I see that there are wargames clubs that some of you belong to.
How did your group actually get started?
I have an awesome place to start one. (I work at a hobby shop and we have a huge back room to use for just this sort of thing.) I just need to get locals into micro.
I myself use the models for Flames of War, Blitzkreig Commander and (soon) Cold War Commander.
So, if anyone has any tips and or ideas as to how to get the locals wrangled up, I'd love to hear 'em!
-Mike
Starting a Club. Painting/Gaming...
Moderators: dnichols, GHQ, Mk 1
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Ravenseye
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2007 8:34 am
- Location: Syracuse, N.Y.
- Contact:
Starting a Club. Painting/Gaming...
#1 Rule: Have Fun!
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Mk 1
- E5
- Posts: 2383
- Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2004 3:21 am
- Location: Silicon Valley, CA
First suggestion: Put on a really nice looking demonstration game.
Promote it within your shop. A poster or two, and personal invites to folks as they come in over a period of a week or two. You might even have a painting session going on one Saturday, with the game using what gets painted to follow on the next.
The hard part is getting the players for the demo game. The first two players, that is. Two who have some experience with a rule set, and have some units and terrain. If they set up a visually appealing battleboard, and an engaging scenario, and start playing in mid-day on a Saturday, with forces available for drop-ins to pick up and play, I assure you you'll hook more players. This stuff is just too fun to resist for hobby-types.
If you can't even get the seed players to do a demo game, try going to a local wargaming con and participating in one or two games yourself. You will meet gamers that you can then invite to your shop to put on your seed game(s).
Nothing succeeds like seeing it in person.
My $.02 worth. Never done retail m'self, so I don't know all of your challenges. But I've been hooked on this stuff for decades, and I've hooked other guys into it. Once you've pushed some micro-armor around on a battle board, nothing else will do!
Promote it within your shop. A poster or two, and personal invites to folks as they come in over a period of a week or two. You might even have a painting session going on one Saturday, with the game using what gets painted to follow on the next.
The hard part is getting the players for the demo game. The first two players, that is. Two who have some experience with a rule set, and have some units and terrain. If they set up a visually appealing battleboard, and an engaging scenario, and start playing in mid-day on a Saturday, with forces available for drop-ins to pick up and play, I assure you you'll hook more players. This stuff is just too fun to resist for hobby-types.
If you can't even get the seed players to do a demo game, try going to a local wargaming con and participating in one or two games yourself. You will meet gamers that you can then invite to your shop to put on your seed game(s).
Nothing succeeds like seeing it in person.
My $.02 worth. Never done retail m'self, so I don't know all of your challenges. But I've been hooked on this stuff for decades, and I've hooked other guys into it. Once you've pushed some micro-armor around on a battle board, nothing else will do!
-Mark 1
Difficile est, saturam non scribere.
"It is hard NOT to write satire." - Decimus Iunius Juvenalis, 1st Century AD
Difficile est, saturam non scribere.
"It is hard NOT to write satire." - Decimus Iunius Juvenalis, 1st Century AD
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Timothy OConnor
- E5
- Posts: 382
- Joined: Thu Nov 16, 2006 1:16 am
1. put on a visually attractive game
2. focus on easy-to-learn rules (large numbers of charts, detailed record keeping, and calculators are non-starters)
3. keep things light in terms of attitude
4. get the word out aggressively
5. actively recruit and be inclusive when people walk by.
6. start on time and be prepared for public events
7. Follow through
We gamers often come across as introverted and clique-ish. When our group has run games in public settings I invite those who walk by to play or at least collect their contact info if they show any interest (eg for our e-mail list). I usually see gamers completely ignore people stopping by to look at their games. That's a lost opportunity to recruit a new gamer!
I've also repeatedly seen gamers decide to hold some tourny or public game day and then promptly go silent. No posters, no flyers, no postings on boards, etc. Just silence. And then they wonder why nobody comes!
People are more likely to attend regular events if they can trust they'll actually start on time and in an organized fashion. Look at most game store or club schedules and you'll find stuff such as "Thursday Night: 40K". This sort of thing starts out well intentioned but then becomes an historical artefact along the lines of, "Oh yeah, John Doe used to run 40K on Thursdays. I don't think they play any more." But month after month it shows up on the store/club calendar but with no actual game being played.
