Home Forums General Books and Magazines What makes a good wargaming magazine?

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  • #117363
    Avatar photoKitfox
    Participant

    The discussion on the latest issue of Miniature Wargames got me to thinking about this and rather than derail that topic further I decided to put my thoughts together here instead.  This is a subject that has been endlessly debated and often highlights the divisions in the hobby rather than the agreements.  We’ve all come across the history vs fantasy and metal vs resin vs plastic  argument so many times its basically part of the landscape.  I tend to find that I fall in and out of love with magazines over time wearing my disloyalty openly as I cancel subscriptions one year only to revive them later and vice versa as the style and content of each evolves over time.  Currently I’m in a bit of a lull, of the four main magazines (like it or not White Dwarf still counts) I’ve dropped subscriptions to two of them in the past year mainly due to style rather than content and now I pick them up on an ad hoc basis as something catches my eye.

    I’m mainly a fantasy and sci-fi gamer but that doesn’t mean that I find historical articles useless, in fact I find converting historical battles more interesting as they avoid the need for “balance” that seems to pervade games where few real battles exist to provide ideas.  Recently I’ve converted AWI scenarios to undead warlords rising to claim medieval fantasy lands and run a what if scenario from the Falklands War as Full Thrust Campaign swapping seagoing vessels for galactic dreadnoughts and Exocets for plasma torpedoes.  So I don’t buy into the fantasy vs. reality debate.  Perhaps helped by my average painting and modelling skills I have no problem with mixing plastic (including the slightly softer mass produced ones) , metal, resin from a variety of suppliers and manufacturers in one force never mind one battle.  All  are reduced to a middle ground of mediocrity separated only by weight at my hands.

    So what do I like and dislike in a magazine?  What tempts me to part with my cash and spend time on the train drawing strange looks from those outwith the hobby?  I’m afraid while I often subscribe to the use it or lose it school of thought I don’t buy them all each month just to keep them in business there has to be at least something of interest.  So what do I like in a magazine and what do I dislike?

    Well the things that catch my eye are scenarios, yes I know not everyone likes them or finds them useful but I have neither the time nor the talent to come up with interesting ideas every week and much prefer to beg, borrow or outright steal ideas from printed games.  Full maps and representative forces are a must and if they present alternative ideas then so much the better.  A particular favourite are scenarios presented for multiple time periods which appear occasionally.  Unusual formats and short campaigns are also well received, hostage rescues and asymmetric campiagns and the like are much more interesting that straight up red on blue pitched battles.  I enjoy historical articles covering armies, campaigns and battles but less so those on historical figures and commanders unless it also covers their exploits.  Painting articles i find useful, not so much uniforms and colours and the like but techniques and examples like how to paint armour types, camo patterns and the like although strangely articles on scratch building terrain and scenery leave me cold

    And on the other hand what do I dislike; I’ll pick a few things that often cause me to replace magazines on the shelf unpurchased.  Show reports for a start drive me up the wall, yes they’re pretty but almost always I can find more and better pictures online that remind me of games I didn’t get to see for myself and similarly article on clubs I don’t belong to or other people’s wargaming rooms are a source of real irritation to me and always feel like nothing more than filler.  Adverts I can accept, they keep the price down and publications in print but not adverts for the very magazine I’m holding in my hands, come on!  I’m also frustrated by magazines that seem to always favour one system / background or manufacturer to distraction  I imagine this is often to do with financial support from the supplier or simply size and submission frequency along with the preferences of the writers and contributors but nonetheless it grates over time as magazines drift towards being being the XXX Games House Magazine whether i play XXX or not, variety to my taste is more desirable.

    So what does everyone else like or dislike?  Let’s flog this dead / dying horse again shall we?

    Death to all fanatics!

    #117365
    Avatar photoDeleted User
    Member

    Being a gamer on the margin (I use 1/72 plastic & 20mm metals exclusively), I don’t expect a magazine to cater directly to my interests. I’m used to being ignored (cue: deep sigh/wait for sympathy).

    I’d agree with most of what you wrote, Kitfox…..yet I stopped getting magazines with the death of ‘Battlegames’.

    I guess living in the Antipodes makes the wait for a copy to arrive, coupled with the expense of P&P for a magazine I don’t love as much as ‘Practical Wargamer’ (my benchmark) a marginal proposition. Oh, & BTW electronic copies of magazines hold no interest for me.

    I do look at John Treadaway’s offerings & applaud them but they haven’t given me sufficient call to subscribe (sorry…).

     

    donald

    #117366
    Avatar photoTony Hughes
    Participant

    About the only time I ever bought wargaming magazines on anything like a regular basis was during the years when I had little time to do any painting or gaming. That was MANY years ago and, since then, all I have seen has been hand-me-downs from a mate who did get them regularly. I never found the time spent reading articles worthwhile compared to time spent DOING something.

