Home Forums General General I know you are, but what am I?

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  • #52361
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    A wargamer, no a skirmish gamer, no an encounter gamer, no a roleplaying-lite gamer, no…

    I would call myself a wargamer even though not a single game I play with my stuff is part of a war.
    I see quite a lot of skirmish games and what appear to roleplaying style games played, again not always part of a war.

    Do you class yourself as a wargamer, a tabletop gamer, a meat popsicle, who gives a monkey’s?

    #52362
    Avatar photoGuy Farrish
    Participant

    Really boring : wargamer.

    Historical (almost overwhelmingly so) -as a basis – what ifs, generic themed, one ‘what if’ carried to extremes for an ‘imagination’ but only one SF idea and one Fantasy idea – neither come to fruition yet.

     

    Not all toys/figure based by any means – committee games, Kriegsspiel, PBEM, (all to an extent involving elements or role play – but no ‘classical’ role play games as such). Not so many boardgames these days – no idea why but I suspect cats and diminishing space to leave them set up play a part. One or two computer games – non-shoot em up style. All history based. Told you – boring.

     

    #52365
    Avatar photoMike Headden
    Participant

    I’m a gamer.

    Board games, tabletop miniature games (historical, fantasy/ sci-fi and occasionally hysterical 🙂 ), tabletop RPGs, MMO computer games, computer RPGs, Civ type world domination computer games, collectable card games.

    There are 100 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who can work from incomplete data

    #52366
    Avatar photoJohn D Salt
    Participant

    I would describe myself as a “simulation gamer”.

    I do play a few non-simulation games — I used to enjoy Go and Epaminondas, was bullied into learning enough contract bridge to make a four, enjoy “Fluxx”, and “Loonacy”, and remain intrigued by poker — but mostly I like games that represent something, that is, simulation games. Mostly these are wargames, and mostly these are historical. For time convenience, most of my play is on the computer, then boardgames, and miniatures games last, and usually with somebody else’s miniatures. For reasons of portability — an A4 folder and a cigar-box hold the lot — I have previously played an awful lot of DBA using a set of counters of my own devising. I hope to be able to pay more attention to my 250+ collection of boardgames once the absurdly overlong process of moving house finally finishes, just as I hope one day to be able to start painting the serried ranks of WW2 plastics and making up the squadrons of Airfix, Matchbox and Fujimi tanks lurking in the garage. For over 10 years now I have attended COW, and am usually prepared to try anything once.

    I would like to be able to call myself a game designer, but so far have only contributed substantially to one published set of rules. I have put on a few COW games, and have been made to promise to contribute to a session next year. On the other hand, I have written or contributed to several dozen “serious” simulation programs — very few of them combat models — as part of my random succession of day jobs, most of which have had “simulation” in the title.

    As someone’s granny said, it’s a good thing we don’t all like the same thing, or they wouldn’t sell many mixed biscuits. I am happy to nibble practically anything in the mixed biscuit box of wargamery-simulo-adventure-role-playing gaming, with a few exceptions, all of which are remarkably popular with other people. I have never been happy with matrix games; I absolutely refuse to learn the absurdly over-complicated rules for AD&D or ASL; and I have no interest in the classic “battlegame” where two equal sides of gorgeously-painted figures advance steadily on each other from opposite sides of the table, using rules just complicated enough to prevent a decision being reached before it is time to pack up and go to the pub.

    It’s an odd boy who doesn’t like sport.

    John.

    #52368
    Avatar photoRhoderic
    Member

    “Wargamer” is the conventional term, so in conventional terms I’m a wargamer, though much of what I love to game is more like “adventure gaming” (with confrontations but not war as such).

    I sometimes say “miniatures gamer” because the term is neutral as to whether the gaming in question involves actual war or not, and also because I don’t identify as those other, non-miniatures-based types of wargamer which some folks may justifiably imply or infer when the word “wargamer” is used. Here in Sweden some people use the term “conflict gamer” (“konfliktspelare”) in more official contexts, but like “wargamer” that can refer to other things besides miniatures gaming. Still, to me the word “conflict” is marginally preferable to “war”.

    As something of a humanist I can be a tad touchy over the implication that I’m an aficionado of warfare. The other day Youtube seemed to suggest that I like “War”; their front page brought up a category of videos labelled as such (just “War”, nothing else) presented to me with the text “Recommended for you”, presumably based on the fact that out of casual interest I’ve clicked on some Youtube links in various miniatures wargaming forums. Screw you, Youtube, you don’t know what the hell I like.

    But the upshot is that it gets awkward not using conventional terminology, so a wargamer I am.

    More specifically, I suppose I’m mainly a “fantasticals wargamer” or a “fantasticals miniatures gamer”. I like the term “fantasticals”, it’s a good counterpart to “historicals” and more inclusive and broad-ranging than “fantasy/sci-fi” because it better accommodates themes like post-apoc, steampunk, horror, pulp, spy-fi, Hollywood-style swashbuckling/gunslinging/katana-slashing, etc.

    #52376
    Avatar photoirishserb
    Participant

    I’m a “Miniatures Gamer”;  it is all about the toys.  Board, roleplaying, and computer/video games just don’t do it for me.

