Ok, so there will always be those people who stand tall against society and hail from the roof tops the things they love to do most in their spare time......
However, I would hasten to admit, I'm not one of them. Call me a coward if you will, however, it's plain to see that anything involving grown men and "action figures" be they metal/plastic/resin miniatures right up to full blown 1/6th scale action figures does equal social slow for many of the denizens of this world. I draw your attention to 40yr old virgin for proof on how society in general views us.
The question is, why do some of us feel this way? Why do we deny what we obviously enjoy doing? Is it because deep down inside we realise on some level that we are doing is "wrong"......oh I'm not talking kiddy fiddler "wrong", but maybe "sitting in your basement watching porn" wrong?
Do most of you guys find it easier to deny your hobby or do you think you might actually feel better letting people know this facet of your life?
I'm sort of indifferent about it. I won't go up to everyone and start talking about it, but I won't change the subject if someone asks either. I guess the main reason people would try to hide it is the apparent social stigma that is associated with games like this and D&D and the embarrassment thinking about it creates.
n0t_u wrote:I'm sort of indifferent about it. I won't go up to everyone and start talking about it, but I won't change the subject if someone asks either. I guess the main reason people would try to hide it is the apparent social stigma that is associated with games like this and D&D and the embarrassment thinking about it creates.
It's something I mainly keep to myself unless someone is talking about it, then I'll add a bit into that conversation but I'm not one to just nerd out on the first random person talking about Space Marines.
It's not generally something I'll bring up in conversation, because you're right you're example of the 40 year old version, that's exactly how I imagine I'd be viewed if I did. Some hopeless sort of nerd unsuited to real life, and in many cases the gamers I do meet conform painfully to that stereotype.
If you dont want to speak about warhammer in public or to 'new folks' then you shouldn't, but what i've expirienced is that in your family/friends circle it's cool/ok to have a hobby like this and at work im not ashamed of it too,
I mean i found out that 5 people at my work play 40k/warhammer fb just because i was reading the 'blood for the blood god' novel.
Fact is,
only 30 percent of the 16 million people here in the netherlands know of the gw/hobby's existence,
GW is opening up shops to make that at least 70 percent, in 1.5 year we went to 3 GW's to 8!
And in the coming 4-5 years GW is planning to open up at least 20 more! Ontopic mode: if you dont want to you dont have to, no-one is forcing you so do as you please fellow hobbyists!
Back when I was 17-18 I was the same, woudnt talk about 40k on the bus or in school or when out.
But since the years have ticked by, to put it crudely, I couldnt give a toss what people think about it these days, facebook, non gaming forums, in work, out in the pub, all have been exposed to my 40k hobby and tbh Im quite proud of it.
I think you reach a stage where you dont really care and if you do, you are well able to show your passion to those questioning it and if they are anyway balanced they'll appreciate said passion.
If they dont, well they probably werent real friends or colleagues anyway.
n0t_u wrote:I'm sort of indifferent about it. I won't go up to everyone and start talking about it, but I won't change the subject if someone asks either. I guess the main reason people would try to hide it is the apparent social stigma that is associated with games like this and D&D and the embarrassment thinking about it creates.
C S Lewis wrote: Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.
I'll tell anyone I play these games, if they find that amusing, so be it. I've found as the years go on, more folks I meet at least know what Games Workshop is even if they have no interest, although thats probably thanks to the saturation of shops here in Blighty.
I find that people who I tell about it have either tried it before or know someone who does. We joke about playing with little army men and the costs and that's that. Definitely not first (or second) date conversation though, not only because of the stigma but also because about 99.999% of the female population will find it completely uninteresting and you're their to keep them interested
As a side note for all the legal-drinking-age gamers: having some fun drinking stories involving your hobby maked for good conversation when it comes up.
Actually I used to stand tall and proud I just don't tell people the things I do because I have always loved mystery books so everything I do is hidden and its for people that are close to me have to figure out by themselves. I tell people I do parkour and freerunning (Which is absolutely true by the way.) When asked I will answer. When not I will not tell. It matters who is asking.
I'm not ashamed of this hobby and openly discuss with most people. I'm also not ashamed of what it cost. i come from a rough background and am not someone you would think plays this sort of game, but what i have learned is that most people that play this game are decent people and intelligent and if some one makes fun of that, well, their loss. I would much rather spend my time on my "dolls" than most other things because my kids get involved and sometimes my wife and i would much rather have a plastic-crack problem than the problems i see a lot of the people who "make fun" of us go through.
I was secretive about it when at school but after dropping it at uni and picking it up again In my late 20's, wasn't really that bothered about what people think.
That said I don't bring the subject up nor have ever know it to come up in conversation be it at social activities, usually the Rugby club or the pub.
I don't bring it up at work, as it is not compatable with the locker room that is construction and suspect it would undermine my authority if I had lines of minis on my desk.
Honestly, I don't think much of it. I don't broadcast that I play the game, but in my mind it is no different than video games. In fact, I would challenge that it is more intellectually stimulating than video games. There is a lot of strategy, cognative (check that spelling) reasoning, as well as social interaction that is not present in video games. Sure you can make the claim that video games are social with the introduction of online gaming, but I would challenge that as a result sportsmanship has declined rapidly as a result. You know what I mean if you have ever heard what some of these kids say while playing first person shooter games.
Many of my friends don't play 40K, are aware that I do, and think nothing of it. I still go to the gym with them, play golf on the weekend, and attend the occasional poker night. I just have an additional hobby that they don't share. Many of them hunt and I don't so I find it to be similar.
Horst wrote:Nobody is ever ashamed of their hobby. They are ashamed of the people they are seen with when they play.
This. I've said it before, but the only embarrassing moments in the hobby for me involve some of the less than hygienic individuals that also enjoy the hobby. I've yet to truly have a positive experience in a game store where I wasn't surrounded by dirty, smelly people. Its the one stereotype I still find that holds truth, from my personal experience.
That said, I'm personally not ashamed I play. I was, a while ago, but now I just don't give a .
Im not really. Im afraid of being aasked. Because unless you are familiar with the game its really hard to explain the hobby.
Im also ashamed of how much i spend.
hotsauceman1 wrote:Im also ashamed of how much i spend.
Don't worry about the expense. Financially speaking no ones hobby really makes sense to other. Take for example, anyone that has ever completed a project car. For all the time and effort someone could have just gone out and bought a new vehicle. That however is not why they restored the car. It wasn't because they needed another vehicle. It was because they love cars and working on them.
Golf is another prime example. If you buy a name brand set of irons, woods, a driver, and a putter brand new you are looking at somewhere between $1000 and $2000 depending upon style and level of the equipment. Then you have the option of high end balls made by the name brand companies, shoes, gloves, tees, etc. THEN you have to pay to play the damn game. My point is.....you have joined what is yet another elitiest hobby. So, I wouldn't worry about the expense factor.
My point is not to say that the game is appropriately price because it isn't. My point was to prove that the majority of hobbies are over priced and they definitely are to those that don't have an interest in them.
Delephont wrote:Ok, so there will always be those people who stand tall against society and hail from the roof tops the things they love to do most in their spare time......
However, I would hasten to admit, I'm not one of them. Call me a coward if you will, however, it's plain to see that anything involving grown men and "action figures" be they metal/plastic/resin miniatures right up to full blown 1/6th scale action figures does equal social slow for many of the denizens of this world. I draw your attention to 40yr old virgin for proof on how society in general views us.
The question is, why do some of us feel this way? Why do we deny what we obviously enjoy doing? Is it because deep down inside we realise on some level that we are doing is "wrong"......oh I'm not talking kiddy fiddler "wrong", but maybe "sitting in your basement watching porn" wrong?
Do most of you guys find it easier to deny your hobby or do you think you might actually feel better letting people know this facet of your life?
Dude - you have the wrong attitude. It really is amazing just how cool Warhammer 40,000 is. I mean, it is freaking awesome. You should never be ashamed of playing one of the most awesome,
engaging hobbies out there.
Not everyone that plays it is what you would call a "geek". I am a cool, normal person that plays it. Let's see:
1 - I drive a Mercedes
2 - I wear Oakley sunglasses and clothing
3 - I hold 3 different blackbelts in martial arts, and used to compete in MMA events
4 - I used to Wakeboard a lot
5 - I used to play professional level Paintball
6 - I own an Old English Bulldog
7 - I used to be a bartender, with a large clientele
8 - I have no problem with the opposite sex
9 - I believe I can get anyone excited about battling it out on the tables of the 41st millenium.
NoArmorSave wrote:
Not everyone that plays it is what you would call a "geek". I am a cool, normal person that plays it. Let's see:
1 - I drive a Mercedes
2 - I wear Oakley sunglasses and clothing
3 - I hold 3 different blackbelts in martial arts, and used to compete in MMA events
4 - I used to Wakeboard a lot
5 - I used to play professional level Paintball
6 - I own an Old English Bulldog
7 - I used to be a bartender, with a large clientele
8 - I have no problem with the opposite sex
9 - I believe I can get anyone excited about battling it out on the tables of the 41st millenium.
No shame, here. But I don't talk about it, either, unless I know the other person is involved or could comprehend.
The difference? It isn't due to a weakness but out of strength. I don't need to validate or justify my free time. The reality is that people only care to hear stuff that reinforces their own life choices, or can be used to feed the rumor mill (at work, anyway). So it is much better, easier, and career-safe to discuss pets, gardening, and TV. I discussed video gaming with an IT guy recently. I have discussed that I love to paint, or had a "game night". That usually ends the conversation because most people really don't care. Going any further into detail would just upset the little worlds that the people dwell within. Or, simply leads to uncomfortable monopolization of conversation.
If anyone showed actual interest, yes, sure I would discuss it, and have. I used to work in a place where several played, so that was really cool. I have found that when they occur, further questions usually are: what do you paint, and from another painter, what kind of paint, etc. Then I mention miniatures, describing them as the little pewter sculptures like at gift stores, etc. I've never had the conversation go any deeper than that unless the other person had any idea of tabletop mini gaming.
Again, this is not out of "shame". There is no shame in being wise to the lack of interest of others. Prattling on about something that the other person has zero interest or ability to relate is really rude. It is also can very much feed the "geek/nerd" lack of social skills stereotype...
As someone now in his mid 50's who has been a wargamer for over 45 of those years - airfix figures and well thumbed copy of wargames by Donald Featherstone, I can honestly say I am not ashamed at all.
Wargaming fostered my enduring love of history and reading and so what if I like to play with my "toys". I can think of other things that others do that are far more embarrassing - watch TV soaps?
What you have to ensure though is an understanding wife, especially when you get paint, flock, glue or whatever on the dining room table.
Delephont wrote:Ok, so there will always be those people who stand tall against society and hail from the roof tops the things they love to do most in their spare time......
However, I would hasten to admit, I'm not one of them. Call me a coward if you will, however, it's plain to see that anything involving grown men and "action figures" be they metal/plastic/resin miniatures right up to full blown 1/6th scale action figures does equal social slow for many of the denizens of this world. I draw your attention to 40yr old virgin for proof on how society in general views us.
The question is, why do some of us feel this way? Why do we deny what we obviously enjoy doing? Is it because deep down inside we realise on some level that we are doing is "wrong"......oh I'm not talking kiddy fiddler "wrong", but maybe "sitting in your basement watching porn" wrong?
Do most of you guys find it easier to deny your hobby or do you think you might actually feel better letting people know this facet of your life?
Dude - you have the wrong attitude. It really is amazing just how cool Warhammer 40,000 is. I mean, it is freaking awesome. You should never be ashamed of playing one of the most awesome,
engaging hobbies out there.
Not everyone that plays it is what you would call a "geek". I am a cool, normal person that plays it. Let's see:
1 - I drive a Mercedes
2 - I wear Oakley sunglasses and clothing
3 - I hold 3 different blackbelts in martial arts, and used to compete in MMA events
4 - I used to Wakeboard a lot
5 - I used to play professional level Paintball
6 - I own an Old English Bulldog
7 - I used to be a bartender, with a large clientele
8 - I have no problem with the opposite sex
9 - I believe I can get anyone excited about battling it out on the tables of the 41st millenium.
Am I still an anti-social geek?
I'm a geek in transition. Having dealt with a lot of gak in high school because I was a nerd/geek or whatever has definitely affected how I look at myself and my hobby. I'm finding as I get older (30 now), I just don't give a crap. This is my hobby, this makes me excited, this is something I love doing and when I can't sleep because I'm thinking of an army list, yeah it's nerdy as hell, but guess what so am I.
Yes the hobby is expensive, so is golf, paintball, hockey and just about any other "cool" hobby. The only difference, you won't blow your knees out playing with models, you just might get high from the glue... And if someone gives you crap about it because you're a nerd, the only thing I do is consider who's saying it to you. They're probably way more insecure about themselves if they have to make fun of others, they're a smaller person that you are. If they're making fun of you, the first thing I ask is what's wrong with your life that makes you need to focus on mine?
I realize that it's hard to just embrace your nerdish tendencies, and I know how crappy other people can make you feel. To that I say, it gets easier as you get older, but don't be embarrassed. Nerdy guys can still drive a mercedes, own brand name clothes and own wicked dogs, or in my case TWO BATTLECATS! If someone doesn't like my hobby, then they're probably not worth the mental energy that they're occupying.
The only reason that anyone would be ashamed is by their paintjob, modeling skills, or by the price of the models even though it's a one time payment.
The underlying reason for any other shame or whatnot is because the game isn't the perceived norm. Playing a console wasn't either for a long time, now everyone and their grandparents deal with the damn things.
Instead of trying to hide the fact that you wargame, find points in conversation to slip it in, such as when someone asked how your weekend was or something, just say what you did, and make sure to state that it wasn't a video game.
I've shown and talked to many different types of people, both young and old , regarding the hobby. So long as you aren't an ass about it, and keep the conversation short unless they ask questions, you will get their interest and even apply a little mystery to the hobby. I've had people say they went and looked it up online after I've talked to them, and that it seems really complex or somesuch response.
I was tepid about telling anyone that I'm in the hobby, to begin with, namely as my missus thought I was weird for it, and my folks thought me a fool for getting back in to it based on how it took over my life a number of years ago. They way I saw it was, these 3 people are supposed to love me no matter what, if this is the stance that they're taking, wtf is everyone else gonna think?!
So I took to tidying away my models everytime someone came over, until we had surprise visit from friends who soon saw what I was on with, and actually seem interested in what I was doing!!!
Then I told another friend whilst down at the pub, and he seemed interested too, so I'm slowly coming round to the fact that not everyone will think the same as some of the crazy people I know I won't turn round and say, "Hey, I'm Si, I play Warhammer, what do you do", but if it came up in conversation I wouldn't avoid it
Maybe I'm a coward too, but there is usually an order in which you introduce information about yourself to folks. You lead with the things that will most ingratiate you to the people you meet. You offer up information that is general and offers points of contact rather than points of separation.
In general, you don't meet a stranger and say.
Hi I'm ______ I belong to (insert political party) and I'm a (insert religion/denomination) and I like to (insert the most obscure thing you do, probably gaming).
That's a great way to throw up barriers between people. You let the more divisive and obscure things about you out in doses as you build up trust and get to know someone. Thus, I'm far more likely to first let folks know about my bass playing, rock climbing, or even LEGO obsession before political affiliation, religion and gaming, because the former things build bridges between most folks.
Now, I'm not saying you should hide it forever. All my friends know of my wargaming, but it's not a frequent topic of conversation.
I am not running around telling people, but if we have a discussion about science fiction (Which happens a lot in my school activities) then I talk about it. My parents, however, hate it, and are convinced that I am using it to cover drug use or something.
If my sister spends 30 minutes on a drawing, my parents love it. If I spend an hour on painting, they call it a waste of time.
I'm a 24 year old man who still watches wrestling, my bedroom looks like a Denver Bronco gift shop, I wear t-shirts that have cartoons from the 80s and 90s, I have more shoes and clothes than your stereotypical girl and I can't drive a car.
If I'm not ashamed about this then I shouldn't be ashamed of playing with toy soldiers.
Though I can say I am a bit embarrassed with the amount of money I spent on my interests.
As a guy that has tattoos, a motorbike in my room, hunting rifles in my closet, and is a journeyman welder, my lady friend of over 5 years had a good chuckle at me when she came over while me and my cousin were playing a game on the kitchen table. Her image of me as a manly man came crashing down when she found me playing with toy aliens killing my cousin's toy soldiers.
Other than that, any girlfriends that have seen or heard of the models have been disinterested and I can't say I blame them. It's like explaining the innards of your computer or the racing cams you put in your car, if she doesn't have any vested interest in the topic you can only expect nods and uh-huhs. One painted really well so we'd have discussions about that and I was able to contribute with what I knew of colour theory and brush control but that's as far as it's ever gone.
However, a friend that games and I were talking about him joining his local gaming club. We both decided that he might want to go in disguise because his favorite bar is across the street and the guys in that club are especially sterotypical game nerds. He loves the game, he just doesn't need the association of unwashed heathen that plays with spacemen preceeding him into the dating scene.
Also, I explain the game to people who ask about it as nerd-chess. About sums it up.
I have friends who poke fun at me for playing it, but when they see the models they are in a state of WOW! I am always trying to bring more people into the hobby so I bring it up! I could care less what people think! I am a plumber/ pipe fitter and to make it in my field you need thick skin.
I remember recently I was at a house party and happened to be chatting to a friend from back in my school days, I was telling her I had gotten into Warhammer and how much I was loving it. She didn't mind at all, however another girl overheard us and immediately started taking the mick out of me for liking it. For a long time I was ashamed of the things I liked (I'm also an avid video game collector) but as I've got older, moved out and in with my partner I've become really proud of the person I am and the things I like. The fact that anyone would make fun or view a certain hobby as a dealbreaker to quote Liz Lemon is ridiculous and one I can't stand. If anyone tries to make fun of me for liking what I like then that's their problem, at the end of the day, I'm doing something I enjoy and that makes me happy. Oh and I straight up told that girl where to shove it, she quickly got the message. Just be who you are and be proud of your interests and hobbies, they're what make you who you are and if anyone takes issue with that then they aren't worth a second of your time.
well I don't mention the game with people but when they ask and sees one of my models I will tell them about it.
I am in uni, can't find the time to play with them but I still like them.
All my friends know I play the game and the girls know and the "blonde/slut" type of girl who should laugh at me is one of my good friend.
She also know the game because her cousin plays it lol
I find if i tell them I am painting them the girls are actully somewhat interested if your good at painting that is.
But when you talk about playing it they think your a nerd.
But if you tell them its just a hobby like anyother hobby they will soon find it ok. they are not gonna make fun of it but neither find it fun or interesting.
Out and proud. About Magic, 40k, video games, Belegarth, whatever. I've found that people take nerdery really, really personally, and act defensive about it as if you doing something they don't understand is a personal injury to them.
From any perspective, anything is silly. You know there are these events that millions of people watch where grown men chase a tiny ball around a field for hours? They're called sports.
I used to feel the same. I never admitted that I played warhammer, nor that I played WoW or magic cards or anything nerdy really. It is only recently that I have started to become comfortable with people knowing what I do in my spare time. To be honest I think I enjoy it more now that I am open about it.
I find that if you are embarrassed by it most people will probably think of you as a nerd or geek or whatever but if you are open about it and not ashamed people act as if its normal...ish. Im only 21 years old however so I guess I might not be in the same boat as some other people here.
NoArmorSave wrote:
Not everyone that plays it is what you would call a "geek". I am a cool, normal person that plays it. Let's see:
1 - I drive a Mercedes
2 - I wear Oakley sunglasses and clothing
3 - I hold 3 different blackbelts in martial arts, and used to compete in MMA events
4 - I used to Wakeboard a lot
5 - I used to play professional level Paintball
6 - I own an Old English Bulldog
7 - I used to be a bartender, with a large clientele
8 - I have no problem with the opposite sex
9 - I believe I can get anyone excited about battling it out on the tables of the 41st millenium.
