I spent part of yesterday going through some of the storage boxes in my toy/wargame room, and I was struck by the fact that I have two large projects that have been in suspended animation for some time.
The first is my Napoleonic collection. I had managed to renovate, varnish, and based nearly nine hundred figures before my enthusiasm for this project petered out some years ago. I estimate that I have at least another three hundred to do, including a complete Russian army.
The last batch of Napoleonic figures that was renovated, varnished, and based. They were done in June 2017!
The second is my Eastern Front/Great Patriotic War collection, which is even bigger than my Napoleonic collection but not as well advanced. Part of the collection saw action last year when I ran my play-test Operation Barbarossa mini-campaign ... but the need to complete and publish THE PORTABLE PIKE & SHOT WARGAME book, and the discovery of cancer in my bowel, diverted my attention from continuing work on this project.
I have been thinking about what to do about these stalled projects and have come to the conclusion that I ought to try to spend a fortnight to a month on one project, then switch to the other for a similar amount of time. This would be interspersed with work on other projects (e.g. THE PORTABLE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR). By adopting this sort of approach, I should be able to make progress on both without becoming bored with either or both of them.
Hi Bob -
ReplyDeleteI find that doing stuff as the mood takes me is one way to progress even when enthusiasm is at a low point. The hardest one to keep going right now is the Blog spot!
I'm still poking around with the Blacklands War as Word file, but not sure it really works as such. About halfway through now.
Cheers,
Ion.
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteI must admit that since coming out of hospital just before Christmas, I have found it difficult at times to maintain much enthusiasm for even short term projects. Doing odd bits and pieces has helped, but it is not as satisfying.
I am looking forward to seeing your completed ‘history’ of the Blacklands War. I am sure that once it is finished, you will be very satisfied with the end result.
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteSometimes the veritable 'Hill' of Projects can become somewhat daunting- we need a breather or circuit breaker to refresh and re-group our efforts. I'm only two weeks into my Doctor WHO Project and although there isn't much to do- I'm balking at starting the Rules Writing...guess I need to give myself a dose of confidence and a belief that I can in fact do it. Your idea to concentrate efforts for a month on a project- such as Napoleonic- is a good idea- sometimes rushing a project can be our downfall- with a month available you can take your time to do good progress spreading the tasks evenly. Stay well there in London. Cheers. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteI seem to have lacked motivation to do much since I came out of hospital, and looking through my stalled projects made me realise that I could do work on them a little bit at a time, in the hope that making some regular progress would help to to get me motivated.
Good luck with your DR WHO project.
Keep safe and keep well,
Bob
Looking forward to seeing these projects progress further. I do bits and bobs of different projects as I feel inspired but do feel that each session is a step forward towards completion.
ReplyDeleteTradgardmastare,
DeleteThat is exactly the sort of thing that I want to achieve; regular small steps, but all in the right direction!
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob
ReplyDeleteGood to see that you are getting our enthusiasm back, and have the energy for a new project.
Also good so see your Napoleonic's again.
It is interesting to consider how much our approach differs. You enjoy completely different projects, and maintain your interest in tackling a different period
I tried that in the early days, but found that I was better suited to one period.
Nothing wrong with either approach, as long as the result is enjoyment and satisfaction.
It would be boring if we were all the same
best regards
Paul
Paul,
DeleteI must admit that my enthusiasm for wargaming has been affected by recent events, and I am hoping that doing some work on my existing projects will help re-energise me.
I would like to use my Napoleonic collection more than I have done recently, and getting the Russian troops renovated, varnished, and based will allow me to field French, British, Prussian, Dutch-Belgian, Brunswick, Hanoverian, and Russian armies. More than enough to fight a variety of campaigns!
I do like to have a variety of different collections, but it would be nice if there was a degree of overlap. For example, I’ve been thinking of adding a native Indian army to my Napoleonic collection so that I can fight an India-based campaign that involves British, French, and Indian troops.
