Be 16 years old me

.....most of them prefer girls, by the way.

Though a few actually would like to have an owner, so there is that.

If they play DnD there it's also not a games workshop, probably just a regular game store that happens to sell GW stuff.

Last I checked the majority of us were actually beanpoles. That was some time ago, so maybe it's shifted.

Hard to say. If a girl has a bad experience at a game shop/club, she's either telling the truth or blatantly exaggerating depending on who you ask.

I usually lean towards the former. This hobby is filled with the worst kind of socially retarded idiots who can't function around women. Back in college, our girl player actually stopped showing up because the GM kept getting weird with her. In my old gaming club, I had a ladyfriend who said she was always getting asked out by the neckbeards. She also told me of one guy who got kicked out of her table when he claimed his character started masturbating over the sleeping form of hers. While I wasn't there for that incident, upon meeting him and playing a session with him I can tell you with 100% certainty he's exactly the kind of freak who'd do that.

I have yet to be convinced that there are women on Veeky Forums.

We've had pictures*. but whatever makes you feel comfortable in your safe space, user.

*Including one or two saucy ones, thank you DLFG and RL.

Not him but figuring women are a rarity on Veeky Forums is a valid assumption.

Besides, would anyone really want to associate with a girl who posts racy pictures of herself on fucking Veeky Forums?

I'm a hungry skeleton tho

Nigga if she's hot and a voyerist that's a fucking turn on so yes, absolutely.

Goes both way really. I have met drama queen bitches, i have also met nerds with no concept of personal space. You won't know until you experienced it yourself since people's stories tends to be not neutral.

Exhibitionist, user. Not voyeur.
Still, 95% chance women sharing their pictures here are completely nuts and not just into exhibitionism.

I said they were a rarity, he said they didn't exist.

We had, a time or two, a 'faces of Veeky Forums thread' and there were no racy pictures in there. there were, however, a number of ca/tg/girls, and they were about average.

Most women are nuts here period. They play Veeky Forums games, for starters, making them atypical to begin with.

Listen man, I may not know what it's called but it makes my dick daimonds so what can I say, the little guy wants what he wants.

Excuse me, I'm underweight. Not that that's much better, I just look like a skinny freak.

The games can be fun, but local gaming stores are where young men go to die

>Be 18 yo me in 2011
>Spergy, but passable compared to most of the other guys at the LGS
>Get into an altercation with a turbosperg who had a wallet as fat as his waistline
>Talk with the cuck LGS owner "yeah he threatened to smash your face, but make peace with him"
>Nah
>"what are you going to do, leave?"
>Leave
>Reassess my life decisions
>Clean myself up
>Lose 40kg
>Save money otherwise spent on mandollies and go traveling
>Meet qt Euro girl in Hawaii
>Get a good job
>Plough through bucket list
>Getting married next year, planning family
>Still browse Veeky Forums because I like expensive plastic miniatures

Stay away from LGS

Hobbies are fine, and you are doing it right.

I met a girl on Veeky Forums.
she's a he now

just go there and check it out for yourself but dont dismiss what your friend said. Veeky Forums people have huge victim complex re: girls and normies

Jesus what is wrong with your towns? My FLGS is usually full of all sort of people, even the smaller stores are pretty regular.

I have seen a grown man in his 60's lose a game of Pokemon Cards. Throw his Ash Ketchum hat to the floor, sink to his knees and start crying with his head against the edge of the table.

Nowadays you can go to Veeky Forums and have that happen. I don't think it would happen on /po/ though.

I like gameing, but I'd honestly rather suck-start a shotgun than wind up like half the grognards that frequent my local shop. But then again my local shop is kinda shit

This was my experience
>Watch the spoony one back in 2008
>Hey did you know DnD isn't super shitty and cool people play it too
>Say no more
>Go to an lgs in a mall
>Filled with disgusting people
>This won't do
>Buy my 4e books
>Teach myself the rules
>Nobody else wanted to dm except the clerk
>Apply to be the dm for the weekly game
>Bullycide players for showing up in public in clothes they never wash
>Game is starting to look presentable (I also got an ok to burn incense)
>Normal people start showing up
>Mother's start using it as a daycare (this isn't a positive thing but it did bring the store TONS of cash)
>Giggling girls start showing up "just to watch"
>10+ PC games
>No problem whatsoever keeping all of them in line
>Store actually had people in it now
>Eventually take my 4 closest players to our game and leave for someone else to take up the mantel
>From that I hear that store has spawned a bunch of play groups and dozens of new DnD players even after I left
Tfw that's the only Chad thing I've ever done in my life
tfw dungeons and dragons is the only thing that's ever properly motivated me
If you got the balls you can really change the way people behave around you, helped in this instance that we were in a mall though.

