GWS 2017 11/31 questions – We love SciFant

Since 2016, we've asked respondents to indicate on a sliding scale (0-6) whether they consider themselves more a historical wargamer (0) or more of a Science-Fiction and Fantasy wargamer (6). The 'average' respondent ends up nicely in the middle, but today we're looking at those who answered that question with a '5' or more. In other words, let's take a look at the roughly 2500 respondents who strongly prefer Space Marines over the Praetorian Guard, and see what stands out.

The first, and hardly unexpected, big differences are in the age division. Clearly the average respondent (right) is much older than the SciFant respondent (left). That makes that they are also more likely to be more recent converts to wargaming as a hobby:

SciFant fans are often fans of 'crossover' boardgames, hardly a surprise with the runaway success of for example the Star Wars X-Wing Miniatures Game, Armada, or Legion. 

That particular type of game as well as the obvious popularity of, say, the Games Workshop offerings make it apparently also more likely that they make their hobby purchases at a brick-and-more store (73% versus 63% for the entire survey).

Obviously, this group of respondents is going to prefer SciFant-type games much more than the average. It's interesting to see, however, which historical settings come right below the leaders of the pack.

Contribute to our 31 Questions challenge

Have any questions about the results of the Great Wargaming Survey 2017? Feel free to submit them here, but try to keep in mind what we can and cannot answer based on the questions and possible answers to the survey. To refresh your memory, check out a preview of last year's questions and possible answers.