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I was horrible when I was young. Tantrums and ragequits, but we only gamed in my home.

So, luckily for all, I left gaming for ~20 years, and I now know what a ragequit kid might be up against.
I'll play anyone, but the club I play at only has kids there who attend with their gamer parents.

To be honest I don't play in a GW any more (being lucky enough to have a good club and FLGS nearby), and the club is 16+ only. The more reserved environment outside of GW I think cows the more immature people into falling in line, and curbing their childish behaviour.

That being said, as others have pointed out, I have seen some incredibly immature behaviour by adults at time, mainly by those who forget that wargames are meant to be fun and are just a game, and it's not actually real-life soldiers that are dying at your behest. I suppose as Van Helsing would say, those 'with the child brain'.

So really my only bad experience of younglings tends to be some of the kids who come on to this forum and others like it - the ones who have known only GW, and still think the sun shines out of its nether regions. When they come onto the forum some cannot handle the bubble of their 'perfect GW world' being burst, by criticism of finecast for instance, and lash out - it's something we see periodically in the Dakka Discussions section, usually someone with around 50 posts who goes mental and then gets banned for a short time. Hopefully some of those players stop supping from the teet of GW, realise they are just a company like anything else, and are also made aware of the much larger miniature and wargaming world that exists out there. And perhaps have a more fulfilling experience because of it.

-Loki- wrote: They're just miniature hobbyists.

Love that description

chromedog wrote:I was never a child gamer.


I don't hate them. I just don't associate with them. Mainly because a 43 year old "hanging out" with under 18s is creepy (from both sides).

so i guess being a game store owner is creepy, as is being a dad, a coach, a teacher etc.

You forgot Preists as well........oh wait a minute?!?!

As a kid, I can see where the hate comes om but it seems like stereotyping. Yes some kids are idiots but there are lots of decent ones that play well. I got pretty much blanked for a year aged 12 even though I was attentive and had a fully painted army (old GK's to boot) at my flgs and no one would play me so I had to go to my local GW cos I couldn't be bothered with all the mindless hate that was spewed out at me. So now I have to put up with GW's staff trying to sell me half the store!!! Aargh

When i was a kid i was a massive, well jerk, at one point i said someone's move was a stupid, He then told me to get out(this is because i just watched and didnt play) He promptly apologized next week , as did I and we forgot about it. But still, kids may not have filters that tell them what is wrong.

I would put most my of the reasons kids are discriminated against is due to the lack of emotional control.

This is the main reason I avoid some coworkers, and people I meet as well.

Kids tend to shoot out their voices to be herd, throw fits when something happens negatively, show boat when something happens favorably, and tell lies to avoid consequence.

Just going off of experience with younger players, and the experiences we have make up our views and the stereotype that is young players.

Some older players do all of this as well, but more controlled; more grown up like.


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Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:Amongst other things, younger players:

1) attract enemy radar
2) generally don't wash
3) damage my models
4) make strange noises
5) listen to rubbish music at loud volumes
6) Point to a leman russ and ask is that a tank?
7) cheat and use loaded dice
8) Have their mothers next to them.

etc etc.

SO so true, EVERY SINGLE TEEN I have seen play or played against has tried to cheat to win, and after a year of calculus it is seriously silly to cheat a simple point system like 40k, or a measuring curve like 6, 12, 24, inches, and yes even loaded dice. Lack of Filters is big too, they could just shoot out insults like "idiot" or annoying questions like "is that a tank?"

Teenagers do stink. . . Shower before you leave the house... done...

When I was a “kid”, I was a bit much to handle, started gaming when I was 8 and now 24 almost 25. I stopped acting like a “kid” by the time I was 13 or 14 due to the older guys taking me in at the gaming store who were not the creepy stalky types who had jobs and college degrees which made me mature very quickly well maybe not quickly but still the same. I still go back time to time to the store though it’s not the same after being away for 5 years. Though when I do return time to time, I am still accepted like it was yesterday. I am mostly embarrassed due to the creepy stalky types who have not progressed and are still the same and maybe I have just developed an elitist attitude. I am constantly embarrassed when I go into a gaming store other than that one due to being ashamed if someone who I worked with saw me or ever came with me due to lack of gamers using proper hygiene or being morbidly obese (Not that there is anything wrong with that, that is their choice).

