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Sorry in advance for the wall of text.

Just to preface this story, I routinely visit my FLGS to purchase 40k stuff and paints quite frequently over the past 10 years. I have never played a game other than my garage or ever even seen a game played at a hobby store.

Now, 2 weeks before our game, a friend of mine goes to the FLGS to talk to the manager and see if they will let us play a 6 player Apoc game on Saturday from 11am-7pm. The manager agrees. The game is now scheduled.

Saturday of the game, all 6 of us show up to the FLGS at about 10am with tons of gear (army's, scenery, drinks/snacks..etc). The area where we play is located near the rear door so we ask the manager on duty if it is OK if we park out back so we can unload without going through the whole store. He agrees and we proceed unload.

The game starts at about 11:30am and is pretty uneventful till about 3:30pm. The manager is gone for the day and at this time, the employee running the RC repair shop comes over and asks us when we will be done. We say that we planned on playing till 7 but things are moving pretty fast so may be 6:30ish. He asks if we can start wrapping it up now. We say that we have cleared it with the manager that we can stay till 7. He becomes very awkward with us and says he would like it to wrap it up now as he walks away. We ignore him and continue playing.

About an hour later, another employee (this lady was on the downside of middle age and quite worn looking) comes over and just says "when are you guys leaving". We again proceed to explain that the manager agreed to let us to be there till 7. Now we start asking why were being hurried and asked to leave. She, in a not so pleasant tone, explains that the regular gamers who play there every Saturday will be showing up soon and they need the area were playing in. We offer to move our table over and to set up a second table for the regular gamers to play. She huffs and puffs as she walks away. At this time, the game ceases to be fun for me and I'm pretty much ready to go.

4pm rolls around and the regulars show up. They are very pleasant and are interested in our large Apoc game. We socialize for a few min. and continue to play. The regulars begin to set up on the second table. All is good......till about 5:30pm. Now the "leader" of the regulars shows up and does not like us playing in his space. So he and Angry lady from earlier comes back over and flat out asks us to leave. We flat out refuse, and say we accommodated the regulars. His argument is that he and his friends play there every Saturday and we should have called him to make arrangements with him. My friend asks who are you that we need to clear our game with? At that point, I see that things are starting to get very unfriendly so I just start packing up. My friends do the same, we leave.

I swore to never buy anything or even go to that store again. This is a hard promise to keep as its the only shop in town that sells Warhammer stuff.

That sucks, sorry that you had to deal with such rude behavior. Had I been in your situation I would have asked the store employee on duty to call the store manager to confirm that I had reserved the play space. If I was still harassed by either the employees or the "regulars" then I would have packed up like you did and left.

You should call the store manager and let him know what occurred. Even if you never plan on going back to that store you may save some other unfortunate group the grief of having to deal with clique-ish behavior demonstrated by the store "regulars." You don't have anything to lose from contacting the manager, and you may very well help clue him in to how his store is being (mis) managed in his absence which may mprove the shop in the long run.

You should have continued to play.

The manager is the one who allows people to play there and he gave you permission to play your appoc battle.

even if he forgot that people normally play there at 5:30 he still gave you permission to play the big game till 7:00 and that is what you had permission to do.

Now regular players would have a right to accomodation and you did that. if they were not happy that is their problem.


At my FLGS we always play on monday nights and used to share it with Flames of War players. Things were a little crowded and the Flames of War guys decided to move to a different night. it was fine till the 2 players who diddn't want to move keep showing up on mondays wanting to play and cussing us out because we are hogging all the room. they say they can't make it to the new night. well they get a small table in the corner because we are nice and didn't want to involve the manager in another spat.


My suggestion is don't play on saturdays anymore or invite those players to have an appoc game with you and join the group.

I'd contact the manager and tell him what occured and ask for an apology from the store's employees and the gamers that did not let you finish playing.

That is rather crappy and I to would prolly have words with the guy that gave you the ok to do so as he is also prolly the one who signs the paychecks.

