I had some great reactions to the blog, mostly from people who had encountered such wonderful people in their time - a few great stories to boot. Some of the other comments I had were from people who almost felt apologetic for only liking one part of the Hobby; some seemed genuinely concerned about this.
Please, allow me to clarify: There is nothing at all wrong with having a singular part of the Hobby that you enjoy. This is not only acceptable, but perfectly normal. Some people don't like traditional fantasy, some aren't fussed by futuristic. Some people live for the game, others were born to paint. Sometimes these skills and tastes meet and fuse, sometimes they don't. Both are fine.
Today, in response, I wanted to have a look at what makes the Hobby special for each of us; so I went onto Twitter and asked my followers what made the Hobby special for them. Here's some of the responses I had!
@BKellyCS I love w40k, I love the painting, the story and playing with others. You can go in an other country and talk with strangers about
— Alex the Cat (@MyLuLei) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS My love has always been the models, the focus & expression in painting them & bringing to life a character in iron or power armour
— LP (@NationOfLee) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS @jockgeo I love painting and building models. I tend to do what ever inspires me. I don't play one rule set.
— mattblackgod (@mattblackgod) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS @jockgeo #warmongers I like the tactical aspect of #wh40k the look and fun of #whfb and the social aspect of the game as well.
— SkaredCast (@Skari2) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS for me its mostly just the painting but have found a local gaming club and now getting into playing 40k on a regular basis
— Secret 40K Geek (@secret40Kgeek) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS I don't play so... I paint what I want & like :)
— George Swallow (@jockgeo) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS For me it has to be #40k, other games are fun and I play a bit but that is number 1. I love ot for the feel of a total hobby.
— Jamie (@DrakePoldragon) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS warhammer fantasy first, then malifaux, got into fantasy because of the models and it is the reason i stay the game needs good 1/2
— belverker (@belverker) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS and interesting models or i won't even consider it no matter how good the rules or fluff are
— belverker (@belverker) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS the strategy, from list building to execution. Being able to think on the fly and play a great game.
— Justin (@Wanchango) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS 40k, BFG, WFB, I love the lore, the history, the community (majority not minority), people make it outstanding and inspirational
— Malandres Miniatures (@richards2507) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS It's versatile. If I'm feeling creative, I model/paint. If I want to think/strategise, I list build or play a game. Also social.
— Thomas Kemp (@KempKamikaze) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS I enjoy the painting. No matter your skill level you improve with every brushstroke.
— Chris Colgan (@ChrisColgan454) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS my hobby is a way to unwind. Painting a model relaxes me like almost nothing else, and the fluff still inspires me after 20 years
— My Little Paint Blog (@MyLPB) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS for a winnig game you can't beat man o war! The black ark of naggoroth is kick ass. And talisman is good to!
— stew van dam (@stewvandam) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS its calming, and satisfying painting
— Greg Cheeseman (@wolf86sven) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS I love building and converting models, then painting, then playing, then building and converting again. Char stories sometimes.
— Chris H. (@40kChris) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS #40k. Ever since I saw a Legion of the Damned Marine in maths class in 1987, I've been hooked. Back story, scope, models, rules.
— Da Skwire (@DaSkwire) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS I love the background it still captures my imagination, long after I thought I lost it!
— Andrew Currie (@Workshy88) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS love the twitter community, but mostly the painting, picking up tips trying new things, and crimson fists and my pdf army :-)
— Nathan Freddie Long (@NinjaNathUK) June 24, 2013
@MyLPB @BKellyCS also what he said :-) after a long day nothing better than unwinding by painting
— Nathan Freddie Long (@NinjaNathUK) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS love 40k, painting and putting together an army. Love all the fluff and background too, such a rich environment to explore.
— Paint Tyrant (@PaintTyrant) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS Warhammer 40K. The background and rich stories and characters make this hobby what it is, great models just solidify it.
— NC (@NeilChallis) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS love the painting side of the hobby. But what I love the most is the background, lore or fluff .Also enjoy the escapism of it all
— stefan ball (@stefgingerball) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS I feel the escapism is a great part .. Another thing is the fun you can have with friends while gaming
— stefan ball (@stefgingerball) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS 40k 1st then Warhammer painting is my main joy then gaming but love all the army planning. Safe to say I'm an addict!
— Andy Elliott (@war_game_geek) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS My hobby is 40k. I love building/ painting minis. Also really like the ork fluff too and playing/ meeting new people
— Alistair Williamson (@DaGreenSkinz) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS assembling, painting, playing, meeting new and old friends, but most of all, having fun!
— Ian Charles (@ianc14) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS having the models on display like my own little works of art. I'm an artist..... Lol
— Gregory Johnson (@freexerjin) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS @MyLuLei mine is 40k/space hulk/30k and i love painting, and playing on a friday at local independant till 1am!
— Fab-General #ADP (@FabricatorG) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS I love the painting and lore of 40k. Getting stuff ready for a narrative game with cool layout of terrain and a back story to it
— Tim Walker (@warllama40k) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS 40k but would play wfb if i could afford it! Painting, playing, social aspect, background and comunity. #warmongers
— gadget/wargaming (@GadgetWargaming) June 24, 2013
@BKellyCS 40k & bfg are really my thing! Love the whole atmosphere surrounding it! Painting will be nummer one as alwaysTo quote Kevin Flynn in 'Tron: Legacy', that's some serious biodigital jazz, man! It's amazing that a single Hobby means so many different things to so many different people. This is a sample of just 31 people out of the millions, globally to whom this Hobby means so much.
— wouter lute (@woutertje_l) June 24, 2013
I'm really surprised at the response I had to asking this question, how people took to it. That's the thing with our Hobby. It's social and cries out to be shared, so we do at every opportunity. We show off our models, our strategies, our creations, our stories.
After the doom and gloom of the last post, I wanted this one to be much more positive. This is not just my Hobby, or just your Hobby, this is our Hobby, so a HUGE thank you to everyone who contributed to this blog post! Here's wishing you all the best as you continue in the Hobby, guys; I'm looking forward to seeing the models you're working on, hearing about your games, and getting to share that back with you.
As it so happens, if you're looking for some Hobby love on Twitter, the folks above are amongst the best place to start, with some friendly, talented and creative individuals!
Didn't make it onto the list? Tell me via Twitter (@BKellyCS) or in the comments below, WHAT MAKES YOUR HOBBY SPECIAL?
Hey look, theres me!
ReplyDelete