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I'm interested to hear the story of where you are--now--as a wargamer/hobbyist, and how you arrived at this place or mindset. Here's my story...

I was going to quit wargaming when I moved here to Chicago this past June. My best friend and I had played Warhammer Fantasy since 1997. As he played Bretonnians, and had waited 12 years for an update that never came, when Fantasy was killed off last year, he quit. Around this time, my Warmachine friends had a schism, and each went their separate ways. Even as I tried to keep playing Warmachine, I didn't form any meaningful relationships with people at the FLGS...and I was sort of let down by how disinterested the local meta was in painting or hobbying.

So, having moved here, I decided to check out the FLGS to see if there was a bulletin board I could post For Sale ads on (there wasn't), but was directed to a couple facebook groups. While selling my $2600+ retail Mercenaries was my original intent, seeing all these local people posting their painted models stirred something deep in my gamer's gut. While I am still in the process of selling all my Malifaux, Dark Age and Warhammer Fantasy stuff, I've dusted off my Mercenaries and started painting fervently once again.

So, here comes this gamer's dilemma that I am sure isn't unique to me: now that I'm playing one game system, I need to collect, paint and possibly play other game systems to scratch different itches.

I've identified Frostgrave as the place I want to scratch my Fantasy itch. While Warmachine is described as "Full Metal Fantasy," it is clearly steampunk with fantasy elements and doesn't fall into the swords and sorcery or epic fantasy categories that Warhammer Fantasy Battles used to occupy. I used to love Mordheim (and still have my Sisters of Sigmar, and the rulebook handy, "just in case"), so a free-form ruined city exploration campaign game should be right up my alley. Additionally, I can see this being something my girlfriend would be interested in getting involved in. She hates gaming stores, but likes fantasy rpgs, crafts and strategy, and this is something that can be done in a more private setting with a controlled friend group.

And so I now come to Sci-Fi. At my FLGS, the other tabletop games played outside of Warmachine are 40k, X-Wing, Malifaux and Guild Ball. While X-Wing is an excellent game and very fun, it won't satisfy the hobbyist in me.

I know there is a 40k section, but I am going to rant about 40k here, because it's in the context of every other game system available out there. While 40k would be an easy source of games wherever I go, I have a number of issues with it: 1) The rules system as it exists is so bloated with appendixes, formations, e-Dexes, and other gak I am sure I'm unaware of that it feels like there are extremely high barriers to entry. 2) Vehicles everywhere. It's kind of hypocritical, because I am fully aware that ALL the toy soldiers I will ever PLAY with are just TOYS, but seeing people push around flying boxes such as the Valkyrie or any Space Marine flyer makes me want to break my head on a cinderblock. That superheavies are the norm is such a huge turn off. It's really such a shame because the 40k universe is in my top 5 favorite fantasy settings of all time. 3) I used to play GW games. I even played 40k in 3rd ed. While I've encountered wonderful 40k players, all of my worst gamer encounters were also in 40k. I'm used to seeing a Warmahordes player get frustrated at hot or cold dice, but I've never seen one lose his gak over...anything. I don't have time for these gamers.

Luckily, I do not possess itches that require a Malifaux or Guild Ball to scratch.

So, in a sci-fi game, I'm looking for a game system that I can evangelize and recruit locals into playing, while avoiding sinking a fortune of money and time into it.

Infinity: I actually have an Ariadna Infinity army that is mostly painted that I'm not currently selling. What I've discovered about Infinity is that the only way it takes root somewhere is if a LGS staff member is personally passionate about it, organizes events, and bullies enough of the right type of suckers in to form a core group. The right type of sucker is a masochist like myself who gets more obsessed with a game the more he loses at it, and also paints models to an acceptable tabletop quality. As far as I can tell, no such LGS employee nearby is interested, let alone passionate, about Infinity, even if the store carries a patchy collection of their line. While I'm not selling my collection, I'm not going to take on the herculean task of building a community for such an expansive game. Maybe, someday, a group will emerge closer to where I am in Uptown, rather than in the suburbs of Chicagoland.

