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jewelsspain
Butterfly
Joined: Jun 07, 2007
Posts: 15
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 Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 7:12 am Post subject: what do you think about play stations ect warhammer info |
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My boys 15 and he wants an x box or a ply st 3. he plays games on the computor one of them seems to be really time wasting called fuedalism and it was hard to get him off the computor.
i am worried that he will get too obsessed and not spend any time doing more worth while things like reading or playing with his friends. i know he would rather play a computor game and stay hungry even. It seems to me a bit unfair of me to hold him back from a special interest but I would have to be the one to limit his use of it and ultimately i think it would futher impide his social skills as where we live kids are always popping in up for hanging out. He's home ed. and I am trying to widen his interests. What do you think are the other parent that have said no.
I know he would love the game war hammer but i am not sure have to get started with , there's no chance of war hammer clubs locally. We saw a WH shop when we were in germany and he was very interested in it.
so If you are into warhammer how did you start off and how much will it cost. |
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dadum
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: Aug 27, 2008
Posts: 69
Location: Sweden
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| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 11:49 am Post subject: |
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Warhammer is a very aspielicious game, it's really rewarding for the dedicated collector!
And a great way of making friends too, the best way to get started is to find some warhammer fanatics, no local clubs? any local players? It's a very large, complex game, if you don't find anyone to play with it gets boring.
Then you can ofcouse just paint them if you like that, I haven't played any for a year or so but I still like painting some figures every now and then, but that's a whole different thing than playing it.
It's quite expensive, the materials to get started, paint abit, play some small "skirmish" games costs maybe 85 dollar/50 euro, then there's basicly no limit how much time and money you can spend on it, it's a huge game and role-playing world with many dedicated collectors.(you just need to find them) |
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dadum
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: Aug 27, 2008
Posts: 69
Location: Sweden
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| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 11:56 am Post subject: |
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If he likes Warhammer I can really recommend Warhammer online for PC.
I have played that and World of Warcraft for several years, these are very social games, they're all about cooperating with other people so you make alot of friends online while playing them.
For me it's much less stressful than socialising with people face-to-face also. |
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ster
Phoenix
Joined: Sep 24, 2005
Posts: 2727
Location: new england
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| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 12:47 pm Post subject: |
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i think you need to consider putting parameters on his computer/game usage. this was a hard lesson for our son, but in the end it was successful.
son wouldn't get off the computer for anyone- would start slamming the keyboard & mouse if he didn't like what was going on in the game.....we ended up setting limits & rules regarding his gaming. when he was in a calm mood, and not at the computer, we discussed consequences for not getting off the computer when he was asked to- we, as parents, agreed to not repeatedly ask him to get off the computer- we would ask him once & he would have to respond appropriately ( not yelling at us). if he flatly refused to get off the computer, the consequence would be less gaming time for the following day. as long as he responded appropriately & got off the computer within a reasonable amount of time ( 10 minutes), then he could keep his alloted amount of gaming time. ( prior to talking to him about limiting his game time, we talked to him about how being able to play on the computer was a privilege. ) it took alot of patience for all of us to get through it. |
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DW_a_mom
Phoenix
Joined: Feb 23, 2008
Posts: 3114
Location: Northern California
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| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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My son has a friend who is into War Hammer. It is a cool game.
I think the worry I always have with computer usage is that it can go beyond just being a "special interest." It can be, in fact, quite addicting, similar to the way gambling can be addicting. For some people, anyway. At which point it isn't something positive, but is purely compulsive. Establishing limits and making sure your child can handle the use in a rational way are important to keep it from reaching such a state.
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annotated_alice
Deinonychus
Joined: Mar 26, 2008
Posts: 348
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sun Nov 16, 2008 7:36 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with the above posters that limits are essential. Like with anything else balance between work/play, social/alone, active/sedentary is key.
But I really, really like video games (usually PC). I like them for my "unwinding time", and there are some amazing games out there that have educational, creative and/or social elements. I find gaming way more stimulating than sitting in front of the boob tube, and sure it's a waste of time, but so are most entertainment activities. We all like video games in my family, and often have to negotiate who gets what time on which PC or system. 
My sons are a lot younger than the OP, so it's not hard to set limits right now (harder to make sure I am setting proper limits on myself at times  ). But the limits we do set take into account which game they are playing at the time and if it has save points, if you are limiting your child to 45 minutes a night and they're trying to play a game that only saves between levels and it takes an average of an hour to complete a level -you are going to have one frustrated kid! So rules have to be flexible depending on the game. I'd also recommend a period of grace after a new game is purchased. When I am first playing a good new game, it is absolutely painful to turn it off. Painful! It's not that I'm addicted, but rather deeply engrossed, which fades slowly to a more manageable interest level as the novelty fades. So it's nice to be able to play a lot with a new game. Maybe buy it on a Friday, and let him go nuts for the first weekend and then get into the regular schedule on Monday (having of course already agreed on this plan before the game was bought).
