MF/EF and Wargamming

[Orleanian In Exile]

After reading the various threads regarding the state of the hobby and whether or not it will ever grow into anything beyond what seems to be a limited subculture, I could not help thinking that one chief obstacle in the way is the fact that the game's reputation is either virtually unknown or a caricature to anybody outside the MF/EF community. This being, in part, because there seems to be a tendency for the MF/EF community to self-segregate itself.

It might be worth consideration to explore the possibilities of forming linkages to another hobby community —wargammers. There are in fact several points in common between the two hobbies as it is: both involve strategy gaming using little figures on opposing sides with rules and defined objectives to the game. Both involve long hours of study into strategy and game design/technique and both have hobbyists who produce very detailed figures and tables/boards to try to create the maximum degree of realism as can be gotten in a miniature game.

It is not too unreasonable to assume that a good number of wargammers are football fans and that seeing a hobby which touches upon two interests they might have would attract attention. So it might be worth the effort to foster ties between a league and the local wargamming club or to buy table space at the next local wargamming convention or SF/fantasy convention with a gaming room and hold some of the league events or demo games at these venues.

The results of such a cross-fertilisation could be quite beneficial: the chance to pull in a new group of potential fans/players, a chance to demonstrate how far MF/EF has advanced since the old days of the '70s game, and the possibility that wargammers who also professionally paint or manufacture figures might take an interest in creating a line of football figures as part of their inventory. You gain a vector for the exchange of information and ideas for improvements in the hobby and links to a wider community, which can only help to promote the game.