2016 Hobby Goals

So finally, after dividing one really long blog post into 4 separate posts, it is time to set my hobby goals for 2016.  Many of these are similar to what I had for 2015 but  a few will be modified based on my retrospective (see, there was a point to the previous "2015 Hobby Audit" posts).  A couple will be new.

Quickly, what I did well in 2015:  stayed within my hobby budget, had a good number of hobby weeks, had an 'ok' number of games played weeks.

Not so well in 2015:  still bought way to many miniatures, kickstarters, didn't paint enough.

So very specific 2016 Hobby Goals:

• Weeks having painted/assembled/hobby'd > 30*
• Weeks having played miniature games > 11*
• Weeks having played board or role-playing games > 20**
• Finish painting the Malifaux Guild models I started in 2015
• Paint my Guild Ball Masons Team
• Special Super Secret Modelling/Painting project (it's a surprise but related to a Windmill)
• Paint something for CMON Expo (likely to be WoK Hadross)
• Painting something for NOVA Open (likely to be Blood Bowl)
• Paint up 1 (of my many) Dungeon Crawl type games.
• Build terrain for winter board (I have a super nice F.A.T. Mat that desperately needs terrain, luckily I have a butt load of DUST Warfare Warzone Tenements I got super cheap once upon a time)
• Build Special Super Secret Terrain/table - It's a surprise...
• Enter just 1 painting competition (online/convention/local, whatever)
• Stay within budget.
• Read more books, > 8*

*These numbers were what I achieved in 2015, so I want to do better than them.
**This number is kind of arbitrary since I obviously lost track of this last year.

More general 2016 Hobby Goals:

• Reign in spending:  Are you playing it?  Are you painting it?  Don't just "collect" it.
• Less kickstarters:  Is it really "exclusive"?  Can you really use it?  Will it make it to the table?  Don't just "collect" it.
• Paint more!  The unpainted models will not fight for you in the afterlife.  (I know I'm stealing that from someone, sorry I don't remember who).
• Get integrated into the local community, even if it is by playing Kings of War (not to imply KoW is "bad", just probably not my thing).  This goes for miniature, board and role-playing (maybe) games.
• Champion a game in the local community (what game is TBD).
• Research my Windmills.
• Don't buy more miniatures than you paint.  Unlikely but I should not give up on this.
• Less time on the internet looking, reading, watching the hobby and more time doing the hobby.
• Lastly, but very important to many of the previous goals, (for lack of thinking of better words) find my painting "center".  I need to find a speed, style and quality of painting that accomplishes what I want.  Basically, I want to establish an efficient baseline to work to most of the time and at times to deviate from.  Maybe later I will write something explaining my thoughts about this a little better but this post is not the place.

I have too many goals but hey that is just what they are.  I did not call them resolutions, that just seems too absolute, too binary.  Of course, many of these goals will be at risk if I don't get properly settled soon.  But there is a light in that particular tunnel...  Maybe.

The frequency of posts will now probably also die down.  Since this is the beginning of the new year and I am already 6 days "late" on this post, I rushed it and the previous ones out very rapidly.

Who knows though, maybe my next post will actually be something "useful."  ;)  

  

2015 Hobby Audit (Final Thoughts) Part 4/4

The last of the 2015 Hobby Audit:

Part 4 of 4, 2015 Final Thoughts:

Well, with 7 of 14 goals achieved I think I will consider this past year mildly successful.  I am really happy with certain aspects, as in spending and concentrating my hobbying more on what I can get to the table.  Other aspects, meant to achieve an end goal of having actual painted models, I'm less happy with but glad that there is improvement over 2014.  Going into 2016, I still need to analyze purchases and kicstarters more carefully - I've improved, but I think I can (and need) to do better.

I really liked how setting the goal of having my Malifaux Guild crew ready for Adepticon drove a significant part of my hobbying and think I will consider this approach for something 2015.  It would be nice to continue it for all the Malifaux Guild models that ultimately did not make the 2014 cut but I've signed up for no tournaments at Adepticon and the local Malifaux scene is non-existent as far as I can tell.  Perhaps I will target something else for CMON Expo and/or the NOVA Open.

I do really wish I had actually managed to play more miniature games this past year.  Which is troubling after my relocation because I am not terribly interested in Bolt Action or Kings of War, which seem to be the major games that make up the local scene.  Although I am willing to give Kings of War a decent go once I've settled and have my Warriors of Chaos army back.  That being said, Mike over at Mini Mayhem and I have very similar interest for the most part so I know I can at least get some alternative stuff in with him.  I really think in 2016, once I'm settled, I need to consider focusing on a game to champion locally.  What that will be is an interesting choice for another day, as there are several factors I think have to be considered.

