An August event

[Menolly]

I would like to try and organise a 1 day special event at the hall. Does anyone know of any wargaming events happening in August?

[Philfy]

Call To Arms is mid-august down in Wellington.  Unaware of any others

[grumpy old smurf]

can we call ours 'A sound of feet'?

[Hausdorff space]

Let me know when this day is approved... so I can finalise a playerpack for my side of things.

[Menolly]

My idea is to run a 1 day event in August mainly aimed at encouraging wargaming that doesn't normally see the light of day (so to speak) and to market soley at the younger players and people wanting to learn a new game.

All tournaments would be age restricted. No-one over the age of 17 could play in them, unless they were a mentor to a newish player.

So I would be looking for a 400pt warband patrol 40K mini tournament, and several demo tables showing people how to play 40K. And the tournament is run in such a way that new people can also play, with an experienced player as a mentor... with a borrowed warband if necessary. And it's not all day, but a morning event and an afternoon event... that kids could play in both if they wanted to.

Fantasy would need a warband equivalent format, so small short games could be played.

And any other event that could run a small tournament for 10 to 20 kids (if we could find them) which was small, fun, and a chance to learn with a mentor.

I would be looking to get people to run a range of wargaming events that we don't usually get to see or try out, because we are all busy playing other things all the time. Wings of War, Mordhiem, epic, bloodbowl, heroclix, even the medieval/ancients games, Legends of the High Seas, Legends of the Old West, Space Hulk, A Call to Arms, Full Thrust Victory at Sea, Judge Dredd... other stuff. And if you are 18 or over you can take part in the demo games, but not in the tournaments. The tournaments would just be for the kids.

[Menolly]

My reasonings is two-fold.

One of the comments we had from BattleCry was there were all these cool demos, but people couldn't go and check them out cause they were playing in other things. Here would be a chance to people to play some of those other games and check them out.

And secondly, there is no event in Auckland for the younger players to play in anymore. Every time I try to include them in another event it doesn't happen... and I think we are missing out on helping a new generation of gamers who have started to play at the GW stores, but don't have any bridge between the store and the clubs. Plus they haven't had the chance to see what other wargames are out there and try some of them out.

I was thinking of advertising it through the stores, especially GW. And through the local highschools. Send out fliers to the schools and promote the day as a family-styled day. We could use it to promote future events, the local gaming clubs and give the kids already playing in the GW stores a chance to "play" with the experienced players (the mentors)

But it will depend on finding a day that I can book the hall. And me finding people to help run the mini events and do the mentoring.

[Menolly]

Gosh, as soon as I mentioned kids it went deathly quiet...

[Chris]

Yes it did, for a reason.

[Fujin]

Ah Chris... you crack me up

[Hausdorff space]

Yes it did, for a reason.

+1

Kids count out any WM event.
(My opinion, but I think it's a fair one)

[Menolly]

The tournaments (and those charged to play as there will be prizes) would be the younger players.

The demos (a gold coin entry fee) would be open to anyone wanting to learn how to play something new, grown-ups and kids alike...

When I say kids, I'm talking about those kids who hang out already around wargaming. The ones that play in the GW stores, those that occasionally turn up to clubs with their parents.

Since GW cancelled their FOB and the newbie(Convergence?) event, there is nothing for newer players to attend that gives them a chance to practise being in a tournament with others at the same sort of learning level... it's straight into high level events. And I think we should be encouraging all new players young and old so they learn how to play and become better players.

I also don't want all the usual tournaments, because we miss the chance to try out all the other cool wargames... and it would be cool to have the time to try/play other things.

You were all kids once, get over it and consider what we can offer the game/club/community, not what the game offers to you for a change please.

market soley at the younger players and people wanting to learn a new game.

All tournaments would be age restricted. No-one over the age of 17 could play in them, unless they were a mentor to a newish player.

And if you are 18 or over you can take part in the demo games, but not in the tournaments. The tournaments would just be for the kids.

[Chris]

When I say kids, I'm talking about those kids who hang out already around wargaming. The ones that play in the GW stores, those that occasionally turn up to clubs with their parents.

I think we all knew the ones you were talking about...

Since GW cancelled their FOB and the newbie(Convergence?) event, there is nothing for newer players to attend that gives them a chance to practise being in a tournament with others at the same sort of learning level... it's straight into high level events. And I think we should be encouraging all new players young and old so they learn how to play and become better players.

I have to correct you there, there are plenty of lower point events run for Warmachine and more than once people have experienced their first taste of competition in a conventional Steamroller event and beaten more experienced locals with just the 4 pages of rules handouts and a little brainpower.

I also don't want all the usual tournaments, because we miss the chance to try out all the other cool wargames... and it would be cool to have the time to try/play other things.

