New Blog Entries

[Brian Weathersby]

First off, let me say that I’m sorry for the recent absence.  As a post over at my blog will explain, I’ve been somewhat preoccupied.

Building on what I said above, there are several new entries over at my blog. I’ve posted pictures of the latest warship to be built, some forts/fortresses, and a report of how I spent Hurricane Harvey. Spoiler alert: I live in the Houston area, but didn’t get flooded. Please check out the new material at:
https://mymodelsailingships.blogspot.com

BWW

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Rory McCreadie]

Glad you are O.K. Brian.

Liked your blog. Thanks for sharing. I still must write to Vol. He must think me a very bad friend. I’m having a little Op on my thumb (8th) so will be off air for a little time. Thanks again for your blog.

Be safe

Rory

He who says he makes no mistakes, is making the biggest mistake of all. Or does bugger all. Rory

[Volunteer]

Just caught up on all of your blog posts Brian, commented on a few. Very enjoyable reading.

"Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing"
Wernher von Braun

[Brian Weathersby]

Thanks, guys.  Rory, best wishes on the surgery.  I hope it won’t keep you away from us for too long.

Vol, thanks for that.  I sometimes worry that I come off sounding too “stuffy.”  I want people to think that I’m talking with them, not lecturing to them.

BWW

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Volunteer]

Stuffy? You? Never!

"Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing"
Wernher von Braun

[Autodidact-O-Saurus]

You got a little distracted by a 1000 year hurricane? Go figure.

We were living in a small, 6th floor apartment in Salem Massachusetts when Sandy came to visit. Just about everything we owned except for furniture and clothing was in a storage unit about 200 feet from Salem harbor. I thought for sure we’d loose everything. Luckily, Salem harbor is protected on the south side so the damage there was minimal. We drove through New Jersey the next week as we moved to the DC area. Instills a real right respect for nature it does.

Glad you and yours came through Harvey all right.

Self taught, persistently behind the times, never up to date. AKA ~ jeff
More verbosity: http://petiteguerre.blogspot.com/

[Rory McCreadie]

Brian,

If you look on T.M.P. (Sorry for using that bad word on this site). I think you will find it is me that is said to be wearing the “STUFFY HAT”! Julian paints master-pieces. He likes it a lot if you say nice things about his work. His so called! Swedish Fleet had a 1st rate and a 80 gun 3rd rate in it. Not so or used by the Swedes. He also used blue Bulwarks “Because “He liked it better than red” He did not like that I pointed this out on his thread? Also some poster’s did not like that I would say not so good things about his work! So the STUFFY HAT is mine. I was also “Dog-Housed” for 3 days for it. I think the hat is safely mine for now Brian

Be safe

Rory

He who says he makes no mistakes, is making the biggest mistake of all. Or does bugger all. Rory

[Brian Weathersby]

Jeff:  Yeah, guess I’m just scatterbrained.  What can I say?   Glad you came through Sandy alright.  I know you get nor’easters up there, but I am not sure if one of those prepares you for a full-fledged hurricane.  As a Gulf Coast native I’ve been through a few, but this was something different.  Heck, we didn’t even get any wind to speak of.  Those poor people down the coast got both (although not as much rain) and now are dealing with some horrible mosquito infestations while they rebuild.

Vol:  You may not want to believe it, but I an be stuffy.  Trust me on this….  I’m not as bad as I used to be, and I think age has helped with that.  It seems that as I get older I don’t take myself quite as seriously.  That’s got to be a good thing.

Rory:  I followed that kerfuffle over at TOWS (That Other Wargaming Site) but avoided that briar patch.  Truth be told, I’m somewhat torn over the whole thing because I can sort of see both sides.  I completely get where you are coming from.  You’re a historian and an artist; if you’re going to do something, then by gum it’s going to be done right.  If the customer had ordered a 1670’s or 1720’s Swedish fleet with a three-decker then that would have been OK, because they did have them then.  But Napoleonic, no way.  I also don’t understand the reluctance to do the red headrails and trim when they were such a distinctive mark of Swedish ships.  However. . . .

