Today we take a (semi deep) look at the expectations that motivate and drive us in the war-gaming hobby and community as a whole. Is that what YOU want from your hobby?
Expectations can be a powerful thing. The expectations of presents on Christmas motivate children around the world to be good. Our expectations of bonuses make us work harder around the office. Today, we’re going to look at how our expectations shape our gaming experiences. We start with a question though.
What do you want to get out of Wargaming?
It’s a deep thought of a question, and one you should ask yourself throughout the process. The process of getting into a tabletop miniature war game can be expensive in terms of both money and time. What exactly are you expecting as a return on this investment of resources? Is it a:
- Social thing?
- Art thing?
- Game thing?
- Competition thing?
Each one of these is a completely different rationale for starting a game, and have different expectations for the game. Let’s take a look at each one and see which category you fall into. (Pro-tip: You can have several motivations for getting into a war game, and these can change over time).
Social Things
We all love social gatherings and getting together with our friends to do stuff. Some folks see Wargaming as a social interaction activity where they are going to get together with their friends and have a good time. The fact that they are playing a game is secondary to the social contact the experience offers. These are players that you might have to explain the rules to over and over, because to them, the game isn’t as important as the people they are with. Expectations for them are a good time hanging out with their friends.
Gamer Traits (this is a vague generalization, don’t take it as gospel)
- Needs to be reminded of the rules
- Plays either a small model count army (less guys to paint) or a lower powered army (So that the game takes time to be played and the social interactions go longer).
- May not have a painted army (Might not be a hobbyist)
- Loves to chat
- May bring snacks
These gamers can be a lot of fun to hang around with. The entire reason they’re participating is to engage socially with other gamers. Between rounds at a tournament, or playing as part of a club these gamers can be a lot of fun. You just have to remember that for them, the game is a means to an end, and not the end itself.
Art Hobby Things
The modeling side of a Tabletop War game is a varied and wondrous thing. With games that range from pre-painted plastic ships to the model kits that you have to assemble and paint yourself, most folks can find a miniatures game that meets their expectations. The hobby can also include the “lore” or setting details from the fictional universe that the game is set in. Some people will go to great lengths to understand every aspect about the game’s setting and their faction of choice.
Gamer Traits (this is a vague generalization, don’t take it as gospel)
- Know the rules of their faction extremely well, may need reminders of other aspects of the game, and don’t expect them to know anything outside their faction.
- Plays an army that contains cool looking or thematically appropriate units. May be overpowered or underpowered as a result
- Probably has a lavishly painted army that they spent days upon days getting right.
- Loves to chat about the setting and/or their faction
- May bring a novel/sourcebook/additional detailed information (may not share)
These are the gamers that might go out of their way to make sure that their army is uniquely theirs. They’re also the ones who can probably answer a setting or lore question. They might give you a little grief if you’ve painted your army in odd colors or modeled something differently (“The codex does not approve this action”), but just remind them it’s a game and you brought YOUR army to play the game.
Game Thing
These are the gamers who got into tabletop wargaming because they absolutely love the game itself. Now, this can be as broad as the idea of wargaming itself, or a specific wargame. These are the players that can generally count on to know the rules of the game front to back and be able to answer any questions you may have about it. They also make superb teachers for the game, because they know it well enough to teach. Their expectations for the game are simple, the game is good enough for them.
Gamer Traits (this is a vague generalization, don’t take it as gospel)
- Knows the rules of the game extremely well, well enough in fact to teach the game to new players
- Can play just about any kind of army, and often has a large enough collection that they can field variations on their army.
- Might be into the hobby side, but it’s as a method of improving the quality of the game. (Painted armies, tables and scenery to a tabletop gaming standard).
- Loves to chat about the game and its rules
- May bring stuff to teach the game with (including a second army) if they are warned ahead of time
These are the gamers that fell in love with the mechanics of the game, and frame their expectations about the game experience from that perspective. They know the rules but not be up to date on the lore, so ask them game questions and they should be able to help you figure out the game itself. They will point out when you’re doing something wrong, with varying degrees of social functionality.
Competitive Thing
These are the gamers that view wargaming as another opportunity to prove who’s the absolute best. (There’s nothing wrong with that, by the way) These gamers frame their expectations from a perspective that the best way to play a game is competitively, and that anyone not playing that way is missing out. Not everyone sees the wargaming hobby this way, and that’s fine. These gamers are probably the most aware of the powerful units and the most powerful combinations of units in their army, and can be a fine source of information for players looking for that advice.
Gamer Traits (this is a vague generalization, don’t take it as gospel)
- Knows the rules of the game extremely well, including the specific tournament rules for the tournaments they participate in.
- Will probably play one significant tournament army with minor variations within that army list.
- Hobby side could be hit or miss. These players will play to the bare minimum of the tournament’s requirements, but are just as likely to spend lavish time painting and converting. (Remember, you can win awards for best painted army as well)
- Loves to chat about stats and power combos. You can learn a lot about the relative power of a faction from its tournament players.
- Loves tournaments (more competition, more prizes!)
Conclusions
Understanding your expectations and your motivations can help you determine the game you want to play, and the faction within that game. Take your time, Do your research, and figure out what works best for you before you open your wallet and your time up. Those are our thoughts on the expectations that motivate us as gamers.
“Game on, Game Fans”
-Zardoz the Magnificent
About the Author: Zardoz the Magnificent
