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I sometimes have to take a lot of flak about collecting miniatures, I guess it's just one of them things that it's easy to rib people about, or just misunderstand... "Grown ups who play with soldiers"... In fact anyone over the age of 10 who plays GW aught to know the risks involved by now. And of course the worst thing you can ever say is 'actually it's for grown ups' unless you really want to see a smirk wash over the other persons face, and their eyes fill with pity and a deep desire to get away from you before you attack them with a rubber sword.

I'm usually quite comfortable with my hobby, and I find most people respond positively to little hand painted things, without the need for coercion... Usually with a 'wow' or 'cool' and possibly followed by a story about how their granddad collect train sets or something, which they loved as a child, or how they have a similarly crafty hobby like making jewellery.

However I have to confess that I do still get embarrassed sometimes. Like on days when I enter my FLGS only to find you can't move for smelly little 13 year olds sticking ultramarines up their nose, and I'm forced to ask myself "why am I here?". or when my GF gets asked if she's waiting for her son...

And I always take a shoulder bag with me, so I don't have to walk proudly down the street with my nerd-workshop bag on display.

I'm not the only one who feels this way... I know I have friends who claim to not have played since we were kids... but then I'll come across a recent white dwarf hidden under their coffee table etc...

How about you? Are your little soldiers also your little secret?

When I first started in high school, I was a closet gamer, but I eventually came out and discovered that most people really don't care all that much. If you can talk maturely and intelligently about things, they'll reciprocate your respect back at you. Nowadays I don't go around blabbing about it to everyone on the street, but if we're talking about hobbies or interests I feel fine mentioning that I paint little miniature figures to play a game with them.

Not I.

I am not inclined to start random discussion about them with people I do not know, but neither am I prone to have any inhibitions to let anyone know about it.

My lady encourages it, about a dozen of the people I work with play, and when transporting models around I am more than willing to explain to any random person that asks what it is.

I also have a couple of (Tyranid!) models that I do not field regularly around the house as decorations.

I won't bring up my 40k obsession, but if someone asks, I won't deny that I play.

If they continue to ask questions, I always do my best to answer clearly and succinctly, while still conveying correct information.

If they don't ask, I won't bug people about it.

I plan to start telling people I work for the NSA and each model represents a solider running black-ops in an undisclosed country.

Kurb wrote:I plan to start telling people I work for the NSA and each model represents a solider running black-ops in an undisclosed country.

Best cover story....EVER. haha

The only GW denial I'm in is the "There is NO GW hobby' denial.

The hobby is Tabletop miniatures wargaming, regardless of what GW's bootlickers want you to believe.

I have lost count of the number of times I've taken valuable time from my life to explain to people that what I'm talking about is not Dawn of War, but the twenty year old game that it's based on. Lately, I've stopped bothering with non-gamers altogether.

I'm 41 years old. I've been doing 40K since I was 18, and D&D since I was 10. At this point in my life, my hobby gaming is such a part of me I don't think I could hide it if I wanted to. When I was dating a few years back, it was part of the first date discussions. My models come into work with me because they'll melt in the car in the Las Vegas summer. Fortunately for me, I am just so darn lovable nobody seems to care. Except my wife, who does NOT let mounds of hobby stuff pile up around the house. I can display all of the beautifully painted miniatures I want, but projects in progress must be kept hidden when not being worked upon.

Whoops, I'm rambling. Is it my age, or the brain damage? You be the judge...

Nah, in fact 40k (and other nerdish hobbies) come up a surprising amount at work.

As in enough times that it's getting creepy.

gazelle wrote:I'm 41 years old. I've been doing 40K since I was 18, and D&D since I was 10. At this point in my life, my hobby gaming is such a part of me I don't think I could hide it if I wanted to. When I was dating a few years back, it was part of the first date discussions. My models come into work with me because they'll melt in the car in the Las Vegas summer. Fortunately for me, I am just so darn lovable nobody seems to care. Except my wife, who does NOT let mounds of hobby stuff pile up around the house. I can display all of the beautifully painted miniatures I want, but projects in progress must be kept hidden when not being worked upon.