Anyway, not sure if this is at all helpful. Just wanted to chime in and say that games can be great, and are nothing to be feared. Just help your son find a good balance as far as time spent, and help him choose the right games.
Also my friends' AS son is crazy about War Hammer. It seems really fun. Maybe you could start a local group? Or War Hammer online might be perfect. |
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jewelsspain
Butterfly
Joined: Jun 07, 2007
Posts: 15
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| Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 7:40 am Post subject: |
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| thanx for the v helpful replies. From that I have dicided to start with war hammer pc and see if I can go though the struggel of setting the boundaries giving a weekends intial grace. thanx so much I was dreading being called a meany. |
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annotated_alice
Deinonychus
Joined: Mar 26, 2008
Posts: 348
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 9:59 am Post subject: |
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| jewelsspain wrote: | | thanx so much I was dreading being called a meany. |
Glad I'm not the only one! I get called a meany every day. 
Another thought as you begin working with your son to set the limits, maybe complying with the rules surrounding gaming without fighting during the school week can earn extra game time on the weekends? Just a thought.
Good luck. |
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Tracker
Phoenix
Joined: Jun 17, 2008
Age: 23
Posts: 519
Location: Waco Texas
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| Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 1:04 pm Post subject: |
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If you dont mind me asking, what is it that you are trying to accomplish with your son?
I know most people have this annoying notion that socializing is important, but I have to question why that is. Most people think being with other people is important because it brings them joy, and/or meaning in their lives, and they feel it is important to spread this. As such they will try to teach others (their children) how to be social, so they can find the same enjoyment. Unfortunately, this relies on the false assumption that your child will enjoy socializing as much as you do. He wont (at least if he is like me). I dont know if you have spent much time with other 15 year old children (his peers), but they are not friendly people. I tried to avoid social contact with my peers as much as humanly possible in school, and I am glad that I did. Save 2 nice people in my class, the rest were back-stabbing, bothersome, or bullying people. Generally when people grow older, they mature and wind up being nicer, kinder people. But this generally doesnt happen until 17-20, depending on the person.
If your trying to get your son to do something that will bring him happiness then socializing with peers is not going to work. It may have worked for you, but it wont work for him. Instead, you could try doing things which make him happy, such as letting him play on the computer. I never understood why parents think that it is a good idea to make a child stop doing something fun, and start doing some horribly depressing thing like socializing with peers when there is absolutely no benefit to it.
There are certain things that need to be done at short term loss, for long term gain. Such as getting a good education. Classes may be bothersome now, but in the long run the rewards of being independent and having a career outweigh the short term loss of time. But there is no short term, nor long term benefits to going out and socializing with his peers. Stop acting like there is.
Just be glad he plays on the computer. Most games require a good deal of thinking, multitasking, and visual processing, things that will be useful in his life. Compare that to watching TV which doesnt engage any mental activity, or reading a book which doesnt take much thinking either and computer games are probably the best option for improving mental function.
Just get him games that he will enjoy. Real time strategy games are great fun, and very mentally challenging. If you do wish to teach him the basics of social skills, then I recommend a MMORPG(massive multiplayer online role playing game). World of Warcraft is the most popular, but its mostly for the 13-18 age group. Your son is that age, but the problem is so are his peers, and most people at that age arent very mature. Instead I would recommend a game aimed at a more mature player base. Games such as eve-online, and final fantasy 11 are all about groups. You really cant play those games solo. As such, the average player in these games is 18+ and much more mature. These are actually people worth spending time with. I still play FFXI, and eve-online and I still enjoy it.
I am not saying that all human contact is bad, but most 15 year old people are not worth spending time with. If you want him to socialize, then stop trying to make him socialize with who you think would be a good idea, and let him pick out his own group. For people like me or your son spending time on the computer working with other mature people to play an interesting online game is much more fun, and rewarding then the socially conventional peer groups.
