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I found out a short time ago that I lost a member of my 40k crew, Tony, to a heart attack this morning. I was letting a few of my friends know, when I remembered that one of my co-workers knew him, too. Like all of us, he was taken aback. My coworker said he had to let his son know, too. When I asked why, he said that when his ex wife had decided to send their kid (We'll call him "Chris") to live with my coworker, Chris was having a tough time adjusting to his new school. His only real point of happiness was Magic: The Gathering. Chris came into our FLGS with his dad one day to shop for some cards, and Tony saw the kid walking around with his head down. Being the kind of guy that he was, Tony walked over, put a hand on his shoulder, and introduced himself. They got to talking, and Tony invited him over to watch a game of 40k. My coworker started bringing Chris up to the shop regularly to play Magic, but when Tony was at the shop, he always wanted to learn more about 40k. Chris said that Tony was one of the reasons he was able to get through the transition from one school to another.

Tony had a passion for wargaming, and he always wanted to share that with others. A simple act of kindness, even something as small as talking to a teenager who wanders by your game table, can make all the difference in a person's life. You'll never know the impact you have on someone else's life.

Well it certainly is a Social setting. thats a game everyone should learn and get into.

also tactics?

I meant to post in 40k General. My mistake.

 EnTyme wrote:
I found out a short time ago that I lost a member of my 40k crew, Tony, to a heart attack this morning. I was letting a few of my friends know, when I remembered that one of my co-workers knew him, too. Like all of us, he was taken aback. My coworker said he had to let his son know, too. When I asked why, he said that when his ex wife had decided to send their kid (We'll call him "Chris") to live with my coworker, Chris was having a tough time adjusting to his new school. His only real point of happiness was Magic: The Gathering. Chris came into our FLGS with his dad one day to shop for some cards, and Tony saw the kid walking around with his head down. Being the kind of guy that he was, Tony walked over, put a hand on his shoulder, and introduced himself. They got to talking, and Tony invited him over to watch a game of 40k. My coworker started bringing Chris up to the shop regularly to play Magic, but when Tony was at the shop, he always wanted to learn more about 40k. Chris said that Tony was one of the reasons he was able to get through the transition from one school to another.

Tony had a passion for wargaming, and he always wanted to share that with others. A simple act of kindness, even something as small as talking to a teenager who wanders by your game table, can make all the difference in a person's life. You'll never know the impact you have on someone else's life.

Totally know what you mean.

Sorry for your loss.

 techsoldaten wrote:


Totally know what you mean.

Sorry for your loss.

Appreciate it. League night's gonna be a little more somber this week. Also, thanks to the mod who moved this to the correct forum.

Tony sounds like a great guy. Maybe we should all try and be ambassadors for our hobby.

Sorry for your loss. As my group has gotten into their 40s, we've started losing members as well. It is always good to remember WHY we are in this hobby, and often times it is because of the PEOPLE we share our time with.

A group I know of holds a memorial charity game around the anniversary of a member's passing-away.
It's a good way for them to get a game in, keep in touch, and remember those who cannot be there any more.

A touching anecdote, Tony sounds like a good bloke and sorry to hear he is gone.

Important thing is that you and your mates continue to remember him.

Thanks for the contribution EnTyme, and my sympathies and condolences for your loss.

I know, for myself, that 40k was the thing that taught me how to be more social. I had always felt like an outsider growing up, with very few friends, and didn't really know how to talk to people. The 40k gaming crowd may not have been hugely socially mature, but they were accepting of me as someone that wanted to be there. 40k has been with me ever since, and I've been playing now for more than half my life. I haven't lost anyone I've known in our gaming community, thankfully. With 8th edition, there's been a swell of new gamers to the community, young ones, and I really hope that we older crew can help them feel like they have a place where they belong.

On a related note, in a drive to make everything faster, more compact, and more sellable to the new audiences, I think we all forget sometimes that 40k is a longer game, but that is also one of its strengths. As a longer game, you interact more with your opponent. You talk with them more, get to know them, banter, and connect. I don't remember my Magic: The Gathering opponents that well, because I'm only sitting across from them for, maximum, 30 minutes. Worst case, they're completely silent aside from declaring their actions. I've never experienced that in 40k before. Even in my worst experiences, my opponents needed to talk to me for a little bit. And in the best experiences, I've made friendships and memories that last with me in perpetuity.

40k it costs your time, it costs your money, it costs your life (wife).

I opened up this thread expecting a rant about people just having fun (the title seemed like it was attacking people who just like the hobby) but ended up crying with a sad story.

People on this forums often say"why don't you just stop playing 40k" when you dislike something about 40k but 40k isn't just the rules. It's the community and friends you make while playing the game. Without it I would lose a lot of friends. I'm sorry for the loss and hope he is in a place now with unlimited free GW models. :(

Damn. Sorry to hear that. IMO it highlights that the stupid game itself is the least important aspect, and the people/experiences that bring joy to life are what matter.

Sorry to hear your loss. Yes, gaming is an important part of our lives. It's great to know, socialize and play with others with as much enthusiasm that we have. Tony will be missed but will live on in the memories of his kindness (and his army he amassed like all of us have).

Sorry for your loss.

I remember the first time I realized how great a gaming community could be. I lived in Tennessee when I first got into 40K and was part of the local community for over 3 years. Right before I moved to Texas, I was surprised at how heartfelt the goodbyes were. They all really made me feel that I was going to be missed, and that is a bittersweet feeling.
A few years later I made a surprise visit to that same game store on my way to see family and I was greeted just as warmly with hugs and handshakes.

This hobby has given me more good friends than I would have had without it.

-

*Offers e-hugs*

Sorry to hear about that. He sounds like he was a wonderful guy.

And it's good to hear something like this-too much on Dakka Dakka is people shouting at each other or hurling vitriol. It's good to hear a touching story like that.