Poll: Would you pay for space to play?

[photon1966]

Comic Store

We don't pay a fee exactly at the local game store where we have our regular Tuesday night game. One of the players owns it, so we are never bothered for time, it has pop, chips and the like, plus a cook, his mom or family friend pops in about 7:00ish to cook up french fries, or some dinners she premakes and just has to heat up, or even hambergers. We are asked not to bring in anything of our own, which we all generally follow, I have on occasion brought my left overs from lunch but generally I have dinner before going over. But I buy my cans of pop and the like. Plus if there is a flavour people like he does get it in. There are several medium sized tables we put together to play at and lots of ok chairs. We do have to deal with the occasonal late customer but for the most part we have a nice cool in summer, warm in winter to play ever week. On average every can easily spend $5.00 Canadian a night there. But again as he has the store there we store stuff like buildings, and hills and other terrain plus books are all there if we need a reference that I didn't bring as I run the game. Now if people don't want to buy stuff they are never forced to just asked not to bring in anything. The url for the web site of the store is http://www.thecomicwarehouse.com , located in Brampton Ontario, which is just out side of Toronto, Ontario.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I probably would not be interested in something like this, at least with my current (on hiatus) group. Several of us have young kids and so by going to the home of someone in the group, we know we can feel comfortable with the kids wandering around, playing etc. I don't think I would feel as comfortable with the kids around in any kind of public setting - I would spend too much time worrying about the kids to enjoy playing.

Also, when I DM, I prefer to play at my place so I don't have to haul everything I need with me. Of course if it had some kind of communal library, so if I needed a book I didn't bring...oh, and miniature rentals! A large case of full of minis you can check out when you need them and put back at the end of the day...that would be really useful. Of course then you have to worry about the books and minis walking off.

 

[Crosshair]

I would only pay to play outside of my own home for a few reasons.
One, where there aren't small children running around, heckling me about what I'm doing. One child, like the owner's son/daughter I'd be able to handle.
Two, it would have to be more of a back area, or second-level room. I'm anti-social and I don't like people nosing around and especially staring(at the game, they can stare at me all they want.)
Three, I'm going to be honest, they would have to have nice bathrooms..for all your needs.
Four, the idea of borrowing/renting books would make it more appealing, especially different core books, like Greyhawk, Eberron, D20 Modern/future, Call of Cthulu, Star Wars. Most PC's have the D&D core books.

Spectre72-May I suggest asking the hospital? If you don't have too many people and it's a smaller city, they're likely to be sympathetic.

 

[diaglo]

i have.

 

[wocky]

Would you consider paying for a place to play D&D?

Well... I do, actually. It's common in Argentina to play at a gaming club, in which you normally pay an entrancee fee. This clubs are often sited on social clubs or pubs at dates and times at which they are free. They are normally run by gamers, who don't expect much in the way of profits (they just try not to loose money at it).

Say if it were to have good lighting, ample space, air conditioning, a communal bulletin board, comfy chairs, big table, a reference library, etc., etc.

As I said, I pay for a place... and don't get most of these things. Big tables... yeah, sometimes... not always. ¿Comfy chairs? Plastic and pileable... ¿Reference library? Sometimes. ¿Good lightning? Until nighttime, usually... ¿ample space? Depends. ¿Air conditioning? ¡Ha! Humid, cold, moldy room's more like it... they might even throw in some crappy restrooms for the same price.

Still, they are run by friendly people, you get to socialize, and they're the best thing you can get if no home is available. Also, many gamers start that way, by going to a club and meeting other gamers.

And assuming the price would be minimal/reasonable per player.

It usually is. Granted our economy has become upside down some years ago... but entrance fee is about 2$, which is about 70 cents in dollars. A third of what I'd pay for a movie, a fourth of what I'd pay for a Big Mac with fries and a coke... 1/45 of what a new PHB costs here. About the price of an unpainted counterfeit warhammer miniature.

 

[Emirikol]

I already pay for gaming space

Funny you should ask. I already do pay for space to play. My house is appx 3400 sq. ft. with a 20x20 game room in the basement. My monthly mortgage is $1992 with $652 in relevant utilities. Sicne my gaming space is 11% of my house (it doubles as my home office), and I play about 15 hours per month (3 fridays per month) and each month has 720 hours, that's 02% of my month gaming.

2% of my month gaming in 11% of my house costs's me:
$2644 * .11 * .02 = $5.81 for 15 hours of gaming per month
If the space was not used for anything else, it would cost me: $290.84 per month

Whe I was going through 4 years of undergrad and 4 years of chiropractic college, we played in my friend's trailer house. My guess is that it was about $0.60 per game (USD)


Hope that clarifies it for you.

Jay Hafner, DC
Chiropractor

 

[ThirdWizard]

If it's a nice place, I probably would.

It would be very much worth it to get away from spouses/children.

 

[Southern Oracle]

Several of the gaming stores in my area charged either by the hour or by the table for space. Most of them were taken up by Magic: The Gathering players, however, and since all the tables were in one big room, it wasn't really conducive to roleplaying. Those businesses have all folded now...

For the past two years we've played at my house, which is a 756 sq. ft. trailer. With 7 of us plus four rugrats running around it's a bit cramped, but my wife cooks for each game, and the guys bring drinks, chips, etc. I've asked several times if people would like to find a bigger place (not because I want them out, but because I realized it's cramped), but they say they wouldn't want it any other way...

 

[spectre72]

Spectre72-May I suggest asking the hospital? If you don't have too many people and it's a smaller city, they're likely to be sympathetic.

The closest Hospital is 20+ miles away.

We have tried all of the community type buildings in town with no success, but we will keep trying.

Thanks for the thought
Scott

 

[Li Shenron]

Would you consider paying for a place to play D&D?

Say if it were to have good lighting, ample space, air conditioning, a communal bulletin board, comfy chairs, big table, a reference library, etc., etc.

And assuming the price would be minimal/reasonable per player.

No.

I still think that one beauty of this game is that you can play with nothing but the rules (which are free with the SRD), a pencil, a paper and dice. Everything else is an extra, and when I buy it I am well aware that it is superfluous after all (tho I still buy it of course ). If I started investing money in maps, minis, DM screens and more unnecessary accessories (unnaccessories?), it might become more fashionable than the spirit I still like. And paying for a place to play is even beyond those, since there is _always_ a place suitable to play D&D.

Hence no, I wouldn't pay for a place to play D&D. I'd much prefer to find out a place that I "already have" and adapt that. Even it was an uncomfortable damp cold basement cellar below my flat, for example