Returning from a Self-imposed Gaming Exile
Five
years ago I made a huge choice and moved my wife and myself away from
our friends and family in the United States to Europe for work
purposes. It was really a no-brainier, we had been kid-less for over
a decade, with no grandkids, I had recently retired from active duty
in the Navy, and my current job satisfaction was at a low point. On
the plus side my wife and I love to travel, being a history major,
and a gamer how can living in Europe be anything but a positive.
So
in the past five years we have seen lots of stuff, from castles to
battlefields, and from small villages to the great cities. All has
been great except for one unexpected consequence. My gaming has
suffered terribly. I have always been more of an introvert vice an
extrovert, so to find new opponents, and not knowing the local
language was very hard.
The Lion of Waterloo
Plaque on top of the Lion.
D-Day
Memorial at Utah Beach
Chateau
Gaillard
The Vassa in Stockholm Sweden
HMS
Victory
I
did try a few times, but it was not a pleasant experience, not
unpleasant but more unsatisfying. The game I was playing, War
Machine/Hordes, was under going a change in editions and I did not
have the time or motivation to really learn that edition and the guys
I was trying to play with were in a very competitive organization.
Not that they were bad or obnoxious players, but just a little too
intense. One avenue closed. My best gaming buddies back in the US
tried to be creative, and Zoom me in a few times. That was fun, but
time differences, and setting things up did not work very well.
Second avenue closed. I had brought over the better part of my lead
mountain, and over the next few years did work on that, and other
gaming projects. Maybe I didn’t paint as much as I would have
liked, but I did complete a few projects which will help when the
exile ends.
Projects
painted:
2017
Painting output.
Guild
Ball starter set, Skirmish Figures
Warmachine-
Menoth
Rigged
Napoleonic ships
Victorian
and Post apocalyptic Skirmish figures
28mm
Crusader Army
28mm
WWII German and US forces
I
am not a real prolific painter, but I think I cut some of the lead
mountain down. I also used these years in exile to change some of my
painting techniques, and expanded my tools, including an airbrush to
start experimenting with some things as well.
The
day to return will be hopefully coming soon, once the pandemic runs
it course and commerce starts moving again. Until then the exile
continues and I keep doing a few small painting projects to keep the
lead pile shrinking and the mind engaged.
On
the painting table for probably my last set of figures before the
movers come are some post apocalyptic figures which aren't game
specific, could be used in most games of that genre, such as
Wreck-age, Walking Dead, Across the Dead Earth, Fallout, and others.
Next
time: How to prepare for the big move.