I also kind of understand Julian’s side of this as well.  He runs a painting service, so by definition is a mercenary.  No insult is intended by that word:  He paints ships for pay, so that makes him a mercenary where painting is concerned.  As someone who paints for money, he is somewhat at the mercy of his customers.  If a customer wants a Swedish fleet with a three-decker, then I suspect it might be hard to outright refuse the request.  Then, the whole “customer is always right” thing is exacerbated by the fact that the market for these ships can’t be all that large to begin with.  How many commissions can you refuse on historical purity before you don’t have any customers?  It’s a tough call.  If I ran a painting service, I suspect that my mindset would be much closer to yours than Julian’s.  I also suspect that, if I had a painting service, I would be living on dog food.

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Rory McCreadie]

Brian,

I can see your point. I re-enactor 16th and 17th Surgery. I’m lucky as I get paid for this. I do Schools, museums and T.V. work. I have been asked to do some T.V. work and asked to do things which are so wrong. On telling them this I was told “O.K., but it will make great T.V.”. I have always said No! to this type of work, as I know a lot of people in my line of work. I would be put out to dry if my name was shown to be contacted to that type of show and would not get any more work. I have a very good name in this field and wish to keep it.

Julian too has a very good name, and think as I said in the posts that one day people will copy his work as it is so good. I spend so much time trying to get the wrong ideas out of people’s heads about the history of Surgery. Most of the rubbish from older books and stories.

We have some great pieces of work about painting ships from the past, which we now know to be wrong. At the time they where the only help we had. But we now know better. Last year a group published a painting guide for national fleets. It was all singing and dancing but a straight lift from Ray Trochim work. So we go around again! Julian’s work will be seen as a bench-mark by most folks and rightly so. So if he knowingly paints a fleet wrong it will come around again at some point and be copied.

I think that if Julian had spoken to his client about this, the client would understand he was getting the best service. Who else would the client go too for that standard of work?  I’m a hairdresser and re-enactor. So I know that the client is not always right. I’m paid to know what is best. A good  “mercenary” can pick his fights. If Julian wanted to made lots of money, he could paint many different thing in the wargaming world. Maybe he does? But I can see your point.

Be safe

Rory

He who says he makes no mistakes, is making the biggest mistake of all. Or does bugger all. Rory

[Brian Weathersby]

Rory,

When I reenacted, I was like you although I didn’t get paid for it.  I was the guy who had all the gear in my knapsack, everything squared away, and even correct pocket fillers where appropriate.  Like you said, I wanted it to be as right as possible.  I agree with you about Julian too; he probably could tell a client that something isn’t right and get away with it.

Sometimes I think the problem lies with the difference between historian/gamers and  the pure gamers.  I can picture an exchange going like this:

“I want a Swedish fleet and I want it to have a three-decker because the Russians have one/several in their fleet.”

“Well, the Swedes don’t have any three-deckers by the 1780s.”

“THEN IT WON’T BE FAIR!”  At this point, my response would be:

“I bet those Swedish Admirals said the very same thing.”

For the historian/gamer, the challenge is to try and pull out a win while facing historical limitations.  For the pure gamer, the winning is the thing.  I suspect that, for them, it doesn’t matter if they’re pushing sailing ships, WWII Soviet infantry or starships.  The game has to be “fair” because otherwise it isn’t about their skill.  Now these are just my opinions, and are based on nothing more than years of watching people play games.    I’ll even admit that I might be speaking out of a part of my body that’s south of my skull.

BWW

PS:  Hope your thumb is OK and you will be back with us soon.

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Rory McCreadie]

Hi All,

I’m back! A little sore and a little black and blue around the thumb. Rigged 2 Brutish 2nd rate 1-2400 scale ships. Will post photo’s soon.

May have over did it a little. Got the Airfix Victory to rig but may wait a little before I start it. Also got 2 x 1-2400 French 74’s on the stocks.

Hi Brian,

Thank for your reply I do like your way of thinking. I still think it was wrong to do the so called Swedish Fleet. If you want matched sides, Play chess! I do!

But I see your point. The must win mind-set was why I stopped playing G.W. 40K. For me it’s the game, the look and who is opposite me over the table. Win or loss it is the fun of the game. I thought Napoleonic naval gaming was one part of the hobby that was more of my mind-set! Maybe not?

be safe

Rory

He who says he makes no mistakes, is making the biggest mistake of all. Or does bugger all. Rory

[Brian Weathersby]

Rory,

Glad you’re  back and glad the surgery went OK.  I sure wouldn’t try to rig any ships with only one fully working thumb, but if it works for you, keep at it!

