Popular Genres

[Mike]

I was having an e-mail chat about the fact it seems historical games are not as popular right now as once they were.
Now, not being a historical gamer any more I don’t have any real grasp of what is cool in terms of historical games.
Or indeed if they are less popular…
Does anyone?

Anyway, it would be interesting if you would all list your current genres/periods.
Current being something you have played and own in the last 12 months or so.

It is just for fun so don’t expect anything more than a haphazard collection of potentially erroneous data at the end!

[Angel Barracks]

sci-fi.

[kyoteblue]

Cave Men to Space Men , I like it all.

[Mike]

kyoteblue wrote:

Cave Men to Space Men , I like it all.

But do they all meat the criteria?

Current being something you have played and own in the last 12 months or so.

[kyoteblue]

I have started two periods both in 15mm, The Great War with modified Flames Of War rules and Moderns with No End In Sight rules.  I own tons of other painted and unpainted figures to play DBA/M  WW2 FOW and some Pulp and Zombies.  Oh and Mammoth Hunters. A UFO or two.  After my Lady and I move to our new house I’ll be able to have all my “toys” in one place again with a gaming table set up in the garage . Looking forward to that. Home before the Snow Falls.

[grizzlymc]

WWII naval 1:3000

Liberation of Chile 6mm

25mm Napoleonics

[PaintingLittleSoldiers]

World War 2, Sci-Fi (15mm), Napoleonics (15m) and Fantasy (15mm) in the last year.

I play Historical games solo or with friends but SciFi and Fantasy are all 100% solo.( I do have other periods but they do not fit the criteria.)

One thing I have noticed is that the local clubs have seen a lot of historical players stop playing at the club and play in their own homes\garages whereas the Fantasy\Sci Fi games only seem to occur at the club. A visit to the local clubs would make you think historical games interest is non-existant when in fact there are several historical groups all playing in private venues for various reasons ( I think its mainly due to the number of figures\setup required, rule-set preference and personality clashes (usually started by rule set discussions :))

[Mr. Average]

6mm Sci fi (Skirmish and Platoon combat)

3mm Sci Fi (Battalion to Brigade level)

15mm and 3mm modern, postmodern and Cold War.

Lots of historical and sci fi boardgames, but rarely earlier periods than World War II. Except a little WWI naval combat.

My preferences run mostly to modern and later. Although, I have recently been tempted to Napoleonic by the Baccus and O8 6mm/3mm lines, and fantasy by the Microworld 6mm line. Before I get a new set though, I’m finishing my 3mm armies first.

Really, I just like writing my own background, and it tends to be more digestible to other players in the non-historical or near-modern genres.

[Shecky]

Within the past 12 months (by most recent)

WWI early war – 10mm, The Portable Wargame rules

WWII skirmish – 28mm, Chain of Command

ACW – 10mm, Altar of Freedom

Dark Ages – 28mm, Saga

[Pijlie]

I am playing pike & shot (P&S, Witchfinder General), horse and musket (BP), Pulp and WW2 (Chain of Command) at the moment. I have armies of Celts, Carthaginians, Vikings and Dark Age Britons, but since  WAB declined I haven’t played them very often. Hail Caesar is my club’s hit ruleset at the moment but it is so dull. Am very enthusiastic about WAC whenever I get the chance to play it. Have a scratch-built Hochseeflotte for General Quarters 2, most Western Front armies for WW1 and various armies for the 19th century colonial period.

http://pijlieblog.blogspot.nl

[Paul]

Past 12 months: 20mm WWII, 15mm Modern, 28mm Samurai, 28mm zombies.

Those are brave men knocking at our door. Let's go kill them!

[Paul]

Past 12 months: 20mm WWII, 15mm Modern, 28mm modern, 28mm Samurai, 28mm zombies.
Edit: apologies for double post.

Those are brave men knocking at our door. Let's go kill them!

[Not Connard Sage]

Mike wrote:

I was having an e-mail chat about the fact it seems historical games are not as popular right now as once they were.

