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We all know the stereotype; fat, sweaty, oestrogen-deprived and socially lacking. These adjectives and many like them are often bandied around whenever anyone starts discussing the players of a wargame. It got me thinking as to just how relevant this stigma is nowadays. I can only use myself as an example so I shall; I'm 22, I play rugby, I box, go to the gym and snowboard, shower regularly, go out with my friends 2-3 times a week and don't have any more trouble with the ladies than my non-wargaming friends. I'm almost positive I'm not in the minority here, so why is a stigma that originated a solid 20+ years ago still seeing wide use today? A more worrying question is why are we (as the wargaming community) still accepting of such a stereotype despite its complete irrelevance in the vast scheme of things?

I attend a GW store semi-regularly, as well as my local FLGS and I have yet to meet someone who ticks all the boxes as what could be described as a 'typical' wargamer. Sure, I see an overweight chap here, or a spotty adolescent there, but that's no different to the 100's of overweight males in society generally, and skin complaints are no more common on wargamers than on any 14-17 year old ever.

So I'm asking the wider community as to whether wargaming, as a whole, is getting a bad rap from a long-outdated stereotype. Has wargaming, and its audience, matured past the need for such labels to be cast around whenever the words 'tabletop' and 'wargame' are uttered in the same sentence? And if it is, shouldn't we be doing our utmost to ensure that we don't keep making allusions relating to personal hygiene, cleanliness, fitness etc. etc. regardless as to how tongue-in-cheek we mean them to be?

L. Wrex

You not been to many historical wargame shows then...

Beards, anoraks, bellies and bad odours are still seen among the throng of more normal types.

My gaming group are all in their late 30s, the youngest is 37 and the eldest just about to touch 40.

No-one smells (though the air can be quite fragrant after a curry) and we put the slight increase in waistlines to middle age spread and the curse of the family man. Not many spots around.

Its a stereotype... If you need to worry about such things, and whether its an issue, I suspect it may say more of how you see yourself in the hobby.

Cant say I could careless what people think of wargaming or those who take part in it.

The stereotype is alive and well. The overall wargaming community has grown in the past decade, so it's kind of been diluted with the addition of more new blood. I've had pretty good gaming groups overall, and of the 4 or so I've been part of, only one was really bad, and full of the fat, smelly grognard characters.

Just do your best not to propagate the stereotype and everything should come up peachy.

Brother SRM wrote:

Just do your best not to propagate the stereotype and everything should come up peachy.

That or play with military members.

At my FLGS I still see the occasional stereotypical war-gamer but in general I'd say the crowd has gotten a little younger and less socially awkward. For darn sure they are at least more hygienic.

Its still kinda bad at the FLGS. I would hesitate to bring my girlfriend (who is also a gamer) to the store to watch/play a game because of the bad habits of almost half of the patrons. Sure, the other half are perfectly fine and normal, socially functional human beings, but its the other half that still portray the bad stereotypical nerd. Many of my college's club are fine though, and many people are surprised to find out they're friends with a gamer.

we get a couple of smellies at our FLGS, sometimes its really really bad, so much so that im considering asking the manager to "ask" certain people to put on deodrant.. shame really

I have almost never encountered one of the 'stereotypical' nerds....in fact, I'd say we likely have a bigger problem with the swarms of little kids on the weekend as opposed to 'stereotypical' gamers.

The group I game with are all family men, hard working, married 35+ year old's. The feeling I get from this group, are guys who treat this game like the father in the basement working on a train set (something to relax to and a escape form the daily routine).

At the local store (when I participated in acouple torny's), no fat smelly's, just mental cases. The guys who pitch the game loudly, and laugh while breathing in, and kinda hum when finishing the last word of a sentence. know what I mean?

and one sometimes 2 of (the dreaded) TFG.

I am afraid that the stereotype will never go away.
Wargaming has become more acknoweleged by the masses, but (generally speaking) people on the outside will always look at grown folks playing with toy soldiers as a bit odd.
From the outside looking into a GW store, one can see a dozen kids and one or two old guys playing the games. The old guys will be immediately scrutinized.

