So You Want to Start Your Own Gaming Group...

[Gerald]

So you've started your collection and you've discovered what type of games you like and dislike.  You've tried buying thru local stores, thru online retailers and thru various other channels at your disposal.  You've punched out counters, bagged meeples and wooden cubes, bought poker chips to serve as game money AND you've even bought mini-plastic containers for all your various boards & bits.

The games are lined up on your shelf, and they call out to you whenever you pass them by.  But, sadly, they gather dust... because now you're faced with the problem that most gamers are faced with... STARTING/FINDING your own gaming group.

Well, if you find yourself in this conundrum, then this article is for you.  If you already have your own group, then maybe you can pick-up a tip or two from this article on how to grow/preserve it.  This article is just my way of sharing what I've picked up over the past few years that I've been in this hobby. 

Disclaimer:  Everything I'll be saying is my personal opinion.  It is not the end all and be all of board gaming advice or "tips".

• Let's start off with the easier task.  Finding a good gaming group.  Sounds easy enough right?  Nowadays, there're mini gaming meets being held almost everyday (or every night) in various places in the Metro.  So it should be a simple matter of showing up in one or two of 'em, sitting down and playing right?  Right? 
  
  Unfortunately, not all gaming groups have similar tastes in games.  Some groups tend to focus more on Euros, while some focus more on Ameritrash/Thematic games, while some focus more on miniature gaming, while some focus more on wargaming, while some focus more... well, you get the picture.  At the end of the day, you wouldn't want to have faced traffic and travelled great lengths only to spend hours playing games that you dislike. 
  
  So ask.  The best thing you can do is maximize this forum, various Facebook groups and some Yahoo! groups to discern who plays what when and where.  All of the people I've played with (and I've played with a few groups) are friendly and welcoming.  So do yourself a favor, and ask.
  
  Also, once you do find a group to join, please be considerate of their games and don't abuse their hospitality.  Alot of game owners are very protective of their games, and go to great length to preserve them.  So, don't manhandle the components and make sure you don't lose anything.
  
  And please, be considerate of what you say or do.  These people are letting you into their lives.  No reason to say some crass remark and offend them.

• Before I go on, let me just say that in my personal opinion (which you can feel free to disregard), its almost always better to join a pre-existing group than to start one on your own.  My reasoning is simple.  Our community is growing, yes.  But, our numbers still aren't astronomical.  There's no reason to over-saturate what we have.  So, if it can at all be helped, please consider trying to find a group (or groups) near you that play games that suit your tastes.  Not only will you be doing yourself a favor by joining people who're "veterans", hence able to teach/help you more, you'll also be doing them a favor by expanding their ranks.

• So, for whatever reason (or reasons) you might have, you choose not to join a pre-existing group and decide to start one of your own.  Here're a few tips you might find handy.
  
  First things first, have a suitable venue.  There's nothing more frustrating than playing a five player game in a two player room.  Make sure that if you do plan on hosting/starting your own group, than you can (or have suitable plans/means to) support the group.  After all, since you're starting it, I assume you'll also be housing it.
  
  Plan ahead.  Its hard to always host an impromptu meet.  Yes, every now and then its fun to be spontaneous, and every now and then the stars do align and you can pull off an unplanned meet.  But it pays to plan ahead as it gives people time to clear their schedules and it also gives you time to plan what games you could play and who'll be bringing what when you all meet.
  
  Don't discriminate.  Every now and then, you might meet a person who you find "odd" or someone who gives a bad first impression.  Try your best to not judge a board game by its box.  Give the person a chance.  One of the finest people I know, I once thought was a little odd.  Now, he's a good friend.  Don't alienate someone in your group and always be welcoming of newcomers.
  
  Just because you started it, doesn't mean that you should only play games that YOU like to play.  Make sure that everyone in your group gets a chance to showcase games that he/she likes.  They might surprise you.  Be considerate.
  
  Be flexible.  Sometimes things won't turn out as you planned them.  People might suddenly not come and you'll be left with fewer players than you initially expected.  Don't be frustrated by this... its normal.
  
  Try to pool your resources.  Let's say there's five players in your group... there's no sense in having two or three copies of Agricola as its only a five player game unless for some odd reason you decided to run two simultaneous games of Agricola with the same group of people.  So be smart, pool.
  
  This normally goes without saying, but its best if you all grow together.  The more I've played over the years, the more I've evolved as a gamer.  What I considered brain burning when I first started, is definitely not what I consider brain burning today.  Am I saying you should only play new games?  Perish the thought.  But there's nothing sadder than pouting in a corner clutching on to your battered copy of Puerto Rico when everyone has already outgrown it.

• Lastly, just because you already found or started a group, doesn't mean that you should isolate yourselves from the community.  I still greatly encourage occasionally (or religiously if you have the time) attend the major gaming meets such as the OGM (Open Gaming Meet) and the likes.  After all, we all want to get to know you too.  Every now and then, travel a little and meet new gamers.  Don't stop exploring.  It may not always be convenient, but it almost always is fun.

There you have it.  I'm sure there're alot of tips that I missed, so feel free to chime in with your own two cents.  I hope this inspires you to find/start a group of your own.  Hopefully, I'll see you at the next gaming meet.

[SCUGrad]

Don't discriminate.  Every now and then, you might meet a person who you find "odd" or someone who gives a bad first impression.


The statement quoted above is distressingly true for a rather large number of gamers.  Kidding aside.

[RogueGreenArcher]

Do we have a sort of directory of the active gaming groups and their general location?

Just curious, it might make it easier to look for them if we have a collective information and where they are stationed at, what they play or focus on, and some of the more prominent members who are in the forums.

[dmnyo]

I'm lucky enough to be able to game with friends in alabang, but sometimes you just gotta get more hardcore peep, ya knowz?

[dyeyk2000]

Do we have a sort of directory of the active gaming groups and their general location?

Just curious, it might make it easier to look for them if we have a collective information and where they are stationed at, what they play or focus on, and some of the more prominent members who are in the forums.

This was a feature I was hoping the already awesome TTW would have. But it's all good.

@Hans - I'm sure you're probably thinking about this, but bringing it up nonetheless, your members database needs to have some way of matching gamer times, locations for meets. That'd be awesome

[xtriker]

Do we have a sort of directory of the active gaming groups and their general location?

Just curious, it might make it easier to look for them if we have a collective information and where they are stationed at, what they play or focus on, and some of the more prominent members who are in the forums.

This was a feature I was hoping the already awesome TTW would have. But it's all good.

@Hans - I'm sure you're probably thinking about this, but bringing it up nonetheless, your members database needs to have some way of matching gamer times, locations for meets. That'd be awesome

Yup, I'm still working on it. Limited lang ang aking IT powers haha.

I was thinking of having designated point person/s per game night ( yung mga constant). I was going to ask for volunteers to have this project rolling.

So far,

I would need 1 in the North (quezon city up), 1 in the South (las pinas, alabang etc.), 1 in Makati, 1 in Greenhills

Unti untiin ko na haha

[dyeyk2000]

Cool!

It all depends on the skeds. I can tentatively support the South, Makati (pwede ba Fort? hehe) groups with better regularity than the Ortigas and North groups.

Also suggest (IT skills permitting haha) that you give people space to list their game collections. That way, it's easier to organize what to bring in a meet.

The way I visualize this is it will be like a "dynamic poll" where the various groups can vote on when, where and what to play for say this coming week.. And then you can re-update the poll for next week. I think kaya sya sa Google Forms? I dunno haha. (I can dream can't I? Haha)

Lastly.. you might want to create a separate thread so we don't hijack Gerald's.