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Not sure if this is the right place, if not, sorry!

Ok, we all know that wargaming is a nerdy hobby, if you haven't accepted that yet, you're in denial haha.

What I'm wondering is how many people on here are 'openly' nerdy and tell people they play war-games? I am just getting back into 40k and when I played when I was younger none of my friends from school etc knew I played and I did my best to keep it a secret from them. Now that I'm older I wouldn't deny it if they asked me about it but I still would rather they didn't know. I realise how stupid this sounds as I'm 19 and I shouldn't really care about what other people think of me but I do!

Anyone got any stories of how they've gone out of their way to keep their nerdiness secret haha?

I've never gone out of my way to deny it or keep it a secret. If other people don't like it, they can go feth themselves.

Why keep nerdiness secret.

Being nerdy is no longer an insult, nerds are usually proud of what they are at least those with a peer group over the age of 15.

Nerd means being usually a lot smarter than average, certainly with a higher imagination and more often than not tech savvy. Those are creditable qualities. Also its not longer seen as true that nerds cant get girls either, they get better girls because girls prefer imaginative men and men with higher income brackets.

Besides who said nerds cant do sports, or join the military or like the outdoors. Some nerds dont, others do.

Be proud of being a nerd. Its not just OK, its a new elite.

Once you leave high school, this question is no longer relevant. This is a good thing.

Orlanth wrote:
Nerd means being usually a lot smarter than average, certainly with a higher imagination and more often than not tech savvy.

Tech savvy: sure.

Smarter than average: no.

"Tits or GTFO!" is a thing (4Chan), and has been for some time.

To rephrase: "Graphic Design is not at all like majoring in Theatre!"

I realise it's stupid, it's just something I've always done haha. I'm out of high school now, been working this year and start university in September. As I said I don't go out of my way any more to keep it a secret, I just don't feel the need to go tell my friends that I play war-games etc!

I play sports etc too!

dogma wrote:

"Tits or GTFO!" is a thing (4Chan), and has been for some time.

Thats not nerds thats 4chan users. Internet has mass access and a low collective IQ.

For example the nerds here are gamers who play with miniatures and dice. A firm subcategory of nerd. Drunk bums 'shoot craps', just because they like to roll 2d6 doesn't make them nerds.

JaggyNI wrote:I realise it's stupid, it's just something I've always done haha. I'm out of high school now, been working this year and start university in September. As I said I don't go out of my way any more to keep it a secret, I just don't feel the need to go tell my friends that I play war-games etc!

I play sports etc too!

Meh, I'm still hiding it from my parents. They got all caught up in the D&d scare in the 90s, and forbid me to ever own anything wargame or roleplaying related. They even burned a few of my Vampire the Mascarade books (those I couldn't smuggle away to my friend's place).

And I'm 27 mind you...

Haha bloody hell, would suck to hide it from my parents!

Orlanth wrote:

dogma wrote:

"Tits or GTFO!" is a thing (4Chan), and has been for some time.

Thats not nerds thats 4chan users. Internet has mass access and a low collective IQ.

For example the nerds here are gamers who play with miniatures and dice. A firm subcategory of nerd. Drunk bums 'shoot craps', just because they like to roll 2d6 doesn't make them nerds.

I have a pretty high IQ. I laugh at tit jokes.

What D&D scare from the 90s?

Rule #11, Dont insult nerds, chances are you willl end up working for one.
ANd yeah, that DND scare is funny, Didnt they make a movie wabout it wwith tom hanks killing people in a DND fueled delusion?

dæl wrote:What D&D scare from the 90s?

80s scare was bigger than that in the 90s, from what I recall. D&D was thought to be demonic by some groups and lead to actual demon worship and/or lead to suicide. Do a google for it. Check out some Jack Chick Tracts while you're at it.

I tell people but I work in an industry (video games) which is famously nerdy anyway.

If you go round a game design studio you'll find a lot of people's desks are decked out with anime figures and I've seen 40K stuff on some people's desks too.

I don't know what I would do if I worked in a bank. Probably stick to "historical conflict simulation" games.

kronk wrote:

dæl wrote:What D&D scare from the 90s?

80s scare was bigger than that in the 90s, from what I recall. D&D was thought to be demonic by some groups and lead to actual demon worship and/or lead to suicide. Do a google for it. Check out some Jack Chick Tracts while you're at it.

I was a 90's kid, so I might have gotten the late wave... but yeah, essentially, people linking kids cutting themselves open with knives with RPG because those kids 'roleplayed' being knights and fighting with swords . There was even a MADD movement for it, Mother against Dungeon & Dragons...

And the Jack Chicks Tracts... ah... I remember those... that was like b/ before b/ was invented...

I'm sure even some people today still see D&D and fantasy stuff as "evil". I remember there being a local news story where a mother wouldn't let her kid go see the latest Harry Potter movie cos it was demonic...

