"Wargaming is Changing" Topic

"The nature of hobby wargaming is changing, as all hobbies do. As an academic, author, professional gamer, publisher etc. I try to keep informed about the trends. Of course, of more importance is perhaps playing games on a Sunday afternoon at my local wargaming club, Lincombe Barn in Bristol (UK). Rarely a meeting goes past without someone opening up a new rule book or game and apologising as this is the first game with the rules.

A generalisation is that younger games often include computer games and virtual games as part of their hobby; they are not fixated on only playing with toy soldiers on a table top covered with terrain. Most clubs will have members who are playing some game virtually most weeks in addition to the traditional face to face meeting…"

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Armand

Clearly it's a different club to mine. We have players whose first interest is in history and have been playing the same rules for years.

One section has gone back in time, to playing nation wide competitions deliberately using old rules written by the great Phil Barker.

Few of our folk fall foul of the hastily printed new rules that are so poor they fall out of fashion as fast as they rise. All pictures and no substance; their authors out for a fast buck. Interestingly none of our players play GW, I guess they have grown tired of the need to re-buy and paint the figures every few years.

To some extent personally the article bothers about commercial success. Who cares about that, it has the potential in excess to ruin the hobby. In our own circle, even the old diehard metal men are beginning embracing 3Dprinted miniatures not just 3Dprinted terrain.

I do not use any MDF, and little 3Dprinted terrain but I expect in that I am not typical. However card buildings are on the rise, pre-printed in color and relatively cheap.

There seems to be a lot of activity with paper miniatures, given the number of products being released, but the 'paper gamers' seem to be in stealth mode. Would love to hear more from those gamers.

3Dmodels and games for them are coming along, seems to be a lot of enthusiasm, but again, not a lot of people talking about actually painting those figures and playing with the new game systems.

I get the sense that TMP Hobby News is very 'leading edge' these days, with many products ahead of where most gamers currently are.

I fail to see the observations of how things are at one Sunday Afternoon Club as being a statement on Wargaming in general. Certainly things are changing they always have and always will do so, that is the nature of life and our hobby is part of our lives.

I see change in my area as one of growth, certainly it is a small growth curve but a steady one. Our Monthly game days are well attended, our three weekly events are likewise so with new folks joining our group along the way. We try new things, we deep dive into game systems running multiple games of a particular set of rules, we have superbly presented games, we have some fast pick up games. The constant is that we game together as we can and enjoy the gaming. Our website will tell our story.

bmhga.com

I fail to see the observations of how things are at one Sunday Afternoon Club as being a statement on Wargaming in general.

Agreed.

Thanks

Armand

I don't think I even understand the point of the article.

The number of gamers showing up at local events is on the rise in my area, and there are more kids and grand kids being brought along as well.

You are lucky Joe… most of wargamers I know in many countries said that the Hobbie is down… as TMP visitors… can you said to that people to visit this site?

Armand