The latest issue of the magazine arrived whist we were away on our recent cruise, and when I saw the words 'NEW LOOK' on the front cover, I wondered quite what I was going to find inside.
The articles included in this issue are:
Well, it is different ... but I'm not sure if the new look will help to improve my feelings about the magazine.
What did I like?
With this issue came an Official Show Guide for Tabletop Gaming Live 2019. Alexandra Palace is not the easiest place to get to from South East London, but if I have enough spare time, I might well try to go along on Saturday 28th or Sunday 29th September.
The articles included in this issue are:
- Welcome (i.e. the editorial) by John Treadaway
- Forward observer
- 10 Reasons to come to Tabletop Gaming Live 2019 by James Winspear
- Defence in Depth: Rule Books and Figures
- Blockbuster: The Hockwald Gap and the attack on the Rhineland: 28th February 1945 by Jon Sutherland, with photographs by Joe Dever
- Send three and fourpence: Dawn of the Planet of the Brand Manager: How to sell your wargames rules by Conrad Kinch
- Fae & Loathing in Talamhlar: Fae Rade warbands in 'The Woods: Second Edition' with text and photographs by Geoff Simms
- The Wild Hunt: A rolling road scenario for 'The Woods'
- Day of the Lead: Prised from cold, dead hands ... an interview conducted by James Winspear, with photographs by Osprey Games
- The Pit: Solo or Cooperative Encounter
- How to assemble your free bunker
- Battle Bros: The life and times of wargaming's most famous twins an interview conducted by James Winspear
- Recce
- Bright Cloths & Warm Weather: Plus a knight or two: what's not to like? Renaissance Battle and Rules to fight them with text by Dave Tuck and photographs by Malc Johnston
- Core Mechanics in Wargame Design: Professional author and rules writer Joseph McCullough – Frostgrave; Ghost Archipelago; Rangers of Shadow Deep – gives us an insight into his creative processes! by Joseph McCullough, with photographs by John Treadaway
- Start Your Engines: Burning rubber with Gaslands: Refuelled an interview conducted by James Winspear, with photographs by Osprey Games
- Exclusive Scenario: Gambler's Run
- Exclusive Scenario: Prison Break
- Barnstomer: The continuing tales of a wargames widow with text and photographs by Diane Sutherland
- Quartermaster: Accessories & Terrain
- Club Spotlight: Lincombe Barn Wargames Society an interview conducted by James Winspear
- The Last Word: Thoughts on the future of 3D printing by Joseph McCullough
Well, it is different ... but I'm not sure if the new look will help to improve my feelings about the magazine.
What did I like?
- I liked the idea that reviews of figures, terrain, and books all get their own separate sections. (Defence in Depth: Rule Books and Figures, Recce, and Quartermaster: Accessories & Terrain)
- I liked Conrad Kinch's thoughts about how to sell one’s wargames rules (Send three and fourpence), and wonder if I should have done some of the things he suggests when I began publishing my rules.
- I found Jon Sutherland's Blockbuster article about the Hockwald Gap interesting, and although I've never wargamed the battle, I thought that his ideas might make a nice starting point for a mini-campaign.
- I enjoyed reading James Winspear's interview with the Perry Brothers, whose sheer range of work I have admired for years.
- I am never likely to become a Renaissance wargamer, but reading Dave Tuck's article entitled Bright Cloths & Warm Weather made me realise why some wargamers love the period so much.
- The monthly Club Directory has GONE!!!
- I thought that Joseph McCullough's The Last Word made some very interesting points about the impact of 3D printing on wargaming, especially as the cost of 3D printing machines is coming down all the time as the quality of the prints they create goes up.
- FOUR interviews in ONE issue! Admittedly, I did enjoy the one with the Perry Brothers ... but was it necessary to have three more?
- I was disappointed by the interview with Joseph McCullough (Core Mechanics in Wargame Design), but that has more to do with what I expected the article to cover rather than what it actually explained ... which – in context – made sense.
- Still too much Fantasy/SciFi content for my taste ... but if the rest of the magazine is of interest, I can live with that.
With this issue came an Official Show Guide for Tabletop Gaming Live 2019. Alexandra Palace is not the easiest place to get to from South East London, but if I have enough spare time, I might well try to go along on Saturday 28th or Sunday 29th September.
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Bob, did you notice the publishers have sneaked in a price increase under cover of the 'New Look'? No mention of it in the editorial - perhaps JT hadn't been told...
