As 2025 rumbles on, the thoughts of Chairman Meow spring to mind (my more philosophical alter-alter-ego).
So, why on earth do we do that hobby?
I have been musing what I want out of the games I play.
Okay, winning helps, but...
Comradeship is quite a big factor. Like minded mates having a laugh. If we don't enjoy it, we move on. Simples.
Good friends, good laughs. I've even been joined by a few members of my old club.
Changing clubs before lockdown has also influenced the way I look at things. Firstly, we are a very much 'flavour of the month' club, people chop and change rules and projects. Two club member this year have decided to only play games they have played and enjoyed in the past, but it's not unusual for the club to go through four or five new rulesets a year. My previous club stuck (almost too rigidly) to one or two rules sets, no one dared to bring anything new! It's quite a different mindset, and I'm perpetually six months behind the curve, so I get to see what sticks. One factor in successful club games appears to be ease of rules, like SoN, we want results, not having to refer to table 17, subsection d, then table 43. A result in an evening is seen as a good thing. Sometimes two games get played a night. Some nights players are going home just before 9 (the club starts at 7). Larger games with no resolution don't really float boats.
Another factor that is changing my gaming is the fact our little club is up two long flights of stairs. Smaller armies or plastic and resin figures are a boon (as are 10mm). Games tend to be bigger scale with less figures. Or much smaller scales with lighter troops. I also consider terrain carefully due to the same stairs and whether I am driving from work or walking stuff the two streets from home, rather than the massive amounts I used to pile in the car when I used to play Flames of War.
I also developing a liking for character led skirmish games where there is a potential for characters and plot development, it gives you ownership of characters back stories, such as Burrows & Badgers or Pulp Alley. I would love more campaign themed games, they often get mooted, but we never get going. They need time, commitment and record keeping, not everyone's boat I guess
Another factor is distance. It's two street from where I live, not the 30-45 minutes previously. I like being able to walk there, even on nights I work late, it's still local.
So, what about you and your choices?
Hmmm. On the other hand, I'm a solo gamer who always both wins and loses and never, ever, ever games with anyone else.
I do it for the mental exercise. Once inspired, there's the research, the collections, the painting and the gaming. I suppose you could add to that the challenge of amending or creating a ruleset. My Traveller campaign crashed on a low tech world (called Brenda) and I now somehow have a Fantasy version of my favourite SF rules.
I picked 10mm 'cos it suits all periods and I only have to have one set of terrain. I picked Pendraken 'cos they're the best.
I don't really get distracted by "the in thing" (Trench Crusade at the moment). They're never really different or innovative enough for me to get that excited.
A couple of my 'Reflections on Wargaming' essays explored this. One was on all the ingredients that combine to produce the 'High Quality Wargaming Experience':
https://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-quest-for-high-quality-gaming.html
The other, 'How much "war", how much "game"?', discussed how these different ingredients appeal to each of us to different degrees.
And a simple answer for myself: when I was 12, I cared a lot about winning. Nowadays, although I still like the game to be a good contest, I am much more interested in exploring the history. It's 'learning by doing'.
I like winning, I admit, but, as Lee's fans have noticed, I frequently don't have that experience. The spectacle, the sense of watching a developing situation (like a fugue or a tragedy), and the bluff and threaten element have to supply the pleasure then.
And of course, gazing upon the slain body of your foe, beholding the humiliation of his tribe, and hearing the lamentation of his women.
Didn't we do this topic already? "Good bits of wargaming" My conclusion was never getting bored and feeling I am learning stuff.
I was feeling philisophical
If I did not do this I would be doing things that get me into trouble.
But you did do that! ;D
Speedy has a point...
Quote from: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 09 April 2025, 09:25:37 PMBut you did do that! ;D
Quote from: Last Hussar on 10 April 2025, 12:31:16 PMSpeedy has a point...
Yes he has - I will re-phrase it. - If I did not do this I would be doing
MORE things that get me into trouble
Quote from: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 08 April 2025, 02:47:55 PM...So, why on earth do we do that hobby?...So, what about you and your choices?
The multifaceted nature of the hobby
Always learning - history, techniques, approaches, tactics...
Creative - terrain, models, scenarios, rules...
Social - old and new friends with common but disparate interests
Competitive - but not too much...
Co-operative, friendly, helpful...
I tend to play about 20 different periods using with about a dozen rulesets. With that many periods and often multiple forces for a period my challenge is finding the time to get the current forces on the table. The rulesets I use give me the type of game I'm looking for the period(s) they cover. It would take something very special for me to change rulesets.
Having said that I have added new periods using a variant of an existing ruleset, e.g. Indian Mutiny (V&B ) or Russo-Japanese naval (General Quarters I/II). Or occasionally add a new ruleset to cover a period I've had an interest in but had no suitable rules, e.g. English Civil War (FK&P).
To crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and to hear the lamentation of their women!
Quote from: Last Hussar on 13 April 2025, 10:05:05 AMTo crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and to hear the lamentation of their women!
Now your sounding like FK
I believe our success rate is similar.