Dealing with OOOH Shiney! syndrome in 5 simple steps

[Pijlie]

My take on this particular hobby-related trait: OOOOH Shiney! syndrome

We wargamers are often accused of suffering from the so-called Ooooh Shiny! syndrome; we see something interesting in a movie or on the web and bang! there you have a new project. If you don't watch out you'll be up to your neck in unfinished projects in no time.



Do you want to know more?

https://pijlieblog.blogspot.com/2022/11/dealing-with-oooh-shiney-syndrome-in-5.html

[ithoriel]

Step 1 - new book/ film/ figures/ rules trigger new project.

Step 2a - I read everything I can find on the subject. Things that will likely never figure in the project. Sumerian boat building, the feeding and watering of a Roman legion, the names and tonnage of every ship in the Spanish Armada and their English Opponents, obscure armour of The Great Patriotic War ... you get the idea. Outlay ... possibly greater than on figures and terrain.

Step 2b - In between reading create lists of figures needed for a modest force. The army of the Sumerian city of Shurrupak at 1:1 scale, Davout's Third Corp at Borodino, a Panzer Division with additional assets for the Kursk era. You know, nothing too big. They can always be expanded later.

Step 3 - Almost certainly going to be playing solo. Better get an opposing force ... or two

Step 4 ... or three or four or six or ten!   

Step 5 - Buy required figures ... and some extras .... because .... Ooh! Shiny! And some terrain.

Step 6  - Paint some test figures. Have a push about game to get used to the rules.

Step 7 - GOTO 1

[Pattus Magnus]

I just read the blog post - I like it. The points all make a lot of practical sense to me and keep pointing back to the most important bit, having fun through the hobby. Thanks for putting that stuff in words Piljie!

[SJWi]

A few observations based on bitter experience ( and a large lead pile!). If shiny relates to figures always research which rulset you plan to use. I have several "failed" projects due to this. I would disagree about not having a deadline especially if several are planning to be involved. Yes don't bother with a Microsoft Project plan, but having an objective such as a big club night game keeps everyone focused. Again I have several projects under layers of dust where my mates went off and found new shiny projects rather than finish what we started.

[Pijlie]

A few observations based on bitter experience ( and a large lead pile!). If shiny relates to figures always research which rulset you plan to use. I have several "failed" projects due to this.I would disagree about not having a deadline especially if several are planning to be involved. Yes don't bother with a Microsoft Project plan, but having an objective such as a big club night game keeps everyone focused. Again I have several projects under layers of dust where my mates went off and found new shiny projects rather than finish what we started.

But that is kinda my point. A project cannot "fail" as long as it is ongoing and might either be finished or used for other projects. It is not "unfinished" as long as those dusty figures might either be reused or sold to finance something new.

This not just semantics, but an actual mindset. Leadpiles are no piles of shame, but piles of resources. But only after the deadlines go out of the window....

[Pijlie]

Step 1 - new book/ film/ figures/ rules trigger new project.

Step 2a - I read everything I can find on the subject. Things that will likely never figure in the project. Sumerian boat building, the feeding and watering of a Roman legion, the names and tonnage of every ship in the Spanish Armada and their English Opponents, obscure armour of The Great Patriotic War ... you get the idea. Outlay ... possibly greater than on figures and terrain.

Step 2b - In between reading create lists of figures needed for a modest force. The army of the Sumerian city of Shurrupak at 1:1 scale, Davout's Third Corp at Borodino, a Panzer Division with additional assets for the Kursk era. You know, nothing too big. They can always be expanded later.

Step 3 - Almost certainly going to be playing solo. Better get an opposing force ... or two

Step 4 ... or three or four or six or ten!   

Step 5 - Buy required figures ... and some extras .... because .... Ooh! Shiny! And some terrain.

Step 6  - Paint some test figures. Have a push about game to get used to the rules.

Step 7 - GOTO 1

 

Minimal completeness might do you a service then.

[fred]

I do like the idea of minimal completeness - aiming for enough stuff finished to play a game is a good goal.

[ChrisBBB]

Nice one, Pijlie! I recognise the syndrome but grew out of it long ago. Nowadays I seem to suffer from the opposite problem, my lead pile lagging behind my interests. I fought through most of the Balkan Wars 1912-1913 with proxies before I got my armies for them; likewise the Hungarian War of Independence 1848-1849; and I never actually had an unpainted lead pile for these as I got them custom painted!

