Time to Change

Wargaming Stagnation

by Pat Connor

Wargamers and the companies who supply us with our various toys need to take a long serious look at the current state of play or we could be facing the slow drift into obscurity of the hobby. Sounds a bit over the top? Unfortunately, if anything I believe this understates the problems facing the hobby today. Unless wargaming can drag itself - kicking and screaming I have no doubt - out of its self satisfied stagnation, the hobby can have little future other than as a minority pastime for people who have about as much charisma as train spotters. It is certainly unlikely to be able to provide a living for most of the companies presently servicing the hobby. This is a view I have held for some time, but which only recently came together as a result of two very different events in the world of model figure gaming - the World Championships at Derby and Games Day, staged by Games Workshop at Birmingham's NEC. Before you immediately turn to the next article at the mere mention of the "F" word - and don't tell me that "historical wargaming" isn't just a different type of fantasy, First Kingdom Egyptians fighting Normans, very historical I must say - allow me to contrast the two events. Derby, described as the World's premier wargaming event, should be a prime occasion to showcase our hobby. Sadly its main success was in highlighting the failings. I accept that Derby is primarily a competition event, although I admit to finding wargaming somewhere near the bottom of the fourth division when it comes to the league of spectator sports. But, when games are being played on bare chipboard, not a coat of green paint in sight, I fail to see how the organisers can point to this event as an example of excellence. While the venue has many good points, surely those poor wretches in Calcutta had a better view of their surroundings than visitors to Derby had of the demonstration games - although in some cases this may have been a blessing...flying chocolate bars, just what the public need to prove that our version of wargaming is the serious one. I refuse to accept the excuse that the dimmed lighting at Derby comes with the territory. There are plenty of companies out there who will come in and professionally rig additional lighting around the displays. Personally I found the shopping mall very useful. It is very handy to have most of the trade in one place, but that is not a convention it's a trade fair. A Story While on the subject of wargames traders let me tell you a story. This is a true story dear reader, only the names have been changed - or in this case left out to save the trader embarrassment and the editor of the magazine lost revenue. A friend of mine was quite impressed by some figures he saw on display and asked if he could buy them only to be told that the trader did not know which of his packs contained the particular figures. When asked, not unreasonably by my friend if he could look through the packs to find the one containing the figures he wanted he was told, in no uncertain manner, that this was not possible and he would just have to take his chances. A bit like asking a car dealer for a particular make and being told sorry sir you will just have to pay and see which one turns up. This sort of treatment by traders does not extend to all, I am very glad to say. Some, and this time I will mention names, are extremely friendly and helpful. In no particular order the honours go to Redoubt Enterprises, Wargames South, FAA, First Corps and AB Miniatures where the traders treat their customers as people and are prepared to stop and have a chat about their wares. Now contrast that show with Games Day. Games Workshop staff organise buses to the event from all over the country and look after the youngsters who travel down. Designers, writers and artists are all on hand to talk to the public. All games are played on specially constructed terrain - which is to the highest standard. And when was the last time you heard cheering at a wargames event. No effort is spared to make the day a special event in the fantasy hobby calendar. Games Workshop are not particularly altruistic, they run a business which is aimed at making money - and believe me they made a lot of money from Games Day in product sales. The difference is they know how to market their end of the hobby. Games Day had style and offered the paying punter more than just a visit to a very large shop. Rock bands, banner competitions, games demonstrations - which did not have the usual clutter - and well presented merchandise. Now this comparison is all very well, but what does it mean for our end of the wargaming hobby. I will lay my bias on the table at the start. Yes, I do play some fantasy, very good friends of mine do very well out of the fantasy hobby, but I am first a historical gamer, as are they. The fantasy end of wargaming is growing rapidly, despite the recession which is being blamed by many traders and manufacturers for the present decline in sales. For years the traditional branch of the hobby has looked to attracting the