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Blacksails wrote:I was embarrassed when I entered a GW with my girlfriend. I have never had a GW nearby, but I make weekly trips to Victoria to see the girlfriend and conveniently, there's a GW not far away.

My girlfriend plays 40k Eldar and thoroughly enjoys the painting/modelling part, so we went in to grab some paints and a new unit or two. The embarrassing part was the awful stench that nearly every gamer in the small room gave off. Genuinely terrible. It embarrasses me to admit that I'm a nerd and play 40k when there are still examples of individuals that perpetuate the smelly nerd stereotype.

Its hard to show your friends that 40k can be interesting and that the nerd stereotype doesn't exist like it used to when some 40k players can't figure out how to bathe daily.

Anyways, that's what embarrasses me about the hobby, and I swear that the next time I attend a sizable tournament, I'm bringing extra deodorant sticks.

QFT alas, QFT . .

Just get the fire department to bring in a hose.

I've had some bad experiences with gamer BO, and the even worse can'o'Axe over unwashed BO chem-cannon..

Same here. Took my wife along to Historicon the first time I went, many years ago. She now refuses to go near the place and calls it nerd con.

Just a question for you guys (thought I'd hijack this thread as it is similar and this doesn't warrant a thread) but is it right to feel slightly awkward when questioning a much more older/knowledgeable gamer over rules when they get them wrong and you KNOW you're right?

Happened to me again last night when playing Flames of War. As I am quite new to it (about 10/15 games, won the last 5 games convincingly so getting good!) I have read the rule book cover to cover and understand a lot of the mechanics. There is one gamer in our group who is the "best" player and knows the rules inside out but since I've been here I have corrected him a few times over quite important rules and got them right. I feel like a rules lawyer but I just say "they are in the book, that's what we play too". Do you guys ever feel awkward for challenging an older more experienced gamer and getting it right?

People who refer to their armies as 'we' always make me a little uncomfortable. Not embarrassed per se, but it's just very odd.

I've never really been embarrassed by my various and sundry hobbies. One of my aunts who saw my Warhammer stuff a few months back did say "You're still painting those little army men?" in an incredulous manner. Almost as if a grown man isn't allow to have hobbies like this... if anything, I think the hobby embarrasses her more than it does anyone else.

Years ago I was in a relationship where my other half constantly referred to the hobby as "playing with little toys" and reading anything other than mainstream literature as me being "like a little boy".

Never seemed to be able to take into account that I was reading for a qualification in English Literature and reading 19th century Russian fiction for pleasure at the same time.

Looking back, I was well shut of the snobby little witch!

You dated Hermione Granger?

I feel your pain. Previous GF was much the same. My wife of many years is a gamer... much better

Actually my 12 and 14 year old daughters tolerate my model painting but when they thumb through the rulebooks, they just shake their heads and tsk tsk their good 'ol gamer Dad!

Grimtuff wrote:I think the OP will be embarassed when he realises it's spelt "Ordnance". There is no "I".

LOOK AT MY SIG. I WAS TIRED AND HAD A LESSON TO GET TO. AND MY TUTOR WAS A VISCIOUS BITCH.

as it is i the local chav/thug/"hard arse"/idiot gang(s) now shout "orks and goblins" at me and my brother after we had a rather heated argument about the best use for a goblin. i said as slaves in my skaven army

master of ordinance wrote:

Grimtuff wrote:I think the OP will be embarassed when he realises it's spelt "Ordnance". There is no "I".

LOOK AT MY SIG. I WAS TIRED AND HAD A LESSON TO GET TO. AND MY TUTOR WAS A VISCIOUS BITCH.

Ok, just to be a lovable nitpick, would it not also be embarrassing to misspell "vicious" in your post, AND use the incorrect version of "there" in said sig?

Only thing for me was I was starting some new gamers in a painting lesson at the college cafeteria and my art teacher walked by. Now first I must tell you that I am very colorblind and used this excuse many a time to get a easy grade in my art class. Needless to say when he saw the level of my work my grades changed pretty fast (remember kids...sometimes it sucks to be good with a brush).

TheBlueRedPanda wrote:

Blacksails wrote:I was embarrassed when I entered a GW with my girlfriend. I have never had a GW nearby, but I make weekly trips to Victoria to see the girlfriend and conveniently, there's a GW not far away.

My girlfriend plays 40k Eldar and thoroughly enjoys the painting/modelling part, so we went in to grab some paints and a new unit or two. The embarrassing part was the awful stench that nearly every gamer in the small room gave off. Genuinely terrible. It embarrasses me to admit that I'm a nerd and play 40k when there are still examples of individuals that perpetuate the smelly nerd stereotype.

Its hard to show your friends that 40k can be interesting and that the nerd stereotype doesn't exist like it used to when some 40k players can't figure out how to bathe daily.

Anyways, that's what embarrasses me about the hobby, and I swear that the next time I attend a sizable tournament, I'm bringing extra deodorant sticks.

