Sunday, January 1, 2012

First Post of the Year! The Smith Letter

Hello all,

As anyone who's read this blog can attest, I like All Things Zombie mostly for its solo campaign element. I play solo wargames in a variety of eras, and I read the Lone Warrior blog for the Solo Wargames Association at the link below.

  
In their August 2011 section, Chris Hahn discusses a letter he read in the March 2011 Miniatures Wargaming magazine that discussed the overemphasis (in Mr. Smith's opinion) on detailed painting of figures and exquisite terrain over the basic idea of wargaming; that is getting together and playing games. He further considers that it promotes a brand of financial and painting skilled "elite" that intimidates and deters many people from entering the hobby.
 I'm still chewing on it, but I think he may have a point. Not that I think those who paint all their figs or create detailed terrain are elitists, they are simply exhibiting their love of the hobby and its modeling-painting aspect. Does this keep people from the hobby? I've been at conventions where I've overheard miniature wargamers sneering at a person's bad paint jobs on their figures, or turning their noses up at paper terrain. But is this just the normal level of appreciating greater effort? Or a sign of something worse, as Mr. Smith seems to imply?

Read the Lone Warrior article and please give me your opinions:


Still chewing on it,

Zombie Chow

3 comments:

Simon Quinton said...

Trouble is people have there own opinions on everything as is there right.

People need to remember its about having fun.

It doesn't always mean wargaming either as this hobby involves Modelling whether thats for display or for gaming purposes that again is there choice.

At the momment I intend to get some games in this year but again that depends on how much time I get to make terrain etc and get some practice games i'm still a long way off yet

Zombie Chow said...

Yes, and there is certainly nothing wrong with people enjoying the modeling side of the hobby. In fact, without it we'd probably just be playing with checkers pieces on a tabletop with no terrain! Maybe its a greater problem in the UK where demonstration games at conventions are more popular? Such elaborate setups might overwhelm the new person in the hobby?

I guess if his thesis is to be valid we'd have to know if there are any people who were put off from minis wargaming specifically due to the time/money/skill investment in the modeling part of the hobby. I wonder how one would come about such data?

ZC

Simon Quinton said...

See I came into the Hobby many years ago via GW Heroquest and Space Crusade, Then into GW golden era stuff man o war, necromunda etc.

I think in those days GW where all I'd heard of so Its always been orientated around miniatures for me.

In those days they where usually unpainted, a few hills made from various books and the odd bit of polystyrene roughly hacked into a castle of some sort.

But thinking way back before then again I always had plastic toy soldiers that I used to play with all the time so maybe it stems from that