Any gamers in the Cedar Rapids area?

[El Ravager]

As the title says, I'm curious if there are any gamers in the Cedar Rapids, IA area. I used to live there before coming to ISU and one of my friends recently graduated and moved back there. There used to be a pretty good gaming store, Excalibur Games, there but it closed last year and we have no idea how to find gamers in the area.

Anyone know if there is any games around there or where to go to find one?

 

[evildmguy]

Greetings!

Hmmm. I will stay away from talking about Excalibur as it sounds like you knew the owner. No reason to start something.

In any event, there are a LOT of games in the CR/IC area. However, the problem is finding them. I only ever got one response from ENWorld when I went looking for players. A friend who is still there took a while to find another game as well using these boards.

It is almost as if CR doesn't use the web for this purpose!

There is a gaming group through Cornell. There is a chapter of RPGA for the CR/IC area as well as the occassional con. (February?) I know there are some player registry sites and I thought I saw some people in the CR area listed.

Otherwise, I am not sure. I got lucky and worked with a lot of gamers and found a lot of gamers at the Comic Shop.

Sorry this isn't more helpful.

edg

 

[El Ravager]

Greetings!

Hmmm. I will stay away from talking about Excalibur as it sounds like you knew the owner. No reason to start something.

heh, don't worry about starting something. I knew sorta knew they guy, but not well. One of my friends did work there for a time and he was far from impressed with how the place was run. I wouldn't mind hearing your thoughts about it... Its kinda depressing that a decent sized town like CR doesn't have a FLGS.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

*Waves to El Rav.*

Hello fellow Cyclone!

 

[evildmguy]

heh, don't worry about starting something. I knew sorta knew they guy, but not well. One of my friends did work there for a time and he was far from impressed with how the place was run. I wouldn't mind hearing your thoughts about it... Its kinda depressing that a decent sized town like CR doesn't have a FLGS.

Oh, you have no idea how depressing it was! I lived there for five and a half years and there was about a year when there were three LGSs, and then we went down to none before Excalibur opened. (Who did you know that worked there? I might know them!) Even then, some days that was disappointing due to the owner.

My big issue with Justin was that he was not good at customer service. At times he was okay, I played in a DND game with him (which another friend DMed) and he was at least more personable. At the store, though, he would forget people's names and try to act like they were best friends and then HE would get mad when they brushed him off even though it was obvious he didn't know them! He yelled at kids who were asking him questions. In general, he wouldn't help people when they had questions, he was more interested in his own collections.

In the end, imo, fwiw, Justin wasn't ready to run a business. He might have been a good worker when he was at M&M (was that the name of it?) but his skills at running a place weren't very good. Again, fwiw from me.

Are you gaming now? What do you play? DND? d20?

Have a good one! Thanks!

edg

 

[evildmguy]

*Waves to El Rav.*

Hello fellow Cyclone!

*Waves to Isida Kep'Tukari and El Rav!*

Hello fellow Cyclones!

How are things up in Ames? How is the group going? If you have posted anything to your Story Hour, which I have enjoyed, I haven't received notice. I guess I am going to have to go back and check it out!

Hope you are having fun gaming! Take care!

edg

 

[El Ravager]

My big issue with Justin was that he was not good at customer service. At times he was okay, I played in a DND game with him (which another friend DMed) and he was at least more personable. At the store, though, he would forget people's names and try to act like they were best friends and then HE would get mad when they brushed him off even though it was obvious he didn't know them! He yelled at kids who were asking him questions. In general, he wouldn't help people when they had questions, he was more interested in his own collections.

In the end, imo, fwiw, Justin wasn't ready to run a business. He might have been a good worker when he was at M&M (was that the name of it?) but his skills at running a place weren't very good. Again, fwiw from me.


edg

Chris was my friend that worked there. He worked there over a couple of summers. What you said above was his and my impressions of the store. It seemed to me that Justin was more interested in creating his own personal stomping ground and his increasing his collection than actually running a business. He never had in new d20 products I wanted and I ended up buying a few books at Barnes & Noble even though I would have preferred to purchase them at a FLGS.

The gaming scene in Ames is great. I've gotta say, Mayhem is about the best FLGS you could ask for. They stock a ton of product for lots of different games, the staff is very good - both friendly and very helpful. They also are great at getting younger gamers involved. They respect the younger gamers and keep them active with Yugioh(sp?), Pokemon, MtG nights every week.

As for Cyclones, their game with Georgia the other night was great. It may not be the NCAA tourney, but its still great to be winning some tournament games.

Hopefully they will be able to win their next one without the luxury of being at Hilton....

 

[evildmguy]

Chris was my friend that worked there. He worked there over a couple of summers. What you said above was his and my impressions of the store. It seemed to me that Justin was more interested in creating his own personal stomping ground and his increasing his collection than actually running a business. He never had in new d20 products I wanted and I ended up buying a few books at Barnes & Noble even though I would have preferred to purchase them at a FLGS.

I think I know this Chris but I could be wrong. Cool!

Yes. No point to keep talking about Justin as I think we agree.

The gaming scene in Ames is great. I've gotta say, Mayhem is about the best FLGS you could ask for. They stock a ton of product for lots of different games, the staff is very good - both friendly and very helpful. They also are great at getting younger gamers involved. They respect the younger gamers and keep them active with Yugioh(sp?), Pokemon, MtG nights every week.

This is how old I am: When I started school in Ames, Mayhem had been open for maybe three months! Definitely less than six and I think by a fair amount less than six. (They couldn't accept credit cards at the time because it took being in business for longer than six months.) I didn't realize it at the time but I have almost been there from the start, as a customer, with regards to Mayhem. I like that!

The one here in DM is awesome! I love the amount of inventory they stock so I can look at older and other games. I also think they do a good job of service and having events to get people interested in gaming.

Is this where you game? What do you play? Do you play or DM? Inquiring minds want to know! Like mine!

As for Cyclones, their game with Georgia the other night was great. It may not be the NCAA tourney, but its still great to be winning some tournament games.

Hopefully they will be able to win their next one without the luxury of being at Hilton....

And here is where we will have to digress. I don't have any idea what sport you are talking about. I would guess basketball but it is exactly that, a guess. Not much of a sports fan.

Have a good one! Thanks for the reply! Good discussion!

edg

 

[El Ravager]

Is this where you game? What do you play? Do you play or DM? Inquiring minds want to know! Like mine!

I have played Warhammer 40k there a few of times. I run a DnD game once a week and a play in a game that my friend runs that meets weekly as well. We play both games in my apartment.

And here is where we will have to digress. I don't have any idea what sport you are talking about. I would guess basketball but it is exactly that, a guess. Not much of a sports fan.

edg

Basketball. Both the men and women won their game weds.

 

[ChromWolf]

Did anything ever come from this thread? I've been in Cedar Rapids myself since last May (right around the time when both Excalibur closed, as well as Gecko Comics, or Chameleon Comics, or whatever it was called---the one in Iowa City--closed as well) after moving here from near Madison, WI (HUGE gamer town--Capitol city of the state in which D&D was formed, after all), and have been fairly fruitlessly searching for fellow gamers... I've love to get back into live, round-the-table gaming, but have had to suplement my gaming vice with play-by-post or IRC gaming. It's fun, but it just doesn't cut it.

Like, where's this RPGA chapter? I'd love to get into some Living Force or something, or even run some mods... Or what about just normal D&D (preferably 3.5)? There's quite a few posts here, and I'd love to maybe get in some of these supposed games occuring right here in town. Anyone?