So my recipe would be:

1. Find ruleset that works for multiple interesting conflicts, suits some of your existing collection of armies, and pleases all types of player.

2. Attract group of friends and infect them with shared enthusiasm.

3. Let said friends paint more armies, create terrain and design scenarios.

4. Play huge variety of games, a different battle every week or two, for over a decade.

Simple really!

[tikitang]

I struggle with this problem, so with my latest project (The Infernal Crusade), I've set some deliberate boundaries/restrictions to prevent me from going crazy:

1. Stick with only one theme ("fantasy" in my current case)!

2. Stick with only one, maybe two, miniatures manufacturer(s) tops!

3. Stick with one setting! If the latest idea I've had can't be played inside a 2' x 2' dungeon chamber, forget about it!

Even with these restrictions in place, the temptation to break away from them and try something outside of them is strong, but I know all too well the consequences of what will happen if I do!

[Shahbahraz]

Step 1 - new book/ film/ figures/ rules trigger new project.

Step 2a - I read everything I can find on the subject. Things that will likely never figure in the project. Sumerian boat building, the feeding and watering of a Roman legion, the names and tonnage of every ship in the Spanish Armada and their English Opponents, obscure armour of The Great Patriotic War ... you get the idea. Outlay ... possibly greater than on figures and terrain.

Step 2b - In between reading create lists of figures needed for a modest force. The army of the Sumerian city of Shurrupak at 1:1 scale, Davout's Third Corp at Borodino, a Panzer Division with additional assets for the Kursk era. You know, nothing too big. They can always be expanded later.

Step 3 - Almost certainly going to be playing solo. Better get an opposing force ... or two

Step 4 ... or three or four or six or ten!   

Step 5 - Buy required figures ... and some extras .... because .... Ooh! Shiny! And some terrain.

Step 6  - Paint some test figures. Have a push about game to get used to the rules.

Step 7 - GOTO 1

Ok, clearly you have some kind of spy cameras set up in my home...   stop it!!! 

[MartinD]

The biggest problem I'm having right now is having sparks of inspiration and not finding suitable rules/minis that exactly fit. I've some projects lined up, like Colonial Portuguese etc, and just not sure what rules to use, whether to single base or in multiples. I'm watching Herzog's Cobra Verde again and I always fancy doing it in miniature but know I'll get some 28mm from a few different manufacturers then discover they're all different sizes, or they don't quite fit my needs.

It just all seems to be Medieval and/or Dark Ages atm and, while I have a Venetian 1495 army ready to prime, little else in the 'mainstream' periods is exciting me.

[SJWi]

Martin, I've now settled for single bases and the use of sabots. Yes it costs me more but it gives the flexibility to use figures for "big battle games" or skirmishes. I still have armies based in multiples for Impetus and now regret that with the advent of rules such as SAGA, Lion Rampant and Infamy. As for "new periods" or theatres I'm currently finishing Sharp Practice French-Indian Wars and Maorti Wars forces and have a Vendee Rebellion rebel army to paint.

[levied troop]

Ditto on the single base/sabot approach.  It allows a project to proceed through 1:1 skirmish games, 12 bases a side ‘big skirmish’ to 1:many battle sized games (if the project actually gets that far before ‘ooooh shiny!’ takes over!).

[Pijlie]

Ditto on the single base/sabot approach.  It allows a project to proceed through 1:1 skirmish games, 12 bases a side ‘big skirmish’ to 1:many battle sized games (if the project actually gets that far before ‘ooooh shiny!’ takes over!).

Yes, that is an excellent way to build along on top of an existing project.

[MartinD]

I tried sabot basing my NKE when I was doing them and it was an absolute disaster! :-)

The sort of thing that would work perhaps for SP level, but I thought it was a great idea for Hail Caesar, so I did 24 man (and 36!) sabot bases! I also didn't use magnets, just got the sabots from Charlie Foxtrot and went ahead.

...then tried moving one completed unit from workbench to storage - I felt like a waiter trying to carry a tray with champagne glasses balanced on top of one another :-)

I've went back to DBx basing for it, I'll post the progress in the Ancients section. I was intending to use them for skirmish as well as HC, yet when I began there wasn't any Bronze Age specific skirmish games on the market anyway, so I've no idea what possessed me to think it was the right decision. There still isn't!

I decided to go with ADLG as the other Ancients players here are doing that. Unfortunately I began buying the army for HC, so I have piles of them I now don't need for an ADLG force :-)