Eclectic Gamers Unite!

I like to play games.  I like to play lots of games.  I would like to play more games than I currently get to play regularly   While I spend most of my energy on 40K, that doesn't mean I don't like Warmachine, Flames of War, Dystopian Wars, Uncharted Seas, Firestorm Armada, ext, ext...  Unfortunately, reality only allows me to play one game system on any kind on a regular basis.  Time and money are the big factors for the most part.

Money is pretty significant hurtle to overcome, but over a decade of hobby gaming has allowed me to accumulate collections across a broad spectrum of game systems.  I would have a much larger collection if I had not developed some very strict rules on when I allow myself to buy miniature games.  Rule 1: I have to have time to paint it.  Rule 2: There has to be people to play with.

I've broken this rule a couple of times.  This is why I have an unused copy of Space Hulk and both of my Dystopian War and Firestorm Fleets.  Following this rule has kept me from double the size of my Dystopian War and Firestorm Fleets and from starting a High Elf Fantasy army.  It's also keeping me from getting back into Flames of War.

So really, time is the big constraint.  If I have no time to play or paint, then it's a waste of money to get into a game.  Wasting money is a big pit fall for me thanks to the sunk cost fallacy.  The more I spend; the more I want to spend to justify what I've already spent.

I would like to branch out a little on a regular basis and play other games, but I can't justify the expense if I'm not guaranteed to have the regular basis in the first place.    If I knew I could get in at least 2 games a month of Flames or War, I'd defiantly collect some British armor as soon as I finished my Tau.

The ironic thing here is that Indy has a big FoW community.  Unfortunately, they primarily play on weeknights at stores that are an impractical distance from my home and office for weeknight gaming.  While you might have the occasional gamer that pays for both sides, the communities tend to give each other a wide berth.  The Fantasy guys and 40K guys and the Warmachine guys, and FoW guys don't play on the same days.  There's practical considerations behind this.  Game stores have limited room, and it's not good to have players from a half dozen systems competing for table space.

When I was in college and single, I could spend two or three nights a week at the game store.  With a full time job, a full time wife, and at minimum a 30 minute commute to a game store,  I can't do it anymore.

So, today I had a thought.  Wouldn't it be nice if there was a gaming club that focused on the eclectic gamers of the world.  Able Company and Hivefleet do a great job for the FoW and 40K communities respectfully, but I think there is a need for a club that focuses on the entire miniature gaming community.

A primary job for the club would be to organize a gaming schedule.  It would pick a day and a local store to set up shop in, and set up a rotational schedule of gaming systems.    For example: the first Saturday of the month is 40K/Fantasy, the second is FoW, the third is Warmachine, and the forth is anything goes.

Something like this would allow people with limited gaming time to play all the games systems they like, without having to juggle their schedules so much.  It would also help alleviate the often encountered problem of gamer burnout.  People just get tired of their games when they play them too much.  Spending some time playing something else would give people much needed break.  Too often people end up switching games by selling off one army to buy into another game.  I've always regretted the times I've done that.  I'll eventually want to play the game I sold again at some point.

What are peoples thoughts on this?  Is this something anyone but me would be interested in?
   

Someone else has to be crazy enough

I bought the Saganami Island Tactical Simulator a while back, and have never had the chance to really play it.  It's a starship combat system set in David Weber's Honorverse.  It has inertial 3d vector movement, so not a simple game.  Any other crazy people out there willing to play a game of it with me?

Oh No, Not Again

I played my first game of Warmachine in 3 years yesterday. It was kind of refreshing.  Hard to tell if the MK 2 is that much of an improvement from one game, but is does seam better.  I played a 35 point game against legion.  I was running Haley, the T-Head, a Defender, a Lancer, and a full unit of long gunners with attachment.  It seams that Cygnar still plays the same, but they do still feel bland next to the tricks the legion player got to pull off. Most of my stuff was prime units anyway, and they have always been lighter on special rules.

I'm still kind of sour on Privateer as a company.  They are more like GW that their fans would like to admit. I'll probably get the rule book and the new cards, but i'm not going to buy any knew models.  Even with quitting the game three years ago, I still have 80% of the Cygnar model available.  I also have enough legion models that I shouldn't have to buy any of those either.

Speaking of new rule books and cards.  Privateer really took me to the cleaners on books from the last edition that are now worthless.  Prime, Escalation, Apotheosis, Superiority, Prime++, Hordes, Evolution, Pirates Book, and Mk1 Faction deck.  Not counting the books and decks I need to play MKII; that's close to what I've spent on 40k rules over the last 10 years,and a third of my 40k books are still usable. There are even 2 MK 1 books I didn't even buy.

Amateur Game Design

I've never been happy with any WWII naval games I've tried. They end up being too complicated or too unrealistic. Seakrieg 4 vs Victory as Sea. I've read a few books on naval history, and attended several military history courses in College. No rules set I've come across for this period accurately replicates the history as I've imagined it. I wanted to find a naval rules set like Flames of War. One that blended an accurate historical feel with good solid playable rules.

About a year ago I set out to write up my own rules for WWII fleet battles. I put together an initial draft of some rules and play tested it once. I discovered some flaws and wrote a second draft. About that time I picked up Uncharted Seas, and that scratched my itch for naval war gaming. I never got around to play testing the second draft.

Recently I've been eager to resume my development on this game. As it currently stands the second draft only contains rules for surface gun battles, but I have lots of ideas on how to incorporate submarines and aircraft.

If you're at all interested, check out the Pages widget on the right panel and find the Decisive Victory link. I've included a few sample ships as well. I'm interested in any feedback you may have.