The best way around this last problem is to have an individual and his contact info listed and have him responsible for recruiting game masters and/or organizing the games. I've modeled my approach on that of a friend and it works well enough. We play once a month and different people commit to running different games each month. The schedule is e-mailed about twice a month as a reminder and we always play on the same day each month (that's why we're called the Second Saturday Gamers...we play on the second Saturday of each month in the same location and with the same start time of 1:00). People can plan ahead and with confidence which, given the demands of family and work, is a big plus.
2. focus on easy-to-learn rules (large numbers of charts, detailed record keeping, and calculators are non-starters)
3. keep things light in terms of attitude
4. get the word out aggressively
5. actively recruit and be inclusive when people walk by.
6. start on time and be prepared for public events
7. Follow through
We gamers often come across as introverted and clique-ish. When our group has run games in public settings I invite those who walk by to play or at least collect their contact info if they show any interest (eg for our e-mail list). I usually see gamers completely ignore people stopping by to look at their games. That's a lost opportunity to recruit a new gamer!
I've also repeatedly seen gamers decide to hold some tourny or public game day and then promptly go silent. No posters, no flyers, no postings on boards, etc. Just silence. And then they wonder why nobody comes!
People are more likely to attend regular events if they can trust they'll actually start on time and in an organized fashion. Look at most game store or club schedules and you'll find stuff such as "Thursday Night: 40K". This sort of thing starts out well intentioned but then becomes an historical artefact along the lines of, "Oh yeah, John Doe used to run 40K on Thursdays. I don't think they play any more." But month after month it shows up on the store/club calendar but with no actual game being played.
The best way around this last problem is to have an individual and his contact info listed and have him responsible for recruiting game masters and/or organizing the games. I've modeled my approach on that of a friend and it works well enough. We play once a month and different people commit to running different games each month. The schedule is e-mailed about twice a month as a reminder and we always play on the same day each month (that's why we're called the Second Saturday Gamers...we play on the second Saturday of each month in the same location and with the same start time of 1:00). People can plan ahead and with confidence which, given the demands of family and work, is a big plus.
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hauptgrate
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:39 am
You work at the store, but is the owner and/or manager really interested in having a sideline going on during business hours? If not, can the room be used after hours? Does the store already advertise, or would you have to carry the cost and work burden yourself? How big is the room, does it have tables, restroom access, food access for lunch breaks, etc.? Who is going to do the set up and clean up? Does your hobby store already carry gaming stuff, and would the store contribute anything to the club -- standard terrain, tables, etc.
If practicle concerns such as those above can work, get a small group of gamers to start playing demonstration games on a regular basis and get the name and email of anyone who stops by. If you could get even 3 or 4 people playing something every Saturday afternoon, and then began to contact all on your email list to let them know what was planned for the next weekend, it is possible you could build a following.
My experience with clubs is that there are usually 3 or 4 core members and many casual members -- the challenge is to turn those casual members into more core members. Good Luck.
If practicle concerns such as those above can work, get a small group of gamers to start playing demonstration games on a regular basis and get the name and email of anyone who stops by. If you could get even 3 or 4 people playing something every Saturday afternoon, and then began to contact all on your email list to let them know what was planned for the next weekend, it is possible you could build a following.
My experience with clubs is that there are usually 3 or 4 core members and many casual members -- the challenge is to turn those casual members into more core members. Good Luck.
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pmskaar
- E5
- Posts: 2174
- Joined: Sun Apr 17, 2005 5:45 am
Starting a Game Club
Everyone so far has some really good ideas here. I would like to also include the following suggestions - some of which have already been mentioned.
1. I have had very good success in running my games at the local store - in my case this is Imperial Outpost Games in the Phoenix metro area. This provides a public forum for those that are not familiar with GHQ and micro gaming to have a look and ask questions without having to make that initial commitment to go to some strangers house assuming they got the word.
