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Author Topic: Why do you play Warhammer Battle?  (Read 2970 times)

Offline Padre

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Why do you play Warhammer Battle?
« on: August 23, 2018, 08:29:05 PM »
I mentioned elsewhere I would start this thread.

I am not asking why people still play the game, or play a particular edition of the rules. But why they play at all? Or, to put my question better, why are they still actively involved in the Warhammer World or miniatures hobby in any way?

It might sound a stupid question, but I have come to realise over the decades that the motivations to play this game, or paint the armies (at least) are many and varied.

What do you aim to achieve by your hobby activities? What makes you happy?

For example, I have encountered a LOT of collectors here and on the Oldhammer forum (especially there) and elsewhere. They are (at least now) in the hobby to collect figures - to obtain particular models and units, thus completing sets or armies, to own rarities or perhaps just the figures they couldn't afford when younger. I myself have never, in over three decades, had the urge to 'collect' any particular set of figures. At least, not in the sense of obtaining the full 'range' produced. I want an army, yes, usually with a theme in mind, and my enthusiasm to obtain, model and paint that army is no less keen. But I often deliberately leave out certain GW elements in my armies because they don't fit my theme, or the campaign world, or my idea of what is 'cool', or just because I don't want to see another player roll their eyes when I field some rules-imbalanced monstrosity. So I don't buy those models. Or if I do buy them, I use the bits for kit-bashing! What then results I often field in campaigns with modified rules, like a steam tank with a helblaster instead of the usual guns, or a massive Doomwheel whose base size makes it much more unwieldy and easily targeted.

Thus I have 'a' collection of figures (a vast one) but not the 'full' collection of anything. And a lot of what I do have is a kit-bashed, converted, scratch-built, or 'counts as' version of an official model. I have large and fully painted armies (more than a dozen - enough that I can't be bothered to count) but few I could field in an official GW tournament as the proportion of GW models is often quite low. I revel in the individual nature of what I make. My steam tank is scratchbuilt (and odd), as are loads of my models, from pump wagons to doomwheels, from Luminarks to crypt horrors. My dryads are twigs! Actual twigs with some sort of real green growth on them!

I want to populate the fictional worlds I am gaming in, yet I am a member of several forums where collecting is almost what it 'all' seems to be about. Well, if you don't include lovely paint jobs.

The reasons I was always, and still am, in the hobby, are to create and tell the story of a rich and believable world; to mesh wargaming and roleplaying together to allow the events of the world to unfold, and to have several big battle get-togethers per year with glorious armies on the field; to do all this with friends, who then I get to stay in touch with much better than old friends I can't believe I no longer see; to have a motivational reason for painting and modelling, which I enjoy as a wind down nearly every second night.

Having added in the scene building, photographing, and story/report writing, has only made me more keen, giving me an outlet for another creative urge.

BUT ... I suspect other people have different reasons, or different priorities. I could try to list the possibilities, but I would rather read what any of you have to say.

If you want you could see this as a public confessional!
« Last Edit: August 23, 2018, 08:37:33 PM by Padre »
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Offline Zak

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Re: Why do you play Warhammer Battle?
« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2018, 09:10:29 PM »
For me my life can be harsh ( what I do for a living) so the Warhammer world is my escape and also satisfies my collectors/ creative urges.
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Offline Padre

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Re: Why do you play Warhammer Battle?
« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2018, 09:21:42 PM »
I never thought of that. I think being an escape might be a big part of it for me also. I've hobbied for so long I forgot this aspect.

I don't think I am escaping horrors, however, just worries and boredom.
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Offline Gankom

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Re: Why do you play Warhammer Battle?
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2018, 04:29:42 PM »
I've been thinking about this a lot since I saw it yesterday, and I might end up writing more but I wanted to get some of my thoughts down.