>/po/
Hey man leave them out of this

>tfw your city doesn't have an FLGS despite having a 200k+ population

Sounds like a great business opportunity

Depends on why there isn't a FLGS despite having a 200k+ population.

>tfw your ~200,000 pop city does have an lgs
>but it's kinda shitty and the people who frequent it make you question your choice of hobby

Once my mom went into one of these and asked if they sold those weird dice because her daughter (me) plays d&d and do they sell d&d?

Instead of taking advantage and convincing her to buy me warhammer or even dark heresy or some d6's, they just scoffed and told her d&d is totally different and they don't sell it. She told this story as if these people were awful.

Later a co-worker told me her adult daughter went into the same store and asked if they sold board games because her brother likes comic books and- "no." Says the gross neckbeard. Scoffed at her and was awful enough I got to hear the tale later.

Point is, multiple women have complained about the time they visited a games workshop location. Maybe they shouldn't hire grognards to peddle their toys?

The one visit for mtg stuff mostly has a bunch of Asians.

Two words Eastern Europe.
500k+ cities have game stores, comic shops, etc. However those types of businesses don't tend to live long In smaller ones. Tabletop and wargaming communities are somewhat disorganized. LARP, however, is a very huge thing.

>200k+ population
You just need to get the word out, with that kind of population you are going to have a market need.
You gotta have the balls to do it too.
If you have the capital you can easily run a game store and have a full time job as well. Get on first shift 6-3 open your game store at 4 close at 9
Granted it helps if you have a wife or dedicated gf because it's not always a one man job

My local comic book/gaming shop is like this. It's got a ton of fatasses, then you got the guys who are pushing 30 but sound like they are mentally 12, and that One Guy who is friendly but doesn't understand that you don't care about a TMNT comic made for that Nickelodeon show and he shouldn't be trying to get you into it. Then you got the MtG guys who have $500+ decks that have some dumb gimmick that you can't beat unless you built a deck around beating that one gimmick (There is a guy who has decks named after each regular that's built to counter everyone's gimmicks. Each deck is worth a ton of money.) And of course, no one wants to play anything but fucking D&D 5E and only the campaign the store owner has going on because he had a massive world building session that had everyone putting ideas in so now that's their game and they aren't interested in anything else.

Oh, and the anime group. I'm not going to start with them but cringe isn't a strong enough word for them.

>Last I checked the majority of us were actually beanpoles.
That is extremely age dependent.

>I have seen a grown man in his 60's lose a game of Pokemon Cards.
I saw a man in his 60's dressed as Sailor Mars in baltimore one time.

Good thing anecdotes are terrible predictors of reality.

>200k city
>One store.
>No space to play, no players, no tournaments, no games going on, they just sell stuff.
>Not even some looking-for-group(/players/GM/opponents) board.

I mean, yeah, it sounds like that particular store are a bunch of asshats. People like that are also the reason that game stores have such a short life expectancy.

I've worked in game stores and comic stores before, and the kind of guys who run those places successfully are always thinking in terms of growing business and potential sales. Every person who comes through the door is a potential customer, even if you don't have the product they are looking for. You always try to make a sale or introduce a new player. If you don't have it, you have something similar. If they don't want that, you can order it. Etc.

>I want horror stories of my local gw
>mfw everyone is nice as hell but usually keeps to themselves
>No one will try to talk to you unless you make first contact but will gladly hold a conversation
>Has a few autists but compared to the Veeky Forums norm they might as well be normal people
>Dad brings his son in to play occasionally and it heart warming as hell
>Store manager is a nice dude that will casually smash your face in with his blood angels and give you tips in return

Maybe it's a northern thing but no one in the store is a sweaty neck beard (or at least acts like one).

That's less about the store and more about the community. Talk to the shop owners and try to get some nights for the stuff you want to play. Do things to attract new players. Sometimes having a good community means you need to put in the work and build one.

don't be a burger

lgs are adault daycare

>in my city of birth, the 'board game hobby club' is a great place
>fine locales with a variety of activities from 'Veeky Forums' movie night, to board/card games, to wargames, larps and more physical activities (hiking, for example)
>members are mostly energetic young adults, including women, or 'dad types' (well groomed, socially capable middle aged folks)

>move to a new city
>excited to check out the local wargaming club
>the place looks like a rundown church (which to be fair, added atmosphere for world of darkness games, I'd imagine)
>the members are mostly fat men who smell like shit and drool over anyone new who dares enter their lair
>generally only play mtg, warhammer, pf or wod
>decide to drop the hobby except for board games with my new class mates, wargames when I visit my old friends, or rpgs with people online

Nya~

40kids are either obese with hygiene problems or children.