fantasy players after they outgrow pixies and fairies. This unfortunately is not happening, and for several good reasons. Reasons of Quality The first among those is quality. The takings from Games Day were substantial. This would appear to indicate that there is money out there, given the right product. On the one hand you have fantasy with well produced boxed games, full colour hard back rule books, high quality figures in eye catching packaging. Yes they are expensive, but if you don't think people will pay that amount take a walk to your nearest Games Workshop and see how much of the brown folding stuff is being handed over every Saturday. For too long wargaming has been relying on enthusiasts producing our figures and rules in a back room, barely making enough cash to keep body and soul together. Workshop is a business, and a very successful one, not a charity. They have a responsibility to their staff of designers, artists, packers, Uncle Tom Cobbley and all, who in turn have families to keep. Now before you start getting out your hankies to wipe the tears, this is not a defence of Workshop, for a start they don't need it. It is an attempt to look at how the future of wargaming must develop if it is to survive. Reasons of Pricing Pricing policy must be addressed sensibly. Professional painters, and I have done a bit of that like many other wargamers, charge around £ 5 as an average price for a painted figure. Assuming that they can paint a figure every two hours, and I suspect it takes a lot longer, that means an hourly rate or £ 2.50 or £ 100 for a 40 hour week. I would agree it beats the hell out of working down the pits, but it is hardly living in the lap of luxury. The cries of horror could be heard throughout the country at the thought of paying 50 pence for a Wargames Foundry figure or 18 pence for a Tony Barton 15mm. Mumblings in dark corners of "I could get two Minifigs for that". I would argue, first that Minifigs are underpriced and that Tony Barton's miniatures are better, you pays for quality. An increase in the general cost of figures is essential if designers are to live above the poverty line. Perhaps more importantly from our point of view, since who gives a bugger if they starve, they stay in business to continue to make our pretty toys for us. This may lead to the change in buying habits which has already overtaken the fantasy market. When a fantasy player goes out to buy a new unit of elves or goblins and hands over his or her money - that's another point there are far more females involved in the fantasy hobby - they then go home and paint them before heading off for another unit. The wargamer, on the other hand shells out for hundreds of figures which will, in many cases, remain unpainted and in boxes. Perhaps in future wargamers will be a little more discerning in what they buy and may even paint them before the metal fatigue sets in and I am as guilty as any on that count. Reasons of Word One area where we are particularly behind the fantasy hobbyist is in the printed word. Despite the recent influx of high quality American productions, we are still presented with poorly produced sets of rules. Glossy paper with lots of colour photographs don't necessarily make a good set of rules, but in general terms the higher quality in terms of presentation does seem to equate with more thought and usually means better systems. Even if rule producers cannot stretch their budgets to professional production surely they can learn from other aspects of the systems produced by the fantasy market. Design, explanation, examples - a type size that doesn't require a magnifying glass to read. Slabs of grey body text and a few tables went out with the classified ads on the front page of The Times. Given the cost and effort in putting together an army I am sure most wargamers would pay the extra to play with a set of rules that don't look as if they have been put together with a John Bull printing set and a photocopier. I believe very strongly that wargaming has a lot to gain from the enthusiastic amateur. They are the lifeblood of the hobby bringing fresh and innovative ideas. But it is time for the professionals to stop using the standards set by amateurs as the excuse for their own lack of quality. The upshot of all this is fairly simple. We have for many years looked to the fantasy player to come across to our side of the hobby as the new blood to keep wargaming going. This is unlikely when we are trying to attract a youngster from a market which is dominated by high quality rule books, figures and terrain into a grey world of "legitimate" wargaming where anoraks sit around a bit of chipboard, which can't be seen for the beer glasses and fag packets, arguing the toss over an obscure badly written sentence in an incomprehensible set of rules. Response: Do We Get What We Deserve Back to Table of Contents -- First Empire #9 Back to First Empire List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1992 by First Empire. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. 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