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With any nerdy hobby were typically singled out for being weird. I have for my love of star wars and star trek but mainly i never have with wargaming because of people not really understanding.
Has anyone here dealt with this or storie of friends.
Also how bout people who have dealt with people who object to this because of violence or occlut kinof stuff.
Or just share stories of stuff like that in genaral.

All of my friends are also wargamers, so it's not a problem. I don't bring it up to other people, because I just don't want to be bothered to try and explain it to them. It's usually just a waste of time.

My friends thought it was strange at first, but then they started to think it was kinda cool. (More on the fluff side.)

I refuse to be thought of as the anti-social nerd stereotype. I have female companionship, (well, I did until about 10pm this evening, but that had nothing to do with wargaming) and I have other interests that have nothing to do with any fantastical or science-fiction settings.

If anyone thinks its weird, well, they're entitled to their opinion. It's not something I'm going to go into great detail about on a first date, but then I'd be rather turned off if she blathered on about her cat or something.

A thought: The participants of wargaming and football (American) are both large, sweaty, odorous men. Why is one widely accepted and televised, while the other is mostly shunned?

Everyone knows someone who plays some kind of RPG or wargame.

So it has never been a problem for me. Just need to explain GW games are not chess and we have models that we buy, then assemble, paint and game with.

What are friends?

Cheese Elemental wrote:What are friends?

Miserable little piles of secrets?

Most of my friend are sharing my interest for Wargames or rpgs and so does my wonderful wife (well ok, I met her playing LARP).

But I avoid as much as possible to talk about it at my job, and so when everybody's talking about what they did during the week-end My LARPs turns to "camping", and wargaming turns to "visiting friends".

All my friends are into gaming in one form or another so its not a problem with me.
I try and avoid bringing gaming up outside of them as it is just a hassle to explain what the gw hobby is.

I think discussing war gaming on a first date would usually go over about as well as telling her how effective your herpes medication is ...

Other than that I really do not care how nerdy people think I am. I'm a 30 year old man who plays with toy soldiers. I got over the oddness of it a long time ago.

I was somewhat embarrassed/defensive about my wargaming habit when I got married. The wife would give me a bit of a hard time and I remember something like the 3rd time she went into a GW store with me a nerdy kid, probably 12 or something, came up to me and it went something like this:
'Hello! Do you play 40k?'
'Uh, oh hi, yes, yes I do.'
'I play Chaos! What do you play?'
'I play Orks.'
'Ah! A fellow evil player! I salute you!'
<kid wanders off, wife is loving the entire ackward/nerdy exchange>

HOWEVER. About a year later the wife mentions that she got a 'box' at the local comic book store (you know, a box where they'll put the titles you request and you pick em up every other week or whatever). I knew she had some comic books but a box? Really? So I start tagging along with her when she gets her assorted X-Men, X-Factor, X-whatever Marvel titles. On one of these trips (during which I try to make a point of wandering around looking at things as if I hadn't spent most of my formative years in a comic book/game store and as if the experience was an entirely new one to me) the wife walks up to the counter to get her comics and I overhear the following exchange:
'Box 21 please.'
'Oh yeah! You're the mutant chick! Here you go.'

So now I have the 'mutant chick' card to play when she asks me how I'm doing with my 'evil' toy soldiers. It's fun.

I live in a small town where pretty much every thing slightly different different is considered "Bad". So I just shut up and keep it to myself. Luckily none of my friends have any idea I play wargames, otherwise my live would be considerably less enjoyable. Its a bit of a shame but hopefully if I ever live in a more accepting area I can just do what I want.

A few raised eyebrows here and there when people ask me what my hobbies are.

My hobby schedule is pretty shock-full of all sorts of stuff, from nerd stuff to long bike trips,
(can't beat the open air and a smooth curvy road going past at 100mph+ on a summer day), to regular arts of all forms, like painting,sculpting and music.


Haven't really had any negative reactions about warhammer, except when they hear the price of a simple boxset with the tiny figures.

I have all my friends try it out, and they usually play afterwards.

My family is very supportive. The kids like to play and my wife likes to paint occassionally.

Most of my friends play rpgs or 40k. But occassionaly the subject comes up with others and they seem not to understand the concept of rping or wargaming. But my geekiness/nerdness did lead me to my wife through star trek. But that is a whole nother story. One thing we did do was try each others hobbies. And we enjoy them. Mine is a lot safer and with her medical problems allows her to do other things then lay in bed. Her hobby is horses and with that I have taken more trips to the emergency room then I did the 25 years before I meet her. Sprained ankles and several concussions to name the least. Getting kicked by a 1800 lbs draft horse and also falling off of said horse while jumpng.

