"A belated appeal to those running participation games" Topic

Belated because my computer's been in for repairs these last 2 weeks and this refers to something I encountered at Salute.

I went to Salute 2014 with the intention of playing more games and avoiding the annual "trader trudge" my gaming colleagues like to do (up and down the aisles over and over trying to find the cheapest sellers of Zvezda for the most part). However, I ended up not playing anything.

The biggest hurdle was trying to get to a game at the exact time one was about to start and where there were spaces available. I would ask when the next game was going to happen, I was given a probable time but when I arrived just a shade earlier I found the game was already full up.

Trying to play a game seemed to be a bit of a lottery and I would ask those who do run participation games at conventions to have sign up sheets for the next game; that way you can book a place and also see if there are any spaces available so you can come back later. The best system I've seen at a show was at Salute 2012 where Crooked Dice ran a game where there was not only a sign in sheet, but a space to put your phone number down so that they could text you 10 minutes before the next game was due to run as a reminder.

Did anyone else find getting to play a game difficult? Has this happened to you at other shows? What were the best systems for getting into a game have you seen?

The way it works at HMGS shows in the US is that you can register for a game from the PEL ahead of the convention and then you can register for more when you arrive.

Games are scheduled to start at a certain time and, as far as I know, mostly do start at least close to that time.

At other cons I've attended they have sign up sheets shortly before each gaming session and people can sign up for the games they want then.

@ubercommando – I feel your pain as my aim at Ssalute is always to get two or three games played if possible. It's mostly a lottery though – you either wait by the game you really want to play for 30 minutes or more ('cos the next game starts "in about 15 minutes" !) or you just grab at any half interesting game that is about to start and has places. The Crooked Dice idea is a good one.

@Pictors – at UK shows like Salute, since there are only ~6 active hours, participation games tend to be 30mins to ~an hour maximum. A lot of games give a chance to try out usually stripped down versions of new rules or one of the "hip and happening games" (like SAGA).

There seems to be a major difference between UK and US shows.
In the USA, it's all about the gaming. Sure, we have a HUGE Dealer presence, but it's all about the games.
I have no clue what a "Demonstration Game" is.
The games I play in, and the games I have put on are the same. A 5 hour slot, where you have time to set up a game, time to play a comfortable 3 hour game, and time to take down and BS and trash talk.
Games start at 8:00 AM and end around midnight.

Like Scott says, the signup is easy. Sure, you may miss a game you wanted to play in, but I have played 6 games, each 3 hours long, at a weekend con, with my son.

I like the HMGS system. Always works great for me.

I have no clue what a "Demonstration Game" is.

A Demo Game is supposed to be where a club or group of friends play a game at a show to "demonstrate how it's done". I've always thought this to be a rather futile activity, since wargames are not great as a spectator sport and most of the punters at shows are already wargamers. Duh … that's why they are there…

In recent years, we have also seen the rise of so-called Demo Games that are in reality just dioramas. The guys set up the game, but don't actually play it …

If you thought Demo Games were wierd then these "Diorama Games" are even more so!!

Demo games = Terrain porn !

The better ones do actually get played – they last the whole show and are the sort of game one could imagine signing up for at a US style weekend Convention. If only….

I've lost count how many times the concept of "demo games" has been explained here. Surely by now we all know that there are differences between US Conventions and UK Shows? And that this not a good or bad thing. It's just a thing.

Obviously not. And it'll probably be revisited many times again in the future.

Doug

I've lost count how many times the concept of "demo games" has been explained here.

Me too. But people do keep asking the same old questions …

With all due respect to any Americans reading this thread, alas not many of the things you guys do at conventions are applicable to UK shows. We don't have pre-boookings or pre-registering for games; you show up on the day and scramble around for something to play. You have one day, starting usually at 10am and ending at 4pm at the latest. No 5 hour slots, no coming back tomorrow. 6 hours, tops, to play, shop and talk. If you trash talk and BS with your buddies, then that happens in the show, not afterwards (unless you're sharing a car or train with them whilst travelling home).

For most British conventions, each game might get run about 4 times in that 6 hour period; usually it's about 2 or 3 times. This system favours first-come, first-served participants who got lucky and arrived at the game at just the right time, but I'm surprised sign up sheets for the next game aren't more prevalent.

I used to think demonstration games had their purpose, but these diorama games are utterly pointless. A demonstration game should be demonstrating how a game should work or show how a battle progressed. I have no time for uncommunicative players just standing around a static "game" for 6 hours whilst ignoring the public.

I've seen very good "try before you buy" games where there's a small table, maybe 3x3 with a simple scenario (a squad or two, just enough for two players). A GM representing the publisher then runs continuous games, each lasting 30 minutes or so. One judge can usually run 2 games. I saw Starship Troopers this way and played in the game. Took 35 minutes, it was lots of fun, and I bought a ton of stuff….

I have run a lot of games at shows and frankly the 'turn up and play' model is the one which works best, particularly with short games. We have done the odd longer game with sign in sheets etc, but very few people are willing to commit to even an hour and half of game when there is shopping to be done. Even if you do have sign up sheets, half the people who sign up don't turn up, as they have been distracted by shiny things.

At an actual gaming event, (and yes, there are such things in the UK)then sign in sheets, designated start times etc are essential and the participants are generally a bit more focussed.

Martin, why not have the sign up sheets and if the person doesn't show up in time, you hand their place to someone standing at the table who'd like to play? The onus is on the player to show up and if they don't, it's their loss.

I missed out at Salute because of the free-for-all: I'd be told the next game would start "two o'clock ish", I'd arrive at 1:50 and find the game already full up. Then I'd dash to another part of the hall only to find the same situation. The best system I've seen, and that was at Salute 2012, was the sign up sheet…the text message service was optional.

Some very good ideas here chaps.
When we do the next PP demo games (participation) at FISTICUFFS 31st May in Weymouth and SELWG in October I will put out a sheet for the games and give priority to sign ups. The mobile phone thing is an excellent idea. An idea worth trying. When we put on games at US shows players often sign up, take the chits from the central booking area but fail to turn up for the game. So we all sit around and wait a while because some chap has no intention of being there.
I will give a report back on how it goes. thanks for the idea!

martin