They are around here. We is ‘historical’ gamers we is.

Mostly;

Napoleonics

WSS

ECW

 

 

 

Obvious contrarian and passive aggressive old prat, who is taken far too seriously by some and not seriously enough by others.

[Alvin Molethrottler]

Battletech: Alpha Strike (6mm sci fi)

Dungeon Command (D&D based fantasy board game)

Pathfinder (fantasy RPG)

WWII (6mm micro-armour)

WHFB: Warbands (28mm fantasy)

WIP = 10mm WWII (for Tigers at Minsk) and 10mm fantasy (for a Pelennor Fields refight)

I think that historical gaming is as popular as it ever was, but many of the historical gamers I know are not as internet savvy as the sci fi and fantasy gamers.

The greatest change in historical gaming that I have detected is the waning of the WRG powerhouse and the veritable plethora of rulesets that have sprung up in its place.

[willz]

This the stuff I  have gamed with over the past 12 months, 20mm WW2 (Rapid Fire), 28mm 18th century WSS – SYW (The Wargame, Charge), 15m ACW, 28mm (Hail Caesar) and I have started painting some Star wars figures.

“Dr Jackson wrote” One thing I have noticed is that the local clubs have seen a lot of historical players stop playing at the club and play in their own homes\garages whereas the Fantasy\Sci Fi games only seem to occur at the club. A visit to the local clubs would make you think historical games interest is non-existant when in fact there are several historical groups all playing in private venues for various reasons.

I can agree with that statement at our club it is normally 2 – 3 historical gamers with 15 – 25 sci/fi and fantasy gamers each week.  A game like X-wing takes minutes to set up and a game 45 minutes I can see why this style of game is popular.  Sadly from my perspective several of the sci/fi and fantasy gamers choose not to paint their figures (hell if you are happy to game that’s your choice enjoy) it does save time and you get more gaming in.  I want my figures painted on the table and that works for me.

In and around the Plymouth area there are 2 clubs Cross Swords at Lee Mill and Plymouth association of Wargamers (PAW), both with around about 30 – 40 members maybe more but I know of 10 historical war-gamers in the Plymouth area who don’t go to either club.  We had a good venue The Giants Lair but sadly the business money behind it has move to Bristol so the venue closed this summer.  Some of the historical gamers who don’t use the clubs came there, mainly I think because you could have an 8 – 10 hour game session and I personally as a historical gamer like my games to last.  An evening game from 1830 – 2130 is fine for some games but sometimes it is nice to be able to play longer.

Please correct me if I am wrong but from what I see the sci/fi and fantasy games seem to be a planned campaign based around competition games and play out quicker, or you are just better organized than historical war-gamers.

[James Ewins]

As a mild obsessive who likes to keep his hand in footling around in Excel, I keep track of what games my (Exmouth) club plays. There’s no small ammount of influence from what PAW are playing as some members attend both, maybe William can spot that! So far in 2014 we’ve played this –

Dystopian Wars 24
Fringe 20
Bolt Action 18
Pathfinder 15
Mission Command(o) WW2 5
Black Powder/Hail Caesar 5
Saga 5
Wings of War 4
Pulp Alley 3
Hordes of the Things 3
Panzer Grenadier 3
AWI 3
Rapid Fire 3
Battlefleet Gothic 2
LOTR 2
V&B 2
Rise of the Runelords 2
Command and Colours 2
In Her Majesty’s Name 1
Star Wars RPG 1
X Wing 1
FIW 1
Wild West 1
Boxer Rebellion 1
Martian Empires 1

“Fringe” is the local name for games that don’t get played year in year out. With the exception of DW and Pathfinder we’re mostly a historical club, although our staunchest Historical players run Pathfinder, and our most dedicated scifi players now play Bolt Action and Rapid Fire. The list of obviously quibbled with on a regular basis as I don’t always pay much attention to neighbouring tables….

JDE

/
Chief Sarcaster at http://www.exmouthwargames.org.uk/
Assistant Dogsbody at http://legionaryshow.co.uk/
/

[James Ewins]

Personally, I’ve played Pathfinder, Martian Empires, DW, Saga, HotT, BFG, Boxers, Wild West and LOTR from that list. At least.

