I haven't picked up a paintbrush since the middle of March during my spring break.  I haven't pulled out an army of plastic models since the last weekend of January when my buddy came up from PA.  What has happened to my tabletop gaming hobby?
Truthfully, two factors have contributed to the recent backseat my models have found themselves placed in: academics and comics.  
I'll deal with the second as it will be the easiest. In the past month or so, I've made over $600+ off selling old, broken computers and my old PC games on eBay.  Now, most WH/WH40k/LOTR players would race out and buy new models.  To be fair, I have replaced a LOT of my generic paints with a bunch of Citadel and Vallejo paints from a recent store's closing.  But really, that's it.  Most (if not all) of my extra spending cash has gone into my comic collection almost exclusively into my Silver Age Amazing Spider-Man issues- though a few key Batman issues were snagged as well.  The truth is that I already have hundreds of unpainted models and little time to use those that I DO have painted.  So, it just didn't make sense to buy more models.  I actually sold off an old Dreadnought and Demon Prince that I had owned for over a year and only sorta painted, and a couple extra Ringwraiths that I didn't need (they were thrown in for free in a larger lot bought earlier in the year).  So, why waste money on models that have little chance of getting painted, let alone played with, in the next year?
Secondly, I've been taking three graduate ****s and teaching two undergraduate courses.  It's been a real **** to say the least.  I find time here and there to run to a comic store, sure, but when the nearest GW store is almost an hour away (one way) and we all know how long a WH/WH40k/LOTR game takes, it's just not practical.  
Of course, my buddy is coming up for Memorial Day Weekend, so we'll definitely be cracking out the LOTR models again.  I'm also thinking I'll give him an introduction to WH40k through the Battle for Macragge just so my Space Marines can shake off the rust buildup.  Of course, the big draw to the weekend will be the comic show we're hitting....which is where my extra $$ for the month will be going :)

In an earlier posting, I talked about my moving away from PC gaming.  The crashing of my laptop about 3 weeks ago has confirmed my suspicions as I have walked away from the PC and moved forward with my Macbook.  She's a real beauty.  Fortunately, my Warcraft III game is a cross computer game, and picked up a copy of Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn for a decent price.  Sure, it's an older game, but the Apple computers are a little behind the times on most games.  Such is the nature of the beast.  Besides, I don't have a lot of time for gaming, and need a reliable computer that won't crap the bed on me every time there's a loud sound nearby *cough* PC!*cough*
And I have yet to play a game of Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000 or Lord of the Rings since the last weekend of January.  Needless to say, 2nd semester has been merciless on free time.  Here's to hoping for a more friendly summer.  

At the end of January, my best friend from high school came up to visit for a weekend of being total geeks.  The festivities included gaming at my house followed by gaming at the GW store (cause let's face it- their tables are amazing to play on), and ending with a trip to the nearby comic book show.  And there was a little beer drinking mixed in throughout.  ;)

Instead of trying to play a little of everything, we focused on one gaming system.  Since LOTR is in my opinion a little more forgiving in its learning curve and more fast paced, I settled on this one for Zach and I to play over the weekend.  Besides, I was still fresh off my kick of starting LOTR as well.  Hours of gaming later, Zach has been bitten by the gaming bug- the High Elf gaming bug to be exact.  No doubt when we next get together, more plastic minis will fall to the roll of a dice!



Zach (L) and I (R) work through the final scenerio in the Mines of Moria boxed set before launching into the first "Mega-Battle" of the weekend- High Elves vs. the Fighting Uruk-Hai!

I've been playing Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 for a few years now.  I still don't really consider myself a veteran player since I am not the person who you take one look at and realize that you will lose miserably.  With my games, you never know.  And the truth is, I rarely care.  I'm there to have fun, spark up some good conversation, and enjoy my little plastic soldiers. 

Having amassed a sizeable collection of armies for both systems (Hordes of Chaos, Beasts of Chaos, Ogre Kingdoms, Night Goblins, Dwarves, Space Marines, Chaos Space Marines, and Necrons), I've recently undertaken the third major hobbyist game by Games Workshop, The Lord of the Rings Battle Strategy Game.  If you've played WHFB or WH40k, then you will be right at home with LOTR.  The truth is, you might just find it a real breath of fresh air. 

What I think sets this game apart from the other 'Big Two' is the turn sequence.  Instead of each player moving from his/her Move/Shoot/Magic/Combat phases of the turn and then passing it off to his or opponent, each player takes their move turn followed by their shooting, etc.  The results in a more dynamic turn sequence where you don't have players zoning out because the other is taking an inordinate amount of time.

