How do you approach your hobby? Generally in a positive way, or do you find yourself constantly arguing rules or being upset about releases? Yes, we are a moody bunch, and takes no time online, or even down at your local watering hole, to find someone raging about this or that. Why is our hobby like this?
Before you pass the buck onto someone else, a store owner, fellow player, or even Games Workshop, perhaps we should consider what side of the bed we wake up on.
I have always had a theory about why there is so much negativity in this hobby. That is to say I am sure there are other reasons as well, but its hard to name any other hobby (besides gaming or politics) that sees so much anger as our own.
My theory is this, that we spend a lot of time in this hobby. From buying our miniatures, assembling them, painting them, and creating lists to play them. With so much time involved, we feel an ownership to the hobby, that sometime falls into entitlement and anger.
Yes, I believe that sometimes we just need to let off a bunch of steam, but is a hobby the correct place for this? I dont think so. We are in this hobby by our own volition, and even dogs know not to piss where they sleep. Yet even the most positive person sometimes falls into tirades (I am thinking of my own falls), until we realize where we are at, and pick ourselves up out of the muck.
This hobby is supposed to be fun, whether your fun is playing competitively or to get involved into the depths of the background and storyline of the game, we are all here together. There should be no rift. This isn't a Kumbaya moment, but a reality check on why we are even involved in this hobby. After all if we are here to just pick on people, scream and yell, there are more intelligent places to do this.
Really, if you or I ever find ourselves always angry about the hobby, why be here? A smart person would just leave and move on to something they enjoy more, or take a break if they find too much drama involved in their hobby right now.
I am not trying to convince anyone to leave this hobby. Quite the opposite in fact. I simply want people to know why they are here, and understand that being here is their choice. I love games, especially ones that involve such a rich and indepth background full of tactics and strategy. That is why I am here.
How we handle ourselves in this hobby, and in our lives for that matter, is a choice.
