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Most people i know know enough about it to not warrant asking questions.
A few of us played while we at school so more or less everyone knew a little bit about it, even if it was only "That nerd shop where all the nerds go to play at war"
During College it was pretty much the same.

Took a bit of work explaining to my missus, but my two best mates (who live nearby) are into the hobby, i tend to have models lying all over place, and i used to talk about the fluff to send her to sleep when she has trouble sleeping.

It was only a matter of time before she turned to the dark side...

So all in all i havn't really had to explain it to most people, except those at work, but my old manager used to play so there was a groundwork of understanding with the more long term staff.

Being in high school means that all nerdness is exaggerated greatly so I usually avoid it but when i simply must explain it, my favorite line is "It's like toy soldiers for big boys. And tactically conscious painters."

I first tell them its little miniatures your paint up and after a while you can play a game with them.

When i explain the game i tell them about how in war movies the generals have a table with models on it to look like the warzone. and tell them its like that but with Dice and some extra rules.

I'm always happy to talk about the hobby, since I rarely get a chance to, outside of Dakka. If people ask, I can ramble on for ages, but I'm usually pretty good at keeping myself in check. If they're interested enough, then I'll keep going.

Actually, I'm always surprised by how many people have at least a vague familiarity with it (either wargaming, in general, or the 40K universe). Some have family members who've played, others boyfriends, others know the IP from video games.

Those that have no experience with it usually have some frame of reference I can use, whether it's D&D, board games, RTSs, etc. If not, they get the quick and dirty - there's the art side, where I build and paint models, make terrain, etc. and there's the game side, where you fight with the models, moving them around the table, shooting, and fighting melees, with the results of each action being determined by the model's stats and a random die roll.

All of my friends are involved in the hobby in some form and I rarely speak to people I don't know.

Also, since all of my hobby stuff is done in my local GW store, the staff jumps on any norms before they can even think about bothering me.

Very few of my non-gaming friends know that I play, but if they ask I just say they are little models I paint

I get the feeling the hobby is considered far more 'nerdier' in the UK than across the pond. I can't help but think of 'nerd' as a derogative term

What do you guys think?

OT: I never have to explain it to people, I keep it quite personal and amongst my closest friends, most of whom collect the stuff too. But if I do, I usually explain the painting side, as that's what I do most (I enjoy gaming, but rarely get the chance).

Actually, I don't usually bother.

I can guarantee they're not interested, just like I'm not interested in their scrapbooking or fantasy football league.

Been marked 10 years and my wife still just tells her friends that I play with ( toy soldiers) ARG it drives me crazy but hey she let's me spend the cash on them so I can't complain.


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Married!! Wow my spell check hates me.

My fiance calls them action figures. I laugh at her and say they are not and then she points out some of the models I have made that have moving pieces. :(

To others I just say it is like putting together model cars except we play something like risk with them when we are done.

I use the same lame line I used while working at GW for people asking what the store was all about
"It's a table top strategy war game with models you build and paint yourself!"

I tell them its just another hobby, if they ask more questions I tell them more.

Tomb King wrote:My fiance calls them action figures. I laugh at her and say they are not and then she points out some of the models I have made that have moving pieces. :(

To others I just say it is like putting together model cars except we play something like risk with them when we are done.

. Just tell her they don't have a kun-Fu grip they don't count as action figures...well I thought it was funny

NoBaconz4You wrote:I get the feeling the hobby is considered far more 'nerdier' in the UK than across the pond. I can't help but think of 'nerd' as a derogative term

What do you guys think?

OT: I never have to explain it to people, I keep it quite personal and amongst my closest friends, most of whom collect the stuff too. But if I do, I usually explain the painting side, as that's what I do most (I enjoy gaming, but rarely get the chance).

Sounds more like 'nerdyness' is considered lower over there more than that the game is nerdier.

Honestly, I think that over here, the older you get, the more people realize that the Nerds are the ones that're decent folks who will be making good money, and the Jocks and preps are generally jerks who spend all their money on booze and drugs. I'm using hyperbole, of course, but still...

I usually say it's like chess but with more pieces and more moves, and you get to assemble and paint the pieces.

I read the Tvtropes page on 40k, I didn't know that Event horizon is an unofficial prequel, but I can see how.

At my nearing middle age-age I tend not to bother! If it comes up I'll say "yeh i'm a bit of a geek" and thats about it. I was much more exuberant when I was younger!

I explain it at a most basic level,i build plastic men/tanks that i move around a board.Oh,and that its more expensive than it needs be where prices are concerned but it keeps me off the street.

Fattimus_maximus wrote:I read the Tvtropes page on 40k, I didn't know that Event horizon is an unofficial prequel, but I can see how.

Event Horizon and Doom are both arguably prequels to the 40k universe.

"Its basically over complicated chess with toy soldiers" Is normally enough to satisfy people that make a passing comment. If they actually seem interested (reply with more than "cool" or "ooh dear") then I'll explain about the modeling and painting and stuff, and if they then seem genuinly interested I'll explain the fluff and the basics until they either want to play or have lost interest

Curious Person: 'What's Warhammer?'

Gamer: 'It's like advanced Yahtzee.'

CP: 'What's Yahtzee?'

G: 'It was a Socialist movement in Eastern Europe about 200 years before the Nazis who invented the original social network system.'
CP: 'Oh wow. So did they have computers or something?'

G: 'Sort of. They had people with really good memories who only spoke in code. The Yahtzee controllers had a large table, with all their code runners denoted by little figurines, and they would move them around so they knew where they were.'

CP: 'That's so strange. So only people who knew the code could use the network?'

G: 'Yep'

CP: 'So what does this little fellow with the big gun do?'

G: 'GZXXGZG BLIXXXKILLSIGG DIERRRPPER!'

Mordoskul wrote:It's uh, like G.I. Joe, but with uh, Catholic Space Nazis and uh, chainsaw swords.

Phayse wrote:I get nasally and explain they're not toys, they're imitation miniatures at a representative scale involiving complex tactics and lateral thinking and that miniature painting is an artform far beyond anything they can comprehend. I deride thier intelligence and chide thier abercrombie and fitch attire.

Avatar 720 wrote:I tell them what it is in excruciating detail; which armies there are, which armies I play, what the armies play like... I wait for them to stop me.

How many people have lowered their view of me after i've told them? Probably everyone. Do I care? Nope, which is why I tell them. No use sugar-coating it.

These are just a few of the many examples of winningness that are in this thread. I felt compelled to recognize them.

OT: I never really knew how to explain it. I suppose references to chess and risk ought to do.

I tell them the truth.

I play with dolls. And these battles? They're our tea parties.

I don't

Fury_00011 wrote:Been marked 10 years and my wife still just tells her friends that I play with ( toy soldiers) ARG it drives me crazy but hey she let's me spend the cash on them so I can't complain.


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Married!! Wow my spell check hates me.

You had it right the first time...