The Tabletop Showcase - New Forum

[Daniel36]

Hello everyone,

I have recently set up a new forum dedicated solely to project logs and showcases.

http://thetabletopshowcase.boards.net/

We would love for you to join us there and show your work, so we can inspire each other and perhaps even learn from one another.

It is still very new so not every category is filled up yet. There are also some categories not yet activated, still hidden, for otherwise it would look rather barren. So if you want a specific category, let me know and I will activate it.

Looking forward to meeting you there!

Best wishes,
Daniel

[Malebolgia]

But why should I join when LAF offers more?
Not trying to whine, but I just don't get the initiative when there is the LAF?

[Vermis]

That sounds like a nifty idea to me, and I might post on it sometime soon.

But one thing... why does Bolt Action get it's own forum out of all historical games? Why can only other 28mm WWII go in with it, and all other WWII go into 'other projects'?
This kind of thing irritates me on Dakka, with it's 'Flames of War and other 15mm WWII' board. Not enough to make me stop participating and going off on some ridiculous boycott, but still. I can understand it with big sci-fi/fantasy games that have self-contained backgrounds, like 40K and WFB; but chopping up historical periods according to particular sets of rules and the scales they happen to promote doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Okay, two things: on the subject of game universes, I'd like to ask where dragon rampant armies set in the old Warhammer world would go, for example. I see Ademo's posting his 6mm Microworld minis in that board, but he's playing 6th ed Warhammer with them. Is it more about the setting, or the rules?

But why should I join when LAF offers more?
Not trying to whine, but I just don't get the initiative when there is the LAF?

I can understand that it seems a bit niche, and you can get the same on the LAF, but I think I understand the motivation behind it. It's a Tabletop Showcase. A constantly updated, WIP gallery, as it were. No product announcements or releases; no extended discussions (or arguments) about points of history, background, or what blunders the big companies are making (entertaining as they might be); no AARs or batreps; no show or tourney reports; no couple of random painted minis; just lots of pics, watching other gamers build up their armies and the little landscapes they fight around.

To bring up Dakka again, it makes me think of when Warseer went down recently, and a bunch from both forums started commenting on the project log boards that each had. Dakka could offer all the same project logs as Warseer, but Warseer's were considered better because they were more extensively organised and categorised. Easier to browse or to search through, to look at just what you're interested in. Might not seem like much, but there it is!

[Daniel36]

But why should I join when LAF offers more?
Not trying to whine, but I just don't get the initiative when there is the LAF?

Hello Malebolgia,

Vermis sums it up quite nicely, but let me explain.

Let me start off by saying I REALLY like LAF, and I wish I had joined much sooner. I have discovered quite a few genres and games I wouldn't have found elsewhere. For example, I never really knew much about Pulp until I found some wonderful logs down here. I may not decide to play or paint them myself, but it does really inspire me.

So yes, LAF offers a lot. But, from what little time I have spent here, I have the feeling LAF appeals to a specific kind of wargamer. Not saying it is true, mind you, but that is my general feeling. The term connoisseur comes to mind. I quite like that because it introduces me to new things.

I've been a member of Warseer quite a bit longer, and the project logs over there are very different. But it works the other way around as well, there are certain logs over there I won't find here.

So I guess what I am trying to achieve is to get different types of (painting) gamers together in a new forum. I also want painting logs and showcases to be the main focus. So yes, LAF offers much more, but that is kind of the point of my forum. I do not want to offer a lot of different things, I want to offer one specific thing very well. Oh, just a side note, I did ask for permission to post this before I did, and I have also linked back to LAF from The Tabletop Showcase, because I find it important to support one another.

EDIT: Having just checked out your website, it would be an honor for me if you would still join. As I explain in the forum rules, it is fine with me when people open a thread with nothing more but a link to an external website or blog, such as yours. That way, even if that is the only post you will ever place, you will have inspired anyone who goes to your website.

EDIT2: Seriously. Some amazing work you have gotten there!

That sounds like a nifty idea to me, and I might post on it sometime soon.

Thank you! I hope you decide to go for it and I am looking forward to your posts.