While I don't speak for everyone I'm sure there are a few people thinking the same thing as me. That if they're going to invest more time and money into their hobby they're going to want to play something a little more mainstream than most of the "other cool wargames".

If they feel inclined to try out another game they have a perfect alternative in Warmachine where they now they can get games every week and the buy in is as little or less than "other cool wargames".

While I think the idea has merit I don't think its "serving the community" as said kids are not part of the community or they'd be showing up to club and getting demo games.

[Menolly]

Warmachine is one of the exceptions with the lower points.

But when has a 400pts 40K warpatrol event been run where it's all day, and specifically advertised to the younger players to get them to mingle with the older players...?

Or when was a low 1000pt Warhammer Fantasy 1 day event run?

Or a Bloodbowl day event, where it didn't clash with other events so people had to choose which one to play... and Bloodbowl missed out?

Or even things like Mordheim or Wings of War which all get played at the club but not at the same time as other tournaments?

And there are other systems that some of our players might be interested in checking out, but usually the demos are run at the same time as big events... Infinity? Monsteropocaly pse?

And has anyone had a go at the Gameworkshop games Legends of the Old West, or the pirate High Seas? It would be interesting to try out some of these games instead, and make a day of trying things a bit different and helping some younger players experience an event which isn't as scary as a full on FOB event.

[Menolly]

Sorry if I sound grumpy. I'm just tired of the kids getting a bad deal. There are a few that turn up, but very rarely because they often don't get to play, or only get to play each other, or end up playing the same people over and over who will play the kids... We have had keen kid players turn up every week after week for months... who gave up coming into club because of this. Yes, I know a bunch of you don't like playing kids because they are new and don't know all the stuff about the games, but they wont learn if we don't occasionally run something for them and encourage them. And I keep trying to get something organised but since I don't know the rules of the games enough so I can't run them myself yet... so need other people's help to run any wargaming events. I had hoped I would find some people willing to at least look at how we could run a demo day, of things that we don't get to play...

[Chris]

Obviously you should be pointing them at Warmachine then. Their parents wallets will thank you

[Fujin]

Can Opener.

There's your trial event to see if there's actually a need.

[Menolly]

Yup, I'll definitely be plugging that to them.

[Lezle]

City Guard is lucky not to be burdened with the children that frequent GW.

GW St. Luke's is a haven for the juvenile and irritating.

Those children do not turn up to the club as they are already happy playing each other every day after school. The same old kids gather like an unofficial gang to an unlicensed kindy to spend their time arguing about a whole host of drivel, that I am glad I don't have to hear when I come in once a week to the club.

Those children will not play at the club as they already have the perfect outlet for their gaming needs. They have no reason to go to a club where a fee is charged and no music is played - they have GW!



The intention may be good: the kids won't do it and I think you'll find that the club attendance of the members will be rather lacking that day.

 

Lezle

[Simon]

kid ===> GW stores

adult ====> club

I personally do not want to spend my sunday to play with kids. It is a job for the GW staff and not ours.

Once the kids get older and decide to continue on with this hobby, they will move to the gaming club just like most of us.


 

[Fujin]

I'm getting the weirdest sense of deja vu right now...

[juiced]

ouch.....for one day all you old fulla's don't want to pass on your knowledge, one demo day where the game's are taken with a little bit of light hearted fun.
maybe its because i'm a parent, maybe its also because i teach kids within my community, maybe its because i can remember being a 13 year old geek going to wellington  warlords and being shunned by the majority of gamers. But having a couple of older dudes show me the ropes of WHFB. And from there i wanted nothing more than to play and paint at that level.
sure GW shops are one thing, and there are one hell of alot of "know alls' that preside around there tables.( and don't you just want to shut them up with your more advance knowledge of the rules )
But for every wanker kid there is another kid for whom this hobby is there thing. and they don't want to be stuck with the loud mouth show off's that preside at GW they would like to learn and play with the big guys. just as the young can learn from the old maybe we can hook on to the first time excitment of the hobby off the young.

i don't know , maybe i'm just trying to get a different point of view. i agree people go to a club to play and socialise with there peers and fellow gamers.
not to babysit. But i don't think a one day event is baby sitting it is encouraging the next generation of club goers / table top wargamers. Who knows you may enjoy the company or game play of one or two of the younger generation.

and it is only for one day.....

but who am i to talk i have yet to get my ARSE off waiheke and over to improve my game skills.
i just remember being young and wanting to get more into the hobby, and clubs being hard to get enough balls to ask for a game

[Big D]

Quite frankly, as a parent I go to club to get AWAY from kids

[Vaul]

I'm happy to play against a kid, not every week but i'll do it