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Because of life reasons I have lost my way. I lost the passion. I lost desire to model or game. I have taken a long break away from the hobby. Of course a lot of us always have the itch and come back. Sadly for me, I want to come back but because of life reasons, depression or what not I am finding it hard. I do have a great gaming group, but for me being a recluse, almost 50, and the gaming group is all under 25, I feel a bit out of place. I am always welcomed there. So I do want to go back and get games in.

Thing is, when I pick up the paint brush, or glue or sprues, I just find the lack of will to do anything. I have tried to stop reading threads on the internet that are negative. Part of my problem, I would let my nerd (not smart enough to be a nerd,) I guess geek rage come in and become vitrol on the internet. I believe I have finally stopped that, I hope. But when I put the glue, or paint brush down, I kick myself in the arse for not doing what I want to do.

So I am making this thread to see why people are in the hobby and see what I have forgotten. I am hoping the passion will rekindle me getting back into modelling and eventually gaming and socializing.

So for you, why did you get into the hobby and why is it still keeping you going?

I started in roleplaying, specifically D&D. After some time, we branched out a bit into playing Battletech, and one day one of my friends brought over the Rogue Trader book and asked me to learn the rules.

I did so, we split two boxes of RT marines between our play group (about 5 players) and our journey into 40K began.

However, somewhere in 2E I had a REALLY bad experience with the game and stopped playing (but still collected the models). When 3E dropped, my other friends stopped playing. I tried to keep in the loop - picked up models here and there and even built a Tau army, but just watched from the sidelines.

When the revised Necrons came out at the tail end of 5th, I finally jumped back in - dragging my eldest son along with me. I was, and still am, extremely cautious who I play against, but I still get a few games in. Mostly, I collect, paint and display - but do get in the occasional game. Although, I'm working on my own system for 40K these days.

I'd advise to keep away from the negative threads. I initially came here for News and Rumors, and sometimes pop my head into "Proposed Rules" looking for tweaks to my own game or looking for feedback on said game. I also poke my head into the 40K general to see what everyone's talking about of late, but don't usually get too deep into threads - especially ones that start getting deep into math or listmaking. Of late, the new FAQ has brought a lot of sour grapes to the forum.

I started out playing D&D and got tired of the fantasy setting. Then I found Rogue Trader, it had everything cool and scifi (I was big into anime & hard scifi) that I wanted in D&D. Squats spoke to me (always played dwarves). Built up a bunch of bikes & trikes and had tons of fun. Bought a squad of RTB-01 beakies and a couple of MKIII sergeants, but the great squattening happened and all of my love for 40k died. sold my squats to a guy who still played them (he had no prob w no new models) and quit GW for approx 25yrs. Over the years I'd kinda kept up w 40k, id look at models when at the hobby store, but the game couldn't drag me back.

I moved in to car & current military vehicles. stopped modeling/hobby after i got out of college, life, work etc got in the way.

3 years ago I got hurt at work and now am permanently disabled. after being very active (dirtbikes, bmx, skateboarding stereotypical California stuff) for so long, I was finding myself literally goin nuts from boredom. Finally decided that I should get back into model/hobby. I bought a Stormtalon just cuz I liked how it looked. Then i started looking into the game, watched a ton of battle reports, etc. 7th was (from my "outsiders" viewpoint) waaayyyy to phuc'd for me to play. so I was just gonna build n paint stuff.

8th came and actually made me want to play again. even tho the rpg aspect was gone and my squats were still squatted, it had enuff of what I liked. I've had sooo much fun playing with my Salamanders (fully painted since I have way to much free time), meeting new friends, and not going nuts. I actually have something to look forward to (besides family obligations) on thursdays, like painting a new model or trying out a new list.

So OP, if you've not lost the joi d'vive for the game/modeling etc, try small steps. Maybe work on the fluff for your army, build terrain, whatever. Don't let the age gap with the local group deter you. My first game in 25yrs, the kid I was playing was 19 and didn't know who/what Squats were. it felt weird at first, but over the past 10ish months, I've found that I'm not letting my disability to interfere with my life (as much as possible, still sucks tho).

You obviously still want to be in the hobby (otherwise you wouldn't ask) so take a different approach, try new stuff (armies, etc).

Heroquest and Space Crusade.

I’ve stuck with it because I enjoy it

It's fun.