Whoops, I'm rambling. Is it my age, or the brain damage? You be the judge...

I think you left too many unfinished mini's out on the dining table and your wife let you meet the frying pan.....

No way, I've been reading DnD books since I was 6 and got into wargaming when I was 10, my hobby is a proud part of my a life, a part everyone I know so far has supported. I started 40k specifically in 2008, WHFB earlier this month, and I still run a regular DnD group. So, no, if it was a choice between gaming or, say anything else, Gaming comes first. Especially if it means I can use the Rubber Greatsword of Pew-Pew+7

I claim to play with armymen.
The bewildered looks you get are priceless.

I go to art school, and most of my classmates are fellow animation students. We're pretty much all nerds so who gives a damn? Even so, I walk to my FLGS with my Imperial Guard backpack that I got from the Apocalypse collector's edition that I picked up at a fleamarket. I've seen people wear stranger things around.

I mean I'm not on a streetcorner preaching the Emperor's gospel, but I don't lie to myself that it's anything more than a silly hobby that I happen to enjoy.

If it comes up in conversation, I won't lie. If I'm talking about my hobbies, miniature conversion, painting, and wargaming will pop up in the list. If I go and buy a kit, I won't hide it. I don't go announcing my hobbies to the world, but I don't act all secret about them either. Besides, as a new media student, it's not like anything nerdy is a shock.

Of course, whenever talking to girls, I'm an art student. Very similar, although they have two key differences. New media degrees get you paid more, but art degrees make you more attractive (Or was it just that more attractive girls are art students? Or just that there are many more attractive female art students then there are non-morman males in my art classes?).

Hmmmm well I dont get crap like that from people when I buy/talk GW stuff.

But I do look a bit intimidating to most people so they wouldn't dare to piss me off

I have always worn my gamer geek badge proudly, and I don't hide the 40K!

Over time I've come to value the rare and few friends who have stayed with me the years of my life. They are all gamers and still game and paint, a lot of it GW. I can understand being personally hesitant to tell a stranger about the hobby, but nowadays I would rather be proud of the hobby I shared with my friends for decades, that helped define our friendships, than worry about what a stranger thinks about all this.

--- Dreg

As such, I don't hide it, but I don't advertise it either. People who come to my flat will see miniatures waiting to be painted in my spare room. I do tend to have LARGE piles of White Dwarf and Codices/Rule Books lying around next to my bed, and I try to put them away before I think anyone will be visiting though... I figure on the shelf is okay, but a large pile by the bed looks... sad.

Having done an assembly to 180 school friends in my year, and another 60 who aren't (who I see practically every day) on the subject Geeks, Nerds, Dorks and Boffins whilst explicitly mentioning I play Warhammer many a time, I don't think I can be classed as in denial.

The OC-D

Hmm, whilst I do game quite often, and have several armies that are battle-worthy, the main attraction of the hobby for me is the painting/modelling side of things. (Hence I have a stompa but no ork army... figure that one out...!)

Hence I don't tell people I collect toy soldiers, I talk about 3D painting/art! As a result of this, I then introduce the fact that they're battle-related miniatures (never using the word models yet!), then introduce a miniature from the collection!

Then, I can be just as much of a nerd as I want, but the person I'm talking to sees it as an art I'm into, rather than 'toy soldiers' as I've sometimes had stick about.

But more often than not I just say "I play Warhammer"... that saves a lot of trouble.

Ardensfax wrote:Hmm, whilst I do game quite often, and have several armies that are battle-worthy, the main attraction of the hobby for me is the painting/modelling side of things. (Hence I have a stompa but no ork army... figure that one out...!).

This actually sounds a lot like me... I'm a professional illustrator (artist) (not that you can tell from my miniature painting *sigh*) so I tend to be naturally drawn to creative things. Some of those creative things also 'just happen' to be things that might also be considered 'nerdy', such as miniatures, and comic books etc...

If anyone asks I will usually say that I'm in it for the painting and modelling. This is somewhat true, since I will often buy models cause I like them, rather than for their strategic value. I rarely get a chance to play, and don't actively seek out games. I even tell myself I just like the painting... And yet late at night I can often still be found not painting, but instead pouring over army lists... trying to figure out that deadly game winning combination.

