[bitsandkits]

Maybe you should give us the name of your club so the OP can contact them for some tips



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[VanquisherMBT]

Maybe you should give us the name of your club so the OP can contact them for some tips

He has been via PM

 

[TheKingElessar]

Players should be doing that themselves, it shouldn't be up to staff to hold your hand.

Some of us possess social skills.

 

[Archon Dan]

6an: painting skill has nothing to do with elitism, keeping track of it and encouraging players to improve and paint more means they get more done, but it can help in some gaming situations as I have seen allot of new players put off playing there grey plastic against GD quality armies, its just another way staff silently observe to help.

Painting skill on it's own is not elitist; it was the context of your post as I have qouted below. Players being nervous about their painting ability is why my group advertises that we don't care if you don't paint. So long as it's assembled you can play. Some people would rather just play and not paint. People who want help can ask.

7an: if you took a soft list to help a new player your ranking would not go down, because as I keep saying the staff would be observing, they see you helping they praise you and if you constantly help you become relied upon as a gamer who can help, but also be competetive when required, you get the best of both worlds

That's perhaps the first thing you've said that makes sense.

8an: as I said its not up to players to get involved, that is the point in the staff, they step in and instead if being vigilantes as they are want to do (and allot truly believe they are even outside in the real world) you report the problem to the staff who are there to deal with it in a none disruptive manner, perhaps pulling them to one side, having a quiet word, and maybe directing both players to mire suitable opponents

In the real world, people have to solve their own problems. The staff should not have to babysit teenagers and adults. My gaming group manages itself. In fact, the store staff looks to us if prospective new gamers come in. We essentially advertise and show off the product and answer questions. And we're happy to do it and get some fresh players. We can explain the systems better than the staff anyway as they don't play.

What would be some basic rules? (i don't want to come and play against grey plastic or poorly done models, a set skill level system would be nice so people are put against equals in all things)

So just because you don't like unpainted or even poorly painted models, you'd refuse to play somebody with them. That's what is elitist. Painting certain models is also more difficult than others, so ranking equals is difficult across armies.

Maybe you should give us the name of your club so the OP can contact them for some tips

I don't think he wants to share with us. Must be afraid we'd waste our time, energy and money going down there to personally kick him in the stones.

Players should be doing that themselves, it shouldn't be up to staff to hold your hand.

Some of us possess social skills.

Thank you!

 

[VanquisherMBT]

Players should be doing that themselves, it shouldn't be up to staff to hold your hand.

Some of us possess social skills.

And allot don't, not everyone is confident enough to ask for games, especially new players or nervous players, or perhaps players with difficulties

Or are you going to tell me they don't exist either, or its all there fault or because of planet alinement its not an issue

And archon stop acting like a complete cock with the kick in stones comment, its pathetic when gamers say pathetic things like that, you would NOT be man enough to do it, and neither would anybody else, and if you want to do it just because I want to help in some way then you are the most pathetic inbred group of people I know.

I think I've seen the problem, everyone here is assuming a gaming group us entirely made up of experienced, adult or older teens who are socially adept, si basically none of you live in the real world
You don't want an easy system to help find new gamers that is basically optional
You don't want new nervous gamers to join in
You want shy timid people to be left alone in a corner
You don't want people to improve


It can work, especially in a new enviroment, we have the same down here although its all in peoples heads, but that's because the club has been going for donkeys years
We have a staffer who looks after all the new bloods
We have seperate staff who look after the 40k players and fantasy players
We have staff that look after the historical and alternative games

When a new person joins the group they are directed to these staff and they talk to them and gauge who best to put them up against

It's Jo different, just without the paper, but that's because we've done it for years, with no complaints from the 30-40 even 50 people who are regular

 

[TheKingElessar]

I *DO* wish you'd stop putting words in our mouths Stella.

If someone comes in and makes no effort to speak to people, then the gregarious ones of the group should make the effort to draw them in - filing that, the staff should indeed get involved DOING WHAT GW STAFF DO THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ONLINE HATE.

It should not be their default, and staff should not be looking to interfere - people come out of their shells when they're ready, just get them involved, having a laugh, making friends. Gaming can come later.

 

[Sethis]

We-ell this got heated fast.

On topic, I consider the following to be key parts of a good club:

- Have somewhere to buy drinks (alcohol optional, soft drinks mandatory), snacks and possibly food (even if it's just a take out next door - consider asking for a discount if you order in bulk for events, most places will do it)

- Have a large number of tables, ideally 12+, in a variety of colours (snow, sand, grass, urban etc)

- Have a decent quantity of terrain with a mix of area, ruins and LoS blocking pieces

- Have an organised method of storing the terrain so that it doesn't get damaged and is easy to find

- advertise anywhere you can, so there is always a trickle of new people joining

That's about it really.

