How to stay interested in fantasy wargames? A philosophical question

[TheBlackCrane]

Does anyone find a period/genre or such that they are forever starting projects in but never follow through?

Over the past several years I have started 6mm Sci-fi, 15mm Sci-fi, 28mm Sci-fi, Frostgrave, 10mm Fantasy, 18mm Fantasy, and Ghost Archipelago.

Having just sold my GA and 10mm fantasy this week, every single one of those projects are now projects that I have started and then sold off having never really got anywhere with them.

Am I just describing a wargamer? 

Strange thing is; I like sci-fi, I like fantasy. I read fiction of the genres, I watch films based on the genres, I enjoy thinking of plans for projects and campaigns and so on, I like painting the figures, and I like the idea of a wargames project where I'm not contrained by historical accuracy, but I always end up losing interest to the point that the whole lot gets sold off...

For historical wargames, in the past few years I have at least a couple of projects I have stuck to, and have no intention of getting rid of.

Maybe I'm just at heart a historical wargamer.

But I'd be interested in whether anyone else finds this, how you maintain interest in projects and so forth?
What is it about the fantasy range/army/collection/world or whatever that manages to hold your interest?

[AKULA]

how you maintain interest in projects and so forth?
What is it about the fantasy range/army/collection/world or whatever that manages to hold your interest?

I’ve found by trial and error that I tend to maintain interest in a project where there is supporting audio visual stimulus...by which I mean film(s), TV Series, music/soundtrack/pod cast ....anything I can have on in the background while I paint. Doesn’t have to be Fantasy...same bears true for Sci-fi, or other genre....it’s easier to paint gunfighters when I’ve got the Magnificent Seven on in the background.

Some projects I’ve lost interest in the intervening period between ordering the figures, and the postman delivering them....maybe I just have the attention of a goldfish.

Oh....and the other biggie for me, is having like-minded people posting their own threads, which in turn, motivates me as well.

{edit} my motivation used to be agreeing to put on a game for Salute, and then fear of failure kept me going, but the above method is much less stressful 

[Teardrop World]

I try to not be tied by a set of rules, and play more with a background fantasy world. Play a fast game in this world, few figures and beer and pretzel rule. Give name to the figures. Next game, take another mini (same scale or bigger/smaller), give it a known name and continue the adventure on a different set of rules.
Basing a project on a rule set is quickly killing the interest for myself. We played a bunch of different scifi games with friend, from space battles to small 28mm skirmish, and 15mm battles (each time a different rule). All of them were placed in the same background, each of them was a part of the same story - viewed from a different place. We had some characters crossing between the games.

Play Frostgrave? why not report your mage in a D&D/Pathfinder session? Or play the bandits/cultists you defeated in Frostgrave trying to survive with Mordheim?

As time pass, some homemade background are the motivation. Small imaginary worlds slowly growing. When losing interest, taking out a few minis and a simple one page rule, fast and fun. And ALWAYS take my better pen to write a report, trying to write as it was the next Lord of the Rings () as it help to collect further idea, and reading back a few month later keep the interest. Oh, and I mainly play solo now - making lovecraftian hybrid breedings of tabletop and RPG rules.

Cheers

[Elk101]

I think you're only describing half of wargames. The other half don't sell stuff off, they just hoard it!

[Inkpaduta]

I think most of us do what you do.

I have never found a way to keep my interest going. Usually I am fine going through the purchase, painting and then getting the first game in.
However, even though I always think I am going to play "this" a lot, I end up playing it once and rarely again. It is at this time that I wonder if
the $100-200 I sent and time I put in was really worth it.

[Elbows]

Disclaimer: Potential rant ahead...

I think, as wargamers, we're very often intrigued by the idea or appearance of a genre/project...regardless if it's a good game/experience?  I definitely get a nerd boner seeing random things on Kickstarter, etc...and then I have the conversation with myself: is this something I want to spend hundreds or even thousands of hours on over several years?  Amassing terrain, building a table, painting dozens or hundreds of miniatures...terrain, etc.

