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CF Secret Santa 2023: It's ALIVE!
CF SANTA
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Critical Failure's Secret Santa 2023!
>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 17TH, 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 2024 - 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 $20 (or $25-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 $20 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 all the time, 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.
(Note: if you want to send any images of your collection with your PM, please provide a bare link as well to make the process of forwarding to your Santa easier)
5. Please list any local game stores that you would like your Santa to shop from (this is especially helpful when delivering things overseas)
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 methods and a crack team of Elves, we assemble the ULTRA Santa 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!
>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 17TH, 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 2024 - 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 $20 (or $25-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 $20 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 all the time, 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.
(Note: if you want to send any images of your collection with your PM, please provide a bare link as well to make the process of forwarding to your Santa easier)
5. Please list any local game stores that you would like your Santa to shop from (this is especially helpful when delivering things overseas)
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 methods and a crack team of Elves, we assemble the ULTRA Santa 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
+3
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Please add anyone that I may have forgotten and/or didn't sign up last year that would be interested!!
Won't get a message together ASAP, but will put it on my radar for this week.
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
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
Perhaps I can interest you in my meager selection of pins?
Switch FC: SW-7588-7027-0113, Steam/PSN: Halfazedninja
Edit: Noooope. We had a car accident and our vehicle is a total loss. Everyone is fine, but this is not going to be something I can participate in.
PSN: Wstfgl | GamerTag: An Evil Plan | Battle.net: FallenIdle#1970
Hit me up on BoardGameArena! User: Loaded D1
I intend to remedy that this year, however, so no problem there.
Quite possibly you did, I was just using the tag list from last year and added people who were not on there.
HMMMMmmm
Duct tape: turning "I don't know if I should participate in Critical Failure's Secret Santa this year" into HMMMMmmm since 2023.
Perhaps I can interest you in my meager selection of pins?
I don't know if there's anyway Santa could give me more time, more energy or more motivation to paint my ever growing pile of shame.
Oh boy do I know these problems ...
You can always do something like suggest some possible charitable donations you would appreciate, or have the gifts be for a significant other person in your life.
Perhaps I can interest you in my meager selection of pins?
Time for a new hobby? Or perhaps you play card games? Board games?
You could ask for some nice coffee or fancy energy drinks.
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
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
I joined. I hope it goes well - radiation nuked my memory, my wife knows and can help me remember, but if you don't want to risk me forgetting, feel free to ignore my PM
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
Just a friendly reminder that you have about 10 days to get those sign-up messages in!! Help spread some Ho-Ho-Holiday Cheer!!
Perhaps I can interest you in my meager selection of pins?
Too late. Already sent out all my packages. Everyone look under your chairs
Damn, you nailed it.
Perhaps I can interest you in my meager selection of pins?
ALL PMS HAVE BEEN SENT!
🚨🎲 🎁🚨 🎁🎲🚨
PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP IF ANYTHING LOOKS AMISS!!
🎲🚨 🎅🚨 🎅🚨🎲
HAPPY GIFTING!!!
I don't know what time zone you're in, but this post went up at 4 am for me.
You're a monster.
Eastern! Cleveland OH. I am currently on chemo so I call it chemosomnia. Fall asleep in seconds but can't sleep very long. Kind of my thing.