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Wargaming Week is Over

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Michael Charge

You might have seen that there hasn’t been a Wargaming Week for the past few weeks and the ones that have arrived are… lacking something. I’ll admit, the fervour that I once had for modern wargaming has pretty much dried up. I can blame this partially on some of the mental health issues I’ve been working through but I’m finding it incredibly difficult to give a damn about writing the once a week update post, especially when the hobby section is nothing more than a reminder of my lack of progress and the news posts are just not that exciting to see.

Frankly, and to stand on my soapbox for a bit, I’m finding there isn’t actually very much exciting news going on (and this started before the madness of 2020 began). Ultramodern releases have dropped to nothing – Spectre appears to be frantically trying to get itself back together after over-extending (taking resin production in house for a small two-person team might have been a bad idea), Footsore is charging way too much for a range that only barely stands out from other makers (and in a sculpting style I’m not a fan of), White Dragon is doing great work (if only their vehicles were the right scale) and the miniatures to the Ultracombat Kickstarter seems to be stuck in (semi-understandable) development hell to the point where I’ve lost all excitement over actually receiving what I’ve paid for. Empress has also diverted towards their Vietnam and WW2 ranges which frankly I can see the reason why (as Paul Hicks does fantastic work). There have been some interesting bits (Contact Front, Battlespace and a version 2 of Skirmish Sangin coming soon) but overall, there is nothing exciting to keep me going. Ultramodern gaming should be one of the most exciting and constantly evolving genres in wargaming but for a while, it seems to have plateaued for me personally – it’s a little depressing seeing so many missed opportunities flutter by.

Proof I’m not quitting wargaming just yet

The blog isn’t going anywhere (I’m definitely not going to delete it) and I’m still going to write stuff once in a while if it takes my fancy. I’m just not going to be doing it every week. And also this isn’t me quitting wargaming by any stretch of the imagination – it’s just that reporting about it every week is no longer as important as it once was.

Thanks to everyone who came along for the ride and kept reading these things. Hopefully you got something good out of it.

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7 responses to “Wargaming Week is Over”

  1. Pete S avatar
    Pete S

    Sad it see it go. I think that ultra modern wargaming is in a bit of a slump. Given the Afghan wind down and the lack of major conflicts with US or UK involvement at that high a profile I think less people are interested in gaming the news. Maybe the release of a new rules set might push things along again but until then I don’t think miniature games will be as big as they were 5-10 years ago….

    Shame really as you say there is plenty of interest to be had when approached sensibly.

    Cheers,

    Pete.

    Reply
    1. Michael Charge avatar
      Michael Charge

      Yeah, I think that’s part of it – but there is definitely an interest in the films and games where people could draw inspiration from.

      But yeah, I think that Ultramodern is so niche, it would need a massive push to drag it back up.

      On the other hand, perhaps now I might get involved in other things!

      Reply
  2. Westbury Wargamers avatar
    Westbury Wargamers

    Actually Michael good call. Trying to blog something new and refreshing every week was a big ask and I think you’ve done the right thing especially if you have other issues going on.
    Regarding ultra moderns, as you know this isn’t our only period, but your point on plateauing is well made and what was quite an exciting niche has now become mainstream and with mainstream comes, well, profiteering. The Spectre debacle is frustrating and if ever there was a lesson to be learned about failing the customer they are it; they took orders they knew they couldn’t fill, their communication has been abysmal, delivery performance is significantly worse than other manufacturers and with no recognition of the fact that customers are paying a premium price. I’m still outstanding an order and once it finally turns up I’m done with them and that is a real shame because it was their figures that got me fired up in the first place – that’s me off my soapbox :)
    Take a breather and regroup then when the mood takes you do a post but only when the mood takes you.
    Be well and hopefully see you at a show in 2021!

    Reply
    1. Michael Charge avatar
      Michael Charge

      Hey thanks for the comment – already feeling the benefits of not having to do it every week, definitely feeling a little more in control of the need to post.

      I’m always a person who blames mistakes/misunderstandings before malice and I hope this is the case with Spectre. I am still going to keep an eye on them because I want the range to succeed, but some of the shine has definitely come off them – a real bugger after having banged the drum for them for so long.

      Reply
  3. Ulysse Lainé avatar
    Ulysse Lainé

    Sad to read that you had to bring it to a stop but glad you’d rather take care of yourself. Get better soon, and I hope you’ll get the enjoyement you deserve in your hobby.
    Cheers from France

    Reply
    1. Michael Charge avatar
      Michael Charge

      Hi, thanks for the message.

      Still going to keep on posting stuff (you might see important news stuff getting a post all to itself) but already feeling better not having the schedule.

      Reply
    2. Michael Charge avatar
      Michael Charge

      Hi, thanks for the message.

      Still going to keep on posting stuff (you might see important news stuff getting a post all to itself) but already feeling better not having the schedule.

      Reply

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