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This month will see me finally finish selling off all my miniature forces, apart from my Wolfen & Kelts (as I love the models / background + I know the market is dead for them). All I will have left is my paints and a few odd figures I will likely just throw away.

The past year had seen me swing backwards and forwards on this, but in the end I came to the conclusion that it was time to move on after 20 years. I suppose the writing was on the wall about three years ago when I got rid of my 40k forces. I realised that they could never live upto the fluff that I loved, gaming with them was completely different to reading about them. I became disillusioned with it all. Having moved away from GW systems I collected other armies and had great fun with those and frustrations. Confrontation was a classic example. I bought into it and by the time I was ready to game, it had been killed. Later on I realised it was stupid to have so many systems as I'd never get around to playing them all, especially as I only gamed once a week, and that could get interupted. So I had another purge.

Time moved on and I got caught up in the gaming fever again, but this time only bought into skirmish games, never again would I spend hundreds of pounds on one army. However this time around I got caught up the gamers curse of being influenced by other gamers at the club. A fad would start, you'd buy into it, then those people would stop playing and switch to something else. It was at this point I said enough is enough and pulled the plug on the hobby. I didn't sell everything off straight away as I knew I'd been in this down state before, but as time went by I knew it was over for me, especially when the idea of painting another model sent a shiver down my spine.

To fill in my hobby time now I spend my time playing games such as "Modern Warfare" or "Tom Clancey's La Vegas". Or I can be found behind my camera, building websites or developing my 3d skills. Although not perfect I find that games like Modern warfare give me the experience I crave. I'm also hoping to take up Airsoft as that looks challenging.

Wargaming served it's purpose for 20 years and for the most I enjoyed it. I certainly would recommend it to anyone to try out as it's good fun and you make good friends. I will miss it in some ways.

So just out of interest are their any other Dakka's in the same boat or are you all total diehards?

I gave up for years and came back.

It's a shame you don't enjoy the modelling and painting side of things, it would be a hobby unto it's self and far cheaper than building entire armies. I always found it peaceful to paint but I am weak about getting to doing it. Too tired in the evenings and busy at the weekends.

I'm surprised you haven't got a regular group for something like Flames of War or so on.

Also, have you ever tried tabletop roleplaying, it's another hobby of mine and very rewarding for a minimal outlay.

Anyway, till you come back, enjoy the computer games and continue to peruse dakka I hope.

/salute

I go through cycles in my hobbies. The cycles can be pretty long - 3-5 years. Generally I play something for a few years, start to lose interest, and slowly drop one hobby as I pick up another.

One thing that's served me very, very well however, is I almost always keep a "core" of stuff from my old hobby. Magic cards, RPG books, or whatever - I keep my favorite stuff and unload the chaff. That way whenever my interest picks up again, I don't have to dump money starting from scratch.

I got rid of all my armies when I moved out.. Just have marines now (from when I got back in). :(

I think the most frustrating thing other then the prices is the GW pendulum. Somethings OP, then worthless then OP in a different way again.

I love the 40k setting though. Its what keeps me interested.

I feel almost exactly the same as you although I haven't been doing it as long. I enjoy the games but every time something is getting started, it dies and I have tons of models and nothing else left to show for it. I just finished selling my 40k and nearly all of my WM but still have hope that something will come along AND survive... but maybe that's just stupid.

I think if you like the gaming part but despise the painting part, you are much less likely to be a wargamer for life...

But if you love the painting part, you'll always have stuff to do by yourself, so may stay with it much longer.

Wolfstan wrote:Confrontation was a classic example. I bought into it and by the time I was ready to game, it had been killed.

I feel your pain there!

That just about killed it for me...

Alpharius wrote:

Wolfstan wrote:Confrontation was a classic example. I bought into it and by the time I was ready to game, it had been killed.

I feel your pain there!

That just about killed it for me...

They are the one system that I'm keeping. I've still got a load of Kelts and a handful of Wulfen to paint up, so if I do get the urge again I can start with those. Plus the Wulfen are great as subjects for photographing. At some point I hope to take a shot of my Worg and have him lit so he appears to be under moonlight.

My Dogs of War force:

Hi all.
I do wish people wouldnt assume that all wargames are table top minature games.
Just because GW sell minatures, and produce a marketing campain thinly disgused as a rule sets, this doesnt mean this is the only product type availabe to wargamers.

If you dont like painting minatures , why not buy into games with pre-painted minatures or NO MINATURES AT ALL!!!
(To serious gamers, the minatures are just de-lux counters anyway. )

In detailed 'skirmish games' , detailed minatures are more apropriate due to the higher amount of narrative and detail at the individual element level.

