"Miniature Wargaming - Why does it bring you enjoyment?" Topic

One thing that is obvious on TMP is that most all of us derive enjoyment from miniature wargaming. I know there are several reason that I find joy in miniature wargaming. Amoungst those are:

- The visual appeal. But not like on a computer screen, but something I can see physically and hold in my hand. I enjoy looking at my 15mm soldiers painted up to the best that I'm capable. The battles look like soldiers in battle.

- The terrain. My terrain is certainly not up to the standard of railroad modelers, and not up to the standard of other Wargamers, but mine is practical for rearranging to different battles and yet is my meager attempt to make it visually appear to have some sense of realism.

- The craft aspect. The painting, building, organizing, done with my own hands.

- The military history. As a historical wargamer, miniature wargaming gives me a closer connection to military history. I understand better the challenges that real life military leaders and men had in war in the era they campaigned and practiced the "art of war." I better understand the need for reserves, manuever, combination of arms, and more.

- The games. The games give me my opportunity to be a general commanding military forces in battle…though thankfully without the horror, blood, and trajedy of actual war. These are just little inanimate models.

Those are but a few reasons miniature wargaming brings me enjoyment.

What is it about miniature wargaming brings you enjoyment?

God bless,
John

All of what you say John, plus the talking about it afterwards over a beer or 3 :)

Freecloud,

That's a good'n! It's amazing how much better I would have done if…if…if… :-)

For me, I think three things:

1. Promoting understanding. By trying (and often failing) to make games of things, we understand them more. Not perfectly; just more.

2. Being intrigued by watching the dance. Who can tell what will happen next? There is much fun to be had in seeing the soap-opera-like doom of plans and intrigues, and the horse-racing-like capriciousness of chance events.

3. Doing stuff with friends. I started wargaming with a few people who were already friends (many still friends 40 years on). Now I have lots of friends I found because I wargamed with them.

Oh yes, and the toys are the pretty-pretties.

All the best,

John.

Like all "nerdly" pursuits, its being amongst like minded people who don't look at me with that suspicious, bewildered look when I talk about history.
And I get to read all these books on military history.
And painting the fig's, I love painting and organising me fig's.
And making terrain…
And rule writing…
The games are fun too.

Well, miniature anything has fascinated me since I was very small. In univ, I even built very intricate dollhouses and sold them for living expense money. Also, military history has been a strong interest for just as long, hence the PhD in US Southern History. I also get a lot of enjoyment out of making terrain, the wide variety of nations and uniforms represented, not to mention refighting historical battles and seeing if I can do better than the real commander did. Ah, hubris!

Visual appeal

Researching and reading

Collecting and painting

Reason to spend time with friends

Creating a plan to solve a problem then seeing how it works out

The post game debrief with friends and "refreshments".

DM

Mostly it's great fun to crush yer enemies, see them driven before you…oh, and can't forget the lamentation of their womenfolk – music to my ears. Jus' awesome!

Actually, all of the things on your list, John, as amplified by others – but also I actually do like the joy it brings to other people, too.

I think that's why I still like the shows and events … other people's responses when in proximity to the wargames, the toys and playing the games.

Phil

John, to some degree or anoth I can go with what you said, plus it reminds me of being a kid and all of the fun I had playing with (unpainted plastic) toy soldiers.

Building armies and learning.

Pure escapisim.
I love the grandure of 100s (1000s) of little miniature soldiers on a nice terrain covered table. I like the challange of a game, but get more enjoyment of sharing the gameing experiance with like minded individuals. I also like solo play, where I can get lost in the game with just my thoughts. I really enjoy painting, but unfortunatly my eyes are failing me in that regard after 35 years of wargaming.
I'm a history buff, so there is also an element of that to it.
I also think playing a wargame is a bit like being involed in a good story. What will happen next? Will there be a hero (or unit of heros)? Will the Landwher save the day,..?
But mainly it allows this broken old soldier with 30years of real soldiering behind him to just be a bit of a kid again and push some toy soldiers or tanks around at the mercy of some dice.

