’t believe I basically didn't have to change this part from last year...) please try to get everything together and shipped as soon as possible!
>What would constitute a suitable gift?
This is where we unfortunately get subjective. I'd like to think we all have the good common sense to pick good gifts in this regard. For guidelines, I'd suggest something like $15 (or $20-ish with shipping) as a minimum. SET A BUDGET AND SET ASIDE YOUR GIFTING MONEY BEFORE SIGNING UP THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR GHOSTING ON YOUR SANTEE.
The minimum price on the gift is there to prevent someone from sending like a single arm, half a body or the random pages that fell out of someone's D20 OGL book. If you wish to do so and have the means, then feel free to go wild as far above this minimum limit as you want. We have had some fantastic gifts in previous years and remember that giving is just as important as receiving (however don't feel that you need to break the bank)! You will basically be held to the honor system (and the threat of being pointed at and beaten with internet-sticks) to ensure that the person who you are gifting does not feel cheated.
Gift recommendations are a combination of what you're capable of, and what your Santee wants. A PnP gamer who's never touched bare pewter is probably not the right person to give a complete Cryx strike force too. On the other hand, they might greatly appreciate receiving a nicely painted rendition of their PC from their long-running forum game, or the latest expansion sourcebook in their setting of choice.
Popular gifts in the past include miniatures, books, board games, or accessories, so long as they meet the $15 minimum requirement. However, there's no need to feel obligated to get someone a complete set of Kingdom Death: Monster with expansions, for example just because they express an interest in it (then again, no one can stop it if you do…). Be careful though - it's no use having an amazing plan if your Santee never actually gets the gift. Don't go wild and end up never getting anything sent.
Again, SET ASIDE YOUR GIFTING MONEY BEFORE SIGNING UP. Everyone understands that times are tough right now, so please make sure you are able to commit so we don't leave one of our friends hanging. Don’t leave your Santee hanging; that wouldn’t be cool of you.
>I live in [insert country no-one has ever heard of]. Can I participate?
ABSOLUTELY! Ideally, we would get a few people from all over to participate. If possible, I will organize everyone into categories based on location while drawing the names to try and keep international mailing to a minimum. This cannot be guaranteed though so keep in mind postage and check weights, etc. before buying gifts.
>How do I sign up?
Entries are not considered official until I (@CF SANTA) receive a PM from you containing the following:
1. Your name
2. Your address (Please include a country so I don't have to guess)
2a. Your email address
3. What games you collect / play, or what you would like to see in a gift
4: Suggestions - 'I play Exalted' doesn't help your Santa much in narrowing down what would be a good gift. Saying something like, 'I play Exalted and have been looking at getting Dreams of the First Age, Graceful Wicked Masques, or Scroll of Heroes' gives your Santa an idea of what you wants, and helps Santa if he's not familiar with your chosen system.
If you do not send this PM, you will not be entered in the event! - DO NOT SEND ME A PM JUST SAYING "I'M IN"
Even if you participated in the last event, your personal information has not been kept. Also, when your Santa gets your information they receive it in the form of THE SAME MESSAGE YOU SEND ME. I literally forward your contact information and preferences to the person giving you your gift, so the reason to make you all jump through the hoops of filling the information out is so that I have something to supply to your Santa. I also want to make sure I have up-to-date information.
When you sign up, please put some money aside for the gift right then. Again, if you do not have funds do not sign up. The overwhelming majority of previous excuses that we get are from people not having enough money to actually purchase a gift for their Santee, this hasn't been an issue for a few years so let's keep it this way. I realize most of you won't know at the time of sign-up who you're getting or what you're going to be gifting, but it's not unreasonable to put twenty-ish dollars aside for the event right at the off.
>How do you assign Santas?
Utilizing super-secret scientific method and a crack team of Elves we assemble the Santa Master List™ at a classified military installation fourteen fathoms down in the general vicinity of the Marianas Trench.
It's all done in one completely random shot. I don't tamper with it in any way, though I do take some requests into consideration in setting the names in the box up (For example if there are enough Santa's we may do regional draws. If you have a real problem with postage let me know and I may be able to tweak this a bit).
>What do I do when I send/receive my gift?
A few suggestions for sending the gift:
* Include your name (forum name) so people have some idea of who is sending them this wondrous bounty! It really shouldn't be all that hard to just write your handle on a piece of paper and throw it in.
* Please use Delivery Confirmation/Tracking so you can track your package and make sure it gets there, especially in these uncertain times.
* Check in with your recipient via PM a few days after sending to confirm receipt if you don't hear anything.
Also, some guidelines for receiving the gift:
* Let your Santa know it arrived! One less thing they have to worry about.
* VERY VERY IMPORTANT: Post in the thread that the package arrived, and show off what you got!
