Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

 sudojoe wrote:
I tend to want to play more often than even my gaming group would like or is able to and definately more times than I can spare to get to a GW store that plays so I did the next best thing and built my own table and got some more armies from e-bay to play myself. With the new allies rules, I'm having a ton of fun on my own and have surprised myself quite a few times with what I ended up doing.

I still play with the other people but this way I can get a game going work nights, get a turn or two in, leave a marker on who's turn it is for myself and come back the day after to finish up. One game of apoc vs myself took me about a week and the better part of the weekend to finish 6000 points a side.

I thought I was the only one I played a 8000 point apocalyps against my one and I had more fun If I'd played it against my brother
brennian

Do you think the manager is talking gak about you? Apprently one of the GW managers was talking gak about me in front of other people and claiming things like I tailor my list and use proxies for advantage.

 Inquisitor Ehrenstein wrote:
Do you think the manager is talking gak about you? Apprently one of the GW managers was talking gak about me in front of other people and claiming things like I tailor my list and use proxies for advantage.

well any manager is going to hate you for proxies and they dont like people who already have working armies because of two things . first if you happen to play against someone just starting they may realise that they were duped about the whole "rule of cool" , "this box gives you tons of stuff to play with" , "buy this unit it is uber "and if you army is already finished they your buying less , they dont want people take up tables when they are buying less.

Maybe its you, if you think your suit and tie are doing it, wear coat.
If you are at a bar just standing around waiting for someone to talk to you, your are doing it wrong(unless you are a girl)
Just try to maybe initiate a game, Thats what i do, i run in and yell "Who is up for a game"
Its simple my friend. And if your think your are acting to serious, try not, Try wearing a wizard hat, I know when christmas is rolling around im wearing a santa hat.

I totally understand where you're coming from. I've been going to my local store every wednesday for probably six years now. I know the store owners pretty well, I've had a few lengthy conversations about comics and 40k with one of the younger clerks but every single time I walk into the store on a saturday everyone stops what their doing for the duration of my visit and just stares me down. I've hunkered down a few times and just popped up the snide "What?" and stayed for a while but generally the uncomfortableness makes me bail.

It's a rough sea, those game stores. Hell, my girlfriend won't even go into the store if the MTG crew is there and she buys more comics than I do.

From the other side of the pond here,
I can understand where you are coming from, its awkward to go in and try and find pick up games!

At my FLGS I find a good way to strike a conversation is to be at a painting table, and comment on other people's paint jobs, ask about their fluff, and then with the introductions, ask for a game! (This has worked for me several times)

I mean, i know I'm a nerd, and I'm cool with that 100%, I just don't really look the part, being 21

I've also had strangers ask me for games, I've yet to turn someone down, I find a lot of people are in the same boat, and just looking for someone to game with, or chat with, so if ya ever seen one of those guys sitting, eyeing your game, or checking out your army, ask them if they'd be interested in playing!

Just some thoughts, best of luck to you! If all else fails, maybe find a new store, or maybe get to know the owner a bit, that'll give everyone more exposure to you, and Im sure someone will ask about you curious as to who you are.

I also think that the best thing to do is to either take part in a tournament/league of some sort where people have no choice as to who they play against, or schedule a game via some other channel beforehand.

That said, I hope you get to play with Brennian, that'd be a good start

I'd go online to search for a club or something in your area. FLGS can be a mixed bag, in my area they are swamped with kids who are just awful to play against regardless of which game you play. Also the 'neckbeard' comment from earlier may have seemed harsh but is actually quite accurate in many cases. Clubs on the other hand don't mind other manufacturers, wont push sales on you, and generally are more welcoming of new people.

Incidentially as a follow up, my house table is actually much better air conditioned and I also have a 54' TV near it along with free soda and water which is superior to the LFGS so there's now more people that want to come over and play after I invited some folks over once or twice. I still suck at terrain though so that part is still something other people help me with. I've been using flatware as mountains and superheavies like baneblades as ruins/area terrain

Clubs , houses big enough to have gaming tables . I envy you guys . Here we can do tournaments or you need a group you started to play with , else you dont get games at all.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Maybe its you, if you think your suit and tie are doing it, wear coat.
If you are at a bar just standing around waiting for someone to talk to you, your are doing it wrong(unless you are a girl)
Just try to maybe initiate a game, Thats what i do, i run in and yell "Who is up for a game"
Its simple my friend.

Haha, my story starts after the 'who is up for a game' part

Nah I'll be ok I guess, just need some leads next times & try to make some arrangements I guess.
I'm also just interested in the 'symbolic violence/boundaries' dimention of it all + I wonder if other people recognized this. I wonder what the rithes of passage are, etc. Maybe it does include a wizard's hat, but it doesn't match the orky ways. We wear WWI helmets & pirates hats.

Tournaments would be really cool, but always had the feeling the US was way ahead with this in any games except First Person Shooters; prolly because bigger reach with uniform language, whine in EU we got many languages thus smaller events.

It's interesting that you talk about a certain type of people who play wargames. I know a guy who was actually really cool, went to parties, went out every weekend, was in the rugby team, had several girlfriends . . . and played 40k with an Eldar army.

BE CONFIDENT. I don't mean walk in there like you own the place, but maybe just go in, see if you can strike up a game casually, if not just 'pull up a chair' and chat for a bit, get to know them a bit. They're probably a bit afraid of the 'outsider' (I'm serious), and just need you to get into their social circle a bit. If that fails, and they're really just not interested in you, then thats their loss. Go play with the kids or older guys there. Its your hobby centre as much as theirs. That's key.

 ExNoctemNacimur wrote:
It's interesting that you talk about a certain type of people who play wargames. I know a guy who was actually really cool, went to parties, went out every weekend, was in the rugby team, had several girlfriends . . . and played 40k with an Eldar army.

It's remarkable how many people have read this wrong so far:
again, I am not making any statements about 'the' wargamers or attacking them;
I talking about one specific group I encountered (which I didn't at the previous store I learned the game at before I moved away); and how they are a problem for me.

Also, the proper emancipated response is 'I am a guy who's really cool', not 'i know one'
Nah sorry, I'm just poking fun at you, I get the point.

We also all can go out in the weekend and practice a sport; & I encourage us to so we shrugg off the popular cultures stereotypes that survived in my own discourse

Hahaha, I'm so lame it's ridiculous. I see what you mean.