I've always had an interest in naval matters, particularly WWII/Pacific. I own a few games that cover naval operations - Flat Top, Guadalcanal (Smithsonian Edition), Pacific War, Atlantic Chase - but I'd like to play something more tactical. I know there are a few board games in this space, but something about miniature naval wargames is very attractive to me. I've played Close Action (Age of Sail) before and had a blast.
But...for various reasons I don't really want to bother with minis. Specifically painted minis. I don't have the best eyesight so I have doubts in my ability to do even a half decent job at painting them. I also cannot afford to buy pre-painted minis/commission someone to do it for me. When I played Close Action the guy running the game used ships from Shapeways that were just one solid color - blue for French, red for British, orange for Dutch - and everyone had a grand time. I've done a bit of poking around and found some cardboard flats that give top down views of ships that can be used in lieu of minis. I haven't connected with anyone locally yet, but I'm sure I can find people in the area (Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota USA) who plays these games in the era I'm interested in. My question is: do you think not having my own painted minis to play with would be a major turn off to most people who play these types of games?