# Do You Publicise Your Hobby To New Friends?



## Jezlad (Oct 14, 2006)

Just a quick poll...

Do you tell people you play wargames or do you keep it secret?


Can add reasons for your answers too if you like.


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## Commissar Ploss (Feb 29, 2008)

i advertise/publicize quite heavily that i play wargames, most people are dead interested when i tell them its exactly the kind of stuff they do in the military, you know.... push little plastic men around on a board and make pew pew sounds. lol

CP


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## the-ad-man (Jan 22, 2010)

i tell people if it comes up, i dont intro myself as 'hey, im adam, i play 40k! DERP DERP DERP!!'

i suppose i care very little what people think of me so i dont find it embarresing.

people will either like me for what i am or dislike me for what im not, im cool with that


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## Baron Spikey (Mar 26, 2008)

No. 

If I'm asked I'll answer truthfully, to friends at least no other bugger has any right to know my business, but I don't offer that information otherwise.

The only exception is if I find out that someone is interested in that sort of thing, or is a bit of geek, then I'll casually mention about 40k.


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## johnnymajic (Jan 2, 2009)

If it comes up in conversation, or if people ask me what im doing on a thursday night, I'll probabally say im going to GW to play some 40k, and if they're new friends, they'll ask what it is and I'll tell them. Some friends think im a giant geek for doing it, but love me the same, and others get in on it with me.


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## Bubblematrix (Jun 4, 2009)

I am my Wife's Husband
My parents Son
My brothers brother
And I am a gamer

It is ingrained in me, I openly push gaming to people I think might be interested, and gladly offer up that I play - you often find that people either play or know about it or did play in the past, occasionally you even get asked if you would like their old games stuff or they consider starting up again.

In all honesty if people want to make some kind of upon high ill informed judgement I let them, some of the most intelligent and sexually attractive people have been gamers, WoW is another one - I used to play (reformed addict here) but the number of people who like to reminisce to their gaming days means its often a good thing to bring up in new company


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## yanlou (Aug 17, 2008)

i tell new friends all the time, if they dont like it then ah well, if there interested then great


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## gen.ahab (Dec 22, 2009)

If it is pertinent to the conversation.


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## Skartooth (Jun 4, 2010)

I'm still at high school. Most people know I play but I don't dare mention it to them, it's to 'un-cool'

Skar


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## klebold (Jul 17, 2010)

hell, i don't even tell people i like computer games. Unfortunately i am the only nerd that i know.


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

My friends may think what ever they want, if they ask what I am about to do tomorrow, I will tell them, "Paint small plastic Space Men" or "Play 40k". I dont care if someone tells me that I am a nerd, cause thats not the case with 40k, it is my hobby, and if they cant deal with it, then I dont give a shit...


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## liforrevenge (Oct 6, 2009)

Why not? Would someone that thinks less of me for it be someone I want to be friends with? What if they are interested and/or play/have played it before?


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## KhainiteAssassin (Mar 18, 2009)

do i openly say i play 40k? no, do I tell someone if it comes up. IE: if im asked what my hobbies are by a woman, etc. yes

playing warhammer, in my opinion, shows intellect, painting warhammer shows a portrayal of the artistic side. and not giving a fuck what other people think, shows courage. so why NOT tell people you play, and if they have any misgivings to me because I play, they can go to hell from being shallow idiots with no artistic sense as it is.


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## CursedUNTILLDEATH (Apr 25, 2010)

Do i like to tell people about warhammer, yes. do i push my freinds to play, yes. Do they play...no. I like talking about warhammer with people but most of the time they are just totally uninterested and act like thier listenng. When they say its gay or stupid i say "just because your to lazy to sit down and read the rulebook or cant wrap your mind around it does not make it gay." thier response is normally whatever or they contuine to say its gay. Untill i get mad...then its not gay anymore.


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## Partof1 (Mar 2, 2010)

Yeah, I tell them, if I can segue it into the conversation. Yeah, I'm in high school. Hells yeah they learn I'm a geek because of it. 

