Mid-year Review of your Progress

[Easy E]

Well, would you look at the calendar!  Half-way through 2023 all ready!  What do we have to show for it?  We'll see in this thread.

I typically think about it in the following categories:

- Purchases
- Painting
- Gaming
- Writing
- Other stuff

On the purchase front, I finally decided on my "Big Project" for 2023.  Half-way through so I am all ready behind the 8-ball!  This year, it is a "Battle of Kadesh" scenario so I can put on a demo game locally.  Since I just got the two armies ordered from Baccus 6mm, there is not much else to say on that front. 

Painting has also been pretty light since I got my Pile of Shame all caught up in 2022.  There have only been a few trickles of activity on this front.  A few odds and ends I have found along the way.  Once my Egyptians and Hittites arrive the game here will change a lot. 



Gaming has been much more productive.  The most common game I have played has been Kill Team.  However, I have had a good mix of games with my Skumgrod and my gaming group.  GW games, ancient games, and even some naval games. 



Writing has been a challenge for me.  I have a few games in Post-Production and released a couple in PDF form.  However, this has been a bit of a challenge point for me this year.  Any writing I have done has felt like trying to push water uphill this year.   



Other stuff is other stuff.   It is slowly happening.  However, I have made some progress on a charity game in the area, but just preliminary work.  My RPG group has also been pretty active this year too.     

Overall, I am on-track to hit my goals for the year.  This year my goals were pretty minimal though, so there is that.  If you want more detail, it is here:
http://bloodandspectacles.blogspot.com/2023/07/random-mid-year-through-2023.html

However, I am much more interested in what you have been up to!  What has your progress been and are you on track to reach your goals in 2023?  Pictures are greatly appreciated in this thread!

[mikedemana]

A scene from one of my post-apoc games I hosted this year

Glad to hear gaming is on the upswing for you. For me, the most heartening part of my various projects is that I've run my post-apocalyptic game for my Sunday evening gaming group three times since February. I know that's only about once every other month, but it is much more progress than last year. I've painted up quite a few scenery items for the games, as well. This includes burnt out vehicles, lots of ruined buildings, a barbed wire fence compound, and am about halfway through an MDF prison complex. So, that's been a positive for me.


My Thracian mounted warriors from Crusader Miniatures

I'm still playing Saga regularly, though it may not seem as often for readers of my blog. I've stepped back from writing a report after every gaming session. Things just got too busy at the end of the school year, and now that summer is here, completion of other projects are elbowing that aside. I am halfway done with a new Saga army that I started in late May/early June: Thracians. They're turning out rather nicely, and should be all finished by summer's end.



One thing that has ground to a stop and is a defeat, of sorts, was Space Station Zero Sci-fi skirmish. Towards the end of last year, I was whole hog into painting up various terrain and other scenic items. We played one game in January and then haven't touched it since. I hope to revive it soon, even if I have to do it solo (which is definitely set up for).


My F&I War skirmish rules, 'Song of Drums and Tomahawks'

My own writing (or editing, in this case) has finally kicked into gear. I am editing my co-author's scenario book for Song of Drums and Tomahawks F&I War skirmish rules. I had gotten partway through it last year when the school year started, and all work ground to a halt. I hope to finish it here in the next few weeks and send it off to the publisher then. I've begun reading some fiction and getting ahold of non-fiction source material for another stalled project, a campaign and scenario book for the same rules covering Hernando de Soto's march across North America. Hopefully, I can get it underway as soon as the scenario book is off to the printers.

So, mixed successes so far, I'd say. More positives than negatives, which is always a good thing!

Mike Demana

[Mindenbrush]

As of the end of June, I have:
1) Painted 500 figures in 15/20/25mm.
2) Played in or run 12 games - GDA, AOR, Clash, CoC Congo and WaC.
3) Dumped 3 argumentive gamers that I have endured for years.
4) Helped start a new group that has 12 new, positive players and is progressively minded - we  even have a Discord channel.
5) I put together a ‘newsletter’ PDF that has painting tips, lists of new products, book reviews etc, it goes out to 40 odd gamers that I know around the world.

Looking forward to:
1) Historicon in a couple of weeks.
2) More painting and happy gaming.

