Female ASL players

[BattleSchool]

I have been surprised how many ladies love wargames and games in general. I have been going to different types of gaming weekends for years and it has always been 80% males at least BUT in my own survey I would suggest it depends on the aspect of the game highlighted

for example

Warhammer 40k in the UK 150 at the tournament 2 ladies
Warhammer campaign game with custom armies and a dialogoue with no 'winner' at the end 45 people 11 ladies

Xwing miniatures Tournamanet 111 guys no ladies
Xwing miniatures CG with narrative 76 guys 8 ladies

Comicon in Londonsteam punk roleplaying 50/50
comicon Twilight imperium games 70/30

So as someone with a background in sales and marketing I am sure if the game was talked about and used at the right events we could get more players

as a side note I have met 3 new players in london recently who have played SK and now got the ASL bug all under 40 so the future is brighter in some ways

maybe we need a ladies starter kit?

I understand from Nigel A, that the Polish woman who showed at the last Intensive Fire tourney, will be back again this year. Perhaps you could introduce her to "ladies" ASL. No HOB, snipers, or Disruption to worry about in ASLSK. There's even a Polish scenario to break the ice with (S52 "Extraordinary Bravery"), although probably best to start by retaking Vierville first.

Apparently she's in Bournemouth permanently now. Could be an IF regular with the right encouragement.

 

[badpiper]

You're not seriously suggesting that women cannot handle the complexity of full ASL?

With an attitude like that, it's no wonder why more women don't like to play.

 

[witchbottles]

Jon,
My apologies for getting the name wrong. (Short term memory loss, Darryl will know my meaning).
However, I am confused as to what you are actually saying in your last post as in regards to Darryl's original question. I believe the title of the thread was "Female ASL players". The question being: why aren't there more/any.
Various answers to this question referred to women in history programs, women in other games, asking women to play, percentages of the population in regards to percent of said population of certain age groups and those playing ASL. All very nice topics but all unrelated to the "original" question.
Sorry if you took this as "anger" or a "hissy fit", (I am a little too old for that). I was merely trying to get back on track to the original question.
As I mentioned to Mike (from Tuscon), I have never used any facts to back up anything because my original "declaration" was that women are just not into ASL. Declarations are just that, opining. No need to back it up. Just a 40 year observation in regards to ASL, only. Mike seemed to understand that, I hope you do as well.

All said ( or unsaid) I can agree that at least everyone is certainly entitled to hold, form and express their own opinions ( myself included). To that I'd offer a toast of the finest Napa vintage - you do know 2015 was a VERY good year.... buy some while its still cheap. I can at least drink to your holding an opinion of some sort...

KRL, Jon H

 

[BattleSchool]

You're not seriously suggesting that women cannot handle the complexity of full ASL?

With an attitude like that, it's no wonder why more women don't like to play.

I didn't suggest anything. You did.

For the record, my "attitude," if I had one, would be of little to no consequence to most women. I'd wager that most women have no interest in what I have to say on the subject, let alone any interest in playing ASL.

I have tried to encourage women to play. A handful will play a scenario or three to humour their spouses, friends, etc. Fewer still are interested in delving deeper into the hobby. There are a host of reasons for this. My view on the matter is hardly one of them.

The Polish woman I referred to apparently showed an interest in ASL, at least from a gamer's perspective. If she were to become a regular ASLSK player, perhaps she could interest her friends enough to give the game a test drive. That said, her prospects of success are remote to begin with. IMO, it is arguably too much of a reach for her to "sell" ASL to her girlfriends. At least with ASLSK there is a chance, especially given that most men also have zero interest in ASL or ASLSK.

 

[bendizoid]

I remember showing my girlfriend Lizzy some counters and she remarked about the crew counters "It looks like they're holding hands."

 

[badpiper]

I stand corrected.

I apologize for any inference. I have been accused of being a bit touchy in the past, and I'm probably just being so again.

 

[BattleSchool]

I stand corrected.

I apologize for any inference. I have been accused of being a bit touchy in the past, and I'm probably just being so again.

No worries, no harm done.

My wife plays ASLSK occasionally, more to keep me company than anything else, although she can be ruthless when she wants to be.

View attachment 54536

Photo by Mark Pitcavage

 

[Mr Incredible]

So, which tournament is gonna be the first to have a Ladies' Day?

Imagine the turnout...........

 

[hongkongwargamer]

Perhaps if we STOP posting photos of tourneys, more ladies will consider coming.

So, which tournament is gonna be the first to have a Ladies' Day?

Imagine the turnout...........

 

[badpiper]

We should be thankful there is no smell-o-vision!