But one thing... why does Bolt Action get it's own forum out of all historical games? Why can only other 28mm WWII go in with it, and all other WWII go into 'other projects'?
This kind of thing irritates me on Dakka, with it's 'Flames of War and other 15mm WWII' board. Not enough to make me stop participating and going off on some ridiculous boycott, but still. I can understand it with big sci-fi/fantasy games that have self-contained backgrounds, like 40K and WFB; but chopping up historical periods according to particular sets of rules and the scales they happen to promote doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Well, first off, I didn't think it through too hard. Flames of War has its own sub-board, but I hid it for now along with quite a few other boards until there is someone who wants to open a log there, otherwise the forum would look very barren. That said, I might just go ahead and re-categorize and make it WWII whatever system and scale, and a different one for WWI.

EDIT3: In fact, I just changed it, because you are right, WWII should be a collective place.

Let's just say it is a work in progress and I have no illusions of being a know-it-all. I gladly take suggestions.

Okay, two things: on the subject of game universes, I'd like to ask where dragon rampant armies set in the old Warhammer world would go, for example. I see Ademo's posting his 6mm Microworld minis in that board, but he's playing 6th ed Warhammer with them. Is it more about the setting, or the rules?

I guess it depends on who opens the log. Ademo actually asked me where I thought it would be the most appropriate, but I guess it depends on what you want out of it. Do you want to show people how well Dragon Rampant works for the Warhammer world? Go ahead and post it in the Warhammer section. Is that none of your concern, or you are not sure? That's what the Other section is for. Many people opening up a Dragon Rampant log in the Other section? I might just go ahead and open up a dedicated sub-board.

I'd say personally, for me it is more the setting than the rules, but sometimes they are so intertwined that it just makes sense to make a sub-board. Going back to WWII, perhaps Bolt Action plays very different, more like a movie version of WWII than some other games, and it would make sense to have their own sub-board after all. Honestly, I am going for whatever feels best for the biggest amount of people, I am going for whatever makes sure as many people get inspired as possible. Sometimes this means putting different games into the same sub-board, sometimes that means seperate sub-boards. There is no hard, fast rule as far as I am concerned.

I can understand that it seems a bit niche, and you can get the same on the LAF, but I think I understand the motivation behind it. It's a Tabletop Showcase. A constantly updated, WIP gallery, as it were. No product announcements or releases; no extended discussions (or arguments) about points of history, background, or what blunders the big companies are making (entertaining as they might be); no AARs or batreps; no show or tourney reports; no couple of random painted minis; just lots of pics, watching other gamers build up their armies and the little landscapes they fight around.

Well, I don't mind bat reps or random painted minis per se, as long as the bat reps are about the pictures and not about the rules. For example, if you check my Mordheim project log, you see several pictures of games being played, but the pictures are very much about the scenery and about the models doing awesome things in the pictures, and not so much about the dice rolls. I don't even mind news on new releases, as long as the news is backed up by pretty pictures that inspire people to paint their own models.

To bring up Dakka again, it makes me think of when Warseer went down recently, and a bunch from both forums started commenting on the project log boards that each had. Dakka could offer all the same project logs as Warseer, but Warseer's were considered better because they were more extensively organised and categorised. Easier to browse or to search through, to look at just what you're interested in. Might not seem like much, but there it is!

Actually, Warseer having gone down was what prompted me to start this whole thing. At the time I set it up, I wasn't sure if Warseer would ever get back up, and while it was down, it occured to me the only reason I went there was for the project logs. Warseer's project log section is indeed quite well organised. I am hoping my forum will be even better organised, so that people can both find what they are looking for real quick, but also see categories that they know little about and might be interested in.

So in short, I personally do see it as something different from LAF, in that it focuses on one specific thing, project logs, and while LAF does that too, and does it very well, showing that same work on The Tabletop Showcase, where it might reach other types of gamers, may just inspire those people to go for something different and new.

I hope that answers your questions a bit.

Best wishes,
Daniel

[Vermis]

Flames of War has its own sub-board, but I hid it for now along with quite a few other boards until there is someone who wants to open a log there, otherwise the forum would look very barren.

