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...go home.

More seriously, I was curious as to how many Dakka'ers prefer playing at a store versus how many prefer playing at home and why?

I was curious after reading through the tens of threads concerning generally terrible times at the game store. I'm already much more inclined to play at home for the following reasons; it's more comfortable, I can grab bites to eat, brew some coffee, only be around friends, not have to put up with store hours, play some soft music, get set up much quicker, and finally not have to deal with all the TFG's and, as one friend heard them referred to by a browsing patron, ALSF'ers (or 'a lot of smelly f***ers').

Granted, I've had very few experiences with game stores but in one quick learning game of WHFB we had a guy come over and silently watch the game. Okay, cool. Because he was standing right next to the table I turned to him, introduced myself and said 'Hello.' He mumbled a 'hi' and proceeded to not respond to any of my friendly questions/social niceties. After I fell silent for lack of any discernible social skills on his part, he proceeded to watch for five more minutes before walking away without saying anything.

Can someone redeem my view of game stores? (not that I want my view to be redeemed).

~Grimnoc

I only play at home these days. Partially because there aren't many viable options around, but even if there were I just prefer it for many of the same reasons you stated.

Being able to walk away from a war and start it up later is another perk in it's favor as well.

Because terrain, and not letting people into my house. and i feel awkward in others houses to where i cant sit down.

Why do I prefer gaming at home or at my club than in a store?

Beer (can't consume alcohol in a non-licensed premises).
Coffee (stipulation of his lease that he can't put a coffee machine in - landlord owns a coffee shop 2 doors up).
Terrain. I have more in my shed than they have in their store (I can do 4 tables of infinity-level terrain density, or about a dozen 40k tables.).
No Warmahordes players.
No mtg players.
No YGO or any other card players.
Beer.


I very rarely game at home (don't really have the room) and game mainly at my two clubs (one meets monthly, the other weekly, but the 4th week is usually done at the monthly club). Good choice of games, relaxed atmosphere, no shop window-fishbowl syndrome, no pushy sales staff, lots of room (easily room for a 24 player tourney at the weekly one, and 70 players at the monthly one).

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Because terrain, and not letting people into my house. and i feel awkward in others houses to where i cant sit down.

Terrain is a good point, though I'm slowly making my own.

But....you're fine with friends being in your house, right?

I mean, I wouldn't invite over people I don't really know either.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Eldarain wrote:
Being able to walk away from a war and start it up later is another perk in it's favor as well.

Definitely!

I would play at home more if I had more opponents and armies. I like the game store because it changes up the experience.

orkybenji wrote:
I would play at home more if I had more opponents and armies. I like the game store because it changes up the experience.

Oh shut up with your logic and well-reasoned response!

+1 for game stores.

I enjoy the atmosphere at my FLGS; he does a great job with supplying us terrain, boards, and an area far enough away from non wargames that we don't have to worry about it. Playing at home is a good time when you want a game to include adult beverages but I enjoy my store very much and am just sorry to hear that others can't say they've had the same experience.

I will admit now im just getting in to the hobby, so my opion is that of someone with fresh eyes and not that much experiance

I've been down to the FLGS a few times in the past just to have a look at what 40k was all about, my FLGS has a great atmosphere and lots of people always seem to be playing and for having a good time

Although i think im lucky to live very close to war hammer HQ in nottingham

Really the only benefit for going to the FLGS for me is terrain and meeting new opponents. Not that I've played in forever... been busy with school and the like.

I'd rather play my friends at home, comfortable, can throw a movie on the tube, no need to be paranoid about some fethhead wandering off with one of my models... or losing one due to my own stupidity.

Playing at home has better hours and snack supply, but since I've got a bounty of FLGS to choose from, and only go to the ones that have good groups of players, I go to them when my usual core of friends aren't available, or I want to meet up with gaming acquaintances.

I used to play at GW many moons ago. It wasn't often, but it often wasn't fun either.

I prefer playing at home or at a friend's place. My oodles and oodles of terrain sits at home. Most of our games are played at my place because I'm the only one with any real terrain (and maps for the 40K RPGs). Far more convenient than a gaming store (that and the local GW shut up shop a few months back so there aren't really any gaming stores in my... hemisphere).

I love going to my local hobby store because I love the hobby! I like being around people who share my likes. Sure there are some idiots that think they know everything but they tend to keep quiet when you challenge them to a game. I like to play at home but I can't buy models there on a whim.

I'd prefer to play at home but a lack of anyone to play against and a lack of any space to play means that whenever I play (which is rarely) I have to play in a store, someone elses house or at a tournament.

The one and only game I played in a GW store was OK, though I have to admit I was a little paranoid about making sure that no one mooched off with my bag the whole time

Funny enough, I don't care where I play, as long as I get to play. Sure there are distractions at the game store, there are at my buddie's house, too. If I go to the game store, I can purchase items that supply my hobby and fund a local business, not to mention playing the game in the store creates buzz about the game, getting more people into the game and more people to play.

 chromedog wrote:
No Warmahordes players.