QFT alas, QFT . .

Recently went into a tournament. First 40K tourney in 3+ years and I did very well, however the funk was so bad that I had an asthma attack at end of the day. Thank god I had my rescue inhaler with me otherwise it would have been a trip to the hospital. This is the downside of the hobby. The lack of manners concerning personal hygiene from people who do not care.

Ive met plenty of stink nerds who play and plenty of nice normal people who play too. What always struck me is the direct correlation between standard of modeling/painting/effort put into and army and how normal/likable a person is. Do you guys get that?

The embarrassing stereotype-types arent even GOOD at the hobby! thats the true crime.

master of ordinance wrote:


LOOK AT MY SIG. I WAS TIRED AND HAD A LESSON TO GET TO. AND MY TUTOR WAS A VISCIOUS BITCH.

How meny times has it been now. You've had people saying that for ages.

I also have had to say the good old look at my sig a few times

master of ordinance wrote:

Grimtuff wrote:I think the OP will be embarassed when he realises it's spelt "Ordnance". There is no "I".

LOOK AT MY SIG. I WAS TIRED AND HAD A LESSON TO GET TO. AND MY TUTOR WAS A VISCIOUS BITCH.

as it is i the local chav/thug/"hard arse"/idiot gang(s) now shout "orks and goblins" at me and my brother after we had a rather heated argument about the best use for a goblin. i said as slaves in my skaven army

Right back at ya bro!

I've played my Grey Knights against Daemons... and lost.



Twice.

I find that I'm not to embarrassed by it. At work I have a necromunda mini, a Halo toy, a lego man and a D20 all infront of my screen for all to see. The only comments that I have had is that people like them and ask where I got them. In genral thay can't beleave I painted the necromunda mini (even though its realy bad).

The way I see it it is allot less sad and allot more social than, say, sitting in front of the TV all Saterday watching back to back football or the like.

I also offset my geekyness when it comes up, e.g. "what did you do at the weekend" "I painted my toy soldiers then I stripped my bikes gear box"...

I'd say the only time I get embarrassed is going in to games workshop. The guys in there seem realy oppresive at times. Maybe its me, or maybe thay are happy just to have an adult to talk to, but I just want to look through the boxes whilst I work out what I want (thay should take a hint from book shops). Awkward is probably a better word, but I tend to avoid the places if I can, buying online or at my FLGS, where they leave me well alone.

I've always found that I am not too embarrassed about the whole miniature wargaming thing (which I refer to it as, to help people not get embarrassed talking about it). It always seems to be more a case of other people being embarrassed by it, or just assuming that I should be. Quite silly, really. At least they know to expect it from me though, because I fulfil quite a lot of the standard nerdy/geeky stereotypes

There is quite a lot of awkwardness though, particularly in the closest GW to us... seeing as my grasp of the language here is still very, uh, hit and miss leads to some interesting trips to the GW.

And people do seem to see it as a childish hobby, although I enjoy it now more than I did when younger, and it involves what I like to call 'playing with knives and sharp things', which is certainly not for children... I don't know, people just like their stereotypes I think, and need them to feel superior in some way to others.

When I openly admitted to my friends that I couldn't go to my football training because of my gaming night at my FLGS. Then I told them we use dice to see if we have it the target or not. But it wasn't all bad because:
1. I don't care what they say.
2. One of them were sad enough to go and look up the hobby so they could make jokes. Needles to say could tell he had a large knowledge than the others who knew nothing about the hobby, And pointed out how he had went and researched it so they took the mick out of him too.

In game embarrassment: played half a tournment with an extra rare slot, back in the days of WFB 4th edition. The error was when I was building my army list, I scaled form 3000 pts to 2000 pts. Then made a copy / paste error. Rd 3 or 4 rd tournment, i'm staring at my roster and realized the error. Went the TO, and asked to change my 2-1 to 0-3. Apologized to every opponent. Comically.. the pump wagons were more destructive to my own force them my opponents.

Significant other embarrassment: My non gaming friends thought it was fun to tell any date I brought to meet them about my wargaming habits. This left me with a lot of explaining. Ultimately, several girls didn't want to continue after that. I cared at first, then stopped when I realized.. that's pretty vane, and do I really want to be with someone like that. Enter my wife, who when my roommate tried to bust my chops she rebuttled with... "you realize we are going to watch the new star trek movie right?" "don't be a dick, he plays with plastic toys, you stay home and play with yourself, what's worse." Love at first sight

GT Embarrassment: I go away to a GT, several states away, to run into a co-worker who is on vacation, who is staying in the same hotel. She spots me at 9am mid game, walks over and says "hi." BOOM, worlds collide. I had a lot of explaining on monday what exactly she was looking at. She thought it was cool, she now dates a gamer

Over the last few years, i've ulimately stopped caring
1. My family, wife, and friends, like who I am. Several friends admit they find it incredibly cool, and like the armies I have on display. They wish they could do it, but admit they really cannot. Several have tried to paint models as a result, and gave up on it.
2. Its a hobby. Some people video game, some play fantasy football, some cook. I roll dice and table top game. Its really nothing further than that. Everyone has a vice they spend money on.
3. I'm an adult, i'm not stopping now, my kids totally going to be an awesome gamer. I look forward to one day being able to show them how to assemble space marines. By then, i'm guessing the kit will be $100, magnetizable, and shoot laser beams.