[Elbows]

At the end of June, I have:
1) Only painted a scant 50 figures (behind my normal 120 per year goal)
2) Built and painted an obnoxious amount of terrain...an entire town and scatter, make that two entire towns!
3) Basically more terrain...
4) Working a ton on four current games...none of which are on sale, so that makes sense.
5) Only played a handful of games - toned down from the last few years, but my gaming group is dying pretty quick.  People abandoning the hobby, having kids, or moving away.
6) Only attended one convention.  The second one was closed down, which is sad times.  Did manage to run something like 14 games over two days.

Looking forward to:
1) Getting to 120 regardless.
2) Reducing my plastic mountain (which is a first for me, as I normally don't have much spare stuff sitting around)
3) Actually finishing at least one game by the end of 2023 and putting it up for sale.
4) Finding more conventions to attend and running my games there.
5) Selling off a ton of unnecessary stuff.  Clearing out a lot of "why did I buy this again?" and stuff that's just taking up room.

[mikedemana]

3) Dumped 3 argumentive gamers that I have endured for years.

That's always a difficult, touchy thing to do, cutting ties with gamers who are not pleasant to be around. I honestly feel like I've only had to do it twice in my gaming history -- once overtly years ago, and the other by simply not inviting/reminding them until they got the hint. Did you just come right out and say, "Hey, this isn't working anymore?", or what?

1) Historicon in a couple of weeks.

I will be there running my Song of Drums and Tomahawks games. Maybe I'll see you there!

Mike Demana

[Mindenbrush]

That's always a difficult, touchy thing to do, cutting ties with gamers who are not pleasant to be around. I honestly feel like I've only had to do it twice in my gaming history -- once overtly years ago, and the other by simply not inviting/reminding them until they got the hint. Did you just come right out and say, "Hey, this isn't working anymore?", or what?

I will be there running my Song of Drums and Tomahawks games. Maybe I'll see you there!

Mike Demana

I had gamed with these 3 on and off since 1991 but my work often took me abroad for years at a time so maybe cut that back to 10 years of regular gaming once a month.
My biggest concern was:
1) They rarely put on games as they never had enough to run a game, but would always turn up at my place for a game and a free meal.
2) Would not invest in the hobby - trees were cut down Christmas tree branches with warped card bases.
3) Always grabbed the rule book to check a decision.
4) Frequently argued amongst themselves even in front of new gamers I was introducing.
5) Refused to see that they were a negative effect even when other games questioned their attitudes.

I dumped them via email though had talked one on one with one of them about their attitude 3 years ago after a weekend of them arguing.

One took exception to being dumped and sent out an email to some of my friends accusing me of being negative but did not include me on the email. Majority of people on the email either ignored it or congratulated me on cutting them out.

Historicon - I am running a Congo game on Friday morning but I will look your game(s) up in the lists 👍

[Davout]

Been a productive 2023 for me on the hobby front:

Painting: 92 miniatures
Purchased: 59 of various types
Games: Only 7 games played

Happy that the painted # is higher then the purchase #. Less happy about # of games played but I've got a small group so not much I can do there.

 

[angrygriffin]

Well, would you look at the calendar!  Half-way through 2023 all ready!  What do we have to show for it?  We'll see in this thread.

I typically think about it in the following categories:

- Purchases
- Painting
- Gaming
- Writing
- Other stuff

As far as purchases go I managed to pick up a couple of models I have been looking for for a long time including one of the old Artificer models which I promptly inserted into the paint queue. I'm rather proud of the attempt at painting a face behind a bottle-green glass visor on just a blank sphere:



Not a heap of other purchases, still working through minis I acquired last year.

Painting... I'm behind with regard to my target of painting 36 minis this year having only hit 13 by the end of June. Can't find any more time to paint in, though, so that is what it is! It has been a good year for skill development and I had my first crack at freehand, which I have been working on including on every model where possible:



...and I finally found a power sword style I was pleased with for general use that resolves my frustrations at the 3-faceted swords of old:



Given the lack of hobby time this month I'll be pleased to get two minis done, and if I can get three done I'll be over the moon.

Gaming? It's been a touch over three years since I last played and that's not likely to change this year.

No writing to speak of, and as far as other stuff goes I have been idly planning a diorama for squad photos and put aside a couple of bits of terrain to work into it, but it's definitely taking a back seat until I have at least one squad done.

[ced1106]

- Purchases: Ugh. Kickstarter.

