Ignore Your GOBLIN BRAIN
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ม.ค. 2024
- Learn how to fight against your goblin brain so you're not drowned in your "pile of potential."
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That awkward moment when this video autoplays next while you're painting minis from your pile of potential so you can buy more minis 😅
Hey that's not awkward, that's the whole goal! Using what you have before you buy more!
Called out
At least you're painting them 😅 I'm transitioning to full goblin
Awkward is when the video is playing while you print out a new army in spite of having multiple armies sitting unpainted in boxes.
Props for the Home Alone reference. 😂
One trick for me is that certain for things, like miniatures, I have a strict "no online shopping unless it's the only way" policy. Having to go out of your way to go the store is a major speedbump that helps give more time to my goblin brain to quiet down.
Once at the store, I also like taking the shiny thing I want right away, then start walking around the store and looking at stuff for a while. This way, I kill the fear of no getting it, because it is in my hands, and I can think about it more objectively.
It's not a goblin brain, it's a gollum brain. We needses it, the precious...
Wasn't expecting a cognitive behavioural therapy session this morning 😂 Thank you! 10/10
literally, lol
I am 50 years old, and I suppose there are many others from my generation who subscribe to your nice channel. That said, many of us may have been shaped by the Star Wars' figures, "Empty Box Campaign" when Kenner had to delay the release of the first Star Wars' figures. We had to enjoy and in fact, fantasize about how we would play with the figures just by looking at catalogues (for months). For me, this still gives me pleasure to "strategize" my purchases. In other words, our brain can be stimulated by the creative process of future painting, assembling, gaming, and aquisition of the "shiny." This helps me and I just wanted to pass that on.
Agreed! I schedule my planned purchases over the entire year. If something sells out before I get it, then I adapt my plan because something new has come out by then anyway. When I feel like I really need to buy something, I either force myself to go paint or build miniatures I already have, or else I go play a game to prove to myself that I technically have all the armies I ever need.
Not me having a flashback to falling asleep with the Sears catalog in my hand…
@@Crusader_Studios I used to LOVE the Sears catalogues when I was a kid! My cousin and I would plan for weeks what to ask for Christmas.
@@cetx yes! I call going through the stuff I already have - "home shopping."
Oh wow, I think I remember that early bird Star Wars box! That blew my mind a bit
Today is the day I learned that I'm a goblin.
Also, an extra tip to add to these brilliant ones: It's about forcing that Goblin Brain to explain itself when desiring something for gameplay purposes - if you see yourself looking at a new miniature/unit/kit and thinking something along the lines of "Okay, I can use this as part of my x to do y", make sure you ask yourself if you're actually already playing with your pre-existing miniatures, or whether you're doing everything BUT play with them; in a sort of Fantasy Football-like way, gaming, in your head. It's a trap I've fallen into before.
That's a great way to put it and I fell into that trap CONSTANTLY when building out my first army. It's so easy to say "But I need OPTIONS" even when your army isn't hitting the table often enough to justify those options.
@@joesturn7740ooooooooof. I feel attacked 😂
The Thunderwolf cavalry, knowing they are due for a new kit in about a year and a half to two, but still wanting them for rules glory was rough. I was lucky they were sold out online and
at all the local stores at the time months ago. I drove around looking for them. Thank goodness it took that long. Didn't buy them. But I still kinda want to buy them ..... lol
The thing silencing my goblin brain currently is cash flow. Hard to justify buying more plastic when you're budget is tight.
You'd be amazed what people can justify...
Sadly, I understand. I'm hoping to turn my love into enough money to buy groceries, pay the electric bill, and have enough to still buy paints, models, and accessories. I hope your circumstances change & you get to indulge your goblin brain.
@@tiffanylamb1187 Food is overrated. Plastic is forever! 😋
I think I have given into my Goblin brain, and I am okay with it..... But also, I do want to thank GW for making their website in such a manner that my Goblin brain has some issues with it ;-)
Yeah, that new website really makes it easier to not buy anything. Thanks for watching!