I've never entered a tournament. I'm an OK painter. If I submitted my modelling and painted figures in any gallery they'd get slated: mould lines, adequate coverage, not much detailing. I confuse and forget rules between editions and games. But I don't actually care. When I game, I have a good time, and hopefully so does my opponent.

I play 40K the "wrong" way - but *I* enjoy it. If others enjoy it a different way that's fine too.

What keeps me here? A good setting. A leavening of humour (red ones go faster). Models I like. A playable game. Good company.

I was a trouble maker with not a lot to do on the weekends when I was younger, my dad actually introduced me to the manager in my then local GW back in 96’
Played till 2002 then left it altogether till 2010 had a quick 40k injection when my wife asked what interests me (around Christmas time) when we passed by a GW store in the south of England

That was for a heretical few months then just a couple of months ago I really got the promethium flowing, I have now managed to get my eldest interested and we will have our SW:A and possibly a 4ed 40k campaigns

I don't know that this will help, but peoples interests and hobbies change.

Peoples live are filled with closets of things they "used to be into". All of us have started, and stopped...lots of hobbies. It's no big deal. Maybe coming to terms with the fact that you're really no longer interested could be tough. Move onto a new hobby and find one that you're passionate about (even if it's just for a couple years). No big deal.

If you're concerned about the financial aspect of it, store your stuff for six months and then see if it does anything for you after that.

I got into the hobby through friends, a love of fantasy and the gateway drugs of Heroquest and Talisman.

I got out of it due to peer pressure and the worry of being seen as a geek, the same worries and pressures kept me away from the hobby for a long ass time.

The thing is, the only person who really lost due to that was me. Now two decades down the line I'm properly getting back into the hobby having realised the social fears are a pointless waste of energy and life and I'm finding it to be a pretty awesome experience.

Don't worry about the negative crap on the internet, it only really holds as much sway over you as you let it. Just remember it's only the expression of a single persons opinion, vitriolic or not. Don't let your life be shaped by worrying about whether or not you think some anonymous person on the intertubes might approve of your actions or not.

Same goes for for age difference. You're people enjoying the same hobby, so what if you happen to be a bit older? If they're friendly and welcoming and enjoy the hobby then maybe spending an evening every so often in their company will help you out. Stretch those social muscles and keep the skills up.

From your post it feels like you still have a lot of passion for it, but are conflicted. For what it's worth you have my sympathies, depression and life can often be a pretty terrible combo.

If you do want to stay at it, take small steps and focus on the bits you enjoy rather than the bits you hate. Worry about yourself rather than what you think other people's perceptions of you might be.

Even if you put your brush or glue down and haven't achieved what you wanted, you've still achieved a lot more than if you hadn't picked them up in the first place.

Lastly, it does sound like you're taking a stroll through The Valley of The Suck.

Good luck, hope you work through it and find your enjoyment again!

I got into this hobby because I simply loved how the models looked. I thought it was beyond unbelievably cool that one could assemble, color, and play with their toy in an intelligent system. Rules jokes aside...

I was hooked, and for me, it didn't really matter if the rules were good. I can always tweak them or whatever with my friend. However, I now attend events on the regular, but I go to meet people be social and see new places and do new things. Winning the event is a plus, but playing well is all I try to do. I keep doing this hobby because it has become a vice and a stress support.

Though even if the game is a big deal to me I do get burned out on it and need a breather. I will take weekends or weeks off from time to time. Wait for a little for the passion drag back in, often read others project blogs here on dakka look at conversions done, or paint jobs and I instantly want to try to make something cool too.

I enjoy fantasy stories. I played Hero Quest, Mighty Empires (?) and other kid-targeted fantasy games, which eventually led to Orcs and Goblins WHFB. I enjoyed it, but one day I saw the Chaos Terminator with Reaper Autocannon model that had *just* been released in a White Dwarf (1996?) and I wanted to play that. And the Dread with power scourge and plasma cannon? Urr-mhur-ghurd. This dude Abbadon is a Beast!

So I played chaos marines for 2nd edition, had about 10 friends through high school that played and we still sometimes get together to play, but a lot less as we've spread out, and I despised 7th edition. Kinda killed my enthusiasm for the game.

I still enjoy playing, though I prefer other games. 40k is ok, and it's popular so I can find players easy enough. I'm not much of a social person, so I like having a guaranteed mutual interest to talk about if I'm meetings someone new, or to have something to do while hanging out with old friends.