I usually make the distinction of Nerd, someone exceptionally bright, and a geek, those who lack that but are into geeky stuff (e.g. sci-fi etc. )

Up until about 24 I cared about people thinking of me as a geek. Didn't bother with 40k from about 16 until then. Now I couldn't care less.

Orlanth wrote:
Thats not nerds thats 4chan users. Internet has mass access and a low collective IQ.

Because "nerds" are only the smart people that do "nerdy" things.

Orlanth wrote:
For example the nerds here are gamers who play with miniatures and dice. A firm subcategory of nerd. Drunk bums 'shoot craps', just because they like to roll 2d6 doesn't make them nerds.

I won't lie, I don't like you and never have (I would invent pejoratives.), but good God that's elitist; and I'm disgustingly so. Keep in mind, self-admonished arrogant prick is calling you elitist.

For shame.

hotsauceman1 wrote:Rule #11, Dont insult nerds, chances are you willl end up working for one.

No, chances are they'll pat themselves on the back because at some point playing Warhams made you smart.

I am althetic yet I am a massive nerd. Which is why many people like me. I show off the fact I do nerdy things. When people ask me. "Have you played D&D." I say yes and I tell them I had a ton of fun playing it.
I also am a Freerunner and I also do a lot of other things.

Glorioski wrote:I usually make the distinction of Nerd, someone exceptionally bright, and a geek, those who lack that but are into geeky stuff (e.g. sci-fi etc. )

Up until about 24 I cared about people thinking of me as a geek. Didn't bother with 40k from about 16 until then. Now I couldn't care less.

I wasn't sure what to call it, nerd, geek, someone who looks things seen as 'weird' or whatever haha.

Some people seem to be getting fairly uptight about a fairly innocent subject. You know in this context I might personally refine my definition of nerd to people who have posted thousands of posts on a wargaming forum and the overwhelming majority of them are in the off topic forum. You know, just to fuel the fire a little.

Yeah that D&D scare stuff looks like your usual crap that pops up time to time. One thing on self harm though, the majority that do it are female while the majority of wargamers/D&Ders are male, the people that come up with these "scares" are really made of pure fail. All I will say is that i'm glad I grew up in an agnostic household.

To answer the OP, at school i got a fair amount of gak for being nerdy and chose to keep things to myself, since leaving noone minds about what I choose to do, which has bred far more openness, although I do refrain from telling prospective girlfriends that I play with toy soldiers on a first date.

Kilkrazy wrote:I tell people but I work in an industry (video games) which is famously nerdy anyway.

If you go round a game design studio you'll find a lot of people's desks are decked out with anime figures and I've seen 40K stuff on some people's desks too.

I don't know what I would do if I worked in a bank. Probably stick to "historical conflict simulation" games.

I call 'em my really expensive toy soldiers and just glare.

In court I called them historical miniatures like chess or Risk. Cross exam tried to make fun of it, but turns out the husband of one of the jurors played 40K.

I have a friend that used to be a drill instructor and he is DMing our Rogue Trader sessions.

Of course, I think most drill instructors, once you begin to know them personally, usually are alright guys. At least from my experience.

dæl wrote:To answer the OP, at school i got a fair amount of gak for being nerdy and chose to keep things to myself, since leaving noone minds about what I choose to do, which has bred far more openness, although I do refrain from telling prospective girlfriends that I play with toy soldiers on a first date.

Haha I do the same... I can just imagine the look on some girls faces when you would go off on a massive spiel about the rules and the most recent army you're collecting!

In court I called them historical miniatures like chess or Risk. Cross exam tried to make fun of it, but turns out the husband of one of the jurors played 40K.

Frazzle....I'm afraid to even ask.....

Something about nerds...we get the hot chicks...cool toys...better tech jobs...well desk jobs that actually pays 8)

JaggyNI wrote:

dæl wrote:To answer the OP, at school i got a fair amount of gak for being nerdy and chose to keep things to myself, since leaving noone minds about what I choose to do, which has bred far more openness, although I do refrain from telling prospective girlfriends that I play with toy soldiers on a first date.

Haha I do the same... I can just imagine the look on some girls faces when you would go off on a massive spiel about the rules and the most recent army you're collecting!

A girl had asked, and so I was explaining about the fall of the Eldar and how their decadent, pleasure-fuelled ways had brought them misfortune, and she then asked if I identified with such a situation.

Hey, have I missed one of the funniest wargaming stories of all time - Frazz in court defending the fact that he plays miniature wargames?? In the name of Jesus, Allah, and Buddha, somebody give me the f+++++g link to that thread!!!

Back OT, imagine telling somebody like Matty that he is a nerd... If you were a former red devil, fair enough (they've always been tougher than marines ) but for anybody else...world of pain.

I admit I play tabletop games all the time. Sometimes, talking about it even gets some new players, which is always good. Im not ashamed of my hobby at all.

As my signature used to say Frazzled the only man who's ever proven in a court of law that playing 40K makes you a geek, not a nut.