Friday 7 April 2017

The Seven 'Leadly' Sins: Or how I became a Lazy Gamer!


Confession time, I think I have become a lazy gamer. Bloated, stale and decaying at an alarming rate. You may be wondering why I would make such an announcement so let me explain my thinking in the simplest terms. 

Hobby life has become just too easy. 

Where once I'd trawl the internet for any scrap of information about 1980s Warhammer, or Games Workshop in general, now I let it ooze tardily onto my tablet, phone or computer. There is just so much content out there in 2017, more than I would have ever dreamt possible way back in 2010, that with zero effort, my social media feed can be packed with old school warhammery stuff. Working with others, I have created and contributed to many social media groups with the Oldhammer banner and watched as the users of many of these groups stretch into the thousands. 

It's just so easy to contact another like-minded individual that I have been taking it for granted. The trading groups allow me to circumnavigate eBay and avoid the scalpers and the comedic BIN merchants who ask extraordinate sums for pretty standard models. Thus, I sit upon a mountain of lead - so much so that I have forgotten what I actually have and now purchase duplicates of models I must have held in storage for years. But do I paint any of it? 

Rarely.

In the past, I would spend my free hours writing (what I thought to be, anyway) interesting posts about my chosen period of GW history, interviewing alumni and waxing lyrical about other Oldhammerers and their fantastically painted old school models. 

Now what do I do? Scroll a backlit screen with a grubby thumb like any number of zombified individuals, letting a (to be honest) pretty banal tide of fake hobby news, tirades and hypocritical utterances wash over me. 

These wasted waters have nearly bleached my hobby will to nonexistence. 

And to make matters worse, I contribute to that spreading morass of digital dross instead of getting off my backside and cracking on with some hobby. The more I selfishly consume, the more uninspired I become until that hobby spark, that love for old school Citadel and it's Warhammer World fades to an exhausted ember. Looking over my hobby life, I have identified seven 'Leadly' sins that I am guilty of committing in recent times. In sharing my shame I hope to cleanse my hobby soul in the purifying fire of righteousness (of the 979-92 variety, at least). So, in now particular order - here we go! 

1) Sharing 'look what I have got' bragging posts


I have posted one too many of these over the years. Dead lead - unloved and unpainted is of little interest to me (and I must admit to complaining hypocritically about this trend in the past) and must be an equal annoyance to other social media users. Yes, I bought some old figures. Big deal. I bought some old figures last week and no doubt I shall buy some more in the near future. It doesn't really require posting about, does it? I could spread out all my '80s hardbacks on the carpet too, couldn't I? Oh yes, that is what readers what to see and nice spread of Realm of Chaos books and other rare Warhammer publications. What a waste of time! I am very guilty of this and it must stop! 

2) Photographing masses of unpainted lead 


As above, an utter utter self indulgent exercise sure to bore the hind teeth of any discerning enthusiast. Why did I do it? Probably because these are desirable models in many ways and I picked them up cheap somewhere. Whoopy-do! How can my purchases be of any interest to the common man? Now, if I pulled my finger out and got some of these models painted things would improve rapidly - only I don't because I am too busy taking stupid photographs such as this one! 

Bell end!

3) Being too absorbed in my own collecting


Looking back, I am not sure when I disappeared up my own backside but I am sure it was around the time Blogger updated itself and I was confronted with my own dashboard everytime I logged on. Gone was the lovely stream of other people's blogs and all their hobby glory. Vanished was the work of Chico, or Blue in VT, or Thantsants or big Erny - the very guys who inspired me to start with! Instead, I became focussed on the comments made on my posts instead of actually commenting on other people's stuff. I lived, as some say, in a foolish bubble or boringness. Well no more! I have deleted the offending bookmark and will now enter the blogosphere through the inspiring light of other Oldhammerer's achievements! 

4) Buying up hordes of figures and then storing them away

Having piles is a serious problem, I know because I have had them, but instead of treating my pile of lead in a sensible way, I merely add to the never ending mount of wasted opportunity that sits below me as I type. Again, I strike forth with the gauntlet and say 'no more!' If I wish to make any more purchases they must be painted straight away and not be cast, forgotten in to the Mahogany Pit (my bureau's copious storage space).