The “kids” who game today are just different then back then. I would never cheat and I had a vast knowledge of the rules, although to be honest age does not have anything to do with cheating, gaming mentalities or fully painted armies. So it is a conflicting answer. As stated above by another poster, that’s why I moved to FoW instead of GW, less rubbish to deal with and by far a better crowd.

I don't like playing with kids. They are usually broke and have slapped together armies. It was like when I played paintball, a bunch of
kids hanging out around the tournament players could ruin the experience.

They are not good generals (with few exceptions), and really don't add much value to the hobby, other than bringing in new $$
for GW.

I also don't like the effect they have on the game, as it encourages GW to make the game more "kiddy". See codex Necrons.

16 should be the minimum age, and you should have the resources to devote to the game.

chromedog wrote:Constantly leaving the table to check something else out.

Guilty...

But I was also going to say... "FINE, I'll HOLD IN MY EXCESSIVELY SMALL BLADDER"


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Darklight wrote:16 should be the minimum age, and you should have the resources to devote to the game.

This is crap, I'm 18, and I pump gas for a living. 80% of what I earn go's towards my uni fund and I barely have a means to buy models or hobby supplies. I really only get models on Birthdays and Christmases, and any spare money I have, which I rarely have. I only have about 60% of my models painted because of school, hockey and worrying about uni. But I think 60% is really good for the current state I'm in.

I am a very devoted wargamer, 50% of my spare time go's towards wargaming, the other half go's towards mates and such. So in short, I DO NOT have a means, but I am very devoted

Im gonna go ahead and say that the only thing i worry about younger players for is being beaten by them (not their fault) or having something stolen from me by one of them (their fault).

around our gaming group we have lots of younger players, sure they say stupid things sometimes, but so do the older players who should totally know that what they were saying was stupid. Kids also really get into the game which can be loads of fun. as long as they are polite and dont steal stuff i have no probs with younger gamers.

Lastly, the worst smelling gamers are usually the older ones. just saying

Poppabear wrote:

chromedog wrote:Constantly leaving the table to check something else out.

Guilty...

But I was also going to say... "FINE, I'll HOLD IN MY EXCESSIVELY SMALL BLADDER"


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Darklight wrote:16 should be the minimum age, and you should have the resources to devote to the game.

This is crap, I'm 18, and I pump gas for a living. 80% of what I earn go's towards my uni fund and I barely have a means to buy models or hobby supplies. I really only get models on Birthdays and Christmases, and any spare money I have, which I rarely have. I only have about 60% of my models painted because of school, hockey and worrying about uni. But I think 60% is really good for the current state I'm in.

I am a very devoted wargamer, 50% of my spare time go's towards wargaming, the other half go's towards mates and such. So in short, I DO NOT have a means, but I am very devoted

That is a big difference from a 12 year old loitering around the gaming tables. We have one kid, 17-18ish, that hangs around at 40K night. He thinks he is a 40K expert, and he doesn't even own an army.

I won't play them or acknowledge them. It is a waste of time.

Darklight wrote:I don't like playing with kids. They are usually broke and have slapped together armies. It was like when I played paintball, a bunch of kids hanging out around the tournament players could ruin the experience.

They are not good generals (with few exceptions), and really don't add much value to the hobby, other than bringing in new $$
for GW.

I also don't like the effect they have on the game, as it encourages GW to make the game more "kiddy". See codex Necrons.

16 should be the minimum age, and you should have the resources to devote to the game.

This is a conflicting sentence as yes there will be kids who have slapped together armys but a lot just ask their moms and dads to buy them stuff (and that is how GW get their $$, ££, etc).

I for one was one of these broke kids when I started but I never got my mom or dad to buy me anything (apert form birthdays christmas etc) most of the stuff I own I bought with my own money and soon I gradually got the sized army I wanted but You cant really say it all the little ones who are the ones with slapped together armys, some adults arwe in the same position and proxy armys all depend on the persons taste when fighting their opponent, also what do you mean by slapped togetther armys? like paperhammer and proxys? Also, you say the kids make the game more "kiddy" I disagree, as codex DE is a rather dark one and Chaos (daemons and traitors) is also a dark part of the 41st millenium. DE have hemoniculus which are rather dark and twisted abominations with very corrupt minds and slannesh and khorne are probably some of the darkest gods that have ever been put into Sci-Fi.