Pure escapisim.
I love the grandure of 100s (1000s) of little miniature soldiers on a nice terrain covered table. I like the challange of a game, but get more enjoyment of sharing the gameing experiance with like minded individuals. I also like solo play, where I can get lost in the game with just my thoughts. I really enjoy painting, but unfortunatly my eyes are failing me in that regard after 35 years of wargaming.
I'm a history buff, so there is also an element of that to it.
But mainly it allows this broken old soldier with 30years of real soldiering behind him to just be a bit of a kid again and push some toy soldiers or tanks around at the mercy of some dice.

What trailape said only with 14 years of soldiering vice 30 and my eyes are still good for gaming.

I concur with all of the above.

@ 79thPA--

I'm a 10-year-old boy trapped a 65-year-old body. Another hobby of mine is Cowboy Action Shooting where I get to dress up like a cowboy, just like I did when I was 10 but now I get to shoot real guns with real bullets. And when I was 10 years old and played with toy soldiers.

Growing old is not an option; growing up is!

@ trailape:

23 years soldiering for me. 1966-1989.

Mostly for the groupies.

All of the above.

I never had enough time to play with my toy soldiers as a kid. Still don't, but I try.

And, all of the above.

1. Pure escapism
2. I love creating new terrain, battlefields and miniatures
3. It makes me read about battles to plan the scenario and I learn more than way.
4. Drinking beer with friends
5. Keeps me out of trouble (wife says)
6. Sometimes I get some really good laughs at my die rolling
7. Sometimes I get really good crys from my die rolling
8. What better way to call in to work sick from a back ache(leaning over a wargame table)
9. It's not a video game
10. I share a special time learning history and having fun with my sons and friends!

All of the above and where it trumps computer and video games is creativity. You play a computer / video game a few times and you know it like the back of your hand. Miniature wargames you can create scenarios, campaigns and interesting new terrain layouts.

I like the comraderie. The learning. The suggestions on how to tweak rules. The good sportsmanship. Playing with toy soldiers and setting up historical scenarios. The fun

Its the hot chicks that follow the hobby and turn up at conventions – all those wargames groupies just freak me out…

……

……… and then I woke up.

There is always another historical period to get into … and yes, that means spending tons of money on books, miniatures, terrain, rules with each plunge into the unknown.

I enjoy playing with toy soldiers. They are visually much more appealing than boardgames.

Terrain? Meh. It's functional, and at least it's not books under a rug.

Painting relaxes me. I have not robbed a single liquor store, or bumped off a crack dealer since I started painting.

My gaming friends are a great bunch of guys.

Y'all about covered it. 'Nuff said.

It requires a lot of forethought.

… and planning :)

It's an excuse to hang out with friends.

Plus it keeps the voices away…………..quiet you two !!

should have been a poll question. All the points above the only downside is if you listen at a major game all you hear is…….throw a d6 -1 for morale ahh they would not have done that. Wait wait on page 36 it says……

Repainting miniatures, and rebasing them too.

"And painting the fig's, I love painting and organising me fig's."

Never mind painting, if I think of all the Imaginary Armies I've owned :)

I love playing the games… and painting… and… so much more. Some call it a sickness…. I call it a passion.

Mostly, I can honestly say I love the feeling I get when I run a game and the players are all happy and have a great time.

Never grew out of toy soldiers. Love historical research. love the sociability of gaming, most gamers seem to be decent types on my wavelength…

mmm, why do I enjoy doing fun things?

let me count the ways.

John Tyson

The interactivity and artistic pleasure of painting and basing the miniatures and then the childlike feeling that you can play games with them.

The same escapism that you get when you read historical accounts, only this time you are more involved and can make your own history.

The fun of winning and the frustration of losing and the fact you can play solo or with others.

Overall, the learning (battles, campaigns, uniforms, reigmental histories, personaltities) and the fun aspect. And if you are having fun who cares what non-wargamers think? You are the one with the smile on your face, apart from when you lose of course.

I just love the way we get together, talk about gaming, talk about bad dice rolls, have a beer or two and just relaxing.

At the moment i'm making snake fences in 28mm and I am finding that so relazing its untrue.

M

Who says it brings me enjoyment?

All hobbies like ours, and most hobbies in fact are identical in one aspect. Unlike work or family life or things in the public sphere, it offers one area of our existance we can control and where things go RIGHT. We are allowed to take as much of the hobby or as little as we desire, and excellence, success, and achievement is largely self defined. Especially for those of us in imagi-nations, it gives us the opportunity to create the perfect world in which we dearly wish we could live.

