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.

nkelsch wrote:
Terrible poll is terrible... but no reason for me to blindly quit playing 40k.

The poll has nothing to do with quitting 40k or any system, and is asking instead for the main reasons why people don't expand their gaming horizons beyond it (well, GW as a company). As you state, you play other game systems. That makes you option 2 or 3. I guess if you didn't understand the poll I won't take umbrage at your first comment.

Fluff is another excellent reason though. Completely forgot that one. It's a bit late to change it as there are votes all over the poll now, but that is a good one.

 snurl wrote:
Nothing. I think most GW only folks would be shocked and amazed at how low priced historical gaming can be.

This. I considered starting Flames of War and...wow. Despite the smaller scale, getting 5 tanks for 20€ is so damn cheap. Or, like, 130 soldiers for 20€. The thing with historicals is that nobody can go all donkey-poo on his copyright stuff or sth....every Sherman from '44 looks the same and there's no copyright.

 Sigvatr wrote:

 snurl wrote:
Nothing. I think most GW only folks would be shocked and amazed at how low priced historical gaming can be.

This. I considered starting Flames of War and...wow. Despite the smaller scale, getting 5 tanks for 20€ is so damn cheap. Or, like, 130 soldiers for 20€. The thing with historicals is that nobody can go all donkey-poo on his copyright stuff or sth....every Sherman from '44 looks the same and there's no copyright.

Even 28mm stuff is cheaper. Look at the Perry Brothers - you can get 40 multi-part, highly detailed British Napoleonic infantrymen for $36.

I voted choice 2 because that was the best fit but in reality I would like to play other game systems but rarely can, so I play 40k.

Now if I was given a choice I would never play 40K (and I quit fantasy a few years ago) but with 40k I can usually find a game.

I have had a hard time getting people to buy into other game systems or if we do we can only get a few guys to switch.

Plus I have been burnt myself when someone talks me into a new system and then the group quits it a few months later.

But if I go to a store I can bet that I will be able to find a 40K game so I play that system.

My gaming buddy refuses point blank to consider anything not made by GW, even if it's made by people who made the GW stuff he loves. He's just funny that way.

As such, whilst I collect other stuff I'm largely reduced to playing 40K/Blood Bowl. I'm starting to get the girlfriend hooked though so expanding there with some skirmish games

I play many games outside of the GW stuff. Only need one or two others at the club to join in and thats enough for me.

Pretty lucky that my local club is open to playing just about any game out there, so theres always going to be someone willing to give a game a go.

GW's strength is in the number of players and available games. That and their (old, none of this new Draigo stuff) background is what keeps an army or two sitting in my games cupboard.

Voted 1. i still dabble with 40k and play the odd round of BB and 'Munda but I have moved to other systems as my tastes have grown.

FW keeps me interested in GW product.

Generally what stops me playing a non-GW game would be the other players of that game (the local WM/H coterie, for example. Their idea of 'teaching' the game involves stomping you into the dirt (fair enough, the game DOES seem to encourage this) - but they don't explain to you WHY you did so badly or suggest ways to not let it happen again. As far as teaching goes, it's a crap method.

I've never felt the need to restrict myself to GW games. I came into the wargaming hobby by way of historical gaming (WW2 20mm) in the 80s, and then discovered 40k. So I've always known there were other things out there.

I play infinity - which hit a growth spurt here after the GW price rise/embargo double whammy a couple of years ago with 20+ players I interact with.
That's a higher number of players than the number of local 40k players who play in the local stores (I'm sure there are plenty of locals who play at home, mate's garages, etc - but they don't interact with other groups so as far as stats go, become irrelevant.

I refuse to buy metal figures. GW makes enough plastic and their sculpts are still the gold standard in the industry.

Malifaux has lured me with their siren song now that the Ten Thunders are being done in plastic. Warmahordes tempted me but that plastic/resin stuff they use isn't a whole lot better than metal. The models are as horrid to deal with as the original metals were. :(

I pledged into Sedition Wars, Kingdom Death, Kings of War, DreamForge, and Through The Breach all because of the plastic models they include.

That's why.

