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so i just started playing like 4 months ago, i have a fair space marines army, but i cant even find the time to finish a game over 500 points, or become disinterested at like turn 4 of a bigger game. is it just a case of "its just not for everyone" or is this common with new players?

Well it depends really. Who are you playing against? The curse of the newcomer is not really knowing the game or the rules and thus end up being demolished and demoralised by a ruthless opponent.

You need to analyse what is going on here. Without meaning to be rude, do you have difficulty with keeping attention and focus? Does it extend into other areas of your life? Or is it just 40K? It might be that the setting and background doesn't grip you, maybe the gaming side of things isn't your bag. Some people only collect and paint; the gaming side holds no interest to them.

That said, a game is supposed to be a narrative for both players; while its not your opponents job to entertain you, I would humbly suggest he perhaps has a hand in engaging you with the story and the game.

It might just be a question of timing; 40K can take a while to play out, especially if you have to constantly flip through rulebooks and look up charts. Once you get used to the rules, the game does flow a bit better.

I think losing interest in a game is a common thing, to be honest, we (my gaming group and me) go through periods of apathy towards the game.

One of the things I've always said about one off bring and battle games, is that they really lack depth....I know this might sound silly but questions like, why is my army here? what are they fighting for? what's the reward of winning beyond simply winning? especially if the fight is for it's own sake....

While we all understand it's just a game, when you total up the time spent preparing your army, writing your list, setting up a table, and the playing the game....motivation for the conflict is an important factor.

I can see why people enjoy playing in tournaments, at least it offers a real incentive to get involved and stay engaged with the battle.

@Filbert, yeah i've had real bad ADD all my life lol, i really like painting and modeling, but it just seems that i dont feel comfortable at the local GW shop and dont really care to drive 45 minutes to the next nearest one that's in a mall, lol, just to hope someone is there that wants to play.

but yeah, iunno. i like the idea of the game, just would rather play the dawn of war PC games (the first few not dawn of war 2) than wait a week to play one game that takes 4 hours not counting drive time.

My interest waxes and wanes a lot in gaming, but my love of painting and modelling is always what gets me back into it. I think that it is just like everything you get bored with too much of it.
During a game though, only when I got talked into playing rather than actually wanting to play have I ever been disinterested. By turn 4 if its clear what the outcome will be sure agree to set up again or pack up sometimes. Not having opponents is always something that will also have you become less and less bothered about playing, you could check for local gamers, clubs, or even just try to set a club up if you're feeling ambitious.

NeonHate wrote: but it just seems that i dont feel comfortable at the local GW shop and dont really care to drive 45 minutes to the next nearest one that's in a mall, lol, just to hope someone is there that wants to play.

I think this may also be part of your problem. I've always been way more interest in games that aren't only fun and exciting, but are also with people I know, even if it's just regular acquaintances at a store. It's why I normally play more with private groups/clubs than stores these days.

Try to find some people who share other common interests and plan meetups at other venues(perhaps closer). You may find you enjoy it and pay attention more if you feel you can play at your own pace(while perhaps shooting the breeze about other topics).

NeonHate: I can understand you getting tired of playing. I have gone through periods where playing a full game seemed like a chore. I usually play another game for awhile, until I want to play 40k again. Or 40k might not be the game for you. If you like the painting aspect perhaps another miniature wargame is up your alley. Skirmish games like Malifaux or Infinity offer much shorter games (about an hour or so).

Variety is the spice of life. Find yourself some variety. Opponents army, points, mission, terrain, your army (list or faction)--give youself some variation and see if that helps.

I can understand you being jaded if your only place to game is a GW store 45 mins away. Have you looked around your surrounding area for weekly gaming clubs or stores?
Also, if its taking you 4 hours to complete any game under 3000pts you're doing something very wrong - a 500pt game should only be around 45 mins, and most tournaments have 2000pt games in ~2 hours. Perhaps getting more acquainted with the rules so that games are speedier will improve the enjoyment?

That being said, I'm kind of over 40k, and spend most of my time playing other games - the 40k rules are at the same time tactically bland and overly complicated. BFG, Warmahordes, are more interesting games imo.

