[Putch.]

So I was involved in a game the other day, now, after having challenged him, he said "sure should be easy" I asked why do you think that? To which e replied, you cant be older than 18. So for a second I kinda wtf'd..though I did beat him. He then called me a cheater. Because of course nobody younger than his venerable thirty-five could best him at plastic soldiers.

So my question is, Do you equate skill with age? No obviously not 8 year old smurf huggers who cant remember their charge from an assault cannon!

 

[neilbatte]

I'm old but never expect a walk over when playing some one young.
Yes if I was playing someone with a blue mess of plastic for an army I would probably take it easy for at least a few turns until the skill level of my opponent became apparent but I always expect a difficult game until prove otherwise.
Some of the better pick up games I've played have been against younger players (Who probably get a lot more time to game than me)

 

[Sethis]

Yes if I was playing someone with a blue mess of plastic for an army I would probably take it easy for at least a few turns until the skill level of my opponent became apparent

Agreed with the above, but I wouldn't "take it easy" (implying that I deliberately make mistakes, or avoid optimal play if that's what you meant) but I would probably play more conservatively, by which I mean testing the waters to see what his reaction to certain events is, and not committing myself to anything critical.

 

[Gigantor]

I definitely don't equate age with skill. While I have played in tournaments against 13/14 year old kids who don't really know what's going on, 18 and up is fair game. I've played against a 45 year old who was honestly the worst player I've ever beaten so age has nothing to do with it.

 

[AAAAAAAAARRRGGHH]

Age and skill are no more related than the reasons for me to shave my head but not my balls.

Anyone thinking that 12-year-old isn't better than them at something is an arrogant fool. Because he will be. And that thing he's better than you at is just as likely to be warhammer as it is to be hopscotch.
Sometimes life surprises you. And when it does, if you're not the 12-year-old I suggest you stop acting like one.

 

[olderplayer]

I'm a older player that only started playing due to a younger son playing and thought I'd play just so he could practice with me and then found, to my surprise, that there were players as old as me and my son was the only player under 18 at our first Indy GT. But my 15 year old son is quite good, especially given that he's only been playing WHFB for one year and LOTR/WOTR for two years. In our area, there is a group of older and very experienced players, but my son goes toe to toe with them (including beating a top ranked US players occassionally) and he almost won the recent local one-day tourney but for a whiff on a critical combat roll in the final round game costing him the win. So, I'd never take age as a basis for judging ability, nor do I care that much about that since everyone should be given respect (besides you never know how that person might develop if given a chance).

What I ran into at a recent tourney of experienced/ranked player was a player in the last round (third of three rounds) thinking that he should beat me just because I've only been playing for less than a year and only been playing competitive for six months and he'd been playing for almost 20 years or something. He was insulting and bullying and stretching the rules throughout the match because I managed to tie him up and out-maneuver him (even though he had a maxed out Slann and two EOTGs) a few times. We drew on victory points but I won the objective by outplaying him in turns five and six for a 7 points to 3 points win (last round had 4 pts for objective, 3 for tie, 1 for loss and 5 for win). I wrote a letter to the tourney organizer describing what happened and left it at that and swore I'd just never play that person unless I had to. Even when I was much younger, I had no problem telling someone that they're being a jerk and a poor sport.

 

[Skartooth]

I am 13 years old. I can make and paint the models to a decent standard. So why should my performance on the table be any different. I've played a few adults and manage to hold my own against them pretty well. As long as the the young gamer is mature they should not be underestimated solely because of their age

Skar

 

[KhainiteAssassin]

putch 1. reply or empty out your inbox / outbox.

and back on topic. Age means little, at Lawrence and Young, there are 8 and 10 year olds who play better then some of the new 20-30 year olds ive played in these games.

to the truth: kids learn alot better then older people do. IE: they might start off horrable players but if you teach them how to play, they can, have, and probably will be better players then some of the older people just getting into the game.

now: if they are young, I always give pointers / Let them have do overs if I see them make a horrid move. but I will NEVER go easy on my opponents. you will learn that soon enough. Mistakes I make are genuine mistakes from me and my essentric ways, not because im going easy on someone.

 

[NoHeresyOnlyTruth]

I personally only play with people who look 18 and older or atleast mature. Younger people usually are more emotional and cheat or something else altho not all.

 

[Farseer_Iowan]

Lets face it your young whipper-snappers just want to step on my grass and have no respect...um ok that was sarcasm... I think the guy your were playing was being, what my LGS would call a Douche-Bag. It surprises me to no end when people just assume age means anything when it comes to skills. There are some people that just can grasp tactics and rules and are awesome from day one... So just don't play that guy again and put his name at the first notch in your WHFB belt....

 

[Tim/Steve]

Age doesnt relate to skill... but I find that you get brackets of age/skill. Under 15-16 you get a lot of players I would describe as 'kids' and some who are decent gamers, but its sorting the childish/poor gamers from the good ones that can get annoying: Ive had some great games with some younger players but Ive also had some horrible experiences (mostly while working for GW so you cant escape).
At about 16-18 Ive found a lot more people who are more mature and give you better games, I think mostly its because of those 'kids' you want to avoid dont stick with the hobby although Im sure a few of them outgrow it. The adult almost all seem to be alright people, but again I don tthink that has much to do with growing up as such, its just a lot of them have stuck at the hobby a long time so tend to be best of the younger gamers anyway... although you get a few of those "my uber unit can beat you" guys who I hate... especially the few who keep seeming to talk to me (they see you win/winning in a GW and come over and explain how they are better then you are) and yet never seem to play the game.