Anyways I actually hear alot of stories like this. Of if your not a regular everyone tends to turn there nose up at you which irriatates me to no end. I mean what a terrible way to run a store? I would of kept playing and told em to talked to the guy who gave you the ok to do such an event and kept on rollin.

Definitley call the store manager and speak to him. No need to go ballistic on him, but let him know what happened, and ask if you can reschedule for a different time. Definitely make sure to get his name, and his position, in case you have to defend your game space a second time.

After what you "swore" you may have to swallow your pride a bit and return, but at least you'd get some satisfaction, as well as being able to finally have a proper apocalpyse game.

I think you should be a bit less uptight(?). It was only a game and it sounded like only 2 people were jackasses really. Just screw the "leader" and "angry lady". Store isn't some "holy locals ground", so if you had the permission you should have firmly but calmly said:
'No! You have any problem - call the manager.'
If you like the store don't punish yourself because some other people are idiots.
Go there again and talk this through.

Nothing big really happened. I know this kind of situations are much more intense if you participate in them, but seriously. Just don't let this one thing get to you. No need to make any holy oaths.

IMHO of course.

I kinda agree with Macok. sucks that they ruined your fun, but it wasn't the store or even the manager's fault, it was a minion and a mouthbreather.

I would hold off on abandoning the store, especially since from the sound of it you've had decent dealings with them until now.

Also, as others have pointed out, the manager was very helpful and probably expected the "regulars" to have room for another table, especially as by the sounds of it, there was enough room. (curious on what the regulars were playing which required so much room), so you leaving only hurts him. Now I can definitely understand your frustration, especially with the two employees who did not explain the situation properly, especially the first one who just asked you to wrap it up with no explanation. The second one just sounded rude, but fits with many hobby stores I've seen where the regulars and employees form a niche that, sadly, does not beget new players or games well at all.

At the same time, do try to put yourself in the shoes of the other gamers, who have probably had this space for some time and suddenly find it being taken, and by the initial look of it totally filled; the defensive and hostile reaction may not have been proper, but it could be expected; gamers aren't often known for their predominant social skills when dealing with others. Frankly, the whole situation sounds like it can accommodate both groups easily, just with a little planning and discussion, along with the manager's "oops!" moment (Side note, if he leaves before this group gets here, he might not have been fully aware of where/how much area they need).

So chit chat with the manager. Don't get all defensive or angry, just explain the situation and your disappointment with his employees at the situation, especially the angry lady (no excuse for that behavior whatsoever). If you have any other issues with the leader of the other group, calmly remind him that he doesn't own the store, or the location, or the "spot" and he's only there by the good graces of the manager. Not the staff, not some divine order, but the guy who runs the place; with them look for some kind of resolution with the manager.

In the end we're all gamers (Again don't know what they were playing), there's no reason we can't stick together for us all to geek out in our own ways.

You should have burned the store down with them in it!!!

Nah but seriously talk to the manager and tell them he lost a lot of paying customers cause of the "regulars" and that awesome sounding employee that tried to kick you guys out. if anything it is time to start buying stuff online and find a new gaming spot. No reason to hang out in a place that will treat people like that.

They play 40k and can you really believe everything you hear online so how do you know the "angry lady" was really angry and the "regulars" have spent a crap ton of money there not a few bucks.

Quite frankly any arrangements on booked tables should be noted somewhere in the staff lounge or something. The Manager should have also informed his employees ahead of time. While he may have forgotten, the employees should have also double checked with the Manager when such issues came up (especially since you actually mentioned him). "Regulars", no matter how much money they've spent at the store, cant just walk in and kick others out. I agree with the others that you should call the Manager. Regulars like this drives off potential business, which is not something the manager (and indeed upper management too) would want. Employees not following regulations or harassing patrons are also liable to punishment. I've never heard of a store doing this before. I had two regular FLGSs, and neither of them kicked players out. No matter how large or small a game is, they never kicked anyone out and always politely asked others to wait while the games are resolving.

Most of the Employees there at that time were not on duty when they showed up to play the Apoc game, so they had no idea and the people playing the apoc game were not very friendly to us in the first place and they have no lounge back there for the employees either.

Old thread is old.