In our sister hobby with which we have far more in common than Boardgames, I mean model railroading, the vast majority of "layouts" are in the steam era, even though most of the people with these steam or period layouts weren't born until long after the last working steam engine went to the scrap heap. It is because it hearkens back to a halcyon time which we romanticize when life was simpler, people were more honest and we dearly wish we could have lived in that idyllic past.

Few of us like war. That is, few of us want the mud and the blood and the pain and suffering and death. What we like is the military chinoiserie of boots, salutes and banners. We like the ide of "La Gloire" but more the idea of duty, honor, bravery, loyalty, self sacrafice, God and Country, and all that. We in the 18th century genre heartily buy the myth of "Gentlemen of France You may fire First" and all that and somehow it's just so wonderful.

Like the Model Railroaders we hanker for those glorious days of yesteryear and of course to be the hero who gets the girl, wins the battle and achieves undying fame. Or we just like the satisfaction of creating our own little world where things can go right (unlike our day to day lives) for once. MNiniature gamer, Role Playing Gamers, Model Railroaders, Miniature Model Builders.. We'are all on the same ride.

"Willoughby--- Willoughby next stop---All off for Willoughby.?"

(You have to be a Twilight Zone fan).

it offers one area of our existance we can control and where things go RIGHT.

Haven't had a single game go RIGHT yet! If I ever do, I'll probably quit while I'm ahead.

The one thing when I was out of work I came up with is I'm not happy unless I'm building something. Lucky for me something can be a new regiment of 15mm Nap's. The second thing is painting, which the rest of the world gets shut off and I'm just trying to turn out my troops in the best way I can. The third is in a game I create is what's going to happen when side A does this and side B does that, I think I know but the roll of the dice shows you always don't

Absolutely right, OSchmidt. 'Living' in an elegant age without the smells and likelihood of an early and painful death – and I have a model railway too…………..

I find painting to be relaxing and when something is done well, instills abit of pride. Assembly provides a chance for a creative outlet and I greatly enjoy customization and the gaming itself boils down to an excuse for a small social event which usually never sees the end of the game, but sees plenty of fun.

Wolfprophet, I do enjoy the pride of ownership I have in the 2600 15mm Napoleonic figures that I have painted and game with. A good type of pride that is still humbled by the realization that there are other wargamers with more and better painted figures.

God bless,
John

I started with miniatures then went to video games while I was in school then back to miniatures. A few reasons that I think haven't been mentioned:

A chance to unplug – so much of what we do is in front of screens, whereas miniatures are organic, they can be touched. There is a textile and cerebral aspect to playing with miniatures. The animation of the battles play out in the imagination of the players rather than in multimedia form.

A sandbox to play in – the problem with video games or board games is that you have to wait around for someone else to create the game and there is little you can do change the experience to your tastes afterwards. with wargaming you create your own conflict, your own rules, your own forces.

A chance to unplug – so much of what we do is in front of screens, whereas miniatures are organic, they can be touched. There is a textile and cerebral aspect to playing with miniatures. The animation of the battles play out in the imagination of the players rather than in multimedia form.

This is part of what I love about wargaming over RTS games. You lose men, you can't replace them in 30-40 seconds if you have the right number of resources. They're gone. Out of play. You can't beat an enemy just by overpowering them with a massive resource advantage, you need to be smarter about your moves.

All of the above. PLus a generous helping of Al Haig in that "It's my army/world and I am in command. If it all goes south, that's my bad 'cos I am in command."

And the beer of course. Beer, Mmmmmmmm….

Back in the 70's, when Paragon Wargames group was wandering Southern England doing gaming demo's for the public, we didn't take any game seriously, it was all about explaining and showing total strangers how great and fun our hobby was. Then, at days end, we go consume copious amounts of beer and discuss our real up coming games for the following week!

I found i play less, but seem to have collected more lead and plastic. But am concentrating more on the painting and generating ORBATs for historical units, plus writing scenarios i dont play and articles on units i am collecting and not playimg with.

My next big thing is to collect and paint all of Jasta 5 for Wings of war.

The physical pleasure of handling little soldiers, the visual appeal of gorgeous uniforms, the neatness of an artificial landscape. In few words "playing with toy soldiers at our best".
Plus of course all the things you fellows wrote in the previous messages.

Fabrizio