Wargaming, for me, is so, so many things. It's easily my main social activity, its my escapism from a life that could be better, it's a way for me to flex my creative muscles and fill the 'collecting' gap in my brain. (Books also fit in there but sadly they take up way more space and can still be just as expensive)

I do a lot of things with it. I'd say I'm primarily a gamer and fluff writer really. I get models more based on what I like the look of and what would be a fun fluff addition, as opposed to painting, building or even make my army better. I've written easily hundreds, if not thousands, of pages of fluff. Everything from unit and hero backstories, to mini essays on the world they live in, political treaties on the kingdoms and factions, etc. That's even just for my own homebrew "main" setting. If I add in all the stuff for the various games I get involved in through the hobby it's easily more. All those store campaigns, the online games (Shout out to places like Old Grey Beards, Wartales, and the Empire of Wolves campaign we had here.), and it was warhammer that eventually got me more into D&D and roleplay in general.

That said, forums like this where I can see other peoples AMAZINGLY painted miniatures are such good motivation and inspiration. I'm the kind of person who's generally always very disappointed and dismissive of my own painting skills, no matter what other people say. Being on a forum and actually having a reason to take pictures and showcase my own stuff has helped get rid of that. I can actually see, in pictures, just how much my painting has improved even over a year or two.

I think I'm very much like Padre. For me, most of my fun comes from populating my world/kingdom and making it believable. Or maybe livable would be better. I particularly liked this bit from you Padre;

Quote
The reasons I was always, and still am, in the hobby, are to create and tell the story of a rich and believable world; to mesh wargaming and roleplaying together to allow the events of the world to unfold, and to have several big battle get-togethers per year with glorious armies on the field; to do all this with friends, who then I get to stay in touch with much better than old friends I can't believe I no longer see; to have a
motivational reason for painting and modelling, which I enjoy as a wind down nearly every second night.

I absolutely agree with this. I have a wide variety of friends, all of us into different things normally, who can bond and talk over warhammer and wargaming. Heck I'd say most of my text messaging between friends is random chat about something warhammer related.

This is going to be a bit disjointed, but I'm going in a different direction as well. In my group I'm the one who knows the rules to every game, knows how things work, what's a good option, etc. Anytime ANYONE in the group gets a new board game, I'm the one they hand the rules to and say "So how does this work". I LIKE getting rulebooks and reading mechanics, and especially the lore for a whole new world. Even if it's for a game I'm never going to play.

A couple of years ago it was through this that I realized just what an effect I had on new players. I'm the guy who sets up and runs tutorials. I go out of my way to make it fun, and interesting, and educate them on how to play. It's resulted in some very close connections with friends, and also has shown me how much I like teaching people and even just dealing with people. No matter how difficult or tedious it can be going over the same rule for the billionth time.

(My personal favorite right now is a buddy who's just gotten into 40k. Every week I excitedly explain a new rule, or strategy, or thing and how fun it can be. A week later he finally tries it out and I'll be bombarded with texts along the lines of "I Just tried that thing you told me about! It worked so well! IT's awesome.)

I love seeing people enjoy themselves. I think it's one of the reasons I took Warhammer's ending, and Age of Sigmar's rather poor reception from players, rough. So many people who loved their hobby suddenly getting so negative about it. Once that negativity died down, then there was still negativity towards what had replaced their love. It really pains me to see people ripping apart other peoples hobbies. I just want everyone to have fun, playing whatever lets them have fun.

Honestly I think a lot of this has greatly influenced what I want to get into career wise. It's not exactly connected, but I'm looking into something like counseling or teaching. Something where I can deal with people having problems, and help them work through it and understand it.

Wargaming is so, so many things to me.

