The biggest thing that happened to me this week gaming-wise
was completing the painting of my Space Hulk boxed set. I tend to keep anything
I want to say about painting separate these days, so I’ve written a blog for
them that you can read here. I’m mentioning it in this post because it inspired
me to think about painting my models, how many of them I still have to do, and
whether ever actually doing it is a realistic option for me.
 |
| Painted, and ready to play... |
I’ve run into the same problem that every wargamer / hobby
gamer runs in to at some point: The backlog. I’ve bought a lot of models from hobby
shops in the past, most of them Games Workshop, some of them not, and for one
reason or another never got around to painting them. The reason for this is mainly
because I give priority to whatever army I’m currently working on, as there is
a certain expectation that they will be painted should I ever wish to use them
in a shop game. At least, that’s the case with Games Workshop, or Warhammer as
the shops are called now. Other, independent stores may be a little more
lenient about it but having all my models painted is a standard I set for myself
during my time as staff. The box games that I’ve been buying have therefore
taken a back seat. This changed during lockdown, where I had more than the
usual amount of free time (though not much!) and once I’d painted all the
models from the Black Legion force I was working on, I made a start on the
Space Hulk set. You’d think, with not even 40 models in the set, it would have
taken me a little less than eight months, but somehow that’s where we are. I paint
intermittently; always have, always will. But that means that my backlog of models
is taking a long time to get through.
So, what does that mean? Is clearing my backlog a realistic
goal for lockdown? Possibly; it’s been going on for longer than I originally anticipated,
and with the UK Conservative Government changing its strategy about as often as
most people change their clothes, it could go on for a great deal longer before
we’re finally clear of Covid-19. It’s not likely, though. I’ve got quite a few
sets to get through! However, it may be possible to make a large dent in it. And
that will be fine too.
 |
Close Combat doesn't happen often,
but when it does, it's brutal! |
With video games, there’s not much new happening this week.
I’ve been playing Necromunda: Underhive Wars, reaching the part in the story
campaign where the three factions make an uneasy alliance to reach their goal.
I’ve got a fairly shrewd idea on how that’s going to work out for them, given that
their alliance is about as stable as, well, the UK Conservative Government. It
will be interesting to see how the story ends, I’m not too far away from it now
– but as the missions take anything up to an hour and a half to beat, and that’s
if you manage it first time, I need to make sure I’m giving myself enough time
when I sit down to play. Even after all that, I’ve still got to go through the warband
mode, which is the next step!
 |
Struggled to find a screenshot of the
underwater levels from the PS4 version... |
Time management is an easier task with Spyro 2: Ripto’s
Rage. I’m about halfway through the game now, having 100%ed at least half the
levels on the Autumn Plains. It’s an absolutely beautiful game and is always a
joy to play, and I’m enjoying the gimmicks and minigames that occur on almost
every level which break up the gameplay quite nicely. I’m aiming for 100%
completion for this one – none of the achievement trophies are tied up in
multiplayer modes, so I could potentially manage it – so I feel absolutely no
shame whatsoever in looking up how to do certain of the puzzles, which isn’t
always obvious. Plus, it’s a great game to play when Kirsty and Jessie are
around. Jessie likes the fact that Spyro can swim in this iteration of the game
and loves playing around in the water on the Summer Forest level!
No comments:
Post a Comment