I've been doing WHFB for years, here is how I stay interested:
I have never played at a store. My group plays in a basement, an attic, a garage with a plywood table setup on sawhorses, and several different dining room tables. We alternate locations based on whose place is available.
We all play mostly between November and April; we are all involved with other things over the warmer months.
Almost all of us have three or more armies and various terrain, so the same game is never fought more than once. We never know what army or list our opponents will be bringing. Custom units / rules are often used.
Sometimes we play team games or 2 to 1, even 3 to 1, just for fun. Sometimes the underdog wins, which is legendary.
We keep it fun too. There is always a Pizza phase and a few cold beers as well.

NeonHate wrote:so i just started playing like 4 months ago, i have a fair space marines army, but i cant even find the time to finish a game over 500 points, or become disinterested at like turn 4 of a bigger game. is it just a case of "its just not for everyone" or is this common with new players?

You know, I felt the same way for my first few years playing 40k. The background is so rich it brings you in but those 3-4 hour games make the bubbly, fizzy carbonation of excitement go flat, and the rules aren't built to suit small games. I ended up spending all my time painting, modeling, and reading obscure fluff online for quite a while but when I hit a brick wall of fluff where all I could do is buy black library novels that may or may not be great/awful I just couldn't keep my passion alive. I even went to games day once and never played a single game there.
May I suggest taking a look at kill team? It was new when I quit and nobody got on board but it seems like it's been gaining interest lately.
My own solution was to just start a new game that played faster and had more moments of drama built into the gameplay. It worked.

yeah, already got my SM army on the swap shop, hopefully get some hits, i hate ebay... though i've had a few friends tell me i need to play warmachine.. might try that.

NeonHate wrote:yeah, already got my SM army on the swap shop, hopefully get some hits, i hate ebay... though i've had a few friends tell me i need to play warmachine.. might try that.

Do that, but do yourself a favor an really try it before you invest.
Depending on WHY you lose interest you might not find any enjoyment in Warmachine either.
Since you seem to know some people who play Warmachine/Hordes though you will most likely be able to borrow an army to get a feel for the game.

Vimes wrote:

NeonHate wrote:yeah, already got my SM army on the swap shop, hopefully get some hits, i hate ebay... though i've had a few friends tell me i need to play warmachine.. might try that.

Do that, but do yourself a favor an really try it before you invest.
Depending on WHY you lose interest you might not find any enjoyment in Warmachine either.
Since you seem to know some people who play Warmachine/Hordes though you will most likely be able to borrow an army to get a feel for the game.

actually talking to a friend about doing that exact thing. and its mostly just the time issue, i like faster paced stuff.

Warmachine's a bit faster paced, so you might enjoy it. I'd advise against throwing money at it right away, of course. Find your local Press Ganger and get a demo before you actually pay any money.

Sounds like alot of your problems with the game could be solved by simply getting a better grasp of the rules so the pace of the game picks up.

Also you dont have to play if your mainly interested in modeling/painting then gaming then dont game its simple really.

True that, although I'd highly recommend staying away from GW models if all you want to do is paint them. There's far, far, FAR better ways to spend your money if you're just a hobbyist.

This thread mostly sounds like an intervention. Lol... Playing a game with people you like is key to all games. even if it is with yourself (computer gaming).

NeonHate wrote:

Vimes wrote:

NeonHate wrote:yeah, already got my SM army on the swap shop, hopefully get some hits, i hate ebay... though i've had a few friends tell me i need to play warmachine.. might try that.

Do that, but do yourself a favor an really try it before you invest.
Depending on WHY you lose interest you might not find any enjoyment in Warmachine either.
Since you seem to know some people who play Warmachine/Hordes though you will most likely be able to borrow an army to get a feel for the game.

actually talking to a friend about doing that exact thing. and its mostly just the time issue, i like faster paced stuff.

If it's taking you 4 hours to play 500pts then I'd humbly suggest the pacing problem doesn't lie with the rules you're using.

Corrode wrote:

NeonHate wrote:

Vimes wrote:

NeonHate wrote:yeah, already got my SM army on the swap shop, hopefully get some hits, i hate ebay... though i've had a few friends tell me i need to play warmachine.. might try that.

Do that, but do yourself a favor an really try it before you invest.
Depending on WHY you lose interest you might not find any enjoyment in Warmachine either.
Since you seem to know some people who play Warmachine/Hordes though you will most likely be able to borrow an army to get a feel for the game.

actually talking to a friend about doing that exact thing. and its mostly just the time issue, i like faster paced stuff.