Oh yeah... the new website makes it much harder for me to just browse and fantasize about Weird Conversion Ideas lol - which is much safer for my wallet
Haha.... that's why I didn't buy into Old World by the time I managed to get into the website all the stock was sold out. Now with hindsight, time I'm no longer interested in getting it. Thanks to GW my wallet was saved from a major wounding 😅😅😅
@@tabletopminionsit's universal with all.my friends the website sucks now lol
My number one tip for quieting the goblin brain: Close the those store tabs. I know you have'em. Close the tab with the Relicblade Store Page, close the tab with NobleKnight Games, close the tab open to that new Conquest Wadrun Army Set because it'll finally put you to 2000 points and you know you've been meaning to sell your Dweghom but you've been so distracted with competition pieces and your 40k Armies, but if you just get it now you'll build and paint it, you swear, and... Wait where was I going with this?
Damn. You just made me realize I hadn't check those site in awhile. Now those tabs are open 😟.
Problem is, this is relatable across three or four different hobbies. Curse my goblin brain!
THERES SUCH A THING AS STORE TABS??! Well thanks for nothing then! Here I go!
Thanks for all this new links, especially NobleKnight Games, there is so much to explore!
Who knew Goblin slayer was really a show about resisting FOMO?! 😂
But... Goblin Brain is my entire brain...
The other part of my goblin brain is for value, when I see a sweet deal on ebay, a lot of minis for not that much price i'm really tempted. Then I end up with a lot of things I don't want. It can be tricky too. Other than that I have the same problem with videogame, I have an insane backlog. I used to buy a lot of game in sales on steam. What I do now is excatlcy what you describe, I force myself to really envision myself playing the game and know if I will really enjoy it, and If I will stop playing other games/painting to play it. That really helped me, a lot of games I just don't feel like playing it right now so I can wait.
I managed to resist buying into The Old World or the new Epic, and I am proud of that. Also haven’t bought any new 40k armies in a good while. I am really trying to enjoy what I have, and not worry if ai miss a pre order
I would love to say that I haven't bought in The Old World but I have two halves of the old Breton ian Starter set from WFB. It strange how things have come back around again. But I have no plans to grab the new epic. Just look at the prices they will keep you away.
Oh, me too. And I saw the Undead box yesterday up close, and I'm sooooo happy I didn't get it!
Same here after coming to the conclusion today but the biggest FOMO product I am excited for GW and Wargaming in general are events
I find my ADHD gives my Gobbo brain a +10 to persuasion. I try to do these tips already, but it can be hard.
Waiting is the best option, but sometimes it's really difficult if there's a limited amount of the thing. In fact, thinking about waiting, then thinking about how there might not be anymore to buy, has triggered my buy response hahaha
I just started ADHD treatment, being diagnosed at the age of 50... I have now very different feeling towards my Pile of
One thing that helps my pile is having a pre-determined “done” point with each game and army I play. Investing in a new army has an extra layer to it, and it helps control the impulse to buy new stuff. But it means when something VERY shiny comes out, I can indulge knowing that it’s not going to make my pile grow too much.
My pile right now is 9 models. All are built, I’m just starting to paint them. But if I get a new model or a new box, that’s going to be between 10% and 30% of my entire backlog
I’m hoping to have halved that pile before too long as there are a 4-6 kits coming out this year that I already know I want. So if I can paint up 2-3 models a month, I’ll be in a good place with it all
I could call it a Hoard of Hope I suppose. :)
I embraced my Goblin Brain. I am using 3D modeling to make my own dice! This Dice Goblin is turning into an Artificer Goblin!
*level up noise~!*
Make sure to test those dice using salt water. Resin dice aren't likely to be weighed correctly, and could favor one side of the die.
Be careful. You may end up crossing the line from a Dice Goblin to a Dice Dragon. LOL
This was a great video. Personally I'd love a Dr Seuss like rhyming introduction to all TM videos. Helping people create a more healthy relationship with their hobby when a lot of it is based around a constant cycle of buying (and hoarding) is important given the way the industry typically works and people's probable economic pressures elsewhere. I also really want to see the movie about a regretful hoarder goblin coming to terms with his animal instincts and becoming a healthier less impulsive fellow
Really like your new video brigther setting / studio. brings something fresh in your videos! and you´re right. Most people tend to spend to much money on too much miniatures and never use them.
I've learned to control my goblin brain somewhat. It still pokes to the surface every now and then, but it's been since Christmas 2022 since I last bought more minis and several months since a new paint bottle. I've painted a lot more than I've collected! The pile is slowly going down!
It's not completely under control though: For next year wifey had the idea that we should make a Star Wars Lego manger scene, and I bought the Emperor's Throne Room lego-set for that already... But baby steps!
