I don't think I've ever ranted on this blog, but I'm of an age it's considered acceptable, or even expected. So here goes...
I've recently joined a few historical wargaming Facebook groups, mainly to find out what's going on and to look at other people's Italian Wars armies. This was about a week ago, and in that time I've seen several posts along the lines of "I'm new to the period...what figures do I need and how should I paint my army".
FFS, go out and do a bit of research! You don't even have to spend any money as it's all online, but you could even buy a book or two, and read them.
Back in my day ( I've always wanted to use that phrase) we had George Gush's Renaissance Armies and an Osprey book and that was about it other than the library ( do they still exist?), but now everything you could possibly need is available at the click of a button and still these people need to be told what to do.
Even on fantasy FB groups, I see similar questions. USE YOUR IMAGINATION.
It seems to be a general trend as well. Every day now at work I get the phrase "what should I plant in my garden?" Countered by "What do you like?" The response being invariably "I don't know."
Would these people go into Sainsbury's and ask "What shall I have for dinner?". Only a matter of time until that happens.
Gaahhh.
Agreed, especially with Fantasy. Doing YOUR way is rather the point, or am I wrong??
ReplyDeleteYou are not wrong, but absolutely right.
DeleteGary Chalk (wargamer and artist of many of Joe Dever’s Lone Wolf books) has some similar takes on this. He says:
Delete"If you want a different fantasy game, invent a world, draw a quick map and download a free set of rules. That should take about two evenings. You can find figures in any scale or material and you can paint them any colour you like. That’s why it’s called « fantasy » gaming."
About his abortive attempt to break into the Fantasy wargaming rulesets with Fantasy Warlord, he says (among other things):
"I had utterly misjudged the market. The gamers actually wanted what Workshop was producing for them and not a game that used pseudo-military tactics to determine the outcome of fantasy battles. The gamers really wanted an infinite number of badges and lots of spikey bits. The world had changed, but I hadn’t changed with it."
And
"I actually enjoy making up scenarios, war-engines, uniforms and so on that bolt on to the rules for my own games. I now believe that I may be alone in this and this could be one reason why Fantasy Warlord failed. People want to belong to a group where they are one of the boys. They’re one of the people who play Warhammer or Malifaux or whatever, and ultimately it is this community which is as important as the game. They like the in-jokes about the third edition or getting the badges on their orcs to look just like the ones in the magazine. I’m afraid to say, that I don’t really give a damn about this stuff and I can make up my own badges."
Ha, I do like Gary Chalk. He's an irascible old git. I contacted him ages ago about some terrain he had made and got a pretty grumpy answer, but have emailed him more recently and had a more friendly chat. I SO agree with the comment above which is why, although I like the Oldhammer movement, I'm just not in the thrall of Citadel and couldn't give a ha'penny fig for the Warhammer world. It was this organisation of fantasy into different factions in about 1985, combined with Citadel figures becoming cartoon characters that made me drop fantasy for a long time. Can you give me the source of the comment above...I'd like to do a blog post about it.
DeleteYeah, he does seem a bit grumpy! Ok, have a look at the interview with him from realmofchaos80s blogspot entitled The Lone Wolf: An interview with Gary Chalk. It dates from 2013.
DeleteI've got Chalk's old fantasy rulebook ("Fantasy Warlord") on the table before me as I write this. Gary may be irascible and his book might have been a squib, but it is SO WORTH picking up if you get a chance. It is a gorgeous book, with amazing photography, great ideas and an innovative take on rules.
DeleteMatthewjksullivan, oh yeah. Great book. Many of the buidlings in it appeared in earlier black and white pictures in WD, and a lot of the figures appeared in Joe Dever's games. I like the special figures too available from Alternative Armies now.
DeleteYaztromosconfectioner...I dimly remember reading that blog so I'll go back and check it out thanks.
Delete'Back in my day' 🤣 we weren't allowed to even look at figures, you had to order them from a list and guess what they might look like.
ReplyDeleteEeee, them was hard times. Not to mention allowing 28 days for delivery on everything.
DeleteI love a good rant ! , yes you are quite right think it's to do with 'instant' pleasure people are used to nowadays - now in my day one had to suffer for one's art !!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a phenomenon caused by the internet I'm sure.
DeleteI've been working up my gastric juices to write some old-man-yells-at-cloud-rants --- and now you've given my the little nudge I needed. Thanks (I think?)
ReplyDeleteI don't normally bother with ranting about the masses, but the general apathy of the great public who expect everything done for them just got to me.... I've calmed down a bit now!
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