Dude, where did that thing kick you? Shouldn't you be like, dead?

As for friends, all my friends have played Dawn of War, so 40k is not a problem. The only embarrasing thing about my hobby is that my 50+ year old mother likes to play tyranids. I think she is the only girl to come into that store and not get hit on.

arachnid wrote:A few raised eyebrows here and there when people ask me what my hobbies are.

My hobby schedule is pretty shock-full of all sorts of stuff, from nerd stuff to long bike trips,
(can't beat the open air and a smooth curvy road going past at 100mph+ on a summer day), to regular arts of all forms, like painting,sculpting and music.


Haven't really had any negative reactions about warhammer, except when they hear the price of a simple boxset with the tiny figures.

I would trade every single army and mini I own for perpetual 70 degree weather, a new bike, and endless time to ride it.

My best friends know that I play 40K, and they respect it. Some of them play as well, and the majority of them have been in contact with the hobby at some point themselves, so it would be hypocritical of them to react any other way.

My classmates don't know I'm playing, and I'd like to keep it that way. I don't really bring up the subject when in the company of "lesser" friends. I know how judgemental people can be. "Oh, so you and a bunch of geeks go 'pew-pew' at each other while playing with toy sodliers? Really mature."

It has nothing to do with maturity/lack of maturity. :(

Ratbarf wrote:Dude, where did that thing kick you? Shouldn't you be like, dead?

As for friends, all my friends have played Dawn of War, so 40k is not a problem. The only embarrasing thing about my hobby is that my 50+ year old mother likes to play tyranids. I think she is the only girl to come into that store and not get hit on.

I was trimming the horses back hoof when it kicked out. Its hock (knee) clipped me in the temple, giving me a major concosion. While learing to shoe horses I have been kicked several times in the leg. Luckely I was able to move so I would just get clipped. It's amazing how many people don't train their horses

Its a funny thing, but some sectors of society react better to you if you tell them you "fiddle with Children" rather than play "Warhammer". bizarre! Its an enthusiasm/hobby that improves social skills, modelling, painting, maturity and fair play how can any of those things be bad?

Anyway I was in a FLGS when a "Tramp" (no word of a lie) came in and sat next to me and we had a wonderful lucid conversation about childhood hobbies and how we revert back to what we know as we get older. It was a mildly amusing and completely warm and uncomplicated exchange between human beings. All the staff were polite and we gave him the time of day and he wondered off after 30mins or so! What other hobbie would be completely at home with this, The whole hobby is a leveller and class, money, distinction, age, sex, religion all gets left behind to engage in a fantasy world of friendly gaming. All these things are good for the soul...

I haven't had to deal with anything. If your friends give you serious gak for doing what you love (as long as nobody's getting hurt that is), they probably aren't your friends anyway. Girls I've dated have either looked the other way or actually supported the hobby and my involvement in it.

I didn't have to deal with anything of that either. Most of my friends have a nerdy hobby, and mine is nowhere near the strangest in the group (one of them models clay skulls).
As about the girlfriend, well, she accepts it, even if frowns upon when i start talking in my sleep about "Commander, we must take the Warboss down!!! For the Emperooooor!!! CHaaaaaaarge!!!"
As of people who have no idea what 40k is, well, i don't even bother.

All my friends know I'm a massive nerd, so they don't worry about it.

Although one of my non-wargaming friends did pick up an Axis & Allies board game, so I may be able to corrupt him into FoW at the least.

I don't really have to put up with anything (mostly because no one knows), but i will, when i give a presentation on wargaming in my highschool class!
What was I thinking?

Forums.

I have always been a huge fan of warhammer, but am just getting back into the tabletop version.

In the past, when people have asked me what book I am reading, I gladly show them the WH40K book in hand. On the rare occasion I got a condescending remark, I confidently asked them what the problem was.

My friends that found out I was getting back into tabletop gaming were all very supportive and asked lots of questions. While I don't broadcast it at work, I would not be embarassed or ashamed either. I think it all comes down to being confident and proud that you have a hobby you truly enjoy.

Life is too short to worry about what other people think.

I punish my students now when I keep them after class. I show them painted models or give
them dry descriptions of an event or rules.

I don't put up with them. They put up with me.