Don't limit his enjoyment simply on the irrational idea of balance. Balance is just what the social convention says it should be, its not based on any logic, or applied to individual circumstances. If he has taken care of the important things in life such as an education, eating, sleeping, and other necessities, then who are you to tell him how he should spend his own free time. He is a human being, capable of deciding what he wants to do. Just because you want him to be social doesnt make it the right thing for him. Treat him like a mature individual, and let him decide how he spends his free time. After all, you arent going to drive to his dorm room in college and nag him to get out more, are you? |
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ster
Phoenix
Joined: Sep 24, 2005
Posts: 2727
Location: new england
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| Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 9:34 pm Post subject: |
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| in our case, we were not trying to make son more social- not trying to make him socialize instead of play computer......we were just trying to get him to share the computer with the others in the house....all of us were willing to make concessions for son's needs- but things got too excessive & he became too demanding of computer time- he'd have an absolute fit if someone else was on the computer & he "needed to get on " |
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lionesss
The Queen of not your typical kind of jungle
Joined: Aug 22, 2008
Age: 34
Posts: 1578
Location: not anywhere near you
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| Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 10:26 pm Post subject: |
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Yikes, my son is only 4... lots of things to look forward to from the sounds of it  |
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koadah
Tufted Titmouse
Joined: Jan 13, 2008
Posts: 28
Location: London, UK
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:44 am Post subject: |
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Bah! Playstations! XBoxes! Burn them all!
You are totally right they are a horrible time sink.
I would definitely NOT recommend Warhammer online or World of Warcraft either.
I would love to have a go myself but so many people I speak to find them so addictive they can have real problems with managing their time, tiredness, schoolwork, paid work etc.
The only advantage I can see from a playstation/xbox is that he'll have something to talk to the other kids about and they'll want to come over and play his latest games. For a lot of kids that is a big plus. If you don't have one your family must be weird.
It all comes down to time management and at 15 having Mum in his ear all the time to get off the computer probably won't go down too well. I suppose the playstation is not too bad as long as he doesn't get any extra time for it. i.e. he just uses time that would have played on the computer.
I don't play real Warhammer but I do have a spin off game called Bloodbowl.
The advantage is that you get out and about and meet real people. Some people travel all over the world playing tournaments. The teams that work in the shops are great and very welcoming. An aspie will feel very much at home there.
I am not sure if you meant Warhammer Fantasy or Warhammer 40K
For fantasy you'll need one these
Battle for Skull Pass Hobby Set
For 40K one of these
Warhammer 40,000: Assault On Black Reach
There should be one that includes paints but I couldn't find it on their site.
After that you can spend as much as the treasury can bear.
If he can get one or two friends interested then you effectively have your own little club.
Hopefully he'll make it to Nottingham one day. |
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Mage
Phoenix
Joined: Oct 11, 2006
Posts: 1284
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:48 pm Post subject: |
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Well, as Temple Grandin would say, never ever discourage a special interest that can be channeled to a career.
My husband is not on the autism spectrum but has been obsessed with gaming since he was a child. He programmed all throughout high school, got a degree in computer science, and after paying his dues with several years in the more "professional" side of programming, he has just accepted a job as a game developer.
So if your son is looking at gaming as his one true love, the one thing he wants to put his heart and soul into, the one thing he wants to do with the rest of his life, I see no reason why you should put any limits on it at all.
However if he is using it as an escape, a distraction, an avoidance of "real life", in that case it should be limited. |
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annotated_alice
Deinonychus
Joined: Mar 26, 2008
Posts: 348
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 1:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Mage wrote: |
So if your son is looking at gaming as his one true love, the one thing he wants to put his heart and soul into, the one thing he wants to do with the rest of his life, I see no reason why you should put any limits on it at all.
However if he is using it as an escape, a distraction, an avoidance of "real life", in that case it should be limited. |
That's a great point and an important distinction to make. |
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koadah
Tufted Titmouse
Joined: Jan 13, 2008
Posts: 28
Location: London, UK
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Mage wrote: | Well, as Temple Grandin would say, never ever discourage a special interest that can be channeled to a career.
My husband is not on the autism spectrum but has been obsessed with gaming since he was a child. He programmed all throughout high school, got a degree in computer science, and after paying his dues with several years in the more "professional" side of programming, he has just accepted a job as a game developer.
So if your son is looking at gaming as his one true love, the one thing he wants to put his heart and soul into, the one thing he wants to do with the rest of his life, I see no reason why you should put any limits on it at all.
However if he is using it as an escape, a distraction, an avoidance of "real life", in that case it should be limited. |
Great point. If he doesn't program already maybe trying to get him interested in that would be good.
I found this earlier. He could find it interesting. Greenfoot.
Anything rather than just playing games though.
Building fan sites, writing game reviews, organising tournaments, even just chatting about games.
| Quote: | | I see no reason why you should put any limits on it at all. |
Your husband is not one of those program until he passes out type guys then |
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