I get the fragmentation...consider though, that dag alone is a nationwide organization that pulls together about 1.5k at a single yearly event. I suspect it's bigger than RC naval combat as a whole. Figuring out that fragmentation is an obstacle to newcomers. Is there an easy fix to this? I dunno. Probably not an easy one at any rate, but it's certainly an issue. Oh, I don't deny that ship building is on the complicated side of things. I feel this makes guides MORE important, not less. Cost isn't as big a deal...there are a lot of hobbies that are fairly expensive, yet quite popular. Consider video gaming, with the cost of consoles and games. If people really want to do something, they'll spend money on it. The bigger problem is the investment of time and skill. I'm fortunate. I happen to be in an area with existing clubs, and happen to have related tools and skills. I'd estimate that comparatively few people have these benefits, and that many possible people that might otherwise enjoy the hobby give up because getting started is too difficult. A relatively standardized "noob ship" guide focused heavily on simplicity might be of help. Customization to style or building of additional ships can always come later. A newcomer doesn't yet know much about what sort of style he prefers anyhow. The forum does have a pretty good guide for building a cheap ship...but it requires a bit of digging to find, and sometimes simple matters more than cheap.
okay, you are in Maryland, come on over to our boat building meeting on Friday nights at 1106 Skyway, Annapolis, MD (Cape St. Claire). We start about 7pm. We have several ships under construction or repair that you can see. We will help you get a ship on the water in time for the spring. Battles in April (in NC) and may (NY) and everyone is getting prepared. I also work at GPA hobbies in Bowie, MD (a couple of days a week (usually Tues and Thurs.)) I will not be there next week, "going to Disney World!" However, the shop will be open! Marty Hayes, IRC
What we've learned in the R/C Tank world is if you document it with pictures someone will build it. I see a lot of build threads with endless reams of text but no photos! When building I try to have a camera right there and shoot a pic whenever what I'm doing could be helpful to others, then it goes on the web. I challenge all who are currently building to start documenting your work and publishing. Not just an end result, but take pics of the processes that got you there. A short blurb before each pic is all that's needed text wise. Just my two cents worth. Steve Tyng
That's what I've been trying to do with my cruiser 'class' thread. And even then, I find that I wish I had a few more pics here and there. Brian Koehler and I did a pair of Vanguard-class BB's and documented the heck out of it. Brian is a web guru, so he put it up on the web, and we've gotten a lot of email and compliments on it, with a fair number stating that they were building ships and had gotten help from the webpage. So I agree with Steve on that!
That Vanguard build web pages is what got me started building wood hulls. Much of the techniques used on those ships is visible in my hull building style.
I'll drop by, certainly(and have fun at Disney World!), but tbh, I'm not worried about it from my perspective. I had the good fortune of joining in an area with multiple clubs, and having past RC and woodworking experience. I'm not terribly worried about my ability to get to the "boat in the water" stage. However, I don't think this is standard. I'm sure lots of people hit the site, and while they consider the hobby cool, don't really know how to get going, and might not have a good idea as to where to look. I agree fully that pictures in how-to guides are amazing. The informational stuff I've found with pictures so far has been extremely helpful in quickly understanding what the other person is talking about.