Mercs/Mercs: Recon: once upon a time, I wrote a D12 based, near-future sci-fi game called CONTRACTOR where you designed, managed and leveled your own private security outfit, gang or cult in a near utopian corporate future (set in the 2030's). In it, you would battle it out in an office setting, or a private estate, or some other common civilian area like a bazaar or bank, and utilize the full spectrum of information technology (biometrics, "hacking", media control/exposure/manipulation) to achieve largely non-destruction based objectives. Then I discovered this game called Mercs, which basically did this in a more streamlined and stylized format. Emotionally, I was predisposed to disliking Mercs for doing what I wanted to do but quicker. Now I think it might be a fun game to get into, and possibly wrangle a couple suckers in to play it. What it has going for it is that it's scope is pretty limited. You're not going to have a collection of 30-100 models for a single faction. This means I could almost keep it boxed up at home for when my nerdier house guests show up. Having just checked out the site, Mercs: Recon now seems to have covered every bit of what I originally wanted to do in CONTRACTOR, for which I am happy.

Dropzone Commander: what is there not to love about this game? It's Epic with modern game design and military philosophy applied to the tabletop. There's no point trying to compare the setting to 40k, however. It lacks the depth and evocative grimdark that comes with nearly 30 years of sedimentary development. The models are stunning, too. This is one of those games that I could dive into, and therein lies the problem for me: it would consume time and resources at a level on par with how Warmachine is for me now--without the gamer base available to enjoy the fruits of my labor with.

Dark Age: The setting, art, and concept are very cool. I've never seen the game take off anywhere, however. It's also been around forever, so I don't see it experiencing any kind of renaissance soon. Somehow, the company has stayed in business, so there have to be people playing it. Maybe I just haven't looked hard enough. Meh.

I'm aware that there are other games that might be closer to what I'm looking for that I simply haven't looked at: Robotech RPG Tactics, Deadzone, AvP, etc. I dunno, writing this all out actually helped crystallize my thoughts. I think I'll invest in Mercs: Recon after I get a couple Frostgrave warbands painted up.

A large part of this is also probably just a process of falling out of love with GW. I like the new direction the company has taken since Tom Kirby left active control. I don't hate Age of Sigmar, but I'm not the kind of person who would get a dog of the exact same breed after my previous dog died. If they ever re-release Necromunda, Mordheim or BFG as game systems instead of stand-alone boxed games, I might be persuaded to look to GW again. Silver Tower seems like a real disappointment, so I'm not going to hold my breath.

I would recommend against the DZC/DFC games for the reasons you stated. Heavy investment required, you also need terrain and even if you buy the buildings, games will be bland unless you also create more scatter terrain.

Dark Age actually changed hands not too long ago, although it was probably years now, it's now with CMON last I heard. But, they're in the middle of an infinity style digital resculpt craze and they're turning out interesting new factions and sculpts. It's still burdened a little buy the restrictive art style, but they've branched beyond it in a few areas. I kind of see it like Infinity, mediocre first edition but a solid game, but is now having a renaissance of quality sculpts and rules revisions.

Warmachine itself is actually coming out with new, smaller faster, and action packed formats like Rumble, played on a smaller table with units coming on the board over time.

For Infinity, actually don't think the game works well with larger point values. Try locking it at 150/3 points and only 1 combat group (10 modes).

I moved away from my gaming group a few years ago have had not really had the time and energy to create a robust new one. Instead, I mostly play games with my kid, wife, or the lone regular opponent in my area.

The Kirby years and death of Specialist Games drove me away from GW for good. I still play GW games, but I haven't bought anything from them in about a half decade or more?

I did invest in All Quiet on the Martian front and Robotech Tactics, but the stalling and death (and resurrection) of those games has left me a bit cold on them. I still have a lot of models, and even buy a few for AQMF now and then. I also still love to play Force-on-Force (Tomorrow's War) when I can. My taste in genres keeps expanding!