Delephont wrote:Ok, so there will always be those people who stand tall against society and hail from the roof tops the things they love to do most in their spare time......
However, I would hasten to admit, I'm not one of them. Call me a coward if you will, however, it's plain to see that anything involving grown men and "action figures" be they metal/plastic/resin miniatures right up to full blown 1/6th scale action figures does equal social slow for many of the denizens of this world. I draw your attention to 40yr old virgin for proof on how society in general views us.
The question is, why do some of us feel this way? Why do we deny what we obviously enjoy doing? Is it because deep down inside we realise on some level that we are doing is "wrong"......oh I'm not talking kiddy fiddler "wrong", but maybe "sitting in your basement watching porn" wrong?
Do most of you guys find it easier to deny your hobby or do you think you might actually feel better letting people know this facet of your life?
Because of the people that share the hobby with me.
I'm 32. I find it hard to continue painting in the presence of my wife. My Iron Snakes Terminator squad haven't been touched for almost two months now due to this.
I just find it terribly embarassing to work on miniatures for some reason. I never used to feel this way. I'm thinking of giving up the modeling aspect of the hobby entirely and just continue to read the novels and play the video games.
Also any embarrassment from gaming is the least of my troubles. I had to explain to a guy from London Transport last week why it took me nearly 2 hours to travel a 20 minute distance on the underground... because I was stopping to photograph the stations and trains along the way.
At high school I wouldn't go out of my way to talk about it, but once your in the wide outside world (those times you step outside and jump from shadow to shadow), most people really don't give a rat's ass.
When I was working in the construction industry as an administrator, I would go to game after work and not living close to work would take my case with me. After a couple of times, someone asked me about it and I showed them. He was interested and like pretty much everyone who has known about it since I was about 16, accepted that it's my hobby and I do it.
Some of my relatives, most elderly and my parents to a lesser extent, have no idea why i do it, or in fact what it is; but they accepted it. My gran, however loves it. I spend my time painting and she will look at them and comment on how it looks good and what I've missed (some how an 80 year old woman with about 7 different pairs of glasses for different things and light conditions can spot something a painting judge would miss, is astounding).
It helps that alot of my friends now either play warhammer, or so similar things. But those who don't, just see it remark how it looks kinda cool, but thats where it stays. There are always models somewhere, either being built, or put into cases or being painted.
I'm not gonna take out a advertisment to show that I do it, but if someone asks then I will explain it and if possible show them some stuff.
My ex-girlfriend didn't mind it. I gave her a Bilbo Baggins painted up rather nicely for her birthday (he was her favourite character) and she still has it on her bedside table.
due to the amount of workspace I have at home. I work sometimes out of the house.......basically on the building aspect.......painting is always done at home..........there is a Truckstop diner down the road from me..........I go down there and work.........I dont care what people think........oddly I have had a lot of interest in what I do......this is in the south and mostly older people and truck drivers
Not so much proud or ashamed of my hobby per say, but the hobby is part of who I am, and I am proud of who I am.
C.S. Lewis wrote:Critics who treat adult as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.
- C.S. Lewis
Basically, if you're "ashamed" of your hobby, at least for OP's reasons, grow up.
I do not advertise my hobbying... not because I am ashamed per se, but more for the same reason I don't discuss Halo with my Grandmother. Know your audience. Not everyone will be interested in hearing about it, and you generally should know who would be and who wouldn't be... In general, with most people I know it wouldn't be their cup of tea.
That being said, if it comes up, and if they express interest in hearing more I will explain a bit more so long as they keep asking questions and maintain their end of the conversation.
I find the only thing that is obnoxious about people with our... sci-fi/fantasy leanings... is when they try to ram it down the throat of anyone they come across without consideration of whether the other person is interested in the slightest. But honestly that applies to anything. I don't care if collecting ankle bracelets is your passion, I don't give a gak and we need to talk about something else lol!
On a side note though, it is annoying and yes even a bit embarassing that most people see a miniature and automatically assume you spend your free time pretending to be an elf in the basement while wearing a cape... first I have to explain it is more like chess, there is no role-play, then I have to explain I only paint the damn things lol!
Im not ashamed but I dont talk about it much because from my experience, 90% of people in this hobby are not the kind of people I like to hang out with.
NoArmorSave wrote:
Not everyone that plays it is what you would call a "geek". I am a cool, normal person that plays it. Let's see:
1 - I drive a Mercedes
2 - I wear Oakley sunglasses and clothing
3 - I hold 3 different blackbelts in martial arts, and used to compete in MMA events
4 - I used to Wakeboard a lot
5 - I used to play professional level Paintball
6 - I own an Old English Bulldog
7 - I used to be a bartender, with a large clientele
8 - I have no problem with the opposite sex
9 - I believe I can get anyone excited about battling it out on the tables of the 41st millenium.
Sorry but none of those things makes a person "cool", especially the first two.
An easy way to tell if someone is NOT "cool" is because they like to tell people how cool they think they are.
VanHammer wrote:
Sorry but none of those things makes a person "cool", especially the first two.
An easy way to tell if someone is NOT "cool" is because they like to tell people how cool they think they are.
LOL wow, totally agree.. NoArmorSave are you really that shallow?
Not so much proud or ashamed of my hobby per say, but the hobby is part of who I am, and I am proud of who I am.
C.S. Lewis wrote:Critics who treat adult as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.
- C.S. Lewis
Basically, if you're "ashamed" of your hobby, at least for OP's reasons, grow up.
Kouzuki, please note - You realize what you did by quoting this, then saying "grow up"? The point of the CS Lewis quote is NOT caring about your OWN fears of what others think. So bludgeoning OP with what a special precious snowflake (s)he MUST be, or else (s)he is not "grown up"... This is like an infinite loop. Seriously, though, so bluntly saying grow up to the OP is not helpful in the least. That is just as spiteful and nasty as the people who laugh at adults playing with toys.
@Eilif and MajorTom11 - great posts... this is the exact point I was trying to make. I'm glad you made it more clearly!
Bigger picture, I think there may be a bit of a false dichotomous choice here. It does not have to be all in-your-face to every single person, or shamefully hiding all aspects, no in between. This is not the way social interactions work.
@OP - You can control how you feel (CS Lewis' point, BTW). You can control what you share with others. You cannot control how they choose to use that information. So it is wise to share appropriately.
Not ashamed at all. I'm proud of the models I've built and enjoy showing my work to people. I get all kinds of responses, usually "Wow! YOU painted that?!? How do you do that?"
And then I explain to them and answer questions.
Hell, I even wear my "Scale Model Addict" T-shirt at work all the time and people always say how cool it is.
What I don't understand is people who have no hobbies or a creative outlet...must be boring! What do you do, just sit around and watch TV/movies? That would suck!
bombboy1252 wrote:I'll actually bring it up in conversations sometimes. Who cares what other people think. The last conversation I had about it was something like this.
"You play with those things"
"Ya, I build and paint them, than I go to the store and play them"
"O.o .............. Wanna play Xbox"
"Sure"
Sometimes it isn't about 'caring what other people think' so much as it is 'paying any kind of attention as to whether they are interacting with you during the conversation, or whether you are just talking at them based on your enjoyment alone and generally not being good company' lol. Not pointing a finger at you specifically or anything or saying it was the case in your example btw.
But generally speaking, I find people who are into non-mainstream stuff and make it part of their identity tend to be very 'I don't care what you think' about it in a defensive way automatically. Sometimes someone isn't undermining your way of life if they aren't interested in your hobby...
This actually came up recently with me with an ex-bandmate... we were in the car driving and he put on some prog-rock stuff... I asked him to put on something else because frankly it's not my thing. He got uppity about it and started trying to explain to me why it was good and why we should keep listening blah blah blah. I just said 'Look dude, if you like this stuff then good for you, honestly. I can hear some complex music and progressions here obviously, however, I am just not in the mood for this right now. I am not saying it is bad. I am not saying my opinion is better than yours. I am just saying that since we are in the car together it could be nice if you put on something we both like instead of blasting this stuff at me when I have plainly demonstrated to you that I am not into it. Now, you have 2 choices, be cool and turn it off without feeling attacked, or be a dick and try to prove some kind of point like me liking this music or not is actually important in the scheme of things. Your move, punk.'
I see a lot of similar behavior with people in this hobby at times, the idea that if someone doesn't get it or isn't interested they are either A.) questioning your intelligence/maturity by doing so or B.) you question their intelligence or maturity by doing so lol. My big pet peave is that there is a C: Bring it up if you must, but be considerate that they have the right not to be interested and be courteous enough to spend a few seconds paying attention to their responses or lack there-of before launching into a rant, sermon or 1 sided conversation with them lol.
Gymnogyps wrote:
Kouzuki, please note - You realize what you did by quoting this, then saying "grow up"? The point of the CS Lewis quote is NOT caring about your OWN fears of what others think. So bludgeoning OP with what a special precious snowflake (s)he MUST be, or else (s)he is not "grown up"... This is like an infinite loop. Seriously, though, so bluntly saying grow up to the OP is not helpful in the least. That is just as spiteful and nasty as the people who laugh at adults playing with toys.
Then I am spiteful and nasty and laugh at people who are adults in body but only children in mind. The human race would be better off without such pathetically insecure people. I really don't see why I should dance around the matter ignoring the elephant in the room.
It's not really a problem for me as I paint more than I play. I'll happily put pictures of my finished stuff on facebook/tumblr/google+ because I draw, sketch and paint in my spare time so it's more of an artistic hobby than a "geeky" hobby :')
Tonight I brought home the new VC book, and Mrs snurl spied the price tag on it.
"It's not worth that much." she said. "why do you need it?"
It was the first time in many years that I felt a twinge of shame about my hobby. I blame GW. Firstly because they just put out a new VC book back in '09; secondly because this book cost more than twice as much than the last one did.
Not in the least ashamed, though they won't let me convert/assemble in my lunch break at work, as knives aren't allowed inside government buildings, and my scalpel set definitely counts in their books. I can paint though
I'm a gaming geek. Always was, always will be. I met my wife over a game of Vampire, she plays 40K too.
I have two gamer kids in training. My 6 year old likes playing a stripped down version of 40k with me (my orks vs mama's eldar models under her command, usually) and has a serious collection of dice. She LOVES dice.
My 2 year old has a cuddly Cthullu as a teddybear (and can pronounce Cthullu ) and knows the difference between space marines, tyranids, eldar, dark eldar, orks (she calls them 'urks' ) and Daemons (though not the unit names of course, yet...)
Embarrassed by my hobby, no.
Embarrassed by some gamers, definitely. I had a non-gamer friend and my mother-in-law (non-gamer) in the FLGS with me a bit back, and had a smelly reprobate loudly try to sell his theory why Mareeenz are the ONLY army worth a damn, and why the Emprah will stomp all others into dust etc etc ad nauseam, which left them a bit wierded out....
Wargaming is easy. Try explaining live action role-playing. When my wargaming friends wonder why I'm not going to be around for a weekend, I just tell them that I'm camping. It's simply easier.
I don't typically offer up information about my hobbies, but I usually don't have a problem explaining if someone is interested. It is really only problematic when the person asking about it has no frame of reference. With wargaming, it is easy to explain in a way that makes sense to someone who has no idea about it, so I find that it is relatively easy to talk about. With a few seconds of explanation, most people are able to feel like they understand what wargaming is.
On game nights, I usually leave for the FLGS straight from work, and I never leave my precious little guys sitting in a hot car all day, so my co-workers all have some idea about what I do in my spare time. Virtually everyone I have encountered hasn't demonstrated any stigma about it.
I actively avoid talking about LARPing, and I usually steer away from conversations about it, unless someone is genuinely curious. Again, like I said before, it is mostly about frame of reference. LARPing is difficult to explain quickly and simply, so people are left feeling like there's something weird about it. Role-playing in general has similar negative stereotypes associated with it as wargaming, but LARPing involves wearing a costume. Putting on a costume, any costume, is a transformative experience, and therefore potentially threatening. Everyone well understands the powerful transformative aspects of wearing a costume, even if they can't articulate that understanding. Because costuming is so powerful, it is associated with a great deal of social and psychological baggage, not the least of which is that costume play is typically viewed as the province of childhood, a period of life when identity is very fluid.
Wargaming is a craft and a game, so is role-playing. Live action role-playing is both of these things as well, but part of it is acted out on the field of a participant's physical body. I would argue that this distinction alone makes it more difficult to discuss than wargaming or table-top role-playing.
Genre is also significant, because it relates to frame of reference. I would bet that anyone that plays a historical game like Flames of War has an easier time talking about it than Warhammer. People "get" a historical wargame more quickly because there is a common frame of reference. So too is historical reenactment easier to explain than live action role-playing. The two are very similar. I would even argue that reenactment would raise more eyebrows than playing Flames of War (it involves costuming after all). Yet like a historical wargame, reenactment is based on a common frame of reference. Oh, you dress up like a Civil War soldier. I get it. We both know what the Civil War is without having to explain it. It is easier to therefore grasp what the point of the costuming is. The activity seems more "mundane," and therefore less weird or threatening.
I am a engineering manager at work pulled over $200k last year. I have played in several countries and always take an army with me on business. I tell work there are a few weekends I will never work like adepticon. I have 4 chaos land raiders on my shelf at work.
ashamed no way. I have been playing 40k for 20 year. it is me. At 37, I can still drink most people under the table. if you enjoy it be proud about it. people who poke fun are silly and you really don't want to hang with them.
Considering I read the army books in the middle of class, no. Why should I care what random people I'm not even going to remember think of me? As for judgmental "friends", they aren't really your friends if they can't accept you.
n0t_u wrote:We've all had that talk at one point or the other. It's even more fun if it's SoB.
"So that unit costs over $200?"
"Yes, but I brought it online back when they still came in a box and it was only $40"
Yeah... I'm right there with you on that... lol
I got into 40k just before they did that to the sisters... my favorite army now... so glad I stopped collecting my SM as quickly as I did and got into the army I really like at the time.
As for being ashamed... uh no. I'm not ashamed one bit...
My folks asked me about it a long time ago... gave me a heavy sigh and said "How old are you?" and I responded with "uh... I'm old enough to know that I charge people commissions to paint their stuff for them... and I make a plenty doing that..."
They've been supportive ever since, lol.
The girlfriend plays too, so I don't have to worry on that end... her brother plays... her parents are really supportive of her hobby too... going as far as getting her paints and models too...
All and all, imo, there is no shame in this hobby... least not any more than say... playing video games or something... which I do as well. It's a hobby... that's all. Some people obsess over sports or their cars or stereo equipment, guns, computers, gadgets... everyone is passionate about something... anyone who doesn't understand that fact, just hasn't considered it yet, or is too close minded to do so.
I don't hide the hobby at all, nor am I ashamed of it. I will bring a rulebook, armybook, BL novel, or something else related to one of the games I play to work and read it there. I met a couple guys who play at work and one of them is now one of my most regular opponents. Also found a couple people at work that I play WoW, SWTOR, and DDO with. If you hide your hobby you might be missing out on finding other like-minded individuals and new people to play against.
As far as talking to other people about it I usually go in stages. If they see me reading a rulebook or something similar it usually goes something like this:
Them: "What is Warhammer/Warmachine/Flames of War/Infinity?"
Me: "It's a game I play, simulating battles with little minatures."
From that point on I am happy to continue to talk and answer any questions they have. If the answer is a basic "Ok" and it seems like they were just striking up polite conversation then I won' t push any further talk about it.
Sometimes it is not only about not being ashamed of the hobby, sometimes you also need to be careful not to become a hobby hipster. "I play Warhammer, you probably never heard about it so I'm going to tell you everything about it."
CallsignNeptune wrote:I remember recently I was at a house party and happened to be chatting to a friend from back in my school days, I was telling her I had gotten into Warhammer and how much I was loving it. She didn't mind at all, however another girl overheard us and immediately started taking the mick out of me for liking it. .................
Something similar happened to me many years ago when a friends sister tried to take the mickey when I was chatting her friend up. She has used her information so i used mine and asked if a single mum like herself might be better served looking for a new partner or at least looking after her kids rather than talking rubbish in the pub. Then I had a fumble with her mate in the car park.
Not so much proud or ashamed of my hobby per say, but the hobby is part of who I am, and I am proud of who I am.
Basically, if you're "ashamed" of your hobby, at least for OP's reasons, grow up.
And there you have, the enlightened opinion of the faceless internet..."grow up". What's kinda ironic about that statement, is that it's a mirror of the wide view that people hold of those who "indulge" in wargaming and miniatures in general, they all seem to agree that we should all "grow up".
A person could respond by saying to be grown up, one has to be aware of their environment. Saying that you don't give a rats ass for the opinions of others, because they don't align to your ideals could be considered quite childish.
I agree that all pastimes and hobbies can be judged as being somewhat childish to a degree, from motorsports all the way down to clay pigeon shooting. To say that one hobby is cooler than another is madness, not to mention ignorant. I think the key to this is being able to explain or defend your decision to be part of a hobby.
Right now, most wargames are or appear to be aimed at children, especially as it's an ever expanding market! To me, that is one of the big embarresments about wargaming, as a grown man, I have to explain why I'm effectively paying with kids toys. Go to any GW, the majority of bodies in there haven't been on the earth more than ten years. People see you engaging in the activities that captivate the mind of a ten year old and question your ability to engage in more adult persuits. The other thing, as some people have alluded to, is the guilt by association. Be honest, what do most people think when they walk past a GW and see a grown man, in his long leather goth jacket, standing in amoungst a see of 10 year olds? A passing woman is most likely not going to think, hmm, he could be the father of my children, she probably thinks he shares the mental age of the folks around him, or worse......
To ignore these factors, I think, is to bury your head in the sand, and to me, that in itself implies a degree of geekyness.
I think a more pertinent question is: "Why do you assume that I'm ashamed of my hobby?"
I'm not ashamed of my hobby. However, like other people have mentioned, I won't bring it up out of the blue for no reason. Just like I won't bring up any other facet of my life for no reason. Knowing your audience is key.
If someone's shallow enough to judge me based on what hobbies I enjoy, then they're most likely not someone worth wasting any time on.
Honestly, I just came back from town and not one person in the high street asked if I was into wargaming.
I didnt shout from the rooftops that I liked painting and moving those army men across a table either...maybe I should have.
I have noticed a distinct lack of people caring when I exit gaming stores too. These same people don't care when I put eggs and bread in my shopping basket either.
I used to be a beefcake which allowed me some room when it came to my hobbies. In fact when I scoffed at a "nerd" when I saw he and others playing 40k.... or Mech Warrior ... his response was don't knock til you try it. I was impresses with the fact that he stood up to me and figures he might just be right. Ever since then, I not only talk about miniatures collecting, I bring the stuff to work sometimes. Hopefully this comes out right. I am on my cell in an LMTV.
Skits wrote:I think a more pertinent question is: "Why do you assume that I'm ashamed of my hobby?"
I'm not ashamed of my hobby. However, like other people have mentioned, I won't bring it up out of the blue for no reason. Just like I won't bring up any other facet of my life for no reason. Knowing your audience is key.
If someone's shallow enough to judge me based on what hobbies I enjoy, then they're most likely not someone worth wasting any time on.
I don't assume anything. If you're proud of your hobby to the extent that you don't feel you need to deny or hide your involvement in it then more power to you, but guess what, this thread was obviously not intended for you.
