Confession of a Rules a`holic or just a grumpy old gamer

[Storm Wolf]

I have a confession to make, I am a rules a`holic.

Meaning I buy too many sets of rules (expecially sci-fi) but I then don`t really play them as is (ever), I always tinker, make summary sheets, army sheets, force lists, charts, tables or whatever but very rarely play them plus all of the modelling and painting etc, etc....

Anything but actually play, is it just me or are there any of us poor not quite get a game on the table gamers. I am a solo player mostly, so that definately does not help me.

I also seem to default back to my GW stable of rules, RT, 3rd 40K and lately Shadow Wars: Armageddon and Necromunda (1st ed) as these are by far the most invisible and memorised rules that I know.

I know there are newer, maybe better rules out there, but it just requires more thought than the old GW stuff. With 3rd ed 40K I can jot down two forces on a piece of paper and be gaming in not much more time than it takes to set up the table, other newer rules less so.

My now slightly older brain, seems to have trouble with some of the newer mechanics however "simple" or supposdly "fast play" they are.

So am i just an old git who is stuck in their ways or does anyone else out there feel the same way, maybe not with GW game mechanics though?

Sorry for ranting on a bit

Glen

[dadlamassu]

I must be an "even older git"!  I seldom buy rules unless very cheap at a bring and buy because we still use the rules that we wrote ourselves in the 1960s and 1970s predating GW and all I look for is a new way to deal with an issue or a better way to deal with something.  They have all been well tinkered with over the years though less so now.  They suit us and our games.

So we are certainly stuck in our ways.

[snitcythedog]

Outside of tournament play and manufacture store play using the newest rules for the particular game does not matter.  In this case I don't think that either of you are stuck in your ways.  You both have go to systems for how you play, who you play with and update (tinker with) when needed.  Collecting rules and adding to the lead pile tend to be an integral part of the hobby so the longer you do it the more you collect. 

[Storm Wolf]

Ok thanks and at least i appear to be in good company and at least not the oldest 

Much stuff collected over the years to be sure

Cheers

Glen

[has.been]

I think lots of us have a stash of rules. I certainly do,
though I have unloaded a lot in the last decade.
I used to go for rules that included a LOT of rules,
I thought that would lead to great games. It didn't.
I have come to thinking that simple rules work better
for me. No longer do I spend most of the battle with
my head stuck in the rule book, looking for some
half remembered (often wrongly) rule. Now I know
95% of the rules & spend most of the game looking
at the nice figures & scenery. I also have found
myself thinking tactics
"Appletree's moving his Zouaves over to the ford,
I'd better redeploy battery Peter to cover that threat.
I still loose most of the games, but I am having much
more fun.

You don't say why you mainly Solo game.
If it is through lack of opponents why not reach out via
LAF. Two of my good wargames contacts (Vodkafan &
Digits) came via LAF.

[fred]

I definitely buy too many new sets of rules, but then struggle to get them on the table - usually because a whole host of stuff will need painting.

I can understand why if playing solo you prefer to stick to known rules - I find when playing solo it’s harder to remember all the rules, with an opponent there are two of you to remember how things should work!

[Storm Wolf]

All good comments, thanks to one and all.

My reasons for mostly playing solo is firstly until recently there really wasn`t a club that near to me really (I don`t drive) and secondly Mr. Bloody Covid shoved his nose into the human race

I do plan on going to the local club, which is held at a pub not far from me, however it is more of an RPG club. Which is fine, I can RPG also. So I may be in the position of running some wargames, however I find it very unlikely that I will be inflicting latest 40K/Necro or whatever on them as the book/codex situation is sort of crazy to say the least.

I have Stargrave and have tried it solo which I sort of like, so may give that a go, I also have a fair few FFOL titles, so maybe those too plus both one hour wargames titles and a few others.Other than these I would default to those older GW rulesets mentioned above.

Maybe you are correct with more people and not having to play both sides both Stargrave and FFOL will click a bit more. Oh well I shall to have and wait and see what happens. However I am still watching the Covid situation, I have been double jabbed but I am still a little gun-shy about mixing with too many strangers (to begin with at least  )  around a small-ish RPG table at the moment, sigh!

More power to your hobby elbows and thanks

Glen

[Inkpaduta]

This is one area, the only one!, that I don't spend much money on.
I am a rules snob and want them just so or I just don't use them.
I usually use free rules or use older sets that I know I like.

[pauld]

I have a confession to make, I am a rules a`holic.

Meaning I buy too many sets of rules (expecially sci-fi) but I then don`t really play them as is (ever), I always tinker, make summary sheets, army sheets, force lists, charts, tables or whatever but very rarely play them plus all of the modelling and painting etc, etc....

Ah, at last I have found my long lost twin after we were separated at birth.

I have bookshelves of 'em and a tablet full of pdf's.

But they are all my children and I love them dearly - there are a few that I know well and others that seem fresh every time I read them but like you when putting figures on the table I fall back on early GW output (surely because I played them most in the far off days when I entered the obsession hobby.

Favourite is possibly the mighty Advanced Heroquest house ruled with blind dice pulls from the dice bag for activation, 2d6 rather than straight d12 and a host of other little tweaks casually nicked from other re-workings of the amazing original.  I can and do happily play this solo blindfolded (not literally you understand).

Add to that the other obsession hobby of board games and you can surmise that I just like reading rules really.

[pauld]

Oops, that last part of the ramble wasn't entirely appropriate to the Future  Wars forum.

My apologies

Although thinking about it AHQ could easily be adapted to the Sci fi genre.

[Storm Wolf]

Oops, that last part of the ramble wasn't entirely appropriate to the Future  Wars forum.

My apologies

Although thinking about it AHQ could easily be adapted to the Sci fi genre.

I think you are OK Pauld, remember a long time ago in a Galaxy far, far, away and all that

Yesterdays fantasy is todays sci-fi.

Glen