ReplyDeleteIMHO, the changes to the layout are perfectly fine, but they haven't really affected the magazine significantly. Which is either good or bad, depending on your point of view. Good to see the Club Directory has gone.
Content, rather than presentation, is my concern; like you, I felt there was too much fantasy/sci fi as opposed to historical wargaming, and too many interviews together in one issue. I appreciate JT has to work with what he receives, but if MW continues to feature fantasy &c so much, historical gamers may conclude (wrongly) that their submissions will not be so welcome.
I think the regular columns are becoming stale, especially the scenery modelling/construction. Conrad Kinch's column is often interesting, but can be rather too long for its actual content. Frankly, I didn't see much point on his advice on publishing rules, which seems more appropriate to commercial operations than hobbyists - he himself admits it's irrelevant to him - other than as a rather sad comment on how wargames rules are often 'packaged' and promoted today. I await with trepidation the next Portable Wargame Codex with full colour, glossy pictures, accompanying You Tube video and Facebook page and 3D printed figures....
Arthur1815,
DeleteI'd missed the increase in price as I pay by subscription. Thanks for pointing it out, as I doubt that I'm the only person not to have registered the increase.
The content does worry me, and I'd rather have a somewhat staid style of presentation and more quality content than lots of visual 'bangs and whistles' that convey very little of interest.
My feeling is that the publishers are gradually lining up MW to be amalgamated with or absorbed into their Tabletop Gaming magazine, at which point I will cease to subscribe.
I've very much taken Conrad Kinch's advice to heart, and the next PW book will be published in full colour and feature exclusive figures and terrain that you can only buy from me ... and with lots of caveats that using the rules with figures etc., from other manufacturers will lead to dire consequences and possibly legal action. I've already signed up Sue, Grabbit, & Runne Solicitors at Law to handle that side of things, and the figures are currently being craved from ivory by young children in a sweatshop somewhere in the East ... like Margate!
(I trust that you have realised that I am having a joke, but nowadays one has to be careful to point such things out otherwise someone will take offence.)
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeletePerhaps I'm an old grouch -who thinks that 'Military Modelling' from the early 1980s is my measure of what makes a good magazine. I balk at paying $22 AUS for a glossy magazine- unless there is a specific article which interests me. For ages I seem to get my reading fix via Blogs and Wikipedia- with very little need for Magazines. Cheers. KEV.
Bob-
DeleteMade a mistake- It is MILITARY MODELLING 1972 which is my idea of a good magazine...I was ten years out- somehow the grey cells and time gets confused. Cheers. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteI wish that I had been able to keep all my old copies of WARGAMERS NEWSLETTER and BATTLE magazines. Comparing them to the magazines that are published now makes you realise just how good they were in comparison.
All the best,
Bob
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteThe early issues of MILITARY MODELLING were excellent, and I occasionally see copies on sale in my local second-hand bookshop. I keep meaning to buy them ... but then I wonder where on earth I will be able to keep them!
All the best,
Bob
There is nothing there to tempt me to buy this issue. Frankly I don't miss my subscription to WS&S. I have kept some back issues which I might check once a year, but thinking about it I might even gives these away, as I look at them so rarely.
ReplyDeleteSteve J.,
DeleteI suspect that you are not alone in gradually giving up on - and giving away - printed wargame magazines.
All the best,
Bob
I recently dug out my binder (I know, that shows my age) containing the first 12 issues of Practical Wargamer magazine (1987 - 1990). I was struck by the actual content of the articles as opposed to their presentation; there was so much more information contained in each magazine that would shame modern, glossy productions. I have now let all of my subscriptions expire to the current crop of magazines as they are no longer of the standard that they used to be.
ReplyDeleteAndy Hussey,
DeletePRACTICAL WARGAMER was a great magazine, and I do have a few copies stored somewhere in my toy/wargame room. They always had content that was worth reading, even if it was not necessarily about a period that was of particular interest to you.
Oh, for the good old days!
All the best,
Bob
Excessive interviews in a magazine smacks of lack of actual content. Admittedly, MW is low on my list of necessities. I much prefer WS&S or the occasional WI. Content is what makes people splash the cash and MW comes up short mainly.
ReplyDeleteKhusru,
DeleteFour interviews in one issue would seem to indicate that the editorial team is scrabbling around for content or the publisher is looking for commercial tie-ins (i.e. pay for a large advertisement or two and we'll give you a couple of pages of product placement interviews).