I have lived on this mudball for 35 years. In that time I have done amazing things, several of them not suited to mention on this thread or board. I count my hobby as part of what makes my life interesting. I tell anyone who asks me about what I like doing and if they recoil in horror, then that is a problem with them and their narrow view of the 'normal'. I dismiss such people from my consideration and move on. Because those same people who think you're a nerd are the ones who I regard as a bland, a person who never dares or does, the people who's viewing pleasure never stretches beyond X factor and who's only conversation is the current celebrity break-up and/or football scores.
On planet Stompa, the only insult that matters is from a person who matters, the rest are dross and their words are worthless hot air.
MeanGreenStompa wrote:I have lived on this mudball for 35 years. In that time I have done amazing things, several of them not suited to mention on this thread or board. I count my hobby as part of what makes my life interesting. I tell anyone who asks me about what I like doing and if they recoil in horror, then that is a problem with them and their narrow view of the 'normal'. I dismiss such people from my consideration and move on. Because those same people who think you're a nerd are the ones who I regard as a bland, a person who never dares or does, the people who's viewing pleasure never stretches beyond X factor and who's only conversation is the current celebrity break-up and/or football scores.
On planet Stompa, the only insult that matters is from a person who matters, the rest are dross and their words are worthless hot air.
VanHammer wrote:Im not ashamed but I dont talk about it much because from my experience, 90% of people in this hobby are not the kind of people I like to hang out with.
NoArmorSave wrote:
Not everyone that plays it is what you would call a "geek". I am a cool, normal person that plays it. Let's see:
1 - I drive a Mercedes
2 - I wear Oakley sunglasses and clothing
3 - I hold 3 different blackbelts in martial arts, and used to compete in MMA events
4 - I used to Wakeboard a lot
5 - I used to play professional level Paintball
6 - I own an Old English Bulldog
7 - I used to be a bartender, with a large clientele
8 - I have no problem with the opposite sex
9 - I believe I can get anyone excited about battling it out on the tables of the 41st millenium.
Sorry but none of those things makes a person "cool", especially the first two.
An easy way to tell if someone is NOT "cool" is because they like to tell people how cool they think they are.
Dude, I am not trying to tell people "how cool" I am. This is a discussion thread about how folks are ashamed of the hobby. It's not like I posted a thread and said
"Look at me, I am cool, and here is why". My message was to demonstrate that "Normal" people play the game, and are proud of it. I don't believe people should
be ashamed of this hobby.
While I am not afraid of talking about it, I hate being put on the spot about it.
Too many times I have tried to talk about it with someone who wasn't taking me seriously and didn't realize it until its too late. So I don't talk about it openly or much when I have been asked.
Im just ashamed because of the common stereotypes that people picture wargamers would be like and the fact that its game about miniatures. People instantly think that they are some kind of toys, which really annoys me.
VanHammer wrote:Im not ashamed but I dont talk about it much because from my experience, 90% of people in this hobby are not the kind of people I like to hang out with.
NoArmorSave wrote:
Not everyone that plays it is what you would call a "geek". I am a cool, normal person that plays it. Let's see:
1 - I drive a Mercedes
2 - I wear Oakley sunglasses and clothing
3 - I hold 3 different blackbelts in martial arts, and used to compete in MMA events
4 - I used to Wakeboard a lot
5 - I used to play professional level Paintball
6 - I own an Old English Bulldog
7 - I used to be a bartender, with a large clientele
8 - I have no problem with the opposite sex
9 - I believe I can get anyone excited about battling it out on the tables of the 41st millenium.
Sorry but none of those things makes a person "cool", especially the first two.
An easy way to tell if someone is NOT "cool" is because they like to tell people how cool they think they are.
Dude, I am not trying to tell people "how cool" I am. This is a discussion thread about how folks are ashamed of the hobby. It's not like I posted a thread and said
"Look at me, I am cool, and here is why". My message was to demonstrate that "Normal" people play the game, and are proud of it. I don't believe people should
be ashamed of this hobby.
Some might argue Oakley's are not all that, and professional paintball won't dig you out of any nerd-holes either
Some!
The point is I suppose everyone, nerd or not, will have different ideas on what 'cool' is... no matter what it is about yourself you are comfortable/uncomfortable with, so long as you try not to be obnoxious about it in general you should be ok. Driving a Merc is never a bad thing though
It's pathetic to live a life where you allow the blind opinions of others to affect your over all mental health in what you do.
It's fine if people look down their nose at you, that's their right, but the issue is when you allow that action to make you feel bad. I look down my nose at people who worship sports or religion, but I don't force my opinion on them, unlike they, who do force their opinions on me.
Some of the guys on here are using some pretty strong language to demonstrate how "together" they are with their hobbies, gents, I feel happy for you, but you have to understand, you're coming across as a gakker.
Having issues declaring or admitting you are part of this hobby is not stupid, pathetic, weak, or any of the other derogatory words you wish to use in order to beat your internet chests.
What you seem to be forgetting, is that we all wear masks, we do it when we want to get that job we're interviewing for, we do it when we want to get that hot girl we've met to take it to the next level, and you can name a 100 other times when it may be beneficial to hold off certain aspects of yourself to achieve a goal.
The guys here who make the statement that they don't give a rats ass about public opinion are either liars, or so far gone that there is nothing more that they expect to "get" from society.
In either case, more power to you, but this thread just wasn't designed for you to take part in, why? because you have nothing to add but vitriol and to further push those who are "struggling" with their split desire to enjoy the hobby but to also stand aside from it.
Just because you don't understand the "thing behind the curtain" that creates this split desire doesn't make it wrong.
Delephont wrote:Some of the guys on here are using some pretty strong language to demonstrate how "together" they are with their hobbies, gents, I feel happy for you, but you have to understand, you're coming across as a gakker.
Having issues declaring or admitting you are part of this hobby is not stupid, pathetic, weak, or any of the other derogatory words you wish to use in order to beat your internet chests.
What you seem to be forgetting, is that we all wear masks, we do it when we want to get that job we're interviewing for, we do it when we want to get that hot girl we've met to take it to the next level, and you can name a 100 other times when it may be beneficial to hold off certain aspects of yourself to achieve a goal.
The guys here who make the statement that they don't give a rats ass about public opinion are either liars, or so far gone that there is nothing more that they expect to "get" from society.
In either case, more power to you, but this thread just wasn't designed for you to take part in, why? because you have nothing to add but vitriol and to further push those who are "struggling" with their split desire to enjoy the hobby but to also stand aside from it.
Just because you don't understand the "thing behind the curtain" that creates this split desire doesn't make it wrong.
To provide some perspective I work as an executive in Sales and Marketing. Guys in my line love to " throw their d*cks on the table and measure" its childish etc however I will put on my "mask" to get through the meeting, golf games, drinks or what have you to support my family. These days I cant apply for anything or go into a big presentation without opposite parties doing as much background prep on me as they can. Honestly I do the same. As it provides a great deal of insight. Thus I make sure that my digital footprints are small and I use game names at tournaments. Do I like it? No. Do I enjoy the political aspects of my job? Heck no. Is it life. yes. Oh more often than not the jokers I interact with are far worse as people than anyone I have met gaming.
Or put a different way. We do what we have to in 9 to 5 and then we have the freedom to do what we want afterwards. If someone in my organization plays 40k, shares it with colleagues.. power to em! It is all about choices.
Well, if it comes up in conversation, then great, i get stuck right in!
If someone asks me directly, then i go with it, tell them experiances, good times etc.
But i dont say anything about it if im not asked, mainly because i dont want to come across as self obsessed.
I Think the social stigma comes from their misinformed knowledge of the hobby. 'Silly little figures' some will say. My reply is 'No, silly little figures you spend grueling hours building, modelling and painting to make them look perfect. Followed by as many games as you like of a really well thought out table top battle game, which (ideally) contains alot of humor, beer and general laughs'. When i ask them what they do in their spare time, they grumble at me Call of Duty. At least our hobby is skillful.
I'm almost aggressively secure in my hobby, I'll be damned if any one gets to call me any less macho just because I play with toy soldiers instead of watching football after two frelling combat tours in Iraq.
Yes I play DnD and magic as well desk jockey what of it?
I kinda had this attitude about it when I was teenager, though, in retrospect, that came after the boost of confidence I got from picking up full contact martial arts. Prior to that I didn't talk to anyone about much anything.
I also have a similar attitude regarding my faith a s a druidic pagan...I'm not exactly in your face about it, but no one I work with is under any illusion regarding my beliefs either.
Having been at both side of the spectrum in my life I understand the social pressures, I really do. Not everyone has the counter argument of dodging sniper fire and fist fights with drunk rangers I get that (and honestly at the police department where I work half my co-workers have been though the same stuff, so it doesn't hold any water with them anyway lol at the end of the day I'm still the department geek). At the end of the day though as long as you proclaim your hobbies with confidence and shrug off the initial ribbing most folks are just curious.
Personally, I approach Warhammer from an artistic point of few.
I value the art and passion behind all those fantastic worlds, great models
and last but not least the battles you play.
That's also how I present my hobby to other people when I feel like talking about it for some reason.
Nobody would ever dare to laugh at you when you present them a great painting of yours,
or tell them that you won a chess turnament.
That this is also the reason why I dislike quite a couple of Warhammer players out there,
I have to admit that, which disregard those aspects of the hobby.
At least once they've reached a certain age.
Sure the idea of power appeals to me as well (as much as it does to any other person)
but that aspect should never go ahead of the other values, which fantasy worlds offer to us.
Delephont wrote:
The guys here who make the statement that they don't give a rats ass about public opinion are either liars, or so far gone that there is nothing more that they expect to "get" from society.
Or we're nice rounded personalities with enough confidence and varied interests to flourish... I'm a happily married man, with a management job good social circle and still regularly get female attention. Your sweeping generalizations are more than a mite hostile sounding.
Delephont wrote:
In either case, more power to you, but this thread just wasn't designed for you to take part in, why? because you have nothing to add but vitriol and to further push those who are "struggling" with their split desire to enjoy the hobby but to also stand aside from it.
Whilst I can understand and empathize with younger players/hobbyists finding the hobby embarrassing and carrying around some shame about it, didn't you mention on dakka that you're in your 30s? Because if you're that old and still hung up about what you do and hide it away... well then I just hope you'll relax and gain some more self confidence soon, because it's the self confidence that'll attract girls, make people think you're cool and let you enjoy all sides of your life, rather than hiding your nerd gak under the stairs when anyone 'not in the firm' comes to visit.
I remember being about 16 years old and hating going into a shop with my dad, because my dad would sing to himself (eagles, dire straits etc) and I would become self conscious and embarrassed about it, he didn't give a flying feth about it and when I grumbled that people were staring at him, he'd shrug and say 'well, they're probably jealous of my amazing singing voice' and carry on singing Hotel California whilst studying the freshness of tomatoes.
I was singing a prodigy song to myself the other day in the supermarket, I realized I was doing it, first stopped and then laughed, then enjoyed the sensation of really not giving a gak what anyone thought of me doing it.
What makes wargaming a 'shameful' thing is when it is hidden away and then uncovered like a dirty secret, because those who don't know what it is end up assuming it's far weirder than it actually is. The person doing it treating it as a thing to be ashamed off is the one creating a self fulfilling prophecy, the one who shrugs and smiles and says 'yes I paint and game with wargames miniatures, now I think it's your round?' won't create that same aura of creepiness around something that's really not anything out of the 'ordinary'...
Delephont wrote:Ok, so there will always be those people who stand tall against society and hail from the roof tops the things they love to do most in their spare time......
However, I would hasten to admit, I'm not one of them. Call me a coward if you will, however, it's plain to see that anything involving grown men and "action figures" be they metal/plastic/resin miniatures right up to full blown 1/6th scale action figures does equal social slow for many of the denizens of this world. I draw your attention to 40yr old virgin for proof on how society in general views us.
The question is, why do some of us feel this way? Why do we deny what we obviously enjoy doing? Is it because deep down inside we realise on some level that we are doing is "wrong"......oh I'm not talking kiddy fiddler "wrong", but maybe "sitting in your basement watching porn" wrong?
Do most of you guys find it easier to deny your hobby or do you think you might actually feel better letting people know this facet of your life?
Dude - you have the wrong attitude. It really is amazing just how cool Warhammer 40,000 is. I mean, it is freaking awesome. You should never be ashamed of playing one of the most awesome,
engaging hobbies out there.
Not everyone that plays it is what you would call a "geek". I am a cool, normal person that plays it. Let's see:
1 - I drive a Mercedes
2 - I wear Oakley sunglasses and clothing
3 - I hold 3 different blackbelts in martial arts, and used to compete in MMA events
4 - I used to Wakeboard a lot
5 - I used to play professional level Paintball
6 - I own an Old English Bulldog
7 - I used to be a bartender, with a large clientele
8 - I have no problem with the opposite sex
9 - I believe I can get anyone excited about battling it out on the tables of the 41st millenium.
This is either the funniest post ever or the saddest...
hotsauceman1 wrote:Im also ashamed of how much i spend.
Don't worry about the expense. Financially speaking no ones hobby really makes sense to other. Take for example, anyone that has ever completed a project car. For all the time and effort someone could have just gone out and bought a new vehicle. That however is not why they restored the car. It wasn't because they needed another vehicle. It was because they love cars and working on them.
Golf is another prime example. If you buy a name brand set of irons, woods, a driver, and a putter brand new you are looking at somewhere between $1000 and $2000 depending upon style and level of the equipment. Then you have the option of high end balls made by the name brand companies, shoes, gloves, tees, etc. THEN you have to pay to play the damn game. My point is.....you have joined what is yet another elitiest hobby. So, I wouldn't worry about the expense factor.
My point is not to say that the game is appropriately price because it isn't. My point was to prove that the majority of hobbies are over priced and they definitely are to those that don't have an interest in them.
Its not that. ITs how i feel in general about spending money. I have so much. others so little. and i complain about price hikes from GW.
I’ve never encountered much of a stigma with tabletop gaming. The general response I get is that the models look cool but are very expensive. Personally I think the only stigma (a bit a small one) is probably the high prices (and that’s a fair point IMO). The price issue I reckon is probably more of an issue with GW specifically as nowadays there are a lot more cost effective avenues for tabletop hobbies that did not exist 5-10 years ago.
As a side note, I’ve noticed that non gamers/hobbyists can carry a few misconceptions sometimes (e.g. hobby is only meant for little kids) which is why I personally don’t openly discuss the hobby with non gamers/hobbyists (it usually leads to an awkward conversation involving 100s of questions).
Personally though I’m not ashamed of my participation in the hobby. A colleague of mine from work once said that “part of being a man is to have some kind of money wasting hobby” therefore any sort of absurd money wasting hobby is justified to a lesser extent lol.
candy.man wrote:I’ve never encountered much of a stigma with tabletop gaming. The general response I get is that the models look cool but are very expensive. Personally I think the only stigma (a bit a small one) is probably the high prices (and that’s a fair point IMO). The price issue I reckon is probably more of an issue with GW specifically as nowadays there are a lot more cost effective avenues for tabletop hobbies that did not exist 5-10 years ago.
As a side note, I’ve noticed that non gamers/hobbyists can carry a few misconceptions sometimes (e.g. hobby is only meant for little kids) which is why I personally don’t openly discuss the hobby with non gamers/hobbyists (it usually leads to an awkward conversation involving 100s of questions).
Personally though I’m not ashamed of my participation in the hobby. A colleague of mine from work once said that “part of being a man is to have some kind of money wasting hobby” therefore any sort of absurd money wasting hobby is justified to a lesser extent lol.
Down at my local hobby town i noticed alot of hobbists are always middle age men who have free time and money of there own to spend.
I dont hate the stigma of playing tabletop games..... I just find it hard to defend them when someone actually goes into the store and see all these black t shirt wearing, long haired, zitty face kids hooting and hollering over there 3 cm plastic toy =]
IPS wrote:Personally, I approach Warhammer from an artistic point of few.
I value the art and passion behind all those fantastic worlds, great models
and last but not least the battles you play.
That's also how I present my hobby to other people when I feel like talking about it for some reason.
Nobody would ever dare to laugh at you when you present them a great painting of yours,
or tell them that you won a chess turnament.
That this is also the reason why I dislike quite a couple of Warhammer players out there,
I have to admit that, which disregard those aspects of the hobby.
At least once they've reached a certain age.
Sure the idea of power appeals to me as well (as much as it does to any other person)
but that aspect should never go ahead of the other values, which fantasy worlds offer to us.
That is another big point I wanted to lay out. The Warhammer 40,000 hobby is a form of art. Very much like something an artist that
paints on canvas or an illustrator would do.
If someone asks about your hobbies, you can explain that one of them is painting model figures & wargaming. That seems to be
a reasonable way to describe it to people that know nothing about it. If someone wants to know more, show them some of the models.
I genraly have no problems talking about the hobby if it is brought up even to my Girlfreind
as it is i am already considerd a social outcast around my end-i wear mainly black with purple and dark red(i mean really dark)
i walk tall unlike the chavs who skulk in packs in their hoodies. I wear black fingerless gloves i am pale have a morbid attitude wear trenchcoats and listen to metal in a place overrun with chavs.
I used to be what you would call a closet gamer in my youth but that's because when I was a kid/early teen, there was an awful lot of social stigma attached to wargaming and GW in particular, more so than nowadays I think. It didn't help I went to a very sports orientated school and if you weren't in that clique, you were already an outsider.
At uni, it was much more easy to fall into the relevant social circles - there is such a divergance of people and tastes there, that you naturally gravitate to friends who share common interests.
As an adult, and particularly as I approached my 30's, I find myself not really giving a toss what other people think. But then again, my hobbies rarely crop up in conversation anyway and I don't really wear my nerd credentials on my sleeve anyway.
I think it is probably easier for kids these days than it used to be; although there is still a distressing amount of stigma attached to wargaming, the fact that 40K has started piercing the mainstream of console gaming is helping the situation.
I'm ashamed of some of the people that are associated with the hobby, when they smell like a gorilla's taint and plainly haven't washed any of their clothes or their greasy, unkempt hair for an extended period of time, but I proudly proclaim that I play Space Barbies to all and sundry.
Monster Rain wrote:I'm ashamed of some of the people that are associated with the hobby, when they smell like a gorilla's taint and plainly haven't washed any of their clothes or their greasy, unkempt hair for an extended period of time, but I proudly proclaim that I play Space Barbies to all and sundry.
Definitely this. It's one of the many reasons I avoid GW stores - tainted by association!
n0t_u wrote:I'm sort of indifferent about it. I won't go up to everyone and start talking about it, but I won't change the subject if someone asks either. I guess the main reason people would try to hide it is the apparent social stigma that is associated with games like this and D&D and the embarrassment thinking about it creates.
Pretty much my thoughts on the subject. I have plenty of "more socially acceptable" things I like to do so I can always talk about those but I don't go out of my way to hide that I like little toy soldiers or reading science fiction and fantasy.
I'm another who doesn't particularly enjoy playing in GW stores because of the clientele. They're stinky and weird. Plus, whenever I go into a GW they always assume I'm lost or in there to buy a gift - the staff use their 'talking to civilians' voice at me. I think it's probably because I don't look like someone who would be into gaming, whatever that is...
Anyhow, I'm not ashamed of my hobby as such. I tend to be pretty open about it, with a couple of notable exceptions:
- My missus is not aware of exactly how much I spend on WH40K, otherwise she'd kill me.
- I don't usually hide my hobby, even at my place of work, but at my new job one of the senior dudes made a slightly disparaging comment about 'Warhammer geeks', so I reckon I'll probably keep it to myself just for the sake of getting on.
Albatross wrote:I'm another who doesn't particularly enjoy playing in GW stores because of the clientele. They're stinky and weird. Plus, whenever I go into a GW they always assume I'm lost or in there to buy a gift - the staff use their 'talking to civilians' voice at me. I think it's probably because I don't look like someone who would be into gaming, whatever that is...
