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Other Stuff => General Wargames and Hobby Discussion => Topic started by: Praefectusclassis on August 04, 2025, 12:30:46 PM
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Hi all!
It's August again, so it's time for the Great Wargaming Survey as is, hopefully, becoming a tradition. Wherever you fall on the spectrum of fantasy/sci-fi/history or scale and size, please take a few minutes to fill it in. There's goodies and prizes to be won for everyone, and you're helping build an idea of the variety in our hobby, what we're like, and what we like to play: https://www.greatwargamingsurvey.com
If you're curious about reports from past years, there's lots to delve into here: https://www.karwansaraypublishers.com/blogs/great-wargaming-survey-blog-wss-magazine
Many thanks!
Guy and Jasper
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Hooray! Always enjoy filling this in.
I feel obliged to point out again that like last year, requiring only the top 3 for so many questions is going to skew results. I (and I suspect a lot of us) have very broad tastes lol
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Have I explained the rationale (as far as you can accuse of anything like that) before? We're all interested in many things, especially when it's an excuse to buy more minis. In part due to how the survey software works and because our analyst prefers to have reasonable numbers to be able to infer one thing or another, it's helpful to reduce the number of selectable options. Having to rank 15+ options becomes annoying pretty quickly, so we figured it'd be easier to ask people for their deep-in-their-heart top 3, even though it could be a top 5, or 17.
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Done! :D It took a long time, what with having to count all my unpainted figures. lol lol lol
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Done! :D It took a long time, what with having to count all my unpainted figures. lol lol lol
You manged to count them all ? lol
Done and I tried to be honest ;)
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Have I explained the rationale (as far as you can accuse of anything like that) before? We're all interested in many things, especially when it's an excuse to buy more minis. In part due to how the survey software works and because our analyst prefers to have reasonable numbers to be able to infer one thing or another, it's helpful to reduce the number of selectable options. Having to rank 15+ options becomes annoying pretty quickly, so we figured it'd be easier to ask people for their deep-in-their-heart top 3, even though it could be a top 5, or 17.
You may have, and I may have forgotten lol
That makes sense though, thanks - I do remember the older versions where one hand to rank the lot... I was quite happy to do so but I appreciate that I may not be the lowest common denominator when it comes to filling in surveys about topics I love lol
Since you have an analyst and they sound aware that the absence of 'old west' in my top 3 doesn't mean that it's actually less important to me in any measurable sense, along with another 3 or 4 genres... :)
Same for scale, three is not nearly enough!
But maybe people collecting many scales is an outlying result and up to 3 is enough for 80% of cases...
Anyway, always enjoy seeing the survey and results, it's a good community service, thanks!
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Well, at least I made some sense, that's always good. And if you need to reduce your lead pile, I'd refer you to the latest episode of the WSS Podcast. It's one way to do it (or rather, have it happen to you), though not recommended for your soul's content...
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I did my part. Now I would like to know more!
<<<<< Need to know more intensifies>>>>>>
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Lots more here: https://www.karwansaraypublishers.com/blogs/great-wargaming-survey-blog-wss-magazine
Also, if you have any specific questions that the Survey might answer (ie not related to brands or specific rules), feel free to suggest them here. You might get to know yet more.
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Done.
I found the question about what's the right number of figures on the table to be flawed and I don't think you could draw any conclusions from the result.
It would need to be broken down by scale of game (skirmish or mass battle) and model size (6mm, 15mm, 28mm, etc).
Saying that 100 models, for example, is the ideal size is meaningless. What if you are a 6mm gamer? That would probably be nowhere near enough. Or even playing Napoleonics in 28mm?
No, I think that question was poorly structured and you won't be able to take anything from the results because there are so many fundamental caveats that you can't even draw even a broad picture from it. Sorry.
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Thanks for the feedback. We experiment with new questions every year, and that's one of them. We did debate the problem of the issue of total number of figures-question for exactly the reasons you mention. If it doesn't work, it might not be back next year.
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Number of 'individual' bases on the table perhaps?
Though that implies a follow on question of how many figures per base which may be a bit meaningless as '1' will be first my miles followed by almost every other number below, say, 20, in roughly equal measure lol
Number of elements on the table?
Surveys are really hard to write aren't they o_o lol
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Is it really 12 months since I filled in the last one? Doesn't feel like it.
Is it true times flies faster as you get older.....
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Number of 'individual' bases on the table perhaps?
Though that implies a follow on question of how many figures per base which may be a bit meaningless as '1' will be first my miles followed by almost every other number below, say, 20, in roughly equal measure lol
Number of elements on the table?
Surveys are really hard to write aren't they o_o lol
Trying to catch all varieties of just miniature wargaming in a short-ish survey in a somewhat reasonable manner is an... interesting experience.
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Fun! Fun experience! ;) :)
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Yeah, that one!
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Hooray! Always enjoy filling this in.
I feel obliged to point out again that like last year, requiring only the top 3 for so many questions is going to skew results. I (and I suspect a lot of us) have very broad tastes lol
Likewise. I game most periods ancients, renaissance, F&IW, Napoleonics, Old West, WW2 (BA but getting ready for 7Dtrr). I also have 5Parsecs, 5leagues, Zona Alfa, Witchin' Hour and now 7TV Pulp.
I game solo so I mix it up.
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Done 8)
I did notice on question "What do you like best about this hobby?" you missed out converting / kit bashing.
I've never actually had a sio-cast mini...I'd be interested to check one out though and see what I think of the material. I saw a video by Gobbertown Hobbies and they do look like they have potential.
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We did? :o Crap, one for the list for 2026...
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That reminds me, I don't know the difference between hard plastic, soft plastic, and PVC. So I think I picked PVC, but I was going for 'whatever GW and similar sprues are made of' lol I do know what siocast is though! Anyway, metal is king ;)
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Well, I'd agree with you, but only as a single respondent.
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I did notice on question "What do you like best about this hobby?" you missed out converting / kit bashing.
I was thinking the same yestereve! Then I thought one might count lt into the last option, not sure anymore what it was called. Well, the better if we get one more option at this question :D
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That reminds me, I don't know the difference between hard plastic, soft plastic, and PVC. So I think I picked PVC, but I was going for 'whatever GW and similar sprues are made of' lol I do know what siocast is though! Anyway, metal is king ;)
GW is hard plastic
Siocast is a type of resin
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I'm a little late to the party, but I always enjoy filling this in!
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All responses are welcome until the 31st. Not late at all!
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Done, and shared. :)
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As usual, the gaming period choices for us DBA players is a bit wonky. That game alone covers 3000BCE–1500CE, which is multiple slots in the survey, and I tend to play it twice a month with a different historical theme each time covering the full spread.
But I play other games too, so I just randomly pick one of the ones covered by DBA, but leave my other two choices to pick among other periods that I also play monthly.
Whee!
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Any historian will tell you that historical periods are more or less arbitrary anyway. But we have to draw a line somewhere. o_o
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As usual, the gaming period choices for us DBA players is a bit wonky.
Not every survey can account for edge cases like DBA :-)
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lol
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Not every survey can account for edge cases like DBA :-)
I see what you did there!
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But we need a survey to establish if it is, or isn't.
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Little reminder that the Great Wargaming Survey 2025 is in the final days. If you haven't filled out the survey yet but still want to, now is the time :)
https://gws2025.paperform.co/
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Thanks for the reminder!
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as others have said already: thanks very much for the reminder!