The idea of a "cooling off" period before buying has saved me so much money in MTG and Gundam kits. I've been doing that for years now. Now to apply that to 40k minis.
I didn't hear anything about not buying new paints, which means I am cleared to GIVE THE GOBLIN BRAIN ITS DUE!
Can't believe he just called me a goblin! So shocked I almost fell off my squig!
I think my biggest weakness for my goblin brain is limited-time discount boxes. The illusion of "saving money" on things that I "am probably going to eventually want for my army" is hard.
Woot! 2AM and I am waiting on the blizzard, new Tabletop Minions video to wait out the time.
Good video. Many valid points. At this point I have started to control my Goblin Brain, but it had a good while to ran rampant. Especially at time where I was vulnerable. Whats worse than a pile of shame….several boxes of assembled but unpainted minis and terrain. Whilst still having a pile of shame on top of that! 😂
Substitute "miniature" for anything else, like dice / makeup / coffee gear, and it will still apply. I've gone to therapy for this stuff 😂
TTRPG rulesets was the next big group that came to my mind :)
Ha! I am totally a Dice Goblin! To be fair, I use them all, so I refuse to feel bad. Still, found some beholder eye dice that I really want. I figure, I'm not a Dice Dragon, so it is all good.
@@tiffanylamb1187 haha same! I'm hoping to be a dice dragon one day xD
Inside, we are all goblins! I did sell a lot of my pile a few years ago. But there is one useful pile to have and that is the bits. My pile of bits have benefited me and my sons kitbash immensely. So in a way I get extra return of that money I spent years ago. Still, I have a pile but it is getting smaller.
I wasn't expecting a TH-camr to personally come at me like this on a Friday morning.
I play with a group of friends and at a campaign in the store. Whenever I consider new, significant purchases, I talk about them to as many people as possible. Often they ask me about all those same questions. "What will it be used for? Do you have plans for it? What's your painting rotation now?" and that puts out the plan for the product. Often it's enough to stop me from buying. Many times I can also wait and buy used. I have bought one kit new for my 40k Imperial+Chaos Knights and I have like 4600 points there, because I wait for someone to get out of knights with unfinished minis.
I find having that group to play with and to discuss purchases together helps to keep my spending habits grounded and in check. And that has kept me onto only having one ongoing project with three in queue. My Age of Sigmar Slaves to Darkness army is actively being painted, while my Knights are next in line. Then it's two Blood Bowl teams, and finally my old Space Hulk set gets the love it deserves.
It also helps that each of my friends has a side game that they're most passionate about. So I don't need to buy MCP, or Battletech, or Star Wars at the moment.
Thanks for the video.
I purged my goblin brain long ago. I work in a hobby shop; the amount of bad behaviour I see both from companies and customers provides me with enough information to remove myself from that ecosystem as much as possible.
First, the corporate side: corporations are NOT YOUR FRIENDS; conversely, you are the prey to their predatory actions. You are 'line goes up,' they don't consider your mortgage payment, or your new baby, or your broken car. I've seen marketing trump all those considerations. They'll play you for a fool, and if you're not careful, you'll happily let them.
Which leads to second, the customer side: STOP LYING TO YOURSELF. You deserve to treat yourself better than that.
If you need to justify your purchase to yourself, or if you decline your receipt because 'you need to hide the evidence,' you need to stop and really think about if your current actions are going to serve future you the best. 'Retail Therapy' = 'Self-Medication.' The difference is a bartender will stop serving you when you've had enough. Spend time with your loved ones, play with your dog, go for a bike ride, there's a better option for that dopamine bump than feeding Ha$bro.
I’ve heard goblin brains are very nutritious but you really need a lot of pepper to mask the taste.
For me the best way is to see new models as a reward for finishing the ones you already have. This is actually quite motivating and can really help you pushing towards finishing an older project because you just added another reason to do so. And the sensation of earning the right to indulge by having to work for it makes the whole proces that much more enjoyable.
A - 2 - D?! My Goblin brain was bleeding out of my ears at this nails down a chalkboard moment 😱
Wait... people feel bad bc of their collection? 😮 Here I was thinking we were just shaming people into painting their minis or something.
I actually feel *good* about my precious treasure pile. I love every mini in my shelf and I couldn't bear the thought of selling them or giving them away, just because I might not paint all of them. Just found through the boxes when choosing my next painting project makes me so happy & the only downside is people telling me that unpainted minis are shameful and I'm irresponsible for not painting everything first before I add to my collection... but I still like looking at them, painted or not.
