"When WOULD you dress up in the period to wargame?" Topic

Exhibitions seem apt but what about at your home or local club?

(Fantastic mini-diorama of Imperial Romans. Thanks to WAB Corner – link

I'm saying nothing….

John T

Nor am I…

Not ever? I'm a gamer, not a cosplayer.

I've done it. Unfortunately, it was a for a pulp Cthulhu hillbilly game, so I was in overalls and a straw hat. Would have rather been in a more historical costume

Wearing the occasional period hat has occurred … but not wearing the full fig.

(When taking part in airsoft I used to wear combat gear … but that isn't quite the same thing.)

Id do it for a zardoz game.

Never

I always threaten my wife with dressing as a Gallic Fanatic for the Ren Faire… I would be inclined to do the same for a gaming event if I could gey away withbit without getting arrested. Give me my spear and my shield… give me blue paint… God gave me the rest!

Anytime, anyplace! I have little to no shame.

When I'd lost enough weight to look like a believable soldier.

Never

Never. Although I have been known to wear one of my many pairs of camo pants occasionally but it's more because they are comfortable than they match a battle we are playing.

+1 Ney Ney. (cracks me up)

VERY unlikely. (Sean Connery taught me to never say never.)

I have whenever I've run a Victorian era game. Nothing like 30 lbs. of underwear & a bustle to make you glad you live in the 21st century.

Nope.

I'm with Coyotepunc. In a tournament it ought to put the opposition right off their game!

I did once many years ago. I would not do it again.

I dress my minis in paint; that should suffice. Love the diorama!

Wait, I just remembered I was doing a charity event dressed as a Star Wars officer, then met my brother afterward without changing, to play x-wing. But I don't think that counts.

Caveman, shirts vs.skins.

Only when the Army insisted.

Hats only.

Every convention I attend, I dress up as a white, middle aged, over weight, balding wargamer but… with good hygiene. I draw the line at not bathing.

When we play the board game Junta, we wear hats appropriate for each character that the player is representing.

Some fellows at the club break out their scarlet tunics for Rork's Drift or Isandlwana.

One of the others has his cap with the Red Star for Russian Civil War games.

I can conceive that something could come up that could induce me to put on a tunic and the lorica for a EIR scenario, but nothing has yet.

Hats and caps are easy -- more gamers should avail themselves of this fun exercise in whimsy.

When hell freezes over

Very happy to dress as an Edwardian gentleman for a game of Little Wars – otherwise, anything more than a hat is too much trouble and potentially uncomfortable.

My Celtic Berserker costume is far too distracting with all the dangling bits…..to make for a smoothly flowing game….and getting the blue magic marker to wash off effectively before grocery shopping is problematic as well….

When someone pays me an exorbitant amount to do so. I might consider a silly hat.

JSchutt, so are you saying Yes or No?

I have a friend who is really keen on the idea but even though I used to dress up for a living (living history/museum education) I don't really like the idea…

@ "The last word on TMP"

Most if not all Wargaming Convention "Articles of Confederation" mandate compliance with requirements contained within the "2013 Concordance of Cosplay Rules and Regulations." Under Section 23.5 (a) "the minimum components required to constitute a legal costume for consideration defined therein is (1)," and since surface pigment was exempted by unanimous consent as a "compliant article of costume" during a rules committee conference call in 2014…. the answer would be "No."

Besides "the open display of weaponry," critical to my costume is usually strictly forbidden by Convention Venue security personnel.

As an active viking re-enactor if it was for a public display or convention, no problem.

Can't do it for 40K, the price of skulls is ridiculous and they frown on you collecting them yourself.

For conventions, I think its wicked cool and I'll try to stop and give the person kudos.

For myself, I'm too lazy but I always thought about getting a collection of various reproduction hats and so on. That'd be fun.

Besides, you could keep dice in your shako or use your WW1 helmet to keep your burrito.

Modern pulp…

At home? Every once in a while.

At a con? Every once in a while for a game I am running.

More importantly, I can occasionally convince SWMBO to dress up for a game.

Does my MiB suit count since I wear at to work?

overalls and a straw hat

That is not necessarily dressing up for me.

So I guess my last word on dressing up for a comedy horror mystery game is …

… jinkies!

"Futuristic" period of the 1970s or 1980s, with Moonbase girls in those attractive uniforms, and purple hair around; or at SHADO HQ, and/or on a Skydiver, and you can count me in.

The only dressing up I do is for re-enactment, murder mysteries etc.

For wargaming the odd silly hat is quite sufficient, lest people think you are taking it all a bit too seriously.

Hats are fun, never done the full uniform for a wargame.

I should add that I LARPed once, but I played a vampire anarchist in leathers and torn jeans, which wasn't exactly far from how I dressed at the time anyways.

No! I am too old. I am too fat. I like to be comfortable when I game. Now, wearing a period cap is different.

No problem here, if it adds to the jocularity of the moment. Hats, garb, accoutrements--like violin cases or such--encourage the players to feel their inner character more, be a bit more outgoing, and open the gates to a deeper participation. And the bystanders can have fun watching us make happy fools of ourselves!

I do it pretty regularly when running games at sci-fi and anime conventions where hall costumes are the norm. Don't want to be under-dressed for the occasion.

At the club? A matching tee-shirt will do from time to time.

When hell freezes over.

Ditto. Not least because, I am not a "military shape" (unless you count throwing a camo net over me and having me play the role of "supply dump").

Dressed as a pirate to run a 32 player convention pirate game – and give prizes for best costumes for the players many of whom did so (helped attract women into the game, not just a bunch of guys). Hats for colonials in the finest tradition of The Major General. Dressing up to run – or play a game – is no more whimsical or harmful than, mostly, grown men playing with toy soldiers. If its fun and harmless, I'm down with it. (But clear any display of weapons, even toy ones, with convention staff before hand!)

For those unsuited to a uniform, I applaud your reserve and thank you for preventing my eyes having to see such a sight!