Obviously, my opinion is that I can clearly see valid arguments from both sides, but know this is a conversation that really needs to happen. Clearly this presents an opportunity for the industry to respond, and adapt in exciting ways, but responsibility also lies in fans as well, in part. ![]() For many, instant, widespread access to models is going to make it a tougher sell to return to an older way. This genie isn’t going back into its bottle. To see any of that side of the hobby diminish, is to turn these games into essentially half-developed video-games instead. This is a subjective issue based on what a given player wants from this hobby, but I bet most of us have a lucky Space Marine, or a sub-par unit we field because it has been our favorite forever. They’re “our guys” because everything that went into them somehow makes them different than everyone else’s. There is something to be said for the ownership one feels for the models they invested money, assembly, paint, and passion into. Remember gaming at game stores…? Feels like five-hundred years ago.īeyond that, there is no doubt that some of what makes this hobby unique and special, is lost in translation to the virtual platform. If we want these games to thrive, and grow, we need new fans, but money also needs to be spent to ensure further development continues. Our beloved hobby, relative to Hollywood, video-games, and so on, is very small, and deserving, excellent games frequently die because profit cannot be had. Most of us have seen folks banned/ejected from communities for encouraging piracy, and yet here, we see whole events organised by fans openly, amounting to the same. Mods with full codexes exist, while others for games like Starwars Legion or A Song of Ice and Fire, offer the entire card libraries, making the games fully playable without having spent a dime. ![]() There are also real issues that need to be addressed with TTS, chief of which is that however we dress it up, many of these mods are outright theft. I can only speak for myself, but this has been an exhausting time to live in, and asking people to forfeit a safe way to enjoy something that gives them a modicum of peace right now, seems like a rough ask. If anything, this may well accelerate the trends we have seen with some games garnering serious attention as serious competitive exercises, not unlike what has happened with e-sports.įinally… we all kind of just need the escape right now. With no barriers from painting, budgets, or inventory shortages, games are more skill-based than ever, and less beholden to haves vs. Games have become more equitable than ever. ![]() In what could have been a period of contraction where the whole hobby shrank, we have whole communities springing up around games, with events being held online when they would be cancelled otherwise. Less gaming happening means fewer models sold, less foot traffic in local game stores, and a less visible hobby that always needs new blood, and younger people joining as others move on. A very real impact of in-person gaming having to go on a back-burner, is no doubt a giant blow to the sales of countless tabletop games. When 2020 happened, we were all a little shell-shocked. ![]() Now that we’re all up to speed, I hoped to prompt some discussion, and maybe play some devil’s advocate. Many game publishers do this themselves, officially selling virtual copies of their boardgames, but far more are labors of love from fans… that also happen to create copyright infringement whack-a-mole, where publishers squash one mod only to see others pop up. Enthusiasts can do everything from scan 3d models, to cards, to entire rulesbooks, and with that powerful flexibility comes the ability to play any game.
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