Not bothered about that article. What GW does isn't wargaming as far as I'm concerned.

I don't promote it, but don't deny it if asked.

I find it a difficult hobby to describe, so tend not to get into the discussion.  

Out and proud, most of my friends think I'm a little strange anyway.

Now when I was 14 or 15 my mother and father took my toy solders away saying I was to old to be playing with them. You can imagine there surprise when I started playing with them again in my late 20s. When I discovered wargaming clubs.

Take care

Andy

I remember my father's warning me that if I wanted to get anywhere in my studies I needed to stop messing about with toy soldiers. Strange. A few years later, I found Cambridge was full of wargamers.

I keep it a secret. Even going so far as to use a fake name on the internet so people who know me, where I live, don't find out.
Why? Embarrassment. Definitely don't know how I'd approach the subject should I ever decide to get a girlfriend.
Saying that. I've Play By Mailed wargames since 1998 and I'd quite happily publicise that 
Pen and paper, okay. 'Toy soldiers', die of embarrassment.
Though, I'd also be fine being known as someone who naval wargames 
I really need to see someone! 

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.

Quote from: Ithoriel on 07 May 2016, 08:12:58 AM
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

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

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.

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 

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?  

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?

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.

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

Quote from: Leman on 07 May 2016, 04:46:23 PM
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