Offline Padre

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Re: Why do you play Warhammer Battle?
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2018, 08:01:12 PM »
A great post, Gankom - detailed and intriguing. Even though I have GM'd WG and RP campaigns for decades, and can apply rules adequately in my own time doing my GM duties, I am never the one during the actual game who knows the rules. Not during wargames, anyway. Your description again involves an aspect of the hobby from an angle I understand upon reading your post, but hadn't thought of before.
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Offline Zak

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Re: Why do you play Warhammer Battle?
« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2018, 10:20:05 PM »
when GW shot down the whole fantasy element well at least the "old world" it really had a impact on me that sucked really bad. However, its funny I was able to just keep it alive ( in my mind and gaming etc) and its like nothing went away. I love what you stated Gankom and I agree.


Unfortunate, I lost my first close friend, a few years ago. His mom recently got in touched with me and wants to send me his collection, which a great way to keep his memory alive as I now have many things I painted with him to include WFB RPG characters. 
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Offline Artobans Ghost

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Re: Why do you play Warhammer Battle?
« Reply #6 on: August 25, 2018, 12:02:38 AM »
Great thread Padre!
I had to wait a bit as Gankom to think about a reply. I took to this hobby easily. I had collected soldiers as a kid and played the life out of them but never it a gaming setting. I tried to adapt some maps and counters game rules to the collection I had but it never really worked. When my son reached 12, he wanted the starter set so I picked it up for his birthday. I was 41 and quickly fell in love with the whole idea of gaming with miniatures with a plan and rules. We had a number of really good years between this, video games, he introduced me to wow, etc. It was some really good times.  Like Gankom, reading the rules and having the books was just as enjoyable as the game, even more so. I loved the fluff and models and put together armies with what I liked as power gaming wasn’t my thing.
The escape was the main thing. I am an excellent tradesman and everything to do with it came naturally and easily but I never felt any love for it and no big desire to be a part of that world. I do it because I can and that’s it. The hobby took me away from that crap on a regular basis and was a huge bond between my son and I.
Now it’s mostly rekindling those feelings and still an escape which I really enjoy. Lately the pressures of RL have been so intense that even that relief is hard to find. I’m just letting it sit until I feel better knowing I will never have to keep to a schedule or have to complete something just because. Again this forum and books are keeping the feeling alive. I would really miss this place if it had to go.
There is so much inspiration to be found here, I find it to be as important a social link as I used to have with the old gaming group. I find the hobby is as much a part of my life as anything else but has no stress or burden attached.
@zak - that collection of your friend would be a great thing to have. It’s amazing the personal links that can develop an be attached to specific things.
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Offline Gankom

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Re: Why do you play Warhammer Battle?
« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2018, 01:37:01 AM »
Quote
Unfortunate, I lost my first close friend, a few years ago. His mom recently got in touched with me and wants to send me his collection, which a great way to keep his memory alive as I now have many things I painted with him to include WFB RPG characters.

I'm really sorry to hear that Zak. That sucks, but your right that in a way at least part of him lives on this way.

Offline GamesPoet

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Re: Why do you play Warhammer Battle?
« Reply #8 on: August 25, 2018, 01:08:38 PM »
Hmmm ... why am I involved with the hobby?  What a topic ...


Like Padre, my aim is not to collect, but I do have a collection, that's what can happen. :icon_mrgreen:

The idea others do it, that is inspiring, and the relationships formed and conversation that develops keeps me exercising my mind through the process of creativity and socializing, very positive things for me as I move forward with my "collection".

And I do enjoy the artistic, gaming, pictures, reading and writing that goes on with the hobby.

It is a huge collaboration of ideas and thoughts and feelings and creativity and communication and beauty.

And the hobby does provide an escape from the day to day stresses of life, as do my other hobbies.

Also, I enjoy sharing the hobby with newer folks, or even long time folks, teaching history, rules, moderating games as a GM, letting the story unfold from the setting I've created to see what happens with a little guidance from me, and just watching the journey developing in front of all our eyes.  It's like having an alternate universe move forward where there is adventure in the unknown, and as mistakes get made the consequences are fiction.  It matters in our imaginary worlds created in our silly minds where our psychologies allow us to think its real, even though it is completely fake, and just a form of play, left over from the silliness of our childhood experiences where joy and peace, skill and experience, and where our emotions of anger, sadness, fear, happiness play out without any real results.  An exploration of our imaginations where we can live in our real emotional selves without as much pain that such things provide in the real world.

