"Accusations against Brooklyn wargamers" Topic

Have the Metropolitan Wargamers NYC folks seen this? Was posted on the facebook wargamers group. Reading through the comments seems like childish petty mud slinging. Why would he post in a boardgamers group not a miniatures group?

full accusations at link to facebook group:
link
excerpt below:

"A recommendation for all tri state area gamers. Be wary of signing up with Metropolitan Wargamers NYC. I was a provincial member for over a year (supposed to get a vote after 3 months.) When it came time for my friend to nominate me, he was shouted down by a board member of the club. While generally full of good people, there are 2 or 3 talkers on the board with an agenda that are also in general misogynistic and homophobic…"

I'm sure there's a link to Historicon being in Fredricksburg and/or Lancaster in there somewhere.

Loyalists vs rebels? After all they have a DeLancey street somewhere around.

I presume he means "provisional" not "provincial".

Yo! Brooklyn.
You talkin to me? Youhh talkin to me?

Hilarious and this is about toy soldiers, my word!

Someones going to hire Vinnie the fixer to sort it all out I'm sure.

Wow! $720 USD per year.

Bring me a beer or two every once in a while and you can play in my cellar.
Sheesh.
Who in their right mind would pay $60 USD a month?

Supposedly space is expensive in NYC – I can't believe it is that expensive however.

How much of that $60 USD per month do you have to pay for protection -- I mean, insurance?

When I hear of problems like this I am so thankful for our wide open spaces in Oklahoma. I have no shortage of gaming spaces and people to game with.

Supposedly space is expensive in NYC – I can't believe it is that expensive however.

I can. I live in the SF Bay Area.

The FB thread says they have a permanent space with 24x7 access, a game library, space to leave games set up, a few sand tables, and (implied) club-owned resources like terrain to use for your own games. That would be expensive anywhere, and rents in NYC are world-class insane.

- Ix

Also, don't forget they have to pay off the Mob.

Wouldn't want that 28mm building to become a 28mm ruin, would we?

"Dat's a nice gamin' setup you got's dere on da table. Would be a shame if somet'in "accidentally just happen'd" to it, wouldn't it?…"

If I remember correctly that 24x7 access is only for the key carrying members. The provisional ones do not have a key but still get to pay $60 USD a month.

Wow, I was at the meeting this guy is ranting about and can tell you that it looked nothing like what he describes. Nobody shouted anybody down, not by a long shot. That doesn't happen at our meetings. He was applying for membership, and needed to get a member to sponsor him. It's a way of making sure that only people the group trusts get keys to the club, where people store so much of their stuff. Nobody spoke up to sponsor him, and he had left the building during the meeting. So I don't think a lot of people even knew he wanted to have his name put forward that day. Then later he was apparently posting on Facebook that he would take a gun down to the club and shoot some people. The guy's an unstable psychopath.

As for the club dues, if you're not a member it costs $15 USD to spend the day there. If you are a member dues are $40 USD per month, however much time you spend there, and you have keys to the place. It is indeed pricey, but this is New York. None of us have room in our apartments to host a lot of people playing games, so the club dues pay for the rental of a great space. People can store their miniatures and games collections on the shelves there too, which again is a big help in space-starved NYC. And yes there are some great sand tables and room to leave games set up on racks so you can play them out over months.

It's a great space, and the club members are pretty devoted to taking care of it. Hence the slow process of admitting people to full membership. But in my several years as a member this guy is the only one I've seen have such interpersonal problems with folks. Just a weird case.

There are indeed a number of other public venues to game in the city, though they are run as businesses and so as far as I know are not a cheaper option.

Seriously though, if you're ever in the NYC/ Brooklyn area, you should come by to the club. You won't pay for the first time you come down, and despite the bizarre caricature this guy has drawn, you won't find a more inviting group of gamers anywhere.

$15 USD for a day in NYC is not bad. Neither is $40 USD per month and keys to the place.

"How much of that $60 USD USD per month do you have to pay for protection -- I mean, insurance?"

"Dat's a nice gamin' setup you got's dere on da table. Would be a shame if somet'in "accidentally just happen'd" to it, wouldn't it?…"
Gentlemen, gentlemen, le[t us not be crude in our approach:
"My, my. So much talk about guns, and bombs, and such. And everyone brings a backpack to this 'meeting place'. It would be very inconvenient if Homeland Security misunderstood a deeply concerned patriotic citizen's misinformed report, wouldn't it?"

@whitejamest

Would like to more about the club fees, access, guidelinesrules, etc.. since we have some folks considering a "public space". Plz email me at wargaming at aol dot com.

That is actually a brilliant idea: rent out a secured space, where members can store their stuff, and have access, 24/7, for a fee. Get enough people together, and it could be do-able. Of course, this would only work in a metro-area, to be honest. Still, what an intriguing idea! Thanks for posting. Cheers!

It is a great idea Sgt., and where apartments are too small to allow a decent sized war game table the only workable one. However it always founders on the Wimpy. You can get the idea going and everyone will think it's great until the time comes to pony up and many people, like Wimpy in the Popeye cartoons comes out with "I would gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

Actually it works quite well in most places .Our club in Indianapolis (not exactly known for small apartments)had a 2700 sq foot bank basement with men's and women's bathroom facilities and a kitchen facility .

Lots of storage space -members get keys ,but open gaming Tuesdays and Saturdays .
$4,000 USD per month : 25+ members

That's great for your grtbrt. So it costs about $160 USD a month for your club. That's wonderful. We once had a club of 20 people who squealed bloody murder when we wanted to rent a large church basement, nicely remodeled with facilities and storage space for $200 USD a YEAR which would have been about $10 USD bucks a person.

Ooop,
I put the decimal point in the wrong place .
Its $40.00 USD per person per month

Hey GRTBRT, I'm in Louisville, do you all have a club up there now?

Clay,
There is still a club there (19 & One )
19and1.com

They have recently started adding in large x-wing games to the miniatures mix

I have a large collection of Crimean war 1300 15mil, and play a lot of commands and colors ancients and napoleonics as well as SAGA and Lion Rampant.

I've been away from the TMP boards for a few months, so I'm just seeing this now.

I'm President of Metropolitan Wargamers which has been in NYC for more than four decades. Our club welcomes guests of full time members at a rate of $15 USD for a week of guest gaming. This is very competitive with any gaming space in the city. The club features seven gaming tables (including two sand tables) for miniatures and board game gaming. We also have more than 20 racks where board games can be shelved long term -- perfect for big games that can't be completed in one session (we have some games in progress for weeks or months). We have hundreds of pieces of club terrain in multiple scales as well as a library of games unequalled in the area. We are in Park Slope, Brooklyn near subway lines and ample street parking. A guest monthly rate is $40 USD per month. After three months of consistent payment, the membership can choose to nominate and vote on a new member. Full members pay $40 USD per month or $60 USD including private storage (when available). Full members receive keys to the club for 24/7 access. We are not a public, walk in retail space and are completely unique in a city where few people have access to this much space to play and store games and miniatures. Some people choose the pay as you go weekly or monthly model, some seek full membership and others play for a while and then move on.

You can find weekly updates and photos of what we are playing on our Facebook page (below) and we welcome guests of to come for a visit and play games with one of the best gaming communities in the city.

link

I'll be at Cold Wars in Lancaster this weekend, walking around in a black MWG shirt. If you see me and want to learn more, grab me and we can talk.

Kimber
President, Metropolitan Wargamers

+1 to KVR's comments above.
He and the Metropolitan Wargamers always put on a great show.
You can play in one of Kimber's FIW games at NJCON in June. Check out the NJCON discussions for details.
Hope to see you there.