Sunday, February 14, 2010

I think I'm back

Been a while, hasn't it?


I've got to admit to having had a long, deep and wide hobby funk which I'm still slowly climbing out from under.


It's been a pain; my little hobby which has consumed so much of m time and effort for years was really starting to pall. I couldn't be bothered painting; setting up a game seemed an endless chore; all my old books seemed nothing more than just old books. My lead mountain was becoming a burden rather than a fruitful field of rediscovery. Finally, I really couldn't be bothered taking “The Duchy of Alzheim” anywhere.


I'm thinking this came about due to a number of factors – less time and sleep due to the baby meant that I'd rather take a nap than put another layer of highlighting on another ten soldiers. Perhaps a degree of burnout after the big CanCon demo game last year? I'm not sure. I was also conscious of wanting to do another show on the same scale but couldn't see a way to make it happen with my now greatly diminished spare time. That might have been a factor.


I think another factor has been my complete disorganization which has seem me build bits of armies as I went along rather than properly balanced forces. For example, I have something like 60 Croats and a unit of Hungarian Infantry for my Austrian Army, but no Artillery or Cavalry. I have more “armies” like this. This leads me to a situation where no project ever seems finished and of course discouragement sets in.


Not too sure.


Nonetheless, I think I might be on the road back.


I've read The War Game Companion, Wargaming in History (v1!), Raid on St Michel and am waiting to take delivery of The Annexation of Chiraz with increasing impatience. In the meantime I've been looking at some Teasers from Mr Grant and was tempted indeed.


I've also taken to painting the little pile of Minden French Command I bought a while ago and found myslf enjoying the process to the point where a couple of weeks ago I set myself a target and began to paint one a day. I've now got a dozen painted that I will soon be incorporating into my RSM units. I'm also painting a dozen of the RSM Saxe Dragoons with an aim of getting them up to a Grant-size unit. Longer term, I'll be building my forces toward a scale that will let me take on a Teaser or two.


This leads me in an awkward way to some decisions I've been making about the Duchy of Alzheim. Previosly it was more or less a German Duchy with a French Army! No more. It's just become a German Duchy with a German Army (more or less Prussian, but with additions...). My French Army has become that of Alzeim's western neighbor, Gallispania, while to their South is a quasi-Italy that will allow many oportunities for alliance-making, mountain fighting and so on.


I still have to work this out in more detail. Will the DoA remain an independent entity or will it become a part of some kind of United Free States (hm, in German that's Vereinigte Frei... hang on...)? Will Gallispania be one or two states as implied by the name? It will doubtless have an Opera Bouffe flavour.


More as it comes in.

5 comments:

Bluebear Jeff said...

Greg,

It is great to read such a positive post from you . . . and Gallispania sounds like an excellent addition to the Imagi-Nations of the eighteenth century.

Welcome back.


-- Jeff of Saxe-Bearstein

WSTKS-FM Worldwide said...

Hi there Greg,

Glad to see that you feel more like your hobby again, but I can certainly UNDERSTAND the fatigue issue firsthand and naps taking precedence. Been feeling like that myself a bit lately. Eager to see the precise direction the DofA takes given your most recent thoughts and ideas about it. Aren't the Grant/Olley titles fantastic?

Best Regards,

Stokes

Martin said...

Hiya Greg!

Long time no hear! We've all been there at one time or another. Yeah...it's tough when the kids are little and there are so many demands upon your spare time. (Spare time?! What spare time?! He plaintivly cried out to an uncaring Universe.) But, it does get better as they grow and develop interests of their own. If you play your cards right, you also have built-in opponents for a lifetime! Ha, ha!

I'm glad that your interest in the hobby has been rekindled (Especially since it was your blog that inspired me to start my own.), and your plan to reorganize is sound.

Grant & Olley's latest book is indeed inspiring, and I'm looking forward to seeing how you incorporate it into your gaming.

Der Alte Fritz said...

When my daughter was born, I think that I took about a 2 year hiatus away from the hobby. I still attended the annual SYWA convention and hosted a game, but my painting dried up and I just didn't have the urge to get it going again.

It will all come back to you eventually. I found that painting was a nice way to unwind and relax. As for the babies, they grow up all too fast. Enjoy holding them in your lap and reading books to them or rocking them to sleep.

Archduke Piccolo said...

With little additions to the family you have to put in the time to get the time: the littl'uns come first. So the on the whole time at which wargaming seemed to pall was probably just as well, if you take my meaning. And then, you also find that when you do find the time and inclination to come back to it the appetite has been rekindled.

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to seeing more about Alzheim, Gallispania and the rest (the 'Opera Bouffe' aspect sounds promising, too.

I should talk... I have to get on top of my own Imagi-Nations...
Cheers,
Ion