Hey everyone! Adam, from TFG Radio, here to talk about the exciting world of 40K! Today, I am going to be a little more real, a little more sweet, and talk about what makes tournaments worth doing. You may think a Win/Loss record, but rather, it is about connections. It’s about people.
As I am writing this I am at our secret base near the Fairgrounds the night before the SoCal Open. It’s one of the few large events that I get to actually play in. I enjoy it because, although I know I probably won’t be near the top, I get to play games, meet new people, and meet old friends. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy judging and running events. Getting out to play once in a while allows me to see the game in the wild, so to speak, and see some of the talked about combos in person. Probably my main reason for playing in tournaments is that I get to create new memories with my fellow players and team mates.
The reality of 40K is that this is a social game; we play it because we want to play with people, people we can laugh with. Right now, I have my team and some of their friends, and we are eating carne asada, drinking, and laughing. It is hard to put into words the fact that part of this hobby is that it creates felllowship. We are friends; friends through a shared hobby that adds to our life. This is the essence of life, creating relationships. I know, I’m a grognard, I’ve been around a long time, and I can tell you, that what makes this hobby worth doing is the people around us. For 99% of us, we aren’t going to win, but what we do gain is the sense of comraderie and friendship that comes with playing this game.
This is what I say to you, dear reader, that if you are going to a major event, enjoy it. That doesn’t mean you need to go 6-0; it means you need to take part of this community. 40k is not Starcraft; it is a social engagement. You are there to throw dice, hopefully have an engaging game, and at the end, maybe have a close game. A lot of the times, we value the Win/Loss stat, but really, what makes this game better than any other? We get to spend time with our friends, and guess what, we make a lot of friends that way.
If you have never gone to a tournament, I think you should try. While there are always swirls of people complaining about power games and WAAC gamers, the reality is that most games are people who just want to play someone to new, have fun, and maybe have a drink. If you are nervous about going, maybe take a friend or two, and I promise you, if you just try to have fun, you’ll leave with 2 more. That is the thing about tournaments: you can go to win, or you can go to have an experience that you could not replicate elsewhere. Tournaments are a way to meet new people who love the same hobby as you, and in this, you enter community. Especially in a world defined by digital connections between people, this is a hobby that asks you to make connection in the real world, and it is a lot easier than you think.
If you are at SoCal, come say hi. I am positive we can talk about something that we both enjoy, and we will laugh. Maybe you’ll come over to our Air BnB to eat some more carne asada, but either way, go to a tournament, make friends, and have fun. That is really what this is all about. Yes, I am being a little sentimental, but it happens in my old age. I’ve played enough editions to know this one truth: 40k is about people, not really armies.
That’s all for this week, I hope you enjoyed the read. Let me know your thoughts, and your favorite tournament party stories, in the comments section. Don’t forget to visit our Facebook, Twitch, and Patreon pages to stay up to date on what we’re up to and when episodes drop!
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Great to see a judge going to play games. How can you be part of the fun if you always have to stand back ? It also means you get to know all of the current tweaks to the game from first-hand experience, rather than just seeing them on a blog post.
Last weekend in Nottingham, the W40K team event was held – members of the Events Team and the W40K Design Team all played and enjoyed the camaraderie.
100% agree. The social aspect is a huge part of why I’m still into GW games after 20+ years.