2. Make sure that you schedule the game in advance. The store I go to sometimes has various GW and other role playing tournaments. Make sure you are welcome to play and get the word out. In my case I am fortunate in that I post the game on the store calendar and I also do an e-mail on the North Phoenix Irregulars site as well. I will even call people to confirm if they will be there.
3. Put on a good looking game. Not to toot my own horn too much but I try to run a game that is visually appealing. Try to have pretty terrain and miniatures. Try not to use unpainted miniatures as this detracts from the overall visual appeal. I have done many games, however, where the miniatures are only base coated with no detail. It is better than unpainted from a distance at least.
4. If you are running the game - be organized. If you are relying on people to bring things that is fine but make sure there is a clear division over who is doing what. Also have a backup plan in case someone drops out at the last minute. Make sure that you have an idea of the scenario you want to run and about how long it may take to finish. My general rule for public games is that you should be able to reach a conclusion of some sort in 3 to 4 hours of play to keep everyone interested. Create an interesting game situation which will pique their interest. Make people feel welcome even if they came to just watch.
5. In order to keep the game moving, make sure that the rules you use are not overly complex if trying to attract new blood. I use Mein Panzer for my games and the ones I have run at the store have worked well because I didn't try to add all the modules in order to keep the play smooth and everyone engaged. I have had several converts from Flames of War that like this set better. I plan to do some GHQ rules games as well in the not too distant future.
6. Finally, I want to say that I have been helped tremendously by several people. Rich has often provided his painted minis. Craig and Tim have helped me set up the terrain board. Chris, aka Thunder, has also provided excellent pictures of some of the games which are posted on his website. The most recent example of one of the games run at Imperial Outpost is the Meeting Engagement Game that Chris posted up on the GHQ Forum a couple of weeks ago and he and I both provided a visual AAR(After Action Review) on that game for the forum members.
Even though all of these points may not be original I hope this helps.
Pete
1. I have had very good success in running my games at the local store - in my case this is Imperial Outpost Games in the Phoenix metro area. This provides a public forum for those that are not familiar with GHQ and micro gaming to have a look and ask questions without having to make that initial commitment to go to some strangers house assuming they got the word.
2. Make sure that you schedule the game in advance. The store I go to sometimes has various GW and other role playing tournaments. Make sure you are welcome to play and get the word out. In my case I am fortunate in that I post the game on the store calendar and I also do an e-mail on the North Phoenix Irregulars site as well. I will even call people to confirm if they will be there.
3. Put on a good looking game. Not to toot my own horn too much but I try to run a game that is visually appealing. Try to have pretty terrain and miniatures. Try not to use unpainted miniatures as this detracts from the overall visual appeal. I have done many games, however, where the miniatures are only base coated with no detail. It is better than unpainted from a distance at least.
4. If you are running the game - be organized. If you are relying on people to bring things that is fine but make sure there is a clear division over who is doing what. Also have a backup plan in case someone drops out at the last minute. Make sure that you have an idea of the scenario you want to run and about how long it may take to finish. My general rule for public games is that you should be able to reach a conclusion of some sort in 3 to 4 hours of play to keep everyone interested. Create an interesting game situation which will pique their interest. Make people feel welcome even if they came to just watch.
5. In order to keep the game moving, make sure that the rules you use are not overly complex if trying to attract new blood. I use Mein Panzer for my games and the ones I have run at the store have worked well because I didn't try to add all the modules in order to keep the play smooth and everyone engaged. I have had several converts from Flames of War that like this set better. I plan to do some GHQ rules games as well in the not too distant future.
6. Finally, I want to say that I have been helped tremendously by several people. Rich has often provided his painted minis. Craig and Tim have helped me set up the terrain board. Chris, aka Thunder, has also provided excellent pictures of some of the games which are posted on his website. The most recent example of one of the games run at Imperial Outpost is the Meeting Engagement Game that Chris posted up on the GHQ Forum a couple of weeks ago and he and I both provided a visual AAR(After Action Review) on that game for the forum members.
Even though all of these points may not be original I hope this helps.
Pete
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Ravenseye
- Posts: 20
- Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2007 8:34 am
- Location: Syracuse, N.Y.
- Contact:
Wow, thank you for the excellent suggestions so far!
