During our recent cruise, I made sure that I had plenty of time to do some thinking about what I want to achieve during 2026. One thing that I decided was that I ought to regularly set myself some short-term goals that I can realistically achieve ... and these are the ones I have set myself for the next month or so:
- Paint the buildings that I constructed last December.
- Organise my existing Belle Époque armies into formations.
- Add another army to my Belle Époque project. To this end, I have bought a number of painted 15mm Essex Minatures Zulus so that I can field a Zulu-style army on my tabletop. With luck, they should only need a minimum amount of work done on them (i.e. touching up any damage to their paintwork) before they can be varnished and based.
- Playing around with ideas for a Belle Époque version of the PORTABLE WARGAME that uses smaller grid areas. This will draw heavily on 'The Gatlings jammed ...' Colonial wargame rules I included in THE PORTABLE COLONIAL WARGAME and that were used in my recreation of Joseph Morschauser's ATTACK ON MOROBAD.
- Adding some more vessel to my growing collection of 1/1200th-scale model ships. I particularly want to expand the Imperial Japanese Navy and pre-dreadnought sections of my collection, and I have several eBay purchases in transit that will help me to do this.
None of the above should be too difficult to achieve in the timeframe I have set myself ... and if getting there takes me an extra week or two, so be it!
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Happy New Year Bob! Short-term, achievable goals are a very good idea, and wargames like PW and DoTS encourage one to have them, rather than the old, 'traditional' one of collecting and painting large numbers of figures to refight battles like Waterloo and Gettysburg on big tables.
ReplyDeleteBut I hope a further PW Compendium will be another goal for 2026.
Best wishes, Arthur
Arthur1815 (Arthur),
DeleteAnd a Happy New Year to you as well!
You are right about the advantages of setting short-term goals ... and I am already well on the way to achieving several of them.
You can rest assured that I have plans for another PW Compendium ... if I can get together enough contributions.
All the best,
Bob
I am working on another war game in a tin. A two parter using the same components. The campaigns in 1814&1815 in France. Can Napoleon keep his throne? Tentatively titled Napoleon at bay.
DeleteIf you like it you are more than welcome to include it in the next compendium.
Mark Cordone,
DeleteNow that sounds as if it will interest quite a lot of people! Perhaps that will be one for the next PW Compendium?
All the best,
Bob
BOB,
ReplyDeleteIt is good to have a plan to work towards. I've only one thing to attend to and that is to paint up eight spaceships. Regards. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteI am looking forward to seeing your new spaceships in action soon.
All the best,
Bob
BOB,
DeleteUnfortunately the postage from the UK is very slow- usual to wait twenty days for items to arrive- hopefully the spaceships won't take that long. All the best. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteBefore Christmas, I sent a couple of books to New Zealand and the USA by post ... and the former arrived less than a fortnight later ... several days before the latter!
All the best,
Bob
BOB,
DeleteOnce I have the Spaceship models I can turn my attention to writing up a set of Rules for Solo Gaming. Cheers. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteAre you going to adapt a set of naval rules? That seems to be a common starting point for many space warfare rules.
All the best,
Bob
BOB,
DeleteI'll write up my rules keeping it simple and straight forward- had not thought about adapting naval rules for the spaceships- though a good idea. Cheers. KEV.
Kev Robertson (Kev),
DeleteSounds like a very sensible approach.
If you need any examples of naval wargame rules, email me at bob the temple builder @ gmail (leaving out the gaps) and I can send some to you.
All the best,
Bob
Happy New Year Bob! I'm interested in the Belle Epoque PW. Do you envisage another book?
ReplyDeleteMaudlin Jack Tar,
DeleteHappy New Year to you too!
A PW Belle Époque book? Now there's a thought!
All the best,
Bob
That list is quite extensive, even if it is short term. I also favor relatively easy projects, like painting my mini armies. It's A very nice feeling every time one accomplishes something. 😁
ReplyDeleteMark Cordone,
DeleteIt may be extensive but it is certainly achievable. In fact, I am well on the way to achieving several already.
By the way, I get that wonderful feeling of achievement every time that I see a book published.
All the best,
Bob
Bob -
ReplyDeleteThat's a fairish sized project, and I'm beginning to think that an agenda - or even a goal - is a Good Thing to have in mind. Keeps up the interest, and aims within realisable limits aren't so daunting.
and, of course, it is nice to look back upon a completed project - for a given value of 'completed' of course...
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteI can thoroughly recommend setting oneself a set of achievable goals ... or as my wife calls it, making a list!
Is a project ever quite finished? I have several that I thought were completed ... but there's still that niggling feeling that I could always add another unit or two ...
All the best,
Bob
Hi Bob
ReplyDeleteAlways a good idea to have both a long and short term objective. I like your idea of a small numer of short term goals, so you can switch if one gets too difficult or boring. I also admire your wide range of goals.
Happy New Year
Paul
Paul Leniston,
DeleteA Happy New Year to both of you!
My wife is a great one for lists … and after years of procrastination, I’ve copied her example. I’m already seeing the benefits of setting myself achievable goals … and I’m close to several already.
All the best,
Bob
A belated Happy New Year to you, Bob and good luck with your plans.
ReplyDeleteI avoid making New Year Resolutions because I tend to find that they’ve been abandoned by the end of January! It would be especially foolish this year as I’m facing my second hip surgery towards the end of February, so I’m just holding my breath at the moment.
However, owing to a shift in business circumstances, I know that I shall be pouring a great deal more energy into self-publishing and other self-generated work, including some projects that I hope might interest you and some of your followers, so I’ll be in touch.
As for my own hobby, I’m very much determined to give more love to my 18th century imagi-nations, what with a large pile of my dear Spencer Smiths awaiting paint jobs and the joy I have had playing, recording and narrating a recent, short campaign. It’s like coming home.
Henry Hyde,
DeleteAnd a Happy NewYear to you too!
I also gave up making New Year Resolutions years ago … but I still make plans and lists of things that I want to achieve.
I hope that your hip replacement goes ahead as planned and you’re back on your feet soon afterwards. I am going into hospital next week for a short prostate-related procedure. Nothing as drastic as your operation and hopefully I won’t be in for more than a couple of days.
I am very pleased to read that you are continuing to write your excellent books … and especially your wonderful campaign histories.
I never caught the Spencer Smith bug at a time when they might have played an important part in my wargaming … and now that their manufacture has moved to the US, I suspect that I never will. I chose to go with Peter Laing instead … and I really wish that his range of figures were still available.
All the best,
Bob