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So, I've known about 40K since Rogue Trader days...one of my friends had gotten the book and we loved it.
I have a shelf of 40K novels, and another one of 40K table top rules and codexes (3rd E up to 8th), a bunch of the RPGs and skirmish rules, I have a lot of 40K computer games, and have painted a bunch of armies (see sig)...
BUT, I don't actually play the game by going to the FLGS and tossing dice. I haven't "played" with any of the minis in 20 years? I just put them together, paint them, make lore, put them on a shelf and...that's it.

Does anyone else do this? I love the setting, love the minis, the painting, the books, computer games, etc. but when it comes to the actual "interacting" part of the hobby, I just don't. This isn't a result of the quarantine, or COVID...I just don't like the people part of the hobby :(

Anyway...is this a common thing?

-STS

lots of people are hobbyists first. There's nothing wrong with that. I love to play the game, and I love to play with painted armies, so I don't put a lot of time into other hobbies because time is limited, but they're definitely have been streaks in the past where I have not played in a month or so but still keep on collecting, assembling, reading, and painting!

I’m on the opposite end of the spectrum. For me, the hobby is *about* spending time with people which is a bit weird as I’m an introvert by nature... but 40k is one of my socializing activities.

I occasionally paint and occasionally check out fluff developments, but playing is what keeps me coming back.

So, I’d say it’s uncommon to *not* game, but nothing wrong. Our hobby is different things to different people. You do you.

Over the years I've met tons of random people that, while over at my house have seen my miniatures. They ask some questions and then say" oh yeah, my _______ collects/build/paints those". I've never had anyone say they know anyone that plays the game tho.

One must not forget that a fair amount of GW sales are people that buy 1-2 boxes and nothing ever again.

But then you get people that are more into the whole thing. Lore, Models, Hobby, & Game(I like all parts, just not equally).

Then you have gamers that follow what's hot and buy/sell constantly.

I have a long time friend much like that.
He has a 3d printer & is constantly printing & painting up minis - from goblins all the way up to huge 2.5' long galleons (and he's done the sails/thread rigging) & everything in-between.
Doesn't play a single minis game. Never has.

Wich is really too bad because he's absolutely the type who loves rules & rules minutia and would be a good war-gamer. Instead? All he does is play RPGs (mostly D&D) once a week, dabbles in computer gaming, and plays the occasional game of MTG. 90% of his models will never actually be used.

slade the sniper wrote:
So, I've known about 40K since Rogue Trader days...one of my friends had gotten the book and we loved it.
I have a shelf of 40K novels, and another one of 40K table top rules and codexes (3rd E up to 8th), a bunch of the RPGs and skirmish rules, I have a lot of 40K computer games, and have painted a bunch of armies (see sig)...
BUT, I don't actually play the game by going to the FLGS and tossing dice. I haven't "played" with any of the minis in 20 years? I just put them together, paint them, make lore, put them on a shelf and...that's it.

Does anyone else do this? I love the setting, love the minis, the painting, the books, computer games, etc. but when it comes to the actual "interacting" part of the hobby, I just don't. This isn't a result of the quarantine, or COVID...I just don't like the people part of the hobby :(

Anyway...is this a common thing?

-STS

Yea it is common. You're one of the classically ignored groups when people make arguments around here. Some people spend obscene amounts of time just painting to ridiculous standards and those models will never see life outside a display cabinet but for a single trip to Golden Demon.

I thought I got into 40K for the game, but over the years I've realized I just like the models. I play the game rarely to never, I just like to haul out the models I've painted and look at them wistfully. Several thousand points of models, and if I do play a game, it's only with about a 1,000 points or kill team sized games.

I think I played four or five games of 8E, maybe a dozen 6/7E games, a couple 5E games and then before that some 1E & 2E games? I think I've played more Battletech, to be honest.

Examining it, I think it stems from the fact that as a kid, I lived in the middle of nowhere so no one to game with.
In my career, I spent a lot of times overseas, hard to transport models.
And finally, after dumping hundreds of hours and dollars into an army, I don't want to re-learn a new rules set. I know it isn't all that much effort, but I made an X army for a reason, and I don't want X army to be made worthless due to a new rule.
I have enough models to put together at least a competitive-ish list, but I don't want to worry about the points value of something as opposed to the "rule of cool." and whether that item might not exist in a few years.

-STS

I can kinda relate. If I didn't have a few buddies to play 40K and KT with, I don't think I would be playing either. I've never been into the idea of pickup games with strangers.