I start to think I might be a goblin...
Like you, I cannot bear the thought of parting with any of my minis, but I do feel guilty about buying new stuff while painting so few of my existing collection...
A pile of shame is a reminder of lack of impulse control. Many see it as a flaw in their personality and that thought hurts the ego. Hurt ego feels bad. It's similar to how someone who thinks they are ugly feels bad after looking in the mirror.
@@grayfox2618 I guess I can't really relate to any of that... I just love miniatures and I want to surround myself with things I love. They're pretty and bring me joy, painted or not.
I enjoy my goblin brain, I have bought a few boxes of death guard plus mortarion, I have my paints and I’ve been painting away slowly for 2 hours an evening. I know eventually I’ll get it done because I’m enjoying it and I love the fact I have all I want sitting and waiting.
I was just fighting my goblin brain last night. Was wrestling with buying more minis and decided to not listen to my goblin brain and just use the minis I have on hand, some of which I haven't even assembled, instead of buying more.
I’m having a ZERO spend year for anything hobby related for the first time since 2008, and I’m loving building those kits from my pile of potential and planning conversions or kit bashes with what I have rather than waiting to buy the right bits. It’s taken me back to my teenage years of no money and just building and painting what I have, pre socials, pre internet. It’s really bringing out the joy in each and every kit and it’s slowly changing my attitude to the release cycle after only a few weeks.
After 35 years in the hobby I realized that if I bought nothing further for the rest of my life I would still not run out of things to paint. And the death of Mike Hobbs (from the Meeples and Miniatures podcast) made me realize that I didn't want my heirs to have to deal with my crap. So last year I started the "20th Century Project" -- I'm going to finish every project that I started in the 1900s. And yes, I deliberately chose that name to remind me just how long I've been working on these projects. I am very proud to say that every space elf I own is now painted, sealed and based! After a small detour to finish the sci-fi dinosaurs from my Kickstarter I will next pick up my beaky marines from 1988 and finish them off, followed by my Ork fantasy army. Now, I've been gaming with these figures the whole time - but I want them DONE -- every figure painted and based!
Boarding Actions have been reeeeally bad for my goblin brain. I used all the tricks mentioned in the video last week and still ended up with a new boarding party.
At least I can say that even though coming back to the hobby I've created a huge pile last year, currently the purchases are almost all within the project plan I've created at the beginning. Bigger purchases usually can be avoided if they are not part of the plan. Things that might only take me 2-4 weeks off that plan remain dangerous. I knew it would take me 5 years and after the first year it still takes me 5 years due to the before mentioned Boarding Actions😅
Great video this week! The new video spot looks good too!
I don't have a problem with my pile of potential (It's about 3700 minis strong) as I get a lot of enjoyment building, kitbashing, painting, and playing. I've been trying to keep the number of unbuilt models and built/unpainted to a reasonable percentage. In the past year, I've brought it down to 40% and 40%, with goal this year to go another 5% each (this means 30% fully battle ready for my overall collection).
That's why I purchased a combat patrol today at the game shop. (Okay, so I knew I wanted it to expand my army, they didn't have one last week, and my hobby funds are quarterly...) And this means that 15 minis are being built tonight while I watch TH-cam!
I've been sticking to skirmish games just lately. The low model count really stops the goblin wanting more shiny stuff. Great video btw. 👍
I don’t know, skirmish games tempt me to buy more because I can afford multiple armies. The mass battle games like 40k keep me limited because I easily stop myself and say “no way I’m spending another $600+ on a new army” so it rate limits me.
I can finish a skirmish team easy and then be tempted to buy the next one
I own a book called “Goblin Mode. How to get cozy, embrace imperfection, and thrive in the muck” It’s a good book and I’m not done with it but there probably is not a chapter about buying lots of Games Workshop models and leaving them out.
I have many many models and many boxes for those models. I feel less guilty when I use those models for skirmish games or have D&D campaigns using those models. I haven’t played Cursed City in a long time but I’ve used the models for lots of games.
I tell my girlfriend i want to buy another box and she shouts at me. A pissed off partner is the best defence against goblin brain
Why would she get any say in how you spend your money
@@stuntman083 Because we have shared costs and savings. It's not my money, it's our money.
