"Honestly, are wargamers boring?" Topic

"I was at a non-wargaming event at the weekend which had a goodly number of wargamers present, together with their partners and other non-wargamers.

Someone's partner set the challenge early on – she didn't want to be on a table with other wargamers, or if forced to be so expressed the view that conversation should not be allowed to have wargaming as a starting point, or even touch upon it at any point at all. The basis for this, I think, is variously because wargaming isn't a subject that is encompassing for non-wargamers, or that it is just plain boring.

I think it is possible to take issue with both of these points, but must also concede that there may be merit in the view as well. Men, in particular, can have obsessive hobbies and find it difficult to understand why other people are not equally fascinated by them. I sat next to a competition angler for two years on a project once and they can be every bit as obsessive as wargamers if not more so. As for motor sport fans……"
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Amicalement
Armand

Most people are boring, unless you happen to be interested in their particular subject of interest.

…or actually make the effort to find out their thing and make yourself be interested in it…

Football, Cricket, Rugby, athletics, gymnastics…the list of stuff I find boring is endless. I suspect no fans of the former were forced to play wargames when they were children, so they should consider themselves lucky that the only pain they will endure is that occasionally I might mention Airfix.

You have to keep things short. When I mentioned to a Londoner who'd just moved to Canada at a Christmas party that I was putting on a game on Friday of the Fenian Raids he seemed genuinely intrigued when I explained to him who the Fenians actually were.

Apart from lack of interest--I have none in sports or cars, for instance--lack of vocabulary is a problem. In almost any field, the people who know it have a specialist vocabulary, and frequently a "shorthand" of assumed knowledge. Explaining things to an outsider isn't done the way we talk with friends.

The real problems come in when you DO understand the subject, but the speakers share a dogma you regard as incorrect. This is why the old rules against discussing politics and religion in the mess: it just can't end well.

@Armand: Are you going through my back catalogue? I wrote that nearly 8 years a go.

Yes, No, Maybe

@Wackmole9: If you read the full blog my argument was that wargamers often read a lot of history and so should have a better understanding of many important and interesting subjects than the general public, so have no excuse to be boring.

I wonder what scintillating subject of conversation she was going to add to the discussion?

Having sat at my granddaughter's first birthday party and listened to the 'adults' discussing the current series of 'I'm a celebrity, get me out of here' and football I'll stick with being boring and talking about military (or any other) history. At least it will prove I'm not brain dead !!!

With apologies to Emo Phillips this account seems somewhat apropos…

I met a guy at a gathering and he said, "I'd rather be working on my hobbies." I said, "Me too." I asked, "What is your hobby?" He said, "War gaming." I said, "Me too!" I asked, "Boardgames or video games or miniatures?" He said, "Miniatures." I said, "Me too!" I asked, "Role playing or tabletop?" He said, "Tabletop." I said, "Me too!" I asked, "Fantasy or historical or sci-fi?" He said, "Historical." I said, "Me too!" I asked, "What period – ACW or American Revolution or WW2 or Colonial or Napoleonics or modern…?" He said, "Napoleonics." I said, "Me too!" I asked, "What figure scale 6mm, 10mm, 15mm, 20mm, 25mm?" He said, "15mm." I said, "Me too!" I asked, "True 15mm or 15/18mm?" He said, "15/18mm." I said, "Me too!" I asked, "What ground scale 1" = 50 meters or 1 cm = 1 meter or something else?" He said, "1" = 50 meters." I said, "Me too!" I asked, "What figure to man ratio – 1:20, 1:40, 1:60, 1:100?" He said, "1:60." I said, "Me too!" I asked, "Based in strips of 1x3 or 2x2?" He said, "1x3." I said, "Me too!" I asked, "What rule set?" He said, "Empire." I said, "Me too!" I asked, "What version of Empire, III or V?" He said, "V." I yelled, "EMPIRE V RUINED EVERYTHING!" and walked away to go join my wife. My wife said, "I saw you talking with Harold, his wife says that he war games, you guys might have something you could play together." I said, "No, we have nothing in common."

Still valid my friend… as you can see!… (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Col. Scott has it right.

Several years ago I suddenly realized that I am now in my sixties and nobody, the spousal unit included, gives a tinkers damn about anything I say.

Oh wait, not quite true, the dog listens intently.

Ha!Ha!….

Amicalement
Armand

People who get bored easily are usually boring people. These people usually only talk about one subject. Even if you try to be polite and listen you can only take so much before looking for an excuse to move on. Sometimes I find a way to link what the person is saying to something I am interested in and it opens a whole new avenue of discussion for the other person who finds out he/she is interested in something else.

I don't talk wargaming stuff at social events, unless it is a wargamer social event.

I do and you would be surprised at how many people become interested and ask questions. There are many people who are reluctant to discuss wargaming with non-wargamers for fear those people won't understand the passion. I don't care. I have recruited many non-gamers by opening up about it. Just recently I had a conversation with a young man who works in the cafe of a medical building. I had brought a book about fighting in the East in WW I. He asked me questions about it and before long I found out that he was gaming Dungeons and Dragons, interested in Warhammer and historical gaming. I told him about Recon 2020 in Orlando and invited him to come. He jotted down some info. Hopefully he'll come, if not maybe he will game.

If one's only hobby is wargaming I think there's a genuine risk of being perceived as dull and socially retarded if it's raised in conversation with non-gamers. I do think historical gamers have an advantage over SF/fantasy gamers though, in that we tend to be interested in and knowledgeable about history and world events in general, and as a bi-product of our passion, geography too, which greatly broadens the conversational possibilities when we're in well-educated, socially sophisticated company (and makes us very useful at quiz/trivia nights).

I'm reminded of a scene from an episode of 'Red Dwarf' in which Rimmer recounts at length in tedious detail a sequence of die rolls he and his opponent made during a game of Risk. Although it parodied the nerd mindset it's not so far from some real 'conversations' I can recall.

Henry Martini

Although I tend to agree with you re: your comments, for I too am a historical gamer, be careful not to step on other people's toes, many historical gamers are also Sci-Fi Fantasy fans.

Can't agree Hemnti Martin the really dull ones follow one sport but never actually play but only watch> They are the really dull ones. We by conparion are inspired and riveting conversationalists.