Sunday 1 April 2012

So where has BigRedBat been?


I’ve been posting rather rarely on the BigRedBatCave, and much less evident on the wargaming boards, and I thought I might post a brief explanation of why and where my thought processes are going, and get it straight, in my own mind about what I’m going to be doing next.

Firstly, I’ve been unusually busy at work for the last six months, and there has been a good deal of pressure, too.  Working longer days and not knowing with any sense of reliability that I’ll be able to leave at 5:30 has put paid to my usual evening gaming sessions. I’m also too tired to face setting up/knocking down a game as I used to. This has meant that I’ve not run an evening gaming session since last October, the longest period I’ve gone without a wargame (of some description) in around 30 years.

Secondly, I found myself becoming frustrated with TMP, where I was hitherto very active.  I felt I spent too long reading the posts, and also became increasingly frustrated by the cross-posting and occasional trolls.   The last straw for me was Allen Curtis being banned, as I often enjoyed his posts and he had more historical knowledge than the rest of us added together.  So I’ve gone cold-turkey, let my subscription lapse and not posted there since November (although I do still, sometimes, skim the ancients boards).  I miss my friends from there, but, on balance, I feel it was a good call.

Thirdly, I cut back on big projects, abandoning a large game that mon ami Greg and I had planned for Salute, and a Zama-sized game for Partizan.  I just haven’t had the time to do them justice.

Finally, I recently stopped cruising eBay.  I’ve spent far too much on minis and have a huge backlog of units to complete and base up, both Ancients and my new Napoleonics.  The numerous boxes of painted but un-based miniatures are even more depressing than the even more numerous boxes of unpainted minis.  I have spent far too much over the last few years and it really is time to cut back, and even sell off some army surplus, although I am still getting some minis painted for me.

So what have I been up to, instead? 

Well, I’ve still managed to do a lot of painting/basing, which I can fit in late in the evenings and which I find relaxing.  Over the last 6 months I have got almost 500 Napoleonics ready for the table,  and also have perhaps 400 more from my former eBay purchases in some stage of readiness.  I also have a good number of Romans (mostly Caesarian and Early Imperial) that I really need to base, soon, along with a fort to house my legions.  In the short term I haveve decided to power ahead to finish a couple more brigades of French, whilst I have the bit between my teeth, before hitting the Romans again, after the summer.  

Gaming is a tricky one.  In all honesty I still haven’t got the energy, at the moment, for a regular weekly session, but I do need to work out a way of fitting in some play, even if only once a month or so.  I also want to get around to a lot of shows this year, and also play some games at weekends if I can manage it.  I did manage to play yesterday wtih RTB and friends, near Nottingham; more about this, later, on my very own Spanish ulcer...  I must say I did have a great time and came away with some excellent ideas for modelling projects...  there’s a snap of my dragoon division, above, charging onto the table for the very first time.

Cheers, Simon

14 comments:

Handgrenadealien said...

My sympathies Simon, as someone who is self employed and also very busy I can appreciate your frustrations at not being able to game on a regular basis. I'm also with you on the subject of Mr. Curtis being banned from TMP, other than being possessed of an ascerbic wit and not suffering fools gladly I really can't see what the problem was .
Keep up the good work.
Regards HGA.

Caliban said...

Good to hear from you, Simon. It will all balance out in the end...

Anonymous said...

Nice to have you back Simon

Paul´s Bods said...

Alan got banned..??? Why?
Nice to see you back :-D
Cheers
paul

BigRedBat said...

Thanks all, I will be posting more often from now on.

Hi PaulB, there was a row about bullying; IIRC Allen had a difference of opinion about ethics with the Editor. It didn't seem like a big thing, to me...

Christopher(aka Axebreaker) said...

Hi Simon,

That's still amazing amount of miniatures painted and to such a high standard that you maintain!

If your looking for a new regular forum then Lead Adventures Forum is a great place to go if you haven't visited in awhile. The professor has even added new separate categories adding more periods making it easier to focus on what interests you. Very nice folks there as well btw with a good flow of traffic.

Christopher

BigRedBat said...

Hi Christopher, thanks- I'm OK, hanging around WD3 and generally spending a bit less time online. I'll have a look at LAF, though. Cheers, Simon

Cyrus said...

Good to see you back posting Simon, your Napoleonic and Roman projects sound pretty impressive. That's a pity about Allen on TMP and a real loss for everyone visiting it.

legatus hedlius said...

I think in the current economic climate many of us are working longer hours than we did!

I really only look at TMP to keep up with new releases. I find most of the discussion boards a waste of time but also miss Mr Curtis who pitched in on my side when I had an altercation with the organisers of Salute about Nazi sympathisers being given an inappropriate platform a few years ago.

BigRedBat said...

Hi Legatus, I remember Nazi-gate, too! Our game was set up next door to the Hitler Youth, who, in my memory, are singing "Tomorrow Belongs to Me". ;-)

Not long 'til Salute.

Simon

Matt said...

Simon,

Good to hear that your getting back on track. Real life is very important, but toy soldiers are important too ;o)

As for all that TMP business ... I thought it was just a game between gentleman. :-S

Look forward to more posts.

Kind Regards

Matt

Curt said...

Good to see your dragoons all arrayed on the table - they look magnificent!

Curt

Galpy said...

Sorry to hear about work taking up so much time, it seems to be a part of life these days, you've still done a heap of figures and it great to see you posting again
cheers
Kent
Ps I am now looking at purchasing the aventine minutes after seeing them on your site and talking to a friend.

BigRedBat said...

Thanks chaps-

Matt, yes it is easy to take the hobby too seriously; I'm trying to develop a more chilled attitude.

Kent, am pleased you like the Aventines; which range? The new Romans are magnificent...

Cheers, Simon