Wargamers 'outed' on the internet

[Ithoriel]

When I was in my early teens my mother apparently said to my father that she was concerned about my playing with toy soldiers. My father assured her it was a fad and I'd grow out of it. He's still waiting.

[Womble67]

When I was in my early teens my mother apparently said to my father that she was concerned about my playing with toy soldiers. My father assured her it was a fad and I'd grow out of it. He's still waiting.

Cool

Take care

Andy

[SV52]

If asked I usually tell people I play with toy soldiers - nobody outside the hobby knows what wargaming is anyway!

[Leman]

Weird parents you lot. When I was thirteen my parents gave me a war-games room. I actually didn't war-game at uni. Too busy studying and partying. Soon as I started work I took it up again and ran a club at the schools I taught in for the next 34 years, only stopping when the results machine made finding the time impossible. Joined my club in 1990, had girlfriends and a wife who bought me figures, books etc. Now, if I'd played with fairies and goblins it might have been an altogether sadder story.

[Roy]

When I was thirteen my parents bought me a deactivated .303 Mk1 Bren Light Machine Gun.

Came down on my birthday and there it was, laid out on its bi-pod, on the sitting-room carpet in front of the gas fire.

Year after I got a deactivated PPSH-41.

As an incentive-cum-bribe to go to the dentists for some treatment (when I was a teen and suffering from a previous, horrendous dental incident) they bought me a .22 air rifle.

I have cool parents!  

Nowadays, if offered, I'd want as least to do with firearms as possible.

We best get back to talking wargaming now, otherwise I've derailed the thread 

[Westmarcher]

Only revealed my 'dark secret' to my best friends at the tail end of last year  - figured at my age that it would be easier for them to accept that I will never grow up!. Brought out my collection at a house party we were hosting and received many compliments - mind you, it probably helped that their vision was blurred having imbibed a good number of drinks by that point in the evening! At the same time, my pal's wife mentioned she had a doll's house - I've subsequently seen this and I can tell you, the detail is fantastic and would put many a wargamer (me included) to shame! Hidden talent, indeed! Been trying to get my pals to war-game ever since but probably left it too late - can't teach old dogs new tricks? (I don't think there was any chance anyway).  

Note: had to modify the post there - bloody autpcorrectr - what! now why didn't it correct that?  

[Leman]

Now everybody's opening up they feel much better about themselves. What's preferable; researching history, painting figures up as accurately as possible, then using them to recreate an historical event, or going  out to get drunk and have a fight?

[FierceKitty]

Be fair, Leman. This evening's drunken brawl is the next generation's nostalgic skirmish role-play.

I can imagine this forum in a century or two.... "When is the new Fierce Kitty figure going to be ready? Will it be armed with an infinitive-restructurer? And how about some female sidekicks?"..."Leonatus, my Techno set has just arrived, but every figure has a missing limb. I thought modern researchers agreed that he had sustained only minor dremel damage at the time of the forum bar fight, and the great mutilation wasn't until July 2017?" ...."Why is the Marie figure only available in zombie-apocalypse-survivor tatters?"...."I don't like the Nobby figure. It seems to be chewing a pair of trousers."....Damn, I want a set myself; after the Aztecs are ready, please, Techno.

[Leman]

  - I'm wetting misled here. More Utherine problems.

[paulr]

Now everybody's opening up they feel much better about themselves. What's preferable; researching history, painting figures up as accurately as possible, then using them to recreate an historical event, or going  out to get drunk and have a fight?

Not a fan of the drunken fight
But love the interaction of the 3 parts of the hobby:

• research
• modeling / painting
• playing / socialising

It has been suggested that I sometimes go a 'little too far' on the research side
The background for my Free French force in Tunisia in March 1943 runs to 40 pages, gives the name of each crewman in each position in each tank's crew, and brief biographies of all the officers and senior NCOs

[Sandinista]

My ex-wife once complained that I loved my little men more than I loved her.

Seems she may have had a point 

Cheers
Ian

[FierceKitty]

A girlfriend once remarked that she'd become interested in me through seeing how affectionate I was with my cats; she added wryly that if she'd realised that she'd never be able to compete with them....

[Subedai]

When I started wargaming in 1971, wargaming was most definitely a fringe hobby that was just starting to gain a bit of interest from the press, albeit mildly patronising and the use of the phrases 'frustrated general' or 'armchair general' were being bandied about. Consequently, I wasn't too keen to share with strangers what I did in my spare time. However, time moves on, people grow older and now I couldn't really give a rats a*se what people think of me or my hobby. Ma Subs started out a bit wary and incredulous, then went all sceptical, then mildly tolerant but now it's just a part of me that she has come to accept. After all, I am in complete acceptance of her interest in the ever-increasing paranormal dross on the tv (means I can write or paint) and her knitting (which also means I can write or paint). Win win.

[Wulf]

I think everyone who knows me - even people I work beside I've only ever talked to on the phone - know I play with toy soldiers. For that mater, I used to run around in the woods dressed as an elf, casting magic spells & hitting people over the head with a rubber sword.

And that's exactly how I describe my hobbies too!

Well, it's better than watching grown men running around a field in short trousers...

[FierceKitty]

I think everyone who knows me - even people I work beside I've only ever talked to on the phone - know I play with toy soldiers. For that mater, I used to run around in the woods dressed as an elf, casting magic spells & hitting people over the head with a rubber sword.

Pictures, or it didn't happen!

[toxicpixie]

Ahhh, good old cross country pantomime! TBH I don't miss it, but I did enjoy it at the time

I'm pretty open about playing with toy soldiers, taking things too seriously just makes you look embarrassed!

[Wulf]

I'm pretty open about playing with toy soldiers, taking things too seriously just makes you look embarrassed!

There are LARPers and even tabletop RPG players who claim it's 'Improvisational Theatre' which I think is even worse...

[toxicpixie]

I've done many kinds of LARP before, including with people who get very upset at LARP instead of LRP, so I know well the heated nature of peoples terminology for it

I blame Minds Eye Theatre

[Wulf]

Pictures, or it didn't happen!

Sadly, it seems, it's been so long since I was active in LARP that most of my pics have disappeared off the web. There are these two...

https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1355673_md.jpg

https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1355672_md.jpg

[Leman]

I thought this thread was about wargaming. What the f**k is LARP or LRP? Oh hold on - Live Action Role Play - Jeez, how f**king Californian!