@@dk9251 well that doesn't sound very masculine. As long as you not being reckless then it shouldn't be any issue. Especially how most women are hypocritical in this regard
I finally convinced some friends to dive into AOS with me this year, and had planned on starting a new army with them so we could all expand our forces over the course of 2024.
However I don’t, and have never owned a painted army and after some careful thought decided to focus on my Slaves to Darkness.
I’ve been putting that project off for a long time, mostly because I haven’t been able to realize my color scheme and concept through my painting. I’ve purchased a multitude of models for various armies almost in an effort to distract myself from that frustration. In the end though, I’ve realized that all of those decisions were exactly that, distractions.
This year I’m committing to focusing, and painting as much of my chaos “pile of potential” as I can. With AOS 4th edition on the way, new models undoubtedly on the horizon, and my inspiration reinvigorated after taking some time to sort out my paint scheme I’m looking forward to silencing the goblin for a bit and making some real progress in 2024.
For me it's not a Pile of Shame or Pile of Potential...
It's a Garage of Crap-I'm-gonna-get-to-before-I-expire.
Here's something I've tried that's helped with both miniatures and Gundam model kits: open up a new Google Sheet, and put everything I've got into a giant list.
You've heard the expression "shop in your closet"? Well, taking a look at that list creates an enormous sense of both "MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE", and "Gee, there's an awesome model i ALREADY bought which is waiting right here for me to build, paint and use in a game!"
Sometimes i realize I'd been looking acquisitively at a model of which i already own *at least* one.
When in doubt: make the list!!!
I always just put it down to rampant adhd and inability to concentrate on a project to completion.
Everyone has some level of goblin brain that they have to deal with to some extent; ADHD is just playing that same game, but with the difficulty locked to overkill.
My new headcanon is that goblins see Marie Kondo as a nightmarish, eldritch entity who lurks in the light, just waiting for an opportunity to slip into the lair and get rid of some loot.
Makes total sense to me. Thanks for watching!
The thing I’ve found to be really useful is the one month rule. Every time I think about buying something new I wait a month. If after that month I’m still interested and exited I buy it but mostly I never do. It’s a good way to avoid the goblin mindset haha.
It hit me when I was digging thru my bits last month that I had an unopened blister pack of weapons I got back in 1987. I need to get caught up with the sorting and cleaning before I allow myself to get anything else. Been painting since 1972 (before D&D), so I have a huge collection that needs to be properly dealt with.
Also, that comment on the weather is no joke!!! After almost no snow all season, we had to drive thru the blizzard in Milwaukee yesterday and it was BAD. Three hour trip took over two hours extra.
Awesome video (looks great too, love the sun room). Excellent advice, advice I've been following since about 2021. Still have a few boxes of unopened stuff but these tips really work well, especially waiting to purchase. Great video!😁👌
New setup looks wonderful!
Last year, I said no more figures. That held for four months, I deal with depression ad/hd, autism combo, and that manifest in different ways. Extreme excitement, tedious perfectionism, lack of energy to paint, and no motivation. These videos about cognitive psychology are very helpful. And no, I don't have pile shame, I have a box... of opportunities. Maybe we should have more videos on how to practically trick our brain to paint, rather than endless videos about techniques. Keep doing them, dear uncle atom. Thank you ❤
This is great advice. I also take the look and delay approach - if I'm not thinking about it a week or 2 later, I know it was just a whim. The other approach - I go and paint some of what I already have. This usually reminds me about what part of the hobby I personally enjoy - getting things painted rather than stacking up more boxes of "things to do".
Good advice, my issue is sometimes I've done as suggested, and item went POOF! and was no longer available, for a long time. So next time Goblin brain got to put on a wizard hat and go "remember last time, item went POOF! IF you buy now, no POOF!" and give in.
So before that item goes up for preorder or release and you have time to think, really evaluate how important it is to the project or if it’ll turn into something that’s not used.
@@timunderbakke8756 In my case, it was items on Shapeways that were of dubious copyright. Was probably right to get them the second time, as they disappeared to never be seen again (1/10000 scale Trek Ships). Also had it with rarer OOP items and ebay, so sometimes the case of once it's gone, it's gone.
I rarely get caught by Goblin brain and newish items, they'll eventually show up again, and I got many things in my painting queue.
Low or limited stock is a marketing tactic. It’s designed to get you to buy NOW. I stay away from limited products in this hobby. Thanks for watching!