    Pictures rarely interest me except for reference purposes and I find the usual ‘wargamer porn’ that litters rules and magazines a major turn-off. Much of this is probably due to me doing small scales so the 28mm stuff on display is irrelevant to my gaming.

    In the past I found variants of common rules or small articles presenting a rule set (or often just a framework) of an unusual period or campaign interesting. I liked terrain modelling articles but had no interest in painting ones, I have my own techniques and don’t intend to change – old dogs don’t like new tricks. Uniform references were useful, as were in depth articles about rarely seen campaigns – so much of that is now covered in books or good on-line sources I’d never even think of looking in a mag for it.

    It would be a pity to see wargaming mags continue in their decline as many people still get a lot out of them but I can’t predict any way in which I’d be likely to buy one again.

     

    #117372
    Avatar photoirishserb
    Participant

    I apologize in advance, and here are the types of things that I like:

    Scenarios, historical scenarios need detailed  maps (topography and details are important to me) and real world, one to one TO&Es or orbats.  If it has army lists abstracted to the needs of some set of rules that I don’t use, or hand drawn, out of scale maps, I probably won’t buy it.  Fantasy and Sci-fi scenarios are obviously not bound in these ways.

    Battle reports told as a story, tell me about the battle, about the experience, not your die result for each roll on each bound or turn of rules that I don’t play.  And have pictures of a reasonably pretty game, not tons of them, just enough to complete the experience (preferably with one of the overall battlefield at some point).

    Articles about history relating to periods of gaming interest or battlefield walks, etc.  Pictures and descriptions of the battlefield that I’m trying to build can be quite helpful, and just interesting otherwise.  Yes, things can be found on the net, but not often enough focusing on the points of gaming interest.

    Articles about scratch building terrain/vehicles/ships.  Not step by step procedural hold-my-hand kind of stuff, but a progression of your journey through your creative process.  I already know how to hold a knife, I want to be inspired by your art, creativity and passion.

    Informational articles presenting uniforms, camouflage patterns,  equipment types, etc, basically supports painting, but not about the painting process itself.

    What don’t I want:

    Product reviews, un-boxings, figure painting, figure sculpting, anything to do with miniatures in board-games, nor articles focusing on “canned games”, fads, and the current 50% percentile gimmick.  And nothing with the word “kickstarter” in it.

    I apologize again.

    Oh, and fantasy, Sci-fi, and historical are all good.

    #117375
    Avatar photodeephorse
    Participant

    What I would want to see in a wargames magazine is definitely not what I’m going to get, so I don’t spend any time hoping for it.  But if Carlsberg made my ideal wargaming magazine it would contain;

    scenarios for Rapid Fire rules

    rule mods for Rapid Fire rules

    historic unit OOBs for Rapid Fire rules

    scenarios for Plains Indians v US Cavalry

    scenarios for Zombicide

    new product reviews, rules, books and figures/vehicles

     

    Guess I won’t be seeing a magazine like that any time soon.

    Play is what makes life bearable - Michael Rosen

    #117378
    Avatar photoJohn Treadaway
    Participant

    And therein lies the problem.

    As was said on the MW436 thread, three wargamers and four opinions! (ok five but.. well you can see what I mean!).

    About this time last year I wrote a piece in the magazine on a game I played with Henry Hyde. It was based on the Charles Grant scenario book and it was (of course) an 18th century Horse and Musket piece called Seige Train. It was a great day out of fun gaming: Henry’s figures are smashing toy soldier lovlies (Spencer Smiths and so forth) and the company was splendid and the scenario was well thought out.

    What it got me to do, of course, was adapt it for an SF setting (Hammer’s Slammers, just for a change…) so I wrote a ‘double article’ about the scenario in both settings. That’s sort of what I’m aiming for, magazine wise: like has been said – scenarios and rules that can be used in a wide context: I just love it.

    On other ‘areas’, I do show reports because I often find the games inspirational and (I’ll admit) I’m very biased: after years of my involvement with Salute I think that shows are of fundamental importance to the hobby and I want to promote them when I can, especially if they are great days out and I can bring my experience to the review. And – being immodest about it – there are not that many people on the planet with my experience of wargames shows.

    Product reviews: I only tend do these if I think that they are something you won’t find without help (like obscure manufacturers) or if I’ve got something to say about them that you might not have noticed from looking at their pictures on the web. It’s hard to see where models don’t fit together very well from a picture of an assembled and primed figure from a manufacturer. Even if I don’t finish painting them, I do at least get that far and can report where they don’t meet requirements. Ever bought a “28mm” figure that’s actually 36mm tall? Ask me about it. That’s why I review stuff holding a ruler…

    Clubs and individuals? Yeah: you’ll find less of those in the mag over the last three years I’ve been the editor. And – after popular requests and due consultation – the ‘find a club’ section was reduced from four to two pages a while back and will be placed just on the web from 438 onwards (well, that’s the plan).

    I wanna make MW a mag for almost everyone: that’s my ambition. But I will need readers!

    I certainly can’t do it without them!

