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Other Stuff => General Wargames and Hobby Discussion => Topic started by: Will Bailie on March 08, 2017, 05:15:25 PM

Title: Women in wargaming
Post by: Will Bailie on March 08, 2017, 05:15:25 PM: Today is International Women's Day. Accordingly, I'd like to give a shout out to some of the women who make wargaming better for all of us - I wish that there were more women in our hobby!

I'd like to nominate in particular our leading lady Helen, whose presence here on LAF has inspired me for as long as I've been visiting, and Annie the Dice Bag Lady, for single-handedly (or so it seems!) reinventing how we see female characters on the table top.

Thanks to you both for your contributions to our hobby!
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: armchairgeneral on March 08, 2017, 07:34:23 PM: Seconded :)
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Michi on March 08, 2017, 08:10:52 PM: Let´s not forget Anne O´Leary whose painting has so much improved since she started painting and posting!
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Davout on March 08, 2017, 08:36:53 PM: I'd like to thank my wife. She doesn't play or paint but she has always supported me in this hobby, from the days when I took up semi permanent residence at the kitchen table to now having a room all my own.
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Harry Faversham on March 09, 2017, 02:35:04 AM: Gets my vote...

(http://www.dadiepiombo.it/images/stories/dp/dadine.jpg)

:-*
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Annie on March 09, 2017, 09:13:27 AM: Thanks Will, that is a really lovely and much appreciated post.

I'd also like to wave at clap at all the other women in the industry. I stand out as I'm always jamming my face everywhere and yelling stuff, but there are much more in the background toiling away too with less recognition. Plenty of the companies I deal with in the industry have great women doing great things from concept to rules writing to boss running, casting and more. And sculpting - I'm still on the lookout for more but there are Delaney King, Julie Guthrie and Sandra Garrity of course.

In Boss Lady terms we have

Delaney King, who has recently launched Darkling Games, and be doing some sculpting for me super soon! http://darklinggames.com/

Emily Whitehouse, who runs On The Lamb Games http://endlessfantasytactics.com/

Victoria Lamb from Victoria Miniatures, who was sculpting and creating Believable Female Miniatures long before I came along http://victoriaminiatures.highwire.com/

Wendy from Westwind, who is an absolute delight despite working her ass off all the time - http://victoriaminiatures.highwire.com/

Sally from Hasslefree, no introduction needed, taught me a good right hook ;-) And of course Jen who does a lot of the day to day running now. http://hfminis.co.uk/

Jo Watkins from Bonhomie Games, retailers that specialise in board games designed by women https://bonhomiegames.uk

Debs from Saddle Goose Dice Bags! - https://www.facebook.com/SaddleGooseDesigns/

Fil from All Rolled Up, who was a brilliant help back in my earlier dice bag days - http://www.allrolledup.co.uk/

----

These are just off the top of my head too! There are also all the husband and wife teams where the wife doesn't quite get the credit she deserves ( a la being seen as "just the wife" when she does bloody loads) and as I mentioned before, people doing great work behind the scenes. In Bad Squiddo world there are three more shout outs - one to Kate Evans one of my concept artists ( https://www.facebook.com/redmaidenart), Jasmine who works for Great Escape Games, Firestorm Games and also me in times of panic - "arghhh the show is tomorrow and all my things aren't ready...haaalp" and Hannah from Hysterical Games - one of my casters, and a bloody good one at that.

Oh one more shout out - my good old mum, who I wouldn't have got into wargaming or set up this company without!

Hopefully anyone browsing through will find some new people from that mass shout out that you were previously unaware of :)

Cheers
Annie
The Dice Bag Lady
Bad Squiddo Games
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Hammers on March 09, 2017, 09:24:26 AM: Quote from: Will Bailie on March 08, 2017, 05:15:25 PM
Today is International Women's Day. Accordingly, I'd like to give a shout out to some of the women who make wargaming better for all of us - I wish that there were more women in our hobby!

I'd like to nominate in particular our leading lady Helen, whose presence here on LAF has inspired me for as long as I've been visiting, and Annie the Dice Bag Lady, for single-handedly (or so it seems!) reinventing how we see female characters on the table top.

Thanks to you both for your contributions to our hobby!

