My Imagination Ain't What It Used to Be! - Battlegames

11 Ways to Keep Your Fictitious Wargaming Project Alive and Well. By Stokes Schwartz. Editor's note: My thanks to Stokes Schwartz, ... 11WaystoKeepYourFictitiousWargamingProjectAliveandWell ByStokesSchwartz Editor’snote:MythankstoStokesSchwartz,keenbloggerandcreatoroftheGrandDuchyofStollen,forthefirstinwhatIhopewillbeanongoingseriesofguestpostsbyarangeofcontributors.Inreturn,IhavepromisedtopensomethingforStokes’site,whichIhopetohavereadyinthenextcoupleofweeks.Wehopeyouenjoythis!(Oh,andsinceStokesisfromacrossthepond,IhavelefthisAmericanesespellingsintact.) DeLatte'sgunsopenfire(fromStokes'NeuSittangbadbattle). Someyearsago,duringHenry’sseriesofarticlesontheWarsoftheFaltenianSuccessioninBattlegames,theimaginationcrazetookoff. Forawhile,itseemedlikeeveryoneandhisdogjumpedonthebandwagon,postingmessagesonTheMiniaturesPageorYahoo’sOldSchoolWargaminglike,“Hey,I’vejuststartedanewblogtodetailtheeventsandarmiesinmyimagi-nationthePrincipalityofBrauenburpf-Pabst!”Fineanddandy.Greattoseesomanyguysenthusedabouttheirrespectivewargamingaims. Butcertaintrendssoonemerged.First,manyoftheseblogswereheavyonnarrativebutrarelyexhibitedmuchinthewayoffullypaintedfiguresandfinishedarmies,tosaynothingofactualgames.Second,manysuchblogseventuallyranoutofsteam,ordisappearedthankstoanapparentlackofinspiration,overlyambitiousgoals,andtherealizationthatthosenewlyamassedmountainsofleadorplasticweren’tgoingtopaintthemselves.Finally,andthisonemightstingabit,manyoftheseso-calledimagi-nationsfeaturedsurprisinglylittleinthewayofimagination.So,thefollowingelevenpointersareintendedtosuggestwaysinwhichyoucanavoidthesesamepitfallsshouldyoutoodecidetogivethefictitiouscountrythingawhirl.    1:Berealistic Howmuchisonyourplaterightnow,personally,professionally,andhobby-wise?Considerthefreetimeyouactuallyhaverelativetoyourobligationsandcommitmentselsewhere.Alsoworthponderingarethetimeandfundsrequiredtoindulgeinanimagi-nationproject.Ofcourse,youdon’tneedtobewealthytoenjoywargaming,butmassivearmiesandahugepermanenttablefilledwithstore-boughtscenicgoodiesmighthavetowait.Youcanstillhavealotoffunintheinterimthoughwithsomewhatmoremodestaspirationsandalittlebitofthatdo-it-yourselfspirit.   2:Haveagoalinmind Planningtopaintupabunchoffiguresfromanhistoricerathatinterestsyou,andsettingthemintoafictitiousworldofyourowncreationisalotoffun.Butwithoutadefiniteaiminmind,yourimagi-nationprojectriskscrashingontherocksbeforeyoumanagetofinishit.So,givesomethoughttoestablishingaspecificgoalandkeepingtrackofhowyouprogresstowardit.ThatwillgiveyourprojectpurposeandmakeeverythingmoreconcreteratherthandriftingaimlesslyaroundtheSargassoSeaofUnfinishedWargamingProjects. HussarschargetheStollenianflank(fromStokes'NeuSittangbadbattle).    