    John Treadaway

    www.hammers-slammers.com
    http://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
    #117380
    Avatar photoWhirlwind
    Participant

    the current 50% percentile gimmick

    What’s that?

    #117381
    Avatar photoAutodidact-O-Saurus
    Participant

    I’ve never subscribed to a gaming magazine. Those that I have purchased were impulse buys from hobby shops where I could peruse and judge whether the content–and writing style–appealed to me. The last time I purchased a magazine may have been in the early 1990s. The demise of brick and mortar stores was pretty much the end of hobby magazines for me. In addition, over the years my gaming interests have narrowed considerably. Ninety percent of what I see listed in gaming magazines these days has no appeal to me whatsoever. Granted, I’ve given up on ‘collateral knowledge’ of periods I’m not interested in but I don’t foresee ever subscribing. Again, my interests have narrowed and I’m fine with that. Wargaming ‘fluff’ (e.g., anything outside of my narrowband interests) doesn’t add to my satisfaction. (Hmmm… cranky old codger, ain’t I?)

    However, over the years most magazines do accrue a number of articles I’d like to read. If there was a web site where I could pick and choose the articles for a one-time purchase… that would pique my interest–and I’d be fine with digital versions. I don’t need more physical gaming paraphernalia lying around. Note that my interests are period specific, primarily ancients right now. I have no need for articles regarding Confederate ironclads at this time. Next year? Who knows what my focus will be?

     

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

    #117383
    Avatar photoKitfox
    Participant

    Thanks John,

    I have a mixed view of wargames shows they can both be inspirational and exciting places to be but also frustrating experiences that dent your faith in your fellow hobbyists.  I’ve seen some fantastic games and played in more than a few, but for every one of those I’ve seen a largely static tedious display game (IMHO non-participation games should be consigned to museums) or a row of backs with people ignoring all and sundry to chat with someone they see every week and as I’m sure you’ll agree games make a show.  I tend to prefer smaller shows where I’m less likely to be poked by backpacks or have someone shove in front of me as I’m browsing the traders stalls (some people have no idea how close I’ve come to seeing if I can wedge them into their own rucksacks!).  I had a very dear friend and longtime opponent who left the hobby entirely after a terrible show experience many years ago and has only just returned.  Should they be covered in magazines?  I can see the benefit in advertising the smaller shows but here the internet offers a better experience with videos, multiple photos, discussions and the like.  Where it would be of use is to promote the newer and smaller shows, frankly I hear plenty about the bigger shows, perhaps instead feature the smaller ones?  The inaugural  G3 show in Glasgow and the like for example, they need the publicity if they’re to grow and develop into staples of the calendar?  And yes, I am showing my own bias by promoting my local show.

    I’m okay with reviews of new (and old products) if they have relevance to articles or a feature is built around them but in  isolation they’re only useful infrequently when they touch on an area of interest sadly or even better spark a new one so on balance better to have them than not.  I’m pleased the club directories etc are on the way out they feel like filler, wasted space when the information’s easily found on Facebook or online these days.  However, I agree that the internet is a difficult place to be these days, anonymity breeds ignorance and disrespect sadly (ironic I accept for someone hiding behind an avatar) so magazines do still fill a void of civility (for the most part).

    Death to all fanatics!

    #117387
    Avatar photoJohn Treadaway
    Participant

    Good points all, Kitfox. I went to Claymore for the first time two years ago and loved it and it’s my ambition to get to just as many shows as I can but yes: the games with two people playing what amounts to little more than a club night game (and even – astonishingly – arguing over the [expletive deleted] rules!) really grinds my gears and I will call them out where and when I can. I mentioned, about the last Hammerhead I went to (a great show IMHO where all of the games are meant to be party games), that some of them, er… didn’t move all day long… So – regarding reports – for me it’s not just about photos of games but it’s about commentary as well, I think.

    And that comment (about static part games at Hammerhead) has already had me approached about that from one of the games organisers (not one of the ones I was actually aiming at, I have to say) to raise the issue. So people can be made aware, I think and doing that in ‘print’ is often very effective, so I’ll do what I can on that matter. Sunlight is, after all, the best disinfectant…

    As for buying periodicals versus the internet, for me, the difference between the web and a magazine is the same as the difference between a book and a magazine: we all have lots of books and most are bought to be on a fixed subject. We buy them (what’s a library?*). And then we read them. It reminds me of Tolkien’s comments about Hobbits: burrows full of books they’ve already read and maps of places they’ve already been. For me, a magazine is meant to pique my interest in something I wasn’t necessarily expecting. You know: before I get so old that I no longer care (and wish to retreat to my comfortable hole!).

    To mix my metaphore’s, get off my Shire!

     

    *Haven’t been in one in a decade but I don’t want to see them die

    John Treadaway

    www.hammers-slammers.com
    http://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
    #117407
    Avatar photoian pillay
    Participant

    I agree with main points raised above.

