Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Filling In Holes

The theme of today's post is about filling in holes.

First up, Hittites; Hittite bowmen, skirmishers to be exact.

With Ian intent on reigniting work on his Late Bronze Age rules, I offered up my troops and table for remote playtesting.  One problem I faced is that Ian's rules require a number of skirmisher units wielding either bow, javelin, or melee weapon.  Having patterned my Hittite Army primarily from Impetvs (or TtS!) lists, I did not field many skirmishers.  To correct for this under-representation, I pressed several units into the painting queue.

To that goal, first off the workbench are four, four-figure stands of Hittite bowmen.  Figures are 28mm Newline Designs.  A similar number of javelinmen will likely be next in this project augmentation.

The second hole to plug is a shortage of four-inch flocked hexes.

40 more hexes
With the recent battery of AWI games on hexes, thoughts of larger hex-based games have been turning over in my head.  Larger games require more hexes.  To address this shortfall, I finished 40 more four-inch, flocked hexes.  These hexes ought to be sufficient to increase the hex grid by two rows in both axes.

The third hole I am entertaining thoughts of filling is replacing a roster system of tracking casualties and unit attributes with an on-table marker approach.  Not really a hole but a redirection.  With Richard's WotR rules in playtest, he uses a roster system to track casualties, morale, armor, and other attributes.
Prototype stat and attribute scheme
The rostering system works well especially when the GM handles all of the tracking and computations.  For my own use, I prefer keeping my focus on the gaming table to reduce paper shuffling and back-and-forth glances from table to roster.  Still early versioning but I think I may have a workable prototype solution for my own needs.  The attribute labels on the right-hand side of each melee line could be decreased in size.  Richard is willing to give this system a try. We will see if this scheme works in practice.  Hopefully a test in the near future is possible.

The final hole to fill is a gaping hole in the basement ensuite bedroom.
Yes, quite an unpleasant discovery on Monday afternoon.  Last used by house guests at the end of July, Nancy went into the room and came out stating that "we have a big problem."  Well, often times, the "big problem" is not that big but this time, indeed, it was.  When I went in to inspect, the ceiling was bulging down, heavy with water.  The bed underneath the ceiling was damp but not soaked.  Pushing the bed into the center of the room and cutting away a section of the damage in search of the source of the leak revealed the culprit; an adhesive failure at an elbow joint.  Calls to a plumber and insurance got the leak fixed and damage mitigation pushed into motion on Tuesday.  This reconstruction work will likely disrupt gaming activities for awhile.  With another house guest planned for end of month, a lot of luck is needed to see the suite serviceable in time.

Given the maintenance issue described above, yesterday marked only the second Tuesday remote game with my UK friends missed since I began gaming with them last November.  Too bad too as I was scheduled to take to the air in a new Fokker triplane.  Maybe next time?

54 comments:

  1. Mighty fine gap plugging there Jonathan.

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    1. Thank you, Phil! One gap I would prefer not having to fill.

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    2. Indeed water leaks are the worst, we spotted ours just by chance before it got too serious, it still took several days and a lot of hot air to dry out though.

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    3. You were lucky to catch the leak before it became serious. Yes, we are waiting for the industrial fans to arrive as we await the results of asbestos testing.

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  2. You have made some good progress on so many projects noted in the post. "Taking care of details" is what adds polish to the games and often what is memorable.

    Good the leak was caught early, here is to a quick ( and stable )fix in time for your guests.

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    1. Thanks Joe! We got the leak early. At this point, looks like no damage to the wall, only ceiling. THat ought to speed restoration.

      Still, lots more Hittite skirmishers to add.

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  3. A nice bunch of additions Jon - shame about the plumbing issue but at least you spotted it before the ceiling gave way under a torrent of water!

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    1. Thank you, Keith! Yes, real shame about the plumbing. Coming downstairs into the game room and finding a foot of water covering the floor would have been a tragedy, for sure.

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  4. Damn, sorry about the leak, though glad insurance covers. Good work on the production line, however, that seems a fairly prolific output.

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    1. Thanks, Markus. One must roll with the punches. More units coming off the workbench soon.

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  5. Of late, I have noticed that skirmishers have been my blind spot in several projects and in some systems, they are just unavoidable.

    The ceiling is a bummer …… but of all the water sourced leak problems in the world to deal with, that looks at least self contained and manageable to get back into working order, without further ripping out. It is the drying out that is the pig!

    Hope you are back up and running and gaming again quickly.

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    1. The ceiling damage is a bummer, for sure. Yes, the leak was easily spotted and self-contained. The fix was easy too (expensive but easy!). I expect industrial fans to be delivered and set up today or tomorrow to begin the drying process.

      Hope to be up and running soon. I cannot game when workers are passing through the game room.

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  6. I am also at that odds and sods stage at the moment, a bit here and a bit there. You have my sympathy for the hole in the ceiling, been there twice.

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    1. I appreciate your sympathies, George. We have been here more than once too. sometimes, one must focus on the little stuff at the workbench.

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  7. Fine work on the wargames related holes, love those biblical era archers. Bad luck on the 1:1 hole hope it gets fixed swiftly.

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    1. Thanks, Peter! Glad you like the Hittite archers. More Hittites, Sumerians, and Babylonians to come.

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  8. Ouch, we had the same thing, Jonathan! Good you caught it early. Always satisfying filling gaps in gaming terms - not quite so nice in the ceiling...

    Cheers,
    Aaron

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    1. Gap filling in gaming projects - Good.
      Gap filling in ceiling - Bad.

      Hopefully, household operations will return to normal soon.

      Thank you, Aaron.