5) Obsessing over the acquisition of certain models

Is it really a good use of my time to pour hours of fruitless searching online to find random figures that I have felt that I JUST had to own? Could I not be spending my hobby hours on something more rewarding that scrolling through reams of ridiculously priced lead men who will only join the ever expanding pile of unpainted metal that hangs like a millstone from around my neck? How about bloody well painting some of the models in the c46 set that you do own!! 

6) Not organising enough meet ups or games with fellow Oldhammerers

In case you wanted to spout that ever-green question of 'what is Oldhammer?' then look no further. It is not an edition of rules, or a time scale (though original Citadel models and Warhammer 2nd or 3rd edition will really help) but it is an attitude. One of gentlemanly co-operation and appreciation of the little lead man (or dragon). That brotherhood of noble spirit is best summed up with this photograph. See those chaps there? Great guys all! Some why don't I spend more time rolling dice with them?

(Probably sin 3 if I am being honest!)

7) Not encouraging others

Despite consuming more Old School Citadel material than ever in my lifetime I rarely ever give anything back. I have just bee too lazy, scrolling through the social media feed like a modern day Mr. Creosote with my thumb of sloth! When instead, I should have been congratulating others in their endeavours and being inspired in turn. I mean, just look at these lovely old models painted so in keeping with the age of the '80s. And have I congratulated the enthusiast who produced these? Of course not, I just consumed his hard work and scrolled on. 

So, so, so lazy!

Oh, and these marvellous figures are by one Nick Manse by the way. And quite excellent a job he has done with them too!

Well, if you are reading this I guess that you made it to the end of my little diatribe. I apologise for the ranting but oddly, I now feel better. More energised, as if the hobby spark shorn of negativity can once again kindle a blaze to be proud of. But what should me next step be? Hmmm - definitely towards that long ignored pile of lead in the corner of the palour room. I know, I shall thrust my hand deep into the hoard and pull forth a miniature that I shall try and paint to the highest of my ability. Forget all that 'speed painting' malarky for a moment (it has it's place) and batch painting of epic space marines. I need to return to the first timid footsteps I took on my Oldhammer journey. I must rediscover the excitement and commitment that this hobby needs with a Realm of Chaos figure from the depths of my collection. Perhaps a beastman? 

And no, you won't be seeing it until it is finished!! 

Orlygg


30 comments:

  1. A healthy proclamation and a good standard to hold high for the community, IMO. I look forward to seeing your painted model(s)!

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    1. Thank you! I have hit the painting table hard since finishing this post. It seems that I have forgotten haw to paint to a good standard!!! ):

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  2. Well it might be therapeutic to see if you've an Asgard FG5 model in your stash that you might want to part with ;-) http://www.miniatures-workshop.com/lostminiswiki/images/e/e8/Asgard-goblins-fg5.jpg

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    1. Sorry Phil, I don't own that model. Aren't a lot of these still available from somewhere? Or was that just the old Asgard barbarians?

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    2. Some are available from Viking Forge, some from Alternative Armies. There was also a company called Tabletop Games which is now closed. I'm after this figure as it was my first mini !

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    3. Ah, a noble cause indeed! Good luck on your quest.

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  3. It takes guts to look at our own faults and it takes even more to actually fix them. I can only support the intention and wish you all the best in reaching your goals.
    I've been guilty of my own wrongs like any other guy but the sharing aspect of this all has been one constant source of inpiration and support.

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  4. Well said JT...I think you've encapsulated many of the ideas that have been dogging my own "Oldhammer Journey" of late...which has led me to dropping out of many of the FB groups (at least for now) and trying to refocus on blogs and a couple of forums. I have also had a significant drop off in figure painting...but has shifted my attention to terrain for a change of pace. I'm sure I'll get back to it eventually... Plus...I totally agree that the Blogger landing page shift was a poor decision...and I will have to re-bookmark to my reading page as well.