I saved myself a lot of money and space at home exactly by giving myself more time before buying the new stuff. More often it was later sold out and I couldn't get it. And this is the best part, what occured to me was - nothing has changed. The world didn't collapse. I didn't get the minis and I'm still ok, working on my current projects, having a lot of fun. Great video! Thanks!
Love the visuals of the new studio space, lighting is great. Feels very fresh and exciting!
This isn’t a new studio, it’s just my new office. I still have the regular studio (for now) where I usually do Friday videos, but this is where I do all my editing and game layout and also the Every Other Sunday show. It did turn out well, though. Thanks for watching!
A few things :
- I recently wanted to paint a miniature as a gift over a week-end. So I went to a store to buy it, and started building as soon as I came back home. The feeling of immediately working on the "new shiny" felt really rewarding, so I now set myself the goal to only buy minis in my FLGS, and to start building when coming back (keeping my current pile as "backup" projects to never run out of minis to paint).
- As uncle Atom said in a previous video, telling others about a project makes you less likely to finish said project. I noticed recently I keep telling my wife that I'm going to buy a pack of terrain, but never actually do it. This might turn into a future strategy X)
- Having some kind of rules (I allow myself to buy a new box only when finishing the current project), is also a drastic way to reduce "goblin behavior", but may not work for everybody...
- To keep steadily rewarding myself by buying stuff, I set a limit for paint pots: buy only one per month. This seems to work as some sort of "decoy" for my brain, as I spend time strategizing about which pot to buy next (I don't enjoy mixing colors), which somehow makes me think less about the next box of big minis to buy.
I'm new to the hobby, so this doesn't apply to me - yet. Lol. I'm a bit envious of some of the collections I see out there. So many of them look like they would be a blast to paint!
Soon your inner goblin will appear! I was doing ok as a new hobbist then suddenly goblin, pile of potemtial
@@kurisi5563 I bought a 3D Phrozen Transform printer. I sure hope to expand my collection. LOL
The bulk of my purchases came with the end times, basically trying to futureproof my gaming hobby by creating small armies I could lend my friends to play with. This went on until I have basically gotten to a point where I've decided that I've used up all the space I can reasonably use for storage, and stopped buying new stuff. I am now slowly painting what I already have.
My slow progress comes from distractions and the fear of messing up a paintjob or a really good model. I'm still powering through it by simply grabbing at an idea and seeing what happens.
I still like going to the store from time to time, especially if I am in the area already, to look at new releases and ponder how I could use them for gaming. The answer usually ends up being: it's gonna be tricky, at which point I don't feel like I need to buy them so much anymore.
Another technique I use is calculating cost per model. I have a semi-fluid limit I impose on my purchases, for example $2 for a single model that comes in a unit box, $15 for a hero, and if the purchase scores higher, I simply don't buy it, because it's too expensive.
Thank you for this video. This really helps, you have said what my brain was already thinking. Always nice to hear some one say this out loud. Keep up the good work!
I need to stop my Goblin brain if I am to have any chance of not getting stressed/down about the pile of shame I have in the attic/loft. With Old Warhammer coming out, that is going to be a huge challenge as I want to get the old minis for nostalgia reasons which always makes me feel great.😔😔
Luckily it sounds like they didn’t make enough Old World, so that might solve it for you. Thanks for watching!
35 Years of purchases. I have sold SOME items on. There's a few games systems I no longer play. Love this vid.
I also make the goblin wait. Another helpful habit I’ve found is if I wait and still decide I want it, make it a reward for painting/building a mini that is in the pile
In psychology it's taught to patients that if you are a list maker to only make short achievable list. Otherwise you end up feeling depressed because you never complete your list which then turns to a feeling of failure. What you are talking about is a direct correlation to this. It's not healthy for the brain to feel as if you are always failing especially if you are able to control the situation. Thank you for pointing out this in this video. I and many others are glad we have people like you in this hobby!
I feel attacked (cries in Goblin Brain while looking at the 34 armies that are half finished).
You can finish painting an army - you're The Army Painter! Thanks for watching!
Man... this topic hits home ATM. I started collecting WH AOS Stormcast at the end 0f 2018 and have yet to play a game. Now the SE is over 3k points, 1500 of STD, 1500 of Space Marines in 40K, and sporadic amounts of Nighthaunt, Krulebiyz, Ad Mech, and Necrons acquired through starter boxes. WH is a hellaofva drug... lol
On a shelf: ✔
Under the bed: ✔
In a closet: ✔
In the basement: ❌
Damn. I thought that was a bingo. Must buy house with basement.
