OF THE HOPELESSNESS OF SOLO GAMING AND MORE.

Everything in sight, linked to, was tried. A collection of sorts, that has clever ideas aplenty, that can manage some sort of small games (notably “Adjudant introuvable”-who can only attack though) up to a point. Could not find a way to have an enemy doing reasonable things, with hidden troops (a fundamental thing post 17th century), “thinking” more than one turn ahead. It just is not interesting. Nothing can replace a decent human opponent. I will be long dead (and or we will be gone third world/dark ages by then) when a robot can do it. An old pal wargamer, known for 20 years+ is also coming once every 3-4 weeks for a 4 hours partial game. Partial for it rarely finishes the games to a conclusion, even Sharp practice at times.

I have a huge, dedicated game room full of goodies. A dream come true, but too late, the wrong century. This morning when doing exercise, I wondered what to do with this, when I give up miniature games. A sort of come back to the origins: to boardgames and now computer games?

I started gaming in my late teens, when a friend brought from Paris one of the first local historical boardgames. Hooked, we bought more; then later I organized a big (too big) tour in the USA where we visited SPI, tourists but with a wonderful set of ANG and air force bases + Dayton show. Yes, I was also modelling planes back then, and reading “Airfan”. Imagine, just write letters to “see if” to the bases Public relations officers, always getting enthusiastic simple kind answers. Back before the muz brotherhood had enough money to get everyone scared of too many things and other people. Later I moved to “the city” where I put a note on the wall in one of these shops where you found games, some figures, cards etc. Got myself into a club playing miniatures, mostly ancients with WRG! At the same time regular visits to the holy grail of wargaming, the UK brought more stuff, more games, notably Empire rules. Thus 10years of devout 6mm napo games with 4-8 players, 30 times or more a year.

You see the thing. A few years later got a dedicated game table, but not so big, and a stressful more than full time job. The dream went on, persist, that one day I will really be able to play campaigns, all the battles, big games and smaller linked games. Now theoretically I can. But in fact not; the teeming, teaming (?) gamers of the past century have vanished.

Within 1hour drive, I have say 400000 people ( 2 million within 2hours), 2/3 of whom are of the same civilization (in the 80s it was 600000 elsewhere, with 9/10). There are 3 groups of gamers (total 15?), two are clubs of maybe 4-6 playing twice a month an afternoon on 1.2x18m tables, enough for them, for decades. One club is more a social thing, most playing fantasy, boardgames (non-historical/family). Another has a bigger table at home (a beautiful room) occasionally playing but does not go anywhere.So while still attracted to , even painting new stuff (aie those printed minis!) whenever the testing , the experimenting, studying historical battles or rules will be done, I look around and ponder if this all worthwhile. Mass of money, efforts (I am more a gamer than a painter) for what?

In truth, without fooling myself, there is no way the 30yw, 7yw, 1809,1812, 1813, 1815, 1870-71 campaigns will ever be done. I have operational (with my pal for some) AWi sharp Practice; MEG Punic wars; medieval Lion Rampant (soon 100yw battles-again-previous set for DBm was sold);. 7YW, AWI sharp practice; Napoleonics (most), 1870, naval ww2+ ww3. 

When we play (when He plays) only Age of Valor (1870-offset of Fire and Fury) is mastered as so easy self-explanatory system as there are not enough games of any subject within months to keep proficient in them .It also contributes to the dwindling (despairing) interest. Games have to be challenging. 

Most players who still call themselves “historical wargamers” actually play unfinished short games on small tables, with at most 100 figures, a few trees and 2 houses, with rules that are first of all social games dressed up with a costume of history. In some ways, just change labels, costumes and that mean a new “period”. The “period” with “factions”. There is nothing wrong per se, with these games, this is just not my thing, for this as for many other things I won’t bend to fashion and herd compliance which is probably why I am alone, besides the dwindling/dying number of able gamers. Many will think this a rant of an old grumbling elitist wargamer who thinks these things too seriously. You might be right. And it surely has to do with the near complete collapse of the education system, the new products of it (already for decades-so 2nd-3d generation) unable to decipher texts, don’t even think reading 50 pages, short attention span, very low simple math ability (guess what wargames and thinking ahead?) and that missing 7 hours of playing a week, easily day after day wasted using both thumbs on images and mindless 140 characters. Sometimes I also wonder when running outside, what Chinese archaeologists in 1000 years will say of those tiny metal figures buried (dumped in the house collapse?) after I passed away and the rest too. Oh well, lets go painting those Tyrol revolt minis, it will be a valid reason, additional valid reason to go to Innsbruck.