- Painting & Gaming: Gaming gets me painting, so picked up "Five Leagues to the Borderlands" and have been painting terrain and miniatures as needed. See my "Vale of Klocke" thread, should be in the .sig.

- Writing: Adding cheatsheets and ChatGWhateverP fluff tables to the 5L FB  fan page.


End of a Contract

A third ride. A third battle. The lord is indeed working us hard for his gold. The adventurers last sent to investigate these ruins and fend off the bandits have not returned. Rumors we have gathered persist that the dead are slowly taking over. Bandits alongside undead suggests more than mere bandits. And rumors also hold of enemy plans or other evidence that will aid us (or at least a more heroic "us") to take down the threats of this valley.

Map by Loke Battle Mats, Wilderness Map book and Big Book of Battle Mats. VTT mega-map KS coming.
Ruins terrain by Archon, Lands of Giants. Bridge from the Mines half-wall set, and Fantasy Dungeon terrain. Cathedral from Cursed Cathedral and Stretch Goals II sets.
"Squealers" miniatures by RBJ Games
Corpses are "Tiny Furniture's Harvest of War" miniatures. Sequel campaign coming!
Stone walls by Acheson Creations. May be OOP.
Red-grey ruins by Secret Weapon Miniatures. OOP.
Heroes and Skeletons by Reaper, Bones.

[Ray Rivers]

Two years ago because I had developed double vision, I had surgery on both eyes for cataracts. As a result my near vision suffered badly. I had been working on a Franco-Prussian 10mm war project. Of and on I took a look at some in progress minis and found it was impossible for me to continue. The situation was extremely depressing and I felt my painting days were over.

Nevertheless, I had this inner desire to paint. A couple months ago I re-evaluated my situation and felt that if I changed my painting technique I could possibly begin painting again. So I took the gamble and bought a box set of miniatures.

At this point I have successfully painted and based 2 units. If I continue to make progress I will begin to post photos of my new project.

So far so good. Every day I look at the new minis, both finished and in progress with delight. We'll see if I can hang in there, as it isn't the easiest thing for me due to my diminished eyesight.

[Mindenbrush]

Ray, it sounds like commiserations and congratulations are in order, good to hear that you have not let the eyesight issues get the better of you 👍

[tikitang]

I began 2023 attempting to dedicate all my hobby energies into making the fantasy skirmish game Forbidden Psalm come to life. That was my only plan for the year.

About a quarter of the way through the year, having painted a reasonable number of miniatures (for my pace), I changed my mind and decided I'd had enough.

I then rebooted my ideas and decided to execute a project that had been lurking in my mind for some time: playing skirmishes in 54mm scale. In my mind I had envisioned this being historical miniatures only, but when I discovered Irregular Miniatures' 54mm fantasy range I decided to make it fantasy.

Now, more than half way through the year, I'm still working on this goal and enjoying it a lot, though the summer months have proved somewhat sparse in terms of painting time, so progress has become slower than I'd prefer.

So far (in the space of about three months) I've painted 9 miniatures, and I have another 20 to go... (though I'm 100% certain more will be coming)

[Easy E]

@AngryGriffin - Great looking Visor!

Thanks to those who added in some pictures!

[Mr. White]

I'm actually doing _really_ well this year. My painting goals for the year are tracked on the ol' blog and I've been hammering away at a good clip...even knocking out a few stretch goals.
https://wyrdstonesandtacklezones.com/2023-goals/

I'm currently in the process of blowing through my Ronin project (you can follow over in the Far East thread). I thought it would be a month or two, but it's gonna end up being done in only 2-3 weeks if this pace keeps up! Well, I do have a game scheduled in two weeks so there is a little pressure.

I'm also getting in a lot of games. First, as usual, is Blood Bowl. So. Much. Blood Bowl. I'm in a league, go to tournaments, and also play Blitz Bowl, DungeonBowl, and tomorrow trying out Gutter Bowl. Beyond that I've also been getting in games of BattleTech (both Alpha Strike and Classic) and Gaslands. I'm also kicking off a Shadowrun 2nd ed RPG game next month.

It's been a great year so far and am hoping to keep this momentum up through the end of the year.

[Easy E]

Jack- I will keep an eye on your blog!

I am jealous of the SR 2ed. campaign going!