Shut Up And Just Play With Your Toys

 

 

Wargaming has always been a 'Hole In The Wall' for dreamers and misfits. We sort of collected together, drawn by some unseen force and created a new 'normal' in new and exciting world. Who and what we were in the 'real world' meant absolutely nothing.

These days it seems as if being a misfit is more important than the hobby itself, a cult of geek personality being waved and projected like a rainbow banner. I don't believe that this is the way it should be. 

Look, when you are truly a troubled kid who doesn't fit in, you find a safe place and you try to fit into the community. The idea that you will stand on top of the walls of your newly established castle shouting 'look at me, I'm a weird bastard!' is not a good one - It ends up with you drawing attention not only to yourself, but maybe to others who just want to find a welcoming community and solace from the 'real world', rather than let the world know that they identify as a horse with a drink problem.

When I was 14, we had an informal D&D group in what was one of Sheffield's most challenging schools. We met at lunchtimes and were a 50/50 mix of male and female players -sensitive artistic types mostly, but also with 'Stav',  one of the toughest kids in the school who, loved sci-fi and fantasy but of course back then, would have had a lot more fights than even he could manage, had his shocking secret become known resulting in his 'outing'.

Nobody talked about anything other than gaming, and although one of the girls had become pregnant under age, leading to scandal in the school, nobody talked to her about it, nor did she wave it around as a victimisation banner when the moronic minority gave her some real shit. We played games, laughed and formed friendships which had nothing to do with our 'real world' lives. It was pretty bloody perfect.

We had a bolt hole in the science rooms - traditionally verboten to all kids at breaks and lunchtimes, but we were trusted because you see, the head of the science department and the only PhD in the school, played Runequest in the first wave of gamers, so he was pretty certain that even the roughest little bastard, had a redeeming quality or two if they could read a D&D manual and indulge in world building.

After lunch, we all went back to our normal rounds of survival, but with the knock on effect that those of us who were bullied, gradually found we were less so. We knew who was behind this cessation of hostilities, but we never flaunted this knowledge. We were content to be able to move around the school relatively unmolested.

About a year later, attitudes had naturally changed and we could wear our long hair and denim jackets to school without the harassment we'd suffered. In fact, we were going to Stav's house at dinner time on the two days we couldn't use the science labs, and playing Mystic Wood and assorted Metagaming 'pocket games' whilst eating something on toast. We could, if we were organised, get 50 minutes of gaming in... 5 minutes to Stav's house, a production line of toast and whatever we were having it with, got our food needs sorted in another five minutes and a sprint back over the field to school after our impromptu gaming session rounded out the lunch hour. We did a LOT of gaming.

It was in these 'home' games that we really got to know each other properly. Stav was a talented and artistic kid, forced into his role by an older and wayward brother who had been a 'face' in his school days. He introduced me to The Clash and we got him listening to Marillion and Rush.We even started to hang out away from school and at weekends.

About the same time, I'd begun to spend weekends away on club trips. My parents were strict beyond the standards of even the most obsessive 'helicopter' parents, but they realised that I was in safe hands with those adult ruffians who made up Sheffield Wargames Society, and I confess that I learned a lot about interacting in the hobby from these Grognards. 

I walked around a few shows this year and heard several conversations which bear no relevance to the hobby. It was all so 'real world' and a bit of a downer to be honest.

I just wish that people would leave their lives outside the door (particularly those who are using their hang-ups - and there are a number who do) to gain standing in the hobby. It happens.. I an others have seen it. This kind of thing together with the constant filming of everything is bloody annoying.

A show should be a place to buy and sell stuff, see good looking games and talk about GAMING. Leave your emotional baggage, politics and causes outside, I beg you.