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I often find myself making and painting pieces and or models that only get used once.
Normally they are made for a specific scenario.Anyone else spend hours and hours making something that they know will only be used once?
(I did spend over a year making one thing that never got used)I spent a few evenings back in the 80s scratch building and painting/weathering two models of a truss girder bridge, both whole and destroyed, for a micro-modern scenario. Never used again.
But, as I’m fond of saying, I used to be into railway modelling. So no biggie.
"I go online sometimes, but everyone's spelling is really bad. It's... depressing."
For the first time, I’m starting a project that revolves around one specific scenario. The figures will be used for others, of course, but I also want to build dedicated scenery which probably won’t be that useful for other situations.
However, when I started to think about it, I realized I’ve made a couple of buildings before that I still haven’t used yet
So I guess I enjoy scratch building scenery more than I thought. Or maybe I’m just stupider than I thought.My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com
I used to be in the grip of the madness that is painting figures for RPG sessions. Could never keep up, so orcs and skellies subbed for gnolls etc. Really grated on me, so I gave up!
And a mate and I made a detailed 3D 25mm starship interior for Traveller and then suffered a total-party-kill the first session we used it!
I can see the logic of specific models or terrain for a particular scenario in a tabletop game though. Sometimes its a shame not to!
This is a strong argument for only buying generic terrain and structures, which may be reused in many different periods and scenarios. Bridges, village structures, small farms, etc. are readily used from 1700-WWII in Europe; Pegasus Bridge, not so much. At nearly $300 U.S. That would seem to make for a pretty expensive scenario. At a typical movie price of $8 for 2-3 hours of entertainment it would take over 35 plays of the scenario to provide equal rewards. I don’t think I could enjoy the movie, ” A Bridge Too Far,” that many times!
The big culprit here is the big group convention game where everybody contributes figures, painting, and money, only to play it once and then much of the paraphernalia is never used again, but clutter up the wargame room for years!
No one ever calculates the space required for such monsters, nor do they have any way to exhibit their work again!
I had two wonderfully constructed forts by Herb Gundt; one a French and Indian log fort in 28mm scale that was 2 1/2 foot square, and the other a half Vauban Fort that was 2 1/2 x 4 feet. They were lovely. I used them each once, and after walking around them for a few years, trying to find any space that they didn’t get in my way, I finally sold them off.
I have now switched entirely to generic, sub -scale (using 10-15mm for 28s), and modular terrain and structures which store away easily, cost a fraction of the larger sized structures, and are actually closer to ground scale. They look great in photos. My semi-scale modular 10mm. La Haye Sainte has been several chateaux over many games. In fact, once a hill, bridge, village, or chateau is given a historical name and placement on the wargame table, any issue of scale, detail, or enjoyment is moot as it becomes it’s namesake in the mind’s eye of all the player’s.
I can see the modeling interest building a 28mm Hougoumont, but I think these one of a kind, huge, specific, and costly items are only marginally useful in actual wargaming. It is nice for those seeking attention.
A lot if this is the wargamer’s dreams being bigger than his table, and often his wallet!
All the time. Grrrrrrrr
John Treadaway
www.hammers-slammers.com
"They don't have to like us, snake, they just have t' make the payment schedule" Lt Cooter - Hammer's Slammers
http://www.hammers-slammers.com
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