International Women's Day is not primarily at least about celebrating women but to give them an equal and fair shake. So the question is do chaps do enough to share the place around the gaming board? Hard to tell for me when such a vast majority of us are fallas and we set the norm.
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Davout on March 09, 2017, 02:57:06 PM: In my experience the women I have seen around the table have been welcomed, though I will admit that tabletop wargaming is an overwhelmingly male space. I don't think wargaming is purposely exclusionary, just that up till recently it was seen as a "guys" hobby.

I think this next generation coming up will include a lot more women. I've bought my daughter her first set of figures and have been playing simple RPGs and board games with her since she could hold dice. It's much easier to find realistic female sculpts now then it was a few years ago and I think that will help draw more women into the hobby as well.
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: jon_1066 on March 09, 2017, 04:58:47 PM: Quote from: Harry Faversham on March 09, 2017, 02:35:04 AM
Gets my vote...

(http://www.dadiepiombo.it/images/stories/dp/dadine.jpg)

:-*

Not sure if satire or serious.
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: vodkafan on March 09, 2017, 09:44:17 PM: They are not gamers they have no rucksacks!
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: warrenpeace on March 09, 2017, 09:45:42 PM: And don't forget Mila at Pulp Alley!

We've been seeing a few more women at the main Pacific NW convention. Some play, some paint, and some make terrain.
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Hammers on March 10, 2017, 12:07:59 AM: Quote from: jon_1066 on March 09, 2017, 04:58:47 PM
Not sure if satire or serious.

That's a nice change from the usual pong from the anoraked crowd usually seen at conventions!
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Khadrin Stonetooth on March 10, 2017, 08:33:43 AM: Not sure if satire or serious.

Hmm what makes you doubt ? Let see

They are not men.
They are not in their 50s.
They are not potbellied.
They do not wear an Iron Maiden T shirt.
lol lol lol lol
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: JamesValentine on March 10, 2017, 10:04:11 AM: whats a woman? ???
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Ssendam on March 10, 2017, 11:15:51 AM: Quote from: Khadrin Stonetooth on March 10, 2017, 08:33:43 AM
Not sure if satire or serious.

Hmm what makes you doubt ? Let see

They are not men.
They are not in their 50s.
They are not potbellied.
They do not wear an Iron Maiden T shirt.
lol lol lol lol

They are also smiling ... when a real wargamer would be arguing over the rules :-)

The real worry is that they are laughing and have tape measures out ...
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Annie on March 10, 2017, 02:29:00 PM: Quote from: Khadrin Stonetooth on March 10, 2017, 08:33:43 AM
Not sure if satire or serious.

Hmm what makes you doubt ? Let see

They are not men.
They are not in their 50s.
They are not potbellied.
They do not wear an Iron Maiden T shirt.
lol lol lol lol

Yup, that is literally the only type of wargamer...

o_o
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: WillieB on March 10, 2017, 02:51:04 PM: Actually Annie, I feel that quite a few women are involved and at least figureheads (aka boss-ladies) in the wargaming hobby. Or perhaps it is just me noticing them more. :)

Lisa and Jenny at Griffiin Moulds, Diane (Foundry) Sally (Kallistra), Susan (Redoubt), Ellen (Sgts Mess), Ulrike (Schilling Figuren), Ann (Caliver Books) Zoe (Magister Militum), Aly (Gramodels), Tina (Gringo40s) and many, many more.

But perhaps my outlook is slightly distorted because of my 'own' MJ who for the last 33 years has supported me in every possible way in my hobby. She doesn't care for gaming at all, but loves figures, even likes painting them, and is the best critic you could ever hope for.

Willie
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Annie on March 10, 2017, 02:57:59 PM: I was being sarcastic my dear Willie, on the previous page I too have listed lots of most excellent ladies in the industry. Serves me right for being sarcastic online :D

Your MJ is an awesome lady :-*
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Ragsta on March 10, 2017, 03:37:15 PM: Well done to the OP and the other posters here. My hobbying wouldn't have been the same without my mum's patience and my current girlfriend's support and encouragement. Bless all of them for their patience. My good lady has even been at conventions with me and teased some of the stallholders for the bewildered rections ;D

And WELL DONE to those who have brought out more 'realistic' lady types in the model industry. Dice Lady is one of them for sure but not alone - major kudos. Okay I did buy one poledancer model, sorry.
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: grant on March 10, 2017, 03:41:25 PM: My ex wife hated my hobby and I nearly gave up everything as a result.