    I like to read scenarios, rules and look at eye candy in magazines. Not overly bothered about show reports, however I think they have a place in that they promote the hobby but as we are all in the hobby maybe they should be published in the, The Times or Daily Star 😉

    I have recently decided to subscribe to WSS with the digital download version. Main reason I can access the articles from most places as I store them on the cloud and also storage. Magazines take up loads of physical. I also like the fact the digital versions are easy to search for particular articles in a give publication.

    Cheers

    Ian

    Tally-Ho! Check out my blog at…..
    http://steelcitywargaming.wordpress.com/

    #117412
    Avatar photoJohn Treadaway
    Participant

    The digital versions of Miniaure Wargames are easy to access as well, I believe, though you miss out on the odd item that’s stuck to the cover

    Head office regularly makes unbeatable subs offers (the one at Salute was less than a quid a copy!). I almost suscribed myself (he says, acting like a shameless shill )

    John Treadaway

    www.hammers-slammers.com
    http://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
    #117417
    Avatar photoGustav
    Participant

    My two cents.  As a digital subscriber to MW I generally find the mix of content balanced and though in theory a historical gamer I do like reading about stuff across all genres.  Not all floats my boat now but hey why should it, but it may do.

    However, what instead really irks me is that I do not get to have PDF copy of my own.  Whereas I can with the other mags.  Unless I am an idiot and am missing something obvious, which may well be a possibility.

    Otherwise keep on with the good work.
    all the best

    #117420
    Avatar photoNorm S
    Participant

    I buy all three mags off the shop shelf and part of that purchase pattern is a deliberate decision to buy, rather than see something that I see as part of the nostalgic fabric of the hobby disappear. I don’t always feel rewarded by that choice and over recent months I have decided to drop one of them, but I suppose habit just makes me continue to buy it, though I did stop the subscription that my daughter gifted me.

    I feel we are fortunate (I am surprised) that we are lucky enough to still have 3 mags to service our hobby and the only way these days that a non-gamer can walk into a shop on the high street, see a mag cover that makes them pick it up and suddenly find themselves drawn into a new hobby.

    Interestingly the magazines have 3 quite different characters, which just goes to show that there are different ways you can do this and ‘own ‘ a style or brand.

    As above, Practical Wargamer would be my (nostalgic) benchmark, as would the old Battle magazine.

    I have three major criticisms of magazines that are present to varying degrees in each. Firstly I dislike historical article content, followed by a bit of wargame fluff, I can go anywhere for historical background. It used to just annoy me as wasting space that should be specifically addresses the subject of wargaming, but these days, it is starting to look increasingly like managed filler, so that the Editor gets 25% guaranteed (perhaps commissioned) content per issue.

    Secondly, the magazine is relying on the individual buying and having an individual relationship with the mag and its content, this is very different from the social aspect of gaming, where (if) we meet with others, go to shows or get involved in internet chat on forums (i.e. social engagement),  rather the relationship with a magazine is a more intense one-to-one, quality time affair and as such, there is a greater need for it to relate to what the reader does, the magazine MUST press the readers interest button. But mostly, they ignore the market of those gamers who mainly or solely game at home alone and are limited to dining or kitchen table gamers, so 6 x 4 of 3 x 4 gaming spaces. These gamers often have storage and gaming space limitations and may game in a scale smaller than 28mm! but they do not see their gaming lives reflected in the magazines ……. at all!

    In the search for sizzle in presentation, the larger stuff gets photographed together with the nicest of tables, and there is a sense of lack of honesty here as to how many of us are actually gaming. I don’t buy into the inspirational role of such pictures. Some are useful, but as the content of such rises to ever greater proportions, then inspiration stops and the gap between what you do and what is in the magazine becomes ever greater to the point that you know you can’t aspire to it.  The 15mm and smaller game is becoming increasingly invisible and excluded in the magazine world, as is the small table gamer.

    Thirdly, Opinion Columns …… filler, filler, filler, I shall say no more, other than this is just a hobby to enjoy and crossing the line into pontificating is not a good look.  besides …. the internet gives release for such things so well!

    I mainly like scenarios (emphasis on ‘scenario’, not 4 pages of history) and the ‘let’s play ‘these’ rules type articles. Some fast play rules are good, but not pages of rules serialised, which for a greater part of the readership will be on a subject hey care less about.

    I can see that there is a real problem in that for the most part, Editors can only work with the material they are sent and I suspect that pool is often scarily close to dry and must on most months be a bit like flying by the seat of your pants moments. In truth that really is something that needs our positive attention from us. That is worth saying again, we really do need to help our editors and keep our magazines alive.

