Wednesday 27 January 2016

Its a Funny Old Game.

Wargamers are I suppose much like other ordinary people. We may have a hobby that is looked upon as well, a bit odd, we may get excited at Hollywood war films for all the wrong reasons but at heart we suffer all the foibles and faults of everyone else. Here we are the last week of January and already my good intentions and hopes for this year [ mostly recorded I may add] are buggered.
 This year I hope to increase my blog readership, granted it is only January, I have lost TWO? people already [ Im starting to feel like Louis Van Gaal!]
  I promised myself to post weekly, it is nearly two weeks since the last post.
 I have promised myself, not to buy anymore wargaming figures or ephemera until I have shifted some of my stuff. However Warlord have released Plastic Hessians and artillery which has caused me some temptation, plus Charles Grant has released a new SYW book which has caused me a great deal of torment.On this however I am staying strong as I know that I need to clear the decks of various items.
 One thing that is fairly on track is to increase the number of games that I fight, and I think I have finally recovered from last weeks re fight of the Battle of Kolin, well just about anyway.
 Kolin from an Austrian viewpoint is a great opportunity to kick the skinny backside of Frederick, they have the position, the cavalry and for once some fair commanders.
 Well in real life they did, Field Marshal Daun and General Weid fought well on the day ably assisted by the excellent Nadasty.
  However enter stage left, the modern day version of Field Marshal Daun, moi. Once again the dice Gods had a field day pouring misery down on my head. I really think God is having a great time wetting himself laughing at my efforts to throw anything but a one or a two. What a let off for the struggling Prussians, still a very good game which reinforced for me anyway, just how good the Honours of War rules are. [ By the way, I am not the love child of Keith Flint, although I am impressed with his little rulebook.]
 I was re reading some oldish Miniature Wargames magazines last night [ I live the dream, you know] from 2010 ish, and in one Kevin Dallimore was asked for him what had been the most significant change in the hobby in the last twenty five years. An interesting question. He said the internet which was fair enough, me I had to think about it a bit [ love me, love me, but Im thick]
 Anyway, I have drawn up a list, because for me, I like tabulation.
 So the most significant changes are, in no particular order;
 Decent cheap Super Glue. [ I know]
 Great quality acrylic paint. [I do miss the smell of Humbrol paints, but for speed alone.]
 The plethora of relatively cheap books, crammed with information. [ Andy, it is a golden age for military research]
 The internet. [ Just for accessibility to other wargamers across the world, never mind the easy shopping]
The rise and fall of Games Workshop. A slightly controversial one this, in some wargamers eyes. But GW introduced a very high level of professionalism into the wargaming world, and more importantly they gave some excellent sculptors a chance to develop their talents. With their gradual demise, a lot of GW players and collectors seem to have made the transition into mainstream wargaming [ I would compare it to Airfix and how that company got a lot of the veterans started]
 A strange choice for me, as I didn't really get Warhammer.
 Anyway, so there's my list of significant changes to the hobby. If I thought harder, I would include more most likely, but every wargamer is different, and long may it remain so.



  
   

15 comments:

  1. Significant changes in 25 years?! Blimey.... for the better, acrylic paint and the interweb'y for sure.... figure ranges have exploded, scenery ranges the same.... on the negative side, the influence of the magazines (don't read them any more - interweb'y side effect?)...

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  2. Evening Steve,
    I havent posted about the negatives,yet. I was trying to stay positive which is difficult when one reaches a certain maturity.Glue has always been a bugbear of mine, and stems from the heady days of Copydex and all that smelly stuff we had to use.

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  3. Losing followers is a google thing, I lost a couple too then went on TMP where there is a thread explaining it.

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    1. Ive noticed that Paul, Ive lost 10 followers, which is a bit of a pisser.

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  4. Don't worry Robbie I'm sure you will catch up with posts. Copy deux and UHU how I miss their scent. :)
    The last 25 years gosh so much - I think for me it has to be the dramatic improvement in the quality of figures, their availability and I guess affordability compared to what I earned and what they cost 25 years ago.
    The Internet, access to information and the ability to exchange information and ideas so easily. Having said that there are occasions I miss the simplicity of then and the inability to be a butterfly gamer :)

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    1. No you dont Graham, admit it, you love buying stuff that you will never paint.

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  5. Cannot imagine why you would lose followers!!! just to cheer you up a bit I added myself hope to see you at York.

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    1. Look forward to seeing you there, is the rest of your posse going?

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    2. Yes full turn out as Horrible as always!!Cheap day out three of us over 60.

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  6. Good post to get the little grey cells working.
    The biggest change in the last 25 years? The availability of everything we used to have scratch build - today it seems as though if you can imagine it someone else is already selling it.

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  7. We are spoilt Paul. I nearly bought some decals to wrap around the Austrian flagpoles?
    You watch, someone will take it a step further and offer them in other colours.

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  8. Lost a few followers myself C'est la Geurre . Too busy to do much about it currently
    Robbie you are right about research books are far cheaper than they used to be- so are toy soldiers for that matter. Only rulebooks have gone massively upwards in proportion- but they are prettier but then possibly not- how many soldiers could you buy for the price of a rule book in 1975?
    No time to ponder have an article to finish .....

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  9. The loss of followers is explained here:
    http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=410266

    It affect all bloggerss to one degree or another

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    Replies
    1. I read it Joe, thanks. I also understand it has something to do with Facebook?

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My 6mm Napoleonic set up.

My 6mm Napoleonic set up.
Austria 1809.

Austrian Hussars

Austrian Hussars
Hinchliffe figures

Austrian Grenzer

Austrian Grenzer
Austrian Grenzer

Smoggycon 2013

Smoggycon 2013
Smoggycon 2013

Smoggycon 2012

Smoggycon 2012
Smoggycon 2012

Smoogycon 2009

Smoogycon 2009
My French getting another beating