Interesting for sure. I always build every mini box I get, I find it helps me a lot with the process of painting. I have done minis that are on Display. My "need some work but they can live here", my primed and ready, and my gray horde. But on FOMO, I actually stopped myself getting the latest Old World stuff for this very reason, as I wasn't sure the kits would be for me .
With the coming of 3D printing its really easy to get your hand on even more models.
Things I mostly struggle with is that;
-Fear of the minies running out of print
-Wanting to see a full army composition before I commit to paint it (bit harder to explain but I want to plan everything too perfectly so I need each model to be there when I start)
-Reasoning shipping costs when I buy them as a bundle from a webstore, so I end up always putting a few extra.
On the positives, last tine I managed to resist the urge, by just giving it time. I told my friend that "if im still excited about these dwarfs after xmas im gonna go for that project" and lo the holidays involved so much other things that the feeling vanished.
I feel this is my major downside of the hobby and I feel guilty about my pile of shame. This is an important discussion since new minies are being blasted to us endlessly these days.
-Al
Not quite wargaming but there was a mini set that was on sale for a little while and I felt pressure to get them, they were sort of nostalgia pieces aimed directly and people my age. But I told myself that if the compulsion was pervasive, and not just transitory based on the sale, then the desire to have them (even if I don't really have a place to display them right now) was more legitimate. Then I did a bit more research on how they really look versus promotional stills that made them look prettier than they really would be, and that sort of got me past it.
I also dig in my heels a bit when a company keeps coming up with ways to invalidate older sets, like I did in my Warhammer days. That was many rules editions ago, though. If I'd stuck with it I'm not sure if I would have settled upon an edition and stayed there. With RPGs it's easier for me to switch editions because it's just a book, or even an SRD, to maintain the lingua franca between players, but with having to buy new game pieces it builds up resentment in me pretty quick. A good measure is how much use the things will most likely get versus just the potential, and that can depend a lot on other people.
I'm just not allowed to buy any new kits until my stash shrinks, and I'm not allowed to take on a new project from the stash until I get some of the shelf queens completed. It gets easier if you give yourself a hard 'no'.
Having kids and my partner as the bread winner, really makes me think before buying miniatures. Collecting paints is nicer, because you get one or two now and again you know you will use them. I will probably start buying miniatures again when I have painted my decades old collections, and earn some money as well. But right now I am to aware of 5 box sets and the over 200 LOTRs miniatures I have patiently waiting out in my cabin. So the goblin can squeak all he likes.
Timely video essay for me as I am one of those fellows with a large pile...and NONE of it painted. Meaning, I have purchased several dozen models and started on none of them. However, I kicked off a project for the New Year, and I think that's the key to controlling one's goblin brain, which you touch on.
Collecting figures...that's easy! But the assembly and painting is project work. Project work takes time and should serve a goal. Set realistic goals, understand how much time you have to invest in your projects, and keep that information front-of-mind as you look at the new shiny.
I have been feeling a lot of this lately so having someone talk through it is helpful.
This is one of the big reasons I bought a resin 3D printer and swore off buying plastic ever again. Printing the minis instead of buying them adds a whole layer to the hobby. You have to find the files for a suitable proxy for your gaming mini. Then go through all the technical challenges of printing them well. You can even use simple tools to do digital kit bashing on them. Once a batch comes off the printer you've got a choice. Print another batch or paint what you just printed. Both take about the same amount of time. It's so fun building an entire army this way! Growing it one batch at a time. Playing it at each stage. Pondering what to add next. And NO guilt!
Also the ‘unbuilt’ minis only take up hard drive space, not basement space. Thanks for watching!
I think it's worth drawing attention to the relationship between artificial scarcity, FOMO and proprietary IP games systems. Is anyone out there having Goblin Brain about being able to buy a Sherman Tank, Napoleonic line infantry or medieval knights? I don't think they are. When you remove edition churn and the ability to make new units up out of whole cloth from the equation a lot of this problem goes away. I'll give you an example - "Never mind the Billhooks: delux" came out last year and I built an army out of the beautiful Perry plastic figures. I play against a friend who has figures from the 80s or early 90s, and he's certainly not going to sell his army and buy a new one even though though the new minis are an order of magnitude nicer. If he wants new units no doubt he might buy a sprue or two of the new minis, but the army is effectively done and lives in a box in his garage until it comes out every second month or whatever. When "the new hotness" intersects with new rules to let you pay money to win more games you know you are in a toxic relationship with your gaming ecosystem
"Stop the growth of your pile of shame"?!