Lastly, some of my favorite things from 2015 (in a random order, ie as they come to mind):

• Malifaux Team Tournament at Adepticon.  Not only was it great hanging out with my partner Nick all day but we had some really fun games with great opponents.  We didn't end up doing that well, but our practice partners finished 1st!  I think Nick and I deserve all the credit for their victory!  ;)
• Mad Max.  Wow, just wow.  And if you didn't know this version is coming on DVD in 2016 (I think):  Mad Max Trailer.
• Star Wars, The Force Awakens.  My expectations were low:  "Just don't f'' it up."  I don't think they did.  I think they gave us original Star Wars geeks what we wanted.  Is it perfect, is it flawless, it is a great movie, etc?  No.  Did it make me feel like I was watching Star Wars?  Hell yeah.
• Guild Ball.  Mike and I have only gotten one extremely long game (should have counted is 5-6 games) in of this game but I am already in love with it.  Is it a better game than Blood Bowl?  Yes, yes, yes.  Will it completely replace Blood Bowl for me?  No, I don't think so but I hope they both continue to coexist for me.  There is something to goofy/randomness of Blood Bowl that I think will continue to tug at me.
• Ready Player One.  Maybe this book only appeals to a certain age demographic and only to certain subset of people, but wow.  It just blew me away and so many old memories.
• Leviathan Wakes.  I was hooked 10 pages into this book.  By page 30, I thought to myself "he can't keep this pace up there are 470 more pages!"  I was wrong.  
• Roman and Raffa from Massive Voodoo at the 2015 NOVA Open!  It was such a pleasure and experience to meet them and take classes from them.  
• Long story that I've tried to make short.  Painting grey plastic Malifaux Lone Marshal.  Guild guard long coats previously had been painted brown, therefore Marshal's long coat brown.  Horse, painted brown (note this and next steps done with airbrush).  Model on horse, TOO MUCH BROWN.  Repaint base coat on horse to grey.  Shade dark grey.  Highlight very very light grey.  OMG it splattered all over the place!!!  Calm thoughts, nothing to loose, see if you can salvage it.  Make dark grey wash.  Wash horse.  Shadows/crevices looking good.  Splattering less.  Wash again.  Better.  Wash again, OMG I might actually have some marginal talent as a painter.  Run to wife.  Show wife model.  Wife responds "It looks like it did before you painted it..."  She's not a nice woman...
• Games Workshop announces the return of Specialist Games.  I don't know exactly why this makes one of my favorite things of 2015.  Maybe:

Eventually, hobby goals for 2016...

2015 Hobby Audit (Spending Analysis) Part 3/4

Part 3 of 4, 2015 Spending Analysis:

Previously I hinted at, I think, that not only do I track my spending to attempt to stay within budget but I also track what exactly it was spent on.  This way I can understand any positive (buying only what I am playing) and negative (buying stuff I'm not playing) trends.  Btw, I like numbers.  They tell you things.  But they can also tell you what you want them to say.

But before we get into that, there is a confession to be made.  This does not account for what it costs me to go to conventions (hotel, food, travel) or registration (convention itself and events) for said conventions.  Part of the reason for this is that I've used the purchasing of hobby related games, miniatures, supplies, etc as a proxy for actually playing.  Kind of like how some people with depression get a temporary "high" from a spending spree.  That "proxing" is what I'm trying to manage with the budget.  And the conventions, they are my form of vacation.  A "man-cation."

Another thing, this might be tricky.  If I received a gift card and use it on the hobby, then I account for here and against the models bought, but not the budget total goal.  BUT if I receive, let's say, Imperial Assault as a gift I don't count those number of miniatures against my goal of models bought or budget.  Seems to make sense to me.  I can't control what people give me but I can control what I spend money on (even if it's a gift card).

Anyway, the spending breakdown:
Modelling Supplies:  19%
Painting Supplies:  3%
Gaming Supplies:  8%
Terrain Supplies:  0%
General Hobby:  2%
Miniatures:  66%
Board Games:  3%
RPGs:  0%







Other views: 
How much of the total spending was on kickstarters:  27%
How much at conventions:  14%
How much FLGS:  0% (I haven't had a decent FLGS in forever)
How much toward things that are getting to the table:  24%

Hmm, definitely need to cut back on miniatures themselves, kickstarters and things that are not making it to the table.