Anyhow, I'm not ashamed of my hobby as such. I tend to be pretty open about it, with a couple of notable exceptions:
- My missus is not aware of exactly how much I spend on WH40K, otherwise she'd kill me.
- I don't usually hide my hobby, even at my place of work, but at my new job one of the senior dudes made a slightly disparaging comment about 'Warhammer geeks', so I reckon I'll probably keep it to myself just for the sake of getting on.
This about somes me up as well except the last point, I am lucky to work with other hobbyists so my situation is slightly different.
I'm 29 now, and my mother and grandparents refer to the hobby as my Lil Action Figures. Most women I date are actually amazing with the level of detail that has to be put into each model. There have been a few that like to poke fun, but never anything serious or detrimental.
I'm not your "Avg" 40k player I suppose, but than again that's trying to assume there's a normal which is a fallacy to start.
If you like something stand up for it, If you love something never back down from it. If you hate something, smash it ... lol
There is a marked difference between not being ashamed of your hobby and being obnoxious about your hobby. You see, I recently started playing warhammer40k again, and everyone who's close to me knows I play it. However, I would never bring it up in a conversation unless the conversation called for it.
This is not because I'm ashamed of playing it, it's out of consideration for people who simply might have no interest in it. If asked, I will explain the hobby.
I guess the best example of how I treat the hobby is how it's written in my interests section on my CV
Music
Reading
Sports
Video Gaming
Board and Card Gaming
Normally, employers don't really ask too much about this section, but I admit I put greater emphasis in the fact I used to play in a local pub-rock band, and that I religiously watch the NFL. That's the go-to topic when it comes to my interests
I do however mention that I play Starcraft, Poker, Warhammer, Risk and other games if asked specifically about it. I don't keep warhammer out of it.
Im not ashamed at all about my hobby and all of my friends are cool with me being a self proclaimed nerd. That being said, im in my early 20's and often attempt to bring woman home after a night at the pub or simply a social encounter gone right. I usually have no plans on dating these woman( not that i am a womanizing pimp or anything i simply dont have time to devote to them) and usually the feeling is mutual but when we finnaly get to my pad i regrettfully have forgot to pack up and stash away all of my WIP models and modeling supplies. This usually consists of a dedicated desk area in my room that is always a bit of a mess with hobby goodness. The looks and awkward questions i usually receive are.....less than ideal.....now of course i wouldnt date these judgmental woman but thats not really my plan. One day il meet the right girl who i feel comfortable admiting my full blown hyper nerd tendencies but i feel if im ever to enjoy my young years of being single i must hide all GW related things when the ladies are in house....
Just my personal experiances and feelings, the day i meet a female that accepts me for who i am and maybe even engages in nerdness of her own AND (this one is important) is attractive i will be content. Untill then, in the closet, desk, cabinet go all the models when opposite sex company is present......yes i know how this sounds but i feel many can relate because us tabletop gamers ARE normal intelligent people with social lives.
Automatically Appended Next Post: keyword "attempt" to bring home woman, when the stars align it works out hahahaha
filbert wrote:I used to be what you would call a closet gamer in my youth but that's because when I was a kid/early teen, there was an awful lot of social stigma attached to wargaming and GW in particular, more so than nowadays I think. It didn't help I went to a very sports orientated school and if you weren't in that clique, you were already an outsider.
At uni, it was much more easy to fall into the relevant social circles - there is such a divergance of people and tastes there, that you naturally gravitate to friends who share common interests.
As an adult, and particularly as I approached my 30's, I find myself not really giving a toss what other people think. But then again, my hobbies rarely crop up in conversation anyway and I don't really wear my nerd credentials on my sleeve anyway.
I think it is probably easier for kids these days than it used to be; although there is still a distressing amount of stigma attached to wargaming, the fact that 40K has started piercing the mainstream of console gaming is helping the situation.
yeah this is VERY true-although the console games are helping...
filbert wrote:
Monster Rain wrote:I'm ashamed of some of the people that are associated with the hobby, when they smell like a gorilla's taint and plainly haven't washed any of their clothes or their greasy, unkempt hair for an extended period of time, but I proudly proclaim that I play Space Barbies to all and sundry.
Definitely this. It's one of the many reasons I avoid GW stores - tainted by association!
never encounterd this kind of player before.
Albatross wrote:I'm another who doesn't particularly enjoy playing in GW stores because of the clientele. They're stinky and weird. Plus, whenever I go into a GW they always assume I'm lost or in there to buy a gift - the staff use their 'talking to civilians' voice at me. I think it's probably because I don't look like someone who would be into gaming, whatever that is...
Anyhow, I'm not ashamed of my hobby as such. I tend to be pretty open about it, with a couple of notable exceptions:
- My missus is not aware of exactly how much I spend on WH40K, otherwise she'd kill me.
- I don't usually hide my hobby, even at my place of work, but at my new job one of the senior dudes made a slightly disparaging comment about 'Warhammer geeks', so I reckon I'll probably keep it to myself just for the sake of getting on.
The question is, why do some of us feel this way? Why do we deny what we obviously enjoy doing? Is it because deep down inside we realise on some level that we are doing is "wrong"......oh I'm not talking kiddy fiddler "wrong", but maybe "sitting in your basement watching porn" wrong?
I hide it because the playerbase is shameful. I don't want to be directly linked to it outside of the hobby itself. I don't want that connection harming my other pursuits.
I am a leader. I specialize in taking dysfunctional teams, and making them work. When I first introduce myself to these teams I say the following:
There are three things you need to know about me, and not much else matters at this point:
1. I am a stereotypical geek/nerd/dork/whatever you want to call me.
2. I have very high expectations of all of you and as adults, I expect you to live up to them.
3. You will NOT like me.
Typically, they are more concerned about 2 and 3 at that point and completely forget about point 1.
I must admit I'm not running about screaming I'm in the hobby, but if folks ask me what I am doing this weekend I'll tell them without a thought.
I also wear a lot of gamer wear. I do get some odd looks wearing my Imperial ones though. I sometimes think there are a couple of folks in the village who think my Tanith T-shirts are some sort of 'Nazi' affiliated thing from the looks I get. Not that such things bother me mind, thats their problem, not mine.
Being open about my gaming introduced me to a fella in the village I play with several times a year. It also helped a lad get hired for my family buisness because he put it on his application form. Had a choice between him and a couple of others, and we went for the wargamer, partially as I noted it was somebody I would be happy to work with.
I'd also probably agree LARP is harder to explain, but I have no shame there either. Just sadly not had a chance to go in ages now, think my last event was 2001. Sad really.
The question is, why do some of us feel this way? Why do we deny what we obviously enjoy doing? Is it because deep down inside we realise on some level that we are doing is "wrong"......oh I'm not talking kiddy fiddler "wrong", but maybe "sitting in your basement watching porn" wrong?
I hide it because the playerbase is shameful. I don't want to be directly linked to it outside of the hobby itself. I don't want that connection harming my other pursuits.
Yep, same here. The wargamer stereotypes are incredibly off-putting. I firmly believe that there's an underground movement of secret wargamers that keep their identity firmly under wraps by not spending more than 10 mins in a GW at any one time. I've met some of them - they're just like normal blokes you'd see down the football. Our very own notprop and mattyrm (and, dare I say it, yours truly) are good examples of this type of gamer.
I have much more... interesting things to hide than playing with toy soldiers. I think that it's more an issue of people not having social skills than the hobby itself.
Cannerus_The_Unbearable wrote:I have much more... interesting things to hide than playing with toy soldiers. I think that it's more an issue of people not having social skills than the hobby itself.
Judging from the stuff you're willing to share freely about yourself, I must imagine that the things you feel necessary to hide are Mythos levels of disturbing.
I don't hide painting my stuff. I joke about it self-depricatingly. Actually just took a lady friend up to see the nerd-room for the first time the other day, and she was indifferent toward it, mentioning that it reminded her of the historical WW2 stuff she used to do with her dad, which I was previously unaware of.
See? The mandollies open doors. They will only shut the door for you if you let them. Treat them like a stigma and they will become one. Treat them like a sign saying "I have disposable income," and it's a different story altogether.
Dude - you have the wrong attitude. It really is amazing just how cool Warhammer 40,000 is. I mean, it is freaking awesome. You should never be ashamed of playing one of the most awesome,
engaging hobbies out there.
Not everyone that plays it is what you would call a "geek". I am a cool, normal person that plays it. Let's see:
1 - I drive a Mercedes
2 - I wear Oakley sunglasses and clothing
3 - I hold 3 different blackbelts in martial arts, and used to compete in MMA events
4 - I used to Wakeboard a lot
5 - I used to play professional level Paintball
6 - I own an Old English Bulldog
7 - I used to be a bartender, with a large clientele
8 - I have no problem with the opposite sex
9 - I believe I can get anyone excited about battling it out on the tables of the 41st millenium.
Am I still an anti-social geek?
]
Strictly tongue in cheek.
1 - I drive a Mercedes -Small Penis?
2 - I wear Oakley sunglasses and clothing - Brave man admitting to this.
3 - I hold 3 different blackbelts in martial arts, and used to compete in MMA events - Who do you hold the Black Belts for?
4 - I used to Wakeboard a lot - Well its not really advisable to do any kind of Boarding while Sleeping.
5 - I used to play professional level Paintball - Scared to Play with a real gun were we?
6 - I own an Old English Bulldog - its English, enough said.
7 - I used to be a bartender, with a large clientele - Just as well your Clientele was large (see question 1)
8 - I have no problem with the opposite sex - Ah yes but do they have a problem with you?
9 - I believe I can get anyone excited about battling it out on the tables of the 41st millenium - Yes Your Honor, i swear he got excited by me talking about wars in the 41st Millenium.
All in good humour. Thanks for being a good sport.
The question is, why do some of us feel this way? Why do we deny what we obviously enjoy doing? Is it because deep down inside we realise on some level that we are doing is "wrong"......oh I'm not talking kiddy fiddler "wrong", but maybe "sitting in your basement watching porn" wrong?
I hide it because the playerbase is shameful. I don't want to be directly linked to it outside of the hobby itself. I don't want that connection harming my other pursuits.
"the playerbase is shameful."
Not everyone that plays it is shameful dude. There are some very cool, social people that play the game.
I'm ashamed of my hobby because I spent all this money on a Chaos army...and then the 4th ed codex came out. Then, I spent several years trying to tell myself it wasn't all bad, playing different versions of the list and such, and then the new FAQ came out...
The question is, why do some of us feel this way? Why do we deny what we obviously enjoy doing? Is it because deep down inside we realise on some level that we are doing is "wrong"......oh I'm not talking kiddy fiddler "wrong", but maybe "sitting in your basement watching porn" wrong?
I hide it because the playerbase is shameful. I don't want to be directly linked to it outside of the hobby itself. I don't want that connection harming my other pursuits.
"the playerbase is shameful."
Not everyone that plays it is shameful dude. There are some very cool, social people that play the game.
And those are the ones I will socialize with in more then a cursory fashion. I've been in this hobby long enough to know that that's not the majority, and often times those people will themselves hide their connection to these games (though not as much as I would like).
whitedragon wrote:I'm ashamed of my hobby because I spent all this money on a Chaos army...and then the 4th ed codex came out. Then, I spent several years trying to tell myself it wasn't all bad, playing different versions of the list and such, and then the new FAQ came out...
:(
So you bought an overpowered army, used lash when it was overpowered in fourth, and now that the codex is long in the tooth and an almost negligible FAQ comes out after lash had already been severely hampered by the mech meta for years you're suddenly ashamed. You missed the shame boat by years on that one.
whitedragon wrote:I'm ashamed of my hobby because I spent all this money on a Chaos army...and then the 4th ed codex came out. Then, I spent several years trying to tell myself it wasn't all bad, playing different versions of the list and such, and then the new FAQ came out...
:(
Heh.
- "Hey man, you want to play some 40k?"
- "Yeah, sure, why not. Hey what's in that shoebox?"
- "Uh, nothing! It's nothing. Gimme!"
- "Is that a Defilier? You play Chaos Marines!?"
- "Sniff... Don't look at me! Stop judging me! Get out!"
Automatically Appended Next Post:
ShumaGorath wrote:
I've been in this hobby long enough to know that that's not the majority, and often times those people will themselves hide their connection to these games (though not as much as I would like).
Your disdain for the fact that they don't repress things they enjoy is kind of depressing. You must be quite popular at your local coffee shop reading that obscure secondhand novel.
what gets me is when Im just casually chatin bout it with my other 40k friends and they start speaking VERY LOUDLY ABOUT THE HOBBY AND WHY IT IS GOOD and every one starts snickering at us.
Eh, I think that, like most things geeky, it only comes off as really super Geeky to others if you try really hard to get them to see how 'cool' it really is by explaining it a bunch and leaping at every chance you get to mention it.
I someone asks you about your toy soldiers, I've found they're far less likely to ridicule you if you shrug your shoulders and agree "Yup, toy soldiers." without trying to convince them of the hobby's validity.
40k talk bores plenty of people, just like plenty of people are bored by talking about sports or cars or reality TV.
kshaw2000 wrote:what gets me is when Im just casually chatin bout it with my other 40k friends and they start speaking VERY LOUDLY ABOUT THE HOBBY AND WHY IT IS GOOD and every one starts snickering at us.
they never learn, my friends...
Hahahahah i can relate to that one. After our usual game day at the FLGS we head on down to one of the pubs nearby for some drinks.....well 9/10 times of course the whole time we talk about how the games went and other assorted 40k lunacy.....the looks we get.....people avoid our table like the plauge and assume were some kind of satanic club with all our mention to chaos, demons, slaughter etc.... We are all loud people to begin with but a couple drinks in and we are shouting about how " The commisar that battled one on one with the blood thirster and lived 3 turns" or " the large blast that killed the whole squad of MEQs"...etc basically everyone in the pub thinks were talking in tongues..... needless to say i DO NOT go to those pubs when im on the hunt for ladies, in fact, i tend to go to a whole different town just in case
I am profusely proud of who I am and what I do, and I take great pride in my modeling and gaming enjoyment.
so having said that I have to share this story.
when I was a red Shirt, we had a kid come in, visibly shaking, asking to return a blister he had purchased, a pot of paint and a brush. behind him we saw a group of his "friends" teasing him relentlessly, and throwing insults at me and my fellow co-workers.
now, we're used to having insults thrown at us, and i'm a big guy literally, so it didn't phase me. but this poor kid was on the verge of tears.
its about the most depressing moment I had there. felt really bad for the kid. even went against store policy for returns and gave him a refund.
moral of the story, be proud of who you are what what you do folks, it IS what defines you!
Panzerboy26 wrote:Eh, I think that, like most things geeky, it only comes off as really super Geeky to others if you try really hard to get them to see how 'cool' it really is by explaining it a bunch and leaping at every chance you get to mention it.
I someone asks you about your toy soldiers, I've found they're far less likely to ridicule you if you shrug your shoulders and agree "Yup, toy soldiers." without trying to convince them of the hobby's validity.
40k talk bores plenty of people, just like plenty of people are bored by talking about sports or cars or reality TV.
Gotta agree with this x100. I'm proud of my wargaming, and when some one gives me crap about it, I'll admit i get more defensive than I likely need to be (cause I can get away with it), but this is, by and large, the best attitude to have.
Cannerus_The_Unbearable wrote:I have much more... interesting things to hide than playing with toy soldiers. I think that it's more an issue of people not having social skills than the hobby itself.
I'd be perfectly willing to pit your dark secrets up against the crap I admit to loudly in public
Panzerboy26 wrote:Eh, I think that, like most things geeky, it only comes off as really super Geeky to others if you try really hard to get them to see how 'cool' it really is by explaining it a bunch and leaping at every chance you get to mention it.
I someone asks you about your toy soldiers, I've found they're far less likely to ridicule you if you shrug your shoulders and agree "Yup, toy soldiers." without trying to convince them of the hobby's validity.
40k talk bores plenty of people, just like plenty of people are bored by talking about sports or cars or reality TV.
Gotta agree with this x100. I'm proud of my wargaming, and when some one gives me crap about it, I'll admit i get more defensive than I likely need to be (cause I can get away with it), but this is, by and large, the best attitude to have.
well c'mon, lets be real here, they ARE in fact toy soldiers. that doesn't take away from anything as far as I am concerned.
To be honest, I do feel a bit odd. Before I started college last semester, I only did minimal amounts of D&D and liked to Role Play with good old pen and paper. Now I am building an army and actually painting miniatures? Not to mention all the other geeky/nerdy stuff I have been getting into as of late. To add to this, I seem to be the only girl in my group who is not just sticking to MTG, video games, and Anime. To be honest, I know the guys in the group love it but I feel this is just one more thing that makes me feel like my fellow women are foreign to me.
Other than that, I am rather proud of my new hobby. I am creating instead of staring at a TV with a 360 controller in my hands. I still do that on occasion (I can't wait to get Mass Effect 3), but I feel more productive and relaxed.
MythicalGerEllie wrote:To be honest, I do feel a bit odd. Before I started college last semester, I only did minimal amounts of D&D and liked to Role Play with good old pen and paper. Now I am building an army and actually painting miniatures? Not to mention all the other geeky/nerdy stuff I have been getting into as of late. To add to this, I seem to be the only girl in my group who is not just sticking to MTG, video games, and Anime. To be honest, I know the guys in the group love it but I feel this is just one more thing that makes me feel like my fellow women are foreign to me.
Other than that, I am rather proud of my new hobby. I am creating instead of staring at a TV with a 360 controller in my hands. I still do that on occasion (I can't wait to get Mass Effect 3), but I feel more productive and relaxed.
you are most definitely in the minority that is for certain.
Cannerus_The_Unbearable wrote:I have much more... interesting things to hide than playing with toy soldiers. I think that it's more an issue of people not having social skills than the hobby itself.
I'd be perfectly willing to pit your dark secrets up against the crap I admit to loudly in public
MythicalGerEllie wrote:
To be honest, I do feel a bit odd. Before I started college last semester, I only did minimal amounts of D&D and liked to Role Play with good old pen and paper. Now I am building an army and actually painting miniatures? Not to mention all the other geeky/nerdy stuff I have been getting into as of late. To add to this, I seem to be the only girl in my group who is not just sticking to MTG, video games, and Anime. To be honest, I know the guys in the group love it but I feel this is just one more thing that makes me feel like my fellow women are foreign to me.
Other than that, I am rather proud of my new hobby. I am creating instead of staring at a TV with a 360 controller in my hands. I still do that on occasion (I can't wait to get Mass Effect 3), but I feel more productive and relaxed.
you are most definitely in the minority that is for certain.
Yay for being the minority of a minority!
Rimmy wrote:
I literally start conversations about wargaming.
I am profusely proud of who I am and what I do, and I take great pride in my modeling and gaming enjoyment.
so having said that I have to share this story.
when I was a red Shirt, we had a kid come in, visibly shaking, asking to return a blister he had purchased, a pot of paint and a brush. behind him we saw a group of his "friends" teasing him relentlessly, and throwing insults at me and my fellow co-workers.
now, we're used to having insults thrown at us, and i'm a big guy literally, so it didn't phase me. but this poor kid was on the verge of tears.
its about the most depressing moment I had there. felt really bad for the kid. even went against store policy for returns and gave him a refund.
moral of the story, be proud of who you are what what you do folks, it IS what defines you!
I admire your enthusiasm for what you do. I hope to get to this level of comfort in due time.
Ok I'm not ashamed of my gaming, but I recognize that non-gamers are not interested so I don't bring it up. Also I recognize it is kind of dorky this doesn't upset me because I know I have enough going for me that I can admit I like to play with a bunch of "robots" as my wie calls them. When asked to explain it I say it's a strategy game that also lets me be a bit creative which I like.