    Also, free internet or the perception of such is a real problem, you can spend several hours a day trawling forums and blogs getting a lot of fresh material and choosing what appeals to ‘you’ . On one level this is amazing, but on another it has allowed people to disengage with magazines and frankly to be brutally honest, from putting their hands in their pockets. This is a real issue that centres on the human character and I can say as a blogger who puts significant effort into a blog that is widely read, hardly anyone (just some trusted same old faces) ever feels inclined to drop a one line comment just to say thanks. I’m not crying about this, I am just saying that at the moment, there seems to be a disregard for the real value of blogs, forums and magazines being the real glue of the hobby and for the effort that others put into keeping these things alive. We want free, but that comes at a price!

    We are a niche hobby, we need magazines and we need shows as a central platform that measures the viability and vitality of what we do. Increasingly, I am buying my magazine and just flicking through it, gone are the days of that quality of time moment when I flopped down for 40 minutes with a coffee and engaged deeply with magazine content or had anything like a cover-to-cover read and I am supposed to be the big mag fan! so, content needs to be more relevant, but a big area of responsibility falls back on us, to provide proper articles and to financially support the mags, even if only on a sort of philanthropy basis, with the notion that to have hobby magazine in circulation is simply a good thing of itself.

    I have of course now painted myself into a corner of putting money where my mouth is and making a magazine submission. 🙂

    #117421
    Avatar photoMartinR
    Participant

    To echo Norm, Battle and Practical Wargamers were my ideal mags. In fact I still refer to articles in my dusty old piles of them.

    So, if any twenty-first century mags were like those, I might actually buy them. I haven’t bought a Wargames mag for fifteen years now.

    "Mistakes in the initial deployment cannot be rectified" - Helmuth von Moltke

    #117442
    Avatar photoPhil Dutré
    Participant

    I am currently subscribed to MW and WSS.

    The focus of the magazines has changed over the years. Comparing magazine of today to what a magazine was 30 years ago is a bit unfair, since a lot of the functions have been taken over by blogs, podcasts etc. Also, the typical article that dealt with an obscure piece of military history has largely disappeared, since that info can now easily be found online.

    What I look for in magazines is inspiration, which is something different than immediate usability. I am not looking for scenarios that I can use as written (or for a specific rulesystem), I am looking for inspiring scenarios from which I can borrow the main idea for my own periods or rules. Same with rules: inspiration for writing your own rules, or developing your own campaigns, not some “additional rules for system X”, which is written in such a way that is only useful for players of rules X.

    A second thing I look for in magazines is the feeling of being part of a wider hobby. Interviews with games designers or companies is something that I like, and I think this is a new function that magazines of yesteryear couldn’t cover so easily. Show reports or club reports could fit in that category, but I feel the right format hasn’t yet been found for those.

    Product reviews: good, but mostly for the pictures! I have ordered books based on a review in a magazine, so I find them useful. But I have to admit that the reviews can be very different in quality and usefulness.

    Overall, I think magazines should offer quality, curated content. I can go online for some random wargaming fix, or follow some blogs to see what others are doing, but I expect that magazines  put the bar somewhat higher. That’s why I still like them!

    #117443
    Avatar photoMike Headden
    Participant

    The last time I bought a wargames mag was about two years ago. I was about to take a four hour train journey so I bought it to pass the time. I flicked through it and was so fascinated by the content that I preferred to gaze out of the window than read it.

    Nothing there on any period or scale I am interested in.

    It’s over a decade since I regularly bought magazines for much the same reason.

    To be fair, I’m happy with my current painting style, can make my own scenery when necessary, game mainly in 6mm and 10mm, often write my own rules, have no problem coming up with scenarios (and prefer line ’em up, knock ’em down, drag ’em out points games anyway) and have been reading historical fact and fiction voraciously for around six decades.

    So I guess I may not be the target market! 🙂

    There are 100 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who can work from incomplete data

    #117444
    Avatar photoThorsten Frank
    Participant

    Ok, I´ll add my 5cent/pence to this too.
    A short background: living in Germany –  that´s important because here it´s a very small scene if you aren´t into GW and worse if you aren´t lucky and have a RPG shop with a small wargame section you won´t even know this hobby would exist. And it´s getting complicated through the WWII topic which could easily bring you to be viewed as Nazi. Playing mostly sci-fi, 6mm (and starting 28mm currently) and increasingly solo.

    Having said that, I didn´t knew that the MiniWargames did still exist if there wasn´t a small mentioning in the Hammer´s Slammers group last year. I immediately subscribed after learning the mag does still exist because said RPG shop selling it doesn´t exist anymore for more than a decade now.
    Fetching the first new issue out of the mailbox last year was like a home coming.
    I still own a collection of old issues (with numbers in the 100s and 200s). I completely missed the Henry Hide era and can´t say anything about this time.
    If I compare the themes of the old and the new issues I can´t find a real difference. The mixture is relatively similar (with a small leaning towards fantasy and sci fi today – but that´s not a real surprise) but those themes were in the mag back then too (and I vividly remember the Hammer´s Slammers/Silent Death rules mashup!).
    One thing I notice is that the amount of “unconventional” scenarios is much smaller. I remember a scenario based on the book and movie A Midnight Clear which was for me the first foray into solo playing for example. Or scenarios based on 20th century wars in Africa to give another.