Explanation of categories, if curious:
Modelling Supplies - Includes items for assembling, miniature storage, etc
Painting Supplies - Includes paints, brushes, etc
Gaming Supplies - Need it to play the game, or it helps.  Includes tokens, cards, rules, etc.
Terrain Supplies - Anything related to terrain or the making of terrain
General Hobby - Things not related specifically to a particular aspect, like gaming/hobby magazines
Miniatures - Take a guess
Board Games - No hiding miniatures here!  Imperial Assault goes under Miniatures.
RPGS - Bet you can guess this one too.

Up next, final thoughts.

2015 Hobby Audit (Goals Failed) Part 2/4

Continuing the 2015 Hobby Audit:

Part 2 of 4, 2015 Goals Failed:

• Enter 3 painting competitions.  Any type.  HAHAHAHA.  None.  
• Have an assembled and fully painted Malifaux crew for the Adepticon Team Tournament - despite it helping up my hobby output for 2015 I still considered this a fail as they are not "fully/completely" painted and I downsized my lists based on what I thought I could accomplish (ie, there is still stuff that isn't assembled or painted).
• Have an assembled and fully painted Blood Bowl team for the NOVA Open Tournaments.  Nope, not even close.  In fact, due to the move, my I still don't even have the intended Blood Bowl team!  It was from a kickstarter and I had to have it delivered to my parents!  
• Get some/any/all of that Spartan Games stuff painted.  Nope, without the prospect of getting games in this always fell to the bottom of the priority list.
• Make terrain for 3 different gaming table setups.  Nope but I'm blaming this one mostly on the move and the precognition that I was trying to make the said move.
• Only buy what you can get to the table.  This goes back to the to much "collecting" aspect.  While I failed at this (Blood Bowl Cheerleaders, Dropzone Commander, some of the kickstarters) I was significantly better than ANY previous year.
• Buy less miniatures than you paint (normalized*).  LOL.  That is soooo funny.  In 2015 I bought 139 (normalized*) models, including to eventually be delivered kickstarter ones.  And Wow, the Dropfleet Commander Kickstarter and DZC purchases killed me on this one.  While this is better than ANY previous year, it is a far cry from the actual embarrassingly low and omitted number of models painted.

*normalized:  by this I mean I count some things different than others.  Painting a vehicle is not "equal" to painting a 28mm foot solider.  IMO.

Next time, a bit of spending analysis...

2015 Hobby Audit (Goals Achieved) Part 1/4

So for a few years now, like many in our hobby, I set some hobby goals for the year.  As we approach the new year, it's time to conduct the audit!  Of course eventually I will post some 2016 goals, but let's see how I did for the past year.

Note, some of my goals get set as "Do X more than last year", while others are more specific.  Also, I tend to only track things by the week so even if I played Malifaux 5 times in one week, that gets recorded as 1 week of having played miniature games (it's not a great method, but I don't want to be a bean counter).

Part 1 of 4, 2015 Goals Achieved:

• Spend more time painting/assembling than 2014.  For 2014 I tracked only 17 weeks having any painting/assembly done.  Despite the upheaval of relocating from the DC area, I achieved 30 weeks of painting/assembly.  I have to credit trying to get my Mailfaux models ready for the Adepticon team tournament and Mike at Mini Mayhem keeping me engaged upon arriving to the Huntsville area.
• Play more board and role playing games than 2014.  For 2014 I only had 9 weeks that I played a board game or role playing game (and it was mostly role playing).  This year was only 7 but I think my tracking is significantly off because at my new job we have a Wed board game lunch group, so I'm going to consider this achieved despite the record keeping.
• Play more miniature games than 2014.  I've had a bad habit of to much "collecting" not enough "playing" as demonstrated by only 7 weeks of 2014 that I played a miniature game.  In 2015 that rose to 11, which only seems like a hallow victory.  Big thanks though to my Adepticon Malifaux partner (Nick)/practice opponents (Owen and Rhett) and Mike for motivating me to get these games in.
• Read more books than last year.  OMG this was easy and I am ashamed.  Why, because I only read 1 book in 2014 and NONE in 2013.  I managed 8 this year, although many were not very challenging books (short, Star Wars, Star Wars YA, etc)  and 8 is still a pitiful sum.  If interested, you can check my reads out over at goodreads.
• Spend less time "reading" about the hobby and actually doing the hobby.  Ie, spend less time online reading blogs, searching for tutorials, watching videos, etc and just hobby more.  At the end of the day, because someone else did it X way doesn't mean it will work for you anyway.
• Less kickstarters.  This may some day get a specific post about my current feelings about kickstarters but this isn't the time.  Enough to say, that I just wanted to reduce the amount I spent on them, esp given my major outlays in 2012 & 2013 which busted my hobby budgets.  Here is my list of shame though if you are interested, backed kickstarters.
• Stay within budget!  Yep, I did it.  I actually only spent 86% of my 2015 budget.  Much better than previous years.  Further auditing though will occur cause I like to look at the breakdowns/trends/misbehavings.