3:Developyourownuniqueproject Themonkey-see,monkey-doapproachmightnotbethekeytowargaminghappiness.Instead,developauniqueprojectthatdoesn’tquiteresembleeveryoneelse’s.Sure,themid-18thCenturyisafertileperiodinwhichtoplaceacoupleofvaguelyGermanicimagi-nations.Buthowuniquearetwomoreminiaturearmiesbasedonblue-coatedPrussianandwhite-cladAustrians?Whatdoyoudo?Well,asthelate,greatDr.Seusswrote,“Thinklowandthinkhigh!Oh,thethinksyoucanthinkifonlyyoutry!”Mullthingsoverbeforedivingheadlongintoanewwargamingproject.Lookaround.Considerotherarmies,colors,personalities,placesandtimesinwhichtosetyourimaginaryarmiesandtheiradventures.Setouttocreateyourowndelightfulmélangeofcolorandflavor.Developanimagi-nationthatisunique.   4:Inspirationiseverywhere Yourimagi-nationnarrativedoesn’thavetocomefromhistorybooks.Openyoureyes,andyou’llfindusefulfodderallaroundforyourfledglingcampaign. Sourcesofinspirationmightcomeinpartfromliterature–thoughnotnecessarilyJ.K.RowlingorBernardCornwell–movies,newspaperandmagazinearticles,tosaynothingofpeopleyouknow,andthecrazythingstheydo.Weallhavethatslightlyunhingedcousinorneighborwhoseexploitsmightprovidejust‘thething’toserveasthecatalystfordeclaringwarinyourimaginaryworld.Assomanysongsandfilmshavesuggested,notonlyisloveallaroundifyoujustlookforit,butsotooisinspirationthancanhelpkeepimagi-nationsafloat.Butplease,lookfurtherthanthenameofyourfavoritebeer.   5:Developmodest,well-balancedarmiesfirst Manyofusenvisionhugecorps-levelforcesoflargeunitslikewe’veseeninallthoseWargamesHolidayCentrephotos.Greatstuff,butthatkindofthingtakesalongtime.Andmaybeateamofpainters.It’sfarbettertorestrictyourearlyimagi-nationeffortstoafewunitsofinfantry,somecavalry,andartillery.Amoregradualapproachmakessense.Evenifyouhavethefundstoassemblehugearmiesinonefellswoop,paintingthemisanothermatter.Afterall,itmightbeaweebitambitioustoentertainvisionsofpaintingandcompletingthose1200vintage20mmAncientGreeksyoujustwononeBaybynextThursday. Irishgrenzersenterwoods(fromStokes'NeuSittangbadbattle).   6:Divideyourunitsintomanageablebatches Ifyou’relikemanywargamersthough,you’vepurchasedmuchofyourinitialarmyatonce.Ithasarrivedinthemail,you’veunpacked,organized,andlinedupthoseshinynewseveralhundredcastingsalongyourdeskortable.ThisiswhereIthinkalotofaspiringwargamers,andimagi-nationenthusiastsinparticular,starttheirlong,slowwalkdowntheboulevardofbrokendreams.It’sthatold,familiarsinkingfeeling.“Now,what?HowwillIactuallypaintthesedarnthings?”Unitbyunitofcourse.Butbreakeachdownintosmaller,easier-to-handlebatches.Say,5-10figureseach.Painteachsmallbatchtocompletionbeforestartingthenextone.Thatwillgoprettyquickly,andyoursenseofaccomplishment,plusthewilltocontinue,willbepalpableeachtimeyoucompleteanotherhalfdozenfiguresandpreparetotacklethenextbatchinwaiting.   7:Paintandfinishoneunitatatime Avoidhoppingaroundbetweenperiods/projects.Whilesomeinthehobbyseemabletokeepmanysuchballsupintheairatonce,mostofusneedmorefocus,orweriskneverfinishinganything.So,ifyouneedasmallbreakfrompaintingsomethingthatispartofyourimagi-nationproject,fine.Butkeepthingsmovingaheadbyworkingonanotherpartoftheprojectforalittlewhile.Paintamountedgeneralandacoupleofaides.Maybesomecavalry,orscratch-buildandpaintasmallscenicitemortwo.OrtryyourhandataPhilOlley-stylevignette.Themainthingistomaintainforwardmomentumandkeepyourimagi-nationprojectfromfloundering.   