I wish that I had your single-minded approach to wargaming as well as your specialist wargames room. Mine has to do duty as a storage space, library, workroom, and wargames room ... and needs to be at least 50% larger!
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of Napoleonic India
Many years ago I read Jac Weller "Wellington in India", which fired my imagination, but I got bogged down with traditional Napoleonic.
Then Bernard Cornwell came out with (I think) three Sharpe books based in India. Each a good read if you enjoy Sharpe books.
So plenty of inspiration for your project.
You are right that I am fortunate in having a permanent wargames room, and even more so in having a wife who also enjoys gaming. I could not have created my wargame campaign without the first, and it would not have lasted long without the second. So I am indeed very lucky.
But we had just as much enjoyment from the hobby when I only had a handful of airfix figures and we wargamed on the kitchen table, or occasionally on the floor!
In our different ways we share a long term interest and passion for the hobby, and that is what is really important.
And I am sure it will help you recover from your current medical problems. A positive approach to life is just as important as good medical support.
Get well soon
best regards
Paul
Thistlebarrow (Paul),
DeleteMy online opponent - Gary Sheffield - was the first person who really made me aware of Wellington’s campaigns in India, followed by the Sharpe novels set in India. The fact that Indian armies combined all sorts of different types of unit - including elephants - appeals to me as a collector of odd types of unit.
I had hoped that my toy/wargame room would be used exclusively for my hobby, but over the years, space has been gradually taken up with other stuff ... such as two large, portable air coolers for when the weather gets too hot.
My wife has no interest at all in wargaming, but she understands its attraction as she collects dolls houses as well as doing genealogy.
I bought a copy of AIRFIX BATTLES when it was published in the hope that it would recreate that ‘kitchen table wargame with unpainted figures’ feeling, unfortunately,mit didn’t ... although it is a nice game that can be fought using the counters that are supplied in the box in place of a couple of boxes of Airfix figures.
I have made so many long term friends and acquaintances thanks to wargaming, and even if I never meet some of them, knowing them has enhanced my life.
All the best,
Bob
PS. My health continues to improve, although I am not able to be as active as I was. Going up stairs continues to be very difficult at times, and may well push us into moving into a bungalow or house with less steep stairs.
Hi Bob
ReplyDeleteWe planned our wargames room, with its adjoining area and shelves for figures and scenery. However I have since had to share the table with washing machine and freezer. And there are now a second set of shelves for spare groceries. But a little compromise never harmed anyone.
Sorry to hear that your recovery is not as fast as you hoped. But it is still early times, as we get older it does take longer to recover. Hope you are not forced to move home, unless that was always part of a long term plan.
Paul Leniston,
DeleteI had also hoped to keep my toy/wargame room sacrosanct ... but life has an unfortunate way of modifying (or even derailing) one's hopes, but as you comment, a bit of compromise never harms anyone.
I 'discovered' yesterday from a daytime TV programme that having a stoma is regarded as having a 'disability', and that lots of people have real physical and psychological problems when they have one. Comparing what I heard with what has happened to me, I have begun to realise that I am in a much better place than a lot of other people with stomas, and some of the follow up questions I was asked after my operation about my mental health make far more sense than they did at the time.
I have since done a bit of research, and discovered some real horror stories. Some people will not leave their homes 'just in case' the colostomy bag 'fails' or smells (they don't, as they have special filters on them), and others have undergone serious loss of self-confidence because they no longer feel 'in charge' of their bodily functions. I never wanted to have a colostomy, but I am enough of a realist to know that it was a much better solution to my problem than the alternative! Furthermore, I was brought up by my parents to have a 'can do' attitude, and quickly accepted that I had to live with myself the way I was, and not to constantly look back to 'better days'.
I am getting better - slowly - but I do now have a weak bladder as a result of the operation, and I find climbing stairs difficult. The former is not an unusual problem in men of my age, and the latter can be dealt with by either moving house (and possibly getting a bigger and/or better toy/wargame room!) or investing in some stair lifts.
All the best,
Bob