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Never too old to start. I started when i was 14, took a break when i was at uni, took another break when i moved house. met my missus because she saw me in a cafe reading a codex and she said played. now i'm 33, still going strong.
It does bring a smile to my face when my missus goes to a games night with me. her entire Space wolves army is older than the majority of the local 40k crowd.

I was there when 40k started, back in '87 (or so. My memory isn't what it was, etc). I stopped when I went to uni.
But, I started playing again 3 years ago, and hit 40 last month.
Half of those at my local club are 30+, and have mostly been playing since their teens.

So, being 'old' makes no difference. There'll always be lots of us up for a game.
As for Bristol, there's a lot of us on here from around there. I'm not, but you'll come across them eventually. See if anyone here has posted recently:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/user/list/8/1/60350.page
No-one's put the stores in the store finder, but it gets a lot of mentions.

Yeah sorry there is an age limit, and after you pass it you're stuck joining bowling leagues and going to bed at 9pm.

Of course you're not too old! You're less than halfway through your life. Do you really want to miss out on tabletop gaming for half your life?! You probably have more disposable income than a well behaved kid scrounging up his allowance to buy a Rhino, so getting up to speed with an army shouldn't be as much of a hurdle. And who cares if you win or lose, it's the fun of getting models on the table and rolling some dice that matters.
I'd also consider other tabletop games to have lots of options and experiences. Or if you want to drum up interest in your 30-something friends try pure boardgames, which are a bit more defined and easier to convince others to try. Good Eurogames like Ticket to Ride, or quick and fun card games like Fluxx for example.

I'd also echo the idea that must 40k gamers are older than you think. This is for a ton of reasons, like growing out of being an adrenaline-junkie teenager, to seeing wargaming as a cheap hobby, rather than an expensive one (now that you can do "adult" hobbies, rather than comparing 40k to trading cards and bubble gum), to prizing activities that promote social networks. Even if you do think of the stereotype of that 16-year-old who played dawn of war and got into 40k in droves... well... DoW came out in 2004. That 16 year old is now 25.

Which corroborates for my FLGS, at least. Most players are about 25-35 years old, with more outliers on the older side than the younger.

Anyways, the best part about being older and playing with older people is that you don't have to worry about young people's BS so much anymore. A 30 year old opponent isn't going to go up against a new player and roflstomp him into the ground and then air guitar on the table while shotgunning a mountain dew. There will undoubtedly be people, especially on the more mature side of the age range, that will be more than willing to get you up to speed.

FieldDoc wrote:
Hi everybody.

I've been a longtime (on-and-off) follower of 40K since I was a teenager. I'm now 32.

On-and-off I've collected 40K miniatures and read the fluff but I've never really played a full game. I really enjoy the painting/modelling side of the hobby. The last time I rolled dice in anger was about 14 years ago and the last time I painted was about 4 years ago.

Recently I have found myself looking to take up a new hobby. I dug out a (largely) unpainted Dark Angels army, picked up the 6th Ed rule book and Dark Angels codex and started painting. My only concern is that I am either going to struggle to play games (none of my friends are interested) or that if I do play other 30-something-year-olds I'll just be dreadful since I've never really played before (despite knowing a lot about the game, e.g. listening to the 11th company podcast religiously, etc).

What do people think? Am I weird/daft to think about taking the game up for the first time at my age?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

It is tougher when your friends are not into the hobby, but not impossible as long as you can find a local game store to find opponents at. You also have the "find a game" forum here as well which can go a long way to helping in places where you don't have a store. Be clear with people you contact that you are a completely new player and are learning. MOST, not all, but most people will help you learn, give you games to find out how your army works and generally be helpful in getting you up to speed. Once you have your legs under you, then the real games will start. Everyone has to start at some point, so don't sweat it. Just do your best to learn and try to improve. People only really get annoyed if every time they play you it is clear that you've not really learned or remembered anything since the last time.

I know people who started the game older than you have, so age really isn't a factor except when you have a pretty busy schedule. I wouldn't be able to get into the game if I was just starting today. My scheduled just wouldn't allow it, but I can maintain my connection to the hobby after 20+ years playing the game.

Skriker

Not at all.

I'm 35, just started all manner of tt games a few years ago.

Age is not the question, willingness to learn is.

 Skinnereal wrote:

As for Bristol, there's a lot of us on here from around there. I'm not, but you'll come across them eventually. See if anyone here has posted recently:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/user/list/8/1/60350.page
No-one's put the stores in the store finder, but it gets a lot of mentions.

Thanks for the link. Hadn't thought to check the member listing.

allaros wrote:
the best part about being older and playing with older people is that you don't have to worry about young people's BS so much anymore. A 30 year old opponent isn't going to go up against a new player and roflstomp him into the ground and then air guitar on the table while shotgunning a mountain dew.

That made me laugh

Why would you be too old to start? If you are not too old to play then it's definitely not to old to start.

32?! That's it and you think your "too old?"

Listen, at some point you'll figure out that the words "too old" were said to you, probably by your parents, because they wanted you to do something. Like study in school, stop whining like a baby, get a job or even find your own place to live.

Once you've done all those things then there isn't much you are now "too old" for. Except going to a playground and trying to play tag with kids you don't know ...that's just creepy - and will likely land you in jail.

I'm 40. A lot of the guys I play 40k with are 30+.

