More Hobby Weariness

 Over the last couple months, I've entered a wargaming rut. Been reading some, but not much wargaming or military history, though I did obtain Charles Grant's Ancient War Game thru interlibrary loan. I enjoyed it, but it's not on a par with his original War Game. For one thing, it doesn't have much in the way of rules - it's not a ruleset along with an introduction, the way The War Game and Charge! are. Mostly battle reports, photos, a little information about historical cultures and armies, and comments on the Society of Ancients and their rules.

I think that might be it, actually - The Wargames Research Group, at least at the time, was the exception to the rule that there are no universal rules. It was so popular that, like Warhammer today, it was pretty much the only option for many people. Perhaps that's because it resembles Warhammer in that Ancients covers a huge variety of time, space, and culture, giving it something for everybody. Having discovered DBA (which our club is, unusually for them, still playing regularly), I'm a bit impressed at their scope.

So while I liked the book, it's not the sort I'll refer to or reread regularly like others.

I started setting up a Programmed Scenario for Charge! before deciding it took too much effort to throw down a ton of books to make hills. Then I considered the smaller Sawmill Village and realized I don't really have enough 18mm scale buildings and trees for it either. That put paid to trying it, especially after a cat jumped up and knocked everything down. Another problem with my terrain is that I haven't used heavy paper or good card bases, which means the buildings and trees fall over in a mild breeze from the air conditioner. I will try to do something soon though, even on a sparse table. If not tonight, though, it will likely be a week at best, as I will be working seven days straight from tomorrow.

My attempt at Sawmill Village. Perhaps I can get some
more solid buildings and a good-sized crop field
at the next convention.

What else have I been reading? Right now, I'm working through some Mercedes Lackey. Heralds of Valdemar has dozens of volumes, what TVTropes calls "archive panic," so I paused after the first trilogy and am partway through the second of four Bardic Voices novels. Both series have hints of science fiction "after the end" to them, Bardic Voices more direct about it, despite the fantasy trappings and magic. Also on to the final volume of Lone Wolf and Cub.

The South Florida Gamers, after around fifty years, are organizing. We now have bylaws, officers, dues on a less "as you feel like it" basis, and are working on a proper website and maybe Facebook group. Speaking of reading, I have to catch up on the catalog for the club library.

That said, a request from Jeff (SgtGuinness) during our latest meeting brought back to mind the assorted Fistful of Lead rules I bought and promised to run for my Picacho Pass scenario, oh, a year and a half ago! I must look into them and get them down ... and of course, that'll mean more distraction and less concentration.

Speaking of conventions, I am vaguely planning to go to the next, in the last week of September. I have not serious time off since last summer, and my work weariness is also creeping up on me. Elections at work don't help. I work Sunday (as a warm body to open the branch for early voting), so will have some time to think more about programming. I have two weeks at this point to get my upcoming Paperboys "terrain-building" class ready and - given experience, audience, and time available - will do as much "pre-construction" as possible.

Here's my "back to school" display as it was yesterday.
This photo will go on the flyer (unless I can find a better)
and the flyer will go into the display.

I'm cautiously optimistic about this, since all summer I've observed kids drooling over the last paper display. I even put out instructions for the origami whale that was in there. Another project that could reinforce the building program is a paper ship program for Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19). And the fact that it was popularized right here in Miami, by columnist Dave Barry, might be an excuse to run it, and maybe play a game with the ships afterward.

I have been reading wargame and RPG rules as part of my leisure, too, and finally made both Charge! and Bundok and Bayonet into Pocketmod booklets. I'm also working on Went the Day Well. Perhaps it's time to hunt down my Fistful of Lead books too? See you next time.