Could someone add the poll option:

"I like the GW background and fluff, other systems don't interest me as much/at all."

...then I can get behind that one.

Why the aversion to metals? I agree that plastics are better all round (cost, ease of use, storage), but you're the first person I've encountered that won't touch metals.

Mostly it's lack of location to do other systems, but also getting my friends to do other systems is like pulling teeth some times.

Had to vote other, no suitable option.

I like GW models, rules (in general not the sloppy writing), and the scale of 40K is great.

Don't really want to play skirmish level games (and have played all the GW skirmish games in the distant past)
Also don't really like the aesthetics of many other systems.

40K has been with me since I was a child. Since then I've learned more about the fluff and made my own. I'm used to highly customisable multi-part plastic kits and huge amounts of wargear options.

WarmaHordes tempted me but I ended up turning the warjack I bought into an Ork Warboss' warbike, it felt like a much more worthwhile use of the parts because I turned something relatively uniform in Warmachine into something that was totally mine and totally legal to play.

Infinity tempted me as well because I liked some of the models. Not enough to have identical models to everybody else though.

For me, and I speak only for me, GW make the only wargames. I know there are other manufacturers, but their products don't buzz me. It's probably because GW got me young - hearts and minds and all that.

Herzlos wrote:
Why the aversion to metals? I agree that plastics are better all round (cost, ease of use, storage), but you're the first person I've encountered that won't touch metals.

Second here. Metal is the worst thing that exists for miniatures. Modeling / converting is a major pita, same goes for painting, cost...etc. I take Finecast (price aside) over metal anytime.

The only thing stopping me is player base size, most people know of other games, but can't find a group of people willing to play that is big enough to be worth the investment.

E.g. Dystopian Legions, I know many people who have seen the game, but there is not much interest so the player base is small, I'm not going to invest money in a game I will never play.

I made a poll similar to this on a different forum, and the #1 answer was "the background/setting".

An option missing from this poll.. :p

I don't play GW or non-GW systems at the moment because I'm still holding a grudge over GW's neglect of the Sisters of Battle. The only reason I got Sedition Wars is because someone finally gave women equal treatment and it's so cheap I don't mind selling off all the stuff I don't want.

 Sigvatr wrote:

 snurl wrote:
Nothing. I think most GW only folks would be shocked and amazed at how low priced historical gaming can be.

This. I considered starting Flames of War and...wow. Despite the smaller scale, getting 5 tanks for 20€ is so damn cheap. Or, like, 130 soldiers for 20€. The thing with historicals is that nobody can go all donkey-poo on his copyright stuff or sth....every Sherman from '44 looks the same and there's no copyright.

Exalted this post.

Slightly OT, but I've always wondered about the copyright regarding mini tanks/cars/planes etc i.e why is anybody allowed to make a world war two tank/aeroplane/ship? surely the US government or General Motors?? still holds the Sherman copyright?

Years ago I used to play all sorts of game systems. Then all of the local shops shut down. A GW store opened up and so I played GW games. Now, the GW has also closed, so I am a free gamer again. It is all a matter of finding a game the community wants to play.

 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:

Slightly OT, but I've always wondered about the copyright regarding mini tanks/cars/planes etc i.e why is anybody allowed to make a world war two tank/aeroplane/ship? surely the US government or General Motors?? still holds the Sherman copyright?

There's a long history of debate on this matter in the scale model community. It boils down to this: You can't own history. A scale model of a soldier or piece of equipment from history is by definition an educational representation. One of the major selling points that historical wargaming organizations use when spreading their hobby is the educational aspect of it.

You could do a google search for model kit design copyright and find all sorts of discussion if you want to know more.

Except a couple LOTR games with my daughter I don't play GW games. Way too many great systems and figures out there for all genres. I have 15mm Sci Fi, moderns and WW2, 28mm Colonial, Pirates, Wild West and modern/zombie/gang fighting, some 28mm Scifi skirmish, 15mm Dark Ages, 1:600 modern land forces and WW2 aircraft.

I don't really like the 40K rules, I HATE being told what figures I can buy or put into my army, I dislike points systems...