Got into it when I was a kid. All my friends were doing it, and something about it just really appealed to me.

21 years later, I'm sticking with it high and low, because outside of my family, it has been the only constant of my life. Growing up in a military family, and then joining the military as an adult, I've had zero permanency throughout my whole life. Warhammer has been it for me since I was 12.

A schoolfriend showed me some of his Blood Angel models during a "bring a game to school" day when I was 10, from there I read some codexes, found things interesting and went from there.

I stopped around the tail end of 5th edition and have come back for 8th.

I feel you on this one Davor, the black dog has well and truly bit me on the ass this year. So by the time it gets doing any hobby related stuff I’m pretty burnt out.
Have plenty of ideas but can’t really put them in to action. Most of my wargaming interests cover ww2, modern and a smattering of sci fi.
I find reading or watching a film gives me a bit of a kick to do something.

Watched fury again for the countless time and a couple weeks later had built quite a few bolt action vehicles up.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Heroquest and Space Crusade.

I’ve stuck with it because I enjoy it

You and me both, Doc

I started because of Heroquest, (or was it the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon).

My hobby is a mess at the moment, I game on the weekend (mostly playing Saga at the moment) but during the week I am mostly half completing a bunch of different models.

Sometimes I suffer bursts of enthusiasm triggered by all sorts of things. Some triggers are miniature related, like seeing some cool conversion, others come from books, films or just an opponant saying they are gonna start a new army (so I have to collect it's nemisis).

Initially, the little man-dollies got me in.
The games themselves are a bonus for having the models, not the the other way around.

I've always been more of a "builder" than a gamer. I've gone years without playing a game - but the building never stops. It may take a couple of hours for a game, but a half-hour of making time is easy enough to scrounge up.

My first model kit was an Airfix 1/72 spitfire back in the 70s. Their "iconic" kit.

Not sure if a love of games or a love of models came first; probably happened close enough to be academic. I remember building a Bf109G model with my dad as a small-ish child (around 8 or so) and also really liking sci-fi games like BattleTech (using standees) during that same time. I think my brother dabbled a bit with Warhammer and between him and his friends and the way I already liked both aspects it kind of caught a bit with me too. HeroQuest and BattleMasters played into that, though at the time I didn't really make the connection between my Space Marine beakies and the Battle for Altdorf.

I stick with it because it's fun. It's an active entertainment, because unlike video games/TVs/movies where you mostly passively consume content the miniature wargaming hobby requires a part of the gamer to really work. When I put my army down on the table, there might be many that look like it, but that one is uniquely mine. It exists because I wanted it to, which ultimately is the expression of the creative drive; that something in this world exists because we did. I think that's the bit that keeps drawing me in is the creative scaffold that's afforded by the various settings and miniatures. Creating things from whole cloth is both difficult and harder to share; you may not know the backstory of my own invented worlds but you can spot a Grey Knight readily enough. Historicals also tap into my love of history, and while I need to learn to temper my collecting relative to my capacity to FINISH anything (which realistically means I should just stop buying things), I do love how things look on the table as well.

A Good friend of mine used to play with his dad when he was a kid, nostalgia kicked in and suggested to me.

Not gonna lie I used to walk past games workshop slow as hell taking my time to do my nosey but never actually going in My friend didn't have to try hard to convince me to give it a bash. i started Playing the Day 4th Edition Chaos came out think the Star aligned that day ( i heard that codex was a good downgrade from the previous codex but it was my first codex) but i didn't care & Instantly Fell in love with Chaos

I Still Play now as time goes on Our Gaming group grows pretty sure we have most the armies covered between us at this point, Always loved RTS's and I love the challenge. plus Toy soldiers

I started with Trains and model airplanes. When I got into middleschool a friend showed me GW Fantasy Battle. From there I got in on 40k when it launched. I've played it ever since. That makes me an old fart. Sometimes I think it's silly to be painting minis but then it's just so much damned fun who cares.

When I get tired of painting a mini I go out in my back yard and let off a few mags through my Bren, thus refreshed I return to my cave to paint. With proper perspective I note that GW products are my "cheap" hobby.

Yes, I am known for going WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!! DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA!

Heroquest and chaos got me into it, Orks kept my interest.