Cannerus_The_Unbearable wrote:I have much more... interesting things to hide than playing with toy soldiers. I think that it's more an issue of people not having social skills than the hobby itself.
I'd be perfectly willing to pit your dark secrets up against the crap I admit to loudly in public
Do I smell a challenge? You know not what you say
I believe at this point the forum would begin to melt or at least implode...
The question is, why do some of us feel this way? Why do we deny what we obviously enjoy doing? Is it because deep down inside we realise on some level that we are doing is "wrong"......oh I'm not talking kiddy fiddler "wrong", but maybe "sitting in your basement watching porn" wrong?
I hide it because the playerbase is shameful. I don't want to be directly linked to it outside of the hobby itself. I don't want that connection harming my other pursuits.
Yep, same here. The wargamer stereotypes are incredibly off-putting. I firmly believe that there's an underground movement of secret wargamers that keep their identity firmly under wraps by not spending more than 10 mins in a GW at any one time. I've met some of them - they're just like normal blokes you'd see down the football. Our very own notprop and mattyrm (and, dare I say it, yours truly) are good examples of this type of gamer.
Woohoo! Is it sad that being name checked as normal has made my day and it's not even 9am!
Sorry Alb I think you might be "out", it's the way you skip about swinging your manbag (army case).
[with added masculine piss taking to prove normalality!]
I do sort of disagree with the main point made by Shuma, most of the gamers I have met (read Dakkanauts) are perfectly normal run of the mill fellers., but the is definitely a minority whom congregate at FLGs that can sour the image a little.
I did get an extra discount at Wayland once after chatting at length about local sport with one of the bosses, in not often we get your sort type way. Both cool and the opposite of what I was saying really.
All of my good friends are either in the 40k hobby, or aren't any more. So really, I have no shame talking about it. And if somebody makes fun of it, I have 9 other friends to back me up.
I agree with many other people above, that the only thing to be ashamed of is the price.
Cannerus_The_Unbearable wrote:I have much more... interesting things to hide than playing with toy soldiers. I think that it's more an issue of people not having social skills than the hobby itself.
I'd be perfectly willing to pit your dark secrets up against the crap I admit to loudly in public
Do I smell a challenge? You know not what you say
No one cares about either of your dirty laundry or social taboos.
Monster Rain wrote:Am I the only one amused by someone who constantly picks fights with strangers on the internet bragging about how cool and normal they are?
ha some people are fighting over being cool and normal and others are fighting over whos more depraved and weird.... wargamers seldom agree.
Monster Rain wrote:Am I the only one amused by someone who constantly picks fights with strangers on the internet bragging about how cool and normal they are?
Monster Rain wrote:Am I the only one amused by someone who constantly picks fights with strangers on the internet bragging about how cool and normal they are?
I hide this gak.
Hide that your amused, that you constantly pick fights with strangers on the internet, or that you brag about how cool and normal you are?
I'm not so much ashamed of my wargaming hobby. I have a big glass display cabinet full of minis right as you walk in the front door of my apartment. It's full of the miniatures I'm most proud of painting / owning (Bonnie Anderson from Necromunda, anyone?).
My secret hobby is collecting anime figures- in particular Asuka Langley Soryu from Neon Genesis Evangelion. I've got a rather large collection of figures of her, and they stay tucked away in my bedroom. If you're ashamed of how much you drop on GW stuff, take a look at how much a good PVC figure or fully painted resin model costs. GW is a bargain by comparison.
Etna's Vassal wrote:I'm not so much ashamed of my wargaming hobby. I have a big glass display cabinet full of minis right as you walk in the front door of my apartment. It's full of the miniatures I'm most proud of painting / owning (Bonnie Anderson from Necromunda, anyone?).
My secret hobby is collecting anime figures- in particular Asuka Langley Soryu from Neon Genesis Evangelion. I've got a rather large collection of figures of her, and they stay tucked away in my bedroom. If you're ashamed of how much you drop on GW stuff, take a look at how much a good PVC figure or fully painted resin model costs. GW is a bargain by comparison.
You sir are an inspiration! i purchased a display cabinet but havnt had the kahones to set it up and open the door to conversation about it....(see earlier posts).....one day im going to say "feth it" and set it up.
P.S i also enjoy Neon Genesis Evangelion
Horst wrote:Nobody is ever ashamed of their hobby. They are ashamed of the people they are seen with when they play.
Quoted, for, fething, truth...
My god, my girlfriend HATES my hobby, just because of everyone else. I mean, it's one thing when she sees my friends, who aren't all over the top and disgusting, but the first time I went inside my FLGS and she came in with me everybody just stared at her. Not all of them were like "Wow, she's attractive" stares, but just like, "what is she doing in here?" stares. I immediately left and apologized to her, though the damage had been done.
I guess the point is that sure, the majority of wargamers are normal people. But there's that like, 5%, who make the stereotypes real.
Horst wrote:Nobody is ever ashamed of their hobby. They are ashamed of the people they are seen with when they play.
Quoted, for, fething, truth...
My god, my girlfriend HATES my hobby, just because of everyone else. I mean, it's one thing when she sees my friends, who aren't all over the top and disgusting, but the first time I went inside my FLGS and she came in with me everybody just stared at her. Not all of them were like "Wow, she's attractive" stares, but just like, "what is she doing in here?" stares. I immediately left and apologized to her, though the damage had been done.
I guess the point is that sure, the majority of wargamers are normal people. But there's that like, 5%, who make the stereotypes real.
hahahahahaha this is the OMFG A GIRL!!!! syndrome.....happens quite alot at my FLGS because its also a comic store and quite a few girls come through to catch up on their favorite series...
Automatically Appended Next Post: one attractive girl plays MTG on a regular basis and almost every single regualr in the store pines after her and sucks up to her! its funny watching "nerds" in their natural habitat hit on woman....
Automatically Appended Next Post: you get things like " sure i have a few extra black lotuses for you!" or "Wow i never thought of THAT strategy, your so good at this!" -suck ups....
And the funniest thing is that like, some of it isn't even like, nerds hitting on chicks, it's just like a "what do I do?" situation. I mean, I've seen some girl just walk into a store to play a game, and everybody's just like, "Well, there's no way in hell she's in here to play..." and so she just left, since no one could man up and ask her what she was doing. Hell, even the GW staffer left her alone, quite the surprise there.
And the funniest thing is that like, some of it isn't even like, nerds hitting on chicks, it's just like a "what do I do?" situation. I mean, I've seen some girl just walk into a store to play a game, and everybody's just like, "Well, there's no way in hell she's in here to play..." and so she just left, since no one could man up and ask her what she was doing. Hell, even the GW staffer left her alone, quite the surprise there.
0.o hahahahahaaa no trying to push glue and paint from his behalf....
Maybe you should start out slow? Start buy wearing that I play with Toy soldiers T-Shirt.
Go out with some friends to a bar. All sit down at one table with your Codexies and paint tables. Order tons of booze and paint and B/S about your hobby.
If anyone asks just start talking about your thing like you would your friends!
If they make fun than say...oh yeah! well you know what?
I make a living selling these toy soldiers! That's right I am a business owner "Basically pretend to own the local gamestore wherever it may be" So..lets review! You work in a mill or some kinda of factory doing what your told and I own my own business and am my own man with no one to complain to me but myself!
Field Gen wrote:Maybe you should start out slow? Start buy wearing that I play with Toy soldiers T-Shirt.
Go out with some friends to a bar. All sit down at one table with your Codexies and paint tables. Order tons of booze and paint and B/S about your hobby.
If anyone asks just start talking about your thing like you would your friends!
If they make fun than say...oh yeah! well you know what?
I make a living selling these toy soldiers! That's right I am a business owner "Basically pretend to own the local gamestore wherever it may be" So..lets review! You work in a mill or some kinda of factory doing what your told and I own my own business and am my own man with no one to complain to me but myself!
While your heart is in the right place and i see where your coming from. In New England you would most likely get your head pounded in if you sat at a table painting models, the townies wouldnt "take kindly" to making them feel uncomfortable in their comfort zone(a.k.a the bar) If they didnt start a fight with you, most likely the comments they would be snikering would start one. There is one bar that is "safe for full blown "geeking" out, its right next to my FLGS and hosts the annual christmas party+MTG tournaments.......me im more for avoiding confrontation if i can so il just stick to the Tee shirt idea ha.
There was a New York Times article about Games Workshop several years ago that was very insightful and well written. One of the salient points of the article, was that in general men are much more inclined to participate in social activities that are focused on an impersonal activity rather than the 'getting to know you' style of socializing that appeals more to women. In other words when playing 40k, a pickup game of basketball, or playing poker, men enjoy being able to socialize without the obligation to necessarily befriend or even like those with whom they are playing with. You get the benefits of human interaction (fun, creativity, challenges) without the emotional baggage of needing to be a friend.
I think there is a lot of validity to that perspective. Although I do have many good friends that play 40k, they are all people that I met while playing 40k rather than non-gamers that I introduced to the game. Most of the socializing I do with them is related to gaming, and in my experience they often don't really mix well with my non-gamer friends. The people who have been my closest friends tend not to be other 40k players, but rather school classmates, teammates, co-workers, partying buddies, and those with whom I have traveled or with whom I have shared unique experiences. In a lot of ways, they tend to be people who are different than I am, with complementary personalities. They have a funny wit, are interesting people to talk with, host killer parties, are adventurous spirits, and often have interesting careers and pastimes. Beyond that, every time one of them has expressed an interest in learning more about my miniatures hobby or playing the game, they inevitably end up grimacing their way through a short, awkward game and don't ever bring it up again.
It takes a special kind of person to enjoy tabletop wargaming, in my experience. Someone who is a sci-fi/fantasy/military history enthusiast, a bit obsessive, prone to fantasizing, and willing to devote time to complex and meticulous processes. I think we all have seen the surprise when people look at the massive quantities of models we have and say "You painted all of this?" I think this is why so many people I meet in the gaming world are IT folks or engineers. To learn to a new programming language or understand complex assemblies isn't something that most people are driven to do, but I see this trait in tons of the people that I game with. I see the sense of accomplishment that fellow gamers get from being a really good GM, or doing a killer paint job on a new creature or unit. I think that this often reflects a focus on technical mastery of discrete abilities rather than practicing more blurry interpersonal skills like being a good listener, having game, or being polite and outgoing.
I always felt like I had 40k friends and "normal" friends and I tend to keep the two worlds separate. I'll mention it to people, but people who don't play don't want to hear about it, and it does make you seem like a weirdo. I've just found that its better not to talk about it with those who aren't close friends. I enjoy the time spent around the board talking about the game and geeking out on the models and rules, but that kind of socializing isn't interesting to a lot of people, and frankly seems odd to them. So I guess that is why I keep my gaming on the DL in the grand scheme of things.
I've never had an issue with people about this. Nobody who has seen my miniatures has ever viewed it with anything other than amazement. They find it fascinating. And these are people I work with.
The big issue for me is that some of the hobbyists are not socially well adjusted individuals and tend to take their issues out on those around them or try to attract odd attention to themselves with crude manners, poor hygiene and ridiculous attire.
Dude - you have the wrong attitude. It really is amazing just how cool Warhammer 40,000 is. I mean, it is freaking awesome. You should never be ashamed of playing one of the most awesome,
engaging hobbies out there.
Not everyone that plays it is what you would call a "geek". I am a cool, normal person that plays it. Let's see:
1 - I drive a Mercedes
2 - I wear Oakley sunglasses and clothing
3 - I hold 3 different blackbelts in martial arts, and used to compete in MMA events
4 - I used to Wakeboard a lot
5 - I used to play professional level Paintball
6 - I own an Old English Bulldog
7 - I used to be a bartender, with a large clientele
8 - I have no problem with the opposite sex
9 - I believe I can get anyone excited about battling it out on the tables of the 41st millenium.
Am I still an anti-social geek?
]
Strictly tongue in cheek.
1 - I drive a Mercedes -Small Penis?
2 - I wear Oakley sunglasses and clothing - Brave man admitting to this.
3 - I hold 3 different blackbelts in martial arts, and used to compete in MMA events - Who do you hold the Black Belts for?
4 - I used to Wakeboard a lot - Well its not really advisable to do any kind of Boarding while Sleeping.
5 - I used to play professional level Paintball - Scared to Play with a real gun were we?
6 - I own an Old English Bulldog - its English, enough said.
7 - I used to be a bartender, with a large clientele - Just as well your Clientele was large (see question 1)
8 - I have no problem with the opposite sex - Ah yes but do they have a problem with you?
9 - I believe I can get anyone excited about battling it out on the tables of the 41st millenium - Yes Your Honor, i swear he got excited by me talking about wars in the 41st Millenium.
All in good humour. Thanks for being a good sport.
I run a worksite ( A program or workplace that benifits wounded soldiers to heal physical/mental wounds, and help facilitate re-introduction into civilian enviroments) For multiple combat veterans, and this entails scale modeling and wargaming.
We have been recognized by our battalion, divisional and operational command for our works and the progress this has shown for several soldiers participating in it.
We are soldiers that play with little plastic soldiers, and have no shame for what it is..its a hobby, its not who you are.
If you enjoy the hobby and it brings you joy, be proud of it, life is way to short to be obsessed with what others may or may not think of it.
After what this hobby has done for me and many of my fellow wounded warriors I will never be ashamed of it, now some of the hygiene impaired individuals we have played against at FLGS are another matter.
Cannerus_The_Unbearable wrote:I have much more... interesting things to hide than playing with toy soldiers. I think that it's more an issue of people not having social skills than the hobby itself.
sounds like a softer core version of me and my girlfreind hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha LOL
yeah this is a challenge
Automatically Appended Next Post: as a note i find that most of my college freinds are actualy really interested in the paintjobs i do on my minatures-i get comments of cool and look what -----s painted. people really are amazed by them.
Not really ashamed of my hobby. Its a lot less "nerdy" then say if I were to be playing a children's card game like Pokemon or Yugioh which seems to be mostly played by guys 14 and up for some odd reason. War gaming is no different then playing video games. I don't really talk about it or bring it up unless it comes up naturally in conversation. The thing a lot of people seem to have not mentioned is the fact that this game is awesome when you are high.
It's the 10% of gamers that make me roll my eyes and not want to associate with them. I'm 42, don't have gamer physique, and I smell pretty good. My local game group is an interesting cross-section of people, and I don't mind associating with many of them. There's a couple, though, that I wouldn't want to associate with socially, partially because they're the stereotypical 'gamer' who have difficulty talking about anything but game, don't wash regularly, etc. Unless I make a large effort, those gamers will make a much larger impression on someone who drops by to see what's going on at a Warhammer table.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Soo'Vah'Cha wrote:I run a worksite ( A program or workplace that benifits wounded soldiers to heal physical/mental wounds, and help facilitate re-introduction into civilian enviroments) For multiple combat veterans, and this entails scale modeling and wargaming.
We have been recognized by our battalion, divisional and operational command for our works and the progress this has shown for several soldiers participating in it.
We are soldiers that play with little plastic soldiers, and have no shame for what it is..its a hobby, its not who you are.
If you enjoy the hobby and it brings you joy, be proud of it, life is way to short to be obsessed with what others may or may not think of it.
After what this hobby has done for me and many of my fellow wounded warriors I will never be ashamed of it, now some of the hygiene impaired individuals we have played against at FLGS are another matter.
ShumaGorath wrote:
Very few people care about either of your dirty laundry or social taboos.
Fix'd
It's annoying how wargaming and SOs combining tends to lead to drama in some capacity or another. Why can't they all just be casually indifferent, or at least actually be casually indifferent when they're pretending to?
I'm a patriotic nerd and thus, though I won't start a conversation with it, will be pretty open. If people ask what I intend to do with my evening or whatever I will happily say 'paint toy soldiers'.
My wife still curses the day we walked into Tower records 20 years ago and I bought Bloodbowl. most of my friends know about my lead habit, and all my family of course. I managed to get 4-5 of my nephews into it too. The only thing I find embarassing is the inevitable day when my wife does actually find out how many figures I have in my loft. My house will probably end up like the drop zones of Istvaan IV!
Etna's Vassal wrote:
My secret hobby is collecting anime figures- in particular Asuka Langley Soryu from Neon Genesis Evangelion. I've got a rather large collection of figures of her, and they stay tucked away in my bedroom. If you're ashamed of how much you drop on GW stuff, take a look at how much a good PVC figure or fully painted resin model costs. GW is a bargain by comparison.
So, in keeping with the theme of the thread, why is the secret hobby you have, a secret hobby? What makes you want to hide them away in your bedroom rather then display them in plain view?
Maybe you think the people that play your games are embarassing because you're projecting? Either way it's a lame excuse.
If hobbyists and gamers quit acting like there is something to be ashamed of, and be out and proud and in peoples face about it, maybe gamer funk would disappear.
Why try being social/presentable when you're stuck with the idea that you're a social pariah because you paint minis instead of super charge asian super compact cars or whatever it is normies do? As soon as someone can explain to me why 40k is more embarassing or silly than baseball, in a way that doesn't evoke "Well that's just the way it is" I'll reconsider. Meanwhile, acting embarassed doesn't help make it less embarassing. Acting like there is nothing to be ashamed of will though.
Sooner gamers stop acting like they need to hide something the sooner we can give up on this stupid topic.
I think another reason people are ashamed is because it is not well known. you are at a different place outside of the public view. Not like when some says "Basketball" as a hobby or interest. Everyone knows it. But whe you say "TableTop BoardGames" people think "Boardgames, He must be some grown up kid." They dont know what it is so it is seen as strange.
Im also im ashamed of TFG, So much i have put energy not to lok like him, I had a game today and i took a shower and made my hair all nice so i don't look weird.
Soo'Vah'Cha wrote:I run a worksite ( A program or workplace that benifits wounded soldiers to heal physical/mental wounds, and help facilitate re-introduction into civilian enviroments) For multiple combat veterans, and this entails scale modeling and wargaming.
We have been recognized by our battalion, divisional and operational command for our works and the progress this has shown for several soldiers participating in it.
We are soldiers that play with little plastic soldiers, and have no shame for what it is..its a hobby, its not who you are.
If you enjoy the hobby and it brings you joy, be proud of it, life is way to short to be obsessed with what others may or may not think of it.
After what this hobby has done for me and many of my fellow wounded warriors I will never be ashamed of it, now some of the hygiene impaired individuals we have played against at FLGS are another matter.
I can see why you might get some soldiers who might not other wise play to join in during the winters up there lol( assuming you still in Alaska). When people don't have access to their normal avenues of self amusement they're more likely to try new things once the boredom sets in, and every now again the new hobby will stick.
I had some luck getting several people into roleplaying back in my first tour in Iraq, when things were still a bit primitive on most FOBs, and it was so damn disorganized it could be days between real missions (convoy escorts in my case). No reliable power for video games or movies, but dice and books always work
My ex-girlfriend used to give me a hard time about playing/painting this, one of the reasons why she's now an ex. My new girlfriend has no interest in getting into Warhammer but she's really nice about it, telling me how much she likes my painting [probably because they're pink and despite being 23 she's massively into Hello Kitty], and she even picks me up White Dwarf from the local GW on her way back from the gym [although yes, she does complain about the troll like person that works there]. When I tell colleagues/my students/friends they normally take the piss for a while before losing interest and moving on to another topic.
Lots of people spend their weekends sitting in front of a TV eating and watching a televised pub karaoke compeition [X Factor] or watching other people sitting around eating [Big Brother]. To me that's embarrassing and a huge waste of time. My hobby is creative, requires intelligence, numeracy and literacy skills, patience and dedication. I love it and I'm proud of it and I'm happy to bend anyone's ear telling them about it.
