"For BIG Participation Game Players, Hosts, Judges & Others" Topic

Are you hosting a BIG or even medium-sized "Participation" wargame in 2015? Are you playing or judging in one? Do you want to host one of these terrific experiences some day? Do you think someone might benefit with useful tips? May I therefore take the liberty to suggest buying, The Wargamers' Annual 2015 edited by Charles S. Grant?
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My remarks about it start here:
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Why? Because such games are a BIG deal and are very important. They are also fragile affairs, easily ruined by many things. Have a care for players especially.
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Respectfully,
Bill P.

Perhaps a Yellow card to be flashed by the GM when a player is transgressing the realms of behavior acceptable to the GM despite attempts at correction and re-direction, and a Red card to eject the player if they don't mend their ways.

I have had this happen on rare occasion. Most players are good sports and respectful of the time and effort the GM has made to present the game even if it turns out not to be their cup of tea, but a few just don't seem to have learned how to play nicely with others back in Kindergarten!

Yellow card with humor, but a little bite.

As long as all the co-referees are on the same page regarding rules

I like the yellow/red card idea!
I've been noticing some of our older gamers getting a bit testy at games; the card would be a nice,quiet way of reminding them to play nice or not at all.

See also Miniature Wargames issue 380 (November 2014), for my game that involved 250 players.

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No need for any of this if you pick the right group of players.

There is one player I will never play with because he questions everything , thinks he knows everything, tends to make his opponents life miserable and paints models without any effort and it shows! If I find out this guy is playing then I don't turn up its as simple as that. No amount of yellow cards will change this guys views just avoid:)

Perhaps a white van may do the job with a couple of guys in white coats:)

I have a special set of dice that I use as Gm when there is an unrully person playing in one of my games. Thay have no visable pips on them (but I remember where they were). So when a player acts up, I roll the dice for him (something bad always seems to happen when I do so). Just a gentle reminder that there are bad things that may happen when one does not play well with others.

In June, 2015 we'll be running a large 28mm Waterloo game at West Point using the Carnage and Glory Computer Moderated system with 20-30 players. The CG system tends to reduce "some" of the unavoidable potential unpleasantness since it eliminates dice and relying on players to calculate and resolve fire or melee.

I say "some" with a couple of scars…even the most seamless rules system still requires a certain amount of interpretation by a GM and given that that usually involves a winner and loser, the loser can sometimes be ungracious.

Like any rules system, a large game will go much smoother to the degree that the players have familiarity with the rules and game sequence.

I've put on lots of big games at conventions and at home. For home, people are my regular group so there's no problem. At Conventions I try and put in the description as much as I can about the nature of the game. At the game itself I basically tell people. "OK, I will now get into a brief run-through of the game. This will taken me about 15 minutes after which we will start the game. For the first turn or two and a half I will step by step lead you through the rules, but by turn 3 you'll all be playing like experts" and I can leave you and go prowl the flea-market, just don't drop any figures on the floor and if you do pleas pick them up." What follows then is 15minutes of homily on the rules and how to work them, larded in with a lot of humor, self-depricaton, and laughs. This serves to
"self-select-out" the difficulty types and usually two to three will leave the table when they realize it's going to be a free-wheeling, fun, and free and eazy game. MOST important it's going to show them what type of GM you are and how you're going to run the game. When you make it very clear that you're playing this for laughs, the hard cases scurry away.

Now and then I have some friends who show up for a game (I guess they'e got nothing better to do at a con) and they'll play along and it turns into a "Who's on First" routine. Everyone get's the joke and it sets the stage. My revenge is OK, so you all know this is Mike L, or Pete F, or George D, and they know the game better than I do, they play at my house all the time, and to revenge myself on them for this little bit of "sandbagging the umpire" they're going to be put on opposing sides to be the tutors! That'll larn em!

GMs should NEVER walk away to go shopping or anything else during a game he is responsible for. That it is GM 101. I run big game at conventions. I usually do it with one my regular players helping me. We both run the charts and keep things running smoothly.

I have had that happen to me, this GM decided he didn't feel like running his game because he wanted to be in another game. He just went over the rules and left. None of us played these rules before, so we all just left.

When you agree to do a game at a con. you should put forth your best effort. Be there the entire game to answer questions, run charts and resolve any issues not covered in the rules. If you just walk off after going over the rules then it does show what kind of GM you are, an irresponsible one.

Rallynow,

I had the dubious opportunity to sign up to play in a game run by Todd Fisher at Origins I think in about 1987…the game was Eylau, to be played with Empire. It was hyped in the usual Fisher fashion…much more style than substance, and after everyone assembled for the game, got their assignments and endured what seemed like never ending pontification posing as a game briefing, from the great one himself, he stuck around for the first turn and then told everyone he was sure they could play the rest of the game without him and he left. Needless to say things did not go well after that.

What if that experience was your first introduction to the hobby?

At one of the conventions in Denver a few years ago I signed up for an ECW game, can't remember what the rules were. So five players showed up, including me and no GM in sight.

Nothing was set up and just before we all left here came the two GMs with their take out lunch. They proceeded to sit down right in front of us and eat their lunch. I just left and later on caught up with the guy in charge of games. I suggested they never invite those two to run games at their convention again.

In a perfect world, GMs would get a small stipend and would go through a short informal course on how to be a good GM. Just basic stuff like, show up early, try to be set up before the game starts. Go over the rules. Be positive, and make sure everyone is having a good time. Help those who are struggling with the rules.

But it is not a perfect world but you volunteered to do this, no one put a gun to your head. I actually enjoy running the game and see the fruit of all my labor. I want everyone to leave feeling they had a good time.

Dear Rally Now

It's a joke. I say that to goose them up. I stay around the table, but it's literally true. After turn three they don't need me and sit there quietly reading a book. In fact whenever I break in to answer questions or give comment on a move the gamers say with almost a little annoyance "That's OK, otto, we know." They really do!

I see you're not a favorer of humor in gamings. You wouldn't do well in my games.

Dear Rally Now

You say "In a perfect world, GMs would get a small stipend and would go through a short informal course on how to be a good GM. Just basic stuff like, show up early, try to be set up before the game starts. Go over the rules. Be positive, and make sure everyone is having a good time. Help those who are struggling with the rules. "

You've got to be joking? Get paid a stipend? Go through a course to be a good GM? Get real.

As for the rest, that's all common sense. If you have to start at X time, you have the game ready at X time and for that I'm usually there three hours early.

Otto

I believe if you do run a battle, you should get a sandwich and two bottles of beer. Hey, a lot of time was put into this