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    1. Also...thanks for the shout out! It is hard to believe that we can be nostalgic for the old days of the "oldhammer movement" already...but I am...:)

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    2. Yeah, the old days (*puts on an aged voice*) "when there was but six of us." Ultimately the success or failure of any movement or group is down to the community it serves. If we stop coming together and sharing what we love we are doomed to extinction. Oldhammer was born of blogs and, as I have learnt, is best communicated via the medium. Quality painting, researching, modelling and writing builds the audience and creates the sense of community. Google +, FB etc are far too easy to fill with dross and filtering the stuff becomes a chore.

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  5. Orlygg,
    You are being a bit hard on yourself! First off we have all suffered from one or more of your Leadly Sins, brilliant by the way! Hell, I have a couple of mins I bought back in 89 when I visited jolly ole England that sill aren’t painted! Now that’s damn lazy! So you have fallen into that sloppy morass we all stumble our way into. Pick yourself up and get back into the fight! I’ve suffered from the same problem lately, and thanks to one of our co-inspirations, Mr. Chico, I got the nudge I needed to work my way out of it. All from a simple “Thanks. I say do it mate” from him and I’m back into the paint! Not sure how far he is from you but maybe you just need a paint party get together, a 1500-3000 point battle to reinvigorate your efforts, or even just a pint and good conversation. You were the inspiration for me digging out my dusty old books and mins to paint and get back into the hobby. Your posts have been incredible over the years and provided tons of entertainment, motivation, and education. I sought out and read the Orfeo books and got back into some of the older tomes including King’s incredible Fleix and Gotrek series. I resurrected grand plans of armies and collections channeling my inner 16 year old self. I entered the bloggoshpere despite being intimidated by the likes of your significant contributions or Matthew’s impeccable painting skills. I venture a guess that I’m not the only one that you have inspired. Don’t beat yourself up but don’t take this as a pat on the back either. It’s more of a gentle nudge or kick in the ass to get back into it! Keep up the great work.

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    1. I am glad that this humble blog has provided you with so much inspiration over the years. At least someone is reading it (as opposed to all that so-called Russian bots I hear about!) You are quite correct in saying that all you have to do is 'get back into the fight' anyway you can, and finishing off a few old projects is going to be the initial skirmish in my battle. Thanks for your support. (:

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    2. Awww so much Chico love today :D

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  6. Pick a project that doesn't require you to paint up to many figures - I've found that helps get me back into painting when I'm in a rut. Organising a game or two has also helped me to focus. At present doing that has refocused my attention on finishing off my bretonnian army as I need it for a giant kings of war game I have planned down at the local games club.

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    1. Good advice this. A small project or two to get back into the action (to paraphrase Warlord Kcam) and I have already picked them. The remaining wizards from the Foundry Time Warp release and an old mid 80s chaos warrior - plus that random chaos model I plucked from the depth of the lead mountain. As soon as I have finished this missive (and completed the household chores) I am back on them!! Thanks for the support Nathan!!

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  7. I just came here to read the comments ;)

    I've kind of left the ''Oldhammer Movement'' due to all the dross on the FB pages, G+ and too a lesser degree the forums.

    Sold of 90% of my collection and now I also just stick to the Bloggywoggy's and get so much more out of it.

    I'm also no longer constrained by justifying ''What is Oldhammer'' to people and just get on with what I like.

    Ps I like the shout out too :D

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    1. "Just stick to the Bloggywoggys" must be the advice quote of the year, Chico-Chops, and one piece of sage knowledge that I think I shall follow myself!

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  8. I always thought the Warhammer Bestiary were some of your finer posts. I have very little painting time so seeing something random painted up as part of a set is right up my alley.

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    1. I enjoyed doing that! But I got stuck on the giant races if memory serves. Obviously, another project to continue as I reboot my hobby lifestyle. Thanks for the compliment! (:

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  9. Excellent post! I think this is something that is very true! I couldn't get why suddenly after collecting tons of minis and browsing FB groups for weeks there was no motivation left. I feel the same about blogger, but I remember all the good blogs I used to follow and pop over there now instead of going to FB. I think it is essential for the brain to really filter the input, something that is hard to do in FB-Groups with 1000s of members. Blogging allowed for a more controlled and focused use of the internet. Maybe it's time for a revival...?
    But I had many discussions with fellow-minded hobbyists in the past and our tries to rekindle the spark in old blogs and forums always seem to be very short-lived...very probably because we have indeed become too lazy.
    I think I'll have to force myself to really go from mindless and lazy consuming to producing something for the hobby again! Blue in VT's terrain project certainly has motivated me to try something similar!
    Thanks for this post, it's like a bout of fresh air in an encumbered mind!