I am doing my best to get shredded actually so one day I might look like this.

nah, the only real neckbeard at the nearest gw isn't even a neckbeard, more just a regular retail dude.

Everyone else is like either a scrawny nerd or a bodybuilder. No stench in there.

>No stench in there.
Most aren't in my experience, but it really only takes one.

I live a few miles from London and recently went into my "Local" GW this weekend.

>Walk into GW because finally have income to splash on man-toys again after long Uni Career
>I'm getting old now because I hardly recognise the merch anymore
>Talk to Late 20's something guy at counter, he seems really glad to just have a chat with me
>Explains how game has changed alot since my last play in 4th Edition as a lonely fat kid
>Now I'm just an average power-nerd with cash to burn
>Hear cheers behind me
>See in corner of room a group of super-fat guys and what I think is a girl in hot pants
>Get closer to see what they are doing
>Smell of sweat and cheese hits me
>One keeps shouting out "Rub a dub dub"
>Another keeps saying "De Wae"
>One wearing a warcraft T-shirt, the other with some purple anime unicorn thing
>Notice that "Girl" is rubbing the man tits of the unicorn shirt
>They are playing a 40k game
>One is tyranids in these god awful colours
>Other is space marines but his models are all out of size and missing hands and what not
>On closer inspection see that "Girl" is actually some effeminate teenager dressed like some kind of prostitute
>"She" then gives unicorn shirt a straight up tongue kiss and has to wipe the food bits from fat guys beards as I approach
>All of them start starting at me like some kind of weirdo
>Ask them about the game they are playing
>Seem really defensive and keep making references to Kittens or some shit
>"Girl" is basically rubbing Unicorn shirts dick and licking lips at me
>Politely excuse myself from awkward situation and start to walk out
>Guy behind counter looks at me with these "Help Me" eyes as I escape

WTF happened to this hobby?

>Besides, would anyone really want to associate with a girl who posts racy pictures of herself on fucking Veeky Forums?
He said, while posting on Veeky Forums

What a time to be alive.

honestly, even in the OP's pick it's just the two dudes in the center of the frame. The rest of the room looks like a very typical mix of ages, physical health, styles, etc. The only real consistent thread is that they're (a) mostly guys and (b) very casually dressed. Both of which you'd expect at an LGS.

Sounds fake as hell. Nice try though, just try and hold back on the memes and maybe you'll tell one that a I can actually believe.

>be me
>6’2” 190lbs
>shower before going to FNM every week
>guys at LGS
>one always smells like shit and weed another has some of hit teeth and also smells like weed fat guy takes up almost 2 chairs by himself
> they constantly try to get me to go to ihop with them for all night commander
>tell them can’t I work week days
>one day weed bro with teeth tells me fat guy gets arrested for assault
>thoothless stopes showing up
>weed teeth is still there but at least has started to shower

I wish it was fake.

If it helps it was in Barnet.

Hopefully we can get cat dick-girls too

I haven't been in an official GW store in a very long time (and most of the ones in the US shuttered years ago anyway), but they were always bottom of the barrel in terms of player community. Still, that's a terrible story. Recommend finding an unaffiliated shop and try to link up with a different crew.

For me, I found the move was just to change games after I graduated. Different games have very loosely defined age ranges. 40K and MTG communities have always been primarily teenagers, and I don't see that changing. Your alt-rock games like WMH, Infinity and Malifaux are primarily occupied by the 20's and 30's set. The /awg and /hwg stuff tends to attract an older crowd, including most of Ancient Wise Grogs in any give community.

Depends a lot on where you are though, too. I don't know London well enough to advise. Best bet is to check out different shops on game nights, talk to people, and see what has the best community. Then pick a game to play based on that. The people you play with are much more important to having a good time than the choice of game.

Now you just have to show up with a couple friends and the community is yours. Sounds like an improvement.

I'm moving to the south west soon and thought it wouldn't hurt to get back into the hobby as a means to meet people. Thanks for the advice though and I'll check out your recommendations.

Yes at a venue that attracts a fair amount of socially awkward nerds, you are going to run into greater than average amounts of poor body hygiene.

Learn not to mind it, or don't go. You aren't going to change shit.

I've tried. I spent two months trying to get a 13th Age game going, got one person who showed interest. Then I tried to get a X-Wing Miniatures group going since the store sells them and a lot of people do buy them. Got one game and the guy got mad at me because I beat him without losing a ship. The store is the only one within an hour of my house but the group inside is really not good.

