nice news

[Plynkes]

Battle Honours do the dog cart MGs, both moving and firing.

[Plynkes]

Maybe the impending GW WWI rules will kick start some interest in these periods as well.

I've been thinking about this sort of thing a lot lately. Everyone is expecting a 'big push' to occur when these rules come out. There is much anticipation of lots of growth in this period and many new gamers branching out into the Great War. Manufacturers seem to be falling over themselves to cater for this perceived new market. While I have no doubt this is true, I find it very puzzling that it should be so.

Either one is interested in the Great War or one is not. Why should a new set of rules (which is in all probability an adaptation of an old set of rules) make any difference to that? There are already plenty of good rules around for gaming the Great War. Contemptible Little Armies, Price of Glory, and, oh what's that game called written by those two German fellows?  These are three examples that I own myself. There are many others which cater for those less skirmish-orientated than me out there too.

So why would loads of people get into this just because it is the Next Big Thing? If you are interested in the Great War, play it now! Are gamers such sheep that they will be herded wherever the hype on wargaming news websites leads them? Are they just sitting around on their arses waiting to be told what to play by whoever has the biggest advertising budget? The reaction to such things as Flames of War and Field of Glory (and, dare I say it, our beloved Wings of War) would suggest that rather a large proportion of us are.

This isn't really a rant. I'm not angry (just saying that because it's hard to tell someone's emotional tone from a forum post sometimes). Indeed, I will almost certainly purchase the Games Workshop World War One game when it comes out. But then again, I'm already very, very, very interested in the Great War.[/b]  Why do people seemingly uninterested in a subject, suddenly home in on it just because some new mega-hyped, tournament-friendly rules come out?

I just find it a little sad that we seem to be so unimaginative.  Little well-trained Pavlov consumer dogs, ready to buy whatever we're told to. I just thank God that there are still creative folks like the League of Extraordinary Kriegspielers (and others) out there, plowing their own crazy furrow, rather than being spoon-fed their rules and stepping into line like everyone else.

(Though of course, Back of Beyond is itself a consumer gaming fad foisted on us by Messrs. Copplestone and Peers.)

Anyway, just some thoughts I was having while preparing a bit more FFFFF fun (including my own limited edition figure (limited to one) of a man covered in shit) and watching Jodie Foster on the telly in that thing about aliens. No need to pay any heed, really.

Dyl.

[Keith]

I know that a good bit of hype for a period can catch folk at just the right time.

There are always hundreds of people who have just 'finished' a period and are looking for their next project (most collect multiple periods I guess) and many more have a latent interest in a period that can be sparked into life by a new range of figures, a film or a damn fine book.

I can imagine there is a third group who were blissfully unaware of an epoch (Carlist Wars for example) until it was brought to their attention by a beautiful looking game or range of figures.

Thats my attempt at not being too cynical with regard to my fellow gamers who I know are really drawn to shiny new things like magpies
 ::

[Helen]

Hi Poly,

Nice thoughts and yep why is this period suddenly becoming popular with  X?

I'll look forward to hearing about this new set of rules and seeing other folks getting involved into this period. Whether its a new wave of support or just being trendy who knows, but I bet the WW1 gamers are rubbing their hands with glee

As you know our games are big affairs and slowly it seems I can fulfil my wish to see more figures in my collections that don't ooze one variant.

I suppose its never to late either way

Helen

[revford]

Why do people seemingly uninterested in a subject, suddenly home in on it just because some new mega-hyped, tournament-friendly rules come out?

I think you nailed it there.  Tournaments.

There are a core of gamers out there who love a big tournament.  So a new tournament game is very exciting to them and it's their excuse to buy a whole ton more of lead.

While most of us are happy playing whatever we like, driven by subject, context or a fancy new model.  We play and paint in settings that interest us.

Others are drawn by the chance to compete at a new game and it's the rules that drive the unit painting, not the history or background.

[Plynkes]

Helen makes a great point there. Why should I complain? Just look at all the wonderful new models for the Great War that keep coming out on the back of all this. Rubbing my hands indeed.

When I switched from GW and started historical wargaming about twelve years ago, my first urge was to go for the Great War. But I went in other directions because there didn't seem to be the figures available that I wanted.

Now you can even get Bulgarians, for Heaven's sake! I should be thankful for what we have, and not gripe so much.  

[Driscoles]

Good morning,

I share some of your thoughts Plynkes.

For me The Great War was interesting after I read the book All Quite on The Western Front. My grandfather had a copy from 1929. He saw service in 1918 when he was 18.

Anyway... I believe the Great War was always interesting to wargamers. The variety of early war uniforms, Pickelhauben, late war stormtroopers, cavalry, snipers etc are a fountain of inspiration for sculptors. Not to forget all the different locations where the war took place. I remember  when the Foundry Darkest Africa range came out the urge of playing on the dark continent ww1 came up by many a player...

And knowing this brings GW on the spot. They deliver us what most of us want and like. A huge rulebook full with color pages that we can put into our rules collection.

They did the same with the Wild West and the Pirates Age. Although there are lots of good rules for that topics on the market they made an impact with mediocore rules ( they satisfy the tournament player as well )  that were not really new.

The good thing is that the figure companies will sell there products, new minis will be sculpted and the hobby gets probably a new push.  

I believe the consumer will decide what he wants to play and I wish the existing rules will stand a chance.

For me...I will not play 40 K on Flandern fields...

Cheers
Björn

P.S. I just found the WH historical Bloq
Have a look here. It gives you an impression what you need to play  
He wants to have 2000 points painted. Thats the standard sentence you hear in germany from 40 k afficionados ....

http://warhammerhistoricalwargames.blogspot.com/2008/04/british-arrrived.html

[poilu]

i must apologie  

SHAME on me  :oops:

the french will be early war ones :love: and not late war ones as it was told me !

http://theminiaturespage.com/news/592134/

never trust a frenchman ! even if your are french  :mrgreen:

I'm very happy to see great war miniature's early war french...
I'm already painting a german jaegers skirmish group  :x


best regards

patrick "le poilu"

[archangel1]

...I can imagine there is a third group who were blissfully unaware of an epoch (Carlist Wars for example) until it was brought to their attention by a beautiful looking game or range of figures...

I'm a victim of this syndrome.  I avoided the Indian Mutiny for years, mostly because I perceived it as one of the more nasty of those Little Wars of that century.  It was nasty, in many ways but, then, along come the Perry Twins and a series of flashy cover photos in Wargames Illustrated and I was doomed.  I now have a bunch of (unpainted) figures and several books on the period.

On the other hand, I have absolutely no interest in the Carlist Wars.  The Twins do several nice civilian figures of the period, though.  And then there are those armed monks and the BAL figures and...