"How long have you known your gaming compatriots?" Topic

Colonel Campbell's recent post and images caused me to reflect on the longevity of friendships me and mine have had with the people we game with.

The Jackson Gamers have been in our lives since 1977. The gamers in North Carolina first came into our orbit (or attic) in the early 1960's but I'll ask Ed Mohrmann to be more specific. And I'm sure there were the individuals who gamed across a table or two in our house before and in-between. It's just very interesting to actually stop and think of the many years people in a hobby have been part of your life.

Some25 years,a few almost 30

Lori,
Interesting question. I met Ed Miller through the MFCA back in the early 1970s. He is the one who really started me down the path. He is definitely my oldest gaming friend. Bob Beattie and I connected through a phone call in the early 80s, and we've been friends ever since. I had two regular gaming companions for around 30 years, but they have both dropped out of the hobby. My good friend the late Robin Hunt, was my pen pal for better than 20 years, he started my fascination with the Spanish Civil War.

Well, the original gaming compatriots have died or dropped out. No one left I've been gaming with more than 50 years and in one instance I think only about 35-40 years. He's a good kid, though.

Some 20+ years. Some less.

I've been a member of the Phoenix for over 25 years. And I'm still gaming with my first opponent. We played out first game maybe 40-45 years ago.

I first met Greg Novak at a local convention in 1976 and he asked me to the U of Is gaming club next meeting. There are not many of the original guys left anymore.

Most about 15 years since that is when we moved to our current locale! I have two good buddies I used to game a lot with 20 plus years ago but sadly they have moved to different cities so I see them maybe once every couple of years

Started gaming with NEWA (Dick Bryant) in 1970 and though some have come and gone there is still a core group of us still gaming together.

3rd and 4th grade so 1975/76.

Too long!

1st grade so 1969. 50 years of friendship and gaming with my pal Les. The rest are all late comers from 1977.

38 years-sadly myself-solo player

Of the current members of our group, probably 30 or
so years at the longest. There's one with whom I
played almost 50 years ago. He's about 400 miles
away now, and another of almost the same gaming
longevity who is remote from me about 1200 miles.
Rare opportunity to see those much less play.

As to Lori's comment – LVB and I were gaming back
and forth (he lived at the time in Greensboro, NC,
about 80 miles from Raleigh) from about 1966 until
the Broms moved to Taylorsville NC (probably 170
miles) early in the 1970's, so I have known the
Mlle's Brom for about – well, in deference let's just
say a while now.

As with other comments upthread, of our original
gaming group from the 1960's, only 2 remain (the
remotes I mentioned) besides me.

There are 3 or so with whom I've played since the
mid-1970's (hmmm…over 40 years, at that !)

My oldest friends in the world are my gaming buddies. I have four close friends I've met through gaming. Two I've known for over 40 years, and the other two for nearly 30 years. We have other things in common too, but they are the best.

A friend who I been gaming with for 45 years recently died two weeks after cold wars. He and I also know George Petronis for almost as long.

Of my regulars the record is 22 years. A few more a little more recent than that. Some as little as a year, some up to 20, We fortunately have a good mix of old blood and new in our club.

Since I mostly game with my brother 58 years.

some since 1974

My oldest gaming buddy is know on the East Coast. Started playing in 1979. The next group I found in the 90's. My current weekly group has been gaming steadily for 11 years.

50+ years

37 years or so.

50+ years

20-40 years, depending on the friend. Or 50 years, if you count playing army men with my brother 😁

Jay S. (best friend and former brother-in-law) and I have been gaming since we were college roommates in 1971, so almost 48 years. Along with a few others, we were the original Jackson Gamers, although we all were at Mississippi State University.

Of course like others I also started playing battles with my brothers as early as the mid 1960s, some 55 or so years ago.

Jim

Got started with my high school compatriot and still good friend Al Coughlin around 1966. Dick Bryant and Leo Cronin of The Courier were my introduction in 1972 to an organized Club (New England Wargamers Association NEWA) Several of the original members are still active with us today in the reorganized Old Colony Wargamers Association (OCWA).

Met several good friends when I started gaming with Potomac Wargamers back in 1985. Some members have passed on or moved away, but I'm still gaming with many.

Most for decades, a few for significantly less.

Of the current group, two for 38 years, a few more for 28-30 years or so and a few for less than a year. We have had quite a few come and go over the years, some who still pop by now and then for a game and unfortunately one who has passed on.

Some of our group I've known for over 40 years. But gaming with them 25+ years. There's 10 of us in the core group.

I met one of my gamer buddies when I visited his mother in the Maternity ward!

I introduced Dick Bryant to war-gaming with miniatures in the Fall of 1968, and we have been friends for 51 years, but not living in gaming distance at this time. We do talk a lot about it, however. My second longest gaming partner is my son, gaming together for about 45 years!

Some of these I have known for decades.. take pictures…memories fade and some folks have departed

Most 10-15 years… but one goes back to 1976!

Used to game with a group back home in Minnesota, started with them around 1980. Been down here now for 10 years, still haven't established a group.

Oldest would be my brother Jim and John Dunn around 1972 . Then my good friends Rob Maxwell,Jeff Schutt and Scott Kalb in the early 1980s to be followed by my bother from a different Mother Jeff Baumal . Good lads all !

I met Larry Brom, George Carr Sr and Ed Mohrman at Cowpens 1997
I had just moved to the USA. 22 years that passed so fast.

who said anything about being friends? I am just here to destroy their dice roles. :)

One of the group goes back 40 years. The rest are 25 years and less. Sadly a few that went back quite a ways have passed away.