Thankfully, my boss is open to the idea of me utilising the room in this way. He's told me that any use of the room is fine by him so long that it's scheduled in advance.
We've got about 25 of your standard fold-up tables that can be pressed into service quite admirably. Also, we've got a 4' x 8' table that was being used by my friends and I for warhammer.
Right now, we do not carry any gaming materials at our shop, unless you consider model paints gaming materials. So that is going to be difficult to work around.
I am not looking to get this going until at least January, as I have to get and paint a lot of tanks before I have enough to play any servicible games there. So I am not trying to rush it, just trying to lay some groundwork to let the plans grow.
Keep the excellent ideas flowing! I'm collecting them and will condense it for reference!
-Mike
Thankfully, my boss is open to the idea of me utilising the room in this way. He's told me that any use of the room is fine by him so long that it's scheduled in advance.
We've got about 25 of your standard fold-up tables that can be pressed into service quite admirably. Also, we've got a 4' x 8' table that was being used by my friends and I for warhammer.
Right now, we do not carry any gaming materials at our shop, unless you consider model paints gaming materials. So that is going to be difficult to work around.
I am not looking to get this going until at least January, as I have to get and paint a lot of tanks before I have enough to play any servicible games there. So I am not trying to rush it, just trying to lay some groundwork to let the plans grow.
Keep the excellent ideas flowing! I'm collecting them and will condense it for reference!
-Mike
#1 Rule: Have Fun!
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kgpanzer
- E5
- Posts: 213
- Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2004 6:31 pm
- Location: WVA
Raven..
as all the gents said above promotion of the hobby is always best.....also on GHQ page list your club and some other sites also..use the WEB
Cheers
Anthony
as all the gents said above promotion of the hobby is always best.....also on GHQ page list your club and some other sites also..use the WEB
Cheers
Anthony
kgpanzer@aol.com
Sniper motto's ....A sniper...."While Hidden, I See and Destroy"..."One shot one kill"....
Sniper motto's ....A sniper...."While Hidden, I See and Destroy"..."One shot one kill"....
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highpriestrsw2
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Mon May 21, 2007 9:27 am
- Location: Jackson, MI
The Battleground
Our club is the Battleground.
The elder members a.k.a. "the keyholders" (because they were the ones who had access to the club keys!) were all friends who loved miniatures gaming and needed a place to game. They used to meet in the basement of one of they keyholders and have been picked up by our FLGS for sponsorship in tournaments and have migrated all over the city before finding a home a few years ago in the basement of the local shoe store owned by a keyholder.
The elder members a.k.a. "the keyholders" (because they were the ones who had access to the club keys!) were all friends who loved miniatures gaming and needed a place to game. They used to meet in the basement of one of they keyholders and have been picked up by our FLGS for sponsorship in tournaments and have migrated all over the city before finding a home a few years ago in the basement of the local shoe store owned by a keyholder.
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hauptgrate
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2006 2:39 am
The thing that attracts people to miniature games is the "coolness" factor. When I was a kid I built scale aircraft and armor models, and played Panzer Blitz and Panzer Leader -- but I never really connected the two hobbies until I saw my first HO scale miniature game setup. From that moment on I was hooked. I haven't played a regular board wargame in years, and haven't built a regular static model in over 25, but I have painted thousands of miniature of various types, built several different sets of terrain, read countless books and rulesets, etc. Even though your hobby store doesn't carry "gaming" stuff, if it carries model railroad stuff then much material needed for terrain is already there. Perhaps the store owner can proclaim his willingness to order GHQ and have catalogs available. Yes, I know it can be mailordered, but it would probably be a good idea to try to give business to the local store just to keep it in business. If you can put on a cool looking demonstration game or two, people might begin to want to purchase terrain and minis -- a profit for the store. Another way for the store to make a profit and provide a service is to have snack food for sale -- chips, soda, etc. These can be bought at a warehouse for a low price and sold for a decent profit to the gamers. Games tend to last several hours and gamers are going to spent their food money somewhere, why not right there at the store (at least for packaged items)? Oh, by the way, another great area of crossover between modellers and gamers is research books -- Osprey, etc. Historical gamers was their minis to look right, just the way modellers do. Does your store carry a good selection of books already?