At the 'battle game' level, most minatures are just de-lux wound counters.(Other games companies realise this and price them accordingly.)

Wargames cover a very wide range of activities, T.E.W.T right through to re-enactment-full scale real training combats.
A SMALL percentage of this covers table top minature games.


So TTMGs make up about 20% of the wargames activities available.
Out of the total amounts of TTMGS available , GW market about 1 to 2%.

Assuming the 'GW hobby' is all there is to wargaming, is like assuming football is all therE is to sport!

I stopped playing for about 7 years due to no one playing where I lived (16 -23) initially and later because I had no money as a student. But I always loved the background, the fluff and would buy books/read stuff ont he web.

Then I got into bloodbowl, it was small, little investment loved the painting and went from there.

Few wargames live up to the hype in anycase. Its the same with most luxury items. The manufacturers need to create a reason for you to buy their products, so encourage a heightened sense of expectation around them. Hence you get beautifully painted models on box covers that you'll never ever achieve. and the like, when what you are buying is just a few lumps of metal or plastic.

Similarly with game play. Some people get really excited about winning and losing and their place in a league and such, but for most sane adults with a normal healthy life there isn't the time or need to get too bothered about such things, so in reality all you are doing is spending an evening with some friends seeing who can roll higher numbers on some dice. An activity that is hardly worth breaking sweat over, let alone dedicating hours and hours of your time and a large proportion of your disposable income.

In time, it has been my experience that most people settle into some sort of niche in the hobby. Where their level of enjoyment from the research, fluff, socialising, game playing, sense of achievement from painting, sastisfaction from collecting etc., combine to provide them with a level of satisfaction. But that is far from the hype that would have you believe you are guaranteed an orgasm if you buy such and such a product! Expectation of massive amounts of "fun" are greatly exaggerated and will lead ultimately to disappointment and disillusionment.

For some. sadly, none of it provides satisfaction, and I was in that position for around 11 years and only game back to gaming 10 years ago when having young kids meant I needed to have stuff to do that was more interesting than watching the TV when I was stuck in the house. Now they are older and more self contained, I find I have more interesting options opening up again for my time. Wargaming will always be there and its a fun way to spend some time with the lads once a week, or a couple of hours in an evening when there's nothing worth watching on TV, but it doesn't dominate my life and never will. Its just a hobby, not a lifestyle, so make it fit your needs!

Shaman wrote:I got rid of all my armies when I moved out.. Just have marines now (from when I got back in). :(

I think the most frustrating thing other then the prices is the GW pendulum. Somethings OP, then worthless then OP in a different way again.

I love the 40k setting though. Its what keeps me interested.

Roleplayer wrote:I think if you like the gaming part but despise the painting part, you are much less likely to be a wargamer for life...

But if you love the painting part, you'll always have stuff to do by yourself, so may stay with it much longer.

I agree with Roleplayer. What i like about the hobby is collecting great looking armies, and the background that goes with them - I'm not the best painter in the world, but I like the look of a full force all in the same color scheme, something unique and that ties into the rich background. I play, and I enjoy playing, but I don't care if the model is good or bad game-wise - if it looks good I'll buy it, paint it and use it, and have fun doing so (even if it always gets killed!).

So yes, if you're more of a 'gamer' than a 'modeller' then I can see how you'd eventually get annoyed with the changes in rules/model power/army strength.

I find painting and modelling relaxing - and the rest of my life (socially and professionally) all happens in the same entertainment/media/arts circle, so it's nice to have something that pulls me away from that. I've only ever given up for years at a time once, while I was at uni ten years ago - though I'll have breaks of a few months at a time and then come back to a new force.

Interestingly, I recently got back in touch with an old friend of mine that I used to play with when we were teenagers. He offered to give me all his old models - he gave up at 18 too and they were 'taking up too much space'. I said thanks (NEW OOP MODELZZZZ!!!!) but told him one of the important thing's I've learned from reading threads on here - always keep a couple of armies around, even if they're just in a shoebox in the loft. I've seen a few threads on this site along the lines of "I'm getting back into the game but sold all my models years ago" or "My kids are just getting into it, but I sold all my models years ago". For the sake of a shoebox in the loft, you'll never get into that situation....

I dropped out of the hobby for many years in the 90's, but kept the stuff I had as I still roleplayed.

Now back with a vengence as wife, kids and friends all play.

But do feel your pain on systems dieing and feeling like you wasted money and time. One of the reasons why I don't mind GW hiking prices too much, if it keeps a company supporting my addiction, then so be it!

I've sold off a lot of stuff in recent months and with a baby due in two weeks, I almost went all the way. Didn't think I'd have the time post birth, but decided to try and keep an evening per week dedicated to this crazy world regardless.