New girlfriend even games Star Wars with me, loves my hobby, and sees it as positive for my overall wellbeing. Now that's a great girlfriend.
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Ray Rivers on March 10, 2017, 03:57:58 PM: Thanks for posting this!

I think I have always assumed that ladies were a part of the hobby in some form or another but it is nice to see them receiving recognition as they blaze a trail which will open up huge opportunities for others to follow.

I believe, in general, pretty much everything is up for grabs in the future.

And that makes me happy.
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Sir_Theo on March 10, 2017, 04:37:12 PM: I always got the impression that there were women in the hobby, particularly involved in the business end, but they were rarely visible. Back in my early days I would probably only have been able to name Julie Guthrie and Trish Morrison. It's great that nowadays there are women in top positions of companies as well as visibly participating in all facets of wargaming, and other forms of gaming as well. Having a more diverse audience can only help the hobby.
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Gibby on March 10, 2017, 07:20:50 PM: It is great to see more women in wargaming; all the ones mentioned and no doubt many more as time goes on.

My wife is super supportive of my hobby. She doesn't play the games but she loves looking at the figures and had a wander around Partizan with me last year. She really liked Bad Squiddo's stand (and loved Baggy) and has since started following the Bad Squiddo FB page, so now guinea pigs and an upcoming guinea pig mug has been added to my shopping list lol.
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Ben Waterhouse on March 10, 2017, 07:46:58 PM: Quote from: Khadrin Stonetooth on March 10, 2017, 08:33:43 AM
Not sure if satire or serious.

Hmm what makes you doubt ? Let see

They are not men.
They are not in their 50s.
They are not potbellied.
They do not wear an Iron Maiden T shirt.
lol lol lol lol

Though they may well be Iron Maidens.

When I ran my games club at school Back in the early 90s I had a good number of shield maidens giving as good as they got around the tables; one of whom had a killer Skaven army and is now a Phd and University Professor and a world expert on electronic archeology.
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Patrice on March 10, 2017, 08:12:18 PM: Great thread, thanks all. :-*

We have only one woman in our gaming group, she likes RPG-style scenarios but not moving the warriors on the table.

So in a large HYW two-days game that we had one year ago, the organizers imagined something special for her: she found herself (her game character) having two husbands: her first husband (a Breton knight) had disappeared at sea, then she had married an English knight, and then her first husband returned home; so both husbands were trying to avoid a fight over the family manor. All of this was included in a larger game where other (male) players were involved in full-size battles.

(...and none of these two "husbands" is her partner in real life, her real partner was one of the game GMs/organizers and he had imagined all this plot for her...)

(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/20vloaz/P1040353.JPG)

(http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/sk/20vloaz/P1040362.JPG)

...Perhaps this not fully qualify as being a traditional wargamer, but there are many ways to take part effectively in the game! Not only moving toy soldiers.

And don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying that such non-military roles should be reserved to women — in a 1880s Sudan game one of our male gamers, who doesn't like 19th C. colonial wars, was not given a military commanding role but the role of an archeologist who had to find discreetly his way between all the fighting troops in search of a lost tomb. ;)
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: vodkafan on March 11, 2017, 02:12:17 PM: That's a really nice little layout for the side game! Very simply done but effective.
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Annie on March 12, 2017, 09:53:25 AM: Quote from: Gibby on March 10, 2017, 07:20:50 PM
It is great to see more women in wargaming; all the ones mentioned and no doubt many more as time goes on.

My wife is super supportive of my hobby. She doesn't play the games but she loves looking at the figures and had a wander around Partizan with me last year. She really liked Bad Squiddo's stand (and loved Baggy) and has since started following the Bad Squiddo FB page, so now guinea pigs and an upcoming guinea pig mug has been added to my shopping list lol.

muahahaha! :D
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: jetengine on March 12, 2017, 02:05:06 PM: I've converted my current lady into a boardgamer and a CCG gamer. Alas she's not too interested in tabletop....but at least it means she won't be nicking my paints lol
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: tjgreenway on March 12, 2017, 04:18:18 PM: Quote from: jetengine on March 12, 2017, 02:05:06 PM
I've converted my current lady into a boardgamer and a CCG gamer. Alas she's not too interested in tabletop....but at least it means she won't be nicking my paints lol

