"Are you a “guest player” or a “host player”?" Topic

I have this idea that there are most players, let's call them "guest players," the folks who may have their favorite character mini, or their favorite warband, maybe even their favorite army. They also may have their favorite dice and appropriate personal rule books but no terrain, no NPCs. I believe these players are the majority of gamers.

For most of the years I have been gaming I was a guest player. It never crossed my mind to get some props, terrain or minis that I would not be "controlling". I always relied on a "host player" for these things.

So then, what are "host players?" They have playing/storage space, game props, terrain, their own favorite character/warband/army and a bunch of NPCs that they or others may be "controlling." These host players could also be described as world builder players. I believe that they are likely a minority of gamers.

The last couple of years I have become a host player.

Now I would like to test my theory… are guest players the majority and host players the minority?

To what end you may ask?

For me, adding terrain to the table helps share the sense of world building. It makes me feel more like it is "our table" compared to "my table".

I would love to see the majority of players get some terrain, easy to transport scatter if you will, some buildings or modular pieces of buildings. Pieces that they can continue to use long after they have repeatedly switched favorite character/warband/army. Pieces that they bring to the different games they play and pool together to help host players make even more amazing tables.

It is true that some folks do this already as part of gaming clubs but again I believe that is a minority and that most folks who bring things to share at clubs or events are still actually host players…. Just on the move, so to speak. It is folks doing this that gave me the idea that maybe it would be good for the hobby if more did it.

Another thing that sparked this thought was watching Too Fat Lardies using their random terrain set up system for Infamy, Infamy! on YouTube.

Do you think it would be a good idea for more players to have a couple of favorite terrain pieces and/or NPC's to bring to games?

What do you think could be done to encourage more players to do this?

These days I'm a solo player so I guess I'm both guest and host :)

Solo players by the nature of playing solo end up as host players.

Whilst I have been asking these questions in a number of forums results may be skewed by the type of interested folks who are on such forums compared to more casual players.

I can see from early responses in various places my terms are causing some confusion.

The fact that you would provide minis and terrain at all makes you a "host player." The question is not where do you game or are you a DM/GM. Where ever you play, in whichever role, you help in hosting the game by helping with the physical tools of world building.

And yes this often falls onto the more experienced players with more resources available… but should there be a way to encourage new players to help out with Terrain at the same time they buy their first minis?

I've become a host player. Think we all start out as guest players and either move to hosts, or move on. Also dependent on what kind of playing place you have at home.

Host.

I am a host player, and have been since I started miniature gaming in the 1960s.

Rick

Both. Depends on what we're playing, where we're playing and who does the inviting.

But more often than not, I'm the "host" player, and bring the game and the minis and the terrain and the dice to wherever the group meets.

I'm a host player.

Back when I used to play 40k at my local games workshop everyone was a guest player I guess. The shop provided the terrain and players came with their armies. There wasn't any world building going on though, Games workshop provided the background setting already, the players just concentrated list building meta and beating the snot out of their opponents it was all pure competition.

Talking of competition reminds me of all those competition games you used to at shows around the UK two serious looking guys, 15mm armies, well thumbed rule books, expensive precision measuring sticks and then three bits of cut out felt as scenery. I guess they'd be guest players.

I'm generally a guest player. I plan to start running a game or two again in the near future. I will supply everything. I think it is odd to ask or expect your guests to show up with terrain pieces.

When you talk about characters and warbands, I think of low-figure count skirmish games. If everyone has skirmish armies, it might make sense for every player to have a terrain piece or two.

Host player since the late 1970's. Large storage terrain collection, gaming area or now actual gaming room for 15x6 table, offer snacks and drinks at almost all event days, send out game day electronic invitations, special themed food to scenario on occasions, music on demand (Russian military bands when the Russian Gd. attacks for example), full (garage) storage space with shelving, large collections in 25/28mm ancients, horse and musket WSS, SYW, FRW, napoelonics, WWI aerial, WWII (20mm), Victory at Sea in 1/700 (patio gaming area 15x12), tables, chairs, side tables, ability to keep games set up to continue play days or weeks later, bookshelves of reference book materials collected over 50 years……. yep. I am a host player. Live in San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles now since 1970.

Host. I'm generally the supplier of troops, terrain and scenario

I used to be a host and was also a guest at our FLGS. When it "passed" I became a guest at a friend's house. My game room is a dank, moldy basement so I no longer wish to subject my friends to it's environs.

Mostly a host player.