Wargaming is on a cycle of hobbies for me, if I lose zest for the gameplay or painting, it is because video games or MtG has taken my interest and free time. I know it will come back again it just goes in cycles.

My current state is disinterest for the main warhammer (fantasy or Sci-Fi) as the models are getting too big scale wise. Zero interest in super heavy tanks, bio-titans + other over-sized units e.g the greater daemons.

Necromunda and older version of the game at a skirmish level still hold my interest.

I started reading too many Fantasy and Sci-fi books as a kid. Then, I naturally got into D&D with my neighbors in our rural part of the country. From there, I ran across an AD for 40K in a Dragon magazine and convinced some fellow bus riders to go into it via Mail Order. I have been wargaming ever since, even when freinds come and go from it; I have kept the flame of wargaming burning.

What keeps me into wargaming? I have always liked telling stories and wargaming (and RPGing, which I rarely get to do) allow me to do that. I need a good narrative hook and then let's see what happens.

When I did not have much money for wargaming, I find I turn more to writing and creating my own games. When I have money, I typically do not have time. However, I have never lost the flame of continuing and I think a big part of that is setting some goals for each year and trackign my progress on those high level goals.

As I have gotten older, I have been even less interested in playing with only a limited number of people who i have selected to game with as we share common ideas about the hobby.

I think the very first thing I had that set me down this path was probably Crossbows And Catapults.

Then a few years later Hero Quest, Space Crusade and D&D in quick / overlapping succession. Hero Quest led to Advanced Hero Quest, and then to Warhammer Fantasy Battle. D&D led to Shadowrun, Vampire: The Masquerade, Call Of Cthulhu and more.

Had a decline in model-related stuff from age 15ish through to maybe 25ish, then picked up the paints again. Finally, a friend and I picked up the 6th edition 40K starter set, and here I still am.

I am struggling to get stuff done though. I just hit 40, I'm married and have kids. By the time the evening comes round I'm normally too knackered to want to get my modelling stuff out. My CSM army has some finished units but a lot is still just base-coated red. I've allegedly been collecting a new Dark Eldar army for over two years, but don't yet have a single finished model to show for it.

Hoping this is going to improve as I'm getting a spare room to use as my dedicated modelling room. At least I won't have to get all my stuff out first and pack it all away after each painting session...

Two things to conisder

1) Paint smoething not game related. Brag some bones and paint whatever the F you want. No paint scheme needed, no obligation to have the result seen by anyone. It focuses on the relaxing part of the hobby and discards all the stressful bits we put on ourselves.

2) Try out another game. I was pretty burnt out before I went on a run with Team Yankee. It was a lot of fun to play a game I didn't feel obliged to win/get better/ list build in and I don't have any regrets about it sitting on a shelf later. The hobby isn't a spouse - cheat on it all you well damn please. I've known other people that went on MMO sprees before returning to the hobby recharged.

We started with D&D. After some time, we branched out a bit into playing Battletech. Then three of us got together and bought Rogue Trader.

Our group of nine still games together and it is one thing that has kept us in touch even though life has moved us around.

Not all nine play every game or come out to every get together, but there is enough overlap we all keep in touch.

Cheers,

CB

Unlike most people here, I come from an extensive video game background - even working in the game industry as a programmer and a writer. But video games were becoming too ephemeral - digital only releases with day one patches and extensive dlc.... in some cases, you don't even buy a game. You just get a code in the box, and they can take it away from you whenever they want. Video games ceased being something that you owned in perpetuity, so I started seeking gaming experiences that would last forever.

I had dabbled in Warmachine previously - I had a demo game at a convention before the game was even available, and had a few Cryx that I painted for over a decade ago before my kids were born. I still have those models and can still play with them, when I have PS4 games that no longer work. Ironically, with Warmachine moving to digital PDFs for cards or their War Room app, Warmachine has gone in the very direction I started miniature games to get away from.

Anyway, I keep playing miniature games because of the miniatures. The rules are, at best, okay, but there's nothing in video games that's like painting your own army.

