The 2011 edition of British Defence Doctrine (BDD) states that 'maintenance of the aim is regarded as the master principle of war' ... and yet we wargamers so often forget this when it comes to our own projects.
I am as guilty of this as anyone else, as the events of the past week have shown. A week ago I was working on a modified version of BATTLE CRY that would be 'aimed at fighting battles from the earlier part of the twentieth century, and include rules that cover simple tanks and aircraft'. The rules are finished ... but remain untested.
Five days ago I started to base up some 20mm-scale Russian World War II troops that have been sitting in a box waiting to be based FOR SEVERAL YEARS. The bases are undercoated ... but are still unfinished.
I also fought a short battle/campaign using some cobbled together rules, figures and dice from MEMOIR '44, and a game board from RISK: LORD OF THE RINGS. The whole thing showed potential ... but I have yet to begin developing the idea in any serious manner.
Four days ago a blog entry by littlejohn about a battle that he had fought using a version of my PORTABLE WARGAME rules set me off on another tangent, and led me to re-format the existing rules so that they fit onto one side of a piece of A4 paper ... but I have yet to use them in a game.
As far as I can see I have worked on at least four separate projects in the last week ... and have yet to complete any of them! I have therefore decided that today I am concentrating on making some progress with the figure basing with the intention of using the figures to test the modified version of BATTLE CRY that is printed off and sitting on the desk next to my computer.
My watchword from now on will be MAINTENANCE OF THE AIM ... until reality and human nature intervene and I get diverted yet again!
I am as guilty of this as anyone else, as the events of the past week have shown. A week ago I was working on a modified version of BATTLE CRY that would be 'aimed at fighting battles from the earlier part of the twentieth century, and include rules that cover simple tanks and aircraft'. The rules are finished ... but remain untested.
Five days ago I started to base up some 20mm-scale Russian World War II troops that have been sitting in a box waiting to be based FOR SEVERAL YEARS. The bases are undercoated ... but are still unfinished.
I also fought a short battle/campaign using some cobbled together rules, figures and dice from MEMOIR '44, and a game board from RISK: LORD OF THE RINGS. The whole thing showed potential ... but I have yet to begin developing the idea in any serious manner.
Four days ago a blog entry by littlejohn about a battle that he had fought using a version of my PORTABLE WARGAME rules set me off on another tangent, and led me to re-format the existing rules so that they fit onto one side of a piece of A4 paper ... but I have yet to use them in a game.
As far as I can see I have worked on at least four separate projects in the last week ... and have yet to complete any of them! I have therefore decided that today I am concentrating on making some progress with the figure basing with the intention of using the figures to test the modified version of BATTLE CRY that is printed off and sitting on the desk next to my computer.
My watchword from now on will be MAINTENANCE OF THE AIM ... until reality and human nature intervene and I get diverted yet again!
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May I ask where your as yet unpainted Spencer Smiths are in this target rich environment?
ReplyDeleteI too suffer from a lack of direction from time to time although I take it as a blessing when I can turn to a different project when the current one fails to inspire.
I also have a number of wargaming friends who drop little distractions in my lap from time to time.
Keep on plugging away Bob!
Jim
I long to have the time to work on 4 different wargaming projects in a wekk, regardless of whether ay get finished or not.
ReplyDeleteSuch is the lot of the working man.
Jim Duncan,
ReplyDeleteThe Spencer Smith figures are in the 'to do' pile ... but not in the 'urgent, needed for a game' pile!
I suspect that my lack of aim since COW has a lot to do with the initial fatigue and confusion that I felt when I got home (i.e. physically tired but with lots of ideas generated by the games I saw and/or took part in).
Working on a couple of projects at a time is no bad thing ... but trying to do too many does divert one's efforts somewhat.
All the best,
Bob
Trebian,
ReplyDeleteI sympathise with your plight ... but one day you will also be retired and have as much time to wargame as you like!
All the best,
Bob
Good point and I love the comment "target rich environment", but at the end of the day this is not war, this is a hobby (shout it out like in the film "300" for the full effect I'm imagining.
ReplyDeleteAaaah. Very familiar - I share your plight. Maybe we can get credit for fulfilling the "Flexibility" principle of doctrine. :)
ReplyDeleteWhy are you reading comments on your blog post?
ReplyDeleteShouldn't you be working on one of your projects?
You really haven't gotten the hang of "Maintenance of the Aim" yet, have you?
Good Luck. Although I suspect it's a lot like trying to walk to the moon.
I don't get distracted.
ReplyDeleteNow this portable game looks interesting - sure I got some hex maps somewhere.
I could use flats (zinnfiguren)
Thanks
We all do it start off doing one thing then get side tracked
ReplyDeleteYou are right on track as long as your aim is Enjoy Life. ;)
ReplyDeleteAshley,
ReplyDeleteIt may not be a war, but sometimes it is a battle for me to get anything done!
All the best,
Bob
Hadik,
ReplyDeleteI like your style! I think that we would all find it very easy to excuse our lack of fixed direction down to 'flexibility'.
All the best,
Bob
SAROE,
ReplyDeleteIn answer to your comments ... Well I actually did some work on the figure basing before giving in to the temptation to read any comments (The bases are now painted and awaiting some flock ... after which they will be finished!).
It was a struggle ... but I did not give in.
All the best,
Bob
Mark Dudley,
ReplyDeleteI wish that I had your iron will ... :)
(By the way, flats would be ideal to use with the PORTABLE WARGAME, so if you have some, why not use them?)
All the best,
Bob
Johntheone,
ReplyDeleteWargamers are like butterflies; they flit from one colourful thing to another without the slightest hesitation.
All the best,
Bob
Pat G,
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right ... but it would be nice to actually finish a project once in a while.
All the best,
Bob
Don't worry about maintenance of the aim...
ReplyDeleteFirstly, your hobby activities are clearly fulfilling their purpose - providing diversion and entertainment.
Secondly, if Afghanistan is anything to go by, the British Army doesn't really bother with this stuff either - from what I have read the aims are either unclear or keep changing, or both. But hey, what do I know?
Best wishes for your future variety of aims.
Keith Flint,
ReplyDeleteBut I do worry ... because once in a while I would actually like to finish a project and not leave it half done!
As to the British Army ... well it goes where it is sent, does what it is expected to do, and tries to maintain its doctrine as best it can ... and we can't ask more of it than that.
All the best,
Bob
I keep meaning to post a list of the things that have distracted me on my own blog, but somehow I keep getting distracted by new things.
ReplyDeleteArquinsiel,
ReplyDeleteAs General Melchett might have said:
‘You know, if there's one thing I've learnt from writing a blog, it’s never ignoring a diversion. I knew a blogger who made the mistake of ignoring a diversion. Fatal error! 'Cos it turned out all along that other bloggers who been diverted had been ignoring his blog because he had ignored his diversion. In the end, he had to stop writing his blog. Blog totally destroyed ... by ignoring a diversion!’
All the best,
Bob