Etna's Vassal wrote:
My secret hobby is collecting anime figures- in particular Asuka Langley Soryu from Neon Genesis Evangelion. I've got a rather large collection of figures of her, and they stay tucked away in my bedroom. If you're ashamed of how much you drop on GW stuff, take a look at how much a good PVC figure or fully painted resin model costs. GW is a bargain by comparison.
So, in keeping with the theme of the thread, why is the secret hobby you have, a secret hobby? What makes you want to hide them away in your bedroom rather then display them in plain view?
Probably ought to have made that clear, eh?
Money, plain and simple. I spend a ton of it on these figures, and it's kind of embarrassing.
That, plus being kind of obsessed over a cartoon character. When I say I have a lot of Asuka stuff, I mean it. For example, I have at several figures of her in her plug suit, I have a figure of her dressed as a ninja, a witch, a monkey, a kitty cat, and a soldier. I have her and Rei Ayanami dressed as a fantasy warrior and mage respectively. I have her in the yellow dress she first appears in the series in. I have her in a china dress, an evening gown, and her school uniform. The only figures I don't have are of her in various stages of undress. They're perverted.
In fact, when I registered on Dakka, I was torn between my other obsession (Disgaea) and a reference to Asuka. I decided the more obscure character, and a reference to a throw away joke pretty close to the beginning of the game (Laharl saying "Etna's vassals are my vassals" in response to a prinny complaining about having to work for him) worked better. I know, my mind is kind of a weird labyrinth. In fact, the reason I don't have a ton of Etna stuff is because figures of her are even more expensive than figures of Asuka!
Any way, I've gotten off track. My secret shame is an obsession with a girl who doesn't even exist.
Clearly the hobby should be something for us to be ashamed of: I was spraypainting some Grey Knights outside of my Halls of Residence today, right by the side of the building to escape the wind, and I had two ping pong balls and three bottle caps thrown at me from the windows...
Henners91 wrote:Clearly the hobby should be something for us to be ashamed of: I was spraypainting some Grey Knights outside of my Halls of Residence today, right by the side of the building to escape the wind, and I had two ping pong balls and three bottle caps thrown at me from the windows...
Bahhh us "nerds" are very accepting of others hobbies and personal likes. Its unfair that we dont get the same in return.... at my school, all of us nerds "talk shop" in our area of the student center we have taken over. We have to segregate ourselves to avoid persecution by pretty much everyone else....at least once a day someone gets lost and ends up in our area, they look scared and confused when they sit down for longer than 5 mins...
Well, in my younger years I would never have admitted to this. However, nowadays when it comes up, I don't even flinch. To be honest, when I describe it, I speak confidently and matter of factly about what it is. Most guys are like "Wow, that does sound pretty cool." Most girls are like "Oh, well if you enjoy it then that's cool."
And, to be perfectly honest, on the scale of things I need to be embarrased about in my life, this doesn't even make the top 5.
In the least snobby way possible I think most people who take the piss out of warhammer in a mean, not light-hearted, way are normally pretty stupid and have their own problems that are a lot more embarassing than playing warhammer.
But as many other people have said I wouldn't bring it up in conversation unless I thought the other person played/collected aswell. But it's the same with other things, I play guitar and bass but I don't bring it up in conversation all the time because most people couldn't care less what I do in my spare time and would be bored to death telling them about the 3-band EQ Musicman Stingray I managed to get for a bargain price online, around half price, there was only one little dent in the headstock which I popped out using wet tissue and a soldering iron. Some people don't like the pre-amp in it but I can get that classic stingray sound I want out of it and......see you are bored allready arn't you lol.
And my girlfriend, who I've been living with for about 2 years now is fine with whatever hobby I take up, geeky or otherwise, so long as it makes me happy.
My hobbies are not something that I am embarrassed about period.
I am in an "MI" unit in the army, which means that around 60% of the people in the unit are WoW gamers, which on a nerd scale and social aspects of life, I am a completely normal guy (actually many people are seriously surprised that I am "so nerdy" by playing warhammer, etc.)
At work however, there are some things in my personal life that I am completely 100% cool with bringing up myself, and others not. I will gladly talk about cigars and alcohol (its the army, so alcohol is easy an easy topic), but ironically within my unit we 40k and table top wargamers are few and far between.
For some reason, I actually catch more flak at work for my cycling hobby than I do gaming (weird aint it).. but I suppose that this should be expected when I show up first thing in the morning wearing skin tight lycra and spandex clothing
I think most people will look at you like an idiot if you admit how much your little plastic men cost...
My gf thinks it's fine if I enjoy it as 'hobbies are expensive' (her embroidery ain't cheap, probably cheaper, but not cheap) but others will pretty much up and call me a moron for paying that much.
Henners91 wrote:I think most people will look at you like an idiot if you admit how much your little plastic men cost...
My gf thinks it's fine if I enjoy it as 'hobbies are expensive' (her embroidery ain't cheap, probably cheaper, but not cheap) but others will pretty much up and call me a moron for paying that much.
I like the term 'plastic crack'.
This is why, amongst all of my hobbies I rarely bring up cost, unless its specifically a question... Particularly where my bicycles are concerned. This is also why my wife cringes anytime I mention wanting to look at a new activity that could be construed as a hobby.
Milisim wrote:I dont hate the stigma of playing tabletop games..... I just find it hard to defend them when someone actually goes into the store and see all these black t shirt wearing, long haired, zitty face kids hooting and hollering over there 3 cm plastic toy =]
Whoa, whoa, whoa. I don't like what you're insinuating about black T-shirts. They're as stylish as I'm ever going to get, look reasonably smart with jeans and are as comfy as rolling in a marshmallow waterfall.
OT: Yep, I'm paralytically embarrassed about my hobby, but then as a hopeless person fearful of any kind of connection with another breathing cattle person, I'm paralytically embarrassed about everything.
Its funny. When i got into the hobby i had no shame. I would read codexes and rule books during study class and english class.
Yet now i feel weird reading them in the school cafeteria in college.
Maybe its because im supposed to be taking eeverything seriously
hotsuace, how old are you? I think there is a period everyone goes through at some point where they start worrying more thane ver about what people think, what they should be doing with their life and wanting to "grow up". I am thankfully over that for the most part now and you will too. If it makes you happy then do it! There is a really good quote by C.S.Lewis but I have seen it posted loads on this forum allready so no doubt you've allready seen it.
And most peoples hobbies are expensive, at least if they take it seriously and dedicate a lot of time to it. No one likes being told what they do for fun is stupid and a rip off.
ReturningPlayer wrote:hotsuace, how old are you? I think there is a period everyone goes through at some point where they start worrying more thane ver about what people think, what they should be doing with their life and wanting to "grow up". I am thankfully over that for the most part now and you will too. If it makes you happy then do it! There is a really good quote by C.S.Lewis but I have seen it posted loads on this forum allready so no doubt you've allready seen it.
And most peoples hobbies are expensive, at least if they take it seriously and dedicate a lot of time to it. No one likes being told what they do for fun is stupid and a rip off.
Im 19. when i did that i was in high school. Here is the thing. I dont care about other things. I was going to get an MLP messenger bag for class but they run out. I normally dont care.
However warhammer is viewed as "super-geeky" even by other people with what are considered geeky hobbies like PC gaming, for no good reason of course. Maybe you are subcounsciously aware of that?
Tbh I don't know what I'm on about and this is all pop-psychology crap lol.
meh. its super geeky. I admit that. but I have fun with it. and that's really the point.
Whats hard for people to accept is the indignance of some gamers to shove acceptance down peoples throats (same can be said for a number of things.
I don't shove acceptnance down anyones throat. I play, i'm proud of my pieces, I enjoy the game, and I invite others to play with us. if they do they do if they don't they don't. no real sense in trying to prove anything one way or another.
its a game. like any other hobby, its all subjective.
I personally think people who spend money on cars and motorcycles for show and don't drive them spend thousands of dollars on crap that means exactly dick..... coming from a man who spends thousands of dollars on little plastic figurines. see? all relative.
no place to judge, no real reason to be ashamed OR overly aggressive about it.
I used to play Magic the Gathering exclusively as my non-digital hobby then moved on to Warhammer because the crowd was pretty much all the Magic players that weren't hardcore mouthbreathers and a bunch of normal dudes with families, etc. My gf knows I play and enjoys looking at the paint jobs, but she's also a nerd, so it's not like she can really give me crap for it, lol.
yamgrenade wrote:If you think about it it's not as nerdy as video games.
You actually socialize.
You invest in something tangible and artistic.
You actually create something.
And you actually THINK as you play it.
^ I agree 100%
Since i started war gaming and modelling i cant stand playing MMORPG's. i used to waste hours of my time playing them and getting nothing out of it......now i create peices of art to display in games of epic strategy. Video games are a waste of time, i still play a select few but they arnt nearly as rewarding as finishing an epic model.
Why the need to diminish video games exactly ? I've seen that pop up a few times in this thread and I can't seem to infer anything good from it.
yamgrenade wrote:You actually socialize.
And you actually THINK as you play it.
That's the same way I feel toward TV when playing video games. As for creativity, the Minecraft crowd might have something to say...
And lonedrow's post confirms my fears. I really want to be caustic and insert a satirical line here, but I'll just say there are much less petty ways to argue in favour of modelling.
@OP, if you're ashamed there is a problem and you might want to solve it, not be defensive about it. People have mentioned a few reasons that can make you feel uncomfortable about it, and there's nothing wrong with some of them. I personally had a serious period of hesitation when I entered a GW shop for the first time in years and asked myself if I wanted to be associated with the people I saw there. I decided I didn't, and I still don't. Doesn't mean I'm not getting back at 40k, it has plenty of merit of its own and I know I could explain why it's awesome and interesting if asked.
However, if you feel you're playing a kid's game and that makes you feel awkward... Well, just find the quote that's been brought up twice in this thread and read it until your eyes hurt.
Then find me a "kid" that has the income to actually afford playing the game. There are spoiled children, but they're not the primary target.
Saying that this is a 'social' hobby is a bit much for me. I play a game twice a month at most and most of my time doing 'hobby' is spent alone at my desk painting in my room whilst the other students talk and watch telly together
@OP, if you're ashamed there is a problem and you might want to solve it, not be defensive about it. People have mentioned a few reasons that can make you feel uncomfortable about it, and there's nothing wrong with some of them. I personally had a serious period of hesitation when I entered a GW shop for the first time in years and asked myself if I wanted to be associated with the people I saw there. I decided I didn't, and I still don't. Doesn't mean I'm not getting back at 40k, it has plenty of merit of its own and I know I could explain why it's awesome and interesting if asked.
However, if you feel you're playing a kid's game and that makes you feel awkward... Well, just find the quote that's been brought up twice in this thread and read it until your eyes hurt.
Then find me a "kid" that has the income to actually afford playing the game. There are spoiled children, but they're not the primary target.
Well first up, this thread has really hit a chord with some people, positively or negatively, but it sure has got people talking.
In response to the above. Recently my gaming group disbanded. For no real reason everyone has opted to drift apart. At first I was a little dismayed by the occurance, but now to be honest I'm kinda relieved. On one level, the games of warfare were getting repetitve and meaningless, which culminates in boring, add to that the petty politics that seem to scrape beneath the surface of the hobby. On the other level, finding a new group jusst seemed impossible, unless I was willing to return to GW....now all of this has very little to do with being ashamed of the hobby, but maybe indicates to me that in order to weather the storm of abuse that seems to trail wargaming, you have to be passionate about it.....recent events have shown me that I'm not.
Sure, wargaming can be fun, so can scrabble or solitare.....difference with those games is you can pick them up and put them down as you please....wargaming is, by it's nature, more demanding than that....hence it's designation of being a hobby.
I still love miniature painting, hell thats what got me wargaming in the first place, and I've recently taken the plunge and joined a RPG group.....are any of these things more or less "geeky" than wargaming, I would imagine not but I know I have a passion for art expression (miniature painting) and RPGs are more like a night out playing poker with, I have to add, a more even split between male and females.....make of that what you will. So standing proud and admitting I'm involved with those pastimes works well for me, I guess in the same way this hobby works well for ya'll
However, feel free to continue the debate knowing full well the OP is now in a better place and is now leaving the stage
i've been collecting orks since i was 12 and a half and its my 18th birthday soon. I have roughly a thirty thousand point ork horde with only a couple unpainted even though i only play with about 3500 points.
I don't give a damn. I'm a geek. So what? Point being? Some of the local GW players here are the very same 'sports stars' that the local press and chav population idolise so very much - to the point where one of the local private school brats decided to walk by and taunt the store about being geeks that he had half the local top league rugby team catch up to him and ask him if he wanted to say that to their faces. (It was hilarious).
People come from all walks of life and to be honest people have that many different hobbies it shouldn't matter. What you see before you isn't what's there all the time. You can happily put your geek hat to one side and get on with life at other times.
I don't think gamer's help themselves with this, but society is slowly changing and maybe more indifferent to it in the future.
Just think about on this.
I'm 43 years old and quite happy to have an Xbox evening with mates as an example. There is no way that my dad would of thought of doing the equivalent thing when he was 43, nor would his dad. The closest you got would of been model railway collectors and they certainly wouldn't of behaved like 20 year old's
My generation has realised that as we get older we don't have to act our age. We have the free time and money to enjoy our hobbies.
From a brutal and shortsighted stand point I have to say that I look at a big chunk of gamer's and RPGer's and think "you really do need to get a life... it's NOT real, it's just a game, pull yourself together, you're giving gaming a bad name."
However having been around gaming for a fair amount of years, that sometimes this is the only social life that people who have socialising problems get, and if that helps them to enjoy life who am I to judge?
As for the rest of us? We should shower, wash/cut our hair, take off the band t-shirts that are much too small and show some pride 'n' quit our slouching
hotsauceman1 wrote:Im not really. Im afraid of being aasked. Because unless you are familiar with the game its really hard to explain the hobby.
Im also ashamed of how much i spend.
I'm not ashamed of my hobby, but I do try to keep the fact I play from non-wargamers which is basically 99% of the population, unless they ask what my hobby is.
I really hate the stigma that comes attached to playing miniature wargames, pc gaming and console gaming is just as geeky in my opinion. The sad thing is I have known people that have dropped out of Warhammer because of peer preassure from people and I have even seen youtube videos of people burning their Warhammer figures trying to re-gain their 'coolness'.
Henners91 wrote:Clearly the hobby should be something for us to be ashamed of: I was spraypainting some Grey Knights outside of my Halls of Residence today, right by the side of the building to escape the wind, and I had two ping pong balls and three bottle caps thrown at me from the windows...
I was embarassed untill I found the top notch kid in my school waving a defiler in my face at the FLGS. I mean he shouts piss off to teachers in school so everyone else does. I think I can recite at least 5 people who joined because he was. He even made a rap about (though I would rather keep my ears, thank you!). In fact I use the games as excuse for it (not strictly true, I had started before I knew about space marine and DOW!) so most people find it cool to let me chat (about gamesNstuff not 40K!) espicially when I tell them I have spraypaint(naturaully I do not telll them I use it to paint minis!)
I'm not ashamed of the hobby, but i don't bring it up in conversation. If it crops up, or if someone talks to me about it then i'll be happy to talk about it, but even then in front of non-modellers its limited.
I think there is a general public perception about the hobby that everyone of us know as mentioned in many of the previous posts.
One example, I play a lot of football and we were in the changing rooms after a game when someone who knew I did told the whole changing room after the "40 year old virgin" came up in conversation, and they all found it very amusing and still do now.
At school (10 years ago now) there were some people who did the whole war gaming thing, I always thought it looked cool, but school is hard enough without having that thrown back in your face, so I do it now, hiding in the cellar.
Im just glad my wife still loves me as I took up the hobby while I was with her (and she still married me last year). She actually enjoys the time on her own watching her soaps and reality tv while im painting away in the cellar.
Arm.chair.general wrote:I'm not ashamed of my hobby, but I do try to keep the fact I play from non-wargamers which is basically 99% of the population, unless they ask what my hobby is.
I really hate the stigma that comes attached to playing miniature wargames, pc gaming and console gaming is just as geeky in my opinion. The sad thing is I have known people that have dropped out of Warhammer because of peer preassure from people and I have even seen youtube videos of people burning their Warhammer figures trying to re-gain their 'coolness'.
leroy233 wrote:I'm not ashamed of the hobby, but i don't bring it up in conversation. If it crops up, or if someone talks to me about it then i'll be happy to talk about it, but even then in front of non-modellers its limited.
I think there is a general public perception about the hobby that everyone of us know as mentioned in many of the previous posts.
One example, I play a lot of football and we were in the changing rooms after a game when someone who knew I did told the whole changing room after the "40 year old virgin" came up in conversation, and they all found it very amusing and still do now.
At school (10 years ago now) there were some people who did the whole war gaming thing, I always thought it looked cool, but school is hard enough without having that thrown back in your face, so I do it now, hiding in the cellar.
Im just glad my wife still loves me as I took up the hobby while I was with her (and she still married me last year). She actually enjoys the time on her own watching her soaps and reality tv while im painting away in the cellar.
My girlfriend's been amazing with it. I confessed that I find I don't have much time for the hobby nowadays (I spend a good few evenings over hers keeping her company whilst she does her dissertation), she actually suggested that I move all my hobby stuff into her room.
Now whilst she taps away at her dissy and we have a chat, I'm sat in the corner painting on her coffee table. The past week has been rather harmonious and I've gotten a whole Stormraven done
A woman who tolerates your hobby? Pretty priceless.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Arm.chair.general wrote:I'm not ashamed of my hobby, but I do try to keep the fact I play from non-wargamers which is basically 99% of the population, unless they ask what my hobby is.
I really hate the stigma that comes attached to playing miniature wargames, pc gaming and console gaming is just as geeky in my opinion. The sad thing is I have known people that have dropped out of Warhammer because of peer preassure from people and I have even seen youtube videos of people burning their Warhammer figures trying to re-gain their 'coolness'.
When they burn unpainted stuff it doesn't phase me, since they're effectively just burning their money.
But that figure looked like some love went into it once :(
Its the obscurity that makes it weird. no one know what it is.
If you meet someone and they ask you your hobby and you say
Chess, Math and painting they may find it weird but they know what it is.
But war hammer is something you have to look for to find so no one knows what it is.
Maybe in the US, but here in the UK I'd say that you have a 50/50 chance of (men) knowing what it is...
Women tend to be more clueless I find, but I think most boys were exposed to it either directly or through friends when growing up.
Of course this is because GW is on a great many highstreets and effectively is the only physical manifestation of miniature modelling on many of them. They represent an entire hobby niche.
Honestly everyone I know either supports it or does not confront me about it. I used to go down with the other junkie punks in the park and get high so when folks mock me for wargaming I tell them that if I was high on meth right now I would probably put them in the hospital. That normally shuts them up.
One time this kid was swinging around my friends army bag (newly painted and converted ogres in it). Now my friend is the more straightlaced almost preppy gamer and this other guy was just a wanna-be jock. So he is swinging the bag over his head mocking my friend about what is inside of it. A few seconds later he is on the ground and my friend has his bag back, guess the guy did not enjoy my steeltoe to the stomach.
My point is this, we will get mocked for it but we get mocked because those who find it funny lead very dull lives and that is how they get their kicks. Their hobby is mocking mine
This used to be a problem when I was younger. I think as you get older, start a family and career you lose your shame. Do what makes you happy in your free time!
Back in school I just worried it would stop me getting laid Now I'm old and the smell of boltgun metal reminds me of high school.
n0t_u wrote:I'm sort of indifferent about it. I won't go up to everyone and start talking about it, but I won't change the subject if someone asks either. I guess the main reason people would try to hide it is the apparent social stigma that is associated with games like this and D&D and the embarrassment thinking about it creates.
