Question for you guys.

Do any of you have the same problem as I do?  I currently have in my collection of metal, painted and unpainted, these armies; Archaemenid Persian, Republican Roman, Carthaginian, Marian Roman, ECW Royalist, ECW Parliamentarian, GNW Swedes, GNW Poles, GNW Saxons, GNW Danish, AWI British, AWI Rebel, Napoleonic Austrians, ACW Union, ACW Rebel, WW2 Finns, Dark Elves, Dwarves, Beastmen, Ratmen. 

I have books (and rules) that cover all of these and more stacked on increasingly deformed shelves.  Books in my 'to read pile' cover Crazy Horse and Custer, Wellington and Napoleon, Stasiland, several Charles Whiting WW2 books, Redcoats and Rebels, The Wars of the Roses, A Japanese version of Singapore, The Thirty Years War, Mark Urban's 'The Rifles', The Sword and the Prophet (General Gordon and the Madhi) and The Long March (Chinese Civil War).  I'm currently reading books on Elizabethan spymasters.  Which is handy really as the subject title on this post is Elizabethan English and means 'Johnny do it all' an early version of 'Jack of all trades'.

I understand that there are some people out there who actually stick to one period and sort of become experts in it. If that's any of you, what's it like?

The way I'm going I'll end up as either a dilettante or polymath? 

At least I've got my recently ordered Pendraken French Indian War armies (French and British) to look forward to.  That'll make me feel better. Know any good books?

Quote
Do any of you have the same problem as I do?  I currently have in my collection of metal, painted and unpainted, these armies; Archaemenid Persian, Republican Roman, Carthaginian, Marian Roman, ECW Royalist, ECW Parliamentarian, GNW Swedes, GNW Poles, GNW Saxons, GNW Danish, AWI British, AWI Rebel, Napoleonic Austrians, ACW Union, ACW Rebel, WW2 Finns, Dark Elves, Dwarves, Beastmen, Ratmen.  

Sorry - not sure I see the problem here...

QuoteI understand that there are some people out there who actually stick to one period and sort of become experts in it. If that's any of you, what's it like?

No idea - must be a bit weird though, eh?  

QuoteAt least I've got my recently ordered Pendraken French Indian War armies (French and British) to look forward to.  That'll make me feel better. Know any good books?

You can't go wrong with The Last of the Mohicans for some decent flavour - and the Day Lewis film is top-notch too if you ask me...

QuotePendraken French Indian War armies (French and British) to look forward to

Just remember that, in this one, the French are Canadien, and therefore the good guys.

Quote from: Leveller Mutineer on 24 January 2011, 09:11:11 PM
Question for you guys.
...
I understand that there are some people out there who actually stick to one period and sort of become experts in it. If that's any of you, what's it like?

I read just about anything history, war or wargame related, but as far as gaming is concerned, I try to limit the things on my table at one time.  At the moment I have WW2, Glorantha (fantasy), SciFi and some pulp on.  I have a Roman Army, Celts, Germans, all warlord/GBP 28 mm (Crusader).  Dwarfs, Goblins, Orcs, Giants, (for Warhammer)Babylonians, Greek hoplites (only painted, never been used)

I focus mainly on pulpy SciFi and WW2 at the moment, and within WW2, I have chosen a specific theatre (D-Day) which I try to finish before starting something else.  Not to become an expert in it, but because real life, work, and my huge sexual appetite leave me with little time for hobby related activities, and without some time management it becomes a painful experience where I never get anything finished.

Apart from that, I see no reason whatsoever to restrict yourself to only one or a few periods.  I intend to do more WW2, particularly Blitzkrieg and Barbarossa, I love the new Samurai and always was a sucker for Nippon history, I want to do ACW, I will do Napoleon at one time in the future (retirement maybe  )  And why stop there...

QuoteSorry - not sure I see the problem here... 

The problem is I'm collecting so many armies that I hardly have time for gaming.  I actually own painted figures that have never seen action.  

QuoteYou can't go wrong with The Last of the Mohicans for some decent flavour - and the Day Lewis film is top-notch too if you ask me... 

Bet you can't guess what I watched last week before I ordered the FIW stuff 

Watching and reading stuff is fatal.  Even as I was posted the Beefeater clip in Fun Stuff I started thinking about what Tudor armies I could get.  I caught a clip of a documentary about the Spartans last stand at Thermopylae and had to turn over before I ordered a Spartan army.   
I'm glad I'm not the only one with this affliction.  I wonder if we could come up with a name for it. 

QuoteJust remember that, in this one, the French are Canadien, and therefore the good guys.

And very pretty in their nice white (or grey) coats.  I did write an article in Miniature Wargames, many years ago, that said the French only lost because of Montcalm's distrust of the Canadien militia and Iroquois.  Very interesting period.   

My main interest is WWII and has been since I was a kid. However I game, or will game the following:

Ancients
Late Roman
Anglo-Saxon/Norman
Byzantine
Crusades
War of the Roses
ECW
AWI
Pirates
Napoleonic Peninsular
ACW
Colonial
SCW
WWII
Cold War
Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Most of our club members will game pretty much any period, but a few do stick to one era, be it Napoleonic, WWII etc.

Quote from: Pruneau on 25 January 2011, 09:01:17 AM
my huge sexual appetite...I will do Napoleon at one time in the future

I love being able to judiciously edit...I should be a tabloid journalist 

Quote from: Leveller Mutineer on 25 January 2011, 01:04:53 PM
The problem is I'm collecting so many armies that I hardly have time for gaming.  I actually own painted figures that have never seen action.  

Me too - although I do make a conscious effort to try to avoid this...at the moment, Pendraken battlegroups that haven't had dice rolled at them in-anger:

WW2 Italians
WW2 D-Day US Paras

Must correct this 

THats easy Nik... give them to me 

Quote from: nikharwood on 25 January 2011, 09:22:18 PM
I love being able to judiciously edit...I should be a tabloid journalist 

Hehe, someone is reading what I write 
For the record, I wouldn't!  He's been dead almost 200 years!

Quote from: nikharwood on 25 January 2011, 09:24:21 PM
WW2 Italians
WW2 D-Day US Paras

Plenty of options to pit these against each other in Sicily e.g. Piano Lupo

LM you are suffering from Wargamers' Disease. It's incurable i'm afraid.

I must however applaud a post that includes the words Factotum, Dilettante and Polymath. This really is a better class of forum (unless you are reading the Top3 totty thread of course).

Quote from: Pruneau on 26 January 2011, 07:34:53 AM
Hehe, someone is reading what I write 
For the record, I wouldn't!  He's been dead almost 200 years!

Don't knock it until you have tried it...

Nosher - that's dead funny mate 

Quote from: nikharwood on 27 January 2011, 08:02:08 PM
... dead funny ...