Getting to be a host player.
Some of our games are cooperative affairs, with one player supplying most of the scenery, but incorporating something that one of the other players built or bought. My swamps have served in games where I supplied all the scenery, where one of the other guys brought most of the terrain, and in games that usually use the gaming store's terrain.

I think incorporating somebody else's new terrain is a good way to encourage others to upgrade their game to being "host" players.

Grelber

I'm happy to play other people's games, but under your definition I'm pretty much a host, and generally now collect at least two sides and terrain for a given game.

Both.

Both – love to host games but also love to play when someone else has the rules/terrain/minis

Back in the Dark Ages when I discovered my first Featherstone books, I realized that if I were ever to get to actually do this, I'd have to do it myself. Still, as the Age of Enlightenment spreads, nowadays I am often a guest, too. Most often, in our group, the "host" will have a game in mind and at least provide most the heavy lifting to make it happen. Hopefully, you then cycle through who hosts next time.

When I played historical games, I was a Guest player. Now I only play Army Men (Host/Author of the rules system used), and a fantasy Host (was a Guest for the first two years only, around 1993 -- bought my first house in 1995).

I became a Host player after I bought a house, moving from an apartment. Only in my house did I have the storage capacity to host games (figures for multiple armies, terrain, and a 5-foot by 9-foot Ping Pong Table to game on). Cheers!

I host a lot of games, and in our regular group there are three of us who host most of the games on a rota, another couple of people who occasionally put and game on, and the rest mainly turn up and play.

When we were playing f2f, it was always good if people could bring something along to contribute, even if it was just a hat to wear.

I am both -- a "host player" when I run a game and provide everything and a "guest player" when I just show up and play with someone else's 'toys.' I have contributed troops or terrain to another's game, but only after prior planning with the host.

I don't think it is really necessary for a player to provide something bey0nd his presence at a game being run by someone else.

Jim

I am a host player. In addition to the venue, table, terrain, food and figures, I am usually also the only one who bothers to read the rules.

I'm still happy to do it though.

Used to be a host player for decades, well back into the previous century. Although I may supply one or more units or even half of the figures I'm now strictly a guest player.

Ok, I give up. What the hell is an 'NPC'?

Mostly a non player

Both. I host games at the house and am happy to go when others host.

Cerdic: I think he is talking about Non-Player Characters for games like Dungeons and Dragons.

Grelber

Odd. I have never met what you describe as a "Guest Gamer."

Every gamer I know has armies, runles, terrain etc. Some may have no room for a table, but I never met a gamer without pretty complete kit.

Nine time out of ten I am the host. Really more like 94 times out of 100. Most of my gaming buddies are not miniatures players. They will play table top games and role playing games, and even war games, but if I want to play a miniatures game, I usually have to provide both armies and the terrain, buildings and table. Even then, they don't ‘get it.' I used to post for players, but most miniatures gamers where I live are tournament style players and that interests me not at all. All the really active miniatures folks are an hour or more away (at least) so I get my ‘guest' play in at local and not so local conventions.

I'm totally happy being the host- and would be ecstatic if more guests lived near me to play.

Thankfully my elder son is a miniatures gamer, so at least I have someone who will paint and field his own forces (though I still pay for a lot of them).

Both, but my definition of guest is maybe even more guest-like than the original post's:

the folks who may have their favorite character mini, or their favorite warband, maybe even their favorite army. They also may have their favorite dice and appropriate personal rule books but no terrain, no NPCs

That is, if I'm not running the game, I am likely to show up with no gaming stuff at all, or maybe only dice, a tape measure, a pad, and pens and pencils. Maybe my own copy of the rules.

For an RPG that I'm not running, I might paint up a miniature for the character I'm playing, and bring that one along (or possibly the character's entourage, like a page and squire for a knight, if appropriate).

As a host, I plan to provide all of the miniatures, terrain, dice, tape or other measures, and write and print out copies of any needed materials, such as orders to the commanders of each side, terrain effects chart, tables of organization, playing aids like rules summaries, etc.

Cerdic, as Zulupaul and Grelber has suggested NPC means non-player character. A common term in role playing games it can be used to describe set dressing or objective figures in some Wargames like Sharp Practice for example.

The topic is not specific to type of game. It could apply to boardgames, RPGs, or wargames. Nor is it specifically terrain or miniatures.

The question is do you have and bring more than yourself and the bare minimum materials for yourself or do you have and bring materials for others. If not, why not? Money? Space?

Do you bring refreshments for yourself or others?