Just my two cents...

hotsauceman1 wrote:But still, kids may not have filters that tell them what is wrong.

Neither do adults. And some of the manbabies I've seen playing this game make full use of the lack of a filter on their mouth. Immaturity isn't limited to children.

I can understand people not wanting to play games against kids because the age gap, since it can come across as creepy. But anyone citing maturity as the reason needs to take a good, long look at the general adult crowd at an FLGS.

As a 14 (Week till 15) year old player I can understand in some ways why people do dislike child players, I have seen many annoying kinds of players the sorts who really shouldnt be playing, like those 7-8 year olds you say which I do agree, is a bit strange. But generalising that all kid gamers, which I have seen people doing in this thread, as crazy uncontrolled insane people in my humble opinion is very unfair and that I do dislike.

Not to sound a tool, but dont you have to be atleast 16 to be in the store without an adult, you know with the glues and knives.. I remeber gaming at about 14 and we had to have someone over 16 with us.

But to go along with the thread, i basically agree with the rest, hyperactive and easily distracted kids get on my nerves. Last time i was at GW id finished a game and told the lads i was going for a tab/cigarette, and the the kid mocked non-stop i was in a huff (i won so why i dont know) and when i got back got told he'd gone through my stuff and broke a decent number of models and ran.. so yeah.. a douche

I've never really had much of a problem with younger players. To be honest, most of the time I find myself playing against players who are half my age (one of the odd things that happens when you go from being the rare geek in a family to having the following generation populated largely by geeky family members), and most of the time they are able to focus and engage in a fun game.

On the flip-side, I've played against kids who can't shut up or quit checking Facebook long enough to finish out a turn. So it's a mixed bag.

Darklight wrote:

I also don't like the effect they have on the game, as it encourages GW to make the game more "kiddy". See codex Necrons.

Off topic. Der what? Collecting people in ghost arks to force them to conform, weapons that strip flesh from bone, wearing enimies flesh as a uniform. Sorry its not something id let my little kid read.

On topic. While we get the occasional bad egg my flgs is usually pretty great at eleminating the problem ones. Once you get banned from the store for a while they tend to learn.

I'm 12 (13 in 11 days). It can be a pain in the ar5e as well for us!
Many of the people at gw think all "younger" players act like doucebags, but in fact, for me, I most of the time play to improve my understanding of the game. Which can be very hard when no-one takes you seriously. That is why I go to gw rather than gaming clubs, because there are lots of people there in a similar position to me, who want to learn and game, rather than mess about, and the staff are very helpful.
That is why I do more of the painting and modelling than gaming.
Oh, and lots of the kids are spoilt little brats who get everything and anything bought for them, but some of us (me) actually save up hard earned cash, which helps to get a better understanding of saving, not just SPEND SPEND SPEND!! I WANT I WANT!!

sennacherib wrote:
so i guess being a game store owner is creepy, as is being a dad, a coach, a teacher etc.

Yep.

I think anyone who likes to hang around with children (including parents, btw) is a little odd. Yes, I even tell my friends (who are parents) this.
Not a parent, not going to be one (ever). Can't happen, don't care.

Had to do all that "working with children" police background check crap when my club WAS little more than a creche (12-16 year olds).
Don't miss it.
Like my club where it is. It has beer on tap and a refreshing shortage of under-18s (who can't afford the hobby anyway, and those that do will often give it up between 17 and 24 anyway as other interests compete for their attentions).

blood lance wrote:As a 14 (Week till 15) year old player I can understand in some ways why people do dislike child players, I have seen many annoying kinds of players the sorts who really shouldnt be playing, like those 7-8 year olds you say which I do agree, is a bit strange. But generalising that all kid gamers, which I have seen people doing in this thread, as crazy uncontrolled insane people in my humble opinion is very unfair and that I do dislike.

^^ THIS +1