"What gaming/mini "Genere" do you just not get? " Topic

By that I mean, what area/ period of gaming completely confounds you that it has any minis, rules, or players to support or sustain its livelyhood!

Me, Ive had an attraction to almost every gaming period and place on the planet at one time or another. But one area that I do question popularity of every time a poll reflects the unusually high support for it is "Victorian Sci-Fi".

Now mind you, I'm not a fantasy or an alternate-reality player. I do induldge in near-future earth 15mm games and 15mm hard sci-fi games, but the whole VSF thing comes off as a bit silly to me. Not judging now, mind you! To each his own!

Now, for your replies, please keep them polite, civil, to the point, and on topic. Lets not turn this into a "genere" bashing thread (unless its about Napoleonics)….I kid…(now my St*fles just went up 10 fold…you watch, lol).

Back on topic! Your votes!

Ellen De Genere.

Do not fear the dictionary. It is your friend.

There are many genres I don't play, that's my problem. Others enjoy them. It's all cool.

Im with C Sage. There are lots of genre I dont play but I can't think of one that completely confounds me.

It is hard to respond to this wthout it being seen as 'genre bashing'

The Japanese Schoolgirl thing which seems to appear on TMP from time to time both utterly baffles me and makes me rather uneasy.

Zombies. Seeming all pervasive and very popular.
But I can't see why. Stupid idea, dull repetitive games.

But as the venerable Connard says: "Others enjoy them. It's all cool"

Medieval.

But this aversion says more about me than the genre.

Mother was frightened by a crab when she was expcting me.

Zombies. See earlier thread.

Hoser

None, would not even mind having a Japanese Schoolgirl battle.

Zombies for me as well.

Eh. There're genres I find interesting to study, genres I find interesting to watch, and genres I just don't care about at all, but that's really about as far as it goes.

At the end of the day, no matter how many repetitions of the word "simulation" someone's tried to bury it under, regardless of how loudly they trumpet "realism" this or "accuracy" that, however many layers of pretentiousness have been slathered across the surface of it?

We're all just a bunch of (alleged) adults, playing with a bunch of toys.

I don't think there's anything more to "get," beyond that.

- Monk

Zombies. I don't even like the zombie movies. But, to each his own. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Just look at the pin-up poll, it's all over the place.

I like your way of thinking Monk :)

I don't know that there isn't a period that doesn't appeal to me on some level. There are some games that don't, at all, appeal to me. I see them and wonder how on earth they can be fun.

One of those is when I see people playing 40K, Warhammer or FoW (although I see it less with Fow) on a naked table with unpainted armies (or in some cases with just bases representing some of their figs.) There seems to be neither the strategy of the game with maneuver and tactics or the appeal of a "moving diorama."

Not that I begrudge people their pushing lead like that it just doesn't appeal to me.

I can understand people gaming with unpainted minis if they are really interested in the gaming more than the storyline and I can understand people just really liking the look of something and not really caring about the rules or strategy but I'm not sure I get what they get out of it when they have neither.

Perhaps there is some army design component that I'm not ignorant of.

Moderns that are actually current – Iraq/Afghanistan, etc – make me a bit squeamish. Skirmish games generally don't do a lot for me. And another "no thanks" for zombies.

But, as others have rightly said, if other people enjoy those kind of games then more power to them. After all it'd be a dull hobby if we all liked the same things.

I like your way of thinking Monk :)

Heh- thankee, Connard. :)

And I can actually see your point quite well, Pictors- if someone loves the game but isn't enthralled with the modeling side of things, okay. If they love the modeling side, and don't care about the strategy or whatnot, and just game as an excuse to collect and/or work on figures, that's okay, too.

When they apparently don't care about the toys OR the game, though, then… why are they there? It's like buying a widescreen TV and then unhooking your cable and selling your dvd player, isn't it?

- Monk

Weird WW2

I'll play most hitsorical stuff but naval just doesn't do it for me at all, period.
All fantasy, be it zombies, weird ww2, victorian sci-fi, LoTR.
Playing with unpainted figures.

Viet Nam, still too painful.

Really, any modern conflict where we might be modeling a game that could happen tomorrow.

Horror stuff. Just seems to be so many ways you can kill a zombie. At least with WWII games you can have different objectives and goals. With horror stuff it's just: survive vs. being eaten.

Maybe Zombies, or Weird <insert War> but it usually more the rules (like TSATF or anything by GW) that just don't make sense to me.

Gracias,

Glenn

Late 1600's, early to mid 1700's. Is that 'Marlburian' period? Not sure what the appeal is.

I'm pretty happy to game anything, as long as I don't have to research or model. If I *am* the brains and tlent behind the operation, my focus narrows substantially, and it would be easier to list the genres that *do* appeal to me. But that would be a different poll…

Is it Flintloque? That thing with elves, dwarves orcs etc dressed up as Napoleonic types. Also the more supernatural end of Weird WW2.

Not my cup of tea but no issue with anyone else enjoying them!

I don't generally enjoy classicals but not out of disinterest in the period – I just haven't had any fun playing them as of yet.

With respect to historical games, ECW. I just don't think there is enough going on there to make it a game (at least at the battle level). Seems like there wasn't a lot for a commander to do once the armies were lined up. Of course, I was just reading Showalter's book on the SYW and he says the same thing about SYW battles. Yet, I defend my decision to paint 1000 28mm SYW figures to the wargame "death".

Greg

Zombies or Wierd wars seems to be a lot of fun for those that play them but not for me.

