Hey Sports Fans,
So I'm still here, and the blog is still going...but its more like on life support at the moment. We are waiting for that kidney to come in. Or something like that. I've not been doing anything at home and not even reading web sites this week. It has just been a monster at work and at home.
I mean I am barely getting in my League of Legends game a day! The insanity! For realz though (heh), I really have been super busy. Spent the whole weekend carting my daughter to various fields for her soccer tournament (her team took second). We didn't even cook a single meal at home the whole weekend. Now I'm a cheap bastard...and my wife really doesn't like to eat out frivolously, so you know it had to be bad for that to happen.
School is also about to start. My son is a senior in HS and has his first football game this week. The kids have a little over a week and a half before hitting the books again. And soccer cranks into high gear around the same time. So I'll be putting on my taxi cab hat if you know what I mean.
Still, there needs to be me time. I shall return to DW soon. Just not today though.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Monday, August 19, 2013
Monday morning update
Hello True Believers,
Today is another small update. My models moved from one desk to another. Beyond that, the only Dystopian Wars stuff I touched was my KoB fleet, and that was only to take a picture of it for a potential trader.
There she is in all her glory. I've only had the fleet for a few months truth be told. Never even got in the water unfortunately. However, she was my fifth fleet, and the smallest one at that. In a slight breaking of the fourth wall, I have gotten into Warmachine and am actually starting up a blog there. This fine set of ships is being traded for a bunch of Cryx models to fill some gaps and give me more options for my Denny list.
Heck, just looking at this fleet, you can't help but think, "that's cool." That carrier is just crazy-sauce. Last night as I was putting away the models I noticed how the AA guns on the carrier matched the guns on the escorts. That made me smile. What a wonderful bit of detail that really helps tie in the ships together. Just one of those things that I love about Dystopian Wars models. Hopefully the new owner will get some good use out of these. I also didn't mind getting rid of them as Robert already has KoB on lockdown. No need to show him up with his own fleet. ;)
Also thinking about letting my French fleet go. I have to say I'm not a huge fan of France in general (though full props to them for helping us win our independence from England. Thanks Lafayette.) so I don't have a huge incentive to keep them. Plus, getting the Chinese fleet keeps me at three, which is not a bad number to have.
Besides, my hope is to trade/sell it locally and gain another Dystopian Wars player in the area. Stranger things have happened. But back to the status, the models are on the table, space was cleared, paint was moved. Now all I need is some motivation and time, and we'll get some more paint on my Blazing Suns. Until next time gentle readers.
Today is another small update. My models moved from one desk to another. Beyond that, the only Dystopian Wars stuff I touched was my KoB fleet, and that was only to take a picture of it for a potential trader.
There she is in all her glory. I've only had the fleet for a few months truth be told. Never even got in the water unfortunately. However, she was my fifth fleet, and the smallest one at that. In a slight breaking of the fourth wall, I have gotten into Warmachine and am actually starting up a blog there. This fine set of ships is being traded for a bunch of Cryx models to fill some gaps and give me more options for my Denny list.
Heck, just looking at this fleet, you can't help but think, "that's cool." That carrier is just crazy-sauce. Last night as I was putting away the models I noticed how the AA guns on the carrier matched the guns on the escorts. That made me smile. What a wonderful bit of detail that really helps tie in the ships together. Just one of those things that I love about Dystopian Wars models. Hopefully the new owner will get some good use out of these. I also didn't mind getting rid of them as Robert already has KoB on lockdown. No need to show him up with his own fleet. ;)
Also thinking about letting my French fleet go. I have to say I'm not a huge fan of France in general (though full props to them for helping us win our independence from England. Thanks Lafayette.) so I don't have a huge incentive to keep them. Plus, getting the Chinese fleet keeps me at three, which is not a bad number to have.
Besides, my hope is to trade/sell it locally and gain another Dystopian Wars player in the area. Stranger things have happened. But back to the status, the models are on the table, space was cleared, paint was moved. Now all I need is some motivation and time, and we'll get some more paint on my Blazing Suns. Until next time gentle readers.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Dystopian Wars in August
Hello sports fans. This is my first new update since the revelation post a few days ago. Whether or not this holds your attention remains to be seen. But here we go anyways. :) (as a slight aside, my typing has gotten so bad....)
In the last few days, I have actually looked at my Dystopian models...I even picked up the heavy walker of my Blazing Sun and made it do a little dance on my desk. Beyond that though, no real progress on the painting.
Booo Hisssssss
However.....I did actually make a few purchases with them in mind. My main hobby shop recently moved into a much larger space and so I had to go check it out on Friday during lunch hour. I picked up a few new basing materials from the Army Painter line for the express purpose of basing the Dystopian Wars models. So I'm pretty excited about them and just need to figure out how I want to use them. At first I was drawn in by the Gale Force 9 basing stuff, but the Army Painter was like a buck cheaper per flock.