The stereotype isn't a stereotype at many of the games conventions I've been to.

Socially awkward, bearded, overweight and badly smelling?

I've met some really "sheltered" people playing wargames.
I've also met some really great guys and have even gone clubbing with some of them.

More of the former, though. Sure, most of them were half my age as well, but I wasn't that socially maladroit at that age.

I've seen it all, but I'm a believer in the age old saying "Birds of a feather flock together."

The stereotype is still valid.

That's just my experience.

A guy I know pretty well has, appreciably, no sense of smell.

There's been several tournaments where I've envied him that ability, and a couple people that I could not consider playing without it.

Yeah,I think it has. Everyone I know who plays is pretty slim; eats healthy, etc. I think that stereotype was just played on in the movies/ cartoons, and it stuck. I can't really think of a time when hobbists were ever like that


Besides, fat, smelly and gross dudes now have another hobby; EATING

I will believe that wargaming has lost its stigma when I see the Homecoming Court playing.

snurl wrote:I am afraid that the stereotype will never go away.
Wargaming has become more acknoweleged by the masses, but (generally speaking) people on the outside will always look at grown folks playing with toy soldiers as a bit odd.

Thats fine with me, as I tend to look down a bit on grown men who want to waste hours watching other grown men chase a ball around.

No-one's EVER going to type it in a thread, just go on about how strong-limbed and socially well-adjusted they are. So I'll be the one who says it:

The deep folds of flab around my midriff smell of septic Doritos. The only thing I talk of outside wargaming is why it's so unfair my mother makes me pay her a nominal rent despite the fact I'm only 32. It's so unfair, it's not like she knows I've not got a job. The closest I've come to a sexual experience was a woman who brushed past me on the bus and my elbow touched hers.

My local Games Workshop is full of stereotypes. From the guy who walks around in a greatcoat covered in Imperial badges, to the guy who sits and paints in a Matrix coat - in summer. However, they're generally all nice guys, just a bit embarrassing to be seen leaving the place by someone I know and being tarnished with the same brush...

Lycaeus Wrex wrote:Has wargaming, and its audience, matured past the need for such labels to be cast around whenever the words 'tabletop' and 'wargame' are uttered in the same sentence?

Curis wrote:No-one's EVER going to type it in a thread, just go on about how strong-limbed and socially well-adjusted they are. So I'll be the one who says it:

The deep folds of flab around my midriff smell of septic Doritos. The only thing I talk of outside wargaming is why it's so unfair my mother makes me pay her a nominal rent despite the fact I'm only 32. It's so unfair, it's not like she knows I've not got a job. The closest I've come to a sexual experience was a woman who brushed past me on the bus and my elbow touched hers.

Lycaeus Wrex wrote: I'm 22, I play rugby, I box, go to the gym and snowboard, shower regularly, go out with my friends 2-3 times a week and don't have any more trouble with the ladies than my non-wargaming friends.
L. Wrex

I completely agree with you, your right. I may just be letting off some steam here but I get made fun of at school for playing 40K although I'm 14 I snowboard and hang out with my friends and I'm pretty skinny. Its ridiculous people can't just do their own thing and not get ridiculed for it. My Dad would always tell me when he was in High School about how he would build models and do, I guess nerdy stuff. He then told me no one would talk to him because of that. Then he found out that he was a singing prodigy, then the school found out. Then everyone started to love him. Then he grew up doing commercials for big companies like Army, Navy, Sprite, Ford, Miller Beer, and GE. In conclusion I personally just hate stereotypes in general.

Surfboard66 wrote:
I completely agree with you, your right. I may just be letting off some steam here but I get made fun of at school for playing 40K although I'm 14 I snowboard and hang out with my friends and I'm pretty skinny. Its ridiculous people can't just do their own thing and not get ridiculed for it. My Dad would always tell me when he was in High School about how he would build models and do, I guess nerdy stuff. He then told me no one would talk to him because of that. Then he found out that he was a singing prodigy, then the school found out. Then everyone started to love him. Then he grew up doing commercials for big companies like Army, Navy, Sprite, Ford, Miller Beer, and GE. In conclusion I personally just hate stereotypes in general.

