Geeking Out – Getting into Gaming

Fandom, in the most general sense, is changing, and as more folk come to enjoy – or admit to enjoying – comics, many comic fans find themselves trying out previously unexplored aspects of geekdom by exploring new things. Sure, online gaming has changed the way that many think about “gaming” in general, but there’s still a sense mystery and mistrust of those dark mysterious figures known as Wargamers.

Now I’ll hold my hands up and admit I’ve been playing war games for the best part of 30 years. I clearly remember at age seven playing “pirates” and suggesting that we roll dice to see if our cannons hit. Like many gamers, I got into the hobby as a kid, grew out of it, then went back again as an adult, and I’ve become aware that in the last couple of years the dynamic of our local gaming group has changed dramatically – many more people, ages, games, and indeed gender balance.

That said, people still  tend to be initially put off for a number of reasons, so this new column – Geeking Out – is my little guide to getting in to gaming.

First off, let’s start with some basics;

1. Find your FLGS. Yes, every sub culture has its impenetrable acronyms. Most large towns have a Friendly Local Gaming Store, and more importantly, will often be able to direct you to local clubs.

2. Choose what you love. In the first instance, don’t worry about rules. Love Star Wars? Go for X-Wing. Love Steampunk? Try Malifaux. If you’re not sure, board games are a great gateway drug and the likes of Dead of Winter are an easy jumping on point to the likes of Zombiecide. Or, look at the models – what do you fancy? Again, talking to store owners and scouring the internet for ideas are the best way to go.

3. Don’t panic about paint. Many great pre-painted models exist, and there’s nothing wrong with playing with a shiny metal horde (we’ve all got them). I’ll talk about paint and painting another time in more depth, however.

Those are pretty much the basic tips you need to get started, and to show you just how it works, I’m going to put my money where my mouth is.

I’m a comic fan, so I’m going to try a comic game – namely, Knight Miniatures’ Batman. Granted, I know nothing about the rules, the models aren’t cheap (but are so very pretty), and I’ll need people to play with, but that’s all part of the fun, right?

So stick around and, in the weeks and months to come, we can Geek Out together.

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The Writer of this piece was: Sam Graven
You can follow Sam on Twitter
Sam can also be found around various dark and gamery parts of the internet as inmygravenimage

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