Carmine the Wolf wrote:The two most embarrasing things about the hobby are:

2) Those involved in the hobby who are aware of the stereotypes associated with it by the above and annoyingly continue to act in a manner that validates said stereotypes.

Some of the stereo types we have though are sadly true. Not sure why but proper hygiene is not something everyone is committed to... the gamer stench is the main one. For some reason people think its OK not to shower every day in Florida. If you walk to your car here you break a sweat because the humidity is so high. Its unacceptable.

I think the most embarrasing thing thats happened to me was when my wife went to the local hobby shop with me (not going to specify since there are several here in Orlando) but there was a gentleman who started talking to us that didn't shower or brush his teeth. This happened about 3 years ago. To this day my wife still brings it up when I tell her I'm going to play with my toy soldiers.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

TheBlueRedPanda wrote:

Blacksails wrote:I was embarrassed when I entered a GW with my girlfriend. I have never had a GW nearby, but I make weekly trips to Victoria to see the girlfriend and conveniently, there's a GW not far away.

My girlfriend plays 40k Eldar and thoroughly enjoys the painting/modelling part, so we went in to grab some paints and a new unit or two. The embarrassing part was the awful stench that nearly every gamer in the small room gave off. Genuinely terrible. It embarrasses me to admit that I'm a nerd and play 40k when there are still examples of individuals that perpetuate the smelly nerd stereotype.

Its hard to show your friends that 40k can be interesting and that the nerd stereotype doesn't exist like it used to when some 40k players can't figure out how to bathe daily.

Anyways, that's what embarrasses me about the hobby, and I swear that the next time I attend a sizable tournament, I'm bringing extra deodorant sticks.

QFT alas, QFT . .

Hahahahaha ! I didn't see this one but its a similar situation!

A friend of mine once told me that I didn't fully understand the concept of irony.

Which was ironic, because at the time we were standing at a bus-stop.

I'm embarrassed because I seem to be the only person in this thread that doesn't get this


Automatically Appended Next Post:

boyd wrote:

Carmine the Wolf wrote:The two most embarrasing things about the hobby are:

2) Those involved in the hobby who are aware of the stereotypes associated with it by the above and annoyingly continue to act in a manner that validates said stereotypes.

Some of the stereo types we have though are sadly true. Not sure why but proper hygiene is not something everyone is committed to... the gamer stench is the main one. For some reason people think its OK not to shower every day in Florida. If you walk to your car here you break a sweat because the humidity is so high. Its unacceptable.

I think the most embarrasing thing thats happened to me was when my wife went to the local hobby shop with me (not going to specify since there are several here in Orlando) but there was a gentleman who started talking to us that didn't shower or brush his teeth. This happened about 3 years ago. To this day my wife still brings it up when I tell her I'm going to play with my toy soldiers.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

TheBlueRedPanda wrote:

Blacksails wrote:I was embarrassed when I entered a GW with my girlfriend. I have never had a GW nearby, but I make weekly trips to Victoria to see the girlfriend and conveniently, there's a GW not far away.

My girlfriend plays 40k Eldar and thoroughly enjoys the painting/modelling part, so we went in to grab some paints and a new unit or two. The embarrassing part was the awful stench that nearly every gamer in the small room gave off. Genuinely terrible. It embarrasses me to admit that I'm a nerd and play 40k when there are still examples of individuals that perpetuate the smelly nerd stereotype.

Its hard to show your friends that 40k can be interesting and that the nerd stereotype doesn't exist like it used to when some 40k players can't figure out how to bathe daily.

Anyways, that's what embarrasses me about the hobby, and I swear that the next time I attend a sizable tournament, I'm bringing extra deodorant sticks.

QFT alas, QFT . .

Hahahahaha ! I didn't see this one but its a similar situation!

Same problem here - I often know exactly what I'm after, so to save parking fees I'll pull the car up outside the store, our lass jumps out and grabs what I want while I circle round waiting for her. THE FIRST THING SHE'LL SAY WHEN SHE GETS BACK IN THE CAR - WITHOUT FAIL - is how bad "that smelly boy smell" is!!! Pmsl, at least she can laugh about it!

I had a hard time explaining my hobby to an older girlfriend (she was 20 and I was 17) I told her what it was all about n explained the chaos gods in brief she seemed to like the sound of slannesh so its not all bad kids

(she was 20 and I was 17)

legend