All the best,
Bob
ReplyDeleteI still buy all three mags, though my loyalty to do is eroding. I bought this issue and it really did nothing for me and I really hate saying that as I have been a staunch supporter of all the mags for so many years.
I would probably subscribe to WS&S if they would only get rid of those ^%$££ opinion columns!
Norm,
DeleteYour staying power does you credit, but I think that as a triple magazine subscriber you are becoming very much in the minority amongst the wargamers that I am in contact with.
Opinion columns ... well they are like Marmite; you either love them or hate them. In my case, if the person making the comment has something useful to say, I enjoy reading their comments, but if they are using lots of words to say very little that is worth reading, then I skip that page and move on.
All the best,
Bob
I'll add my voice to the chorus. It seems like MW, based on profit-driven and related marketing decisions of a few years ago, now tries to be all things to all people. It now misses the mark as a result. I no longer subscribe, and don't really miss it. Blogs and websites scratch the itch nicely for me now as does the yearly Wargamers' Annual. Henry's more recent Battlegames podcasts are kind of interesting, but to be honest I miss the print version of the old pre-merger BG, not to mention the earliest issues of MW. Wargaming mags in general seem to lack genuine substance in 2019. Frankly adding digital special effects to "enhance" cover photographs, or those of tabletop encounters accompanying articles, is gilding the lily in my view and not really necessary. I suppose, like so much else, we are seeing a gradual dumbing down of the hobby as print publications struggle to remain viable and of interest to a younger generation of gamers, many of whom lack the focus and patience to research and build actual armies of more than a dozen or so figures. Of course, continually rising metal and figure prices don't help either.
ReplyDeleteBest Regards,
Stokes
Heinz-Ulrich von Boffke (Stokes),
DeleteI agree with almost everything that you have written in your comment, and especially that the current crop of glossy magazines seem to be trying to hit too large a market and ending up satisfying no one. They have become a triumph of presentation over substance and content.
This morning I was reading through the next issue of THE NUGGET. It is 24 pages long, of which nearly 19 are devoted to wargames that took place at COW2019 or examine an aspect of wargame design. It is unusual in that it doesn't contain a set of wargame rules. It is A4 in size, is printed in black and white, and has only a few photographs and no adverts. It costs between £35 and £15 per year to subscribe, depending upon where you live and whether you opt for the printed or electronic versions, and is published nine time per annum. Compared to the glossy magazines, it seems to be much better value for money ... but then, I am biased as I've been helping to publish it for the last forty years!
All the best,
Bob
Fair review Bob. I still loyally or perhaps stupidly buy all three wargames magazines. I can still hear Donald Featherstones impassioned plea to support the wargaming press but the MW does test that loyalty to the limit. Miond I dont think the Illustrated is much better. Style over substance. All three magazines may be well produced but lack some real meat to get ones teeth into.
ReplyDeleteIndependentwargamesgroup,
DeleteI try to be as fair as possible, but I am getting rather fed up with the gradual erosion of wargaming content in MW.
Like you, I remember Donald Fetherstone's request to support wargame publications, and over the years I've done my best to do so, but recently I've found it more and more difficult. I still buy a hard copy of MW and electronic version of WSS, but I'm not sure how much longer I will bother to do so.
All the best,
Bob
I don't buy MW and only flick through it occasionally. I feel it has lost its way somewhat and the number of articles by staff writers implies a lack of submissions or lack of budget...
ReplyDeletewhen WI arrives I flick through it to check my advert but it then goes into recycling mostl unread. It has gone back to the days of advertorial with the latest issue puffing Black Seas and some Osprey Rules...
I do miss Practical Wargaming and other magazines that ran articles where someone talked about gaming and period or a battle and offered their approx to it, rather than pieces on the latest boxed rules..
But then, I'm old and grumpy... :-)
Mike Lewis,
DeleteI think that all the mainstream wargame magazines have lost their way, and are no longer aimed at anyone who isn't interested In the latest trend/product range.
Comparing the content of the current magazines with WARGAMES NEWSLETTER, BATTLE, PRACTICAL WARGAMER, MINIATURE WARFARE, and the early issues of MW and WI shows just how much the overall standard has fallen over the years.
Like you, I'm old and grumpy ... but the first is unavoidable and the second perfectly understandable!
All the best,
Bob