Much of our hobby is a combination of striving for the new (rules,lead,periods etc) and the old ( rules,lead etc) served up in varying proportions. I constantly have new ideas and plans ,many of which will never see the light of day or lay as ruins along the roadside.I cannot seem to focus on one thing.I am consumed by enthusiasm only for it to wither like a day lilly or die like a mayfly. Enthusiasms come round in cycles like a merry go round and reappear before departing again. More and more the hobby (for me) is either an attempt to portray a simpler/more manageable world or a case of "A la recherche du temps perdu" combined with a frantic search to find the ultimately fulfilling game/period/miniature/system.Am I alone in feeling thus...
Wargamers searching for the 'Holy Grail of Wargaming ' is what keeps the hobby going . I do admire people who can stick to one or two periods/projects (myself being a wargaming butterfly) , simple rules are my way forward I think .
ReplyDeleteEnthusiasm and optimism are the elixirs of youth and life, fill your cup and keep drinking!
ReplyDeleteIt's easier to resist the flutter of the wings if your part of a group of regular gamers. they each seem to keep the others on some sort of common track. The solo gamer however has no constraints. I find myself continually tempted and very often surrendering to the call. My dark age project is probably the longest I have managed to resist but even that got cut short by at least one army by the call of imagi-nations. I'm currently working my rear off to complete two sides before the next sounding of the wings! Despite all that I'm still totally absorbed by the hobby after 50 years of flights of fancy. not sure if this is a double post
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brian.
ReplyDeleteThe main thing is if one is having fun. It's a hobby, it shouldn't be stressful. If a person finds they are unhappy with not completing a project or 'staying on track", then the question becomes how to stay on track and complete something. I think the key there is to not bite off more than you can chew, but rather, find a small enough project you can handle (and maybe use as s stepping to stone to future projects).
On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with pursuing a variety of projects more or less simultaneously. It can be fun and help retain one's interest, and give you the possibility of switching around if you don't feel like working on one thing.
To answer your question, no, you're not alone. I have a variety of interests, and I enjoy them all. So I'm not going to amass extensive knowledge and collections of miniatures in one specific era or genre. That's just not my "thing". Instead I will have fun doing various projects, games, and other interests/pursuits.
I hear you... my ACW project thoughts are going the self same way...from the complexity of RF&F, to Ross's Hearts of Tin, and possibly even a flavour of Will McNally's SYW rules... and all in the pursuit of simplicity and a lack of further excuses not to get the little metal men on the table!
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