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I love playing games at home. I realize I am very lucky to have several close friends who also play 40k and who have their own places large enough to accommodate our games. One house shared by two of my buddies even has a dedicated room with a 4x8 table that's always ready for a game. I've made lots of terrain (of greatly varying quality) to give us plenty of variety for our games. Another buddy has weekly meets of his WHFB escalation league in his garage. It's always a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere and its the only way I really enjoy playing.
I understand that a lot of people love gaming in stores, especially FLGS. I also understand that sometimes a GW store may be the only outlet that some people have to play games. I was curious as to why this is.

It's really just the people...and it can be sort of like a club house.

I have a dedicated room with a 6x4 table and shelves full of terrain, but I enjoy occasionally going to the local store just to see what the kids are doing nowadays. Occasionally I get a game in over there just to change things up a bit. Between myself and the three other people I play with at my place, things get kind of, uh, insular.

It's nice to get a breath of fresh air once in a while.

I only play at home. I love it.

I used to play at my college's club, and we had a great room on a great table with obscenely beautiful terrain and a plethora of painted models for nearly every wargame imaginable. Excellent people, good times.

Played at my FLGS every so often, and it was good enough, nothing special.

I don't know anyone locally who plays.

You also left off "I like to buy stuff while I'm out" which is one reason I like gaming at my FLGS. It's easy to pick up my paints and models before or after the game.

I have no gaming friends.

FLGS is an easy way to game without coordinating a gaming night.

I voted "Other", as it's a little bit of all of the above.

I like playing games on good terrain, meeting new players and getting a challenging game from them. I like compliments on my painting too, that's always nice. Also, I don't really have the space for a gaming table in my house as I still live with my 'rents, so it's a bit difficult.

I like playing at my local gamestore for a variety of reasons. First, we have a number of tables, which allows us to have tournaments or other large scale events (such as campaigns and crusades). Most home operations I've seen only have the one table, and usually a limited selection of terrain. I like getting out of my house once in a while for a little socialization, too. And, to tell the truth, I like it when passers-by admire my models. I don't paint these damn toys for me, I demand praise from total strangers! Not to mention, it's much harder to get new players interested in the game from my own garage. (Since I so rarely have strangers wandering through and going "ooh, what's this here?") Which isn't to say I don't want to have a board at home, just that I'd prefer to do my playing at a games store.

I don't want strange people pooping in my toilet.

I only play at home with friends.
Can't see that changing any time soon.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

chuckwilliams wrote:I don't want strange people pooping in my toilet.

Do you invite strange people into your home, and invite them to use the toilet while they are there?

I typically play at a friend's house and I really enjoy playing there a lot.

However if I do play at a store, it's to show off the ol' army. Yes I am very vain haha
Also sometimes if I need to pick something up I'll be at the game store so I might as well see if I can play a game.

Kind Regards,
Vladsimpaler

Steelmage99 wrote:

Do you invite strange people into your home, and invite them to use the toilet while they are there?

Gamers are strange people. I include myself in there... but it's my toilet.

Brother SRM wrote:You also left off "I like to buy stuff while I'm out" which is one reason I like gaming at my FLGS. It's easy to pick up my paints and models before or after the game.

I feel the exact opposite way. I feel very guilty not buying something if I go to play at a game store, which means if my "hobby fund" is low I end up feeling like a toolbag.

I have the space at home. I have no desire to clean up after any guests. At the FLGS I don't have to worry about it.

Mountain Dew and Cheetos leave stains.

Because I don't invite anyone to my home.

The poll fails to offer an option for not playing at home or in store - instead playing at a private club (a very common option in some countries).

I play in store mostly because I and my friends lack real terrain, and it gives me a good place to paint/buy troops when I stop by. I actually get a lot of pick-up games that way, most recently including a Sisters of Battle Player, which was a treat

I play at my store so because I can walk in on any Thrusday night and have a game with someone. To play in my house requires coordination.

I don't play in stores, generally.

It's mainly magic players and WM/H players in the local game store (or munchkins in the local GW) and I don't get along with either group (the WM/H players tend to be loud-of-mouth and big-of-head, revelling in both braggartry and one-upmanship.)

The clubs I play at have a more relaxed atmosphere and access to beer. This usually makes for a more pleasant gaming experience (people with anger-management issues don't make good gamers).

A store generally has a community or the means to build one. It's a good meeting place that typically fronts costs I would otherwise have to bear such as terrain, table, etc. Stores host events that a get together at a friends house might not be able to. Stores generally have a wider variety of armies and games that many of my friends may not play, allowing me to expand my hobby. Stores also have stock of stuff I want in a convenient and attractive manner and I don't have to wait days for shipping if I want/need something. Stores are great sources of information and great hangout spots of you're bored and have nothing to do after class/work.

There also aren't really "clubs" as such anywhere in the southern california area as far as I can tell, at least that organize and run their own events or have their own gaming space.

Too many distractions at home; 3 kids, dog, wife, etc...
Its nice to get away from all of that for a few hours every week; guy time.

My club mixes it up a bit, sometimes at the FLGS, sometimes at folks homes.

Part of the reason is the terrain and tables, but the real reasons however are wanting to support the local gaming scene (patronizing the FLGS) and potentially gaining new players for the indie games that we play.

As it turns out, our FLGS is doing great without our help (it's a bit crowded of late) and over the past year we've yet to get much interest in our games from the other patrons. Also, we've got plenty of our own terrain. Thus we're moving more toward being a club that plays at people's houses.

I play at my flgs cause its my only real option if I want to get a game in ... in my current living situation anyway.

I absolutely prefer to play at home and have the tables and terrain to enable me to play comfortably in my own setting.

However, I do go to the LGS to meet new people but mainly it is to show off my army. My group of gaming friends has fluctuated over the years so the LGS has been helpful in "restocking" my network of gamer buddies who I later invite to play at my house. Having random strangers "Ooh" and "Ahh" over your army is a nice little ego boost too!

No gaming space where I live, but also I moved to a different location when getting a job, so all my gaming buddies who I started with are miles away. Going to the store means I meet new people to play with. I also joined a gaming club in my local area.

Sometimes I go back home on holidays for a game with one of my friends.

I voted "other" as I game in the store for the atmosphere and larger community. Its almost a club rather than a store and we are a tight knit community.