Finally, my FLGS (friendly local game store) announced that they were closing permanently so my chances of actually finding new opponents to try out games I'm interested in has dropped significantly as has the possibility of spontaneous gaming with friends and acquaintances. The next closest store (roughly 70 miles away directly across a major US metro city) that I'm familiar with is just too far to travel without a definitive game scheduled ahead of time with a reliable opponent (that last part being an issue in the past). For UK readers, the "club" model just doesn't really work well in most of the US including mine so that isn't a realistic workaround either. Neither I nor any gaming friends have enough terrain to host games ourselves for the most part (barring some space terrain and cardstock buildings) so that is largely out. My tabletop hobby always has been centered around the neighborhood (or in my case 25 miles away) FLGS.
I made my first major new gaming acquisition in a long time (since my Halo Fleet Battles starter mid 2015 iirc) with the purchase of some original larger scale Rafm Heavy Gear minis. I'm frankly not sure what I'll do with them (Build/paint them? Sell them? A bit of both?) and in hindsight the purchase was largely fueled by nostalgia more than any concrete hobby project plan. I've still got the same 40k Tau broadside sitting on my painting desk although I have base coated and black wash lined the model since last posting about it. If I start back with anything, it would be finishing that model and therefore the WWII themed formation it is a part of. That's it for now and I'll leave you guys and gals with a few quick pics of my recent RAFM haul.
I now have more of those original scale models than I did back in the 1990's and I'm left with the classic toy quandry... do I open them up to look at and play with them or keep them in the original packaging to keep their value up! I suppose that is a good problem to have. :)
I feel your pain. I have to accept that any game I play I have to provide both sides, and all the terrain to boot, which as you can imagine is quite a burden for the lone wargamer. I now, in my dotage, understand the attraction of Solo wargaming or if not attraction at least the need for rules that can be played alone.
ReplyDeleteStill nice haul of RAFM Gears you've got.
I'm a bit surprised about that also being your situation. Maybe it's an acute case of "the grass is always greener..." but I was under the assumption that the penetration of wargaming was much deeper in the UK on top of the greater overall population density with both helping gamers find opponents. It's not an absolute assumption though.
ReplyDeleteI live in London and have a job that is demanding and a partner that I love. All of which take precedence over wargaming. Outside of London things would be different because living in London is a thing.
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