This. I've never been one to immediately launch into an in depth conversation about it. But then, who does that anyway?
If people ask me what my hobbies are, I will include modelling or miniatures. If they ask me to elaborate, I'll tell them I build and paint miniature tanks for example. If I can tell they're a reasonable sort of person, I'll just flat out say "Yeah, I paint miniature toy soldiers."
I am not ashamed of my hobby. But I am fully aware of how nerdy it actually is. I would like to think I have a sense of humour about it.
NoArmorSave wrote:
Not everyone that plays it is what you would call a "geek". I am a cool, normal person that plays it. Let's see:
1 - I drive a Mercedes
2 - I wear Oakley sunglasses and clothing
3 - I hold 3 different blackbelts in martial arts, and used to compete in MMA events
4 - I used to Wakeboard a lot
5 - I used to play professional level Paintball
6 - I own an Old English Bulldog
7 - I used to be a bartender, with a large clientele
8 - I have no problem with the opposite sex
9 - I believe I can get anyone excited about battling it out on the tables of the 41st millenium.
So is everyone else on the internet...
Amen. I don't really care how "cool" people are irl, all I do know is, this hobby is nothing to be ashamed of. It's brilliant, entertaining, visually appealing, appeals to a pretty broad audience (shooty gunz and violent battles, need I say more?) - I could go on a spiel about how awesome my life is (supposedly) via the internet to further enhance my cyber-persona, about my constant orgies and escaping explosions at the perfect time (in slow motion, of course), but realistically, I'll confess - I consider myself a bit of a geek, but I'm not turned off by the notion. I have a decent social life, get good grades in school and indeed, this hobby may be viewed as nerdy. I'll talk about it with my nerd friends. I'll talk about it with my "cool" friends. They stay my friends at the end of the day, and not expressing my interests to those I want to associate with, that's just me not being genuine and I don't care for that thought at all. I like this hobby, and if people ask me about my interests, I don't care about social notions of what's "cool". I'll say what I like because it's part of who I am, and anybody who tries to "validate" or "Balance themselves out" by listing all the cool things about them despite being into the hobby is wasting their effort, as it's unnecessary, we love you anyways
Now...if you're into stuff like bukkake or Dane Cook...well, I'd have different opinions.
That being said, anybody wanna play a 2000 pt. game on VASSAL sometime? I won't judge you, promise
NoArmorSave wrote:
Not everyone that plays it is what you would call a "geek". I am a cool, normal person that plays it. Let's see:
1 - I drive a Mercedes
2 - I wear Oakley sunglasses and clothing
3 - I hold 3 different blackbelts in martial arts, and used to compete in MMA events
4 - I used to Wakeboard a lot
5 - I used to play professional level Paintball
6 - I own an Old English Bulldog
7 - I used to be a bartender, with a large clientele
8 - I have no problem with the opposite sex
9 - I believe I can get anyone excited about battling it out on the tables of the 41st millenium.
So is everyone else on the internet...
Amen. I don't really care how "cool" people are irl, all I do know is, this hobby is nothing to be ashamed of. It's brilliant, entertaining, visually appealing, appeals to a pretty broad audience (shooty gunz and violent battles, need I say more?) - I could go on a spiel about how awesome my life is (supposedly) via the internet to further enhance my cyber-persona, about my constant orgies and escaping explosions at the perfect time (in slow motion, of course), but realistically, I'll confess - I consider myself a bit of a geek, but I'm not turned off by the notion. I have a decent social life, get good grades in school and indeed, this hobby may be viewed as nerdy. I'll talk about it with my nerd friends. I'll talk about it with my "cool" friends. They stay my friends at the end of the day, and not expressing my interests to those I want to associate with, that's just me not being genuine and I don't care for that thought at all. I like this hobby, and if people ask me about my interests, I don't care about social notions of what's "cool". I'll say what I like because it's part of who I am, and anybody who tries to "validate" or "Balance themselves out" by listing all the cool things about them despite being into the hobby is wasting their effort, as it's unnecessary, we love you anyways
Now...if you're into stuff like bukkake or Dane Cook...well, I'd have different opinions.
That being said, anybody wanna play a 2000 pt. game on VASSAL sometime? I won't judge you, promise
when did Dane Cook and bukkake become the same?
and whats with the qualifiers? I didn't feel the need to make qualifiers. but if you need them....
1 - I drive a Pontiac G6m but I own 5 motorcycles.
2 - I wear Oakley glasses. (prescription) clothes I wear what fits (literally)
3 - I was a Theater Deployable Satellite Communications Technician for the US Air Force (left after 3 years with an injury to my leg as a Senior Airman)
4 - I used to BMX & skateboard alot
5 - I used to be a semi proffesional RC truck racer back in the day. (not paid but sponsored)
6 - I owned 2 pit bulls at one point, one is gone and the other is getting really old, we might get another one.
7 - I used to be a low voltage electrician in the IBEW #332
8 - I have no problem with the opposite sex (married with 2 kids)
9 - I believe I can get anyone excited about battling it out on the tables of the 41st millenium. (this one I totally agree with)
I mean, if you HAVE to justify why, when what are you here for?
yea I answered the call, because you're not alone. you're not unique. warhammer isn't just for the freaks and geeks man. its a great game with a long history.
Sorry, I was just saying that because they would both make me cringe were I to watch them
*badum-tsh*
Automatically Appended Next Post: and exactly what I'm saying, man. There's no need to validate yourself, partially because it's either impossible or very labourious to prove any of the facts about ourselves on the net. Those of us who are into nerdy things but feel the need to emphasize how cool they are in real life irritate me, like one guy who I'm friends with who's into paintball quite a bit, which I frankly find nerdy, but as soon as I said that about him he said "Well if I'm such a nerd, how am I in such good shape?"
It's tiring, and honestly, a little dated, considering how nerd culture and general nerdy interests are becoming more dominant and numerous in this day and age, it's like a strange social prejudice, so really, if you're into something nerdy and are ashamed of it, have no fear, you're not actually living the setting of an 80s movie high school
But I'm also ashamed to be part of the same race as them (every social niche has douchebags, apparently - even gaming is not immune).
Yeah, Same here, i make every action possible so i dont look like those guys. Seriously, i nice shower and deoderant takes like what? 20 minutes? and extra 10 for brushing your hair and teeth and shaving?
The only problem is weight, but that isnt a big problem anymore.
It's an odd one, I think if you get into it at a young age (before puberty) you hide it as something little kids might do. Once puberty hits, we all sort of create new personas, that's when I quit 40K. I'm back now though because I still love all the same things about it as I did when I was 12.
It's like lego, you love it as a kid, grow out of it but wish for any reason to play with it again
I am not ashamed of my hobbies (which except for WHFB and 40k also include card games like Magic and A Game of Thrones), but I don't go around just opening conversations about it. If someone asks me about my hobbies, sure I'll elaborate.
Unfortunately, I live in a country that's pretty backwards about such matters (and other matters too, I know ). I would guess the percentage of players is 1/1000 or even less.
So yes, some people will look at me funny if I tell them that I play with toy soldiers and trade cards. Women even more so, so I tend to be less... descriptive about it with them.
Apart from that, I just do what I enjoy. WHAAAGH!
Hardest thing to explain is how much it costs, trying to explain how spending £14.50 on a plastic figure is worth while to someone who isn't really into the hobby and just asking out of general curiosity is somewhat daunting.
As far as what matters though, my parter knows about it even if she does refer to them as toys xd, aside from that it doesn't really matter much what people think. It's just when the more destructive youth's of the community are present that I get uneasy because as mentioned here before, there hobby is to mock mine but mocking isn't as far as they will go. Back through my high school time mocking was the prequel to touching/disrupting and breaking said hobby out of spite.
Thankfully that doesn't happen much now days, looking somewhat sophisticated and keeping my figures in metal cases I tend not to be bothered even by the most disgruntled of kids on my way back and forth from gw.
When I was in my teens and into citadel miniatures I couldn't give a damn what people thought about me. I'm now nearly 40 and im well passed being bothered what people think about my love for small plastic figures and paint!
Sasa0mg wrote:Hardest thing to explain is how much it costs, trying to explain how spending £14.50 on a plastic figure is worth while to someone who isn't really into the hobby and just asking out of general curiosity is somewhat daunting.
Ask them if they smoke or drink. If yes, point out that your hobby is cheaper and not fatal.
Interrogator-Chaplin wrote:i agree i'm not ashamed of the hobby itself
just the fact i'm a 23 yr old who plays with minitures against kids aged 12 and up.
Try being almost double that age. The reactions are somewhat stronger. Ranging from "What kind of freak wants to play children's games?" to worse.
At least when you're 23, you are still close enough to their age.
I try to reassure parents with "It's ok, I'm not a catholic priest" (the local area DID have several miscreant priests - it's why they had to sell several churches to pay costs) but most of them seem to BE Catholic themselves and not getting the joke.
Although since the move to licensed premises, this has reduced the number of under-agers attending (and GWs price increases have done the rest. Kids now start with Magic or yu-gi-oh cards because it's cheaper.). All of us "grown-ups" had to do "working with children" police checks when we were at the local youth centre.
The whole idea of adults(mainly male) likeing things meant or thought to be meant for kids are some sort of deviants is disgusting.
Its the same for Bronies.
Try being almost double that age. The reactions are somewhat stronger. Ranging from "What kind of freak wants to play children's games?" to worse.
At least when you're 23, you are still close enough to their age.
I try to reassure parents with "It's ok, I'm not a catholic priest" (the local area DID have several miscreant priests - it's why they had to sell several churches to pay costs) but most of them seem to BE Catholic themselves and not getting the joke.
Although since the move to licensed premises, this has reduced the number of under-agers attending (and GWs price increases have done the rest. Kids now start with Magic or yu-gi-oh cards because it's cheaper.).
you used that catholic priest joke? that hilarious!
I can see your predicament though, i've gotten some of those strange looks before but thats just mainly for the back stories and general knowleadge of the 40k universe i know. and share with the kids how are interested at my local GW.
funny you should say that because i got my dad into the hobbie for a while until he got some of those looks from parents when he went in there by himself and started to feel a little awrkward at games nights when parents used to ask him what his kid collected or which one was his child..... he gave up collecting after 1 yr.
hotsauceman1 wrote:The whole idea of adults(mainly male) likeing things meant or thought to be meant for kids are some sort of deviants is disgusting.
Its the same for Bronies.
Yet the percentage of warhammer players against MLP is staggering
hotsauceman1 wrote:The whole idea of adults(mainly male) likeing things meant or thought to be meant for kids are some sort of deviants is disgusting.
Its the same for Bronies.
Yet the percentage of warhammer players against MLP is staggering
talk about intolerance for their own kind
"PFFFt, you guys are weird. Leave me alone while i go play with my toys and tranformers"
Let he without sin cast the first stone.....
I agree. The stigma generally comes from people who are fairly close minded or unaware of how modern hobbies in general work (basically anyone who is unaware of hobbies outside of fishing lol). Any sort of gamer/collector will usually understand though.
What doesn’t help though is that GW primarily targets kids nowadays when previously it was more of a broader spectrum (with the older crowd being the primary target). Comparing when I started out 12 years ago to today, everything is the opposite.
I am one of those guys how couldnt care less what negative things you think about me.
I am very proud of my hobby and the results of my painting and show them off to anyone who makes fun of "playing with toys"
You would be shocked to see how many people will stop making fun of you and say nicer things about you when they see a well painted figure and you tell them how much work went into it.
I dont get made fun of for it anymore because everyone I work or hang with, is either involved in the hobby aswell, or are impressed by my painting enough to think its cool : )
Okay so i just moved to another part of the state i hail from....i decided to be totally up front and spill the beans on the hobby as a whole when asked by peers who visited my room....(has a painting and modeling area in it that people often go ..."uhhh wtf..") so i explained the hobby to them and showed them my completed minis and White Dwarf mags....the i logged onto ebay and showed them how much pro painted items went for.....they were already very interested before i showed them the ebay auctions....one they saw the price tags on them their was no doubt in their minds that this game was not only fun and artistic but also profitable... one of them is actually coming to the store tomorrow to buy a kit for himself...he told me that it was one of the coolest things he had seen in a while....i was taken aback at the general acceptance i had received...
While I generally care not for others opioins, when most of my school year hates or dispises me for my love of minitures and sheer gakkyness at sport, while almost all of them attend a dozen sports classes and such I attend GW every weekend and wouldn't go near a sports club unless it was rowing or something like that. My schools like a jungle, and if you don't bully or try to emotionally destroy everyone in your path then you don't get anywhere.
I am 110% open about my hobbies, and for good reason, there are so many people out there that spend money, spend money, and hey guess what, spend money, and are bored out of their minds. Those same people point and laugh at us gamers, but at the end of the day and although our hobbies and interests are expensive, we can spend 500 bucks on Warhammer and a year from now still be enjoying that 500 dollar investment, the socially 'normal' people would likely spend this money on food and clothes and lets face it, you just poop the food out and fashion comes and goes and usually holds no value.
So yeah, when someone sees what I do I stand proud, I explain it and show them what it is all about, after all, you never know who will find it interesting. I am a case like this, I grew up loving this type of thing, but I was also a football player for 5 years in school (8-12 grade), I was active in JROTC for 4 years, and I took some honors level classes, whilst also enjoying skate boarding, drawing, singing, video gaming, table top gaming, RPing, etc etc, and I look like one of those 'normal people' but I just realize that I cannot grab a meltagun in real life nor will I ever command a Company of Space Marines and I will never shake hands with Dridzt but damn if it is not entertaining for the several hours I get to enjoy those subjects.
To be honest, 40k has grown A LOT since the 90's. I have only gotten back into it in the past 6 months after a 10 year+ break and I was very surprised at how the hobby has expanded in that time.
It no longer really feels like a 'fringe subculture' as it seems now that most my friends actually play it (all in late 20's), even those who I would have never suspected in a million years.
I think people's perceptions of it must have changed a little as a result of the surge in popularity and the fact 40k has been around for over 2 decades now. As a result I do admit I feel a bit more comfortable now at 28 than I was when I was 14 and just getting into it. Though that is probably just my age - I think you care less what people think about you as you get into your mid-20's. That's how it was with me anyway.
But anyway, considering the popularity of online gaming if people poke fun at me for liking 40k I always ask if they play online games. Often it turns out they play things such as WoW, so I simply explain the only difference is that I like to craft and paint my characters with my own hands and I like the social side of gaming, meeting up in person rather than online and having a few beers with friends whilst we play.
When I put it like that, people tend to have their preconceptions blown out of the water: No, we aren't necessarily a bunch of socially inept nerds. Yes, we do 'normal' things like you. Yes, really there is very little difference between online gaming and my hobby when you break it down. So think whatever you wanna think mate.
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blood reaper wrote:While I generally care not for others opioins, when most of my school year hates or dispises me for my love of minitures and sheer gakkyness at sport, while almost all of them attend a dozen sports classes and such I attend GW every weekend and wouldn't go near a sports club unless it was rowing or something like that. My schools like a jungle, and if you don't bully or try to emotionally destroy everyone in your path then you don't get anywhere.
Yeah my school was exactly the same.
Just remember 99% of those kids who are obsessed over sports and give you gak for your 40k hobby will end up nowhere in life. When they finish school they'll realise that being good at sports won't get them a job that pays the bills, a nice girl to spend their life with or decent friends later in life.
Most those types of people who went to my school have ended up in prison, dealing drugs, on the dole or working mundane jobs. I'm not even making any of this up, which is very satisfying for me .
In contrast, i'm getting married in June to a girl who put's up with my 40k addiction (true love) and my best man is the guy who got me into 40k at school 14 years ago.
Henners91 wrote:
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Arm.chair.general wrote:I'm not ashamed of my hobby, but I do try to keep the fact I play from non-wargamers which is basically 99% of the population, unless they ask what my hobby is.
I really hate the stigma that comes attached to playing miniature wargames, pc gaming and console gaming is just as geeky in my opinion. The sad thing is I have known people that have dropped out of Warhammer because of peer preassure from people and I have even seen youtube videos of people burning their Warhammer figures trying to re-gain their 'coolness'.
When they burn unpainted stuff it doesn't phase me, since they're effectively just burning their money.
But that figure looked like some love went into it once :(
To be fair, that kid has a lot of FPS 'im so uber montage's in the rest of his library so he's the bigger 'freak' than us.
Most of them have hardcore music attached as well, because I am a glorified badass for playing a video game.
I treat it the same as any other art I'm not afraid to bring it up at school or around friends because its the same as artists who paint on canvas only we do it in 3-D!
I think most people don't talk about it because it's so hard to explain. Myexplanation normally goes like "Well, uhh... I paint miniature futuristic soldiers that I use to play a very complicated board-game." This often raises an eyebrow or two, especially when the person I'm talking to has never even heard of mini-wargaming. But at least we're actually doing something, I find that it provides a better conversation than telling someone that you sat in your basement playing Modern Warfare for 8 hours.
I've always been curious why mtg, wh, 40k etc are were considered nerdy.
Have you seen sports guys reciting someone elses stats from 20 yrs ago? You telling me thats not just as "nerdy?" Really? Or sports guys sayin "Yea we almost won the trophy this year." Wearing jerseys isn't that much different then cosplay.
Or any sort of enthusiast like cars, guns, or whatever. Those guys geek out bad. I'm sorry but everyone is a nerd by definaition for or for something.
Interrogator-Chaplin wrote:
you used that catholic priest joke? that hilarious!
I can see your predicament though, i've gotten some of those strange looks before but thats just mainly for the back stories and general knowleadge of the 40k universe i know. and share with the kids how are interested at my local GW.
funny you should say that because i got my dad into the hobbie for a while until he got some of those looks from parents when he went in there by himself and started to feel a little awrkward at games nights when parents used to ask him what his kid collected or which one was his child..... he gave up collecting after 1 yr.
He'd be welcomed at our club. I'm trying to get the grownups back. Sure, some of them may only be in their early 30s (the dads) but at least it isn't the creche the local GW is.
I've got GW models older than the new manager at the local GW.
They aren't even RT models (2nd ed).
Recently I took my sweety to a gaming convention to meet some of my associates. I've been meeting a certain group of people for 30+ years as we talk about the state of the entertainment industry from our respective fields.
We all have gotten older now seen things in a different view point from the younger generations, though I think that most of us are still young at heart.
Needless to say most of my business and entertainment was done at the hotel restaurant where I could breath the fresh air.
The funk in some of those gaming rooms and in some of the seminars that my sweety and myself attended were pretty bad. She's a trooper and she understood what she was getting into, and yes she does play board games, but this did indeed embarrassed me in front of her.
To this day I can not understand why certain gamers know the concept of personal hygiene, as this puts a blight into a hobby that I have enjoyed for so many of good years.
Interrogator-Chaplin wrote:
you used that catholic priest joke? that hilarious!
I can see your predicament though, i've gotten some of those strange looks before but thats just mainly for the back stories and general knowleadge of the 40k universe i know. and share with the kids how are interested at my local GW.
funny you should say that because i got my dad into the hobbie for a while until he got some of those looks from parents when he went in there by himself and started to feel a little awrkward at games nights when parents used to ask him what his kid collected or which one was his child..... he gave up collecting after 1 yr.
He'd be welcomed at our club. I'm trying to get the grownups back. Sure, some of them may only be in their early 30s (the dads) but at least it isn't the creche the local GW is.
I've got GW models older than the new manager at the local GW.
They aren't even RT models (2nd ed).