JDE

/
Chief Sarcaster at http://www.exmouthwargames.org.uk/
Assistant Dogsbody at http://legionaryshow.co.uk/
/

[A Lot of Gaul]

Mike wrote:

Anyway, it would be interesting if you would all list your current genres/periods. Current being something you have played and own in the last 12 months or so.

15mm Ancients, specifically Caesar’s Gallic Wars, played using the Hail Caesar rules.

"Ventosa viri restabit." ~ Harry Field

[Rules Junkie Jim]

Modern 1/600 using Pz8, Combat 1948 and KR16

Ironclad era using Iron and Fire, Hammerin Iron

Age of Sail using Pieces of Eight (rules, not coinage)

1920s/30s with USE ME Chthulu version

Post-Holocaust(ish) with KR16

Think that’s the lot recently. Although most of those are “historical”, it’s always in an imagi-nation setting. No idea about the popularity of the above as I’m a solo gamer of near hermit status.

 

 

 

 

[grizzlymc]

Damn!  I was going to ask you how many pieces of eight a ship of the line cost!

[Rules Junkie Jim]

I felt the need to elaborate as “using Pieces of Eight” seemed so decadent. But then I’ve had a hard day at work and am in that exhausted state of mind that’s almost trippy

[Luddite]

I’m desperately trying not to be negative Mike, but your post title isn’t going to attract comment from historical wargamers. We don’t have ‘genres’, we have periods.

 

[James Ewins]

No, I think you (we) have genres as well.  Jugula is a different genre to Warmaster Ancients.  Saga is a different genre to DBMM.  I’ll grant you people sometimes play multiple genres per period but I don’t think you can limit choice in the historical market solely to period.

JDE

/
Chief Sarcaster at http://www.exmouthwargames.org.uk/
Assistant Dogsbody at http://legionaryshow.co.uk/
/

[Joe]

Luddite wrote:

We don’t have ‘genres’, we have periods.

He did say periods in the actual message:

Mike wrote:

Anyway, it would be interesting if you would all list your current genres/periods.

Everyone else seems to be ok with it.

Oops sorry, I play CCGs and Boardgames only, any genre that takes my fancy.

[Shandy]

15mm Wars of the Roses

15mm Dark Age (SAGA)

1/2400 napoleonic naval

started painting but not yet played: 15mm early medieval Andalusia (probably using Hail Caesar)

… and 15mm sci fi

 

My blog: http://wargamingraft.wordpress.com

[Earther]

Fantasy skirmish and some D&D in 28mm.

20mm Cold War/Twilight 2000 skirmish.

Sci-fi skirmish in 28mm.

[Altius]

In my group, historical gaming reigns supreme, with sci-fi a distant second. I see very little fantasy gaming around here. But this is speaking only of my own club and I’m aware that there are others nearby.

My own list for the last 12 months, owned and played, in order of most to least.

Dark Ages – 28mm

Bronze Age (called “biblical” by some) – 28mm

Mexican-American War – 28mm

Russian Civil War – 28mm

Sci-fi Skirmish – 28mm

Modern company-level – 15mm

Where there is fire, we will carry gasoline

[Not Connard Sage]

Luddite wrote:

I’m desperately trying not to be negative Mike, but your post title isn’t going to attract comment from historical wargamers. We don’t have ‘genres’, we have periods.

 

I’m a ‘historical gamer’, WTFTI,  and I don’t have periods.

…I don’t have regular outbreaks of pointless pedantry either. Perhaps there’s a correlation?

 

Anyway, you’re wrong. The thread has already attracted comment from historical gamers.

 

So yah boo

Obvious contrarian and passive aggressive old prat, who is taken far too seriously by some and not seriously enough by others.

[grizzlymc]

Somehow the acronym PMT comes to mind.

