Little lost sheep

[exilesjjb Find all posts View Profile Close exilesjjb]

I have been having one of the crappy starts to the year when you look at yourself in the mirror and are not sure where you are going. I have spent the last 18-24 months trying to form a few gaming contacts with a view to actually playing wargames but the sum total of games in 2013 is 8 5 of which happened on the Blog-Con weekend (which has been the highpoint of my hobby life these last few years) match them agains 5 games of Zombicide played with my wife and daughter since I got it for my 40th (Nov) and I guess I must conclued that I was looking the wrong way for my gaming fix.
I have been dropping in and lurking here every now and then since I drifted away and have just seen that you have 4000 members now
:jiggy:
Well done to all of you, I like to think I played a part in the early day searching out all those links for guys and girls to spend their hard earned money at.
I have taken a step back from my Blogging and will probebly be hanging around a bit more to get a hobby fix.
So to all that do not know me Hi I am James and I am an addict.... opps sorry wrong forum

No I am a gamer who paints a bit, my skills have not moved much since I last posted on here but I will try and share my Zombicide figures over the weekend as I have been busy painting them this week.

Anyone who does remember me I say hello also (even Undave)

SO well done Brett on the 4000 and hope to catch up with who is/isnt still here

Peace James

[Shades Find all posts View Profile Close Shades]

Welcome back, James! I've followed you on your blog and on Google+. It sounds like you deserve a little rest and retrenchment to refresh your energy and motivation level. I think it's a good move on your part. I know you already know this, but at the end of the day, this is a hobby that must take a back seat to real life. On the other hand, when you're energized for it, and life's priorities allow for it, but then there's no one to share it with regularly, that can certainly be deflating. I've had similar ebbs and flows, as my gaming group has grown and declined.

I've found that I can make it work for me, when there is just one go-to person of like mind, with whom I can game. One buddy of mine lived only 15 minutes away. With him and me promoting and hosting games, we attracted a pool af good folks to game with. That pool would fluctuate, but my buddy and I were constant, and that's what it took to maintain the momentum.

Then he moved. And it all collapsed immediately. It was quite a shock to the system, to go from halcyon days to nothing. Sure, I had other friends in my gaming group, but they were necessarily focused on real-life priorities, like new babies, marriages, moves, school, etc.

However, luckily for me, I met someone else who ended up being my go-to opponent. Now, he and I aren't forming the core of a larger group, but it's enough for both of us to get our gaming fix to play games against each other.

Also luckily for me, I fell into a group that is similar to the group that I formed. Only this time, I'm one of the guys in the pool, and two other guys are the core. That said, I am a "regular", having missed only one weekly gaming session in the last 2 or 3 months that it's been going on!

Another direction to consider is what Demonn did in Croatia. He organized a gaming community through his city's social services program. So working with recreation centers or churches or youth programs is another way to form an outlet for gaming, while feeling good about making a social contribution while you're at it. Given what I glean about your personality from your blog and posts, I suspect this direction might be very rewarding for you.

I hope what I'm sharing gives you some hope and some ideas. It sounds like you may have a solution, when your dad moves nearby, IIRC. All that said, there's no rush. Relax and focus on those areas of the hobby that give you enjoyment and rebuild from there as time and priorities allow. Cheers!

[NeatPete I like to French Kiss Racoons Find all posts View Profile Close NeatPete]

Great to have you back! Maybe some of these 4000 wampers will be close to you can get some games going!

[Undave Find all posts View Profile Close Undave]

Ey up Brewerton, welcome back.

Oddly enough I was made to join the evil Facebook at work a few months ago and you were the first person to pop up on the "people you may know" list and the only one I actually did know. I've no idea how it worked it out as the only info I gave it was my name, spooky.

[waghorn41 Find all posts View Profile Close waghorn41]

welcome back James, you've been missed

[phatkid1966 Find all posts View Profile Close phatkid1966]

Wb to W4k. Sadly for us old folk we are the minority of the minority. I would love to get a regular painting group going in Cardiff but unless your a young lad who can drag all his mates in its a tall order. If I said to most of my real life buddies do you want to come and paint miniatures I think the answers would range between laughter and profanities I don't care to guess at. Still, there are painting events and I try to attend a couple each year.
Anyway, bottom line - we are happy to have you back ;)

[exilesjjb Find all posts View Profile Close exilesjjb]

cheers guy looks like the place has done well, Undave I have let FB scan my email account a few times you must still be using the address we were mailing back and forth about the Hurst arts moulds