"Dinner Breaks" Topic

tkdguy writes in this discussion:

Taking a break for dinner has often been the cause of a game's early death. I'd rather wait until after the game is done.

Do you agree?

The two don't mix (food and games) IMHO

John T

Sometimes allows for the varnish to dry on the reinforcements.

I always ask my gamers if they want to break for dinner or continue to play through at conventions. However, at home we order in lunch (my group has a 10AM start time) and its usually pizza. When it arrives, I set it up in my basement bar and we take three steps from the gaming table to eat. This keeps the greasy fingers away from the Coldstream Guard, and still allows for one of the gaming world's favorite combinations, beer and pizza!

No. A break often helps concentration.

Before I moved. The group I used to game with, went to lunch and dinner together. That way we knew everyone was coming back. If you let everyone go on their own, then you probably will lose most of your players. Especially if they are losing.

With the old group, if we were gaming late afternoon, it was always assumed we would eat dinner together.

Not a club game though.

We stop at a turns end, eat and resume!

At club games we always take a lunch break as we start about 10:00 am. At convention games, it is game until the time space is over then go eat. Most convention games I run or in which I play are arranged around meal times, i.e. morning (9 to 1), afternoon (2-6), and evening (8-midnight).

Jim

Eat first, or after, then game, unless it's an all-day event.

My brother will never break for food. I am diabetic, so I take food with me to games at his house. He had a couple of his friends seem to think its a point of manhood to start a game at 10:30 and not eat till 3 or 4. Does it annoy me? Yes it does. I am thinking of putting the bathroom off limits when there are games at my house, if normal physical functions are to be ignored. :)

We often do games over 2 days so we definitely stop to eat!

Disagree. Over the years we've had some dinner breaks that were more memorable than the games they interrupted.

In my experience, quite a few games, mainly AD&D, ended prematurely because most of the players were too sleepy after dinner (we usually played on Saturday night) to continue playing. While we generally crashed at the host's apartment in those days, I was the only one without a car, and I had to travel across the bay via public transportation. By the time the game ended, all the buses/trains had shut down for the night, and I was stuck there doing nothing. I felt very cheated during those sessions.

There were other groups I played in that could and did game after dinner break. We started and ended late, but at least we kept playing. But some of the group, myself included, sometimes struggled to stay awake late at night. In my defense I worked the entire day before the game session.

Our dinner breaks are normally between different games on game night. There is no amelioration of interest or effort after dinner. When we take an eats break during a game, no problem either.

We have done it, but usually between games when playing two, three or even four in a day.

Our club's typical pattern is to play a fairly long and complex miniatures game during the day, with snacks available, then break for dinner (either going out together, or cooking at home), then play a role-playing game or board games for a few hours in the evening.

At conventions, I usually run a daytime miniatures game for 5 or 6 hours. We take bathroom breaks as necessary, but no real meal break. Sometimes spouses or friends bring snacks for the players. I haven't had any problems with food on the table or on the miniatures.

Pizza phase is somewhere between turns 2 and 3.

My son in law and I generally play during the late afternoon, when e and my daughter come to pick up or grand daughter, or for Sunday dinner. We will play several moves, stop for the meal and then finish up. This has been a good way to get out games in.

Last group I was in, food was part of the reason to game. we would start @ 10, break and have lunch together @1 and sometimes close out with dinner @ 7. ether we went to the burger place (2 minute walk) or a Chinese place (2 minute drive). back to the game in @ 45 minutes with fresh minds and plans
EDIT: Often the meal was something prepare (and thematic) at the home of the host

We break for lunch almost every time we play and nobody toddles off. Some might fall asleep from carb poisoning but thays their choice. A well placed d8 to the forehead usually fixes that.

A Gentleman should always partake of luncheon away from the table. I believe 20-30 minutes dining time is adequate, to include hand washing, lavatorial imperatives, but not coffee, which should always be taken after withdrawing to the table once again.

My games start at noon. By 5 pm or 6:30 we break for dinner, which is about an hour, and then resume with no problem. No pizza no junk food, no MacCowflops. It's a sit down dinner with a proper meal (Goulash, Cacciatore, Chicken Taragon, pot roast etc., with wine .

I believe in the good life.

Just hook up a intravenous banana bag. And you can play 24 hour nonstop.