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    1. There is an irony that Oldhammer was a response to GW gaming's impersonal, tournament focus (something that the company seems keen now to move away from) yet Oldhammer became impersonal due to its success. Social media seems to be a major contributing factor to this decline as it is too easy to contribute utter tosh instead of constructing something meaningful. You mention all the old blogs and I was quite shocked at home many of these have gone or been abandoned. There was a wonderful time when some many people were so enthused that there was a new blog every week. Though the rapid rise of the Oldhammer blog is over, there are still many newer sites that I have just discovered. I guess that we need to take responsibility to contribute to and encourage bloggers rather than people who commit the terrible errors discussed above.

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  10. Well said James. Points 4 and 5 have defined me over the years, but no longer! I'm currently in a state of hobby exile while I purge my lead mountain of that which I do not want to paint or game with. But I'LL BE BACK!

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    1. I look forwards to your triumphant return to wargaming Steve, your blog is much missed and your story of collector turned painter/gamer is an inspirational one.

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  11. As Warlord Kcam said, I think you are being hard on yourself. Your blog is filled with so much inspirational and helpful material (plus gorgeous paint jobs) that it's more than OK to go into a fallow period where you are not as aggressively creative. That's all part of the ebb and flow of things.

    One thing that I wholeheartedly agree with is your statement that "Blogger updated itself and I was confronted with my own dashboard everytime I logged on". I loathe that update. I think it has made everyone just a little bit more insular.

    And if you are feeling at all blue, let me tell you how very encouraging you've been for me since I started my own blog. You have a lovely way of both welcoming people into the community, and yet setting an extremely high standard for what a decent Oldhammer blog should be. I can't speak to facebook since I'm not on it, but I find the Oldhammer blog community to be a remarkably friendly, authentic and eccentric place, and you are a big part of why that is so.

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    1. Thank you for the kind words Matthew. You are quite correct about the blog community being an 'unique' place. One thing that I have always been appreciative of is the variation of themes and interests among bloggers. The very best sites have their own focus and their authors their own style. It is refreshing to read about their differing views and thoughts on things, rather than wading through the endless spam on FB and other places. The editing process is relatively simple one. I you don't like what you see, it's simple to unfollow or just not visit again. I am glad that you consider this blog to be an interesting place to spend time. Hopefully in time I can re-establish the old feel and get some decent articles under my belt again!!

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    2. The more I hear about FB, the less inclined I am to ever join it. It seems to foster large communities built on sugar highs, rather than real engagement.

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    3. I both agree with and disagree with you Matthew. Yea some spamming on the FB locales. But I would argue that this blog along with a few others, including yours, do indeed stimulate conversation. Look at this particular one and you find some of the regulars in the community commenting and conversing. You, Orlygg, the wonderful Mr. Casey, Chico, and a few I don't readily recognize, all partaking in the community. This I think is where it is at if your looking for that type of interaction.

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    4. FB is fantastic for communicating with other enthusiasts but it is very hard to filter out the dross, an increasing amount of which comes from FB itself or falls into the category of self-promotion. Anyone else feel exhausted by the sheer number of kickstarters being advertised these days?

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    5. Absolutely! I have participated in several of Diego's and Direhard's Kickstarters and will firmly blame my Leadley sins #2 and #4 on them. I have added substantially to my unpainted lead with these endeavors. I think that some Kickstarters are certainly Oldhammer worthy but many aren't but we live in a society of marketing, marketing and oh some more marketing. We are bombarded by it so can you blame someone for mentioning it on FB even if it is self serving? What I have found useful is when what I consider a trusted source, such as yourself, suggests having a look at something. I had totally missed the first Space Raiders KS and didn't discover Diego's offerings until I saw one of your posts. I had a look and immediately became interested, same with Tim's Diehard Miniatures. I look at FB as more of a news feed, look at it when you can, pay it the level of attention you want, and get your community and focused entertainment from the bloggoshpere.

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