Xanathar's, Wizards, and FLGSes Charging For Playspace

[CubicsRube]

I know most of my players couldn't afford $5 a week, and none would afford same. While they spend that much on snacks alone, the snacks are NOT an option to abandon.

Theres this weird attitude among gamers that they can't afford 5 bucks, or a 25 dollar pdf is ludicrously expensive, then theyll spend 10 on snacks and 15 on movie tickets.

I get your point and your players may be like that, but they shouldnt be the target for an flgs. Its a store, not a charity, and they need to pay rent. Heck, i pay 20 just for an hour on a tennis court.

I also think its a matter if principle and priorities to many people since rhe gamers who say they can't affoed this stuff often have a new mobile phone on contract, pay for internet etc. Snacks themselves are a luxury, so you know they could bring a sandwhich from home and a sports bottle of water instead.

Not against you aramis erak, but ykur quote brings up what ive head many gamers says and i think its an attitude that needs to change.

 

[Sunseeker]

Theres this weird attitude among gamers that they can't afford 5 bucks, or a 25 dollar pdf is ludicrously expensive, then theyll spend 10 on snacks and 15 on movie tickets.

Discounting movie tickets, which you don't need, you do need to eat food.

Realistically if I had to choose between the $10 sub sandwhich and the $10 store-based-game-area, I'd drop both and host at home where I can make my own food that I already spent money on. Sure, I could bring a sandwhich, my own chips, my own drinks, but I'm already hauling two books, a bag full of minis, a couple notebooks, and some erasable play-tiles, and that's when I'm NOT the DM. I only buy snacks because I'm not at home and don't want to haul more stuff. I enjoy getting out of the house to see my friends, but it's not worth a weekly fee which I'm fairly certain some of the people I play with couldn't afford.

Yeah, I get it, store space is for people who don't have home space. Frankly, I suspect people without home space also have less disposable cash. I already detest paying monthly fees for video games. I have no desire to turn D&D into a subscription service. One of my attractions to tabletop gaming has always been it's long-term affordability.

 

[redrick]

Theres this weird attitude among gamers that they can't afford 5 bucks, or a 25 dollar pdf is ludicrously expensive, then theyll spend 10 on snacks and 15 on movie tickets.

I get your point and your players may be like that, but they shouldnt be the target for an flgs. Its a store, not a charity, and they need to pay rent. Heck, i pay 20 just for an hour on a tennis court.

I also think its a matter if principle and priorities to many people since rhe gamers who say they can't affoed this stuff often have a new mobile phone on contract, pay for internet etc. Snacks themselves are a luxury, so you know they could bring a sandwhich from home and a sports bottle of water instead.

Not against you aramis erak, but ykur quote brings up what ive head many gamers says and i think its an attitude that needs to change.

I'm just responding to you, not necessarily disagreeing with you.

There's always going to be resistance to spending money you don't "have to." I get that. I might spend $40 at a bar, but if they are charging a $5 cover on top, I'll pass and find another bar.

On the other hand, if you are using a store's space and you feel like you shouldn't have to spend any money — be it on merchandise, snacks or a fee to use the space, that's some serious entitlement. If you don't see the need to pay for a seat at the table at your store, then play at home. But don't get bent out of shape if a store-owner wants to charge you for using his space.

Everybody has to decide for themselves what they want to spend their money on, but damn straight, if I am spending time at a store, I should spend money there. And, honestly, I'd rather give the store owner $10 straight to his bottom line than spend $10 on crappy snacks and feel like I need to buy a new set of dice every time I come in.

 

[redrick]

Yeah, I get it, store space is for people who don't have home space. Frankly, I suspect people without home space also have less disposable cash. I already detest paying monthly fees for video games. I have no desire to turn D&D into a subscription service. One of my attractions to tabletop gaming has always been it's long-term affordability.

My guess is that this model works best in cities where it is common to have lots of disposable cash while still living in a small apartment. I know plenty of people in New York pulling solid 6 figures but still living in 1-bedroom apartments with their partners or living with roommates.

 

[Morrus]

Frankly, I suspect people without home space also have less disposable cash.

You clearly don't live in the middle of a major city. Trust me, people without home space often have plenty of disposable cash. And people not in America often have homes half the size of those in America due to less available space. My house is tiny.