I also had a discussion with Robert about where I'm at currently with the hobby. He has been working on his Bolt Action red devils. Both of us go a bit bonkers for the casual historical gaming systems (bolt action and flames of war). And that is okay that he is working on them. Just like it is okay that I'm looking at Cryx stuff right now. I think it will help to break things down into smaller goals that are quicker to obtain. This way I can mix up my hobbies and still get things done. (typing mistake counter is at 20 I think)
So the new plan is to finish up the Blazing Sun force by the end of August. That means finish the walker, and then finish the rest of the tiny tanks. That is completely doable. My hope is, that by the time I get that stuff done, I'll have secured a trade for some Cryx models (I really don't want to buy as I have so much stuff, trading makes lots more sense). That way I can get some time to make the Cryx models dance on my desk top and then set a new Dystopian Wars painting goal.....Prussian land starter..hint hint.
Now on the Dystopian Wars news front, you should all go read the community forums at Spartan Games. Neil has made some pretty big announcements recently. The big one is that DW 2.0 should be out just after Christmas I think. They are also working on an aerial version of Armored Clash and maybe then go in for a naval game. I like AC and so that sounds really cool. The downside of it though means that 2.0 probably won't use the color dice mechanic. Which is a shame because I think it add so much more depth to the game. I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope that they add in an option stat set that uses the CDM.
On the gaming in general front, I just saw images of the new SM Centurion models. Ugh, could they be uglier? And how are they supposed to walk in those things?? or do they just waddle? Even though I own a large SM army, I might just skip the book on pure silliness alone.
Well until next time folks (which hopefully will be later this week), keep painting and keep playing.
In the last few days, I have actually looked at my Dystopian models...I even picked up the heavy walker of my Blazing Sun and made it do a little dance on my desk. Beyond that though, no real progress on the painting.
Booo Hisssssss
However.....I did actually make a few purchases with them in mind. My main hobby shop recently moved into a much larger space and so I had to go check it out on Friday during lunch hour. I picked up a few new basing materials from the Army Painter line for the express purpose of basing the Dystopian Wars models. So I'm pretty excited about them and just need to figure out how I want to use them. At first I was drawn in by the Gale Force 9 basing stuff, but the Army Painter was like a buck cheaper per flock.
I also had a discussion with Robert about where I'm at currently with the hobby. He has been working on his Bolt Action red devils. Both of us go a bit bonkers for the casual historical gaming systems (bolt action and flames of war). And that is okay that he is working on them. Just like it is okay that I'm looking at Cryx stuff right now. I think it will help to break things down into smaller goals that are quicker to obtain. This way I can mix up my hobbies and still get things done. (typing mistake counter is at 20 I think)
So the new plan is to finish up the Blazing Sun force by the end of August. That means finish the walker, and then finish the rest of the tiny tanks. That is completely doable. My hope is, that by the time I get that stuff done, I'll have secured a trade for some Cryx models (I really don't want to buy as I have so much stuff, trading makes lots more sense). That way I can get some time to make the Cryx models dance on my desk top and then set a new Dystopian Wars painting goal.....Prussian land starter..hint hint.
Now on the Dystopian Wars news front, you should all go read the community forums at Spartan Games. Neil has made some pretty big announcements recently. The big one is that DW 2.0 should be out just after Christmas I think. They are also working on an aerial version of Armored Clash and maybe then go in for a naval game. I like AC and so that sounds really cool. The downside of it though means that 2.0 probably won't use the color dice mechanic. Which is a shame because I think it add so much more depth to the game. I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope that they add in an option stat set that uses the CDM.
On the gaming in general front, I just saw images of the new SM Centurion models. Ugh, could they be uglier? And how are they supposed to walk in those things?? or do they just waddle? Even though I own a large SM army, I might just skip the book on pure silliness alone.
Well until next time folks (which hopefully will be later this week), keep painting and keep playing.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Waxing and Waning
My first instinct was to apologize again for the lack of updates recently. But the simple truth is that the blog has not gone as well as I had hoped. I've been thinking a lot about it recently, and I realized that I hit the stage where the blog became work. For those that blog, you probably already know exactly where I am at. For those that don't, let me explain.
When I started this, the idea was simply to catalog my progress and experiences as I worked on my Dystopian Wars models. At first I was all excited and could not wait to make posts. Painting models fueled the posts, and posting fueled my desire to paint more models. Fantastic synergy.
And then change occurs. Its the only constant in the universe really. Work, life, kids, etc...you know those things we hobbyists call "excuses" for not working on our stuff. The simple fact is though that other things rose in priority. And with that came the guilt. I had this blog and now I'm not putting up updates and my reader counts are going down and blah blah blah. I'll blame it on gamer ADD. But that isn't the truth. The truth is that priorities change. And I am a gamer. I have thousands of models and many different games that I all play and like. But now I felt like I had to work on DW. I had to create content for my blog.
Suddenly this hobby that I wanted to do became something I had to do. Ever notice how when we "have" to do something, our enthusiasm for it drops significantly. I wonder if anyone has posted about the stages of blogging....would have been a good thing to read before doing this. :)
So here I am, in that trap that we all fall in to. I stupidly found a way to turn something I wanted to do, into something I felt I needed to do. It went from fun, to work. I think this is the honest truth about gamer ADD. It isn't that we can't keep attention on a project. I think it really is that at some point, the expectations we put on ourselves for getting something done, turns our project into a job. And who wants another job?