If it's taking you 4 hours to play 500pts then I'd humbly suggest the pacing problem doesn't lie with the rules you're using.

oh no, lol, 500 point games are quick, about as fast as a game of DoW, lol, its i just like massive stuff, big robots, etc, so i tend to want to use most of my models (i have around 2000 points worth of space marines now) the 4 hour timeline is between driving down to grapevine, finding an opponent waiting for a table, setting up. and playing

I have just started recently my self and at first with all the going back to the rule book and codex it did get old. now that I'm picking up the rules and only have to glace at the book for a few things, the time playing fly's by and i find my self wanting to start a new one as soon as i finish.

Hmmm so it's not just me then! :-) I've been into 40k for 16 odd years and i've only played about 4 games! I tend to get frustrated because I am not really sure of the rules and as described above it kinda halts the battle when you flip through books all the time! also the cinematic feel of a game helps, i'm painting up a new army and i've got them themed as an urban base which matches my terrain but i'm actually looking forward to my first game in over a year next month and I'm planning on finishing it and putting the time aside to enjoy it, especially when my last game took 8 hours! , I don't really have any mind blowing secret to fix why it doesn't interest you but try and add a few of the suggestions from above posts and see how you feel before you give up on it totally!

good luck dude!

OP - you live in Denton? You're in Reaper's backyard then - they have open gaming Saturdays 11am - 6pm in the Asylum (I've seen people play 40K there). Friday nights are Warlord and Magic gaming.

Hi all.
I find it easier to pick up and stay interested in a game ,IF it has well defined and intuitive rules.

The best rule sets I have played only took 1/2 an hour to 1 hour to learn.(But take the best part of a decade to master... )

The most off putting thing about 40k ,IMO is the rule set.
95 pages of rules in the main rule book and umpteen codexes.

When far more complex games can be covered FULLY with just 20 to 40 pages of rules.

NeonHate wrote:@Filbert, yeah i've had real bad ADD all my life lol, i really like painting and modeling, but it just seems that i dont feel comfortable at the local GW shop and dont really care to drive 45 minutes to the next nearest one that's in a mall, lol, just to hope someone is there that wants to play.

but yeah, iunno. i like the idea of the game, just would rather play the dawn of war PC games (the first few not dawn of war 2) than wait a week to play one game that takes 4 hours not counting drive time.

I'd say it is not for you.

Talk to a doctor about ADD meds.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Laughing Man wrote:True that, although I'd highly recommend staying away from GW models if all you want to do is paint them. There's far, far, FAR better ways to spend your money if you're just a hobbyist.

Unless, of course, the whole joy of being this kind of hobbyist comes from painting figs from the 40k universe....

Delephont wrote:I think losing interest in a game is a common thing, to be honest, we (my gaming group and me) go through periods of apathy towards the game.

One of the things I've always said about one off bring and battle games, is that they really lack depth....I know this might sound silly but questions like, why is my army here? what are they fighting for? what's the reward of winning beyond simply winning? especially if the fight is for it's own sake....

While we all understand it's just a game, when you total up the time spent preparing your army, writing your list, setting up a table, and the playing the game....motivation for the conflict is an important factor.

I can see why people enjoy playing in tournaments, at least it offers a real incentive to get involved and stay engaged with the battle.

Delephont's definitely onto something here. Whenever I play a game, I try to imagine how it fits into a larger story.

I see 40k games as smaller battles in much larger conflicts.

Games of Warmachine are the point in the movies when the main character & Co. and the opposing villain (depending on which side you're on) finally come face to face on the battlefield.

And of course, Flames of War allows you to either recreate battles in WWII, or just depict your own.

NeonHate wrote:wait a week to play one game that takes 4 hours not counting drive time.

If it takes four hours then you're doing it wrong.

A 2000 point game should take 2-2.5 hours, not 4.

My interest definitely goes down when I play against powergamers with unpainted armies.

I had a really fantastic game the other day that resulted in a draw, but it was so fun because my opponent had a very well painted Chaos Marine army with heavy customization and craftsmanship put it into it. We both had taken a lot of time and pride in painting our armies and, to me, that generates quite a lot of interest and passion and makes me want to play more games with like-minded individuals.