While I often find many of the 40k or Fantasy models to look really fantastic, they are nonetheless "cartoonish" in some way.  The LOTR range of models, however, aim for a more detailed and realistic look.  I don't like one more than the other- but appreciate having both.  The only real disappointment is the LOTR models are on a smaller scale than the other models for copyright reasons.  The concern was that Warhammer players would use their models to play LOTR games.  On the contrary, I think it would almost be more likely to see LOTR models in your Warhammer games.  In any event, it is probably the one draw back to  the system.

I also enjoy being able to play a more fast paced game.  I find I'm able to get in a solid 300+ point game in less than an hour's time.  If you are someone who is not looking to quit WHFB or WH40k, but ARE looking for a new system to cut your teeth on, I'd highly suggest giving the Lord of the Rings game a try. 

Its official.  I'm a Warhammer-head.  I collect too much stuff from Games Workshop, and in the 3 months since I've moved out of Kansas and set up shop in Connecticut, I've not played a single game of Fantasy, and I only played the Battle for Macragge game with a friend back home in NY. Yet, in that time, I've managed to add on some Lord of the Rings gaming material, some new Space Marine scouts, a Predator, a Venerable Dreadnought, and 5 more Marines.  Let's not get into my comics. My wife is possessed of both infinite good humor and patience for putting up with this :) 

Still, I am hoping to get a club started at a local comic store.  The people have heard about Warhammer, and the owner is intersted but not too well informed on the subject.  So, I think I might try and get a club started here.  Hopefully something will take off.  I'd like to get some more games in soon anyhow.  I miss watching my little plastic and pewter men die. :-D 

Its such a great hobby though, and I find the painting to be so relaxing- much more so than computer games have been for me as of late.  I'm glad I got into this hobby- one good thing I got out of the Army before leaving. :) 

So yeah- my name is Forrest, and I'm a Warhammer-head.  :)

Over the past year, I've noticed a significant drop in the amount of time that I've spent playing games on my PC.  In fact, I'd say that 2005-2006 have been the two years I've played less hours on a PC than even some of those years before I HAD one!  (Due to many weekends spent at friends houses up all night playing on theirs).  And I've asked myself, "Why is this?"

I'm not entirely certain, but I think that it has a lot to do with the need for new material.  Please don't get me wrong, the things that they are doing with the technical aspects are improving significantly over the years... it's just that I feel like we keep playing the same games over and over again.  I know it's not just me either- as a regular subscriber to both Game Informer and PC Gamer magazines, I've read a number editorials and write in letters making the same complaint.  We need something new, fresh, and truly next generational in game play- not just the tech specs but the story telling.

Now, I still have racked a couple hours each playing video games, but I find it more on my X-Box for those quick fixes instead of long, drawn out adventures, a la Knights of the Old Republic I & II or Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War as more recent examples.  I wish developer would focus less on the MMO and get back to the single player games.   And I know I'm probably relatively solo on this given the millions they are making on the MMOs, but frankly, I don't care how good a game is- once I pay the price to play it, I think it's wrong to have to pay to keep playing it.  Otherwise, at least distro the game for free and then charge for monthly use.  But I digress...

Anyhow, there are a few titles on the horizon that I am anxiously awaiting to see how they turn out- Neverwinter Nights 2 and KOTR III are prime examples.  I'm hoping for some creative and original material from Games Workshops upcoming efforts as well for both their Warhammer: Mark of Chaos and Warhammer 40,000: Dark Omens games.  Again, we'll have to wait on the MMO version. 

And there's my soapbox for the night. 

This weekend I sat down to finish up my second series for my Syracuse Orangemen in NCAA 2005 Football, and pick up a back-to-back National Championship.  While I played this game a lot on my PS2 (64-1 winning record), I still find myself falling back on it for hours of enjoyment on my X Box.

I think it's great when you're able to find a game that has continued replayability.  All too often I find that once you've seen all the bells and whistles for a title, then it's lost it's appeal and settles into collecting dust.  This is a game I'm really finding has proven itself.  I like the fact that you have an AI that can take care of itself even if you make a bad play, but will still allow you to switch players during the action in order to make the big play.  It's complext enough to show you how the actual game works, but easy enough for the non-sports fan to get hooked. 