    While a lot of my games involve war, I focus on experiencing the adventure and atmosphere of the game.  I always role-play in my miniatures games, and pretty much stick to skirmish style games, even when I’m pushing 2800 individually mounted troops.    I am not the student of military history who participates in historical recreations as an academic experience.  I’m more interested in the individual human experience within the game.

    A lot of the hobby for me is about the art of creating and presenting the game.  The game is sort of like a movie without a script.  While I am open to fantasy, historical, and sci-fi, because of my focus within the game, I can be very narrow-minded about other aspects of the game that limit what I will play.  More than one fig per base is out, as are games that use area effect rules for terrain and whatnot.  A figure represents one dude, a miniature tree represents that tree, etc.  Each item on the table represents exactly its actual size and shape.    Doing otherwise intrudes on the way I enjoy the game.

    So a role-playing adventuring skirmishing miniatures gamer I am.

    #52380
    Avatar photoRuarigh
    Participant

    I’m a gamer. I’ve self-identified as a wargamer in the past, but even then I was really just a gamer. I play a wide variety of different types of games from the complex (ASL) to the simple (Fluxxx) and pretty much everything in between in almost all genres of historical, fantasy and science fiction. What’s important is getting together with my mates, rolling dice and talking shite. We do like pretty miniatures games and have put in a lot of effort making our miniatures games looks as good as we can, but cardboard works just as well for the important part of our gaming.

    Never argue with an idiot. They'll only drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

    https://roderickdale.co.uk/
    https://emidsvikings.ac.uk/

    #52382
    Avatar photoNot Connard Sage
    Participant

    I play with toy soldiers. So….

    Obvious contrarian and passive aggressive old prat, who is taken far too seriously by some and not seriously enough by others.

    #52389
    Avatar photoDarkest Star Games
    Participant

    I’m a Gamer, generic.  I play boardgames, computer games, table top games, music games…. I prefer miniature games that mostly involve war, so the world will interpret that as it will!

    "I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

    #52390
    Avatar photokyoteblue
    Participant

    I play games with army men……

    #52392
    Avatar photoPatG
    Participant

    I’m primarily a miniatures wargamer. I also play RPGs, board war games, Talisman, Euro games, CCGs e.g. VTES, card games e.g. Muchkin, Love Letter and Poker, Go, Chess, Family Games – Monopoly et al, dice games and computer games. I will play anything that will lead to an agreeable time shared with friends and family.

    However the large majority of my hobby time and budget is spent on miniatures based games that take place during a real or imagined battle or war e.g. ancients, WWII, Space 1889, Saga, or have an element of conflict to them e.g. IHMN, Dino-hunts, or Car Wars.

    #52393
    Avatar photozippyfusenet
    Participant

    I’m a wargamer. It’s not that I never play a game of backgammon, or building railroads, but the stuff I buy and build and collect is all boardgames and miniatures and rules based on historical wars – hard-core historical, please. When I’m talking with mundanes though, I just say I play with toy soldiers.

    You'll shoot your eye out, kid!

    #52394
    Avatar photoMike
    Keymaster

    When I’m talking with mundanes though,

     

    Tremere for the win.

    #52401
    Avatar photoSteve Johnson
    Participant

    A wargamer in a very similar vein to Guy Farrish.

    #52417
    Avatar photoShaun Travers
    Participant

    A wargamer, or as I explain it to non-gamers “I play with toy soldiers”.  I tend to these days play mainly WW2 and ancient miniature games, but over the last 35 years played other miniature games, lots of boardgames (mostly multiplayer and often non-historical) and occasionally Traveller SFRPG.  I think because I started with Ancients and WW2 miniature gaming I have always called myself a wargamer, and think of myself as a wargamer, rather than a gamer. But playing with toy soldiers is my favourite; so whatever label that is, I will take it and stick it on my forehead 🙂

    #52431
    Avatar photowillz
    Participant

    I play with toy soldiers.  

    #52434
    Avatar photoIvan Sorensen
    Participant

    “Gamer”.

    I play mini’s games, board games, the odd collectible card game, video games, roleplaying games and I’ve LARPed once.

    It’s all good, I just like games 🙂

    #52467
    Avatar photoMike
    Keymaster

    #52468
    Avatar photoIvan Sorensen
    Participant

    It’s from Fifth Element 🙂

    #52470
    Avatar photoRod Robertson
    Participant

    To all:

    I am not so much a meat-Popsicle as a meat-puppet. I didn’t play the hobby, the hobby played me! And it still does! I find myself talking with fellow gamers who plant insidious seeds into my mind and then, voila!, my life and disposable income gets side-tracked and shunted down another gaming cul de sac. I have been played by historical miniatures (from the Copper Age to Ultramodern), speculative miniatures, fantasy miniatures, boardgames, RPG’s and just about everything else, save computer games (I refuse to play alone) and LARPing (too embarrassing for me). I am an addict adrift on a sea of metal, resin, plastic, MDF and cardboard. I am an easy mark for vendors/pushers of this gaming crack-cocaine. I need help but I won’t seek it out because I’m having too much fun. I’m a happy, dancing, little pig blithely reeling and jigging myself to the BBQ pit, and I just don’t care.

    Cheers and good gaming.

    Rod Robertson.

    #52481
    Avatar photoJohn D Salt
    Participant

    So Rob is the victim of a family of brain-control parasites from the Planet Wargm.

    Gives a whole new meaning to “hosting a game”.

    All the best,

    John.

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