Are miniatures an important tool for roleplaying? I enjoy miniature games such as Warhammer Fantasy and 40K, but have rarely used minis with my OD&D, White Wolf, or Palladium games in the past. No one in my old group was much of a mini player and it never felt right.My new group however, is run by a creative and talented GM who has an impressive collection that he has painted in detail himself. Furthermore, the minis, themselves, are often endorsed by Fantasy Flight. When I asked my GM why he used minis in a roleplaying game, his answer, aside from the general pleasure of painting them, was that miniatures add objectivity and clarity to combat and generally enhance the experience. Interestingly, when he started gaming with the original D&D booklets, he used washers, nuts, etc.
I haven't played or read 4e D&D, but I see their miniatures filling the shelves at my local Borders book store. With that, and the success of Dark Heresy, ongoing growth of Warhammer, and newer mini game systems such as Clix, it is clear that miniatures are growing in popularity. It also seems that many board games have adopted both a CCG and miniature element. For some reason, I still seek the simplicity of OD&D sans minis. Why is that?
Like you, I never used minis back in the 80's and 90's in my gaming. We just kept track of everything in our heads, and didn't worry too much about positioning or distance.
ReplyDeleteIn the Oughts, though, with 3E happening while I was in Japan (a great place to find plastic minis of all sorts, especially on the cheap), and having plenty of disposable income before I got married to pick up metal minis from time to time, I now have quite the collection.
I've gone back to Classic D&D as my game of choice, but I do still use the minis quite often. I don't bother with a battle-mat, though. Just plunk them on the table to show relative distances and who's engaged with who in combat, and marching order out of combat.
Like your GM, I just enjoy collecting, painting, and using these little toys. They're not necessary, though, and like you, I can still enjoy the simplicity of a game without them.
Our GM uses minis without battle mats in much the way you describe except during close-quarters combat when we have to mind blast radii.
ReplyDeleteI'm jealous. I've visited several countries and driven through forty eight states, but Japan remains my number destination choice.