General Ramblings: Painting as a Control Measure

Yes, I'm still here. Sorry to disappoint...

Today is about obsessive collecting, and how I pace myself. Somewhat. Some of the time.

Not me. But the caption said 'Obsessive Toy Collector', which seemed appropriate...

So, there are all sorts of ways to label a hobbyist: gamer, painter, modeller, fluffbunny, collector, beer-and-pretzel, and so on. Mr. Johnson (of some Games Workshop fame) even made pie charts to show some of the different things that can be at the centre of a person's involvement in the Hobby.

I've always been more of a modeller than a painter, more a gamer than a fluffbunny (casual, as opposed to competitive, but a gamer nonetheless). And, as my economic means have increased, the 'collecting' slice of my pie chart has grown.

I like new things. Not necessarily as in 'oh, it's just been released, I must have it' (though I do do that), but rather as in I like to try things I haven't before. I can't stand to play videogames for too long (I want to try everything once, and that's it) and I rarely play more than a few games in a row with the same army.

And the evil, evil miniatures manufacturers keep making more stuff I want...

Which, unfortunately, means I buy more stuff than I need. Well, not that any of it is needed as such, but you know what I mean.

I've got two armies for Warmachine. I'm working on my second army for Hordes. I've got three separate fctions of Malifaux (and two separate Masters for one). I've got five (well, four and two halves) separate armies for Warhammer 40k, and one and two halves for Fantasy. I've got five teams for Blood Bowl. I even got myself the beginnings of a Firestorm Armada fleet, before deciding the system didn't agree with me.

And (barring those last two) I've got more for each of those armies than I've ever used at one time.

And most of that was acquired before getting an actual job.

So, since I've got myself a real job (with corresponding income) now, I have to make sure I don't go crazy. I have no problem being an avid collector, but I have no interest in having hundreds of unpainted (or even unassembled) models lying around.

So, I've set myself a rule. I have to paint this batch, before I can get that one. It's worked kind of well so far.

First, it gave me the energy to finish my Retribution models (all of which are actually painted, varnished, and have been used). Second, it made me finish the Trollblood Mountain King, the purchase of which was contingent on the completion of the Retribution stuff. Now, it will hopefully make me finish my freshly purchased Skorne army before being dragged off by whatever the next fancy is.

A Troll that makes the Extreme Dire Troll Mauler look tiny? *See picture for response*

And by that list, you can tell what system I'm focussing on right now...

For Malifaux, I need to finish Jacob Lynch (who, now that I think of it, means I have three Neverborn Masters, not two) and his crew, before racing off chasing the Ten Thunders. Or something else for that matter.

For the Warhammer siblings, the urge to buy is currently rather low. So no rules there, just now.

The point is, it's easy to pile up such a large backlog that the joy of assembling and painting the models gets buried beneath a lot of industrial production line hobbying. This fact alone is probably at least half the reason I've lost interest in Warhammer Fantasy, and a not inconsiderable part of the same loss for 40k.

I need to have small, relatively easy-to achieve, goals. I need to have one or two large models, or maybe a handful of small ones, to paint at a time, or I start feeling my hobby has become a must, rather than a hobby.

The setting of goals to be achieved before moving on, helps (though it might sound like it wouldn't) prevent this from happening.

And with that, it's goodbye for now, and maybe I'll see you at the next blue moon.

Ta.