Needless to say, I find myself counting down the hours until I get to leave work to pull up some space on the couch and drop some long passes and drive the ball into the end zone.  :wink:

The Bait:

Have you been following the X-Men from the time Angel lost his feathery wings to Apocalypse, or when The Joker killed off Batman's cohort, Robin?  Or maybe you're in the middle of rereading "The Lord of the Rings" for the umpteenth time and making a point to memorize all the smallest, minute details?

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The Hook, Line, & Stinker:

The fact is, many of us from the gaming community are also avid followers of other hobbies ranging from comic books, movie fantatics, avid readers of science fiction or fantasy, role playing, tabletop war gaming, and all others sorts of stuff.  If there is one thing that can fill us simultaneously with dread and excitement is when we discover that our *insert subject* is going to be the subject matter for a movie.  Over the past years, there has been a growing trend towards publishing movies based on these different subjects, and that quality (it's relatively safe to say) hasn't always been a home run.  Still- there are some ocasions where they do the original justice and please the fans.  When it comes time to develop a game based on the movie which was based on the books, games, comics, etc, we see the content has been watered down enough that only a select few games can actually live up to their franchise namesake. 

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The Biggest Violator:

How many times have you walked into your local video game store to find that the newest installment of the Star Wars video game line has been released?  Probably not too often since many of us have been reading the previews in the magazines, checking the websites, etc, and are walking on the release day all-too aware of what's going on.  Unfortunately, how many of us have unwrapped the game, installed it onto our computer or loaded it into our console to realize too late that we have just been sold a bomb?

While LucasArts has truly come up with some amazing games (a la Jedi Knight series, KOTR series), they have also come up with notorious bombs- such as any of the Prequal based games, Bounty Hunter, etc.  It's disappointing to see a franchise that you have grown to love be abused solely for the sake of making a buck.  In my own mind, however, I try to look at like good actors doing bad, high budget, mainsteam movies: you do the commerically successfully movie so you have the funds and ability to make the low-budget, quality Indie flick.  Maybe LucasArts and other developers need to mass-produce the mediocre quality games to build funds up to produce the Knights of the Old Republics of the gaming world?  A possibility. 

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Keep Fishing or Being Fished:

I think it's important if you want to avoid being the fish by the companies for these franchise games, you need to use the right equipment to fish out the right games from the wrong ones.  Good gaming magazines and websites can provide some insight to what the pro's expect the game to bring to the table, and how well it will play out.  Look at the developer's track record over all and within that genre of game for some indication as to their success on future ventures.  And, you can always cross your fingers at the checkout.  :)

 

The Layout:

As it stands, there is a big debate in Washington, and across the country as to the content found in many of today's video games. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas brought it to the forefront, but this was an issue that was going on well before we started taking orders for "hot coffee". The elected officials and special interest watch dogs cite numerous statistics of how many of these games have contributed to the continued violence in America's youth. Advocates for the gaming industry equally demonstrate statistics that show how gaming has many benefits for youth and it does not in fact have the same level of negative effects that these social conservatives would like to have us buy into. So, the question stands for us- the general public to decide what to make of the situation.

My Two Cents:

I think it's interesting how gaming has evolved into more than just it's namesake of being a game. It has now developed into visually interactive entertainment- a modern hybrid of our old "Choose Your Own Adventure" books and our favorite movie genre. Of course, when we were children, we played with children's things. Now that we are adults, we aren't satisfied with the same toys that we played with as children. It would only be common sense that our games would develop and mature along with those who play them. I think it only natural that games will now have more violent, sexual, and mature content. We don't climb into our cars and watch The Care Bears at the movie theaters, so it wouldn't make sense to play something for hours that doesn't fall in line with our interests.

That being said, I also do not believe that children should be allowed to play games like Doom3, Vampire Bloodlines, and the like. The experiences and events in a child's life will in now way prepare him or her to understand the line between reality and make believe. The fact is that there are somethings that are appropriate for adults but not yet for children. Maybe in my older age (25 going on 26 :D) I am beginning to think a little differently about some issues, but I still get upset when I think of seeing some 9 year olds at the South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut movie.

I think it's important that we enforce the age requirements on movies and on video games. If a parent chooses to purchase and allow their children to play those games, then so be it. That is there choice. I think that we as a society, however, have an certain obligation to take the higher road on this issue and not peddle our wares as quickly as possible without thought as to whether or not the parents want to expose their children to that material. Once we reach the age where we are old enough to play them, however, I don't see it as constitutional to inhibit the public from being able to choose their medium of entertainment and the companies from developing and creating new forms of entertainment.

The Bottom Line:

We need to protect our children- they are not always able to filter out the good from the bad. but once they are no longer kids, we need to protect their rights.

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