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CCotD wrote: Playing Wargames is a hobby, so's model railroading even if you buy "out of the box" scenery and have someone else do the layout... the running of the trains is the hobby.

I find it sad and pathetic that people argue over what's a hobby and what isn't, especially when they could be using their time wisely and doing their hobby instead of arguing about it.

Well, you brought up model railroading, and as a model railroader (it got me into modeling in general, and I somehow made the jump from model railroading to 40k, and now possibly to at-43), I simply must comment on this. If one can claim that 40k is three hobbies combined (wargaming, modeling, painting), than model railroading is much more (for a basic stand alone layout (provided you do this all yourself): light carpentry, electrical wiring, modeling, painting, scenery construction). Many people are likely not to like every aspect of the hobby, but we can find ways to minimize the aspects that we enjoy less so that we can focus on the aspects we enjoy more. Personally, thats what makes it a hobby for me.

Wargaming should be no different. People should focus on what they find enjoyable, and downplay what they don't. Its a hobby, lighten up and have fun people.

On a completely unrelated note, my screen-name is derived from railroading: Southern Pacific [US railroad] Black Widow [historical paint scheme] F7 [a type of diesel engine released in the mid 1940's IIRC] example