I think I probably hide the extent of my obsession with 40k from myself, as much as I do other people.

Though this might just be a symptom of my environment. My friends are a nice bunch, and I wouldn't change them for anything... But when it comes to being 'comedians', they're like a ruthless bunch of salivating hyenas, just waiting for the slightest opportunity to break your balls. It's all good fun, but over the years it probably has made me hyper sensitive to anything which might leave me open to attack... Though I know I'm every bit as bad as they are

kirsanth wrote:Not I.

I am not inclined to start random discussion about them with people I do not know, but neither am I prone to have any inhibitions to let anyone know about it.

My lady encourages it, about a dozen of the people I work with play, and when transporting models around I am more than willing to explain to any random person that asks what it is.

I also have a couple of (Tyranid!) models that I do not field regularly around the house as decorations.

LoL this is almost me perfectly except my wife actually plays also.

Nope, not ashamed or embarrassed of my hobby on the least. I've been in retaurants, bars, strip clubs, whatever, and when asked why are you in the area, responded with, I'm in town to play with my little toy soldiers. Course, I'm an old fart 52 this year) so who cares.

don_mondo wrote:Nope, not ashamed or embarrassed of my hobby on the least. I've been in retaurants, bars, strip clubs, whatever, and when asked why are you in the area, responded with, I'm in town to play with my little toy soldiers. Course, I'm an old fart 52 this year) so who cares.

Poor guy you dont have legal Brothels in the US

Nah, I don't hide it. If people ask, I tell them they're models used in a strategy game. Usually people nod and move on. Nobody really gives me funny looks. If they ask to see them, usually they ooh and ahh over the paint job (which isn't particularly impressive, but still) and ask how long it took me to paint, etc. So I dunno if people in Louisville are generally accepting of nerdy hobbies, but I've never been made fun of or been given a funny look because I play with little soldiers.

My girlfriend gives me all manner of hell for the amount of money I spend on the hobby (and the amount of time I don't spend with her... oops) but she understands that it's a big part of my life right now and knows how valuable my minis are to me.

I guess the worst I've ever gotten is "oh, that's pretty cool," followed by them losing interest and changing the subject.

I've always had kind of a "geek pride" thing going, so I'm always talking about my hobby. My fellow officers on my last sub ran afoul of that streak when I took copies of White Dwarf underway with me and left them in the magazine rack of the wardroom head!

squeaking of chair being pushed back "I'm 29 and have been playing since '87. I still play RT, Fullthrust, 5th, Confrontation (original necromunda), Epic and 10mm WHFB. Of all the systems I play I am most embarrassed about playing 5th." sits back down and sobs quietly

mmmmm....liberating.

My wife entitled my war-gaming hobby as "shame". This was done lovingly and describes my own feelings towards my OCD miniature painting/converting/gaming rather than her viewpoint. I only game with a few people and most of the others in my life don't know about it. Usually because they have never asked or seen any of my models. I regularly go to a brilliant local "shame" shop and my wife has even bought me stuff unknowingly to cheer me up at times. She loves the creativity, the completed pieces of art and most importantly the peace and quiet generated by it. So much so we are about to move and she has designated one bedroom in her lovely refurbished victorian cottage as the gaming room.

If asked about it I will be helpful and polite but will rarely pursue a conversation with an unknown 'norm' if I can avoid it. The atmosphere and attitude of gaming has changed drastically over the last twenty odd years and I don't entirely feel like I fit in it anymore. This is why I use Dakka and can pick and choose who I converse with about my hobby.

puts on slippers, lights pipe and retires to bed for painting and endless repeats of midsomer murders............

I havn't told most of my mates. The amount of abuse I would get down the pub would be unreal. It wouldn't be unfriendly, it just be unrelenting.

I, too, am a closet gamer. I don't think going into to your freshman year of high school being "That guy who plays with little figures" is the right foot to start on. Those who have stumbled into my basement and have seen the table, however, have gotten the 40k briefing.