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I was expecting some half serious options. I would have voted 'Introverted'.

Just based on this forum and interactions with other wargamers, I'd have to say Aspergers EVERYWHERE

(even me)

I wanted to vote female, cos I know you're actually a buch of hotties!

In all honesty I would have voted normal but that wasn't there either but failing that voted socially challenged which seems to explain most people in the world depending on the time of day and orientation of the moon/inebriation.

Silly list of choices.

"In comparison to the wider public' I chose intelligent.

I've certainly met eccentrics, smelly wargamers, loud ones, introverted ones, hippies, military hawks, teenage metal heads and rappers, bachelors and family men, young women and old war veterans. It's a fairly broad church these days and I think the recent hip status that geeks and nerds got certainly helped there.

I've never met a stupid wargamer however. Some have no common sense whatsoever but all that I can remember have higher than average smarts.

I know a few intelligent, well adjusted and socially adept gamers.

Many of the gamers I encounter at conventions, however, seem to be more socially maladroit, sheltered and have some form of OCD or ASD.

So far the result is that wargamers are socially challenged and intelligent cool dudes.

I'm not convinced.

I really can't pick one. I met some gamers I can place in any of these categories, and not one category fits everyone I play. Intelligent? Yes, most of them, not all. Socially challenged or smelly? There are some, no more than in any random group (say, in a bus). Mentally challeged or stupid? Well, probably I haven't met this kind, then why would I hang out with them. You know what, I'll vote cool dudes, just because I want to believe I'm in a cool group

I choose Socially Challenged.

I have always used fantasy to escape reality, and same goes for many of my friends that play wargames.

Plastic crack is what gets me threw the hard days of my life.
Long live the "bury your head in the sand" way of life.

I think this poll is silly. I only know a few wargamers, and they're all different types of people (in the context of this poll). Plus, none of them are just one of the choices.

In the same way that everyone I consider friends, consider themselves as nerds, but none of them conform to the typical stereotypes.

I think posts like this only serve to sustain the false stereotypes that non wargamers/nerds heap upon us.

Most of the wargamers I know are just normal married men engaging in some hobby with either a local club or with their kids, and are completely normal.

Of course, most of them are historical players rather than GW wargamers. The GW players tend to be typical teenagers (even when they are 30 :p), and presumably give everyone else a bad name...

 angel of ecstasy wrote:
The store crowd is a different story. Smug pedantic know-it-alls. So I'm not voting.

^ This, and a thousand times, this! Argumentative, annoying brats of all ages that wouldn't know patience, open discussion and manners even if these characteristics took a spiteful crap right in front of them.

Which particular spectrum of Autism?

Annoying. I love the game more than MtG which I grew up with, but the (40k) players are largely intolerable in my area. I sincerely hope your gamers are less horrible.
I still cherish customizing my models more than the game.

Sadly Insane nutter wasnt there...... Dont ask

As it is i do view us as intelligent. We have to expand our knoledge, memorize rules, strategys, build forces that are flexible enough to meet a variety of challanges and be prepared to change our tactics at a moments notice.
We have to be intelligent to accomplish this.

I wouldn't describe gamers as socially challenged, cos it basically boils down to finding like minded people and doing something that you enjoy - and that description applies to a heck of a lot of activities...

I agree with MoO above - intelligent (although, considering most of us spend money in GW, on the ultimate in frivrolous hobbies that's subjective too...)

 MeanGreenStompa wrote:
Silly list of choices.

"In comparison to the wider public' I chose intelligent.

I've certainly met eccentrics, smelly wargamers, loud ones, introverted ones, hippies, military hawks, teenage metal heads and rappers, bachelors and family men, young women and old war veterans. It's a fairly broad church these days and I think the recent hip status that geeks and nerds got certainly helped there.

I've never met a stupid wargamer however. Some have no common sense whatsoever but all that I can remember have higher than average smarts.

Would have to agree with this, you meet all sorts. Shame the poll doesn't allow you to vote for more than 1 option.

I would say probably most are probably above average intelligence (depending on the game being played, although it also comes down to being an age thing - I won't mention any games, but leave anyone who cares to fill in the blanks themselves ) although again the term 'intelligence' covers a pretty wide field. I'm sure we all know people who can do some immensely complex engineering or maths, yet regularly manage to tie their shoe laces together, and visa-versa.

Yep - we need more than one option here, every gaming group can probably cover every single option on the list with at least one of their members!

PredaKhaine wrote:
I wouldn't describe gamers as socially challenged, cos it basically boils down to finding like minded people and doing something that you enjoy - and that description applies to a heck of a lot of activities...

I agree with MoO above - intelligent (although, considering most of us spend money in GW, on the ultimate in frivrolous hobbies that's subjective too...)

Sadly I have met a few of the socially challeneged people, at a tourny I went to in October over half the people where your normal guys, friendly and not TFG either, one was TFG and a few of the others where rude to put it bluntly. It isnt hard to be polite.

The worst one has to be a guy from my local club, said goodbye to him the other day and in return I got the most rudest dirtiest look possible! ha, that did make me laugh

Most are nerds. Most nerds aren't autistic and morbidly obese but rather normal/reasonable people. Stereotypes are a bitch I guess.

Annoying... IT is the catch all choice.

Any of those negative choices is what can annoy a person.

 IdentifyZero wrote:
Hi,

Conducting a research survey to try and determine the thoughts on wargamers by their own community, please be honest with your response to the poll!


Will

To what end exactly? What methodology did you use in creating the questions? Why are 7/10 negative perceptions against 3/10 positives?

I'm curious to the reasons behind this, because it seems very poorly constructed.

I'd socially challenge with intel coming in a close second.

 angel of ecstasy wrote:

 Trondheim wrote:

 angel of ecstasy wrote:
I am an attractive intelligent cool dude, which means other wargamers find me stupid and annoying.

Or just Swedish I put cool dudes, even though many are somewhat trollish I find most are nice people. Well except for Tau players

I went to Trondheim once. It was gak.

To be serious though, my circle of gamers are really cool guys and gals. The store crowd is a different story. Smug pedantic know-it-alls. So I'm not voting. *Looking over my shoulder for P Diddy*

No argument there, it is a rather dull town indeed.

MarkyMark wrote:
...
The worst one has to be a guy from my local club, said goodbye to him the other day and in return I got the most rudest dirtiest look possible! ha, that did make me laugh

If that was me then I meant it. No one politely says goodbye to me, NO ONE!

If not I'll buy you a pint next time I'm there and we can bitch about them!

 IdentifyZero wrote:
Hi,

Conducting a research survey to try and determine the thoughts on wargamers by their own community, please be honest with your response to the poll!


Will

This isn't a research survey, this is just a crappy poll. Garbage in , Garbage out. Something to stir up the dakkadrama meter a bit.

And as a father of an Autistic daughter, I can't say I'm a big fan of throwing around terms like Autism and Asperger's as if they are jokes and/or insults.

My group argues about every rule. Some can't understand the use of a colon (not the body part) and refuse to accept that the English language usage is quite clear in some books. Others can't accept that you can't double sacrifice cards in games like Magic and Warhammer Invasion. It can get infuriating when common sense and proper language are overruled by those who can tell louder.

If we're discussing card players though, it's generally smell-card gamers in my town smell like a homeless man's butt.

Missing option: "Disappointed by the quality of options of this survey."

Sad that dumbass people judge people by there hobby, no matter what the hobby is.