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Hi,

Im 32 and getting into the artistic side of 40k. Im working away from home now, but still kept the hobby going by painting.

We are planning a family and one day would like to enjoy my hobby with the kids.

What im trying to ask is, is it weird being 40 to middle age and playing with anyone apart from your kids?

I no longer go to my local GW, but my local hall where the ave age is around 25-30. Didnt really see many 40+ and would think to myself one day, that im too old to be playing.

I suppose, painting and being a referee / advisor is one way of continuing the hobby in later ages.

Please share your thoughts. Thanks.

I'm 33. When I first got into the 'hobby' I was 13 or so. Back then, playing 40k was for kids. We never saw any older players.
20 years later - I tend to play at warhammer world. I am nowhere near the oldest player.
If people like 40k at 30, they'll probably like it at 40. And 50. Our player base will age with us.
We're not going to get retired from the hobby. And think how much fun we'll have in our oap care homes when we're that old. It's got to be better than just sat about with dominoes.

Well, I dunno about GW stores since I play at my LFGS, and I don't play Warhammer (I play mostly Warmachine) but I can say most of the people I play against are actually older than me, and I'm 26. There's a few people more or less my age, and almost everyone else is in their 30s or 40s.

In my hometown, when I was still playing mostly Warhammer 40K, most people playing were over 30, though proportionally there were a lot more kids playing Warhammer 40K than there are playing Warmachine where I play now. WHFB was almost exclusively people 30+.

So I dunno how things are in GW stores in Britain; if you feel out of place, are there any independent game stores or clubs where you could play? Perhaps there are some with older players.


But in general, no, it's not weird to be playing with people apart from your kids cuz there are tons of adult gamers out there. Shouldn't be too hard to find them.

Have a 4 x 6 table in my basement and game various games with all 3 of my kids (18/13/11). 40k, aquire, settlers, A&A, DnD, etc...

I turn 40 this year and it is never an issue. However I don't attend a GW store just the FLGS. There it is nearly adults only wargaming. The only teens I see gaming play the card games. But this is a local spot and a military town.

I'm 44.
My usual club has members who range in age from 19 to 36.

I haven't played in a store in years (not because of the age of the usual patrons, but because most of our clubs are outside of stores, and after more than 20 years of that, playing in a store feels just wrong.

Now, when I joined this club, there were NO other regular members who were anywhere close to my age (the guy who used to run it pulled out and the lady who took over - mother of one of the kids - used it as part creche and part study group) - it was ALL teenage high school kids.

In the last 8-9 years, I've succeeded in getting more "adult" members into the club - from tradies to enlisted servicemen at the local army base. We were also forced to move venues, into a less "junior" friendly venue (licensed sports club - the licence is for booze and gambling machines - we use their board room and we get it cheaper than the hall we used to have).

My other club is mostly grown men, many of whom are dads.
They don't bring their kids with them (although they probably will when they are old enough) - and they just use it as their monthly "man day" where they can kick back and throw dice whilst having a few beers.

I'm 21 and I'd be happy to play someone aged 40 or over. I find people my age to be immature 80% of the time, and it would be nice to play someone who I could play a decent game with and have a conversation with whilst we're at it. So yeah, play on!

Hrm... someone needs to call in the local Senior Citizen Brigade.... There are certainly plenty of 40+ 40k players, the game is 25 years old (going on 26 here in a few months), so if you are 40 now, then you would have been 15 when 40k started... To be honest though, there's nothing creepy about playing with people that are your kids ages. Think of it as teaching. Demo 40k, get people interested, start having them learn, bring their dad (if he's into 40k and that sort of thing), and build a community of older and younger people. my malifaux community is me (24), another guy (26), an older gentleman (40-ish), a 17 yr old kid, and a 14 yr old kid. We've got a few other randoms that are aged 10 to 36 or so... It's only a big deal if you make it a big deal.

While not 40 yet, I can see it from where I am. My son will be 7 at the end of the month, so a bit young for 40k

My FLGS is a mix. I'm not the oldest person there. But I do play games against kids younger then some of my minis. And some of those "kids" need to shave and drove to the store... Nobody has a problem with the range of ages. We old guard are living ancestors, keepers of the old knowledge, history, and lore. We offer a different perspective.

And they get to laugh at us when we start complaining about our knees and back around hour 4 of the tournament.

<waves force staff at the whippersnappers>
Git off my landing zone! Darn kids these days...

I think your fine. I'm 33 and have kids. They like to sit next to me and watch me paint and model stuff. My local group are all mostly around my age.

As I'm about to turn 30 and recently started up again after a few years on the sidelines (being forum lurker and whatnot) I actually asked myself a similar question. To paraphrase a famous movie icon: "Am I getting too old for this s**t?"

Like many above have pointed out, I believe the gaming community will age with us. I think it's a bit similar to how the average age of people playing computer games is increasing. The generation that grew up in the early days of computer gaming still stick with the hobby, and now have the funds to back it up. Same I believe goes for wargaming.

As to your comment on "other people's kids" - I'd say it's all a matter of perspective. I have about 9 years of experience with being a teacher and coaching teen sports teams, not to mention frequenting the local LFGS where some of my students have started showing up (not my doing!). I think the unspoken question here is how parents will react to "older men" having the same hobby as their kids. My experience is that this rarely is a problem for most.