There is something in the hobby for all ages. In my area, I feel as though I'm in the middle of the bracket (25 soon). There are plenty of teens and plenty of 30+. With the way prices are these days, the hobby is really only affordable to those with established careers - most of which will be 30+.

It's not competitive sports...it's a miniatures war game. The only detriment to starting the hobby now is that miniature prices seem to be increasing along a power curve and you're well into the crappy part of that power curve.

I'm thirty and still playing, however it is now devolved, or perhaps evolved, into a beer and pretzels game. I've had my most fun in 40k ever since I dropped competitive play in my older years. Jump troopers all around? Sure! Mandrakes? Let's do this! Oh Lictors and Pyrovores?

I think you are too young we need mature players wait until you are 40

I am 42

 Jehan-reznor wrote:
I think you are too young we need mature players wait until you are 40

I am 42

Agreed. There are too many gosh-durn young'ins, what with their "hip hop" and jeans hanging off the waist. Dang kids! I remember when the Avatar of Khaine cost 300 points and had random stats.


OK not really as I would've been like 5 when RT first came out.

<- 34

This hobby is much more enjoyable with a solid disposable income to fund it

Personally, I think I'm too old to be doing any of this stuff anymore (actually, I think I was too old to start at the age that I did). But go for it. It sounds like you might be okay and stuff.

Ehh, depends on the player group. Should be fine, but if its not, Fantasy and Flames have older playerbases

FieldDoc wrote:
Hi everybody.

I've been a longtime (on-and-off) follower of 40K since I was a teenager. I'm now 32.

On-and-off I've collected 40K miniatures and read the fluff but I've never really played a full game. I really enjoy the painting/modelling side of the hobby. The last time I rolled dice in anger was about 14 years ago and the last time I painted was about 4 years ago.

Recently I have found myself looking to take up a new hobby. I dug out a (largely) unpainted Dark Angels army, picked up the 6th Ed rule book and Dark Angels codex and started painting. My only concern is that I am either going to struggle to play games (none of my friends are interested) or that if I do play other 30-something-year-olds I'll just be dreadful since I've never really played before (despite knowing a lot about the game, e.g. listening to the 11th company podcast religiously, etc).

What do people think? Am I weird/daft to think about taking the game up for the first time at my age?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

I'm 37 and still going strong. Dude, I say your at the prime age.

You'll be fine. At least a third of my local playing group would be 30+, and they get on fine with everyone else.

Personally, I couldn't care less how old my opponent is. I'm more interested in whether or not they're pleasant to play against. If you happen to have a whole lot of old-school models, that's a bonus for us young ones .

35 here, i played a few games at 13-14 but school and lack of money culled it. I've drifted in and out through uni in the past but its served me well reentering the hobby later in life. I have more money and resources to set up the gaming board as i always wanted it and run an armylist that i could of only dreamed about when i was a kid.

Plus, Titans and super heavies looked crap then - now they are awesome! FW are sculpting a warlord titan and authors are filling in the gaps of the 40k history timeline that i used to dream about as a kid. Getting into the hobby now couldnt be better.

Yeah, I'm 37 and started playing again at 30 when I had kids which that meant an end to the Royster-Doyster carousing life style; I don't regret a thing. (much!)

You've already made the right decision and that was to register on Dakka. I have been lucky and made some good meatlife gaming acquaintances from here so hopefully you can do the same.

On that note I would suggest you look up Cut and Thrust Gaming in Bristol. There are a number of Dakkanauts gaming there and I think the owner posts here too, much more preferable than going to a GW shop I would think.

Found this too:

Most people have already said you are never too old. I started a couple of years ago and am 42 now. Never even put one thought into being too old. Much younger I would not have the time, the money, or the patience to really do things right. I have no intentions of stopping any tie soon.

 Happyjew wrote:

 Jehan-reznor wrote:
I think you are too young we need mature players wait until you are 40

I am 42

Agreed. There are too many gosh-durn young'ins, what with their "hip hop" and jeans hanging off the waist. Dang kids! I remember when the Avatar of Khaine cost 300 points and had random stats.


OK not really as I would've been like 5 when RT first came out.

Lol, you remember the day when Terminators rolled 2D6 for their armour saves.

And that 300pt Avatar could be killed with one shot by a lascannon as they did 2d6 wounds and it had 'only' had 7 iirc...

And one virus outbreak card could total an entire Ork force, but all Marines were auto immune...

Ah, nostalgia...

I miss Vortex grenades though Wacky fun...

Another one from second ed
I had 10 blood claws ready to go against 10 genestealers - normally the genestealers would've just chewed them up and spat them out...But not after 5 blind grenades from one combat squad and 5 hand flamers from the other combat squad.
I then assaulted 10 blinded, burning genestealers...

 Jehan-reznor wrote:
I think you are too young we need mature players wait until you are 40

I am 42

Average age of my usual 40k crew is around 42. Helps to avoid a lot of the really annoying actions of younger players.

Skriker

I was 47 when I got back into it (after a few years break) and am 50 now. I'm like a kid in a candy store when the new stuff comes out. You're never too old to have fun! If you enjoy it, and it keeps you motivated, roll with it.

You'll be surprised at the people you'll find that actually play or want to play mini games. I guess we never really lose that childhood fascination with "army men".

The game challenges you brains, your hobby skills and your wallet. What could be better?

v/r
Bill