I'm cool with it, and because most of my friends are nerds and geeks too, they're cool with it too, even if they get a bit annoyed for my excited ranting.


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## The Sullen One (Nov 9, 2008)

Depends on the person, but most of the time I don't bother. All of my friends know I'm into it, even more so with my mate at work. Hell our boss has practically allowed to turn the little kitchen we have at the back into a Warhammer room.


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## Scathainn (Feb 21, 2010)

If somebody asks me what I do for a hobby, I am more than comfortable climbing up on top of a roof and screaming at the top of my lungs:

*"I SPEND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS BUYING TINY PIECES OF PLASTIC, METAL, AND/OR RESIN. I PAINT SAID OBJECTS FOR USE IN SIMULATED BATTLES WITH OTHER NERDS SUCH AS MYSELF FOR THE TACTICAL ENJOYMENT AND FOR SHITS AND GIGGLES.

HEAR ME ROAR, GOD DAMNIT!!!"*


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## Abomination (Jul 6, 2008)

I tell people. I am proud of my hobby.


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## humakt (Jan 2, 2008)

I always tell me people my hobby. To be fair most of mates are in the bobby anyway or computer geeks so they know what 40k is from Dawn of War. But its something Ive done for so long I automatically assume people will at least of heard of it, even if they dont understand what it is.


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## ItsPug (Apr 5, 2009)

I don't have friends, merely acquaintances who get me home from the pub in one piece 

Most of them know its not something I go around telling random people but I'm not ashamed of it either - I'm just a private kind of person


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## Lord Sinkoran (Dec 23, 2006)

I don't tell them to start with but if they find out sooner than i'd like i don't deny it.


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## jondoe297 (Jan 6, 2010)

No
Its a dirty secret! I jest, but I don't walk up to people and be like hi I play 40k! Although it does seem to be the case when it comes up someone has previously collected it etc! Then the inner geek surfaces!


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## Varakir (Sep 2, 2009)

I will bring it up in conversation if it fits, it's interesting to hear what people think about it. I wish i'd told some new friends earlier, they wouldn't have sold the big box of 40K stuff they found in their loft at a car boot sale


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## kharn-the-betrayer (Jul 16, 2010)

I don't tell people unless it is involved with the conversation


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## Dermon Caffran (Jul 20, 2010)

Baron Spikey said:


> No.
> 
> If I'm asked I'll answer truthfully, to friends at least no other bugger has any right to know my business, but I don't offer that information otherwise.
> 
> The only exception is if I find out that someone is interested in that sort of thing, or is a bit of geek, then I'll casually mention about 40k.



Aye this pretty much applies to how i deem fit to broadcast my interests, but definately if somebody asks il be all 'weyaye!'


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## KarlFranz40k (Jan 30, 2009)

It's not hot on the list of things I tell people I meet. But if we get into long conversations about each other then I will probably mention it at some point. Most people are quite cool with the idea, though the most common response is "I'd never have the commitment for something like that." And I'll admit that it's not by any means something everyone should enjoy, but it suits me fine.
Only once has anyone used it in a bad way against me, in a "what do you know about xxxxxx, you play with toy soldiers!" kinda way. But this was by the guy who feels insecure about his social status and has to try and reinforce it by talking down to other people - I'm sure you know the kind of prick I'm on about - which I laughed off as two others in our social group play 40k, and I once saw him reading Eragon fan-fiction (wtf?) on a computer at school.


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## Schizofen (Mar 11, 2009)

My day job is programming Xbox games, and that normally comes up before any mention of wargaming if I'm talking to new people. So after that, 40k isn't a giant step further on in terms of geekiness so I certainly never try to hide the fact if it comes up. Wargaming isn't something I tend to bring up early on in conversation, but if I get the feeling that they'll be interested I'll mention it.

To be honest though most new people I meet these days are through work or LAN parties, or through friends of friends, so there's a decent geek count, even among the women. It seems like most people I know either play or used to play, or their brother/partner/best friend used to or still does. Must be popular round here


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## Sethis (Jun 4, 2009)

KarlFranz40k said:


> Eragon fan-fiction (wtf?) on a computer at school.