When I go into a project, I go in...full.  However, the crux of all of these is: having a good, enjoyable game to play.  Sometimes we get so excited about models, or a genre...an IP...etc. that we just grab models and start painting - only realizing later the rules we're using suck...or don't provide enjoyment.  Perhaps the rules simply don't portray the stuff you're excited about in your head.

It's akin to watching a bad movie about a subject you enjoy, I guess.  "Man, I love ________!  Oh...this movie...ugh..."

If the game(s) isn't fun, your models are just gathering dust.  Or you pull out your painted miniatures and greedily assemble them on the table just to experience a super sub-par game.  I get this from 40K.  I've had two large armies of 40K and played on/off since 2nd edition.  I just packed them up a year ago and haven't bothered with them because my love of my old miniatures and the IP are NEVER sated by the super mediocre garbage that is 40K as a wargame.  My excitement dies almost every time I started rolling dice.  The game simply wasn't doing the models/my excitement justice.

Sadly I felt the same way about Frostgrave but luckily I was just using miniatures I had already - so that wasn't a big investment.  I played a handful of games and it simply didn't excite me at all.

I cheat, because I end up writing my own games just to get that excitement level to justify my hobby projects.  This is not something everyone enjoys doing, so I can't really recommend it!

In short though; if the game isn't fun/exciting/enjoyable...all the painted terrain and minis in the world won't make a project worthwhile.  So I'd start there and then look for some solutions.  Are you building minis because you like the "idea" of the project - or the reality of it?  I know I have a dozen genres I'd like to get into simply because I like the miniatures/ideas of the genre ---- but to do so I'd have to find a game worthy of the investment of time and energy!

/rant

PS: I fully endorse the ideas here that you can use miniatures for any number of games.  I use my fantasy miniatures for Dragon Rampant, the occasional Mordheim game....my games of Frostgrave that I did play, my current dungeon crawl...heck we use them for D&D sometimes.  So yes, generic stuff is always excellent.

[Easy E]

I am like Teardrop.  I do not tie my Fantasy to any one rule set or style of play. 

I hoard all of my figures and projects and then use them in a variety of different games.  For example, I might use an army for Oathmark, the component's of a unit or two in Frostgrave, then reform for a big battle using Horde of the Things, and then circling back to using those same units in Kings of War.

I also try to get two armies/forces for every game and then I always can find a warm body to play the other side.  I can always play a game with the two sides I have forever and ever.  Therefore, I know any project I work on will last the test of time as I will just bring the minis to new games.     

[Neldoreth]

I have the same issue relative to historical and fantasy wargames. Not sure exactly why either, but I have been painting Andalusians and Vikings forever, but my fantasy involvement waxes and wanes.

I think it's because it's not really subject to change, and it's very relatable. Fantasy rules and concepts come and go, but a viking is always a viking. Furthermore, the 'lore' and 'fluff' around historical stuff is very deep. No matter how much time and energy is put into the fantasy stuff, it never gets that deep, even Tolkien and Warhammer don't come close.

That's my two cents
thanks
n

[Teardrop World]

"a viking is always a viking"

I beg our pardon, Sir - but may I troll you a little? as a viking is always a viking, an orc is always an orc. 

Indeed you are right, I mainly use historical events and background - just slightly changed to accomodate a fantasy flavour. After all, past events are forgotten after a few decades, and the medieval and classical period is in my mind like a fantasy era.

Cheers

[armchairgeneral]

The only fantasy gaming I have done was the Lord of the Rings genre adhering to the Tolkienesque vision as far as possible. This therefore had the constraint of closely reading the books so giving the feel of a “historical” researched period although it was a fantasy game.

[Donpimpom]

I can recognize myself also in the pattern you are describing BlackCrane, the only way I would finish something its because I NEED it finished to play.
Without the constrain of play deadlines I usually tend to iterate and iterate until I got distracted by a new project

[TheBlackCrane]

Interesting points all. I think I may adopt the 'buy figures I'd like the paint and use them for a variety of games' approach, rather than trying to do specific projects. Sounds a far better way of going about things and maybe won't feel the need to complete specific 'projects'.

Thanks all, this has crystallised my thinking.