* Take some damn pictures! Your Santa probably worked very hard on the gift, and we're all dying to see what's being exchanged.
One last final point: While lurkers are welcome to participate, I reserve the right to use absolute discretion in ruling people out of participation. If you have absolutely zero posts or a bare minimum number and you register on the boards to try and take part in this, I probably won't let you participate. Past events have shown that these users have been the most likely to vanish off the board never to be seen again, or otherwise skip on their end of participation.
And if you DO try to mess around with the system, we're going to have words...
Anyway if you've gotten this far and you're ready to sign up, thanks so much!
Echo on
+6
Posts
Perhaps I can interest you in my meager selection of pins?
Legends of Runeterra: MNCdover #moc
Switch ID: MNC Dover SW-1154-3107-1051
Steam ID
Twitch Page
Right? I am ready this year!
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
@Bursar
@Auralynx
@MNC Dover
@TimFiji
@Halos Nach Tariff
@ArcticLancer
@Denada
@Green
@ArcSyn
@webguy20
@JaysonFour
@Koreg
@Gabriel_Pitt
@ElderCat
Sending up the @ symbol for last two years! Looking forward to sending someone goodies!!
Sign up!
Legends of Runeterra: MNCdover #moc
Switch ID: MNC Dover SW-1154-3107-1051
Steam ID
Twitch Page
Perhaps I can interest you in my meager selection of pins?
Sign-up PM incoming ... soonish.
Missed out on last year's exchange through procrastinating and then sleeping through the 'oh yeah, I have to do that tonight, don't I?' deadline, so I'm definitely making it this year.
Never a better time to support local. People should mention nearby shops they like / want to support. It's a win for the shops and a win for the santas, and can probably help avoid a lot of shipping concerns (which, really only applies to product reaching shelves, not so nearly as much air freight / general mail delivery, but hey).
Perhaps I can interest you in my meager selection of pins?
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
Just checked and it wasn't me either.
Legends of Runeterra: MNCdover #moc
Switch ID: MNC Dover SW-1154-3107-1051
Steam ID
Twitch Page
Perhaps I can interest you in my meager selection of pins?
Was not me. Though this did remind me to clear out my addresses.
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
Signups are closing this week! Make sure you get your information sent in by Friday night!
HO HO HO
Another little nudge in case people forgot to sign up that wanted to. Sorry if you have already and you've been tagged again. Just don't want anyone to miss out!!
ALL PMS ARE OUT!
Please let me know ASAP if something looks amiss and I will try to fix it!
Happy Santa-ing!
HO HO HO
Participants
@webguy20
@MamaWolf
@ArcSyn
@Bursar
@see317
@ArcticLancer
@Denada
@Halos Nach Tariff
@tzeentchling
@Green
@Auralynx
@Gabriel_Pitt
Perhaps I can interest you in my meager selection of pins?
How damn long have I been posting that now there is an update, and the existence of Mortifiers fills in old penitent slot? I may never escape sisters' walkers...
Also, the prevalence of webstores really changes things. Those first two gifts had to be sent to Japan from across the world.
Worry not, Santa; I'll write something better later in this thread!
Edit: That place is here!
My in-person board gaming has drastically been reduced to... well, nearly nothing, as I moved away from my group and have been unable to organically get or make a friend group for physical get-togethers. That's not unexpected, really. So for games, anything that has a solo mode or two-player count would be appreciated!
If you're interested in colluding with my wife over this (as PMs made it sound like you're putting a lot of effort into the presentation), I'm sure she'd be interested.
PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
It is with sadness that I have to inform my Santee that there will be no Christmas taffy this year. I went to my taffy guy, and they said they didn't get any in. They offered my Pumpkin Spice taffy, but...
Before I left though, another person came in looking for the same taffy as I was, and felt the same disappointment.
I'm sorry Santee, I tried. I found a similarly chewy treat though. I hope it will be an acceptable substitute.
Perhaps I can interest you in my meager selection of pins?
Gifts given! Although due to the vagaries of international shipping, one is not going to show up until 12/9, and the other part, I have no idea when it's actually going to arrive. So Santee, keep your eyes peeled for great gifts, eventually!
Yeah, I'll out myself here and tell ya' those boxes are from me. I sent a PM to CF to give to you, but I guess it didn't get through. Enjoy the packages!
Legends of Runeterra: MNCdover #moc
Switch ID: MNC Dover SW-1154-3107-1051
Steam ID
Twitch Page
It did, but I was unsure because they didn't come in boxes.
They didn't? Well that's rude of them.
Legends of Runeterra: MNCdover #moc
Switch ID: MNC Dover SW-1154-3107-1051
Steam ID
Twitch Page