Why do you collect 40k?

[Morr]

Doing a little reseach for my own curiosity here and just wondering why you guys and gals play the game?

Why do you play a game of toy soldiers? is it escapism, socialising what?

Why 40k specifically? The setting, the models, lack of alternative, the scale (as a lot of the alternatives are skirmish games).

What do you like about the current eddition and how GW operates. would you like more invovement in the decisions much as mantic listens to is forums?

Is price a factor in your hobby? I know we all get riled about price hikes but have you started buying less?

any other comments on why you think 40k as a hobby and a game is better or worse than other games or any other grounds for improvement.

[PyroSikTh]

I play 40k for the same reasons I play Monopoly and Chess, because they're enjoyable and I find fun in trying to out-do my opponent.

40k specifically because the setting is top-notch and has really evolved into something in a league of its own. I play Warmachine too, but there's something about the gameplay and models of 40k that keeps drawing me back.

Not a fan of how GW have started dealing with releases. I remember the good old days of rumours and previews and I lived for them. Sad to say, my life feels a little bit empiter these days without them.

Price isn't too much of a factor as most hobbies are expensive, and because I now have all the armies I have interest in. The only costs I'll have to give out are for maintenance, and keeping my armies up-to-date with the editions and updates. However I have reigned in my buying. Gone are the days of walking into a GW, looking at the shelves and randomly picking a box for no reason other than I want the model. I have to plan and really think about it. If I'm going to assemble it and then place it on my shelf for the rest of eternity, I'm not going to waste my money like I would before.

[edmundblack]

I like it because I enjoy model making & painting. I enjoy the game and socialising with friends and new people. I enjoy the challenge of the game and light-hearted banter that goes back and forth.

I am not a fan of the "big reveals" that GW are now doing for their stuff. It leaves massive gaps in between each one which are devoid of anything substantial and generally leaves me dis-interested in the item unless it's something I have (in which case it will be a Codex for me and then the barest minimum purchases to update). Prices are a big issue. I was dead keen on doing a High Elf army at one point, but even with the Isle of Blood and Battallion boxes, it'd come to far too much for me to justify spending, so I'm out. Even with 40k armies, I'm not likely to do any new ones. Legions could perhaps be a wavering point depending on how it goes, but by and large I'm done.

It would be nice if GW were seen to listen to it's "public", but so far there's little or no evidence of that happening. If they had their own forums, it'd be a million topics complaining about how "broken" GKs are, and then another million or so complaining about the prices. So you can see why they don't have them: you don't have to listen if you can't hear.

[commandojimbob]

For me - I have to have a hobby , what ever it is, I need a Hobby. I am incapable of having an inactive mind - I cant sit still and I cannot relax quietly - my mind always has to be stimulated. At the moment (and has been for 3 years now) the hobby is 40k. I have been on and off since 8 or 9, and due to various reasons fell in and out of it numerous times. I have dabbled with other games (none of them interest my) and used to be a huge online gamer, but I think the reason I have always came back to 40k is that the setting is awesome and its narrative depth is unparalelled !

The past 3 years I have been he most active in the hobby than I have ever been and the reality is that due to work, wife and child - I can only have one hobby in my life, which is 40k. No gaming , no football (used to always play Saturday league football) nothing - it is just 40k (with a bit of squash in there for fitness). Previous stints even with a wife i had more free time and other interests always seemed to knock 40k down the order - plus now I have a load of Friends in the hobby which is also very crucial to sustain my interest.

As it stands it will be 40k for some time to come - no other miniature games interest me . As for GW - they will do what they will do - they dont put me off in the slightest, I get out of the hobby what I put in - if I had loads of time and played lots of different games maybe I would do a comparison and get peeved with GW, but I dont, so I wont !

[Morr]

so a general consensus is that
1) The depth of the setting and each faction draws you in and captures the imagination.
2) The accessability to gaming groups and socialising there is fundamental.
3) Price isnt so much of an option but leaks and rumours would maintain interest in the down periods between releases.

A few more questions then:
Rules: Are rulebooks something you enjoy having or would an online version be just as good i.e what mantic have? What about army books are they yhe same or would you want a core book to be buyable and faction books as free online?

The scale of the game: 40k is large compared to say warmachine. is this a draw for you guys to move deeper into the setting or is the scale of the game more a fun factor of larger armies/ more tactics or is it a draw as it adds a greater level of diversity to an army without really hampering game performance. i.e you could swap in a unit or two without much effort whilst in warmachine i hear a whole army restructure would be needed.

[edmundblack]

I'd be much happier buying a rulebook if they produced the paperback version singly for use during games instead of having to lug around the huge tome that'll only get bigger. Codices/ Army Books are something which is as much part of the hobby as the miniatures themselves. Having everything to do with that army all in once place is great.

40k is more accessible due to the larger player base. This aids it's popularity and your chances of picking up a game. This is a good thing, but there are instances where the rules could be better written so as to give no ambiguity at all.

[PyroSikTh]

I like having well-made, nicely-presented rulebooks. I certainly wouldn't be happy having to print off my rules (As it would mean buying a printer), and carrying several sheets around with me. I like having a nice product in my hands.

Scale matters little to me. I like 40k at all sizes, small 200pt skirmish Kill Teams, standard 1,500-2,000pt size, and 3,000+pt apocalypse. It's the system I like rather than the scale.

[Morr]

Looking at what Mantic have done, would you prefer stat lines for units or for models? I can see the arguments for both I just feel once you make a stat line for a unit it starts to loose a personality which a single model has.

Also what are your views on complex rules v simple rules? and perhaps on a similar note, do you prefer fast paced turns or longer more interactive turns?

[PyroSikTh]

Stats for models works fine.

I'd rather have a balance between simple and complex. It shouldn't be so simple that it's boring, but it shouldn't be too complex that you spend several hours just to do one turn. In that I also prefer turns that balance speed with in-depth...ness. The supposed 6th Edition leak was pretty much perfect in this regard. It was simple enough that it was easy to follow and play, but complex enough that you had a wealth of options to do within the core rules adding a tactical depth that 5th is currently lacking.

[Michael]

Mostly because I love the fluff and looks of Warhammer and Warhammer 40K.

I'm actually not a big fan of scifi at all (more of a fantasy guy), but there is something about the whole universe and the aesthetics of Warhammer that really appeals to me.

Second comes that I really enjoy the painting and modelling side of the hobby. Painting these little miniatures and thinking "Hey, I like how this looks and I'm the one who did it" is a really nice feeling.

[edmundblack]

I find the whole unit stat thing to be a bit ... odd to say the least. The unit takes hits, yet the number of models stays the same until they're all gone. I'd rather have stuff I've "killed" be removed and vice/versa.

[Eryx_UK]

I play for the escapism and because I like to immerse myself in something.

Why 40K? Because the setting is just awesome and I love it.

My opinion of 5th editions is that it is the best edition of the game thus far. Could do with one or two tweaks but otherwise I wouldn't want to see it change too much. As for GW and it's operations, I'd like a price drop and for them to be more open about the next few months releases.

Price is a small factor, and if they keep the price increases going I will be forced to stop buying models and stick to what I currently have or can buy at a reasonable price elsewhere.

[daddy4count]

AADD

My brain suffers if it has nothing to occupy and distract it.

40k is not only a fun game, which I enjoy very much with my kids and friends. It is also a creative outlet where I get to create, colorize and bring to life small creatures of plastic and metal.

It is just one more way I manage to maintain a hold on my youth, so hopefully I will never experience a midlife crisis attempting to reclaim it.

Wait... maybe this IS my midlife crisis..?