That actually exists? Is it not on the same authorship level as the books themselves?


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## klebold (Jul 17, 2010)

KarlFranz40k said:


> It's not hot on the list of things I tell people I meet. But if we get into long conversations about each other then I will probably mention it at some point. Most people are quite cool with the idea, though the most common response is "I'd never have the commitment for something like that." And I'll admit that it's not by any means something everyone should enjoy, but it suits me fine..


There exists people who are fans of horses and ponies. That isn't a particularly socially abhorrent pastime but if you met someone in a pub who says "I LIKE HORSES!?!" as an opening gambit, i would challenge you to not be a little bit creeped out.


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## VanitusMalus (Jun 27, 2009)

It's funny because I don't mention it to anyone until they come over to my house and see my paints and what not set up. Then I get "Hey, what's that?" with genuine interest. I've noticed more so than not people have a genuine interest, now ofcourse I do hang out with mostly people above the age of 25 who have in most ways surpassed the iconic juvenile beer swilling age where if you're not into football you're ghey.


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## Blue Liger (Apr 25, 2008)

Heck Yes, my mates all know I play and every girl that I know or have been involved with know I play, it's something I do I'm not going to lie to people about it. The main question I get asked after it is either is that like warcraft or do you mplay warcraft too, to which comes a big fat HELL NO after that question!

I also don't mind as most people have a hobby or interest they are very very embarrassed by and I'm not embarrassed by mine so what ev!

I've met people who when I've told them go you play with war mini's (in a your and idiot way) and then 10 mins later in another convo bring up that they collect cereal boxes or stalk people for fun!


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## kickthetv643 (Aug 20, 2010)

i dont see why people seem to be ashamed to tell people they play warhammer, you should never be ashambed of what you do as a hobby if you enjoy it.


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## SGMAlice (Aug 13, 2010)

I dont run around screaming it out or anything like that; but if it happens to come up in a converation, say with a visitor to my humble abode, then yes i will plug it a little.
And as for the 'Geek/Nerd' thing everyone keeps mentioning, I am a Geek/Nerd and i am proud of it.
My 40k interest started with the Pc games and ported over to the tabletop, as easy as pie, Its a natural progression to be expected by most intelligent people.
Screw what they think 

SGMAlice


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## Pssyche (Mar 21, 2009)

I don't think you can advertise it more to people than this...

I used to take my Blood Bowl game and half a dozen teams down to a city centre pub in Manchester on a Sunday night and between us we'd run a couple of pick up and play games, using pre-generated bog-standard teams. The corner that we set up and played in was between the bar and the toilet. 
Inevitably we'd get people going past making snide comments. 
Funnily enough, the people with the snide comments were always sat on their own at the bar. Yet our corner was always busy early on and packed by mid-evening with people having a great time together and the games being the focal point of the evening.
Just shows you, eh?


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## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

Don't ask don't tell.


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## search116 (Aug 9, 2010)

I voted yes because if you can't accept that fact then you have no buisness being my friend


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## unixknight (Jul 26, 2010)

It's like anything else that may come up in conversation. I like sci fi and Suspensful movies, I enjoy reading a wide variety of books, I like all kinds of music except contemporary R&B, I play console, roleplaying and wargames.

And if someone wants to know more I'm happy to supply whatever level of detail is called for.

Rarely has anyone criticized my hobby, and when they do it's usually pretty easy to defend.

"Haha so you play with toy soldiers. Isn't that kind of a waste of time at your age?"

"Not really. Is sitting on the couch all day drinking cheap beer and watching cars make left turns a waste of your time?"

That normally doesn't go over very well but it does make my point.


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## Erich (Sep 1, 2008)

I don't hide the fact that I play wargames.
Heck given some of my other hobbies (dressing up in armor and whacking on people with sticks) 40K is tame.
Besides, the people in my office like to look at the finished figs when I bring them in.


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## foulacy (Nov 24, 2007)

None of my friends know I play now, they know I've got loads of models e.t.c. as they see them when they come over.

Not that I am hiding it, just they don't ask, don't ask don't tell?


