Know Your Blogger

The latest blogging meme to come along is for gaming bloggers to answer 20 questions about themselves and what they like. Personally I think reading my posts will give you more insight into whether you might like what I blog about, but here goes:

1. Favorite wargaming period and why: One might think that it would be the American War of Independence, but it is not, mostly because I have not found a set of rules that I really like. I really liked Napoleonics, but that is largely because of the childhood memories of the camaraderie in gaming with a club where we had huge games with 10 people per side. It is an incredibly colorful period, but it never really got me to research it, other than uniforms. I think if I look back to which period I consistently come back to time and again, it would be World War II, at the company or lower level (tactical). As a period it is well documented, you can get detailed perspective on both sides in English, and although the uniforms are not all that cool, the variety of equipment and environments is.

2. Next period, money (and time) no object: Time always is the object for me, but if I had enough money to pay for really good painters and terrain builders it would probably be Napoleonics done in a bigger scale (40mm or 54mm). Probably in wood too.

3. Five favorite films:

1. Platoon
2. Shoot 'em Up
3. Fight Club
4. Saving Private Ryan
5. Kenny

4. Five favorite TV series:

1. Lost
2. Mad Men
3. Sons of Anarchy
4. Breaking Bad
5. Game of Thrones

5. Favorite book and author: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

6. Greatest general: Hannibal

7. Favorite wargame rules: If it is based on what I play the most (which it should be) it would be the Command and Colors series of rules.

8. Favorite sport and team: I am not into watching team sports, only participating in them (and then only rarely). As a spectator it would probably be World's Strongest Man competition. As a participant it would be paintball (more of a hobby than a sport).

9. If you had a"use only once" Time Machine, when and where would you go: If I was only allowed to go to a new time, but not return, it would be when I finished college. I would have taken two more classes before continuing on the same path I am on now. If I could go and return, I would go back to the Greek hoplite period so I could witness and document how Greek hoplite combat really occurred, solving the argument over othismos once and for all.

10. Last meal on Death Row: I think this is when I would want the "one use only" Time Machine served up. Failing that, a Ribeye steak cooked to perfection, buttered cauliflower, a side of pork ribs with good BBQ sauce, and a bread pudding with butter rum sauce.

11. Fantasy relationship and why: Pass. My wife has been known to see what I am up to.

12. If your life were a movie, who would play you: Jonah Hill.

13. Favorite comic superhero: From the true superheros types it would be Iron Man. But if it were any comic hero it would definitely be Prince Valiant.

14. Favorite military quote: Do John Wayne quotes count? "Life is tough, but it is tougher when you are stupid." That is a variation on my dad's "You better be tough if you are going to be dumb."

15. Historical destination to visit: I would like to see the Imperial War Museum again. I was not old enough to appreciate it when I saw it as a kid.

16. Biggest wargaming regret: Probably getting into 6mm. I liked painting them, and the price, but I found that, for me, their small size only lends itself to element-based games and I am a single casualty removal kind of gamer.

17. Favorite fantasy job: Wooden toy soldier maker.

18. Top five songs:

1. Mac the Knife (by Bobby Darin, of course)
2. Fly Me to the Moon (by Tony Bennet, of course)
3. Dark Heart Dawning (BT)
4. Go West (Pet Shop Boys)
5. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (by E. Power Biggs, of course)

19. Favorite wargaming moment: When I finally "got it", that battles were nothing more than micro-games strung together, and that if you did not understand how to win at the micro level, throwing more points, units, and terrain in the mix was not going to make you any better of a player.

20. What upsets you: Rules that are intentionally written with a level of ambiguity so you and your gentlemanly companions can work it out to your own mutual satisfaction. If I had wanted that, I would have written my own rules.

Hmmmm. Maybe that is too much information...