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Thursday, March 17, 2022

To everything there is a season

Goes the verse. 

I was lucky enough to get into wargaming seriously at a propitious time. I had long had an interest in it, had borrowed books from the library as a kid, had played rules-based games with a friend and his older brother, but had never really collected armies, boardgames or rules. When I did decide to get into wargaming in 2005, the variety had never been better, information had never been more freely available, and, because of the internet, wargaming was accessible to a degree it had not been before. I had disposable income (this is before children!), shipping was relatively cheap, and it was possible to collect figures rules and games from all around the world without the cost seeming burdensome. I could buy a 15mm army for the price of a night out. Being in Japan, I could get hobby paints for about US$1. What could be better?

I hoovered up painting guides from helpful people on theminiaturespage.com. I joined yahoo groups to learn about rules. I ordered my first figures through Magister Militum in the UK, then happened upon some old stock sales in the US and picked up masses of Xyston Greeks and Macedonians at $1.80 a pack and Old Glory 15s in the old 50 foot/16 mounted bags for $7 each. What a way that was to kick start a collection!

I discovered Commands and Colors: Ancients, joined the online VASSAL tournaments, and won a few of them. I met my Italian gaming buddies Roberto and Andrea. I wrote quite a lot on Boardgamegeek. 

In Japan where I lived at the time I found fellow gamers Luke and Pat. I was introduced to Phil Sabin's Strategos II (later to become Lost Battles) and joined the yahoo group. There was stimulating conversation, intense discussion (mainly courtesy of the late Patrick Waterson), and a set of rules you could get behind. I became a member of the Society of Ancients. 

It was a brilliant, exciting time. Armies got painted, games were played, articles were written, friends were made. Everything was new and fresh.

I started a blog to record what I was doing, and to write those sorts of battle reports I had loved in the books I borrowed from the library as a kid.

*****

Fast forward to 2022, and the landscape is different. Theminiaturespage is a shadow of its former self. Yahoo groups, those rules petri dishes, have vanished. Figure suppliers have gone out of business, passed away, or sold their ranges to others. Prices for 15mm figures have doubled in the UK in some cases. International shipping has become almost unaffordable. Consolidation of manufacturers and pre-packaged plastics sets appear to be the way the market is moving.  

Blogging has lost a lot of its early zest and joyfulness. Bloggers have quietly stopped updating, have moved on in their lives, or had adverse events intervene. The ever-increasing reach of social media has shortened attention spans. Who wants to read a thousand-word blogpost any more? Who wants to write them? 

As people get older, focus changes. You get a little over-familiar with the actual playing of games and start to think about 'legacy' elements, such as bringing new gamers into the hobby, promoting games that you like, building a following, or changing attitudes. When 'legacy' becomes the focus, the hobby becomes less about sharing your own joy and more about getting responses. If you don't get the responses you feel your efforts deserve, dissatisfaction and frustration find a way in. Desire wanes. 

There comes a point when you have to re-evaluate what it is that you enjoy about the hobby and what is it that gives you satisfaction. Is it playing a game with friends? Is it writing up a report of a solo game? Is it researching and painting armies? Is it writing rules or scenarios? Is it bringing other people into the wargaming? Whatever the things that you enjoy are, you have to find them and respect them, because once aspects of how you practise the hobby start to seem like work, it is no longer fun.

I write this because one of my favourite bloggers, Norm Smith of Battlefields and Warriors, is downing tools for a spell. I'm sure we all feel a bit of sadness about that, but also understand it, because we go through those phases ourselves.

I guess the point of this post and my message to Norm (to all of us, really) is that how we interact with wargaming and what we get out of it changes over time. That's natural and to be expected. There is no shame in it. The important thing is to recognise that a hobby has to be about enjoyment. It can't be about meeting expectations - well, it can be for a while, but that is unsustainable. Enjoyment is what first attracts us, but it is also the easiest thing to lose when we start getting caught up in other, more peripheral, things. 

Wargaming will be here when we are ready to come back to it. And Norm, we look forward to seeing you back writing if and when that again becomes one of those things that gives you joy.

Until then, cheers, and thanks for all your efforts. Much appreciated.  

21 comments:

  1. Whilst some of my focus shifts over time there is one constant - throwing dice and moving figures around a table with wargaming friends. That has not changed in 47 years so I don't think it will now

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  2. Well said, Aaron. Norm's announcement came as somewhat of a surprise to me as well. I posted a response to this event on my blog (still going!) and the responses received are revealing. While we may be isolated, we are not in isolation.