Fundamentally, I’m with you on the whole Swedish fleet deal.    To me, the way to handle that sort of disparity is to fine-tune the victory conditions for each side.  For the discussion, let’s say we’re doing a Russian/Swedish battle.  Give the Russian player an instruction that if he loses a mast on his three-decker, then his side has to withdraw (and he loses).  That will make him a bit more cautious about committing that overwhelming force he seems to have.  And/or, tell the Swedish player that he does not have to worry about damage to his fleet, as his naval base is only a short sail away.  If, however, he loses a ship then he has to withdraw (and he loses).  Now that is a whole different game from “let’s throw down two evenly matched fleets and fight.”  In real life, any Admiral that fought an even up battle by choice would probably be cashiered.

I also think that points only provide an illusion of being evenly matched.  As I think Rich Clarke of TFL explained, you can play a 1500 point WWII  game.  If, however, one side brings all infantry and the other side brings mostly anti-tank guns, is it really a balanced game?  It might seem a bit simpler with sailing ships, but I don’t think it is.  If we play a 100 point sailing game, you buy 4 SOLs and I buy 25 unrated vessels is it balanced?  Doesn’t matter, because it’s a battle that would never have happened back then as it violates all the naval rules of the time.  So for me, there has to be at least some semblance of historicity to the game.  I still think naval gaming is closer to your idea of gaming, I really do.

I may be a little scarce around here for the next couple of weeks.  For our convention on the USS Texas, I’m running an AOS game and a different genre on Sunday.  So, for the next couple of weeks I will be getting ready for the Sunday one.  I do promise though, to put pictures of it up on a new blog page when I’m closer to completion.

BWW

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Autodidact-O-Saurus]

I never quite got the idea of a ‘matched point’ game. I can see where it is used as a fairly easy way of providing play balance for game, but it only serves to isolate the game/battle from any strategic considerations. And I can see using points as a way to enforce force composition  to follow historical precedents (x number of cav to y number of foot, etc.). But if you think of the actual game as a window of time into a whole world (whether historical or fictional) then strategic goals such as Brian defines above make a whole lot more sense and add a great deal more enrichment to the experience.

But then, there are players who just like to compete. I have to admit I don’t much enjoy playing games with them.

Call me a snob, I dare ya. 😉

Self taught, persistently behind the times, never up to date. AKA ~ jeff
More verbosity: http://petiteguerre.blogspot.com/

[Rory McCreadie]

A, O-S,

You give me hope, Thanks. By the way “You are a snob!” 

Be Safe

Rory

He who says he makes no mistakes, is making the biggest mistake of all. Or does bugger all. Rory

[Brian Weathersby]

A-O-S,

“SNOB!!”  However, based on what you said in that earlier post, I’d have to call myself a snob as well.

BWW

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Rory McCreadie]

I think lots of folks think I’m a “SNOB”! I think not. But I will not lower myself to fit in others ideas. I enjoy fun naval games but try to make them feel right. I like to help out when I can. Show not tell. I understand we all have different ideas, BUT! So I must be a “SNOB” too!

Be safe

Rory

He who says he makes no mistakes, is making the biggest mistake of all. Or does bugger all. Rory

[Brian Weathersby]

Well, I guess it’s my turn to wear the curmudgeon hat for a moment….

I think that sometimes (often, maybe?) the whole “you’re a snob” argument is just another way of saying, “you’re not doing it the way I like or think is right, so I’m not going to discuss it with you.”  You see it a lot over at That Other Page when someone says that you can’t REALLY simulate war, so there’s no need to worry about what is ‘realistic.’  Yes, we can’t simulate all parts of warfare, but that’s not reason not to try and simulate parts of it.  I mean, the real-life military uses them, so they must have some usefulness.