I'm slowly converting the wife into a tabletop gamer - she's all for the board games now (a year or so ago she'd have considered Monopoly the zenith of gaming :o ) and she's coming round to miniature gaming now that I'm focussing on more Pulp and adventure style stuff. We'll be playing our first game of Pulp Alley tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes - I've already scored brownie points by setting our first adventures in Egypt, so we could be on to a winner ;D

Regardless of whether I get her playing much, she's always been supportive of my hobby time and encouraged me to paint and play since I started getting back into it, so can't complain there at all. She's still not too keen on how much I spend, mind (and unfortunately, her hobby at the moment is buying, restoring and selling furniture, so I can't even point to frivolous purchases on her behalf to get me out of trouble there!).
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Belligerentparrot on March 12, 2017, 10:07:51 PM: One thing that has always put previous girlfriends and female friends off the hobby, in my experience, is the scantily-clad female miniature trope.
(Not sure how far this experience generalises, but for me, the only exceptions to the rule have been a couple of historical gamers, who just loved history so much that they wanted to wargame it. They also hated the trope, but it wasn't so relevant to Napoleonics/Ancients, where their interests lay).

What Annie and others are doing to challenge this is the best development in the hobby since I've been in it, in my humble opinion.
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: The Voivod on March 13, 2017, 07:55:54 AM: Well, on that subject, I must say that I've noticed a bit of it.
I tried getting my better half into painting a bit. She surprised me and went for dwarves (She thought they were cute. A distinction any self respecting dwarf no doubt would take exception of.... ::) ).
She also bought a Brettonian lady but was less than charmed with the fair maiden's low cut cleavage. She did realise this was easily fixed with the paintjob, merely paint some clothing underneath.

My (admittedly small) collection of female miniatures doesn't seem to be overly sexualised. I have some infinity Aleph which are a bit sexy, but not extremely.
I do not have a problem with sexy. It has it's place. But there absolutely needs to be an alternative, so well done to those people who work toworth that goal.

My wife no longer paints. She created some extremely nice dwarves. Incredible for a first attempt and they take place of pride in my display cabinet.
She is incredible supportive of my passion. Even taking a lot of pride in showing other people what I create.
I'd love to share this hobby with her, but she didn't quite get the bug.

But I already feel blessed with the interest she shows. As many gamers, my friends tend towards the 'geeky' interests (sci-fi, fantasy and such). Their significant others show varying degrees of interest, but mine, more often than not, actually understands what we talk about.
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Jabba on March 15, 2017, 12:17:43 PM: Fortunately my wife is an ex re-enactor and gamer, more computer, RPG and card/board games than miniatures but does dabble occasionally. She regularly shoots me out of the sky when we play Wings of Glory. She has also help paint a few British Napoleonics when I started out and often helps with basing if I'm on a deadline for a game.
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: tim at frontline on March 17, 2017, 12:09:37 AM: I have to tip my hat to my wife Maureen. Who, when I was trading held the fort (stand) while I went on my many wanderings.
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Wolf Girl on March 17, 2017, 02:57:16 AM: Quote
We'll be playing our first game of Pulp Alley tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes - I've already scored brownie points by setting our first adventures in Egypt, so we could be on to a winner .

I hope you have fun playing Pulp Alley. Please let us know how it goes. :D
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Teshub on March 17, 2017, 11:09:12 PM: My wife Jevenkah is amazing in so many ways and I am happy to say when it comes to gaming she is the best player in our entire campaign. To be fair we did meet and and become a couple while playing D&D many moons ago (http://swordandsorceryrpg.com/about-the-site/about-the-author/) . Since then we've kept the game alive and really enjoyed this creative hobby together with reckless abandon getting all sorts of friends and family involved, in fact my wife even authors a website (http://swordandsorceryrpg.com/) all about it. On top of it all she can converse with myself and friends on about our fantasy cultures, religions and politics for hours on end. Honestly I do not know how I got so lucky but I am glad I did! :-*
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Harry Faversham on April 07, 2017, 07:37:43 AM: It was my dear old Granny and her mates got me into wargaming in the first place...

:-*
Title: Re: Women in wargaming
Post by: Annie on April 07, 2017, 09:25:17 PM: I love it!