I do have some Space Marines and Tyranids that get used with other game systems, as well as the Mines of Moria and new Escape From Goblin Town sets (and those figs get used with other systems too).

I had to vote "Other" because there weren't any options that covered the reasons I haven't started playing other miniatures games. I actually have a small list:

1. People to play with. This is a big one. Locally everyone plays a GW game, and even back home the FLGS is all GW games too. Why pay for something that no one plays?

2. Setting. GW has done a pretty good job about setting up a strong background that really interests me. Plus it's a little encouraging to think that humanity could actually hang on long enough to reach the 41st Millennium.

3. Models. This is more of taste thing, but a lot of the models in other companies don't really interest me. Plus if I wanted naked/scantily clad women I'd got look at porn, not break out my hobby case. There are a lot of games that are just hard to play in public because any female models are naked, almost, or look like they're supposed to be strippers with their clothes painted on. Granted some of GW's models aren't much better, but a majority of the female models are wearing clothing and armour.

4. Players from other systems. This is likely going to piss someone off, but frankly I'm a bit turned off by some of the players I've encountered are too aggressive about how great/cheap/better their game is in comparison to the one I'm playing. I see miniatures games like bikes, if your getting what you want out of the game (for me, a good time) does it matter if the bike has 30 gear settings a bell and lights? Not really. And bragging about it doesn't make me more interested in it either.

5. Scale. Most of the other minatures games out there are skirmish games. And that's fine, I've got nothing against skirmish games (I love playing Mordhiem, Kill Team is enjoyable and I want to try Necromunda some day) but when I like controlling 40+ models on the table, and it's a different kind of game than if I were controlling 10-15.

6. Personal taste. I've looked at other games, even read reviews about them but when it comes down to it, I like the feel of GW's games more than a lot of the other ones. Sure it's akin to riding a one speed bicycle compared to some of the other games out there, but it's still fun to play (or ride to continue my analogy).

So yeah, there's my short list why I play GW games exclusively.

Where does this idea that "most of the other minatures games out there are skirmish games" come from?

I'm not sure it is a very accurate statement...

CptJake wrote:
Where does this idea that "most of the other minatures games out there are skirmish games" come from?

I'm not sure it is a very accurate statement...

Looking at the volume of historical games out there, you may be right......................

CptJake wrote:
Where does this idea that "most of the other minatures games out there are skirmish games" come from?

I'm not sure it is a very accurate statement...

Outside of the Historical games a lot of the games we see mentioned a lot (Hordes, Infinity, Warmachine) are small unit skirmish games. Those are the ones I was referring to personally.

I've always played GW games, and spent far too much cash to consider other systems

Our group is firmly entrenched in 40k. The price increases over the past few years have curtailed our spending, but we've all got pretty large armies at this point and enjoy Warhammer 40k.

It isn't just the game at this point. Some of us have a lot of the books and are getting a lot of enjoyment with the setting, both HH and the other BL books, too.

 snurl wrote:
Nothing. I think most GW only folks would be shocked and amazed at how low priced historical gaming can be.

This is very true. I have a 28mm WWII US airborne platoon (40-odd metal miniatures with a variety of armaments including BAR, M-1 carbines, Tommy guns, mortars, etc.), complete with resin supporting vehicles (2 M4A3, 2 M10, and 2 halftracks) and a couple of anti tank guns. I spent about $100 for all of them.

I play GW games as well as Warmahordes. I'd love to play Infinity, Warpath, Godslayer and SAGA but:
a) No one at the store plays it and
b) It's difficult getting models in brick-and-mortar shops.

I think my reasons for sticking with GW stuff are very much the same as have been posted--I love the background and history of the 40K universe; there's an active community of 40K players at multiple venues I can play with; and I really only have time for one game system..

As it is, I can only get in games of 40K once or twice a month. With the large community of players and range of models, GW is the way I'm going at this point.

That's not to say that these other game systems don't have rich, well-detailed worlds, or communities of dedicated players, or equally good rule sets. It's pretty obvious that they do, and that's awesome. I say everyone should play the game or games that please them, and it's terrific that we're at a point where gamers have multiple, well-done game systems to pick from.