So, what does that mean for the blog? Well I could start blogging about whatever it is I'm doing at the moment. But I don't want to do that. This is a blog about Dystopian Wars. I want to keep this blog on topic. You want to read about DW, not Bolt Action or Flames of War, or League of Legends, or anything else I'm doing.
The task I have at hand now is find a way to blog about Dystopian Wars, even if it isn't high on my priority list. Maybe my personal projects aren't moving forward, but I'm still reading the forums and keeping tabs on local play. I might start reviewing the rules a bit too. So the honeymoon is over for the blogging experience. Now it is time to find that new pace that is still fun and rewarding, but doesn't put the same type of pressure on me. And I'm betting that whatever that pace is, it will wax and wane too. And that is okay. It's my hobby damnit! ;)
When I started this, the idea was simply to catalog my progress and experiences as I worked on my Dystopian Wars models. At first I was all excited and could not wait to make posts. Painting models fueled the posts, and posting fueled my desire to paint more models. Fantastic synergy.
And then change occurs. Its the only constant in the universe really. Work, life, kids, etc...you know those things we hobbyists call "excuses" for not working on our stuff. The simple fact is though that other things rose in priority. And with that came the guilt. I had this blog and now I'm not putting up updates and my reader counts are going down and blah blah blah. I'll blame it on gamer ADD. But that isn't the truth. The truth is that priorities change. And I am a gamer. I have thousands of models and many different games that I all play and like. But now I felt like I had to work on DW. I had to create content for my blog.
Suddenly this hobby that I wanted to do became something I had to do. Ever notice how when we "have" to do something, our enthusiasm for it drops significantly. I wonder if anyone has posted about the stages of blogging....would have been a good thing to read before doing this. :)
So here I am, in that trap that we all fall in to. I stupidly found a way to turn something I wanted to do, into something I felt I needed to do. It went from fun, to work. I think this is the honest truth about gamer ADD. It isn't that we can't keep attention on a project. I think it really is that at some point, the expectations we put on ourselves for getting something done, turns our project into a job. And who wants another job?
So, what does that mean for the blog? Well I could start blogging about whatever it is I'm doing at the moment. But I don't want to do that. This is a blog about Dystopian Wars. I want to keep this blog on topic. You want to read about DW, not Bolt Action or Flames of War, or League of Legends, or anything else I'm doing.
The task I have at hand now is find a way to blog about Dystopian Wars, even if it isn't high on my priority list. Maybe my personal projects aren't moving forward, but I'm still reading the forums and keeping tabs on local play. I might start reviewing the rules a bit too. So the honeymoon is over for the blogging experience. Now it is time to find that new pace that is still fun and rewarding, but doesn't put the same type of pressure on me. And I'm betting that whatever that pace is, it will wax and wane too. And that is okay. It's my hobby damnit! ;)
Thursday, August 1, 2013
A little help from my friends
So today's update come from Shmitty, a fellow Dystopian Wars player in my area. He's been working on his Prussian Armored Clash forces and put up some beautiful pics of his stuff on our local forums. So being the lazy git that I am, I convinced him to let me repost the pictures here.
He has gone with a base grey color scheme with brass and red trim work. The flash makes it seem a bit bluish, but some of the closeups show their true color.
If I had to guess, I would say he did a soot effect on the barrels, probably with a drybush. Then he inked the whole thing in nuln oil, or used tamiya glaze. This is why I like to use lighter colors when dealing with models on this scale. A good wash will really bring out the detail and make the model pop.
The only downside to this whole group is that it is basically what I was going to run!! I have a metzer already and the AC set for Prussians comes with another. He tossed in the air units as support. All in all a great looking army. The basing is simple and uniform across the units. At this scale though, "simple" I feel, works so much better.
I think perhaps this is where I'm getting hung up on my walker. I'm trying to pick out a lot of the detail with paint and maybe I should just let the wash do it. This has definitely given me a kick in the rump to wrap up my Blazing Sun and get to my own Prussians.
He has gone with a base grey color scheme with brass and red trim work. The flash makes it seem a bit bluish, but some of the closeups show their true color.
If I had to guess, I would say he did a soot effect on the barrels, probably with a drybush. Then he inked the whole thing in nuln oil, or used tamiya glaze. This is why I like to use lighter colors when dealing with models on this scale. A good wash will really bring out the detail and make the model pop.
The only downside to this whole group is that it is basically what I was going to run!! I have a metzer already and the AC set for Prussians comes with another. He tossed in the air units as support. All in all a great looking army. The basing is simple and uniform across the units. At this scale though, "simple" I feel, works so much better.
I think perhaps this is where I'm getting hung up on my walker. I'm trying to pick out a lot of the detail with paint and maybe I should just let the wash do it. This has definitely given me a kick in the rump to wrap up my Blazing Sun and get to my own Prussians.
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