Yeah, that's tough. I'd probably recommend trying something more mainstream than 13th Age to start, just because of familiarity. Once you have an established group it's easier to get people to in to more obscure stuff. X Wing is very hit or miss based on region (tho I guess you could say that about any game).

Kinda to my point here though , don't sweat the specific game too much. Take the temperature, see what the people you know you want to game with are already playing, and work from that. Everybody's got that pet game that they're always looking for someone to play. Find out what other players love and be the person to extend the branch.

Already do. Most people at this point are respectable small business owners, just over all laid back collage stuidents, or teachers. I’ve reached the promise land

I actually thought it was pretty mainstream. Then again, I normally play in online communities so that can kinda warp your perspective. I'm not sure if I would try again there, though. The place seems pretty hardset on what they got so it might be better for me to keep playing with online folks.

What country do you live in? IRE here, and most frequenters of the hobby are of the "thin & pasty" nerd type.

I'll have you know I'm down to 172 at 6'1".

This fucking muffin top refuses to go away though.

Eh, Veeky Forums is like a shitty European country. Good for business that's usually frowned upon, but best dealt with in short visits, and the women there haven't been tested so it's not a good idea to put your penis in anything while here.

Well, permanents don't untap every turn now if you're white.

Explain

What the fuck? I’m the same height and almost 20 lbs heavier then you, how do you have a muffin top

>Be 16 years old me
>Walk into LA Fitness because it seems interesting
>Can literally smell sweat from as soon as I step into the door
>People in there look EXACTLY as you expected (pic related)
>Feel uncomfortable and get the fuck out

lulz - mfw in 15 years this is all true and not a joke.

My dad already says that half the shit he sees would have been a bad joke 30 years ago.

Try an independent store or a club.

Hey janitor, don't delete amusing posts that you don't like, it's a dick move.

Just play manaless dredge

its better to buy at GW official shops than the small mom and pops anyway. The staff at GW shops can help you a lot more if you are new while a small mom and pop will fuck you over for other customers. In terms of people smelling like sweat just tell the employs that a customer smells and they should fix the problem.

How long have you worked for GW?

Since 8:30am, thanks for asking. Can I help you with anything else, maybe this 10-pack?

You just outed yourself as a cuck

Had kinda the same problem, i was 15 or 16, amd just learned about 40k. I wanted to check it out so i went in. Shit myself at the prices and just went back to lurking threads.

everyone on Veeky Forums looks like that

it's why this "soyboy" thing is so cringe.

You can be Veeky Forums and on Veeky Forums. Ironically I got fit when I was a NEET for almost a year, as a time-killing measure. Then it just stayed. Too much fun with the guys from the gym, especially when you can play gamist scenarios with them.

Guess I must leave Veeky Forums then, since I'm underweight non-American that only browses Veeky Forums of all boards and know jack shit about memes

Pretty certain there was a girl with a nid tatoo cam whoring in 40k generals last summer.

>underweight non-American

soyboy detected

>Guess I must leave Veeky Forums then

please do

>Be 29 years old me
>End up as academician, teaching Chinese grammar
>This year among new students shows up the epitome of stereotypical fa/tg/uy
>Obese, smelly neckbearder with absolute lack of social skills whatsoever and talking in oscure Veeky Forums memes
>His first question to ask: what's the word for "warlock" in Chinese
Until I saw him, I was sure that it's just a meme about the whole fa/tg/uy archetype. Also, he's Veeky Forums regular apparently.

Same here user
One day, maybe we can be rebranded as fi/tg/uys

I'm not sure you understand the "non-American" part.

Shouldn't you be on different board? Especially considering what you assume to be Veeky Forums regular

My FLGS has a Warhammer night the same night my group plays D&D. Sometimes I have to walk to where they are to grab a drink of water and it literally smells like rotten eggs near the tables.

>Be 16 years old me
>There are absolutely no hobby shops anywhere at all
>The only game around is pocket edition of The Witcher borrowed from a friend of a friend
>Played while sitting with fellow Slavs in community garden
>Feels great, despite the fact it's late March and still too cold to comfortably sit outside

It was probably the best time I ever had when it comes to TTRPG. Had really, really good GM and non-flaking party. To paraphrase: Playing for the first time is a lot like having sex for the first time. You're excited but you don't really know what the hell you're doing. And some way, one way or another, it's over too fast.
Plus I still treat the moldy smell of the summer house as something inseparable from the hobby.

That sounds more like the behavior of someone struggling with money than someone expanding their business. Are you sure you were employed by these people, i.e. Received a wage and didn't just hang out there playing games?