1) Bl**dy H*ll it's gone cold. Had to de-ice the car & I'm now working in my jacket.
2) There are too many game systems based on alternative history. Space 1889 was a good joke, well done, but now everything has gone of the rails. Weird War 2, Nazis on dinosaurs, British Civil War. No one just interested in proper history anymore. Why? Is it just too hard? (I could put WHAB in here as well, but that might be viewed as cruel).
3) Working my way through books on the Spanish Civil War. All pretty unpleasant, as was the Russian Civil War*. So why would anybody create a set of rules/figures (see above) wishing it on their own country?
4) Why does every new 28mm figure get greeted with howls of joy & "they're great!" type postings even when they are hideously deformed with hands like dinner plates and faces like pandas (yes, Wargames Factory, I'm talking about you).
5) What happens to all of those paint brushes I buy?
6) Why do paint pots dry out when the lids are all on perfectly tightly??????
*Actually can't really think of a pleasant civil war, so this remark is a bit fatuous. Although if I had to pick two Civil Wars NOT to be involved in the RCW & SCW would be near the top of my list.
2) There are too many game systems based on alternative history. Space 1889 was a good joke, well done, but now everything has gone of the rails. Weird War 2, Nazis on dinosaurs, British Civil War. No one just interested in proper history anymore. Why? Is it just too hard? (I could put WHAB in here as well, but that might be viewed as cruel).
3) Working my way through books on the Spanish Civil War. All pretty unpleasant, as was the Russian Civil War*. So why would anybody create a set of rules/figures (see above) wishing it on their own country?
4) Why does every new 28mm figure get greeted with howls of joy & "they're great!" type postings even when they are hideously deformed with hands like dinner plates and faces like pandas (yes, Wargames Factory, I'm talking about you).
5) What happens to all of those paint brushes I buy?
6) Why do paint pots dry out when the lids are all on perfectly tightly??????
*Actually can't really think of a pleasant civil war, so this remark is a bit fatuous. Although if I had to pick two Civil Wars NOT to be involved in the RCW & SCW would be near the top of my list.
I think the Mexican Revolution would be my vote for top civil war horror. Not only did they routinely execute captured soldiers, but shortages of ammo reportedly led to them lining men up so that several could be shot with one bullet. Charming.
ReplyDeleteNear the top of the list certainly, but not the top of the list by any means, but that is not eh point. The point is why do players (myself included) prefer wishy-washy fantasy/alternative history games over the real deal?
ReplyDeleteFor me, it's all about being creative and inspired by, rather than copying. In addition, I like the idea of disguised scenarios, of all things I like that a lot.
IM: That's fairly unpleasant but not necessarily cruel.The excesses in the RCW probably top it for me, - the various secret police on both sides raised the bar on evil.
ReplyDeletePiP: I understand the creative/disguised scenario argument and have done alternative history type games myself, - I think it is the unthinking ubiquity of it all that irritates me.
ReplyDeleteExcellent rant, Graham ..
ReplyDelete28mm was invented by people who thought wargamers were gullible enough to replace their entire collections for the sake of 3mms ...
You'd have thought they were wrong.
Plastic 28s have been introduced by people who thought a majority of the other wargamers were also gullible enough to replace their collections for the sake 3mms but couldn't afford the inflated metal prices.
You'd have thought they were wrong.
The inflated price issue is key because the reason for the 28mm figure was to establish a new scale which combined no practical changes to the utility, space, mechanisms etc. of 25mm with a new pricing structure that allowed a much higher margin to the manufacturer.
Now nobody would fall for that ...
Would they?
I didn't think of it as a rant....more of a factual observation.
ReplyDeleteThe ubiquity of it all...
ReplyDeleteI remember a time when WW2 was ubiquitous, then Napoleonics, then Ancients etc. What goes around, comes around.
You have a point. I just wonder why I'm always out of step with what ever is current.
ReplyDeleteGuess that's what makes me so fascinating....
Store your paints upside down. Any gap might let the paint dry out gets sealed with dried paint.
ReplyDeleteThat said, most of mine are right side up.
I used to do that when I used Humbrol enamels. Do you think it'll work with my pots of Dulux (which is where I mostly have the problem)?
ReplyDelete