STALKER7

A recent thread at the Lead Adventure Forum questioned why gamers invest so much time, energy, and money into the tabletop hobby. The initial post was prompted by one of those every day accidents that can hit just the right spot in just the wrong way.

I get it. Stuff like that has caused serious reevaluations in my own life too. (Because who asks hard questions when things are going well?) A recent inventory of my own unfinished projects and assortment of unpainted minis – the “pile of shame/mountain of potential” – brought to mind an acquaintance’s comment that ‘Any hobby taken too far can become a mental illness‘ and spurred a three month freeze on hobby purchases. (Gotta prune this tangled thicket into shape, by god!)

It’s an honest question, tho. I was introduced to miniatures and wargames nearly 50 years ago (ouch) and have asked it many times. In fact, there were years when it was dormant. Not discarded but definitely packed away for one reason or another. However, I’ve always come back to it.

Why?

First off all, I’ve noticed my ‘wargaming hobby’ has separate but related components: painting figures, making terrain, tweaking/writing rules, and actual gaming. Looking back, I see seasons where one element was predominant over the others.

Painting minis has been fairly constant over the decades, but there have been long stretches when I just made terrain. Others, when I hammered out rule sets or simply read other rule books. And thankfully there were years when I was gaming weekly. So in some sense, I always seem to be doing something hobby related, even if it isn’t the obvious, and I’m okay with that.

That said, I suppose I do it for same reasons anyone does any hobby: relaxation. I have friends who golf, friends with boats, friends who hike, knit, fish, paint, bake, kayak, bird watch, even run marathons.

Painting miniatures centers me. Building terrain is a creative outlet. Reading rules is informative – sometimes a vex, often a real delight. Writing rules is a constant challenge. Gaming is a time to enjoy friends. All of it re-energizes me in some way, shape, or form. That’s worth the time and investment. Sure, I need to rein it in every so often or hit ‘pause’, but I’m consistently reminded how fortunate I am to be able to do any of it.

Looking back at the different season and periods of dormancy, I recognize I could have stopped, let it go, found another hobby. A less expensive, less ‘demanding’ one. Easy enough, and probably for good, “adult” reasons.

I didn’t, obviously, and I want to note that in these past few years I’ve seen the accumulated material and experience has given me another ‘return on investment’; repeated opportunities to introduce/reintroduce gaming to dozens of people.

Whether that’s in after-school enrichment programs, folks at the local community center, former gamers now in their adult years looking for a social outlet, or their kids and their friends. “Don’t worry. I’ll run the game and I’ve got everything they’ll need.” One friend likened walking into my game room for the first time to a massive dose of nostalgia or a religious experience.

This may sound melodramatic, but now that I find myself not just older but considered “old”, the notion of investing in relationships around the game table, keeping the tabletop hobby alive, and passing the torch are a few more reasons I’m still here.

Thanks for stopping by. Have an excellent day.