Podcasts…

Despite working in IT I’ve always avoided a lot of the trends and technologies that become popular. I’ve only recently started using Facebook in any meaningful way. Admittedly I’ve blogged for a while! And I don’t Twitter! Never. Ever.

Podcasts I’ve seen around for quite a while, both from the gaming viewpoint and from the Linux community, but I’ve never really bothered. I’ve either needed my PC/Laptop on and if downstairs then I get distracted by kids/wife/TV. And if in attic painting I end up drifting off onto the Internet. So recently, having finally got my HTC Desire, I’ve started listening to some either to and from work and occasionally at work.

First up were the View from the Veranda podcasts from Neil Shuck and Henry Hyde. Now having met Henry and obviously reading Battlegames I knew I liked his ‘view’ of the Hobby. And View from the Veranda showcases that view admirably. Both Henry and Neil chat well and I find I have a lot in common with their views on the rules and the hobby in general. They are well worth a listen. I started with Episode 7 and then worked my way back! It was nice to here Henry chat about the Ayton game as well.

The current and new episodes are on their own site here and earlier episodes can be found on the Meeples and Miniatures website here.

Which leads me to the Meeples and Miniatures podcasts! I’ve got to admin I only came to this via the VftV podcasts and having heard Neil’s enthusiasm for the hobby, both figure and board games, I thought I’d give them a go. I started with Episode 78, the latest, and an interview with Richard Clarke of Too Fat Lardies. This was an excellent interview. Informative and funny at times and giving a good insight into the thinking behind the whole Too Fat Lardies approach to rules and gaming. I found a lot to like. I have a copy of Sharp Practice but have yet to play (like lots of other things!) but as I’m finally starting to dabble in WW2 (I blame Henry for his Western Desert GHQ project!) I’m on the lookout for rules and I really liked what I heard about I Ain’t Been Shot Mum. As Version 3 is due out later this year I shall be acquiring a copy!

And since then I’ve been working my way back through episodes and currently on Episode 70. There are some excellent reviews of products, explanations of new rule sets, interviews with gaming alumni (so to speak). I particularly liked the Force on Force related interviews. And it’s proved a good way of getting an overview of the hobby over the last year or so and hearing about things I’ve missed. You can’t fail to hear Neil’s enthusiasm for the hobby coming through and I envy the amount of gaming he manages to get in. I tend to be quite insular in my gaming. As I don’t get many games in I have a focus on the painting (and blogging) and tend to stick to my own little periods so if I get to a club I want to play with MY stuff! :).

The podcast related posts are here. And include the Incoming shorted reviews which I’ve yet to get round to. Neil is to be congratulated on keeping this project going for so long and still keeping it interesting, so long may it continue.

I’ll be keeping current with these podcasts and slowly working my way back through them. I can’t see me really seeking out other podcasts, if only from a time commitment viewpoint but they are proving an interesting addition to my hobby. Go listen!

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