Local Meta Can Be Fickle

So after writing that last post I took a moment to look over the older posts from this blog.  I hadn't posted a thing since 2015 and that's only partly a result of my hiatus.

So much has changed in the wargaming community at large as well as my local area.  Stores have risen and stores have fallen.  My favorite one is dead but there's one or two more good ones that have arisen.  (Or I've become aware of.)  And yet... I've barely played in the last year or so.

Part of it is the community.  Not to be disparaging, but the gaming community around here just isn't for me.  (Maybe it's the same everywhere in regards to this particular aspect.)  The problem is the "flavor of the month" thing was getting pretty heavy for a while there.  Here's what I mean.

I could walk into a place like DropZone (RIP) in April and people would be all about Malifaux.  There'd be a Malifaux ladder, tournaments, special events, all the Pick-up games would be Malifaux (or 40k.  There's ALWAYS 40k.)  Come back in July and it's Infinity.  New Infinity tables scattered about the store, new Infinity displays, Infinity global events, Infinity ITS events, etc.  Come back again in October and see what's next...

Sometimes 40K would absolutely dominate, sometimes Warmachine/Hordes.  Sometimes you could get a pick-up game easily in one of those if you were lucky, but play anything else and... Maybe somebody who was playing when it was mega-popular still has their stuff with them and may engage with you in a game.  Maybe not.

Add to that  my own introverted nature and the idea of going to the game store for some pick-up gaming or a tournament frequently enough (and laying out enough money) to keep up with the latest fad and... no thanks man.

Don't get me wrong, I like all these games.  I've had armies for all of them.  Rasputina crew, Joan of Arc centered Pan-O army, Black Templars, Menoth, not to mention Soviets for both Flames of War and  Bolt Action... Plus ships for X-Wing, Star Trek: Attack Wing...  Ugh.  Too much.  Just too much.  And if you don't have someone to play against then these things just collect a lot of dust.

Most of that is on its way to eBay.  I need space in my basement.

I think, as great as it is to see so many options in wargaming, the downside is the way it dilutes the player base, except when the local meta is in love with a particular system.  Then you lose the advantage of flexibility but you still have to keep up with the meta because it's constantly changing.

If you've got all the time, cash and energy in the world to keep up, then I say more power to you.

I just don't.