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    1. Hi Jon, I saw a bit of your post but not the whole thing. Will take a proper look tonight. Fully concur with your last statement!

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  3. Thank you Aaron, a much appreciated sentiment.

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    1. Hi Norm, this started as a reply to your post, but as I couldn't post the comment in the end it morphed into a post of my own. Take your time, enjoy the gaming, and come back to blogging when you're ready :)

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  4. Most interesting rumination: thanks for putting this down and sharing. As to the demise of blogging, just before this whole discussion of the end of blogging (an overstatement, but used for lack of a better term) popped up, I was just thinking to myself that I have been having a hard time keeping up with all the activity and material being produced among the blogs that I follow. So I personally don't buy into the demise of blogging, per se. I do see, as your thoughts indicate, that times change for some individual bloggers whose priorities may have changed over time (after all, blogs are no longer a new thing: some have been running for a decade or more; not surprising, really, to start seeing some of them drop off).

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    1. Hi Ed, thanks for your thoughts. I agree that 'the end of blogging' is too strong, but I don't think it's overstating the case to say that there has been turnover! My point though is that things change and people should just feel free to enjoy the hobby in the way that appeals to them best :)

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  5. An interesting and thoughtful post Aaron. Blogs come and go - people all have there own reason for blogging and circumstances and priorities change. So long as they keep gaming though! :-) Actually, even that is subject to the beholder - if the enjoyment is not there anymore, it is not there.

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  6. My gaming mojo comes and goes and so far I've always found something that sparks it again with things you said, and one of them is other's blogs as yours.

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    1. Cheers Javier, I must visit your blog more often!

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  7. Well crap, now I need to see a therapist cause now I am depressed.

    Seriously though, you make some good points. I actually feel much the same about changes, and Covid certainly didn’t help.

    One thing I will add is I met you in those online tournaments of Command & Colors and had a blast playing you and others around the world. I’ve followed your blog and we have even played another play by email game.

    A well met internet friend and fellow gamer. When you think of what we gained, it was definitely worth it. Things do change, but the experience we had is forever.

    Cheers Aaron
    Kevin from all the way on the other side of the world in the mostly cloudy state of Michigan😁

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    1. Thanks Kevin! Yes, good times. I'm not going anywhere, just a few reflections in support of a fellow gamer :)

      That was a good game actually - you closed the pocket!

      Cheers, and always enjoy your (mostly sunny) post from Michigan!

      Aaron

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  8. Thanks Aaron, this is a great post, you have hit the nail squarely on the head. And of course we all thank Norm, for his fantastic, and most intelligent, blog!

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  9. I believe this is my first comment on your blog and could even be my first visit....despite the oribable warning of interest in some quarters, I personally find there are far too many blogs for me to look at them all...so I don't! I did follow Norm however, and he very kindly returned the compliment...and that I think is the essence of keeping blogging about toy soldiers going....you don't have to follow every blog, but the ones that you like and appreciate...leave comments! Some claim they are not concerned and I am sure it's true, but for myself, if I was blogging two or three times a week and only getting two or three comments, I think in end, I would give up. I may be doing it partly for my own enjoyment, but affirmation from fellow gamers is also important...at least I believe so...and Norm himself mentioned a several thousand word post that had garnered only five comments...one from me was amongst the gallant few! I am not saying lack of comment was Norms some or even main reason for taking a sabbatical , but it may have been the straw.....

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    1. Yes, good points. Always good to show appreciation. Speaking of which, thanks for visiting! I've been a bit of a lurker on your blog for a while. I should leave more comments :)

      Cheers,
      Aaron

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  10. Another thoughtful post Aaron, I hope to keep my blog going albeit slowly. I think bloggers are becoming more vloggers with recording and uploading becoming quicker and easier (for some) and the convenience with smart phone/tvs to watch said uploads. Its something I would like to do also in theory but I feel I couldn't do with out blogs for the depth and quality that is lacking on insta, facebook and youtube posts.

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    1. Thanks Tony, yes there seem to be a few people going the vlogging route. I still prefer the written word, however, as I can control the pace!

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    2. Me too I'm no good on camera it will be a major challenge to even do a quick watchable vlog for me.

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