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## turel2 (Mar 2, 2009)

I like to scream "blood for the blood god!!!" at new friends 

But seriously, I'll talk about WH and 40K to anyone.
I enjoy it, I don't care what others think.

Everyone has thier own tastes.


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## Skraal2099 (Jul 24, 2009)

I enjoy the game but it just doesn't feel right to me to advertise that I have such an expensive hobby, expensive enough to put most people off just from looking at the boxes. That being said, my closest friends do know that I play, I just don't talk about it with them unless they bring it up.


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## DonFer (Apr 23, 2010)

I see that there's a lot of discrimination around for poeple that play war games. Why? What's nerdy about playing some kind of over-produced "board game", practice your artist side and cultivate your social skills with other poeple? 

Down here I don't go around yelling "I play WH40K" out on the street, but if it comes to it I would gladly speak about it. This is my hobby and people I talked with take it as it is, and nobody has told me "Die you Nerd, take your miniatures somewhere else..!!" ... (well you know what I mean).

The thing is our hobby is a great one and that doesn't make us nerds or social rejects for that (No intention on insulting nerds or social rejects here). So if there's people who discriminate you for it, then that's not people you need to be around with... never ever.


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## The Boz (Aug 16, 2010)

I asked a friend of mine if he wanted to play WH40k with me. His response was "Oh seriously? The tabletop! Hah! That shit is for nerds dude, get away from that!" 
Ironic bit? The five of us were playing the Battlestar Galactica Boardgame at the time. At his mom's flat. With a 35cm model of the Enterprise D on the shelf behind him. While he was wearing a WoW t-shirt. And music was playing from the iDock thingy with an iPhone attached. The Duel of the Fates was playing at that moment.
FML.


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## 5tonsledge (May 31, 2010)

im a jock nerd, if people see me with my 40k stuff i tell them about the game some people are interested and some just respect it because they dont want to make me mad. but all through highschool i would get some football guys together and they would harass me a little but they would eventually want to try it and some even liked the game. a couple of them acyually play at the shop with me playing small games like 1000-1500 point games. but yea never had issues as far as Coolness. then again i was 6 foot 220 pounds with a 300 max bench. no one messed with me except for close friends that knew i wouldnt beat them. actually i would sort of recruit people if they seemed like they would play. theres a bunch of players at the shop that i went to highschool with and most of them i introduced to the game.


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## Gervesius (Jul 9, 2010)

DonFer said:


> I see that there's a lot of discrimination around for poeple that play war games. Why? What's nerdy about playing some kind of over-produced "board game", practice your artist side and cultivate your social skills with other poeple?
> 
> /.../
> 
> The thing is our hobby is a great one and that doesn't make us nerds or social rejects for that (No intention on insulting nerds or social rejects here). So if there's people who discriminate you for it, then that's not people you need to be around with... never ever.


I completely agree with you. As an answer to your rethorical question, I would say that it's the oh-so-old discussion of what's a "normal" pastime. People are usually kind of surprised at what I do in my free time; Computer games, reading books, RPGs, guitar, martial arts, gym, and now 40k. I think it might be about putting people in groups, so to speak. The nerds over there, the sport geeks over here, and so on. 

As to the poll; I answered Yes. I would tell them that, because it's part of my interests. If me and that friend finds out that we both enjoy reading, and we enjoy reading fantasy/sci-fi for instance, then I would definately point him/her into the direction of the Horus Heresy books, and so on, and then state that it's part of a tabletop game which I enjoy greatly... :victory:


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## TheReverend (Dec 2, 2007)

Yeah, i'm an engineer so i work with an office full of geeks. I don't actively publicise my hobby, but i have managed to make a few converts in the 4 1/2 years i've worked there 

telling potential girl friends about the hobby is a completely different kettle of fish...


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## Captain Galus (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't run around yelling "FOR THE EMPRAH!!!" but I have no problem telling someone what my hobbies are if asked. I do think it's cool how you can just be chilling and casually drop a 40k joke that nobody would get, and suddenly someone else perks up and the both of you look at each other and nod knowingly.


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