Nerdiness of Heroscape?

[CanScape]

I thought I might share a bit and see if anybody has something to add...I've noticed a bit of a line of thinking in another thread about 'nerdiness'. 'Geekiness'.

Well...I'm not a nerd, geek or other such things. Then again I'm not a jock or anything like that either. Kinda just...down the middle I guess, perhaps a joker/clown more than anything else (to use school titles!).

I have ALWAYS loved boardgames, and the first time I experienced DnD I really liked it...kinda because it was PURE EVIL in the minds of the churchy's I grew up with, but even then, playing those games gave a kid an opportunity to see how the outside world can distort something as simple as imagining you're a sword weilding asskicker, saving princesses and such.

Anyway, I've got some friends who are diehard video gamers. I mean, hardcore! I liked video games in the past, and still do, but ever since I got on board with Warhammer in my teens, there's always been a part of me that digs miniatures games. Even pre-Warhammer, I was interested in any tabletop miniatures game, be it fantasy or WW2 or what have you.

When trying to get my video gaming buddy's to try games, they shun Warhammer. Their rationale is, "My geekiness has limits; Warhammer is just too geeky.". And Heroscape?...well, that's like nerd-steroids to these guys!

Well, I disagree. Geekiness, nerdiness, whatever you wanna call it, is more a state of being than something you somehow 'become' by rolling dice and moving around toy figures on a map (viewed from the outside world).

These same guys will spend entire weekends individually playing RPGs and other indepth video games, but won't give Heroscape a fair shake because of the geekiness that comes with 'playing' these games.

I won't lie: I don't keep my stuff out when the ladies come over. That's just something you learn, and if you find a woman who's down with that, keep her! But I think I learned my lesson back in my teens when my girlfriend at the time dropped by the hobby shop while we were painting some figs. The look on their faces just said it all: "These guys are friggin' NERDS!"...lol!...well, perhaps I'm in "nerd denial" but I just don't see it as outright nerdiness.

It's just a game, man.

I won't judge nerds, geeks, whatever you wanna call it. I don't condone doing any one hobby at the exclusion of others or perhaps at the detriment of gathering social skills or the eternal quest of figuring out women (now there's a challenging 'game'). A lot of the stuff I'm interested in IS nerdy: games, chess, video games. But it's not all I do, and I guess that's the thing.

But I guess I'm just ranting at this point because I've got some friends who won't give Heroscape (the most fun miniature game I know of) a fair shake because of such a lame excuse.

Perhaps it's time to don the trademark pocket protector and thick glasses, cause people just don't seem to understand why a grown man would go to lengths to buy, collect, play and store a game that has the outer appearance of a toy. Oh well...screw em'!...lol.

Anybody know what I'm talkin' bout?

[Jexik]

Going to GenCon put this all in perspective.

We Heroscape guys looked totally normal.

[Fencerjared]

And generally cleaner?


To me, I think that HeroScape brings in fans of so many different types of games that we're bound to present a more normal appearance. When I played Magic, I never looked the part of a normal CCG "nerd;" I also wasn't a hardcore collector. When I went to buy cards, though, all the other people there looked generally similar. I don't see that sameness at HeroScape tournaments.

[S1R_ART0R1US]

I was actually thinking about this topic earlier. I was trying to figure out why adults playing with Legos/Heroscape is considered nerdy/dorky/juvenile. At first I considered that they're designed for children and hence regarded as children's toys. Additionally, people *expect* adults to participate in hobbies that they couldn't participate in before, like drinking or driving motorcycles. But then I thought no, because kids play sports and adults who do the same are not childish.

Is there a double standard for gamers?

[Uprising]

All about moderation. Nothing wrong with an interest in nerdy things, but you got to have limits.

[ABOMINATION]

See, I understand why this is called a nerdy game, but I've never been what I've considered a nerd. I love the outdoors, I haven't played a video game in forever, and I have nothing 'nerdy' besides this game. Really, I just consider it a fun board game, not something super nerdy. Just like Stratego, or Chess, or Risk, etc. It's just a board game to me. Still super cool, but a simple board game.

[rudyvalentine]

I've always been a nerd, but I never got really into table top gaming until I discovered Heroscape just days before my 30th birthday. I owned lots of games growing up, even HeroQuest, but I never had anyone to play them with, so I got more play out of video games.

Anyway, I can understand some of the resistance to a game like Heroscape. At first I just had the RotV masterset. An innocent looking boardgame box that anyone could pick up at Walmart, Toys R Us, Target, or Kmart, all innocent enough places. So when I pulled out the box and showed friends it didn't seem so threatening.

Now a few years later, I have a wardrobe full of heroscape, so introducing someone to the game requires a full nerd disclaimer. I find when playing with someone for the first time, it's a better if you don't pull out everything. Let them play a quick game and try to get a handle on what it is, then if they express some genuine interest you can pull out the collector's poster and go for the 30 minute explanation of how cool it is that you can have minute men fighting soulborgs and aliens fighting romans, etc.

[IAmBatman]

NERDS!!!



(And I'm one too, but so what? Nerds are just like normal people, only with higher IQs ... as for hobbies, we've all got 'em, but as long as you're a well rounded person, there's nothing wrong with most of them).

[Winin]

My wife says Heroscape is OK because we don't use rulers or tape measures when we play. Whew.

[gorthan313]

Originally Posted by Winin

My wife says Heroscape is OK because we don't use rulers or tape measures when we play. Whew.

Amen to that!

[Chardris1287]

Everyone says it's the nerds who will rule the world, so jump on-board the winning team right? I'm a rather tough looking guy and you totally wouldn't expect me to love games, both video and board, DnD type fantasies, and reading books, but haven't you heard the news? Vin Disel plays D&D!! People who say that board games are for nerds are the same type of people who say that anime are just kiddie cartoons! (I hate those people)

[loborocket]

As I have gottne older I have become much more comfortable with my nerdiness. I don't really care what others think as much anymore. Maybe Heroscape is nerdy, maybe it is not. I realy don't care. It is something I can share with my son and I until he decides it is too nerdy. So far i have gotten a good 5 years out of the game with him and I would not trade that time for anything.