Gaming and Life in Nebraska?

[jodyjohnson]

No shortage of gaming in Lincoln.

All the book chains carry gaming materials.
The Hobbytown chain of hobby stores is based here with 2 stores in town. The new flagship store is large and opened about a year ago. The older flagship store moved into a smaller building.

2 FLGS (Comic World and Gauntlet Games).
Gauntlet is more miniature wargames (GW) in addition to RPG.
Comic World sells comics obviously in addition to the best variety of RPGs in town. They also do Mageknight.

Gauntlet tends to have an older crowd while Comic World is younger. The Hobbytown stores have Magic, Heroclix, etc tournaments.

All that said it may take a few months to find the right fit for a group.

Omaha is about an hour away, Kansas City is 3. Usually a small Con in Lincoln, and the other cities each year.

Cornhusker Football is pretty big here, but personally it really only means I have to remember to avoid downtown on game days (72,700 seats makes it the 3rd largest city in the state on game day). Lincoln pop is 225,000ish with no real suburbs.

Bike trails head into most areas of town and are well maintained.

Lincoln easily fits the 'not so great place to visit, but you'd want to live there' mold. Denver is about 7.5 hours west and Chicago is about 9 hours east.

The area is on the edge of the coldest weather in the winter and the warmest weather in the summer but neither extreme lasts for long.
We tend to get major snow only 2-3 times a year and it usually melts off within a couple weeks. Each year we tend have a week in January in the 50-60s and sometimes into the 70s so winter never seems long to me here.

Overall milder winters than MN/WI/MI while still getting some snow and longer drier summers without the excessive heat and humidity of farther south.

 

[haiiro]

Lincoln easily fits the 'not so great place to visit, but you'd want to live there' mold.

This is quite possibly the most interesting way that I've ever heard a place described -- and it makes a lot of sense.

There's a lot more feedback in this thread than I expected. Thank you all for taking the time to fill me in -- it sounds a lot more attractive than it did at first, particularly knowing that there are some good FLGSs within range.

One thing that stood out for me after looking at census stats online was that Lincoln is very, very white. Coming from NYC (not where I live now, but where I grew up), I'm not sure what I'd make of that aspect.

I'm still hungry for info, if there are any more interested folks out there.

 

[The_Universe]

One thing that stood out for me after looking at census stats online was that Lincoln is very, very white. Coming from NYC (not where I live now, but where I grew up), I'm not sure what I'd make of that aspect.

That's reasonably common for the entire region. For instance, there were three asian americans, and 2 african americans in my entire high school. On the other hand, native americans are pretty common. However, white/caucasion tends to dominate the demographics in the midwest.

Nonetheless, you'll find people pretty tolerent for the most part. One of the strange benefits of having almost no contact with racial minorities is that it's a LOT harder to develop negative stereotypes. (At least that's been my experience).

 

[Krail Stromquism]

Nebraska Rules!

Alright, Nebraska doesnt rule, but its OK.

Im a Lincoln Native and moved out to Tucson AZ last July.

As afr as moving there it all depends on where you move to, abut the only place I'd move to in Neb is Lincoln.

Lincoln is a nice town, medium small and not complicated at all. If you have a family or are planning on starting one, Lincoln is about the best place on the planet. Mys sister moved back from Chicago and had a baby and her husband and her are happier and have more friends in 6 months than they did in 3 years in Chicago or 5 years in Irvine California. Theres not a lot of crime, like there is in other parts of the country, I never remeber locking our front door growing up. Last year we accidently left our back door open for 8 ours while we were out of town and nothing happened. We lived in a 'shady' part of town too.

Anyhow, Lincoln shops, Comic World is a bit better for RPG stuff but you have to ask for help if you want any questions answered, Speak up cause they are a bit introverted there. NIce though. I prefer to get my Comics from TRADE-A-TAPE! the best damn comic store in the universe. well at least in Lincoln. Gauntlet is run by WarGamers and is exactly what youd expect: a group a old fat guys sitting around jawing about this and that and making bad jokes and not helping you, they're OK but I like Comic World better they have better selection and scheduling of product then Gauntlet. Gauntlet sports better minis and a nice selection of gaming mags. The BEST thing about Gaunlet is that its next to a Thai place called Four Suns, SO GOOD!

also Lincoln has the best Indian food anywhere! and I challenge anyone on that! The Oven downtown in the Haymarket is the best Indian Food you'll eat in your life! Get the Muligitany Soup and ask for Vegetable Madras and Paneer Kulcha and you are eating the dinner of a lifetime! SO there!

anyhows, in other news, I hate Omaha. Imagine all the good aspects of a small town; Omaha has none of these. Now think about all the bad aspects of a big town; Omaha has all these. Omaha really is the worst parts of a big town and small town jammed together.