When very young I began reading history, the stories of the past, and wondered what it would be like to rule on the battlefields of life.  Could I be a commander in any of the specific eras, and make choices that changed the course of history.  Could I win on a battlefield of imaginary things based on the parameters somewhat available, according to what we are aware of today, which isn't as much as we sometimes think we know, and place myself in the minds of the commanders of the day with the conditions and sources available through gaming, and see what happens.  And even though it is all fake, not really close to the real thing, a fantasy of our own minds within the confines of historical narrative and structure to whatever degree such exists, enjoying the silliness of doing battle against the odds, recreating the feelings of triumph and loss, risks taken and not to achieve a strange sense of satisfaction, yet humility thrown in as part of the victory, as well as the loss.

In a way, this hobby also provides lessons for me.  And a practice ground for me to play, and then take those lessons into life, having the world be a better place, with more love given to myself and given to others, through the hobby and real life.  It provides a framework where real connection to others is possible, in the hobby and real life, and more peace and joy is experienced.
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Offline Dihenydd

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Re: Why do you play Warhammer Battle?
« Reply #9 on: August 28, 2018, 08:07:55 PM »
This is a great subject!

I was a model train guy way back, but also a DnD nerd in the early 80's.  Model trains hobby morphed into DnD fig's to have great adventures.  Then Heroquest came along, and Talisman and figures could be more pivotal to what was happening.

Fast forward many years and 24 year old me is astounded in absolute wonder watching some guys play 2nd edition 40k.  Orks versus Ultramarines.  I remember it very well.  I wanted those Orks with a passion that would set nations on fire.  But I wanted them in 'my' style.  Which meant learning to paint (never got great at that), but also modifying.  I like to think I did a great job on conversions, I never want my fig's to look like the ones in the book or box cover.  "My" orks were wacky, weird and essentially IG with green skin, and crazy inventory and and and and.  So I picked up as many metal old Orks.  Stuck with them when the new fancy plastics came out.  My old skool Orks in camo and IG uniforms were the same size as other player's grots.  Then came my "pretty boyz", my self-designed Killer Kans, my Squig Armed Assault Boyz, The "Big Shotz", the rules for Orky versions of any loota vehicle meant along came my looted Land Raider, Griffon, and Eldar Wave Serpent.  I had a drawing of what a looted Chaos Possessed Tank re-infused with the Spirit of Mork would look like.  Space Marine bikes with Squig launchers.  And many ideas for painboyz and Cybork retinues (using figs from many different companies - and being kicked out of a GW store because of them).  And that's what guided my entire minatures life.  Conversions, adaptations, back stories.  For every game I played, I spend hours and hours changing, pondering, re-writing. Waiting to show them off to anyone who would get the point.

I eventually moved into WFB (Empire, but Saurus first), Brett's, Dwarfs.  Conversions kept coming, I could never get past the idea of Dogs of War added to all armies, with conversions.  I bought Hirst Arts so I could build structures.  I just never could "follow the script".  If I needed a Imperial Bunker.  I couldn't buy one.  I had to make something similar out of junk instead.  Its just how my brain works.  But it also meant most projects never got completed.  (I needed to get that thing that would fit in that thing that I could never find, so put it away for now).  I remember the feeling of being the first one to make a Casketasus out of a Brett Pegasus rider locally and then the disappointment when everyone started doing it.

Now I play Dreadball, limited conversions possible.  X-Wing, even less so.  And the remains of my figures, those not sold off, are in project boxes on a shelf in a room I almost never go into.  Almost no one to play with, limited the enthusiasm to build something to show off "my version" of a Steamtank, or WarTrukk.

