40k, what's the big deal?

So the last edition, 6th edition has been my favorite in a long time, for many reasons internet bloggers and forums have been ranting and raving about. My favorite edition prior to 6th was 2nd. Once Alessio Cavatore got his hands on the rules writing and streamlined everything I lost some of my interest in the game. I played competitively on occasion but it's never been a serious thing for me. I love the hobby side, and contrary to some (http://bloodofkittens.com/blog/2014/05/06/meat-meta-7th-2nd/) I don't think the game is dying, and I don't think it's supported by the 17 to 24 crowd solely. I like options, and I like details. I'm not sweating the fact that its become more random and more focused on narrative. I'm kind of glad it did and I dread the inevitable pendulum swinging back within a few editions but until then I'll ride the wave. If you're that guy who sits around min/maxing his WAAC list then obviously you and I part ways on all this. That's a style of play, it's just not my style of play. I'm looking forward to be being able to write out some short, storied campaigns and reporting them on this blog in story mode. I always look forward to the next edition of 40K. Part of that has been that I wasn't a fan of 3rd through 5th. 5th wasn't bad, and really got me back into it on a regular basis but I feel like 6th and 7th aren't the doom people think they are to 40K, I think it might just be a new golden age. There's something else I think people are missing. GW has managed to move through a couple of decades with little to no real competition. The 90's especially were filled with glory for the company. The result was poor decision making and lazy game/model design. These days things like Kickstarter and some successful promoting of games that can compete with GW have made a lot of headway. This will inevitably take a chunk out of GW's sales, and I think they are finally facing that but the gaming community seems to be having diffulty with it. I feel the last few years GW has bounced back, coming out with some awesome kits and putting out content that some would have you believe is just too much for any real gamer to accept. Ironically as most of us know, these were the same people complaining about slow release periods a few years back...I guess be careful what you ask for. I like the glut of new content, it opens up many more possibilities. Sure it can make rules more complex and may cause balance issues, but I grew into gaming during a period when it was pretty common for players to house rule the games they played to make them more satisfying, and it's unfortunate that some gamers have lost sight of this. I've never been afraid to make some modifications when needed to make a game more. I'm not too worried about imbalance, sensible players will work together to figure out a fix on their own. I'm confident that in the coming months I can locate some players interested in enjoying the universe and game that GW has created, and that I can look forward to some games that are truly narrative (I know a bad word to some) games. Even with daemon summoning dark angels...

Gaming Doldrums

So recently I've had a problem many gamers have had from time to time, the gamer doldrums. The last 6-8months have seen quite a few changes in my life. I got out of the army, moved to a new state, started a new job, and most importantly had a daughter. The change in dynamics has for the most part taken the wind out of my gaming sails. I've tried to jump start it a few times with no luck and I've actually ended up selling quite a bit recently. I look at it as sort of clearing the palette. In the last few months I've attempted to start: Dropzone Commander Dust Warfare Bolt Action Infinity I've sold in the last few months: Everything Warmachine/Hordes Dust A couple of superfluous 40K armies Dystopian Wars Malifeaux a couple of other bits and pieces. Most of this isn't because I don't like these games or systems. Part of the issue is that being new in town and not having a whole lot of time I haven't been able to mingle with the local gaming crowd much. This means no real incentive to hobby or play. Some of these games are played in the area and some I've got no bites on so I made the decision as part of my plan to claw my way back into the hobby I love, to get rid of most of it and focus on a few games. The first is 40K. Contrary to what seems to be popular opinion on the web, I like 6th edition and I'm liking the rumors for the update/new edition coming next month. I've got a good sized space marine army already, bought a knight and have two more coming and I've got some interest in building my all time favorite army = Blood Angels. I'm going to keep my Bolt Action stuff, I don't have a lot, it's partially painted and it looks like a fun game. There's a crowd of guys who just got into it so I know I can get some games. I have 2 kickstarters coming, Robotech whenever it releases and Aliens Vs Predator, both of which should arrive sometime this summer and both of which offer some fun hobby oppurtunities. Beyond that I'm going to try to focus on that handful of games and not wander too much. The pace is going to be slow for a while, my schedule can be restrictive but I should be able to do some hobby work, get an occasional game in and I should be able to blog some moving forward. We'll see if it sticks this time around...