Typically, as I lack time and money for investing in established games, I find myself turning more and more to creating my own game systems. My first dabbles a decade or so ago were campaigns and expansions of existing GW games (Mostly for Specialsit Games but also Aeronautica Imperialis), then creating new games in the 40K universe (Naval and Submarine games), before finally just spinning out and starting to make my own games for whole cloth. I have made games for Mecha, Gladiators, Jousting, and WWII pulp now. I am currently working on a Gangster era game.

For the past decade, I have also dabbled in making my own minis. I can play AI (Aeronautica Imperialis) solely on what I can sculpt on my own, which is good as FW stopped carrying the line a while ago. I am still working on making decent 28MM human models though.

My current love is the Osprey Line of Blue wargame books. They have just enough to get me revved up. They are relatively small skirmish games and they have enough variety in game mechanics to keep me interested in seeing how they work. Plus, they are cheap. These little books are like crack to me at the moment. I can't stop buying them!

Therefore, my hobby has evolved a lot over the last decade.

Played (mostly hobbied) 40k off and on for around 16 years.

Then, about 6 years ago I met up with some guys via the interweb to play "Song of Blades and Heroes" a game that remains to this day one of my favorites. That group became the core of "Chicago Skirmish Wargames". We played a wide variety of games, mostly generic rules (not tied to one miniature lines) sci-fi and fantasy. The club has shrunk a bit, but we still meet every other thursday to game.

As to the issue of being able to scratch different itches, alot can be done if you use the same figs for different games and that also allows you to build a bigger collection of useable figs over time rather than skipping to different styles of minis.

As examples,
-I have a fantasy army/collection based mostly around old style GW Chaos warriors, but with alot of other figs. It sees battle in it's entirety in Kings of War which works with virtually any fantasy army. Then I can select about a platoon or so of it to play Dragon Rampant. Going smaller I can even put to gether a nice 7-10 figure warband for Song of Blades (or Frostgrave or Open Combat or...).

-I've also got Sci-Fi and Post apoc warbands that have seen action in several different post apoc and sci-fi rulesets. Wastelands, Nuclear Renaissance, In the Emperor's Name, etc...

- A few years back the club bought huge lots of used 10mm'ish Mechwarrior clix figs when they were cheap and parceled out armies to all our club members. They've seen action in Alpha Strike, Mech Attack and Panzer8 Sci-Fi.

That by no means covers it all though as I still play Necromunda occasionally and I'm waiting patiently for the new edition of Warpath as a chance to get my 40k figs back on the table.

As for what to get the locals into, I highly recommend seeing what the locals are already into and building from there. I haven't been too aware of what's being played up at Chicagoland Games. I thought there might be an Infinity scene, but I guess not. Warmachine and X-wing are i of course big all over Chicagoland, but that's not what you're looking for. There seem to be some solid communities playing smaller games, but they meet out in the suburbs, usually at Games Plus in Mt. Prospect, which is an awesome store but I only get out there occasionally.

I've already PM'd you a bit about our group, but I will add that we are getting ready to start a campaign of "Wreck Age" ( http://wreck-age.net ) at the end of this year or the beginning of the next. It's a cool post-apoc game from a company right here in Chicago. One of our occasional members is the co-owner. It might scratch your "Dark Age" itch.

I used to be a dedicated RPGer, but after 4E D&D killed most of my interest in RPG's, I've started to move towards playing tabletop wargames (I've always collected for the models, I'm now actually starting to play the games a lot more than I ever used to).

Robotech Tactics is a waste of time as the publisher has flat out killed the game; BattleTech Alpha Strike or CAV would be a far smarter investment.

Also, along the lines of a "better 40K", you might want to consider Maelstrom's Edge or Gate of Antares. The former was created by the designers of this web site and the latter is made by former GW designers, but with more modern design. There is also Mantic's Deadzone game.

Oddly, I've found myself becoming interested in WW2 games - namely Flames of War (15mm) and Bolt Action (28 mm). Even if you don't like historical games each of those has their own "Wierd War" offshoot, and there are games like Dust Tactics that have a bit of a sci-fi feel to them.