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Hey guys,

So for my College English Composition class I have to write a paper discussing a specific community and a problem they face.

Now, for the first part, I just really have to do research about the community(shouldn't be a problem). However, the next part I'll have to find an issue the community is facing, and argue a solution to that issue.

Now, off the top of my head I can't really think of any, as I haven't really had any first hand experiences. The things I have come up with are all financial; ie costs of miniatures, and people having to choose between this hobby and another.

What do you guys think? Are there any issues other than financial that you have come across?

I appreciate the input.

Scrub vs WAAC gamers is the biggest issue in the hobby.

"Views of hobbyists held by outsiders"

Wargaming gets a generally negative 'geeky' image from most people, and in some (crazy, religious) cases, can even be seen as EVIL.

Though some wargamers fit the 'geek' sterotype, many dont, and how 'public' they choose to be as a wargamer could make for interesting reading...

I'll second the aforementioned ones...

- there can be a disparity between the competitive types and the casual/play-for-fun types. You can still be competitive and friendly, which I think is ok. Heck, you can even give some critiquing or advice and still be nice, it's all in the delivery. But it's when you're so competitive that you start criticizing other players or giving backhanded compliments or even insults, etc, is when it becomes an off-putting issue. In my own personal experiences, it's more common among the 40k community than the Fantasy community.

- the nerd/geek stereotype of course, although I wouldn't quite say it's a "problem", at least not on my area (I luckily live in a very diverse and accepting city...or so I think, at least). But I can see it being an issue in other areas/communities. One of my friend's once joked to me, after he learned I played Warhammer, "so what's it like not having a girlfriend?". Of course, I'd tell him I had a girlfriend and I'd find out he hadn't got laid in 2 years. So But it was all in good fun, he actually had a genuine interest in it.

other than that, can't really think of any, outside of finances. ...maybe access? The hobby/game is less accessible in some areas? Less players, less stores, etc But I guess that doesn't fall under the "community" category.

I might actually avoid using "The Warhammer Community" as a topic for a paper...

Having worked with quite a few composition professors in my day, I know for a fact that, as a sweepingly large generalization, many of them hate papers on "gaming" (most of the examples were video gaming, but still), second only to the infamous "persuasive argument for legalizing (insert drug here)" 2 page essay.

Be forewarned.

^ This.

Personally, I think you should have as much fun with University as you can (only when you're finished will you realize just how unecessarily serious everyone takes themselves there) and instead of choosing the online wargaming community for the subject of your paper, pick something completely ridiculous like the YouPorn community, and write a completely serious paper about it.

I'm gonna have to support Azazel here, the warhammer community is pretty freaking boring anyway.

Ill play devils advocate and say that I think our community is full of weirdo's.

People take the hobby far too seriously, take personal offence when you disagree with them on fluff issues, and are needlessly rude and insulting to people that don't grasp every facet of the hobby.

I don't play in any clubs or go to GW stores because I find them irritating thanks to this, and basically If I didn't enjoy painting and playing with my small circle of two friends, I would genuinely hate you all.

Elitist fat nerds looking down at me because I don't know exactly what the ordnance rule entails make me quiver with rage. Just tell me it! Don't scoff and rub your neck beard/man tits/specs/fedora

I was under the impression all gamers in the UK were stylish fit men, all drinking Guinness wearing expensive cardigans?

Emerett wrote:I was under the impression all gamers in the UK were stylish fit men, all drinking Guinness wearing expensive cardigans?

Cardigans?!

I prefer the neck beards to men in cardigans!

A problem faced by the 40K community:
A single name rings in my ears,
Could it be our Spiritual Liege
Descending from the heavens like a Land Raider
It is Him and Him alone, Mat Ward.

On a more serious note, it feels like a harder topic to write about, if I were you, I'd pick something that were easier to write as much as possible about, something that you are painfully familiar with.

Tronbot2600 wrote:I might actually avoid using "The Warhammer Community" as a topic for a paper...

Having worked with quite a few composition professors in my day, I know for a fact that, as a sweepingly large generalization, many of them hate papers on "gaming" (most of the examples were video gaming, but still), second only to the infamous "persuasive argument for legalizing (insert drug here)" 2 page essay.

Be forewarned.

It's true. in fact broaden that to anything you hold a particularly strong interest in as they can tell fandom from the slightest of things, and they hate it.

[ignore this ]

The same amount of fanaticism is exhibited by US football fans as is for wargaming fans.

I would consider a paper about the fallacies of the wargaming community. I did the same for my final exposition regarding dungeons and dragons for my history degree.