Warfare 2016

[carojon]

Hi all,
Thoughts, impressions and plenty of pictures from Warfare 2016 show at Reading this weekend.





If you want to know more then just follow the link to JJ's

http://jjwargames.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/warfare-2016-wargames-association-of.html

Jonathan

[manic _miner]

 Nice of you to take the time to do this show report.

 It does seem that most show's these days thin out around dinner time.People may just have other things planned with family.

 Will be interesting to see if others have picked up on the same things which you have.Parking at show's can be a bit hard when there are other things on in the same building.

[Mick_in_Switzerland]

Thank-you for the review of the show,

The band of brother's snowy terrain looks fantastic

[Elbows]

Some great looking tables there.  The air raid game looks interesting.

[carojon]

Thanks for your comments chaps, glad you enjoyed the post.

I think leaving about midday onwards seems to be a common occurrence at other shows I have attended this year apart from Crusade where people were happy to stick around to hear the guest speakers who were excellent and many had another look around the traders afterwards.

I have heard from other gamers whose friends no longer attend the show because of the issues highlighted which is a shame because the show had some great game displays and a very good selection of traders and is one I am keen to support and attend in future.

The games I featured certainly inspired me with ideas and the chaps playing them were typical of our hobby, very happy to chat about their games, the modelling techniques and the rules they used.

[Driscoles]

The Foy table is amazing!
Thanks for sharing your pics!

[smirnoff]

Thanks for doing this.

I spent a bit of time at the Foy game, best snow terrain I have ever seen and I got to meet alcal of this parish who's superb work I have followed for more years than I care to remember.

Anyone got any images of the game they did on day 2...Stavelot (I think?)

[Captain Blood]

Totally agree. The CoC Battle of the Bulge game was the only real stand out. There were a couple of nice-looking ancient and medieval display games too. Apart from that, nothing very inspiring I'm afraid. (I always find that sports hall full of competition gamers like stumbling into a weird alternative universe stuck in about 1978... )

The show was absolutely rammed. I got there at 10am on Saturday and had to park about half a mile away round the back on the industrial estate down the road. The car park was already totally full. Same thing last year. It never used to be like this, suggesting this show has become a lot busier and more popular.

The walkways between the trade stands seemed pretty narrow and were similarly congested. I guess there was a lot of demand for trade stands. The usual backpackers and chatters, oblivious to everyone else standing in the narrowest pinch points... I wish our fellow hobbyists were more self-aware sometimes... 

Also, at least two items I went there to get were not in stock ('oh, we definitely had that... Must have been sold'). This was at 11am on the first day. I dread to think what happens if you turn up expecting to buy something particular on the Sunday afternoon...

I particularly wanted to get a lot of scenic materials from the excellent Great Escape Games stand. Unfortunately there was no room to see anything and the rear half of the stand was in gloomy semi-darkness. All crammed in next to the usual badly behaved jostling scrum around the Bring & Buy. So although I'm sure they had what I wanted, it was almost impossible to see or even find enough space to look... 

I did manage to pick up quite a few other things I went along for - so not all bad. And of course, always good to see a few friendly faces and say hello. But - for me, just a personal view - it wasn't a great experience overall.

[M Blakey]

Loved the Foy table went over to warlord stall after seeing it to pick up some Americans in winter uniform to many projects on the go! Thanks for taking the time to do a repro I've now got plenty of reference pics for Foy now!

[carojon]

Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed the read and the pics
JJ

[olyreed]

Captain blood said it all really, Got table was a stand out, traders are to cramed in, and I had to walk out of the room with Great Escape Games in it, was to packed, feels like the show is outgrowing the sports hall and needs a bit more room

[Doug ex-em4]

As a trader (and this is at shows in general - not just Warfare) it can be annoying when a group of old mates gather in front of your stand to reminisce about what's happened since they met a year ago and drone on and on, thus blocking access for potential customers. A surprising number of them get quite miffed if you ask them politely to move away a bit.

Doug

[Captain Blood]

As a trader (and this is at shows in general - not just Warfare) it can be annoying when a group of old mates gather in front of your stand to reminisce about what's happened since they met a year ago and drone on and on, thus blocking access for potential customers. A surprising number of them get quite miffed if you ask them politely to move away a bit.

Doug

Don't know if it's wargamers as a breed, people in general when they get together, or a particular 'blokish' problem.  Wargamers at conventions do seem to exhibit a particular range of borderline antisocial behaviours though, from the oft-remarked lack of deodorant, the sharp-elbowed barging, the endless buffeting rucksacks, to the standing around in groups in the most inpopportune places to chew the fat with old mates... 

Charitably, I suppose it's because we all get so excited at shows, like kids in a sweetshop, that all our carefully acquired social norms and niceties go out of the window. We stop thinking about other people, and just please ourselves... I think a lot of it is understandable. It's not very edifying though.

But it's been like that at shows for as long as I can remember, so I don't suppose it's going to change any time soon - unless perhaps show organisers make a point of asking visitors to consciously be a bit more respectful and considerate of others. (Although I'm sure that would go down like a bucket of cold sick... )

[Overrevdsquat]

I know it's sort of the done thing to moan about shows, and the people there. I could do it. I've paid ridiculously over the odds to park (even when I could find the right place to be). I've had rude people on the welcome desk. I've been overcome by the 'fumes'. I've had my view obscured by a crowd, been ignored while a stall holder passes the time of day with a friend. I've been hit with rucksacks and frustrated as a trader I wanted to see hadn't turned up this year.

But I also know, polite and aware as I try to be, sometimes I have lost control of my rucksack, or been the one chatting, or obscuring someone elses view. I'm sure, at times, sometimes my application of deodorant has failed to meet the standards of others or the baking temperatures in the venue. It goes with the territory. I love shows, I love seeing stuff first hand, I love hunting for the bargains, I even enjoy the scrum of the bring and buy at times. If I didn't, I would stay online and buy my toys and chat to my friends from my odour and rucksack free office.

As it is, because I enjoy them, I thank the folks who invest so much time and effort in putting a show on - I've been there before, and know the stresses of trying to get information from traders or hiring tables, or getting a venue to work with you. I thank them for the planning that goes in, for the time taken to search out venues, none of which is ever ideal for everyone. I thank them for the apologies when a stall is just in the wrong place in the hall to pick up a phone signal, or the nearest cashpoint is further than 2 minutes away, or the food is just that bit dodgy. I thank them for providing a place where I can meet with folks face to face, and I thank them for creating an atmosphere where it is fun to be, with good things to look at which make me smile, or challenge me or inspire me. I thank them for giving me a days entertainment for £5.

For my part, I will try not to offend anyone with my words actions, or smell, and I choose to be unoffended by others, especially those who are just enjoying the day and may not have noticed the errant backpack that nearly took me out.

Mostly, everyone else seems to be the same. Why not cut the world some slack?

If you can't, why not stay at home and save your blood pressure?

[Silent Invader]

Why not cut the world some slack?

If you can't, why not stay at home and save your blood pressure?

For me, it's not about cutting the world some slack. It's really more about enjoying my leisure time in the way that I want to. I generally don't go to shows simply because I generally don't enjoy the ambience that is created by some of 'the crowd'. They don't create any problems for my blood pressure but I just don't see the point in battling through bodies and luggage unless I have to.