Very warm responses.

Yeah, I thought id have the problem of using my kids as cover to play a game where I would be one of the oldest around, especially what other parents thought.

But yes, its a lifetime hobby and how ace would it be having a game of 40k (or similar) instead of dominoes in retirement

Cheers.

I'm turning 42 soon. I have two kids, a boy and a girl - now aged 10 and 12 - and proud of the fact that I *CAN* play miniature games with both of them. I have friends of the same age - and even older - with whom I play miniature games regularly.

Nothing wrong about it. In fact now that my kids are old enough to understand rules and have the patience to play, we're all having a blast!

My club is made up of a few who were there for RT, and a few who have caught up since.
So, we have a couple who could be mid-40s, a few around 35-45, some 20-odds and a couple are children of the above.

So, there's a good mix there.

Of the people I know who play elsewhere, most are 35-40. I don't know that many younger than that anyway, but a fair few I do know are older, like me.

I am 42 and make Hello kitty space marines! nothing wrong with that!

I'm 32 and my son is starting an army he's 13. My 6 month old daughter watches us paint a few nights a week. And the local group is really 25-40 so I'm in the middle of the pack currently. I do play a lot of events in the midwest, where I feel I'm pretty in the middle as well.

I'm oldish , and have been playing since 40K began.

My eldest daughter plays nids. My wife collects Eldar, and occasionally deigns to wipe the floor with me using them.

Most folks i play with are at least a decade younger than I am. I've converted next-door-neighbours and local kids to the cult of 40K for years.

I don't consider it wierd. Actually i enjoy playing against the younger crowd, and occasionally rolling out 'back in my day..' comments..

I just turned 40 this year. I am happy to say I've fallen in with a group of gamers that ranges from 17-60(something). I fall right in the middle and brindge the gap. I will admit that the older guys really only play historicals. I am about the oldest of the sci fi players. It is fun becoming one of the grognards and having the yung-uns come to me for advice on gaming/painting and all the rest.

I still remember when I was their age looking up to the older guys. It's actually kinda cool.

I'm 41, been playing for two years, and have never had to play with anyone under 26. Between my group of old friends, who are all gamers, and a fairly healthy adult gaming population in my area, I can pick and choose my opponents.
If I go in to one of the local stores, and there are only teens about, I just leave. Nothing against you kids, I just don't want to interact with you in that manner.

I'm 40.. I started playing 40k in 1993. My gaming group who I rarely get to see these days are all about my age or older. No kids of my own, but my nephews are starting to show an interest, hope to get them into the game one of these days.

You can never be too old to play. Like Scatman said in Twilight Zone .. The day we stop playing is the day we start getting old.

I turned 48 about five days ago! The one thing I've learned so far is this; There is no rule saying that when you reach a certain age you have to stop doing things you like, if anything it will help you live a longer and happier life(in theory!). Why assume you have to act old? Its a state of mind we should all avoid at all costs. Regardless of anything else, when it boils down to it, your life is yours not anyone else's so try to have as much fun as possible. After all, we'll be dead for a long time!!!

I think what happens is that most gamers settle into an "established group" by age 40. In other words, the guys you game with end up being your friends eventually and then somebody builds a gameroom. At that point, you play in the gameroom. This option usually isn't available to younger players.

That said, who cares if you're the only "old guy?" Play anyway. Some prefer the vibrant gamestore environment and the chance to play against many opponents over any particular dark dungeon of a gameroom.

I am on the wrong side of getting towards 60 in three weeks time and have been playing "toy soldiers" for over 45 years now. It is so refreshing now to have such a wide choice of rules, figures, terrain etc. change from a battlefield of a blanket thrown other a few books, pieces of hedge for woods and a collection of "Airfix" American Civil War figures using the original Featherstone Wargames book that was permanently on loan to me from the library.

My kids grew up and joined in and now their kids want to play with Grandads toys. I catch the odd frown from the wife now and then but she has grown used to it now.

Too much time invested in the hobby to give up now and anyway I cannot rollerblade

Now that I'm older, I usually just play at home with my close friends. This group is relatively static. We only play a few times a year.

I play lot's of stuff with my daughter too, and she started when she was 5 or 6.

I'm 37 and want to say a big thank you to all you Dakkaites making me feel young! One of my regular opponents is 17 and I'm amongst the older players at my club (I was stunned to discover that our chairman is two years younger than I am!), but I don't find it weird toplay with opponents in ttheir 20s and younger. In fact, I think the ability of hobbyists of diverse ages to meet as equals across the tabletop is one of the best aspects of our hobby.

R.

I'm not sure how it happened but I'm 40 as well. I started with 40k 9 years ago or so, it took the place of MMO's (stupidly addicting things). I can see this is a hobby for life, it appeals to my artistic side as well as the SMASH side.

I've been painting with my oldest daughter since she could hold a brush, and her little sister isn't too far off from that age. I have been teaching her some basic painting techniques, and she love to paint with her old man. We play a bit of Super Dungeon Explore, and like to play just about any other board games as well. I know she will be a bonafide gamer painting miniatures way better than her dad in no time!

I also game with people generally in my age range. I used to hit up the LGS, but the hours were too restrictive with a family. Now we game in either mine or my buddy's basement, normally until the wee hours.