Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hi guys,

I am hoping this is the right place, but I am looking for some advice on how to handle the community around my local Games Workshop store.

The feel I get there is that they are centred around competition, winning games at all costs and optimizing armies for those purposes. This is despite their acknowledgement that the game is inheritly unbalanced, and their dislike for "cheese" lists/Eldar. I believe they have a lot of conflicting views and am finding it sort of difficult to understand.

Furthermore many at this store don't seem to paint their models and probably never will, seem to have problems understanding rules, and like to push their opinions on what I should be doing with my army, are not interested in the fluff.. I can probably think of more.

I want to try and make it work, I have lost many games with my army and as a result I have managed to persuade some players to let me take a larger amount of points. This helps a little with some of the balance issues, and the fact that I don't have an optimized army like theirs. However it does not solve the rules issues, misunderstandings and their opinions constantly being pushed on me despite my responses that: I know what the best things for the points are, but I want to pick the models I like.

Have I just stumbled on a community that won't work for me? Or should I be trying to make it work at my local GW?

Thanks,

Does the store manager say anything?

 Tactical_Spam wrote:
Does the store manager say anything?

The store manager is part of it.

Colehkxix wrote:

 Tactical_Spam wrote:
Does the store manager say anything?

The store manager is part of it.

Then they are not worth your time, find a club somewhere else if you can or seek out a another store. Trust me i've had this happen to me before, your only hope is that it's not a one man store and you can bug another employee into backing you up. It's just a game

I would just look for another club/store. They obviously aren't worth your time if even the manager is in on it

"Not worth your time" comes across a bit harsh. They might just be looking to get something out of the hobby that's different from what the OP is trying to get out of the hobby.

You might try simply stating that you'd rather not play against tournament-style lists and see how they respond. Many of the players in our local group frequently play in tournaments (and even travel to go to GTs), but they're still perfectly happy to tone things down when I want to try out one of my less optimized armies. If all your local players are comfortable playing tournament-style games, maybe you just need to prod them a bit to see if they'd enjoy playing in a different fashion.

Unless they're actively being jerks to you. Then forget them.

 jimifails wrote:

Colehkxix wrote:

 Tactical_Spam wrote:
Does the store manager say anything?

The store manager is part of it.

Then they are not worth your time, find a club somewhere else if you can or seek out a another store. Trust me i've had this happen to me before, your only hope is that it's not a one man store and you can bug another employee into backing you up. It's just a game

 War Kitten wrote:
I would just look for another club/store. They obviously aren't worth your time if even the manager is in on it

One man store! I am reluctant to find another, because the next best one I know, which is not a Games Workshop, is much further away and I don't think I can pick up games there so easily.

Wyldhunt wrote:
"Not worth your time" comes across a bit harsh. They might just be looking to get something out of the hobby that's different from what the OP is trying to get out of the hobby.

You might try simply stating that you'd rather not play against tournament-style lists and see how they respond. Many of the players in our local group frequently play in tournaments (and even travel to go to GTs), but they're still perfectly happy to tone things down when I want to try out one of my less optimized armies. If all your local players are comfortable playing tournament-style games, maybe you just need to prod them a bit to see if they'd enjoy playing in a different fashion.

Unless they're actively being jerks to you. Then forget them.

I don't think they intend to be jerks or bad in any way. I just think they find it hard to understand/see what I want to get out of the game. I encourage the idea of letting me bring a larger army if I think I have no chance to win, to help with that problem, when the points limit isn't enforced by some kind of 'tournament' thing.

I'd like it if I could somehow get what I wanted out of the existing group, but I don't want to cause any problems within the group by trying to push my ideas in and make them more open to new ideas.

Colehkxix wrote:
One man store! I am reluctant to find another, because the next best one I know, which is not a Games Workshop, is much further away and I don't think I can pick up games there so easily.

Not all games happen in stores.
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/566137.page
http://www.dakkadakka.com/core/player_finder.jsp

Colehkxix wrote:

The feel I get there is that they are centred around competition, winning games at all costs and optimizing armies for those purposes. This is despite their acknowledgement that the game is inheritly unbalanced, and their dislike for "cheese" lists/Eldar. I believe they have a lot of conflicting views and am finding it sort of difficult to understand.
You need a closer-knit gaming group.

Furthermore many at this store don't seem to paint their models and probably never will, seem to have problems understanding rules, and like to push their opinions on what I should be doing with my army, are not interested in the fluff.. I can probably think of more.
Not unusual in GW stores in my experience. Gaming groups seem to be better at this, as do tournaments. And if they're not into the fluff, what the hell are they into? Can't be the models as they're not painting them. which leaves the rules they didn't bother to learn. Feth.

I want to try and make it work, I have lost many games with my army and as a result I have managed to persuade some players to let me take a larger amount of points. This helps a little with some of the balance issues, and the fact that I don't have an optimized army like theirs. However it does not solve the rules issues, misunderstandings and their opinions constantly being pushed on me despite my responses that: I know what the best things for the points are, but I want to pick the models I like.
They're being pushy jerks.

Have I just stumbled on a community that won't work for me?
Yes.

Or should I be trying to make it work at my local GW?
Flee! Flee while you can!

Thanks
Yw :3

My suggestion would be to start throwing them curve-balls. Ask for games using alternative systems that they're not as familiar with, or which can get them to drop their guard! Things like Kill-Team, Combat Patrols, or home-brew missions where points-imbalance is part of the mission. Run a campaign, ask for narrative-focused games, or impose weird but cool restrictions.

One of the most fun mega-battles I've ever played was one where we agreed that ALL units either had to be vehicles, and a non-vehicle unit could only be used if it started the game in a dedicated transport. Having that many smoldering wrecks on the field was truly a sight to behold and a ton of fun!

EDIT: The idea of these curve-balls is that you're trying to get them to not consider them "real games". They're used to playing games at regular points levels and a generally "accepted" standard of play. They know the power lists and play to those with their own, because they're each trying to out-do the other. Why? Because that's fun! Competition can be very rewarding! But put them in a situation where there's no competition, and where the same rules don't necessarily apply, and they themselves may start requesting games of these types because of how "not cheesy" they are and how the "flavour" shines through!

I would love to know how this turns out for you regardless of what you decide to do

Where are you based? I see a UK flag. Many GW stores there are within less than 30 minutes of another as they tend to be close to railway stations.