8:Paintroutinely ThisisanotherareawhereIhavenoticeddifficultiesamongmanyimagi-nationbloggers.Theyseemtopaintverysporadically.Now,noteveryoneisbornaDougMason.Andwhilesomemightlovethehobby’svisualside,theymightsimplynotcaretopaintfiguresthemselves.Fairenough.But,ifyouaspiretoamodestcollectionofpaintedfigures,imaginaryorotherwise,andyou’renotgoingtocommissionaprofessionalpainter,you’vegottositdownanddoityourself.Regularly,oryou’llnevergetanywhere. ZichenauerhussarstakethehillandsurroundJaegers(fromStokes'NeuSittangbadbattle).   9:Enjoyyourhobby Don’tholdyourselftoimpossiblyhighstandardsthough.Morethanafewoftheone-timeimagi-nationenthusiasts,whohavesincefallenbythewayside,wereoverwhelmedbythemisguidednotionthattheyhadtopainttheirnewlypurchasedfigurestoapristinecollector’sstandard.Asaresult,theirwilltopaintseizedup,eventuallyatrophied,andfadedawayaltogether.Guys,relax!Thisisahobby.Youneedn’tpainttheeyes,buttons,earlobes,andfingernailson10mmfigurestobeconsideredaworthyhumanbeing.Havefunwithyourpainting.Usesomeartisticlicense,andleavetinydetailstotheimagination,ifyou’llpardontheterm.Andifyoumakeasmallmistake,andforgettocolorthatgoldenearringinagrenadier’searlobe,sowhat!It’snottheendoftheworld.   10:Re-visittheclassics Enthusiasmsometimeswanesandwithit,ourdrivetoremaindiligentwithfigurepaintingandrelatedimagi-nationactivities.Whenthathappenstome,Iheadstraightfortheol’bookshelf.There,IpulloutTheWarGame,andCharge!plusadditionaltitlesbythelikesofTonyBath,DonaldFeatherstone,andC.S.Grant,orTerryWiseandCharlesWesencraft.Issues#1-12ofMiniatureWargamesalsoprovideaboosttomyspiritswheneverIwonder,“Now,whyamIdoingthisagain?”Remindyourselfofthatinitialsparkofenthusiasmyoufeltforyourownimagi-nationprojectbyrevisitingtheclassicsyourselfoccasionally.Itworks.   11:Strikeabalance Embraceeveryfeatureofyourimagi-nation.Createitsgeographyandmakecolorfulmaps.Populateyourworldwithquirkycharacters. Developwhimsicaluniforms.Paintthecolorfulandglossyarmiesthatwearthem.Andbyallmeans,shareyourenthusiasmforthewargaminghobbywithothers.But,becarefulwithblogsandonlinediscussionboards.Theinstantcommunitiesprovidedbybotharegreatintheory.But,youinadvertentlyriskwastingconsiderabletime,someofwhichmightbebetterspentpaintingfiguresforyourenvisionedarmies.Don’tgosooverboardwithonepartofyourhobbythatanothersuffers. Stollenianartillerydeploys(fromStokes'NeuSittangbadbattle).   “Waterloo... Couldn’tescapeifIwantedto...” Keepthesetipsinmind,andyou’llgoalongwayintheimagi-nationgame.Undertakingandcompletinganywargamingprojectisreallymoreaquestionofplanning,organization,andpersistencethanitisanabundanceofcashorspecialability.Theadviceofferedherecomesfrommyownhobbyactivitiesandexperiences –ok,half-bakedfoibles –duringtheearly1980s-early2000s.Ifinallynoticedself-defeatingpatternsanddecided,therefore,tomakesomechangesbeforestartingtheGrandDuchyofStollenproject,soitwouldseecompletionandenjoysomelongevity.Seewhatyouthinkbyvisitingmyblogathttp://grandduchyofstollen.blogspot.com. Sharethis:TwitterEmailPrintWhatsAppFacebookPinterestRedditLikethis:LikeLoading... 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