How is bringing some terrain, some generic forest bits for example, different from bringing tasty beverages for everyone?

I know for years I never considered having more than the bear minimum and would of course bring refreshments for others but never think of getting and bringing terrain.

Host player.

With D&D and other RPGs I always had minis and when not hosting, brought them to other locations for DM/player use.

When I did WHFB of course I brought my army wherever the game was. Not only did I acquire terrain for hosting, but also I learned quickly to bring some with me, as other hosts terrain collections generally were lacking.

Host. Too many moves and too few opponents for anything else. I was a guest from 1969-72, but raising a 30mm CLS army while young and attending school was no joke.

Have alway been a host player. I supply the table, figures and terrain. I also create the scenario we are going to play.

No one brings their own figures, no snacks, nothing. I also have to set up the game day and send out invites. One person brings their own tape measure.

No one knows the rules, even though they all own a copy.

I might as well play solo.

45thdiv, you made me LOL! Not sure that was your goal, but you certainly made me belly laugh at your post. Great humor, even if it is true. Sorry, but that was just hilarious to read.

I used to play in historical games: Napoleonics, WW I & II ship games, ACW, WW I airplane games, and microarmor WW II games. Mostly I just showed up to push lead: I was not a history buff for the periods (not a "rivot counter"), I did not know/learn the complex rules, nor did I have mini's. I really did enjoy and learn the rules for the Red Baron WW I airplane game, though. I finally stopped participating in the hisorical games outside of RB. I instead focused on my fantasy games, my beer & pretzel Army Men games, and my fantasy RPG's.

I dropped out of the historical games after some mixed experiences, and I think the other players actually appreciated it, as they grew tired of explaining the Empire rules, and the CD III rules to me. The ship combat rules were Seekrieg III? One player spent 10 minutes calculating trigonometry equations for his torpedo shot, to determine he had a 7 (yes, seven) percent chance to hit. He rolled a 49. That did it for me, on Seekrieg!

Interestingly enough, I did download a copy of Seekrieg III. Tried reading it, but it was uber complex, and I did not understand a lot of it. It involved trigonometry calculations, as well. I nearly flunked Trig in college! I aced Algrebra and Calculus, but Trig twisted my brain into a Gordian Knot! I also purchased a copy of CD III, attempting to read it. By then, they had pretty much stopped playing it, so that was also for naught.

They endured my participation for nearly a decade. They were troopers, I must say! They join me for my fantasy games, and occasionally for my Army Men games. We are still friends, thankfully!

Thanks for a laugh. I hope you are not offended by my post -- your's made me laugh heartily, and I very much appreciate that. Cheers!

Cheers guys!

Role-playing type games isn't really my area. As you can probably deduce…

Host for miniature games, Ectoparasite for rpgs.

Either works for me. Although I host for my family and with Trailife troop annual game night.

I have been both Host and Guest.

I have a decent collection of minis and terrain for WWII games so will Host Mein Panzer games using my miniatures and terrain.

I have been happy to be a Guest Gamer when someone else wants to run a game that I may be interested in BUT don't have the minis or the rules and want to learn how to play. I have an interest in other periods and rules sets but don't have time to paint minis and become familiar enough with the rules to be able to host.

A while back, I played some Fistful of TOWs 3 as a Guest Gamer. Since I had some 6mm minis already, it inspired me to paint some Modern minis and get the rules. I am getting ready to start hosting some games using this rules set soon.

I host games at my house. I run games at a convention or store. Games at my house doesn't require me to run a game because everyone knows the rules. I am generally NOT a player, just a host. I am furnishing all the figures, terrain, a written scenario and refreshments. I only play if we don't have enough players or I will sometimes command late arriving reinforcements. More than anything I manage the scenario.

Its really about who writes the scenario. Unless your Guests have a detailed CADD model of their terrain then how are you going to get a detailed map.

Random terrain is really a none starter for us. It can't be random as "random terrain" games go with points systems which means the terrain can't be random.

I own a large amount of terrain with my friend and Co-Author (KALISTRA HEX so its consistent), so if we play are we joint hosts? I do write most scenarios of the two of us so does that make me the host, possibly.

I do write scenarios for other folk but they have to use my terrain until they build there own like mine as you cant map terrain you do not have a definition for.

Quite a few use there own terrain from time to time with their own scenarios, so really there are no full "guest" players and no Host only players.

It is good to see folks still discussing this. I have learned a lot by reading everyone's opinions. Some excellent points have been raised.