Now yah talkin'!
Although it could shatter suspension of disbelief when the Dwarven warrior player tries to out-drink everyone
WotC and brick and mortar retail stores - Greg Leeds weighs in
- Thread starter Windjammer
- Start date
Now yah talkin'!
Although it could shatter suspension of disbelief when the Dwarven warrior player tries to out-drink everyone
catsclaw227
First Post
I went to Board Game night for our FLGS on Thursday (Apr 1) and it was packed. There mustve been 10-12 different groups of 2-6 playing different games. The even had a special "Learn to play Star Frontiers" table to do some OSR gaming with the ancient boxed set. My buddy and I played an awesome Battlelore enounter that came down to the absolute very end...
An awesome good time. The store also ran a 15% off sale the same night, and many bought board games and RPGs.
An awesome good time. The store also ran a 15% off sale the same night, and many bought board games and RPGs.
tylerthehobo
Explorer
Accurate or not...
Accurate or not, the posts that started this thread did get me thinking about something. I'm all for technology in gaming, and see DDI as a great tool for folks who want an online version of their materials (especially since PDFs are so verboten right now in WotC land). The issue I have though is as it relates to in-store gaming. Periodically, I run a game at a local shop. The owner is gracious enough to let us use tables, occupy his store for hours at a clip, provides a trash can that he ends up emptying full of our pizza detritus and soda cups, and is the best host you can ask for. He does not charge a dime for us to play at his shop, and the players' assumption is that he just hopes we'll do the right thing and buy our gaming supplies there - and many of us do. That said, when a player shows up with a character that was created with the online generator, and they hold forth about how print is dead and they don't need to buy books due to DDI, it brings to mind a phrase my Father-in-Law shared with me once. He referred to the act of stopping at a McDonald's or whatnot while on a road trip, using the rest room, and then being sure to buy a soda or snack from the store as a responsibility of thanks he referred to as "paying the rent." While it's great that players use DDI, the fact that for many it replaces the books - and in turn replaces their interest or need in purchasing books from the store that's hosting their game - has an edge of not "paying the rent" to me. I see no policy shift at the store coming, nor think one would be appropriate. It's about doing the right thing. My longwinded point being - if you play at a Friendly Local Gaming Shop, throw them your business.
Accurate or not, the posts that started this thread did get me thinking about something. I'm all for technology in gaming, and see DDI as a great tool for folks who want an online version of their materials (especially since PDFs are so verboten right now in WotC land). The issue I have though is as it relates to in-store gaming. Periodically, I run a game at a local shop. The owner is gracious enough to let us use tables, occupy his store for hours at a clip, provides a trash can that he ends up emptying full of our pizza detritus and soda cups, and is the best host you can ask for. He does not charge a dime for us to play at his shop, and the players' assumption is that he just hopes we'll do the right thing and buy our gaming supplies there - and many of us do. That said, when a player shows up with a character that was created with the online generator, and they hold forth about how print is dead and they don't need to buy books due to DDI, it brings to mind a phrase my Father-in-Law shared with me once. He referred to the act of stopping at a McDonald's or whatnot while on a road trip, using the rest room, and then being sure to buy a soda or snack from the store as a responsibility of thanks he referred to as "paying the rent." While it's great that players use DDI, the fact that for many it replaces the books - and in turn replaces their interest or need in purchasing books from the store that's hosting their game - has an edge of not "paying the rent" to me. I see no policy shift at the store coming, nor think one would be appropriate. It's about doing the right thing. My longwinded point being - if you play at a Friendly Local Gaming Shop, throw them your business.
darjr
I crit!
evilbob
Adventurer
I agree, but a business model based on altruism can't be sustainable.
Not necessarily. Having a wide variety of good stuff -- including old stuff -- can be what sets apart/built the reputation of some really good gaming stores, like the Compleat Strategist in NYC.
Of course, nowadays there's Noble Knight, but I bet there's still stuff Compleat Strategist has that can't even be found online.
Another nice thing about stores dealing in ancient stock is that they'll trade for old stuff. My FLGS (Games Plus in Woodinville, WA) gave me 50% of cover price for some 3e stuff (in store credit) and sells some pretty old Dungeons for cover price. This helps me get the feel right for the magic item dealer in my campaign!
Yeah, way to put the best foot forward WOTC, use the setting everyone knows and loves from growing up with and/or reading all its best seller novels -- Eberron -- and a rule set that doesn't correspond to any edition of D&D.
That's the experience people are looking for when they are looking for D&D -- playing robot people, auto healing for standing around, and PvP pit fighting.
3? Orc's Nest, Forbidden Planet, and the one near the British Museum, eh? All in the area between Covent Garden and the British Museum. I worked in that neighborhood too, when I lived in the UK.
The thing is, Forbidden Planet is a great sci fi geek store, but not much of a gamer's store. The Orc's Nest I liked, but it's actually kinda small (compared to American stores) and had a decent, but not extensive, collection of D&D ware.
So I think central London actually has a dearth of good game stores, unless things have changed in the past decade.
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Paladins are great, though, if you hire a 3.5 or earlier one. The "Detect Evil" power really cuts down on shoplifting.
Why not?
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