So hanging onto Skaven and a few of my preferred Codexes/Army Books. I may switch to a plan of painting five models a week (or one character/war engine) and just watch my rats build up slowly.

Roleplayer wrote:I think if you like the gaming part but despise the painting part, you are much less likely to be a wargamer for life...

But if you love the painting part, you'll always have stuff to do by yourself, so may stay with it much longer.

I completely agree as this has been my first-hand experience. My gaming group still wonders why I buy and put time into GW models and conversions if we don't even play. Simple ... I'm a "Modeller-type" of hobbier and they don't understand because they are the "Gamer-type".

Like many posters, I have unloaded a lot of my models (with still too many more to sell) but I've kept "my foot in the door" with the GW models of the hobby by continuing to enjoy the building, converting and painting aspect that entertains me along with all the great GW imagery and IP.

Real life - job, wife, kids - and trying to coordinate with others faced with their own real lives, makes getting together a tactical nightmare most of the time so having the solo aspect of the hobby also helps.

I doubt we'll ever get back to playing 40K and I'm OK with that. We've dabbled in other miniatures and RPG sytems, spent more money than we should have trying new games, and now we find we're perfectly happy getting together (when we finally can) to share a few pints and some fun boardgames like Descent, Tomb, Lord of the Rings, A Touch of Evil, etc. Even quick games like Cave Troll and Drakon have their place. There is something liberating about getting to play a game out of the box without excessive prep and modelling time with volumes of rules.


*** BTW, Flashman, congratulations on the new baby !!! Definitely keep some hobby stuff to enjoy but don't expect to get anything done quickly ... Sure, you'll have more hours when the baby has those inevitable sleepless nights but you'll be holding him/her rather than a brush. And, odds are, you'll be elbow deep in real life Devlan Mud

I stopped playing GW for a few years and came back into it a while back. Think it`s been 4 or 5 years now. As with all things though thats coming to an end and a lot of my mini`s are up for sale with a lot more to get rid of as well.

What I will say though yes I am quitting GW but i`m not done with the hobby. GW is not the hobby. There are plenty far superior and cheaper things out there.

I think that`s what people don`t realize. They have alternatives. Don`t let the so called "big company" push you out of what is essentially one of the best things you can do with your time.

I quit gaming for many years, but got back into 40K when 5th edition was released.

The unfortunate reality is GW keeps increasing their prices and it's putting me off. I love the hobby and I'd hate to quit, but if I can't afford or bring myself to pay their steep and ever increasing prices... what choice do I have, but to quit again? :(

oni wrote:... steep and ever increasing prices... what choice do I have, but to quit again? :(

Like Motograter said, there are many other alternative miniatures games out there that can still allow you to enjoy the hobby if GW forces you away from 40K.

Personally, I loathe GW's pricing and business "strategies" and those were a major reason why our group stopped playing 40K. Some just couldn't afford the increases while others could but refused to keep buying and supporting the annual increases.

Interests always wax and wain for everyone.

However, the one tip I *always* try to impress is to NOT SELL YOUR MINIS (especially if they're painted).

Instead, by some cases, put all your figs into 'em and then box those cases up and throw them in a basement, attic, etc.


Because invariably in months, years or decades you'll get another strange urge to paint some minis and make an army. And if you already have some old models hanging around, you'll save yourself form that 'impulse' buy where you go out and buy a new army again because you feel like you want to dabble into the hobby all over again.

Save your models and box 'em up. I'm telling you, you won't regret it. Worst case scenario if you never touch 'em for 10 years you can sell them at that point as collector's pieces.

Pack your favourite stuff away and maybe you'll come back to it. It's a mistake to get rid of it completely because you may regret it sooner or later. There's a lot more to the hobby than GW, you can move into entirely different games systems. Historical wargaming or modern warfare, skirmish games or different scales. Roleplaying games are good for the imagination and a smaller financial layout if you can find a group of similar players. There's also a variety of board games around, you just need to find a good quality gaming shop that stocks the various things, many seem to come from abroad.

And of course if painting/modelling is your thing, you could go into model making full time and leave the gaming behind.

I always keep a could of decks or lists of a game system when I drop it if I genuinely liked it. Years later you'll find someone who used to play and bring it out again. I could care less if a company is printing rulebooks anymore or not, it doesn't make a game less fun.

To me, a hobby like this is both something to do in the evenings that doesn't involve looking at a screen (I stare at screens all day long at work), and an excuse to socialize with friends.

As such, as long as my friends are still up for drinking beers and pushing toy soldiers around a table, I have no reason to stop painting.

Osbad wrote:Few wargames live up to the hype in anycase. Its the same with most luxury items. The manufacturers need to create a reason for you to buy their products, so encourage a heightened sense of expectation around them. Hence you get beautifully painted models on box covers that you'll never ever achieve. and the like, when what you are buying is just a few lumps of metal or plastic.