I think that if you’re interested in a topic, and you’ve studied up on it, you’re always going to run the risk of being called a snob by people who just want to throw some toys on the table.  But (to me anyway), you’ve got to know something about the period you’re playing if you want to be able to put on a good scenario.  Personally, I love the research end of this hobby.  I suspect my wife shakes her head every time another book comes in the mail, since the shelves are already overflowing.  She understands though, that you have to have good books to do good research.  Furthermore, if you really love the period you are playing, then you want your minis to look good and your scenarios to be realistic.  To do otherwise really sort of makes fun of the real people we’re portraying in metal.

Finally, I think an historical gamer (or reenactor) who really studies and understands their period of interest is likely to be one of the biggest pacifists you’ll find outside of an actual combat veteran.  Even with our metal ships, when you watch a video like the one in the link below it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to translate what you’re seeing to a larger scale.  Given Rory’s background, I’m sure he can give us all the gruesome post battle details of the clip.

BWW

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

 

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Autodidact-O-Saurus]

Oh, pass the hat….

The term ‘snob’ has negative connotations because the assumption is made that the person labeled snob acts the way he does because of a sense of superiority. OK, fine. My gaming behavior often appears snobbish. But it’s not from a sense of superiority. It’s because I sense a lack of overlapping interest, or perhaps personality friction; incompatible styles of play or socializing, etc. I make no apology for being introverted. I expend energy engaging with people. If a game is going to draw me out of my comfortable mental world, I have to be intrigued. Either I’m going to learn something new about a shared interest, or (and this is perhaps not a widespread sentiment) I have the opportunity to be a temporary mentor sharing what I have learned. I suspect most people get far more enjoyment from just hanging out with people than I do. For them, the benefit of a gaming event is a social exchange. That’s what they value. For me, the benefit is a knowledge exchange. That’s what I value. So it’s not a sense of superiority or inferiority that drives my behavior. It’s a different valuation of the experience. Though, not everybody understands that. And not everybody is willing to share what they have learned—the snobs!

My first game in six years occurred yesterday! A couple of work colleagues came over and we played ‘Sails of Glory.’ It was enjoyable—not a bad system at all. A little fiddly with all the chits and cards but I do think it makes AOS gaming fairly accessible. After watching that video, though, I feel a little guilty over the pounding I gave perfidious Albion. Sigh… I suppose I’ll get over it.

Self taught, persistently behind the times, never up to date. AKA ~ jeff
More verbosity: http://petiteguerre.blogspot.com/

[Rory McCreadie]

Lets made a new club! “Snob’s R Us”. I would be happy to join.

I only hear friends. We are all different, but share this hobby.

Be safe

Rory

He who says he makes no mistakes, is making the biggest mistake of all. Or does bugger all. Rory

[Mike]

Just checking everyone is ok?

[Rory McCreadie]

Mike

I’m O.K. I’m with friends

Be safe

Rory

He who says he makes no mistakes, is making the biggest mistake of all. Or does bugger all. Rory

[Brian Weathersby]

Oh, everything’s fine officer Mike.  We’re just sitting around trying to decide which of us is more snobbish in their gaming preferences.  Now personally, I’m much too highfalutin’ to even get involved in such a conversation (hashtag: HUMBLEBRAG!) but some of the other members of the mess are not so refined.

Seriously though, it’s been an interesting discussion even though I haven’t contributed much beyond getting the topic started.  Apparently, we’ve all been called “gaming snobs” at one point or another in our lives, so what does that mean?   I opined that it’s just a way to shut down a discussion that the other party doesn’t want to have; i.e. you don’t do it the way I like, so you’re a snob.  A-O-S thinks (if I read him correctly) that he prefers a game to be more of an information exchange than a social occasion, and because of that people see him as snobbish.  Rory won’t lower his standards to fit in, so people consider him to be a snob.

The funny thing is, I think each of us has a part of the equation equally correct.  Like A-O-S, I want my games to be a learning experience for everyone involved, including myself.  Sometimes, what I learn is that I don’t understand why players do the things they do but hey, it’s still knowledge I guess.    Like Rory, there are some things that I’m not willing to compromise on where my sailing ship games (and miniatures) are concerned.  Apparently, these things make us “snobs” in the eyes of other gamers.  Thing is, I think we’re all pretty much OK with the label.

BWW

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Autodidact-O-Saurus]

Yep.

