Figuring Out 2025 Plans

 So first thing's first - I haven't done any gaming lately. Haven't gotten my army to the game store for Warhammer: The Old World. Kind of...not really feeling it? I've just been really tired lately; both physically because insomnia's been on me like stink on a monkey, and mentally drained by holidays, adjusting to homeownership, and caring for my spouse, who's been having mobility issues lately. It's hard to justify trips to the hobby store right now as well - my beloved cat Atticus is going to need a couple hundred dollars' worth of  of testing done at the vet's office in the new year, as the old gent is likely experiencing arthritis pain in his hips, has a heart murmur, and needs bloodwork done to get his new vet to sign off on renewing his thyroid prescription. So I am looking at putting away money towards those bills in advance.

I have been painting a fair amount of scatter terrain, and working on some modern figures:

Pallet of cash by Miniature Building Authority

Junk Pile w/ Engine and Dead Donkey by MBA, mattress by Crooked Dice

Sweaty lowlife by Brigade Games

Which brings me to looking ahead to 2025. I know, I know, I've had two posts about this before, outlining plans for prehistoric and samurai wargaming as focuses for the year upcoming. But I think I need to be realistic and take a few things into account. 

I've got a bit less in the way of disposable income right now regardless, because we've got property taxes, school taxes, things I didn't have as a renter. And it's a hundred year old house; it does take some upkeep. 

So starting new periods, and building accompanying terrain collections, seems ill-advised. I have a respectable collection of modern buildings, roads, fences etc., and expanding my scatter for modern games, and a number of the games I enjoy playing fit that time period perfectly - Fistful of Lead, Majestic 13, and Perilous Tales - which is newly out in finished PDF! 

I'm laying out three goals for myself for 2025:

• Remain focused on one setting - modern-era urban environment, reflecting the Rust Belt surroundings I've spent my entire life in. 
• Play two games a month, solo or otherwise. Especially in the winter months it's going to be solo games. Having friends over and hosting games of Fistful of Lead or co-op games of Majestic 13 when possible. 
• Paint more than I buy. Moving this year really showed me just how big my leadpile has gotten, and I'd like to work that down if possible. Maybe I should make this a goal of needing to paint one figure for every new figure I want to buy and add to my collection. Either way, I intend to track both figures painted and figures purchased in 2025. 

I don't know how I'm going to count terrain painted towards my painted count for the year, if at all. 

A corollary goal to #2: I've had this idea in my head for a while now of putting on a big participation game for Halloween. Jaye, the author and publisher of Fistful of Lead, does a big annual zombie-hunting game for Halloween where 4-6 players have try to fulfill objectives while zombies spawn randomly at a half dozen points on the table. I'd love to do something similar, set up a big urban table and have a few friends over for pizza and a game where street gangs and the police fight among themselves while also trying to fend off waves of zombies. It would mean an investment in zombie figures (doable), but I think it'd be a really fun time. 

So I think, with three weeks left in 2024, I have an actionable plan for responsible hobbying in 2025. No plan ever survives contact with the enemy, but let's see how long I can make this last.