    I very much like the current mag. The news and (book) reviews bring my attention to things I´ve not seen and (again) the market for historical military books is very small here – so if I want to read something I´ve got to go for English language books, websites and mags.
    In contrary to Norm S I like historical articles. Especially on rather exotic topics because I like to get new influences and viewpoints. One of those articles, as an example, was on Dark Age/Age of Arthur in a Wargames Illustrated issue decades(?) back which gave me much to research afterwards.
    Also, I´m personally very flexible when it comes to scenarios. I came into this hobby (and reading mags) by rewriting a WWII scenario for Battletech.
    So I very much liked the siege train double, John.

    Building and painting are also important points (yeah, I know, unpopular opinion).
    One of the point´s Norm S raises is the “they ignore the market of those gamers who mainly or solely game at home alone and are limited to dining or kitchen table gamers” (and following sentences) and I very much fit into this frame. I would like to see more articles aimed in that direction but, as stated, I can live with the current topics.
    One of the topics I don´t like to such an extent are the reports on shows. The last show I was in person was a heavy disappointment for me out of various reasons – but I can understand that they are a thing in the UK and that people are interested in reports on them.
    (AND I´ve got a strong dislike for GW topics(again, various reasons) – if I want to read something about that there´s a mag dedicated to their stuff out there).

    "In strange grammar this one writes" - Master Yoda

    #117445
    Avatar photowarwell
    Participant

    The best wargaming magazine, in my opinion, was MWAN. That might give you some indication of my preferences.

    What interests me:

    • Homebrew rules or reviews / discussions of inexpensive commercial rules sets (Ospreys would fit here) – I’m a rules junkie and love to see new ideas.
    • Scenarios – preferably ones that can be adapted to solo play with low figure density
    • Fantasy, sci-fi, and historical (even though I don’t technically play much straight historical anymore I find that historical rules and scenarios can easily be converted to fantasy, sci-fi. or imagi-nations)

    What I don’t care for:

    • Lots of pictures of lovingly painted 28mm figures and terrain – I am a minimalist so I use hastily painted micro-scale figures on simple terrain. I don’t need to see set-ups that are unrealistic for me.
    • Modelling tips – as per above, I go simple so I don’t need tutorials on making realistic terrain
    • Discussion of the latest expensive, fat, glossy, rules. I find them overpriced so I couldn’t care less.

    I realize that my gaming tastes are fairly idiosyncratic thus I don’t expect any magazine to cater to my wishes. If any did, it would probably go out of business within a month. There are certain blogs and forums TWW included), however, that appeal to me and get my clicks.

    #117474
    Avatar photoRhoderic
    Member

    Here’s my contribution to the Great Wall of Text.

    Mainly, I want a good cross-section of most things:

    * Settings, genres and periods – Fantasy, sci-fi, all other types of fantastical settings that are neither traditional fantasy nor traditional sci-fi by narrow definitions (horror, post-apoc, pulp, VSF and so on), moderns, “Hollywood” / “adventure fiction” style historicals, what-if historicals and of course “proper” historicals. A 50-50 mix of fantastical (in the broad, all-encompassing sense of the word) and historical/modern would be ideal for me. Okay, maybe 60-40, if the question is what would be the perfect magazine for me personally. Furthermore, for each of the above mentioned subcategories, a mix of mainstream themes and quirkier ones would be ideal.

    * Types of gameplay – Massed battle, skirmish and the grey zone in between. Ground, naval, aerial and space. Large tables and small tables. Old-school rules and new-school rules. Asymmetric scenarios and symmetric bash-ups. Campaign games and pick-up-style games. You get the gist.

    * Scales – This is where the magazines suffer. I like all scales, which means I also like 28mm, so I’ll still read a 28mm-centric magazine, but I’d be happier and feel more inspired with a greater spread of scales. Not just the “big three” at that (28mm, 15mm and 6mm), but also the quirkier ones (such as 3mm, 12mm and 35mm, to name three at random), at least occasionally even if only to highlight the fact that they exist. I also feel that the dominance of 28mm in the magazines (and shows) creates discord and divisions in the hobby community, which saddens me.

    * Aspects of the hobby – Painting/modelling, gaming, and the intellectual aspect (meaning historical info or inspirational, useable fiction, as applicable). Each of those aspects can be subdivided further, and I’d like a bit of each of those subdivisions. For instance, one “gaming aspect” article might be a scenario, another might be an AAR, a third might be a discussion on rules design, and so on. There’s also the social aspect (which for the purposes of magazine content mainly means shows/conventions and clubs), but I’ll go over my thoughts on that later in this post.