Basically anything that is not based in some aspect of history. Thus VSF is OK, GW is not. I do not subscribe to the "it's all just games and toys" school of thought.

I do subscribe to the "It's all games and toys" school of thought.

Most historical gaming holds no interest to me. My favorite part of the miniatures hobby is conversion and gaming with sci-fi figures and I prefer to be unencubered by reality. I'd make exceptions for pulpy fictional games in historical settings, but as soon as real history -with it's limitations because of "what happend when and what is proper"- makes it's appearance, I lose interest.

Unrelated, but some folks have mentioned it, so I will say that even the most uninspiring (to me) historical game seems more interesting to me than unpainted Sci-Fi or fantasy figures.

Zombies. Sorry but everything isn't better with zombies. ECW and zombies? What's that about? But I'm easy about gaming. If you enjoy it and don't insist that I must like it too, all good and have fun.

Napolionics. . .Most historical's.. Maybe I'd do some ACW, just becuase is got some Western theme involved. And some WWII and Vietnam.

8)

I don't mind most genre, but I don't get the attraction of the GW stuff – Warhammer, 40K, etc. Painted or not. There are some similar "not-GW" things out there that I similarly don't get. They aren't attractive to me at all. There are genre that I don't/won't play, but I don't find them in the same category as things GW.

I have never understood the fascination of zombies. Werewolves are cool tho.

Tournaments. I am baffled by why it would be interesting to ge t into a game where you are ultracompetitive and staring at the table for three hours.
I go into the tournament room at the HMGS cons and look around, some nicely painted armies, usually junk for terrain, and nobody seems to be enjoying themselves.
I enjoy many aspects of the hobby, painting, research, and gaiming. Ultimately the game to me is a chance to push lead or plastic minis around and have a good time.

On vacation my wife, son and I played a card game called Nuts about squirrels stealing each others' nuts and we had a blast. My sister in law brought blokus (sic) which is about laying tiles on the table. nobody talked during hte game they just stared at the table – I was tearing my hair out – between the competitiveness of the game and the lack of interaction gahhh!

For a similar reason I have no interest in giant refights of napoleonic battles. My particulat gaming nit is 1000 foot general syndrome and giant battles exacerbates it in my opinion.

Once we acknowledge that this a game played with toys, what's not to like? The whole 'approval/disapproval' thing bemuses and annoys me – diversity is healthy.

Japanese school girl zombies sounds promising, too.

Jlundberg beat me to it, tournaments. I don't mind other people playing in them but not my cup of tea. Ultimately I'm a social gamer. I like history and enjoy pushing lead around but I got into miniatures to share an activity with my son. I have found I enjoy the company of most other gamers and when Wyatt's out of the house I'll still go to conventions but I could really care less if I win or lose.

Jason
Stafford, VA

The whole 'woodpulp' thingy – whats wrong with a game of Cluedo if the glory and desperation of the battlefield aren't your thing?

What Con and Monk said.

Also, it's a game, I don't take it seriously.

Drinking: I take that seriously and have been very diligent in my study of that subject this evening.

I was going to say none really, although I generally avoid moderns (1941 onwards).

But seeing this list – Japanese Schoolgirl Fight I don't understand the appeal of gaming that , and I think zombies are way over rated.

"The whole 'approval/disapproval'"

@artaxerxes, based on your response you may have missed the "jist" of the thread. I am not looking for what areas people dont like or dont "approve" of. I dont care about any of that. Im looking for what areas truly befuddle people as to why there is any interest in gaming it. I am NOT looking for anyone to cast judgement.

Hope that clears that up.

And I am all for Japanaese Schoolgirls vrs Zombies, in any scale.

I do indeed take the point, Uesugi. I guess my extrapolation reflected the fact that on TMP 'not getting' something seems frequently and rather quickly to become the justification for outright vilification of the both the viewpoint and the individual holding it.

But you and I are not in disagreement. Can I have some Japanese school girl orcs as well please?

Most historical gaming holds no interest to me.

Hear, hear!
I will admit, however, that miniature wargaming on a whole would not be as rich a hobby without those that do.

That said, there seems to be the approval/dissaproval thing if someon's little lead men represent something historical versus my fanatsy little lead and (shudder) plastic men…

Zombies and ,somewhat,ACW.

Fitterpete, I agree 98% on the ACW. I have played some battles in on computer but no wish to do so with minis. But I CANT say I dont understand why its popular. I get it.

Zombies and Weird War Whatever. Can't figure those out at all.

I am not surprised that a few people like zombies, but the scale of its popularity really amazes me.

I don't get Nappys. Or ancient gaming.
Not at all.

Fantasy including the 'weird' periods.
I didn't get ACW but I've decided to give it a go. Any historical period is good with me

Napoleonics and Modern Era Air/Land/Naval combat.

I just don't get any sense of "wonder" from these subjects at all, but I am mightily impressed by the dedication to it of those who do, and the quality of the figures and terrain they produce for it.

Agree that it's all toys. I appreciate some people do historicals only and I appreciate some do fictional universes only. Nobody has time to do everything, so you have to filter somehow or there'd never be any gaming done.

However I also don't get why Zombies are so big.

WWW2 and VSF, not my thing but I can see how the look is attractive. Steampunk bugs me when it pretends to be scientific; pretend it's magic and then I'm fine with it.

Space Marines, I no longer laugh every time I see them, so I guess I've grown. Or become jaded.

There's several things I have no interest in supporting by purchase, but will play to support my friends. A few genres I'm not interested in playing at all, but I can still understand why people will play those types of games.

In short- "I get" all the genres, but that doesn't mean I'll play them.