Terrain and games, double standards and dire rules - rant warning!

Started by Duke Speedy of Leighton, 02 April 2018, 02:06:46 PM

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Leman

Also the use of Welsh for the importance of a bridge in some ancients games is an interesting diversion!
The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!

cameronian

Terrain matters, even a plain field can be made to look good, some boards are so awful I just walk away muttering ... 'very nice, really nice', such a bloody hypocrite. Same on TMP, somebody, no names, insists on putting up photos of his (her ?) crap table and we all chip in ... 'very nice, really nice'.
Don't buy your daughters a pony, buy them heroin instead, its cheaper and ultimately less addictive.

toxicpixie

A decent mat/base cloth/terrain board, with some non-game impact scatter terrain can up the look of a flat battlefield immeasurably, even for a "featureless desert" or "unbroken steppe".

Is he confusing skirmish level "must have every tree stump modelled so I can hide behind them" with large scale "only needs the significant bits modelled and the rest just needs to look good" terrain :D
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DanJ

QuoteA Sharpe Practise 28mm player of my acquaintance is complaining of how empty Ancient tables are.

At the risk of seeming harsh, he has two basic choices, go away and stop complaining, leaving people to enjoy their games, or doing better himself.


cameronian

Quote from: DanJ on 06 April 2018, 01:51:07 PM
At the risk of seeming harsh, he has two basic choices, go away and stop complaining, leaving people to enjoy their games, or doing better himself.



That's three choices ... just saying.
Don't buy your daughters a pony, buy them heroin instead, its cheaper and ultimately less addictive.

fred.

Making a game look good is very different to having a good game (to play).

Photos make the look of a game much more important and I have spent time and money trying to improve the look of my table. A modern printed games mat definitely helps, and I have been making bases for terrain using the same techniques as I use for figure basing to replace coloured foam. I think the buildings and trees I use look ok.

But he reality is that once the game starts this all becomes less important. You then get involved in the game. And the overall look is much less important as you are thinking about the game.

But there is obviously a value to a nice looking game, as why would be spend so much time and money on producing a good looking a game rather than just playing a board game?
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Leman

The more I do this the more I'm beginning to realise that I am not really a wargamer, but more interested in assembling and painting model armies, then watching them manoeuvre around on decent terrain. Not in the least interested in games that look as though they are played on something assembled from the off-cuts of a jumble sale. this is probably why I am becoming more interested in solo gaming - then it no longer matters if I forget there is a rule that only left-handed infantry can pass through the mule train on a Tuesday.
The artist formerly known as Dour Puritan!


sunjester

Quote from: Leman on 06 April 2018, 05:30:38 PM
- then it no longer matters if I forget there is a rule that only left-handed infantry can pass through the mule train on a Tuesday.

Heritic! You are obviously using 31.462 Edition when everyone knows that the later 32.765 Edition was amended to "only left-handed infantry can pass through the mule train on a Tuesday, if whistling at the same time."

toxicpixie

You might be left aghast at some of my tables with the printed battlemat! Using them is excellent from a game POV as the terrain, elevations, BUAs etc are all exceptionally well marked and easy to use, but it sure ain't Bruce Weigle style of loveliness! I rather like it as I gives me the feel of a "real" general seeing things from the staff maps, as it were but it's not a patch on "proper" terrain for looks.
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FierceKitty

Quote from: sunjester on 06 April 2018, 06:04:13 PM
Heritic! You are obviously using 31.462 Edition when everyone knows that the later 32.765 Edition was amended to "only left-handed infantry can pass through the mule train on a Tuesday, if whistling at the same time."

Mule trains can whistle? I must include a house rule to allow for this.
I don't drink coffee to wake up. I wake up to drink coffee.

fred.

Quote from: toxicpixie on 06 April 2018, 06:29:52 PM
You might be left aghast at some of my tables with the printed battlemat! Using them is excellent from a game POV as the terrain, elevations, BUAs etc are all exceptionally well marked and easy to use, but it sure ain't Bruce Weigle style of loveliness! I rather like it as I gives me the feel of a "real" general seeing things from the staff maps, as it were but it's not a patch on "proper" terrain for looks.

I've seen photos of this style of game and they look good. It's a very stylised representation but it definitely works - as you say gives a map type view of the battle.
2011 Painting Competition - Winner!
2012 Painting Competition - 2 x Runner-Up
2016 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2017 Paint-Off - 3 x Winner!

My wife's creations: Jewellery and decorations with sparkle and shine at http://www.Etsy.com/uk/shop/ISCHIOCrafts

paulr

Lord Lensman of Wellington
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Orcs

Quote from: Leman on 06 April 2018, 05:30:38 PM
The more I do this the more I'm beginning to realise that I am not really a wargamer, but more interested in assembling and painting model armies, then watching them manoeuvre around on decent terrain. Not in the least interested in games that look as though they are played on something assembled from the off-cuts of a jumble sale. this is probably why I am becoming more interested in solo gaming - then it no longer matters if I forget there is a rule that only left-handed infantry can pass through the mule train on a Tuesday.

+1

Quote from: FierceKitty on 06 April 2018, 07:12:20 PM
Mule trains can whistle? I must include a house rule to allow for this.

Yours Can't !  :-/  Sj's confederate mules whistle "Yellow Rose of Texas", the Union ones "battle Hymn of the Republic.

Quote from: sunjester on 06 April 2018, 06:04:13 PM
Heritic! You are obviously using 31.462 Edition when everyone knows that the later 32.765 Edition was amended to "only left-handed infantry can pass through the mule train on a Tuesday, if whistling at the same time."

I was led to believe that 32.765 was only an errata and new FAQ, not a complete edition - I have been diddled 
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petercooman

I can honestly say, that i don't have the best looking setup. If i game at home, i have to put it up, play, and break it down in one evening.

As said a couple of posts above:

Quote from: cameronian on 04 April 2018, 03:48:11 PM
Terrain matters, even a plain field can be made to look good, some boards are so awful I just walk away muttering ... 'very nice, really nice', such a bloody hypocrite. Same on TMP, somebody, no names, insists on putting up photos of his (her ?) crap table and we all chip in ... 'very nice, really nice'.

Maybe you would walk away from my table then. At least i'm having fun and doing the hobby i like, within my own restrictions.

Not everyone has a dedicated game room with a dedicated table, or space to store specially made terrain boards. Sometimes, what you would call a crap table, is the best someone can have with the means at hand.

Don't be so hard, we all started somewhere far from where we are now. I bet a lot of us can still remember playing their first games on a kitchen table like i did, saving some pocket money for a sheet of chipboard to place over the table. Then saving again to buy the paint to make the board green...

I was 11-12 when i started, and painted those boards myself (i got 2 pieces) , plotting entry and exit points for roads and rivers, to match them up, mixing sand from the garden in the paint, because i didn't have flock. I had some memorable games on them.

We don't start this hobby with a perfect setup in our back pocket. Getting one takes time and effort OR a lot of money to buy one ready made.

Calling someone's table crap because it doesn't conform to what you are used to now, is a bit short sighted, no?


PS: not picking a fight, just wanted to approach that thought from a different side.