*Yes Officer, this man right here. Life sentence at the very least*
Wonderful stuff ! Loved this :)
Damn, that was absolutely spot on 😅
Love the list headings: "A". "2" and "D"
Great video, and great tips! Thanks!
Before I bought a single mini, I carefully planned out my army list and how I would get to it in stages - a 500 point list, a 1000 point list, a basic 2000 point list, and where I actually wanted to end up. I made myself a promise that I would only move on from each list once the previous one was complete, with the only exceptions made for finding a significant savings (i.e. I found a guy selling a NIB Rogal Dorn kit for less than $60 shipped), or for something that would be hard to find otherwise (i.e. Basilisk artillery). So far, I've kept things relatively under control that way.
Thanks for this reminder. I had my Goblin Brain moment a few years ago looking at my boardgame Kickstarter tally for the year.
Last year I kept a tally of bought versus painted miniatures. The intention was to keep at net zero. I failed miserably but it definitely prevented a lot of impulse purchases.
I'm a goblin player, I absolutely will not.
But seriously, I needed some archers so I pulled apart some goblins and added bows, and filled out my army with bits box stuff. Buying more would have put me further from a painted army.
Once I realized that collecting miniatures and painting miniatures are two different hobbies I have felt sooooo much better 😅
I got back into Warhammer with the Astra Militarum range refresh, and I went in with what I like to call the "Finish Your Vegetables" method. No new models until I'm done painting the ones I've already got! It's worked wonders, I've made 1000+ points of both Guard and Kruleboyz armies, and I've only got about 15 total models in a shame pile, and that's mostly because I subscribed to that Stormbringer magazine they released (the kruleboyz value was too good to pass up).
In a sea of goblin TH-camrs peddling the next big hype - it’s always refreshing to hear your perspective. Thank you!
It's a simple reminder but I needed this. Thank you
I can relate can’t stop looking at all those beautiful gray models
Great analogy and advice.
Ah, you've seen my shelf! Kharadron Overlord ships and Arielle Everqueen, but my AoS army is Destruction (but, funnily enough, no goblins) being the most obvious amongst my excess purchases. But, I mean - flying steampunk dwarf ships and a massive beetle. I'm only human!
Having had words with myself, I now try to concentrate on the *"when"* to exercise restraint - "it's new, it's shiny, but do I need to get it right now?", "Can I get it later on instead?" That 'later' can be put further and further back as required.
The pure chaos of that numbering system
Goblin Brain is real.
Also ironically that you even brought it up in this video. I would like to thank you for being quite possibly the only hobby channel to have not just decent but very good audio. Generally. There are some TH-camrs, particularly dungeons& dragons TH-camrs that have clinically awful audio. Sounds like they're recording their videos inside of a toilet. The tone of your voice is always so warm and clean, my hats off to you. Thank you
I find that self-reflection helps calm my spending habits. Looking at past purchases and noting what I've done with them since they were purchased helps put things into perspective(looking at you 6yr old primed Ynncarne).
Sometimes mapping out and being realistic about how much time I even have to work on my projects keeps me from purchasing things too. Inversely, that can also serve as a motivator to keep projects moving!
I find it quite funny that as you talk about the "Goblin brain" and painting a little goblin that looks a lot like the Army Painter goblin pokes his little head into the frame. I mean it in a good way. Cheers!
Their goblin is blue, though. Totally different. I don't think he has a knife, either. Thanks for watching!
I had a bit of this problem years ago. I left the hobby fairly quickly as I lacked sufficient time for it.
I'm coming back now to improve my painting skills because I have some board game minis I want to paint, like Dark Souls.
So, I bought some AoS Deathrattle Skeletons because it allows me to practice the dead flesh of a hollow soldier, the leather, the metal, etc, thematically.
In that way, I'm contained to only one or two boxes of minis because the objective is to improve painting a type of equipment and flesh etc.
If the angle is to better your painting in a particular way, the need for more minis depreciates, at least, for me.