When I was in my early teens, I was into modelling planes and tanks pretty heavily, then at about 15 some friends got me into Dawn of War. Played it to death, found out there was more lore behind it and read that to death (spent entire weekends on wikis just flicking from one page to the next). Naturally upon finding the tabletop game I was hooked, it was something I already did (painting and modelling) that I could use for a game afterwards. Got my Dark Vengeance starter that Christmas, and built up a decent Dark Angels army. Next year I was playing Fantasy, but then AoS happened and I lost motivation for that, picking up Warmachine instead. Then Mk3 happened for that and my group died, so I moved on to Malifaux. By this point 40k had also completely fallen away, as I became a bit disillusioned with GW, and so I was entirely focused on the smaller skirmish games. Infinity has come and gone a bit, although I still play very infrequently, but Batman Miniatures has come and won its place in my heart. I love the game more than any other, the background, rules and minis just massively appeal to me, and I couldn't imagine ever dropping it.

In terms of what keeps me in the hobby, it's the fluff. My two games at the moment, Malifaux and Batman, both have consistently updated fluff, albeit in different forms (Malifaux with its yearly book release and quarterly magazine, Batman with the obvious comics). I'll often read something and it'll motivate a new list build, for example recently I have been reading Ed Brubaker's run on Catwoman, which pushed me to include her in my lists for a couple of weeks

I still remember walking past games workshop when I was 11, I walked in and marines were battling these alien creatures. Since then I've been hooked, I do it because I love rolling dice, I love the social side of the hobby and I enjoy painting and building the minis.

Before I was a gamer, I was into sci-fi and fantasy literature, and building model kits (a 1:144 Pan Am DC10 and a 1:72 F-16 were my first). A friend at primary school (about age 10, so Primary 5 or 6) had the same interests; when I visited his house, he showed me his White Dwarf collection, and the games he had - Space Hulk, 2nd edition Blood Bowl, Advanced Hero Quest (the first miniatures game I remember playing was Advanced Hero Quest, in fact!). I borrowed his WDs (from 112 which introduced the Terminator Squad box set and the rules for them) to 127 or so). My first purchase was 1st edition Space Marine and the Space Marine paint set to paint them ( I ended up doing one force in gunmetal and terracotta because I didn't have the right colours for ... Death Guard, I think).

What keeps me in? Well, I'm interested in the settings, in gaming and in painting, so I can vary what I do if I get more or less interested in one of those aspects. Plus, I'm into so many games that there's plenty of variety.

 Sqorgar wrote:
Unlike most people here, I come from an extensive video game background - even working in the game industry as a programmer and a writer. But video games were becoming too ephemeral - digital only releases with day one patches and extensive dlc.... in some cases, you don't even buy a game. You just get a code in the box, and they can take it away from you whenever they want. Video games ceased being something that you owned in perpetuity, so I started seeking gaming experiences that would last forever.

I had dabbled in Warmachine previously - I had a demo game at a convention before the game was even available, and had a few Cryx that I painted for over a decade ago before my kids were born. I still have those models and can still play with them, when I have PS4 games that no longer work. Ironically, with Warmachine moving to digital PDFs for cards or their War Room app, Warmachine has gone in the very direction I started miniature games to get away from.

Anyway, I keep playing miniature games because of the miniatures. The rules are, at best, okay, but there's nothing in video games that's like painting your own army.

That's an interesting perspective and I wonder if that's something that actually bodes very well for the hobby- people actually wanting a physical creative experience rather than one that's been designed for them. I recently stumbled across this video which posited a crossover between a higher tech and a more traditional experience:

 Skinflint Games wrote:

That's an interesting perspective and I wonder if that's something that actually bodes very well for the hobby- people actually wanting a physical creative experience rather than one that's been designed for them. I recently stumbled across this video which posited a crossover between a higher tech and a more traditional experience:

Apple is committing pretty heavily to the AR kit, but I think it is a non-starter. Why would you superimpose a battlefield onto a real life table when you could just have a 3D rendering inside the app? Why be in the room with another person when I can just play online or play an AI? And, what happens when Apple decides to stop supporting the AR kit or whatever OS the app was written for? The app ceases to exist, period. And this happens to apps only a year or two old. Meanwhile, people are still playing Battlefleet Gothic and 2nd edition 40k.

Plus, I think several people have tried to use it for tabletop gaming (Eye of Judgment for the PS3 tried to mix CCGs with AR, and I think there was a miniature game recently with golems or something) and it has failed spectacularly every time. 3D printing is going to make a difference to the hobby though. AR has all the problems of tabletop gaming and video games with none of the charm of either.