If you think you'll never achieve those results, you never will. Like any skill, painting minis takes patience and practice. To claim that achieving the results you see on the boxes isn't possible is to ignore the vast number of gamers who have (and who post in the galleries here and on other sites).

... but for most sane adults with a normal healthy life there isn't the time or need to get too bothered about such things, so in reality all you are doing is spending an evening with some friends...

Yes, what's wrong with that?

Myrthe wrote:

oni wrote:... steep and ever increasing prices... what choice do I have, but to quit again? :(

Like Motograter said, there are many other alternative miniatures games out there that can still allow you to enjoy the hobby if GW forces you away from 40K.

There in lays the problem. There are no other miniature games that appeal to me that aren't GW.

I can't believe that. There are HUNDREDS of other games with arguably cooler and cheaper minis and unarguably better rule-sets. Do more research before you say that, because it's actually impossible.

Like others I'm a hobbyist first and a game player second. When I say hobbyist I don't mean in the rabid GW fanboi sense, nor in the fluff nazi sense, but rather in the model building sense.

This whole thing started out for me as a model building exercise, which I have been doing on and off since I was ten... 37 years now. I'll likely not be giving the plastic modeling hobby up soon if ever.

My gaming hobby does wax and wane with time. I took a couple year hiatus while I had the track bug and I poured all my money into gas, tires and track day fees. That gets expensive fast and in a cruel twist the faster you go the more expensive mistakes become. I quickly hit a point where small mistakes in talent become life threatening. I'm playing more 40K now... at least when I screw up only my little army men die.

oni wrote:

Myrthe wrote:

oni wrote:... steep and ever increasing prices... what choice do I have, but to quit again? :(

Like Motograter said, there are many other alternative miniatures games out there that can still allow you to enjoy the hobby if GW forces you away from 40K.

There in lays the problem. There are no other miniature games that appeal to me that aren't GW.

I can understand that ... 40K is still, and will always be, my "first love". While I'm OK with not playing, I still keep involved by building models. I am trying to get my friends to start playing the Dark Heresy / Rogue Trader RPGs so we can all still get our 40K fix ... and we can still enjoy the model-building and painting on a much more manageable and smaller scale as we convert to represent our characters and foes.

I was a diehard Magic player, but started to get out of it(and losing everything I owned in a house fire usually helps ending a hobby as well.) It gave me a chance to start 40k. I love the game and have some large armies to play with. But with getting into this hobby I learned that it's more than just the game, there are tones of mini's out there and I enjoy the modelling and painting aspect of it. Now, I know that eventually I may be tired of playing the game for a bit. But the hobby as a whole has so much more to offer.

Plus I would never get rid of my armies. At least keep a small group so you could get a Kill Team game in every now and then.

The only reason I kept on with the game is because I loved painting. I took a 10 year hiatus and all I did was keep adding detail to my bugs and space wolves. Then my girlfriend asked what those little figures were and we played a few 100 point games. She started liking it more and more and I started to get more and more into it.

Now, 3 years later, I have 5000 points of bugs, 3000 of eldar, 3 board games, and 2 completely custom games we developed together. What I haven't done is branch out into other games that are on the fringes. I love them and the miniatures/rules are amazing, but I know no one plays them. I've stuck with 40k and board games I can easily teach my friends/family.

I haven't spent thousands of dollars on miniatures that I know I won't use either. I've been very careful about what to buy and always sell the excess I know I won't have a use for. That has kept the spend to a healthy level and my involvement high because I really love painting and making scenery. Through and through I see that only people who love painting and modeling keep on with the hobby.

Wolfstan, sounds like you're making the best decision for you. . Like others, I'd suggest keeping a few more miniatures than you are currently keeping, but if you're set on getting rid of them, then do so. It's just stuff after all

You might want to give your paints and oddball figures away as a gesture of goodwill to a gamer friend, game shop, or new gamer however. Throwing out mini's just makes me sad...

I've always been a dabbler in this hobby ever since I started 16 years ago, but I never regretted keeping my minis. I've sold off alot of figs that never got painted, but my painted figs have always been there when I cycled back into the hobby, whether after 3 months or 3 years. Interestingly, though I've dabbled in other systems, the background and consistent fan base of 40k meant that it was always the game I came back to.

Best of luck in your new hobbies

Wolfstan wrote:This month will see me finally finish selling off all my miniature forces

So just out of interest are their any other Dakka's in the same boat or are you all total diehards?

If people have gotten out of wargaming, I can't quite imagine why they're still hanging around Dakka just for the friendly banter...