I would put it simply, and to use Iowan's wording: you get douche-bags at any age, but the type changes... but amoungst adults you get less of those that throw random models ontot he table, call it an army and then have no tactics of any sort other then "fire, fire, fire" at the closest enemies.

 

[the-graven]

Age has barely anything to do with it, it's the the size of your brains, the amount of experience(wich áctually isn't related to age, since a 15 year old player could have played tourneys and stuff for 5 years while someone of 45 year could have only played for a few months), how good you can think up and use tactics and mostly the dice that decide.

 

[Farseer_Iowan]

... I would like to clarify a little... at our LGS the Douche-Bag title is reserved for those that are 18+ that "should" have the maturity level not to act like ...well you get the idea, most of the younger kids (below 18) we give a little leeway if they get upset when they lose or talk way too much smack, it takes a tremdous tantrum or act of poor sportsmanship for those under 18 to get a douche-bag title... One of the biggest examples is a player that is known in all the game stores in iowa as a cheater and one to watch, he has "accidentally" added a whole unit,vehicle, extra spells, altered a PDF document upping stats during the Hordes field testing, etc and has been banned and shows that just because someone is older does not mean they are a better player... (or smart for that matter) And I charge you.. Gamers everywhere if a player is acting like a Douche-Bag and truly deserves it boldly point a finger and say " Your a recycled Douche-Bag"... Dice will stop rolling and heads will turn...(and if someone was drinking a beverage it now maybe getting spit out onto some poor unsuspecting person due to the drinker laughing so hard)

 

[Muffinman]

I think it has to do with maturity rather than age. When I started I was 11 I think and people didn't mind playing me because I didnt complain when I lost, instead I'd ask how I could improve. Now when you get the 12 year olds who come in saying they are god almighty in the hobby after only a month it really kind of bugs me, especially when they try and win an argument with me about him thinking that a Blood Fist is 10x better than a normal DCW because it has Blood in its name.

There are also the older guys who think they are great but when they start losing to a 15 year old they start to call me a cheater, they try streching/BREAKING the rules just so that they win, then afterwards they say the only reason you won is because of xxx and yyy and in theory he should have won but because Im a cheater he lost.

So basically I dont think your age has anything to do with your skill, its more your maturity and your ability to admit you lost and to ask how you can do better.

 

[bitsandkits]

Ok i know i shouldnt let the cat out of the bag but i think the heresy youngsters should know the truth, there is an un written whispered rule that you only find out on your 25th birthday, The older guys are told to let you win so that you feel good and stick with the hobby. Sorry to shatter your dreams younger guys,but once your considered a Veteran you have to let the kids win, hell the 25 and over crew even have a more complicated rule set that we cant tell you about....shit i have said too much....:angel:

 

[Stella Cadente]

in all the years I've played I've enjoyed games against younger players than older players, because they cheat less and generally are not complete stuck up self centered assholes who believe themselves gods gift to mankind like the majority of older gamers do.

sure some of them are turbo revving young punks who have not yet been straightened out by Kup, but gimme a turbo revving young punk over a kid bullying asshole any day.

 

[Tim/Steve]

Yeah, have to agree with Stella on that one- if you have a problem with an adult its normally much more annoying then if you have a problem with a kid.
My only real wish is that Im playing a friendly game (it goes both ways- Ill let people off mistakes, but not if they have denied me one of mine) with a player that is not a nob (nice guy/girl would be nice, but not necessary) and who has some grasp of tactics (so that the game isnt a total walkover)... so long as thats managed who cares about the other player's age.

 

[jigplums]

i don't think im particularly much better now then i was when i was 13.

 

[CursedUNTILLDEATH]

Age has nothing to do with mautartiy, skill comes with age but not always. Just depepends on the person and thier love for the game. When i played my first game when i was 13 i read my oppenants codex(40k) and my own serveal times before the game. I still lost but the guy i played with made sure to tell me i ws better then many other guys in the club and he wasnt just trying to make me feel good. He then went on to tell me what i had done wrong and how to imporve. Some people are just born D-bags, age can make them more or less of one. As for skill and age, once again just depends on the person. I think that older people have a nartarul insite on the game, but often dont seek to be better. Younger players tend to WANT to get better so they can come back and win, but often at the expensice of having fun with it. I for one take the game more seriuosly then some older guys, and i know when my oppenants trying to take advantge of my age. Just dont talk to them and adjust your list, and call over a freind to watch in case he tries to pull something.

Forgive spelling

 

[Durzod]

in all the years I've played I've enjoyed games against younger players than older players, because they cheat less and generally are not complete stuck up self centered assholes who believe themselves gods gift to mankind like the majority of older gamers do.

sure some of them are turbo revving young punks who have not yet been straightened out by Kup, but gimme a turbo revving young punk over a kid bullying asshole any day.

Ouch! Thanks a lot, Gilligan!

In defense of us old farts, I have to say that you seem to have met a rather unsavory bunch. I've met very few gamers who bully younger players, unless they're related. (Hell, at my age your ALL younger players!) Most of us try to help those less experienced. It makes for a better gaming environment. At the rate game systems come and go, we're all noobs at some time or another. So it makes sense to be nice, cause sooner or later the shoe's gonna be on the other foot. Unless you plan on playing Rogue Trader forever!
If the older crowd at your LGS are such jerks, please don't paint the rest of us with the same brush. It's hard enough for me to fit in games with my work schedule without some potential opponent declining to play "Cause Stella says old guys are jerks".
(End of senile rant. Geritol time!)