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  9. Good to see the repair work is well underway; water damage can lead to lots of collateral stuff (like mold, if not caught early enough). We had some stuff like that at our old place in Puyallup. Only discovered a leak inside the walls after seeing our bathroom and laundry room tiles getting discolored! Best wishes on your future games.

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    1. Thanks, Dean. Hopefully, the recovery will be uneventful.

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  10. Sounds like the leak could have been far worse, but still... that is some bad luck mate. Glad you have it in hand though.

    Those archers look very nice and up to your usual good standard of painting!

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    1. Yes, the damage could have been much worse. The adjuster expected much more moisture in the wall but there was not much at all. Damage is limited and should be remedied without out much complication.

      I appreciate your encouragement on my Hittite archers. Thanks!

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    2. Forgot to mention. Was sad to read we missed out on following your WW1 air combat adventures! Reading about your chance to take control of a german tri-plane had the young-teen-Biggles-fan in me very excited. Is there a chance of another game coming your way?

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    3. No worries! There will be plenty of opportunities to see me take to the skies.

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  11. Having lived through a pinhole leak in a pipe in a wall at a previous house, I can relate to your damage scenario: at least it was fairly easy to trace (little victories). I share your preference for on-table tracking systems and/or labels: their benefits far outweigh their (often exaggerated) drawbacks.

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    1. Yes, I traced this leak easier and luckily it was easily reachable and an easy fix. now to address the damage and disruptions.

      Very pleased to see another in the on-table tracking camp!

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  12. Hittites look great and the rest progress means that the hole in the ceiling can't shake your spirit! Wish you manage all troubles soon.

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  13. Filling the holes is one of the reasons that a project is never truly completed as you can always come across a reason to make additions like new rule set. Nice work as well

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    1. Right on, Neil! Our work is NEVER done, is it? I think we like it this way.

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  14. Great work and nicely done on all fronts. Hearing those four words "we have a problem" always makes me tense up and immediately try to do a quick mental calculation as to how much is in the current account, all in that split second before I find out what the problem actually is.

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    1. Thank you, Lawrence! On household problem announcements, I have the same reaction as you...

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  15. Thank goodness you managed to stop that leak before it caused any more damage. As for the rest of the gaps, good going everywhere! Do you custom build those hexes yourself? They’re pretty neat I must say!

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    1. Very good that we caught this leak early. In the old days (25 years ago), I cut the hexes by hand. Now, I buy the blank, wooden hexes. Much easier and more precise!

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  16. Great looking Hittites sir!
    Best regards

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  17. Nice Hittite archers Jonathan, Newline are always good value!

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    1. Thanks, Mike! Yes, Newline offer great value especially when purchased during a sale.

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  18. I've enjoyed watching your Hittite army grow- Looking forward to seeing it all on the table!

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    1. Hopefully, the Hittites will make an appearance on the gaming table this fall when rules’ testing begins.

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  19. Great looking Hittites and nice hexes! Bad news with the leak but at least it wasn't pouring out,I had to redo the whole ceiling, all walls and the floor! At least my copy of to the strongest! has finally dried out!
    Best Iain

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    1. Thanks, Iain! Bad news, for sure, but at least the damage is not great and the game room was unaffected. There will be a parade of workers passing through the game room when work begins. That ought to prompt comments. It usually does. Glad to see TtS! finally dried out.

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  20. It's good to tidy up projects now and again. I used the same idea for dealing with casualties for my never been seen 15mm Pavia project. It works well.

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    1. Ray! Good to hear from you! Seems like it has been a long time.

      Yes, good idea to tidy up the projects from tim to time. You have a never seen Pavia project???

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  21. Nice additions to your Hittites…
    A project is never truly finished… l quite enjoy finding new toys to add to the collection…
    It’s good that your leak was so accessible… the sneaky ones are always the worst…
    My old upstairs neighbour managed to flood my living room twice and I will never forget the somewhat bizarre incident where my current neighbour caused 4 pints of milk to run down the inside of my back door…
    So far- touch wood- the wargames room has remained dry…

    All the best. Aly

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    1. Thank you, Aly. You are right, few projects are ever finished; they simply go dormant for awhile.

      If a neighbor flooded me out, I would not be pleased. Milk running down the backdoor? Sounds like an interesting story.

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  22. I do like your Hittite bowmen Jonathan, wonderful job!

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    1. Thanks, Phil! Good to see you back after your August recess.

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  23. Sorry to have been missing for a bit.
    Nice job plugging the holes in the collection and the ceiling! Seems like miniatures collecting and home repairs are never truly done. 😀

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    1. Stew! Good to hear from you! I figured your absence was due to the challenges of house moving.

      Home repairs are truly never done, for sure. We have a small chance of finishing miniatures' collecting. Maybe...

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  24. More of the exciting content. I love your blog with all those details about your steps as a wargamer.

    The number of dice is really irritating. I know, why I love HoW. I hope to see you gaming HoW again. I'm excited to read about your ideas about the Brandywine game by Little wars TV.

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    1. Thanks, Andre! I hope to get HoW back on the table too. When? I don’t know.

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  25. Lovely Hittites!
    How to keep track of attrition and unit attributes is a tricky one. I favour approaches with the least "clutter" possible as I find it detracts from the immersion of the figures themselves, but I know that's a highly subjective perference! :)

    Also glad the leak was resolvable without too many complications!

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    1. Thank you, Mark! On table clutter is always an exercise in minimization. Given a choice between on table tracking and rosters, that choice is not always straightforward.

      Fixing the leak was easy. Demo and reconstruction are where the challenges lay.

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