Veterans Leaving 40k (And Coming Back)
Pimpcron discusses an interesting trend in our hobby and how it’s not the end of the world.
Hey people of earth (and maybe a few who aren’t). As you might imagine, the Pimpcron is back this week; same bat-time, same bat-channel. I want to give you some advice.
Veterans Leaving The Hobby
I was just talking to my friend the other day who has been playing 40k for 15 years. He’s still a young guy and 40k actually helped him improve his reading in elementary school due to his love of the lore. The first night I ever came to a 40k club, he basically assaulted me with lore and information in his usual socially-awkward way. He’s played Nids, Guard, and Blood Angels and has seen quite a few editions go by. He’s one of those people who you think is going to stay in the game forever.
“… And then they beheaded the heretic. Teehee. Behead is a funny word.”
The other day we were talking on the phone and he had a confession to make that floored me: he’s taking time off of 40k.
Now I know there is a portion of you who will jump up from your chair right now, flip the table, tear your shirt off Hulk Hogan-style and scream, “I knew it! See? See? Nobody likes 40k anymore and even veterans are leaving! Aaargh!” Then you’ll start a Facebook group of old, grizzled, angry ex-Warhammer players so you can bitch about how the good old days were better. Then you’ll set up a whole schedule of when and where you guys will take turns standing on the corners of building rooftops at midnight screaming it into the wind for all to hear. I’ve seen your billboards in my town. I read about your rallies you hold in the newspaper. I’ve walked out of a GW store and had you throw red paint on my fur coat. Maybe that wasn’t you.
Well, all jokes aside, I’m sure some veterans leave because they don’t like the current edition and that’s fine. Who’s to say I won’t be one of those jaded gamers when 8th edition 40k hits? But my friend is leaving because he’s just got a lot of other stuff going on in his life, and he needs some time away from 40k. Because no matter what it is in your life, after you do it for 15 years it will eventually become less exciting [insert marital sex joke] [then reconsider to be on the safe side].
“Hey! Cut it out down there! I see you reading White Dwarf!”
40k Veterans Don’t Die, They Just Take A Break
So when you quit the hobby you should burn all of your bridges, spit on your friends and set fire to your minis? Nope. It actually seems pretty common for people to take a couple-year break in this hobby. Usually it has to do with life getting in the way of this very time-consuming hobby. Going to school, getting married, having kids, buying a house, getting into X-Wing, etc. So it’s no wonder that people take a break. But don’t get depressed if life rips you away from the one thing that makes you a complete human being! It’s a couple times a week I see posts on Facebook groups I’m part of saying that they are a veterans gamer just getting back into the game and need advice on army composition, etc. I’ve seen it in comments sections, letters written in to podcasts, and on FB groups.
As a matter of fact, one of my good 40k friends took a ten year break from it before getting back in. Now after four years, he’s slowly moving back out. Ha ha. It happens. We have another guy in our group that came back to the hobby last year after a decade-long hiatus as well. And my good friend Steve didn’t play for five or ten years until he found our gaming group because he had nobody to play with.
So When Is The Pimpcron Burning Out?
Don’t fall asleep in the woods.
Ya know, I gotta tell you. I’m shocked that I haven’t burned myself out yet. My life is Warhammer 24/7. I have written over a hundred articles on the topic of Warhammer weekly, have started a Warhammer convention, hobby, play, listen to podcasts, and talk about it all day with my friend/ co-worker James. I have an entire room devoted to terrain and Warhamer non-sense. My entire Facebook feed is all pictures of models.
Why aren’t I crazy yet?
(you are)
Shut up, you!
(you’re grand mother never loved you!)
I’m not listening! I’m focusing on blogging.
I play other games. I play Firestorm Armada, Magic: The Gathering, and Age of Sigmar.
I’ve also been busy making the rules and play-testing a new skirmish game that I’m making that uses any models from any range. So that has been fun and distracting. I’ll let you know when it’s finished.
It’s amazing how playing different games refreshes your love of other games. I ebb and flow in and out of my zeal for 40k, but give me just one game of Firestorm Armada and I flush out the over-saturated 40k particles.
Throw away your X-wings and play this game.
~How many of you have taken a break and came back? Or are taking a break and plan to come back?
Shorehammer ticket sales close October 31st!