    The one thing I don’t want a community-representative cross-section of is quality. This is what’s meant to set magazines apart from the internet. I’ll admit it: I want to be sold a lifestyle. I want that lifestyle to look and feel like a quality experience. I want content curation to that end. That’s not to say I only want to see pro/studio paintjobs (I would find that intimidating and overly “hardsell”, which is part of the reason I’m no longer interested in White Dwarf, or No Quarter for that matter). I paint to a “merely OK” standard myself and want to be reminded that that standard will still look perfectly nice once it all comes together on the table (figures/models and terrain/scenery uplifting each other, with nothing having been given less effort than anything else). What I don’t want to see in a magazine is blobby, shoddily based figures fighting over felt cut-outs and printed papercraft buildings. The internet obviously doesn’t and shouldn’t filter that stuff out, but a quality magazine should. Well… alright, I might want the possible exception of a rare article about the charm of very old-school wargaming, using figures like Black Hat’s 54mm range or Irregular’s 42mm range, but such an article needs to be written and composed with particular care to maintain a sense of quality content. As an aside, I don’t consider large tables and spacious gaming rooms to be indicative of high quality. Many of the most attractive set-ups I’ve seen have been 2′ x 2′ or 3′ x 3′ affairs done by people who understand that space is a luxury not everyone can afford. And just to reiterate an important point, I don’t correlate scale with quality. 28mm does not mean “best quality”. There’s the complication that smaller scales seem to be more difficult to photograph in a way that looks nice, but I’ve seen plenty of proof that it can be overcome.

    Some other unsorted thoughts that come to mind:

    I actually enjoy articles of the sort that’s sometimes dismissively referred to as “potted history”. Yes, I understand that to true history buffs there’s nothing to be gained from them. But to me, they’re windows (perhaps even gateways) into interesting worlds that I haven’t yet taken the chance to immerse myself in deeper. Generally I feel that historical articles in a commercially viable wargaming magazine should aim to please “Osprey-level” history aficionados. The more hardcore crowd would never be satisfied anyway.

    Funnily, I actually enjoy “fads” as well (though “fads” is not necessarily the word I’d use myself). I like feeling that the hobby scene is in motion, that there’s a steady (but not frantic) progression of “newness”, and that there’s always something different to inspire me around the corner. However, a good magazine should also revisit things that were trendy in the past, to show that those themes and subjects are still perfectly viable and enrich the hobby scene even when they’re no longer the hotness. It’s also good to acknowledge the cyclical nature of trends in a positive way.

    I like product reviews in theory, but in practice I often find that they just state the obvious (e.g. “These figures have big heads” or “These tribal Congolese could also be used for fantasy games like Ghost Archipelago”). I generally want reviews to focus more on the pressing questions like “How easy is it to assemble?” and “Do they mix well with the other obvious manufacturer of figures for the same thing in the same nominal scale?”. If a new product doesn’t raise any pressing questions like that, then maybe it doesn’t need a review at all, although the mere fact that it’s something new on the market can still make it worthy of inclusion in a less space-hogging way.

    I have a particular interest in terrain and scenery, and dislike hobby attitudes where the backdrops and milieus are of secondary importance to the miniatures. Thus, I definitely enjoy terrain-building and scenery-building articles (but with a focus on quality over quantity), and I want photos of painted miniatures to also be photos of the worlds those miniatures live in.

    As for show/convention reports, they’re fine as long as they focus on high-quality games and displays (in both the text and the photos). I’m not interested to know about the parking, the queues or the ceiling height. Likewise I’m not really interested in the people. That sounds anti-social, but what I mean is simply that there’s nothing for me to take away from a photo of “some blokes”, or the information that so-and-so enjoyed a lengthy chat with so-and-so in the on-premises pub. I have mixed feelings over John Treadaway’s comment earlier in this thread about the (asserted) fundamental importance of shows to the hobby. Even disregarding people who can visit shows and actively choose not to, there are plenty of hobbyists, including myself, who are far-removed from the show scene for reasons out of our control. In my case, I don’t live in the “right” part of the world. A magazine should absolutely not promote the view that “proper hobbyists” visit shows (just as it shouldn’t promote the view that “proper hobbyists” are in clubs or able to convene with name-droppable friends in spacious gaming grottoes). I want show reports to exist solely for the purpose of pollinating anything that’s cool and inspirational about the events to a wider audience in as constructive a way as possible. There’s a danger that these articles can, instead, turn into vanity exercises where a select few pat each other on the back for being in the “in crowd”. It’s not lost on me that this might put writers of show reports in a difficult spot: You want to give credit where credit is due, especially after you’ve had a chummy time with the people participating in a show, so it feels churlish not to write about said people and feature photos of them. Even so, it’s not content I consider worth paying for. All of this also applies to articles that highlight clubs and gaming groups.

    Digital editions are a must for me. I’ve largely given up on owning media in actual physical form – too much of a hassle given everything that media has become in this day and age. Besides, I often read magazines in situations when I’m away from home and naturally wouldn’t be carrying the dead tree product on my person or in my luggage. My tablet, on the other hand, goes most places I go. It’s an Android tablet, BTW. iOS-only digital subscriptions are a slap in the face. Also, sometimes when I read magazines on the go I won’t have wifi, so if I can’t save the magazines on my device, that’s a problem.