Cessnock, 'heart' of the Hunter Valley, is my 'home' club; the "Slayers" (formerly the Dwarf Slayers). WE meet in the boardroom of the local football supporters club. Most sundays 9am-6pm (but can go later - up til 9pm if required). I don't live there, but I have in-laws there and the wife and I are usually there on weekends for family dinners.
My other club is in Inner city Newcastle (Hamilton) and meets monthly. 10am-10pm. Also on sundays - I alternate it with three other normal club meets.
Both are now hotbeds of Infinity with the odd WHFB game being played. 40k has fallen by the wayside
I am in no way ashamed of my hobby. I don't advertise it, but if someone asks, I tell them that I play with toy soldiers on the weekend.
If they don't like it, I tell them to go themselves.
If they make fun of me, I unleash the full extent of my (quite considerable) vitriol against them.
If they think it's cool, I introduce them to the hobby and Hurray! new player.
Funny that the sterotype for us is that 40K, Fantasy, or any other games is for "Anti-Social Nerd". I consider Wargaming one VERY social game.
I used to have lie to myself trying to justify that even though I played 40K I wasn't as nerdy as those who played other games. I was an idiot. Sports are games involving physical ability and planning. And so is any other game. like 40K, it involves lots of thinking. I just don't run around shoving the topic in everyone's face. I mention it to my friends once or twice and explain it to them to see if they are intrested, If they are then great. If not I drop it and don't say much about it. Just like I wouldn't flaunt anything else even if it was considered "Cool" by the majority of people.
I have different feelings on the subject ; let me explain:
I go to a southern university where drinking, smoking, partying, getting by the soroity girls and getting all the sins of life is seen as "cool"
Back home, With my buddies i never gave it a second thought. Sure we never spoke of it in high school (cause it was seen as nerdy) and some of my friends did get picked on for bringing the 5th ed rule book and codex to school to read in the free time (lunch) but ive heard from one of them that since then he's found 5 people that were closet 40k fans that were too scared to show themselves as fans of the hobby.
Here at college, ive had a very rough time with the 40k scene. Between warmahordes at the NOT-so FLGS and my own friends opioion of it (Getting to that in a moment) its been really rough on me. Dakka Dakka has been one of the sources to keep me in the hobby and not giving it up so i wanted to thank the community for that
One of my buddies comes up to me and expresses interest in the hobby. I explain to him the rules and he goes home and does some research on the factions and races. He likes IG, Great i say, I own some IG so we can play a game. In the weeks leading up the game, i try to explain any extra tips or rules to him so he'll be ready. Come game night, we got out to grab a quick meal then play. 5 hours later, it ends in a tie.
Ok, I think Good game and all. He leaves and all is good.
Next week i ask him if he wants to play. He tells me on NO uncertain terms does he wish to play and that im evil for playing the game that has evil monsters in it. (Chaos and chaos related factions). I try for a few more weeks to get him to play another game to show him that his views are wrong on the subject. he eventually goes off on me about how he doesnt want to play and leave it alone. I relent and havent asked him but in passing once since then. When he comes over to chill i feel like i have to hide it or risk him thinking im gonna ask him to play a game.
Since then, hes got 500 round of ammo in his room, 9 survival radios and 2 months worth of water rations. He's gone on some survivalist mentality saying to me "I have no time for kiddy games, im gonna be ready and contuine training" I just shook my head and didnt say a word.
Friend 2 is the polar opposite. He drinks, he gets high, and he calls me a nerd because i dont like to do those things. . Now, he told me that because i showed him the GW site and the 40k models, to keep my mouth shut around his "homies" so that they dont think he is a nerd. Thing is, he's expressed to me he is a big sci-fi fan but to mantain the image of cool, he wont play or be seen playing.
There are others but i dont wanna be "that guy"
basically, am i ashamed of my hobby?
NO,
"You shouldnt knock it till you try it, Who knows you may just like it" is the motto of my life right now when it comes to others and their views on 40k
I have never minded if people know, some of my friends make silly remarks, but I just say, HAVE YOU EVER KILLED 400 zombies in a 2500pt game??? mhmmmm!
Since then, hes got 500 round of ammo in his room, 9 survival radios and 2 months worth of water rations. He's gone on some survivalist mentality saying to me "I have no time for kiddy games, im gonna be ready and contuine training" I just shook my head and didnt say a word.
lol, that's a pretty special kind of crazy right there. Ready for what, the zombie apocalypse or the next American revolution?
To be honest i would have to say that i am not ashamed of my hobby, actually i am proud of it. I have been building models since i was 6 and have now turned it into a career making props for film and theatre. I find that this hobby is both creative and educational. As it can teach many things, such as colour theory, hand eye co ordination. plus its awesome.
My school isn't exactly a hotbed for hobby activity. You know the whole Games Workshop 'creche' thing you guys mention periodically? That is my after school, tuesday night strategy club. The library (our gaming area) is chock full of whiny eleven year olds. It was originally for just warhammer, but then the teacher running it thought, 'I know, lets get more people joining by expanding it to the chess and boardgame players in the school'.
This bothered me not, as seeing an influx of more mature people was a godsend, and who knows, if they see a game of warhammer in action, whats to say they don't start wargaming themselves?
However.
There is this one kid, eleven years old, my *shudder* next-door neighbour. When he heard that the club would be open to other games that weren't warhammer (he had a go at me for playing warpath in what was essentially the club I HAD RAISED FROM NOTHING, despite the fact I am five years older than him), he went on a crusade against it. Yup, he actually called it crusade.
Going round with a flyer with a big title on it that went something along the lines of 'Keep Warhammer Club Warhammer!' It was full with half assed reasons backing his 'argument' (I think one was - stop the big kids bullying the little kids - although they didn't mind me or my two friends who are in year 11, thus making no sense!). I explained, as did the teacher, the positive aspects that expanding the club would be beneficial for all of us. He refused to listen. You know the whole 'stick fingers in ears and go 'lalalalalalalalala' gimmick? He did that.
I flipped in the end, and had a go at him for his narrow - mindedness. He replied that if we didn't keep it the way it was, he would leave. i offered if he wanted me to pack his army case for him.
That was slightly OT, I know, but lets remedy the situation...
The very same kid literally lives and breathes Warhammer. It is all he talks about. He is THE guy who talks to random girls about Witch Elves and Daemonettes *shudder*. He is THE guy who asks strangers how to paint his new Space marines.....
I am pretty sure that most people don't have a..... *cough* enthusiast *cough* quite like that....
It makes me ashamed of my hobby. But apart from that, and keeping it away from the folks that bully me (yup, 11 years and they haven't stopped yet), I guess I am pretty open minded about it.
I am ashamed of it. I love the hobby so much, but I'm terrified as being labled as a nerd. I have nothing wrong with nerds, I hang out with a lot of them, but I try to hide it as much as possible.
As an 18 year old and in college its important to look cool when you're meeting new people and there is a huge social stigma in playing wargames.
I wish I could be more open with it since I love the game, but sadly thats not really possible right now.
I won't say that I go shouting it out that I'm a wargamer, or wear 40K T-shirts, read codexes in school or anything that makes it blindingly obvious that I'm a wargamer, but at the same time, I won't forcefully deny it. I suppose, however, it does depend on the person in question. I wouldn't mind admitting I'm a wargamer to most of my friends, should the topic ever arise. Indeed, there are some I'd probably try to "convert" to the Hobby. On the other hand though, there are, as always, those people who'd probably bully you relentlessly about it, so it's best not to let them know. Similarly, i wouldn't introduce myself as I wargamer. When meeting new people I won't say, "Hey! I like playing the guitar, swimming and playing wargames" or something along those lines. Unless, I know the person to be a fellow wargamer of course.
I wouldn't say that I am ashamed of it, I just won't bring it up unless the person I am talking to expressed interest but i am very careful to pay close attention to the person im talking to once i start talking about and try to stop when their eyes begin to glaze over. It's hard not to feel a little bit silly explaining to my wife what a spacemarine is and why i need to spend 65 dollars for one of their tanks.
I'm not ashamed of my hobby. I just feel that sometimes if I say too much about myself people might be put off by what I like. People tend to be very judgmental according to thinks you like. So if I like playing with toy soldiers as a hobby most people would see me as a loser with no social life. I think that's far from the truth. I have my friends. I have a girlfriend and she likes the whole idea of 40k, but its too expensive for her. The biggest problem is that people automatically assume things about your personality based on what you like. I think this is a ridiculous notion and one that needs to be dealt with quickly.
I don't hide it at all if someone has an issue with me playing with small dolls and yes they are man dolls they can go wear their popped collars elsewhere.
Used to paint at work and read the codex for my armies at work and in public often I am who I am and have not had any issues with friends or girls due to it.
I must just be lucky, most of my friends think it's flippin' cool to paint a bunch of little army men, and surprisingly a lot of the girls I meet think it's pretty cool too. I'm always getting questions like, "hey dude, wanna play MW3 later? Oh, and how's that tank coming?"
I don't hide my hobby, but recently something very interesting happened to me in college, a girl told me that she had seen me at GW, but she said it in a humorous, laughing at my expense sort of way as though she thought that I am socially inept. I said yeah I was in there talking to a few mates, and playing a game of 40k. She then went and laughed about it with her friends. However none of this dented my confidence. Warhammer 40k is the best thing I have gotten into; I have met loads of good mates, built up some life-long skills in painting as well as good memories, so am I ashamed of my hobby HELL NO!
Arm.chair.general wrote:I don't hide my hobby, but recently something very interesting happened to me in college, a girl told me that she had seen me at GW, but she said it in a humorous, laughing at my expense sort of way as though she though I am socially inept. I said yeah I was in there talking to a few mates, and playing a game of 40k. She then went and laughed about it with her friends. However none of this dented my confidence. Warhammer 40k is the best thing I have gotten into; I have met loads of good mates, built up some life-long skills in painting as well as good memories, so am I ashamed of my hobby HELL NO!
That's the spirit!! I agree fully, I'm not being sarcastic. I had neighbors in college (3 girls) who thought my painting was awesome and artistic. Due to stupidity on my end, I had a chance with the hottest one and blew it. I really don't wanna go into detail and be humiliated in the dakka community but it involved being a gentleman during a changing of clothes moment...
Arm.chair.general wrote:I don't hide my hobby, but recently something very interesting happened to me in college, a girl told me that she had seen me at GW, but she said it in a humorous, laughing at my expense sort of way as though she though I am socially inept. I said yeah I was in there talking to a few mates, and playing a game of 40k. She then went and laughed about it with her friends. However none of this dented my confidence. Warhammer 40k is the best thing I have gotten into; I have met loads of good mates, built up some life-long skills in painting as well as good memories, so am I ashamed of my hobby HELL NO!
That's the spirit!! I agree fully, I'm not being sarcastic. I had neighbors in college (3 girls) who thought my painting was awesome and artistic. Due to stupidity on my end, I had a chance with the hottest one and blew it. I really don't wanna go into detail and be humiliated in the dakka community but it involved being a gentleman during a changing of clothes moment...
Aw man, that sounds like it sucks, at least they thought that it was artistic, most of the girls in my college hate anything that is 'geeky' or not 'macho' enough for them...
Lord of Timbraxia wrote:My school isn't exactly a hotbed for hobby activity. You know the whole Games Workshop 'creche' thing you guys mention periodically? That is my after school, tuesday night strategy club. The library (our gaming area) is chock full of whiny eleven year olds. It was originally for just warhammer, but then the teacher running it thought, 'I know, lets get more people joining by expanding it to the chess and boardgame players in the school'.
This bothered me not, as seeing an influx of more mature people was a godsend, and who knows, if they see a game of warhammer in action, whats to say they don't start wargaming themselves?
However.
There is this one kid, eleven years old, my *shudder* next-door neighbour. When he heard that the club would be open to other games that weren't warhammer (he had a go at me for playing warpath in what was essentially the club I HAD RAISED FROM NOTHING, despite the fact I am five years older than him), he went on a crusade against it. Yup, he actually called it crusade.
Going round with a flyer with a big title on it that went something along the lines of 'Keep Warhammer Club Warhammer!' It was full with half assed reasons backing his 'argument' (I think one was - stop the big kids bullying the little kids - although they didn't mind me or my two friends who are in year 11, thus making no sense!). I explained, as did the teacher, the positive aspects that expanding the club would be beneficial for all of us. He refused to listen. You know the whole 'stick fingers in ears and go 'lalalalalalalalala' gimmick? He did that.
I flipped in the end, and had a go at him for his narrow - mindedness. He replied that if we didn't keep it the way it was, he would leave. i offered if he wanted me to pack his army case for him.
That was slightly OT, I know, but lets remedy the situation...
The very same kid literally lives and breathes Warhammer. It is all he talks about. He is THE guy who talks to random girls about Witch Elves and Daemonettes *shudder*. He is THE guy who asks strangers how to paint his new Space marines.....
I am pretty sure that most people don't have a..... *cough* enthusiast *cough* quite like that....
It makes me ashamed of my hobby. But apart from that, and keeping it away from the folks that bully me (yup, 11 years and they haven't stopped yet), I guess I am pretty open minded about it.
Must suck living next door to TFG. Sorry, he just sounds like a kid who has drunk to much GW koolaid.
@OT, I am not nor have I ever been ashamed of my 'hobby'. I was putting together scale model kits before I ever heard of GW or 40k. Now I like to assemble Gundam models kits and 1980's stuff for my Cold War Gone Hot book from AAG.
To be honest, my friends hate the fact that I play with toy soldiers, they think it will hurt their "Coolness" factor. They won't stop being my friend though, hell, they'll do anything for me, as I would do anything for them ;D.
Poppabear wrote:To be honest, my friends hate the fact that I play with toy soldiers, they think it will hurt their "Coolness" factor. They won't stop being my friend though, hell, they'll do anything for me, as I would do anything for them ;D.
Sort of like my situation, they would drop by time to time to tease the no doubt virgins , have the staff explain how to play,
even though I know they have zero interest -.-
I shout it loud and proud from the rooftops in a desperate attempt to cause me to be less appealing to women.
Yet try as I might, my celestial blue eyes and flawless good looks drive away the demons of a wargaming addiction, and husky voiced wenches still dash themselves against my door day and night and tear clods of hair from my skull as keepsakes when I walk past them in the street.
I'm going to stop showering and grow a moustache if things don't get any better, because wearing an Ultramarines shirt and getting a White Dwarf subscription just don't cut the fething mustard.
mattyrm wrote: I shout it loud and proud from the rooftops in a desperate attempt to cause me to be less appealing to women.
Yet try as I might, my celestial blue eyes and flawless good looks drive away the demons of a wargaming addiction, and husky voiced wenches still dash themselves against my door day and night and tear clods of hair from my skull as keepsakes when I walk past them in the street.
I'm going to stop showering and grow a moustache if things don't get any better, because wearing an Ultramarines shirt and getting a White Dwarf subscription just don't cut the fething mustard.
It may not be that, It may be the loaded weapons you keep on the headboard of you BED.
Lord of Timbraxia wrote:My school isn't exactly a hotbed for hobby activity. You know the whole Games Workshop 'creche' thing you guys mention periodically? That is my after school, tuesday night strategy club. The library (our gaming area) is chock full of whiny eleven year olds. It was originally for just warhammer, but then the teacher running it thought, 'I know, lets get more people joining by expanding it to the chess and boardgame players in the school'.
This bothered me not, as seeing an influx of more mature people was a godsend, and who knows, if they see a game of warhammer in action, whats to say they don't start wargaming themselves?
However.
There is this one kid, eleven years old, my *shudder* next-door neighbour. When he heard that the club would be open to other games that weren't warhammer (he had a go at me for playing warpath in what was essentially the club I HAD RAISED FROM NOTHING, despite the fact I am five years older than him), he went on a crusade against it. Yup, he actually called it crusade.
Going round with a flyer with a big title on it that went something along the lines of 'Keep Warhammer Club Warhammer!' It was full with half assed reasons backing his 'argument' (I think one was - stop the big kids bullying the little kids - although they didn't mind me or my two friends who are in year 11, thus making no sense!). I explained, as did the teacher, the positive aspects that expanding the club would be beneficial for all of us. He refused to listen. You know the whole 'stick fingers in ears and go 'lalalalalalalalala' gimmick? He did that.
I flipped in the end, and had a go at him for his narrow - mindedness. He replied that if we didn't keep it the way it was, he would leave. i offered if he wanted me to pack his army case for him.
That was slightly OT, I know, but lets remedy the situation...
The very same kid literally lives and breathes Warhammer. It is all he talks about. He is THE guy who talks to random girls about Witch Elves and Daemonettes *shudder*. He is THE guy who asks strangers how to paint his new Space marines.....
I am pretty sure that most people don't have a..... *cough* enthusiast *cough* quite like that....
It makes me ashamed of my hobby. But apart from that, and keeping it away from the folks that bully me (yup, 11 years and they haven't stopped yet), I guess I am pretty open minded about it.
Must suck living next door to TFG. Sorry, he just sounds like a kid who has drunk to much GW koolaid.
@OT, I am not nor have I ever been ashamed of my 'hobby'. I was putting together scale model kits before I ever heard of GW or 40k. Now I like to assemble Gundam models kits and 1980's stuff for my Cold War Gone Hot book from AAG.
ifStatement wrote:The people I know who don't have at least some unconventional hobbies are also the most boring people I know. Coincidence?
Not in the least. I noticed that trend.
Yup. The people who conform to what is acceptable in the eyes of the majority are just the same as everyone else? Yeh that's not surprising. It's not how I want to live. You want to mock me for it? Do it. I'm not insecure, I don't care what you think. Your going to call me a virgin and make other judgements about me on the basis I paint 35mm models? Your a fething moron.
ifStatement wrote:The people I know who don't have at least some unconventional hobbies are also the most boring people I know. Coincidence?
Not in the least. I noticed that trend.
Yup. The people who conform to what is acceptable in the eyes of the majority are just the same as everyone else? Yeh that's not surprising. It's not how I want to live. You want to mock me for it? Do it. I'm not insecure, I don't care what you think. Your going to call me a virgin and make other judgements about me on the basis I paint 35mm models? Your a fething moron.
ifStatement wrote:The people I know who don't have at least some unconventional hobbies are also the most boring people I know. Coincidence?
Not in the least. I noticed that trend.
Yup. The people who conform to what is acceptable in the eyes of the majority are just the same as everyone else? Yeh that's not surprising. It's not how I want to live. You want to mock me for it? Do it. I'm not insecure, I don't care what you think. Your going to call me a virgin and make other judgements about me on the basis I paint 35mm models? Your a fething moron.
I love wargaming and am not ashamed at all of my hobby. In fact most people that see my figs are pretty impressed with the hobby . Of course there is always the odd person that wants to laugh about it but I pay no heed to them because I'm sure they most likely do things I don't understand either.
No. I'm not ashamed of my Hobby it's a good one to have, it's a nice feeling looking at a completed army you took the time to make your own and paint just the way you wanted.
I've heard stories of younger players on Dakka being ashamed about their hobby around their peers. But in reality their more ashamed of being sheep.
I've only had to deal with one ever encounter with somebody who scolded me for my hobby. And all I did was stare at him with my souless azure eyes and my sly grin until he realized part of his innocence died, and he could hear the sound of a baby goat having it's entrails ripped from it's belly by a cheese grater.
I've only had to deal with one ever encounter with somebody who scolded me for my hobby. And all I did was stare at him with my souless azure eyes and my sly grin until he realized part of his innocence died, and he could hear the sound of a baby goat having it's entrails ripped from it's belly by a cheese grater.
True story.
That the other person was an 8 year old does take some of the gravitas from the story....still, a win's a win I guess.
.
) and knows the difference between space marines, tyranids, eldar, dark eldar, orks (she calls them 'urks' 