Now my boys are just getting into 40K after poring over my boxes.  One started with Tau, the other with Necrons.  Neither think anything of my large Ork "Madboyz" army created over many many years (and no little $, those buggers are still expensive).  They want their army to look exactly like the books.  Oh well, at least i might have someone to play again.

For WFB I wouldn't even know where to start, which version, which system, which bases even!  The pool of local players is very very small and only a couple play each system/type/company so it doesn't seem worth it.

Still, I do have a left over unit of half finished Green/White Stir River Patrol half-pikes that didn't get sold off, and I have an inkling of what a TerraCotta army would be.  Or re-created the Reman Legions that fascinated me years ago on this site, (those Warlord figures look good for Remans)

Sometimes the "Old Ones" just need to leave.....

Offline Gankom

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Re: Why do you play Warhammer Battle?
« Reply #10 on: August 28, 2018, 10:44:46 PM »
That's awesome! I love hearing everyones stories.

Cheers to a great hobby and great hobbyists gentlemen!
 :::cheers::: :::cheers:::

Offline Zak

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Re: Why do you play Warhammer Battle?
« Reply #11 on: August 30, 2018, 10:24:27 PM »
 :eusa_clap: :eusa_clap: :eusa_clap:
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Offline Zygmund

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Re: Why do you play Warhammer Battle?
« Reply #12 on: September 04, 2018, 08:44:28 AM »
Today, I'm mostly interested in the models. Human historical models. The Warhammer Empire comes close, so has a central place in my hobby.

I'm secondarily interested in the Old World, and although I don't have the time to play themed campaigns that would really dwell in the setting, I'm still painting and collecting with that in mind. This broadens the picture from Empire models to WHFB models in general.

Thirdly, I'm interested in history and miniature gaming. This has led me to try out historical games and collect some historical miniatures outside of the Landsknecht period. Also 15mm. This is probably a part of the hobby that will eat away time from the WHFB part in the future.

I was an invested model train hobbyist and WW2 miniature modeller in the late 80's, and have been an eager RPG'r also since the late 80's. But apart from some Mithril Miniatures and Grenadier, I didn't really collect & paint miniatues in the 80's, 90's and early 00's Just a couple of characters for our MERP campaign. The big hit came only in 2008-10, when a friend ran a WFR campaign with army orientation, and we started to use the 6th ed WHFB rules. Very soon we moved from abstract pen-and-paper to miniatures, and I rediscovered my love of modelling, painting, and telling the stories with 3D figures on board. I finished that campaign with some 50 painted Empire models, and had helped a friend to build large O&G and VC armies. When the campaign ended, I continued to collect & paint, and occasionally play.

Gaming has been interesting at times, and boring at times, and I've collected and then sold away certain ranges of figurines. But the relaxing past time of painting and the joy of bringing painted miniatures or a painted army and tell a story with them, that keeps me in the hobby.

Still, most important are the new & good friends I've made since 2008. Miniatures and gaming are a great social glue, and they lead to very interesting debates and insights with intelligent and enthusiastic people. Like you guys. :)

-Z
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Offline Xathrodox86

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Re: Why do you play Warhammer Battle?
« Reply #13 on: September 19, 2018, 11:52:27 AM »
I loved the lore and the world. Not to mention that all of my friends were playing it as well. When I've begun to regularly play WFRP, I've decided to return to WFB for a second time.

That said, nowadays I'm seriously thinking about selling my Empire. I play it maybe once a year, twice tops and I have a lot of minis. I could use the extra cash, and I'd like for others to have fun from fielding these minis, many of them rare and OOP pieces. Ebay awaits...
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Offline GamesPoet

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Re: Why do you play Warhammer Battle?
« Reply #14 on: November 23, 2018, 01:49:16 PM »
Why do I play WFB?

Drum roll please ... dada dadaaaaaa!

Because it is there. :icon_mrgreen: :icon_lol:
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