 

[Truefaith]

IF I walked into a store and always had to play someone of comparable skill lvl how would I ever get better?

I love playing against better players, I have played from Toledo OH to Tampa FL, and after every match win or lose be and my opp almost always talk about what either of us could have done differently or better...

This thread was about a STORE, not a CLUB. The Store wants to know what people want from a STORE/ARENA, some of the issues being tossed around in this thread maybe solved if you distinguished the 2.

What I look for in a Store is open space and designated spaces. Meaning, typically in the USA we have Card Floppers and Miniature gamers playing in the same store. I like to see an area and set of tables for each that are separate and appropriate for the match (card tables for Card games, 6x4 for Minis).

Also I would like to see a variety of terrain multiple types/scenery also varying sizes. So that it could be used in 40k, Fantasy, Malifaux, Warmahordes. The varying sizes are important for this because the 3x3 or 4x4 skirmish games want lots of terrain but smaller base sizes, imo.

Also as said before, drinks and snack are a money maker. Specially if you enforce no outside drinks or snacks. This way you can mitigate the 64oz Big Gulp falling over and soaking the carpet... cause you only sell bottles with screw on caps... You could still allow carry out meals in store, but not drinks.

The final thing I love seeing is product. Lots and Lots of product, blisters, boxes, bits, everything related to the major hobbies in the area. I am much more inclined to buy something if there is more to see, "hey look they have a xxx, hmm if im getting this i need that to go with it or might as well get some of those..."

Just some ideas on a game store...

 

[Sakura_ninja]

People might hate me for this, but I like your general idea vanquisher.

When I started I had a very hard time finding people to play, I can't talk to people easily and find allot of people don't want to approach me, I've never had much help with this so frequently found myself not playing, or playing some very unpleasant people.

I still have this problem today and it is depressing, so I would love this kind of help and interaction, if you could can you PM me the club you go to as well.

So having a little system where somebody could help me find a game until my confidence grows and I know people better would be amazing as hopefully I would get to fight people like me gaming wise.

So top idea, I really like it, great for us shy people.

=^.^=

 

[TheReverend]

Can we all chill out and get back to the strippers idea?... I know we already have 16 strip clubs in Birmingham but one more wouldn't hurt

As for gamping boards, to begin with you could just use sheets of ply with grass mats glued on, there are at least two railway hobby shops in Birmingham that sell grass matting and a whole host of other terrain (they had 12 trees for £18 this weekend which is a bargain!!)

 

[TheKingElessar]

People might hate me for this, but I like your general idea vanquisher.

When I started I had a very hard time finding people to play, I can't talk to people easily and find allot of people don't want to approach me, I've never had much help with this so frequently found myself not playing, or playing some very unpleasant people.

I still have this problem today and it is depressing, so I would love this kind of help and interaction, if you could can you PM me the club you go to as well.

So having a little system where somebody could help me find a game until my confidence grows and I know people better would be amazing as hopefully I would get to fight people like me gaming wise.

So top idea, I really like it, great for us shy people.

=^.^=

Where that is the case, as I said, the members should be on the lookout to try and involve newcomers in the atmosphere, if not necessarily the gaming - and the staff following on.

'Sadly' Vanquisher has been banned, but perhaps the OP can pass you on the info.

 

[Words_of_Truth]

I was hoping a gaming club was going to be set up near where I live in birmingham, because I don't like going to Sutton Coldfield, rather it was closer to me. Unfortunately the organising of the club has been put on hold.

 

[RetiredFlagellant]

Thank you all for the support, encouragement and sound advice. It certainly generated lively debate! My opinion on the enforcement of painting standards and player levels, etcetera, is that the arena will be offering an atmospheric and inspiring place to play a miniatures battle game. It is not in the business's interest to be turning away customers if they haven't painted their Empire Swordsmen (on a personal level I play friendly games and its more important to me to have a good laugh, so it doesn't bother me that there will be unpainted models on the table). We will have a meeting/seating area with a cafe (seperate from our book/hobby store) so we are hoping that this will facilitate customers finding new opponents. We have had a massive response but still need more market research to confirm the results and lead the business development.Thank you again.

Access the market survey here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDQ3OTVWMGNJMjlIaHU4VGFZbEM4WEE6MQ

 

[Words_of_Truth]

Any further news on this?

 

[RetiredFlagellant]

Hello. We are searching for a suitably sized building (we will need about 40,000 square feet) that we can convert and fit out so it is unlikely that we will open for business this year. We will try and push it to coincide with the release of The Hobbit film. We will be starting a Youtube Channel to promote the business and the amazing boards we have planned; keep your eyes peeled for future updates.