Tucson is OK. I hate the RPGA, its the WORST gaming I've ever done. I never played in Lincoln. Home Games all the way!

GO LINKS!

 

[Emirikol]

Sioux Falls, mentioned above, is actually not in Nebraska. It's in South Dakota. Don't confuse it with Sioux City, as many people do--they are 60 miles apart.

Sioux city IA or Sioux city NE ? Last "con" we went to in Omaha led us over the border to SC, IA..to this bar where they had what are known as 'exotic dancers.' They sure wer' purdy..

Yea, SF is in SD. (FSD on the radar..I never understood that.)

jh

 

[Emirikol]

I hate the RPGA, its the WORST gaming I've ever done.

Ditto on Omaha. It's a base town and an expired factory town. They're doing some nice fixer-upper's downtown though. One drawback, they were still playing 'wedding' music at the 'trendy' clubs though. Crap like FUnky co' medina and Ace of Base. I thought I'd died and gone to the VFW for a wedding (like how I was properly married back 'der.) People were nice though. I think you'd have to work pretty hard to get yourself killed or robbed and we were by the old airfield and on the N.E. side.

The RPGA is better that you hate, but it's what you make it. Find some people you like and play RPGA games or do home gaming. Either way is great.

jh

 

[MrFilthyIke]

Yea, SF is in SD. (FSD on the radar..I never understood that.)

Probably based on Siuox Falls, South Dakota...but I'm not 100% sure, don't have an OAG around anywhere.

Just like New Orleans is MSY because it used to be called Moissant (sp?) field, and Orlando is MCO because it used to be McCoy field. Only so many 3 digit combinations you can make before you start to run out.

Tell me why Fayetteville, AR's west regional airport code is XNA.

edited for airport nerdiness

 

[The_Universe]

Sioux city IA or Sioux city NE ? Last "con" we went to in Omaha led us over the border to SC, IA..to this bar where they had what are known as 'exotic dancers.' They sure wer' purdy..

Sioux City IA, Sioux City NE, and North Sioux Sioux City SD are essentially the same town, with a serious problem with multiple personality disorder (all 3 borders meet, and Sioux City is there to crap up all three). On the other hand, there is some good eating to be had, and the mall in Sioux City is alright if you can't make it all the way to Sioux Falls to the Empire.

On the other other hand, my wife DID get her wedding dress in Sioux City, IA...maybe I can't dump on it TOO hard. But the awful reak of packing plant will stay with me till I die...

 

[Gadodel]

I've lived in Nebraska all my life. I have yet to find a reason to leave.

Gaming: like anywhere else. I have met some people that I have gamed with 14+ years. Likewise, I have gamed with people that I probably won't ever game again with. I think that you will find that folks either belong to a group for a long period of time or they move on once they are done with college-for example.

Lincoln and Omaha are quite progressive communities. I think for the most part folks here are becoming more and more "color" blind. I've met people that have moved here from elsewhere and were surprised to learn that are brand of kindness is a bit more kind than the kindness they left.

Example: If you find yourself driving in a rural area, expect to get waved at by drivers coming the other way. It is usually just a finger raised off of the steering wheel and it is not the middle finger If you car breaks down, expect anyone and everyone to stop and help. So, if you are planning on doing any commuting...you shouldn't have any fears.

Cost of living: Hmm...I've give some examples:
12 pack of Bud Light Ice: average price-$10 Sam Adams: Six pack $7
Gallon of Milk-varies on brand-$2-3 dollars.
Pound of Hamburger: varies on brand just a couple of bucks.
Gas: One gallon-now $2

Hmmm....rent for a two bedroom apt, depends on what you want. I've seen "Mostly college students live here" types average around $500. I've seen, "those that want a nice place, but can't afford a house-yet" run around $700. A month...that is.

 

[Gadodel]

Ditto on Omaha. It's a base town and an expired factory town. They're doing some nice fixer-upper's downtown though.

Omaha is expanding westward-the only direction it really can go, at an alarming rate.

The Qwest Center among other places offers things that I dare say could be found in any large city...

My guess: The Omaha area (30 mile radius from downtown) has around 700,000 people by now and the Lincoln area (15 mile radius from downtown) has around 300,000 people by now. The two cities are about 50 miles apart.