Next time, the FAILURES!

Relocated

So as I previously mentioned, or perhaps you know, I've relocated and had to establish a temporary hobby space for myself.

My new hobby space

Quiet the shell of my former man cave (and a half).  Just a small corner of my apartment bedroom that allows me to work a few small projects, that aren't in storage, while we continue to look for a new house.  I really wish I had set aside my airbrush for the apartment pack, although I have no idea where I would have put it.

Mike, over at Mini Mayhem, has been critical in keeping me engaged in the hobby since I arrived here.  I have known Mike for a few years and when I first arrived he was quick to greet me with a starter set of Hadross models for Wrath of Kings.  You can see those, maybe, assembled in front of the laptop in the photo above.

We have gotten a couple of games in of that since I arrived as well as a "game" of Guild Ball (we played things slightly wrong and actually played for 5-6 games worth of VP for our single "game").  You can see more of these over at his blog but please note, the unpainted ones are my models, not his.  This past weekend I also got in a demo game of Kings of War overseen by the some of the local gamers (KoW and Bolt Action seem to be the primary miniature games around here).

Anyway, I will try to post some thoughts up about Wrath of Kings, Guild Ball, Kings of War and Happy Seppuku base stamps (seen on my cutting mat and used for my WoK figures) in the near future.

A couple of quick notes on the blog layout.  All content, links, etc are still a work in progress.  As I have time, I will begin to back fill in more and more of the intended content along the sides of these posts.  And "windmills" if you are wondering, those are kind of my future secret/special projects/interests and are intended to link to all the content on this blog regarding them.  Of which right now, there is no content relating to them, so they don't work.

Starting Off

I have considered "writing" a blog for sometime now, so why now?  Well, I figured I should at least get something posted before offering the obligatory 2015 retrospective and 2016 resolutions, goals.  So I just avoided what the question really was, what is the motivation for having this blog?

• I recently (ok, back in June) relocated from Northern Virginia to Huntsville Alabama, so I figure this may be a good way to keep my, now distant, friends up to date about what I am doing.
• A diary, so to speak, of my activities.  I'm terrible of keeping track of what I have accomplished and how I have accomplished it.  So perhaps making posts to my own blog could help document what I've done.
• Maybe, just maybe, someone will see something I've done and it will help them, answer a question and/or inspire them (although I am not sure about that last bit).
• A bit of public accountability.  Like most of us in this hobby, I have an ever increasing number of models.  Models unpainted, unassembled, unused!  So perhaps if I am open on this blog about what I've done (or not done), what I've bought, etc, I may be shamed to stay within my budget, meet my hobby goals and so on.
• To share what I think about a particular subject (game, model, kickstarter, movie, whatever) such that it may increase it's exposure to more people.  In general, these will be about things that I feel positively about.  If I dislike or hate a particular thing, there really is no reason to waste my time or yours "ranting" about.  But, I will on occasion fail at this.

That being said, there are a few things I will not be doing.

• Writing very well.  Or spelling well.  Or using proper grammar.  And I will not stop using 2 spaces after punctuation, that is how us older farts were taught.  This is not professional content, it is maybe just a little bit more than my stream of conscience and/or a conversation with myself.   
• Oh, that's another.  At times, I will probably write this as if I am talking to myself.  Hell, for all I know I am.  But see the previous point, I'm not going to (nor do I have the time) to go back and edit content to produce professional polished posts.
• I will not be promising to provide content consistently.  For years I've been following an uncountable number of blogs, much bigger blogs and further reaching blogs than I can ever hope for, and every year they make resolutions to post more regularly or X number of times a week/month.  Not here, posts will come when they come.
• I can not promise to "manage" this blog well.  I don't know what I'm doing here folks!  I'm like my parents 30 years ago trying to program their VCR.  I am sadly befuddled by technology I can't figure out in 5 mins.  
• Investing a lot of time in making the blog look or work better.  I've settled on what I think may work and until I know otherwise, I won't be investing much more time into it.  I think it's readable and functional.  After all, I'm not a professional web designer or anything.