Divided by a common hobby

[Luddite]

It occurs to me (obviously) that wargaming is a global hobby. 

However, unlike many global hobbies there isn't an 'international federation' or anything like that to provide a unifying body or experience (except Games Workshop?)

So the question is, are there any significant differences in the habby across national borders?

Do Americans engage with the hobby in a fundamentally different way to the British or the Spanish?

Does anyone have 'international experience', or opinions on this probably pointless topic?

Is the hobby simply too diverse even within nations, to begin to characterise 'national character'?

Would it be possible or even desirable to establish and 'International Federation of Wargamers'?  What would it do?

[Luddite]

Rather oddly, i'll kick off by answering my own question, or rather derailing my own thread...its been one of them days.

10mm is a great scale for figures.

I love tournament play.

There are no major tournements that see massed 10mm gaming, in the way 15mm has had DBx and now has Field of Glory for example.

I think this is a real shame and would love to see something similar for 10mm develop.  Is it possible do you think?  How would it happen?

Could Pendraken hook into a 10mm ruleset and do some sort of tournament system?

[GordonY]

The Franco-Prussian Pendraken rules are well worth a read, although its one of the many periods I havent done yet.

[Shecky]

The one difference I'm aware of is that convention games here in the states are primarily participation games while in the UK they are primarily demonstration games. And the presentation of those games differ somewhat - in the states, while some game hosts put together a beautiful table, the scenery is often more utile than artistic, secondary to the purpose of the game. What I've seen of demo games on the UK, the hosts spend a lot of time building terrain boards and other scenery.

[Hertsblue]

Wargamed in South Africa many years ago. In those days it was much like in the UK (i.e. pretty basic). The only difference I can recall is that the SA gamers were more into adapting and converting, due to the lack of figure suppliers.

[DanJ]

There are no major tournements that see massed 10mm gaming, in the way 15mm has had DBx and now has Field of Glory for example

There were bianual WMA tournaments in Nottingham, however WG pulled the plug as it wasn't a "core rule system" 

Fortunately it's now moved to Maelstom Games HQ in Mansfield  , I can't remember the date off the top of my head but it's sometime in October.  Last year we played 3 1250 point games on Saturday and two 2000 pointers on Sunday.  Very very good days.

I think the Bournmouth club runs a WMA tournament and there's also one near Chester - not sure of the dates.

[Leon]

There are no major tournements that see massed 10mm gaming, in the way 15mm has had DBx and now has Field of Glory for example.

I think this is a real shame and would love to see something similar for 10mm develop.  Is it possible do you think?  How would it happen?

Could Pendraken hook into a 10mm ruleset and do some sort of tournament system?

I think the tournaments need a strong 'brand' set of rules to get enough interest, which we currently don't have.  It would be nice to do in the future, but I imagine organising and keeping track of it all takes a lot of man-hours.

[Spenno]

but I imagine organising and keeping track of it all takes a lot of man-hours.

I'm sure if you asked there would be alot of people on here who would do that for you

Steven

[Leon]

I'm sure if you asked there would be alot of people on here who would do that for you

I'm sure there would be, but I wouldn't want to be creating rods for other peoples backs!   

[Luddite]

I think the tournaments need a strong 'brand' set of rules to get enough interest, which we currently don't have.  It would be nice to do in the future, but I imagine organising and keeping track of it all takes a lot of man-hours.

Well, i'm surprised you haven't produced those rules old boy.  Decades making toy soldiers after all...

It seems to be the 'big player' business model (GW, Battlefront Minis, etc.), (re: our email discussions on that topic)

[goat major]

I think if it took off then there would be a fair amount of volunteer organisational help (e.g. look at the huge 40k scene - only a very small number of tourneys are organised by GW)

You could go the route of dedicated 'house' ruleset, or alternatively think about sponsoring an existing ruleset but with a 10mm competition. For example when you look at the competitions at Derby http://www.worldwargames.co.uk/ there is a 15mm FOG competition and a 28mm Impetus competition. I guess because someone has shown an interest in organising them. A joint promotion with a rule producer could be beneficial both to Pendraken and the publisher perhaps ?

[Spenno]

I'm sure there would be, but I wouldn't want to be creating rods for other peoples backs!   

Your to nice, people would not offer if they did not want to do the work

[Luddite]

Aye 'house rules' are a double edged sword i guess.  It gives you control over the product, but also tends to limit you figures range appeal doesn't it?

I'd tend to support a suite of Pendraken rules, provided they were good (*glares at Polemos*).

[goat major]

I think Baccus has the right idea originally in being able to use Polemos to promote 6mm where no obvious rules existed (like GNW, WSS) - so it made it easier for people to make the decision to invest in 6mm. For me its less obviously successful when its up against better rulesets in other periods (like Napoleonics).

[Leon]

Well, i'm surprised you haven't produced those rules old boy.  Decades making toy soldiers after all...

Like everything else I've got on the burner, it's finding the time to get something sorted.  When I'm not emailing, I'm casting, when I'm not casting, I'm packaging, when I'm not packaging, I'm on the Totty thr... oops...   

We need us some slaves...