Self taught, persistently behind the times, never up to date. AKA ~ jeff
More verbosity: http://petiteguerre.blogspot.com/

[Rory McCreadie]

See Mike,

I said I’m with friends. Thanks for setting this all up for us. Would you like to join “Snobs R us”? The hat is a little tired, but makes you stand out 

Be safe

Rory

He who says he makes no mistakes, is making the biggest mistake of all. Or does bugger all. Rory

[Volunteer]

Can I join? I may not play enough to qualify? But Rory can attest to my snobbery when it comes to historical accuracy!😎

Regards,

Vol

"Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing"
Wernher von Braun

[Rory McCreadie]

O.M.G! Vol must become a member. He will not use a 1-1200 scale ship model if it does not have the right number of gunport’s. He is a “Snob” of a very high class 

Be safe

Rory

He who says he makes no mistakes, is making the biggest mistake of all. Or does bugger all. Rory

[Brian Weathersby]

The club would be no fun without Vol!  Besides, I can’t think of a higher qualification than being a “gunport counter.”

BWW

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Brian Weathersby]

So, the next installment of “What Is My Time Worth” is up on the blog. In this post, I install the standing rigging and ratlines. Now, she’s really starting to look like a sailing ship. Please drop by at:
https://mymodelsailingships.blogspot.com

BWW

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Autodidact-O-Saurus]

Very informative. Thanks for writing this up. Some day I’ll muster up the courage to try rigging a ship.

Question: Would the standing rigging be fairly standardized from the early 19th c. through the late 19th c.? I suspect captains would alter the running rigging depending upon personal preference (to a limited extent). But it seems like mast arrangements had pretty much reached their most advanced stage of development by the end of the Napoleonic wars. So, I don’t imagine it would be much different on sailing vessels of circa 1860.

Self taught, persistently behind the times, never up to date. AKA ~ jeff
More verbosity: http://petiteguerre.blogspot.com/

[Brian Weathersby]

For model building/gaming purposes, both standing and (most) running rigging are pretty standardized by this point.  If I were working in a larger scale like 1/600 or 700, there would be some differences.  When Skytrex did their 1/700 scale sailing ships, they did an instruction sheet that showed the differences between French and Spanish rigging.  In 1/1200 though, the biggest difference is between British and everyone else where running rigging is concerned.  That is something that I will discuss in the next blog post.

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Brian Weathersby]

At last, I have completed the “What Is My Time Worth” series over at my blog. Post #6 covers the installation of running rigging, which is where the difference between British warships and everyone else becomes apparent. Post #7 covers the final wrap up of time expended, cost of buying a pre-painted version of the same ship, and of course, what my time is worth. HINT: More than I thought, but not a lot more.

Please check things out at: https://mymodelsailingships.blogspot.com

BWW

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Autodidact-O-Saurus]

All right, now you’ve done it! I WILL rig a ship in the next few months. And if it all goes pear shaped and I crush the monstrous thing under my boot heel… it will be YOUR fault! Until I try again.

Self taught, persistently behind the times, never up to date. AKA ~ jeff
More verbosity: http://petiteguerre.blogspot.com/

[Volunteer]

HaHaHa….Jeff I have had a big monster book fall on a beautiful Spanish SOL I had just finished rigging and flagging while I was taking photos to post. I had an almost finished brig cushion the blow when my large heavy magnifying lamp when it let loose in the middle of the night. Both ships looked like they had lost a serious battle. But to intentionally stomp on one?🤤 I’m afraid there may be some serious anger issues here!😠😂

"Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing"
Wernher von Braun

[Brian Weathersby]

Jeff,

Dang, man.  I’ve had my share of disasters just like Vol mentioned, but I’ve never smashed one under my boot after a failure.  Some dirty words?  Oh yeah.  Put it aside for a while?  Absolutely.  But just smash what is left?  Even I don’t hate myself that much.

Also, I will accept your blame.  I know that once you’ve succeeded with one,  then you will want to do more.  At that point, the sailing cabal will have your soul.  MWA-HA-HA-HA. . . . Oops, sorry.  Thinking out loud again. 

I'm lucky to be here
With someone I like
Who maketh my spirit to shine
--Warren Zevon

[Author]

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