 

[pensatl1962]

The overabundance of males and lack of females is not specific to the ASL hobby. I'm also a model railroader, and I can tell you that when I attend model railroading events, the participants look just like ASLers (albeit about 10-15 years older). In fact, when the Nat'l Model Railroaders Assoc. holds their annual conference (several hundred attendees), they have a parallel program of side-events for spouses. Have any of the ASL tournaments considered this? LOL

 

[witchbottles]

The overabundance of males and lack of females is not specific to the ASL hobby. I'm also a model railroader, and I can tell you that when I attend model railroading events, the participants look just like ASLers (albeit about 10-15 years older). In fact, when the Nat'l Model Railroaders Assoc. holds their annual conference (several hundred attendees), they have a parallel program of side-events for spouses. Have any of the ASL tournaments considered this? LOL

The last one I saw was the old large combine gaming tournaments weekends from the 1990's. You had board wargaming, miniatures, D and D as well as LARP, battletech, computer sims, Magic and other CCG gaming, eurogames - all going in a single venue, along with a large dealer's floor selling all kinds of this stuff, and other detritus and memorabilia that goes along with it. The venues included in their event price the costs of a breakfast and lunch bar, and a 45 minute pause for all events for a supper break with a buy in no host bar and a steak or lobster tail supper.

I have not seen anything approaching this level of "full-service" since 1995. WBC might be a close proximity; or Origins.But they both fall short of the mark in full service events.

Heck our club meets back then were full -service. boardgaming ran from Chess to ASL and everything in between at the monthly meetings in the old TRW building in Long Beach. I watched my first 16mm minitaure wargame played there- Quatre Bras.

There is definitely room for improvement in the general services category nowadays. It would draw more overall, but perhaps cause what occurred in many cases over the long run, a dying out of boardgaming events in favor of D&D / LARP and CCG events. Now if these things were co-hosted at closeby locations but separate events, the wife /gf / significant others would have their activity as well as the board wargamers having their activity point, and a central hotel / food concept. a thought.

KRL, Jon H

 

[Tuomo]

So, which tournament is gonna be the first to have a Ladies' Day?

Imagine the turnout...........

Well, yeah, with THAT decor...

Throw in some shabby chic French farmhouse stuff, maybe with some chalk-painted eterages and bistro table seating, possibly with some floor rugs to provide accents, and now you're talking!

 

[hongkongwargamer]

Okay here it is people : I am not even gonna charge you for this :

Have a short clip done, shaky camera and all, of Pleva and Fort played by George Clooney and Brad Pitt, playing against each other!!!

This hobby will fill so fast with screaming women we will have to change the GS color scheme to pink

 

[bendizoid]

Ok, let's break this down with some caveman logic.
Competition, Cooperation
Focus, Multitask
Visualize, Communicate
Individual, Group
Bravery, Empathy
Direct, Indirect

Oh Girls can handle the complexity just fine. They are just not interested.

 

[witchbottles]

Ok, let's break this down with some caveman logic.
Competition, Cooperation
Focus, Multitask
Visualize, Communicate
Individual, Group
Bravery, Empathy
Direct, Indirect

Oh Girls can handle the complexity just fine. They are just not interested.

your second column sounds like Girls Night Out every week in these parts....

 

[JimWhite]

They do however like guns: View attachment 54531

I know right?

I asked a couple of girls if they wanted to play ASL.

They said no...they'd rather go shooting...which eventually begged the question...

View attachment 54539

 

[bendizoid]

Girls have about as much fun playing ASL as I would memorizing Emily Dickinson. Not Angie Dickinson.

 

[Proff3RTR]

And I don't give a Rats arse if she can not play ASL or even if she does!!!!

View attachment 54541

And she is one of ours...........

 

[sfcmikej]

Aside from the fact you pulled those numbers out of thin air, I'd disagree that men are out of touch with world history. If they dont' read, they certainly watch one or two shows on TV. I'm constantly surprised by the number of men I've worked with in civilian locales who had at least a perfunctory understanding of 20th Century military history, at least as it pertains to Canada, the US, Britain - probably because most of them had relatives who served. As we retreat from the Second World War, and our conflicts involve fewer of our soldiers, this may change, but I don't think we're there yet.

Watch one or two shows on TV? I can't think of a single show, outside of The History Channel (and that must be taken with a large grain of salt), that remotely comes come close to history. That would be like basing my impression of what it was like to be an infantryman in World War Two by watching reruns or Combat, Rat Patrol and Hogancs Heros.

My experience in talking to many people, mostly college grads, is they have no clue regarding history. YMMV of course

Mike