Aah...

I have no illusions of being a know-it-all.

Well, same here, despite the times I might come across as one.

I'd say personally, for me it is more the setting than the rules, but sometimes they are so intertwined that it just makes sense to make a sub-board.

I understand what you mean. I don't entirely agree, but I understand what you mean.   I'm dragging the discussion a bit off-topic and into personal grumbling here, but the way GW tried to cram so much fluff into unit and character rules in their two core games, is one of the things that put me off them. The lightbulb moment was when I wondered what huge difference there was between an ogre hand weapon, and an ogre ironfist that acted as... a hand weapon. More recent examples include wondering why even skaven slaves needed a unique unit rule in 7th ed, and why spears work differently for different high elf units in AoS.
Point being, I understand the appreciation of characterful stats and rules in Warhammer, but the longer I've been away from it, the more the 'fluffy' rules seem a bit too arbitrary. (unit X gets +2 something-or-other because reasons, unit Y gets super-duper triggered effects because reasons) Even to the point that it looks like the units get these rules in order to create demand for their corresponding models. I see a similar kind of thing happening with games like Warmachine or Malifaux, even if they're more balanced.

It's why I think being able to divorce a wargame's setting from a wargame's rules can only be a good thing. It won't make much difference to people who still like both, but gives more freedom to someone who's not fond of the rules or the direction they're going, but can accept that heavy cavalry is heavy cavalry is heavy cavalry, or that phoenix guard may not get stubborn and always strikes first in other rules, or whatever.

Again, you can see that as just my opinion on Warhammer, and fair enough, but for the next bit...

Going back to WWII, perhaps Bolt Action plays very different, more like a movie version of WWII than some other games, and it would make sense to have their own sub-board after all. Honestly, I am going for whatever feels best for the biggest amount of people, I am going for whatever makes sure as many people get inspired as possible. Sometimes this means putting different games into the same sub-board, sometimes that means seperate sub-boards. There is no hard, fast rule as far as I am concerned.

As I said earlier, I can understand the vast majority of a big sci-fi/fantasy game's players sticking with it's setting, rules and minis, when all are more or less proprietary, and made for eachother. With historical games it's a little different. Sticking with the WWII example, there are a couple of big, popular games like Bolt Action and Flames of War; but there are also so many other writers producing WWII rulesets, and so many manufacturers producing WWII minis at all kinds of scales,  and all so easily interchangeable, because it's all for a setting that not one of them 'owns', that it's extremely difficult (at the very least) to point out which one is the WWII game, or set of rules, or range of miniatures. This list isn't even complete, but can you imagine a similar range of different authors and businesses all producing and selling different rules for the 40K setting!

So, for the purpose of the forum, showcasing wargaming armies, whether for fictional settings or historical periods, I think the specific rules matter a bit less. From that POV, the rules can be completely changed just by altering a thread title, or saying 'I'm going to use these rules instead, from now on'.

Anyway, all of this over-long post might be moot if you've already made changes. I hope I haven't forced your hand in that decision. As said, I'm just setting out (and sorting out) my own thoughts.

I'll finish off by saying that I've been half panic buying enough high elf things lately, since GW brought about their 'last chance to buy' thing. I must've spent nearly £80 at Bits And Kits alone, the last two weeks. I've plenty to get started on.

Actually, Warseer having gone down was what prompted me to start this whole thing. At the time I set it up, I wasn't sure if Warseer would ever get back up, and while it was down, it occured to me the only reason I went there was for the project logs. Warseer's project log section is indeed quite well organised. I am hoping my forum will be even better organised, so that people can both find what they are looking for real quick, but also see categories that they know little about and might be interested in.

So in short, I personally do see it as something different from LAF, in that it focuses on one specific thing, project logs, and while LAF does that too, and does it very well, showing that same work on The Tabletop Showcase, where it might reach other types of gamers, may just inspire those people to go for something different and new.

That, I can get behind. I haven't been to Warseer's project logs for a while. (disagreement with moderation style put a dampener on my visits)