I’ve dabbled with all popular scales. 6mm, 10mm, 15mm, 25mm, 28mm, 32mm. They all have there strengths and weaknesses of which I will not bother to go in to here – there’s plenty of debate on the forums to that effect.
When I threw myself into 15mm as my ‘scale of choice’ I sincerely felt if offered the best of all worlds. I was looking for a ‘single scale’ to do everything from mass battles to skirmishing. And it does – for a through and through gamer. But I’m coming to realise that’s not what I really am. I’m a dabbler. Something of a magpie without any clear plan or agenda. I approach a project with a gamer’s perspective but never really ever fulfil the end ‘gaming’ goal. It merely acts as a motivator rather than a target.
Recent dabblings with the larger cousins of 15mm has made me realise this. I’ve gone in big with Zombicide (see below) and a few other larger scale miniature boardgames (Black Plague, Conan, Guildball) and terrain even (Battlesystems and MDF stuff). And the recent back-door KS of Oathsworn critters too has rattled my confidence in my almost exclusive 15mm bias. Likewise, any hope of getting back in to the club-gaming scene would more than likely need to see a relaxation on the scale restriction (rooting around my old boxes of Mordheim, Brettonian and Norse miniatures for a Forstgrave Warband only added to this).
The scary thing is the ‘collector’ syndrome. I love ‘character’ miniatures and it’s not news that the 15mm market is comparatively restricted and small in that particular department. Therefore as a ‘collector’ it is feasible to actually ‘collect’ quite a large chunk of what is available. Apply this same ‘collector’ syndrome to 28mm and, well… forget it.
So, that all said, expect some larger miniature appearing in these parts in the future. I return (non-exclusively) back to my roots of 25/28mm goodness. Here are some of those Zombicide miniatures I mentioned (still a couple of hundred to go).
Guildball Fishermen – almost completed. Other teams primed or still in there bags!
I totally understand where you are coming from. I dropped 25/28s some years ago due to both economic and time reasons. I thought 15s solved both my problems but I still haven’t played more games with them.
Frustrating isn’t it?
I think the conclusion I’m slowly coming to is that I’m not an ‘active gamer’ at all, but someone that uses ‘games’ as a means to an end – i.e. justification for painting little people (and aliens, robots, monsters, etc) and building little worlds for them to occupy. A psychologist would have a field day – repressed childhood escapism… Maybe I’ll ask my therapist the next time I see him 😉
On the 15mm front I still look at them and think they look ‘right’ and 28mm is too large. They are big enough to paint well but take half the time. But not ‘as good’ as 28mm. And not ‘as accepted’ for the type of games that interest me most.
Frustrating isn’t it?
Yup,it is frustrating! Well, I look forward to seeing whatever else you paint to add to your universe.
“I think the conclusion I’m slowly coming to is that I’m not an ‘active gamer’ at all, but someone that uses ‘games’ as a means to an end – i.e. justification for painting little people (and aliens, robots, monsters, etc) and building little worlds for them to occupy”
You know, I think you have just summed me up too.
Great! I thought I was alone. Thanks for dropping by. Really like what you have done on angel barracks and am keeping an eye out for your character range coincidentally mentioned them on a TMP forum post just the other day…
So. If we were to be labelled then what would we be? “Grown children” or maybe “insular escapists”?
Ignore the last question. I hate labels. I enjoy what I do and hurt no one so that’s enough for me.
I would label you as someone with a hobby they enjoy (and a much better painter than myself).
Your postings about yourself do describe myself reasonably accurately.