    Finally, I think that hobby magazines as a whole need to be approached with certain expectations. One should have a fairly generalist frame of mind. One should be able to enjoy the hobby scene as a gallery of disparate curiosities. One should find inspiration easy to draw even from subject matters that don’t relate directly to one’s own projects. One should be able to appreciate being part of a hobby community for its own sake. One can’t be allergic to “gloss” or “chrome”. For that matter, it’s not as if the internet is inclined to conforming itself to people who stay away from magazines because they don’t cater to their special interests. The only advantage of the internet is that it’s a much bigger pool of material of which to dismiss 99% out of hand.

    #117479
    Avatar photoJohn Treadaway
    Participant

    Well that’s a dozen and a half responses with five dozen opinions!

    It’s a tough gig…

    John Treadaway

    www.hammers-slammers.com
    http://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
    #117481
    Avatar photoThorsten Frank
    Participant

    Well that’s a dozen and a half responses with five dozen opinions! It’s a tough gig…

    Thought the same reading them. That´s really a tough one.

    "In strange grammar this one writes" - Master Yoda

    #117483
    Avatar photoPhil Dutré
    Participant

    Magazines also reflect the change in the hobby over the years. A magazine like Practical Wargamer in the 80s and 90s catered for the wargamer-tinkerer, with a strong DIY spirit. But wargaming has become a consumer hobby, and magazines reflect that. It’s very nostalgic to say that PW was an excellent magazine, but it wouldn’t survive today because the hobby it described and catered for no longer exists, or at least is not the mainstream approach to wargaming anymore.

    One of the function of magazines is to make you feel connected to the hobby as it currently is. And yes, sometimes I also have my doubts about new periods or rulesets, but it weren’t for the magazine, I probably wouldn’t know they existed in the first place. Following blogs is nice enough, but they often fail to pull you out of your own wargaming bubble of your particular interests. A magazine does just that: showing you there’s more than what you usually play.

    #117484
    Avatar photoPhil Dutré
    Participant

    What I would want to see in a wargames magazine is definitely not what I’m going to get, so I don’t spend any time hoping for it. But if Carlsberg made my ideal wargaming magazine it would contain; scenarios for Rapid Fire rules rule mods for Rapid Fire rules historic unit OOBs for Rapid Fire rules …

    Why should a magazine of today cover a 25 year old ruleset with any regularity? A ruleset, which is not widely available anymore, and for a period which is currently very well covered by big commercial titles … ?

    #117489
    Avatar photoDM
    Participant

    Back in the day I looked forward avidly to the latest copies of Practical Wargaming, Miniature Wargames and Wargames Illustrated to pop through the letter box. They were the perfect – and often the only – way to keep in touch with the hobby outside my own small group, the only way to find out about new releases, shows, etc. Articles were an interesting read and I authored quite a few of my own.

    Now though, I can’t remember the last time I bought one. That need for information and contact is ably delivered through websites, blogs etc. Sad to say, but personally the “glossy” wargames magazines no longer feel relevant. Of course they’ll survive, and I still think niche publications and specialist society magazines such as Slingshot and Battlefleet serve a valuable purpose.

     

    #117499
    Avatar photoJohn Treadaway
    Participant

    Of course they’ll survive

    If no one buys them, er… no they won’t!

    Same as if no one games a 25 year old set of rules, no one will make a new set (why would you?).

    Anyway add to that wargames shows (if no one goes) figure ranges that no one buys [Blah blah blah] etc etc (just fill in whatever ‘niche’ of the hobby applies)

    John Treadaway

    www.hammers-slammers.com
    http://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
    #117502
    Avatar photoRhoderic
    Member

    Well that’s a dozen and a half responses with five dozen opinions! It’s a tough gig…

    The main gist of my wall of text post was really that I think the three premium magazines are doing most things right, especially now that they’re becoming more inclusive of fantasy, sci-fi and other genres of speculative fiction. There are some areas where I’d like to see more improvement (most of all having a greater spread of scales) but it feels to me like at least they’re moving in the right direction.

    Of course, my definition of “doing most things right” takes into account that there seems to be a sizeable portion of the community who simply will not be interested in buying unless said magazines commit the suicide move of sacrificing breadth in favour of depth in very specific areas that are never the same for any two people. That’s fair enough, hobby magazine subscriptions aren’t taxes, this is just a hobby and no one should have to pay for a part of the hobby that doesn’t subjectively feel rewarding to them. But that means they also fall outside of the magazine’s optimisation formula. That’s life.

    #117535
    Avatar photoDM
    Participant

    Of course they’ll survive

    If no one buys them, er… no they won’t! )

    Indeed, but I think people will still buy them, just like peope still buy golf, car and railway magazines even though they can access most if not all of the info elsewhere. I was just observing that from my perspective they filled a need in the past that is now catered for by other means.

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