[Mike]

Now now…

[Steve Johnson]

WWII – BKCII, CoC

SCW/AVBCW – BKCII

Ancients – Dux Bellorum

ECW – Pike & Shotte

Medieval – Lion Rampant, Hail Caesar

 

[Earther]

If I was to class my interests by genres, it would have to be –

• Sci-Fi – KR16 and Rogue Trader Oldhammer 40k for the win

• Moderns – current but imaginified – think Ghost Recon: Alpha shenanigans

• Moderns/Post-War – 1960s Congo up to Cold War Gone Hot via the Falklands

• Near Future – grungy Cybernonsense (Firewall 2136AD from Wessex games is superb; none of that Infinity tosh)

• Post Apocalypse – Warlord 2085/Skank Game with EM4 goodness

[irishserb]

15mm Modern, Cold War hot, pseudo-Africa, Soviet Afghan, WWII (1940 France, East front, West front, no desert)

6mm, Cold War Hot, Arab-Israeli, WWII

20mm Vietnam

28mm Victorian Adventure in the Pacific, Post-Apoc, Sci-fi, Near Future

Star Fleet Battles with whatever scale the original Starline ships were back in the early 1980s.

 

 

[Rod Robertson]

Games played in the last year:

Biblical/Ancients – 15 mm.

ACW – 25 mm.

ACW Naval – not sure of the scale.

Old West Shoot-out – 25/28 mm.

WW I Aerial Combat – 1/200 scale.

WWII Skirmish – 15 mm.

WWII Micro Armour – 6 mm.

Modern Micro Armour – 6 mm.

Cheers.

Rod Robertson.

 

[Cerdic]

28mm – Dark Ages, Napoleonic, WW2

 

6mm – Ancient Romans, Dark Ages, Napoleonic, WW1

http://28mmreview.blogspot.co.uk

[Cameronian]

1/72 ANZACs for WW1 Palestine to oppose already existing Turks (Too Fat Lardies ITLSU)

28mm Eldar to oppose existing forces (HOTT)

'The time has come" The walrus said. "To talk of many things: Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--Of cabbages--and kings--And why the sea is boiling hot--And whether pigs have wings."

[willz]

“James Ewins wrote” As a mild obsessive who likes to keep his hand in footling around in Excel, I keep track of what games my (Exmouth) club plays. There’s no small ammount of influence from what PAW are playing as some members attend both, maybe William can spot that!

Sorry James I do not understand why you are being rude at me, all I was doing is agreeing with Dr Jackson about what he has noticed about a greater number of Sci-fi and Fantasy gamers over historical gamers at his club.  The same thing at Cross Swords and similar at PAW pointing out that I know several war-gamers who choose not to be members of a war-gaming club, I in no way implied that I dislike Sci-fi, fantasy or historical gamers an it was not a criticism of any war-gaming club or attending war-gaming club.  How could I spot any correlation between Exmouth and PAW as I do not go to Exmouth war-game club, confused .com?

[Mike]

I don’t see that he was being rude…
He will be along soon to confirm I am sure.

[Luddite]

Not Connard Sage wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Wg Cdr Luddite wrote:</div>
I’m desperately trying not to be negative Mike, but your post title isn’t going to attract comment from historical wargamers. We don’t have ‘genres’, we have periods.

I’m a ‘historical gamer’, WTFTI, and I don’t have periods. …I don’t have regular outbreaks of pointless pedantry either. Perhaps there’s a correlation? Anyway, you’re wrong. The thread has already attracted comment from historical gamers. So yah boo

It’s not pointless pedantry mate . By his own admission Mike  “didn’t realise I could fight battles with models until Games Workshop showed me how” and “I no longer do historicals”.(OK  I’m paraphasing because I can’t be arsed actually searching here for the exact quotes) I’m merely suggesting how Mike might improve the experience here for historical wargamers, for whom, by his own admissions he knows liitle of.

 

And I’ve no idea what WTFTI means because you’re obviously cleverer than me.

[Guy Farrish]

Whenever The Fancy Takes I?

Maybe he’s from the West Country?

Then again possibly not.

[Author]

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