Multiple projects at once?

[Steve J]

I have lots of projects on the go, but in true wargames butterfly fashion am easily distracted. Painting time is limited due to the usual work/life balance issues, so I tend to paint when I'm in the mood and what grabs me at that time. This approach works for me.

[mmcv]

Thanks for all your comments, interesting reading!   

I think Norm hit the nail on the head, with armies taking so much time to put together your interest can shift quite dramatically. Past few months I've had less time for painting so has been slower progress. Though as orcs said, it's good to get to a usable state before moving on.

I like Paul's idea of building up projects incrementally and had actually been changing my ECW plans a bit to get some smaller armies on the table rather than the "do one big army then the other" approach.

That way I can have a big project on the go but do mini projects to add to past ones to expand. A few of you seem to be taking that approach, and is quite appealing.

I quite often listen to audiobooks, lectures and podcasts while painting and try to listen to ones that cover the period that I'm working on to keep interest high. However, as I'm also listening to things while going to work or making dinner I either run out of things to listen to on the period, or get onto another period and start thinking about a project there!

[Leman]

Yes, I have both a lead and a plastic mountain. I also have sufficient figures painted up now to play WOR, Dark Ages, Italian Wars, SYW, ACW, FPW and WWI games. Consequently I now tend to do what Steve does and add units and scenic material on a whim. I have now reached the point where the big purchase has ended. Time and finances are against that at the moment. But it does mean that now I can pick up units to paint that really interest me, rather than feeling under pressure to complete stuff to keep others happy. I think my only regret is that the Boer War will either never happen, or if it does I will be in my 70s.

[steve_holmes_11]

First up, I try to avoid describing hobby activities as Projects.
It sounds far too much like what I do at work, and Project has a very specific definition there.
I'd hate to have any of my wargame stuff measured by project standards.
I'd certainly fail on any measure of finishing by deadling or staying within budget.

There are obviously other gamers who take this stuff far more seriously, so I've o intention of criticising their language.

These days it tends to be rules that lead me into a project.
Some introduced by gaming friends, and some discovered on-line through forums like this one.
If impressed, I'll sketch out some small forces - possibly progressing to purchase, painting and play.

My problem is that rules that look good on the page don't always produce an enjoyable game.
Or sometimes the game wears quite thin when you realise it's another rehash of "Romans can't lose".

I wish I had a better sense of - these rules are interesting, but will also make for a great game.
It's a very subjective call.


I attempt to exercise control, and that equals one set of figures under development at any time.
However some sets get shelved, occasionally abandoned, but usually ready to pick up when life allocates me some leisure time.

To balance this, I definitely experience different painting moods.
Some days I'd like nothing more than to spend an hour slapping base colours over 48 figures.
Others, I'll spend the same time painting shoes or hat-bands in 12 figures.
I find it helps to have a production line in both senses of the word.

1. Mass production - and keeping batches at similar stages of completion.
   Always do the task for all figures of the unit - otherwise you'll spend half your next session looking for the guys without painted hat bands.

2. A continuous flow, with batches at different stages of completion.
   This seems a contradiction, but I'll have primed units, basecoated units, and units undergoing final detailing.
   I can then select a unit requiring the sort of work that suits my mood.
   What I won't do is split individual figures form a unit (see point 1).


This approach results in overlapping projects (I said it).
As one approaches completion, there is only fine detailing to be done.
So as one winds down, I start another one (either un-mothballing an old set, or starting afresh).

[mmcv]

Hi Steve,

I can completely understand the reluctance to use "project" in a hobby/work context, though for me it's not a word we use often in work so having a hobby project at home doesn't feel like a job. I do enjoy the planning and experimental stages, as well as scoping out what potential rule sets are out there to get ideas for flexible basing, etc, and admit to having some docs and spreadsheets for ideas and figure ratio calculations and army list plans. Means I can invest time in the hobby when I'm not actually at my painting desk. Even been jotting down some ideas for my own rule set to play around with for a future samurai project.

I think I'm reluctant to spend a P+P fee on a small order of just a couple.lf bags, so tend to wait until I've a lot done, then buy a load more figures all at once to work on next so they arrive as the current project winds down, like yourself.

I do tend to batch paint a unit or two at a time. A lot of my painting is done in small doses, when I have 30-40 mins here and there, so doing production line style painting fits well. Then when I have a longer stretch to do something can take my time over the details.

[SV52]

Usually more than one on the go; one being prepped, one just primed, one initial painiting done, none of which could be conected, and there could be a kit under construction as well.  Variety, as they say  '...is the spice of life.'

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Basically, always!

[Techno]

It's not quite the same thing, but I have anything up to half a dozen 'projects' on the go at any one time.

Very rarely, I'll have just a couple on the go.

Even when I was doing all the Korean War figures (Does that count as one 'job'....or do I count all the different nationalities & Summer and Winter kits as separates ?)......I was converting 30mm master metals for one of Leon's friend's firms.

I like doing those.....But the desk does get VERY messy with all the white metal dust, all over the place !! 

Cheers - Phil

[Ithoriel]

I have projects, yet unfinished, that started in the 70s.

If I don't have at least half a dozen "active" projects and three times that "on the back burner"  it's because I have more than that!

[Ben Waterhouse]

I have not finished anything, and I have been painting toy soldiers since 1973...

[mmcv]

 

[Leman]

Eg, I have just sat down after preparing some 2mm/3mm scenery for painting (used a Brigade Models factory as a stand in for the Tishamingo* Hotel in Corinth), whilst at the same time adding completed 10mm French standard bearers to half a dozen FPW command stands.

*I think that's how it's spelt. Can't get up to faff about looking it up.

[Orcs]

Eg, I have just sat down after preparing some 2mm/3mm scenery for painting (used a Brigade Models factory as a stand in for the Tishamingo* Hotel in Corinth), whilst at the same time adding completed 10mm French standard bearers to half a dozen FPW command stands.

*I think that’s how it’s spelt. Can’t get up to faff about looking it up.

And women say we can't Multi- task !!

[Cavillarius]

From my limited experience, only having (re)entered the hobby about a year ago and currently on my 4th & 5th armies that will fight each other, I'd say 1 project at the time. I tend to go overboard/get gready/develop an OCD on whatever is my current project and build up a mountainous lead pile on that alone. I want all the various types of troops and in convincing numbers.
This drive towards completeness comes with a drive to complete. Doing more than one project at the same time would leave me unfulfilled for too long, and if there is one thing I do not want from a hobby, it is frustration (believe, I've had my share of that in other hobbies).
So:1 massive multifacetted project, preferably with one or two armies i can later find more new enemies for (in my case1870-1900 Colonial Brits, many different enemies after the Afghans I'm starting out with.)

[Womble67]

For the last couple of years I've been trying to concentrate on a single project at a time, but it's really not easy as I'm so easily distracted.

Take care

Andy