A lot of that is just because you're in high school. A few people who think that way manage to get into college, but after a few semesters they've usually been weeded out. Honestly, I haven't been given a hard time for any of my hobbies since I was 16.

Karon wrote:

No. This morning, before I drove over to my sweet media job (slightly earlier than usual so I could sneak a long lunch with my lawyer friends) I ushered a sweet coy young medical student out my door who was slinking away in some of my clothes as she'd not expected to get back to mine, not least get sooo carried away.

But maybe yes, maybe I am. Y'see, I'd never admit to being 'one of those guys' in these threads. No-one does. When 'those guys' are so common in the hobby, why are they not posting in these threads stepping forwards?

People will paint themselves as a:



I want instead to buck the trend and lie I am this person:

Lucius_the_Eternal wrote:My local Games Workshop is full of stereotypes. From the guy who walks around in a greatcoat covered in Imperial badges, to the guy who sits and paints in a Matrix coat - in summer. However, they're generally all nice guys, just a bit embarrassing to be seen leaving the place by someone I know and being tarnished with the same brush...

Well then dont leave at the same time.

I am a hyperactive player my self ,not smelly (at lest i dont think so), i have a girl friend and im over the age of 20.
The stigma's will all ways stay like with football(real football its not soccer its FOOTBALL you all know who you are) fans are all hoolagins.
What i do is make jokes around it when people find out about my gaming side.

Curis wrote:

People will paint themselves as a:

Who has been taking pictures of me without asking, I'd better get onto those lawyer friends I know about this one.

Curis wrote:But maybe yes, maybe I am. Y'see, I'd never admit to being 'one of those guys' in these threads. No-one does. When 'those guys' are so common in the hobby, why are they not posting in these threads stepping forwards?

People will paint themselves as a....

The purpose of this thread isn't to slap them out onto the table and compare sizes, but to get a (very) general overview as to the type of people who play the hobby and whether the attributed stereotype is deserved or not.

I'm not quite sure what you're adding to the discussion other than the fact that people might *shock* lie on the internet */shock*

L. Wrex

Look geeks, if you are posting in this thread, you are "that guy". Don't pretend otherwise.

Face it, if a female suicide bomber commits her act, she will be reward with 77 wargamers in the afterlife. Probably ten of them from this thread alone.

Except me. I have mad skillz with the bitchez. I am immune to wargamer stink by virtue of playing Space Wolves.

Fact.

this thread really makes me chortle... Some great comments rocking around, I think there'll be a few sigged before it runs its course.

The first time I went to a 'proper' wargames show I was amazed at the amount of so called 'geeks'. Couldn't believe how many where in attendance and I will admit that I was embarrased to be there. It wont ever change though, when you spend a lot of your free time hunched over a painting area straining to see the details on a figure or wasting time surfing the various forums you end up like this...



Rejoice in your ultimate destiny !

dienekes96 wrote:
I am immune to wargamer stink by virtue of playing Space Wolves.

So you prefer to smell like wet dog? Interesting choice... /sarcasm

My FLGS has a decent mix, its mostly guys in their late 20's early 30's who are looking for a way to get away from a very young child.

Honestly I don't let stereotypes bother me, yes I'm 23 and I wargame...so what? I have a job, I'm social when I'm not working and I enjoy my life. Besides, when they see my painted models their attitude changes about the hobby.

I think you have to examine where the stero type stems from.

First, before there was the FLGS to help support these types of game they would mostly played in the dark dank basements of some guys house.

Second, 30 years ago or more some of these wargames require a degree to play. Furthermore they took multiple weekends to complete from start to finish. Yes, I am refering to the forgotten hex-n-chit games.

Third, I think there is just an assumtion that if you play these games you are a geek and therefore socially crippled, hence the reason you lock yourself in the basement to push little fake armies around.

And finally, would be how we interact with the public. Have you ever been standing next to that guy on day 3 of a Con and he could peel the paint off the wall.

I would definately say that we have come a long way and the sterotype does not quiet stick as much since there is a much wider crowd that now plays games. But I think to disolve the sterotype we need to police ourselfs.