 

[Shasarak]

Discounting movie tickets, which you don't need, you do need to eat food.

I have never heard of anyone dying from lack of game snacks, probably the inverse if anything.

 

[redrick]

What would *YOU* pay?

Assuming that these are open tables, where one can just show up and play without having to go through the process of finding and joining a group:

For a particularly appealing one-shot with a good DM and a pleasant environment — $15+, depending on how appealing the one-shot/DM is. For a well-run game of an RPG I wouldn't get to play otherwise, $20. More if the DM were somebody I knew to be exceptional. Sort of like buying tickets to a metal show. I could see this being something I did every month or so if the games were out there

For a more Adventurer's League type thing, I'd pay $10 a session, but I probably wouldn't come often unless I didn't have a group and I were trying to meet new players.

For a space to run a game with an existing group — $10/each if it were a surprise thing, but if it were going to be a regular thing, it would have to be cheaper. Some sort of bulk discount that was pretty favorable. Knowing that you have gaming supplies available on loan would be a plus — it sucks hauling all your gear around when the DM is not hosting.

There's a place in downtown/South Brooklyn that basically runs that model. $10/head. They have some sort of seasonal membership that is very reasonable, but it doesn't count towards D&D or Pathfinder organized play — for those, there are discounts for buying 5 or 10 tickets, but they aren't much. So if you want to play with your own group on the cheap-ish, you can do that; you just have to work around the organized play schedule. I think that's super reasonable.

 

[aramis erak]

Theres this weird attitude among gamers that they can't afford 5 bucks, or a 25 dollar pdf is ludicrously expensive, then theyll spend 10 on snacks and 15 on movie tickets.

I get your point and your players may be like that, but they shouldnt be the target for an flgs. Its a store, not a charity, and they need to pay rent. Heck, i pay 20 just for an hour on a tennis court.

I also think its a matter if principle and priorities to many people since rhe gamers who say they can't affoed this stuff often have a new mobile phone on contract, pay for internet etc. Snacks themselves are a luxury, so you know they could bring a sandwhich from home and a sports bottle of water instead.

Not against you aramis erak, but ykur quote brings up what ive head many gamers says and i think its an attitude that needs to change.

My players often are actually eating dinner during game. My daughter and I often split a $5 pizza from the pissaria, and $2 of juice from the dollar store. RB's usually eating his dinner - often, leftovers from lunch at his place of work (he's a chef). G brings snacks from home, purchased by her parents. MB is new, but has bought soda both sessions. RB has only one phone, his cell. G and MB are living at home with parents; their phones are parental provided,

My sunday group, they order or make a joint meal.

Wednesday, similar to my saturday. J is his dinner. Same for RB. and my daughter and I usually have juice again. We're talking an average for the table of under $15 for all of us.

I'm running for high school and college kids, plus a couple of not-quite-gray-beards.

 

[CubicsRube]

I'm just responding to you, not necessarily disagreeing with you.

There's always going to be resistance to spending money you don't "have to." I get that. I might spend $40 at a bar, but if they are charging a $5 cover on top, I'll pass and find another bar.

On the other hand, if you are using a store's space and you feel like you shouldn't have to spend any money — be it on merchandise, snacks or a fee to use the space, that's some serious entitlement. If you don't see the need to pay for a seat at the table at your store, then play at home. But don't get bent out of shape if a store-owner wants to charge you for using his space.

Everybody has to decide for themselves what they want to spend their money on, but damn straight, if I am spending time at a store, I should spend money there. And, honestly, I'd rather give the store owner $10 straight to his bottom line than spend $10 on crappy snacks and feel like I need to buy a new set of dice every time I come in.

And another prcing model would be to sell snacks but at a higher rate and make up the surplus on that for that same psychological reason. I woukd guess that cones down to preference. I'm happy either way, but i feel if i were to play at a store that charged a nominal entrance fee that it might being about more respectful players.

It may very well drive out entitled players, but they're not the type i would want to game with anyway.

 

[CubicsRube]

I'm running for high school and college kids, plus a couple of not-quite-gray-beards.

On that note, if it were me running the program id definitely considet concession rates a la movie tickets. I would want to bring in new playters and first timers into the hobby and it'd be in my interest running the store.