Ouch

Sometimes they're annoying, bragging how they're above GW games and stuff like that. I'm allowed to say that, I play Warmahordes.

 ExNoctemNacimur wrote:
Sometimes they're annoying, bragging how they're above GW games and stuff like that. I'm allowed to say that, I play Warmahordes.

Eh, there are people like that in every group

Mattman154 wrote:

 ExNoctemNacimur wrote:
Sometimes they're annoying, bragging how they're above GW games and stuff like that. I'm allowed to say that, I play Warmahordes.

Eh, there are people like that in every group

Very close to being hipster gamers.

If you play, you play, period. Who cares what as long as you and your friends enjoy yourselves, help put butts in seats, games on the table, and money into the register?

. . .play, but I had just been in the area so dropped by without an army.

Bah.

Back in my late teens early 20s I use to play at the LGS all the time. Reached the point where they started to pay me in in-store-credit to watch the shop for them on Saturday's so they could take the weekend off (they were closed on Sundays).
Once I had my oldest daughter I had to slow down quite a bit and before she had turned 2 I became a single dad with primary custody, meaning that if I was not at work, I had my toddler. Thus began my terrain collecting and only being able to play games with Blue's Clues or what have you playing in the background.
A few years later I am no longer a single dad but still a dad and prefer to spend as much time home with the family as I can so still only play at home. I have a very understanding wife, who is always baking goodies for us to nom while we play and I have several comic boxes full of terrain so we can always have a good variety of set ups.
That being said I still rely on my single gaming buddies to bring in new players. They go to the LGS (which is a different store now and 20 miles away). They play the locals. See who is a candidate to bring over and our group slowly grows this way. I truly think I have the best of both worlds now.

I avoid playing in a gaming store like the place was infested with Nurglings. I am so lucky I can play both at home, and in the club I am a part of. the list of advantages are rather long so I will only mention a few

- No Tau players
- Beer
- Painted armies
- People I like spending time with
- Always free tabels and terrain

I prefer the store. My home has lack of space to play plus my wife dislikes me brewing random people over.

I play in my game store cause its the only place I can get opponents. And I don't have room/a table at my apartment. When I get a house there will definitely be 2 tables somewhere.

I've been playing fantasy as of lately. Mostly play at the Games Workshop store seeing how the campaign is held there. I've never really seen the appeal of playing a home really. The gaming community where I live is really a group of friends. Also, I really don't want to horde terrain pieces or a board. Much rather donate it for the general masses to play with. Also, my armies are too pretty not to show off.

I play mostly at home and at the home of my clubmates. We have great terrain, no time limits, no TFG's or other customers and a generally good time.

I'm in Chicago. We gamed at a quasi-local store for a while, but when we changed the day we were meeting it put our club day on the same day as board games day. We were informed that if we setup we'd have to give up the table up to a boardgamer.

That ended it for us. The FLGS was nice to us, and had pretty good terrain, but a few of us have setups at home that we can use anytime without having to drive as far. To be honest, as we play mostly obscure and indie minis games, we weren't really the target audience for our FLGS anyway. We bought figs and some games there, but the boardgamers who replaced us were probably a better investment for the FLGS.

We do still go once every other month to a gaming store outside the city, but that's just to accomadate some of our part-time members who can't make it into the city easily.

Once you get a steady group of players a place to play and a good set of terrain there isn't much point of gaming at the FLGS.

Never played at a store, used to play at a bar we agreed with the owner to close for us on Saturdays afternoons, thus we had burgers and sodas and so on, but never at a mini story, not sure i would like it, rather something like i mentioned or some ones home.

I much rather play at home. Beer, food, tunes, and Im working on my own table. I teach friends how to play and so far two of them are returning players (and one is actually starting a new army, thats the hook line and sinker).

I do lurk the regional "Find a Game" thread but most people would rather meet at a store. Which is totally understandable, because there is the potential for axe murder and various other unspeakable outcomes. But honestly I would rather screen potential gamers and stay out of the store.

Eventually I'd like to be able to play at home, on my own home-built tables with my own terrain. That's just not feasible right now in a 1-bedroom apartment though, and I'm pretty sure my wife wouldn't appreciate having a bunch of loud wargamers in the living room either.

The local store works well for me because I get a chance to play a variety of opponents each time I go, I get to browse the shelves(even if I don't end up buying anything), and I get a chance to unwind a little.

My visits to my LGS to game have been guilt ridden since I became a dad. I'm sure that wears off at some point (first college payment?), but for now I'm happy gaming with friends who's company I know I enjoy.
I'm not looking for a community to fit in to and I count myself lucky if I play one game a month, so stores don't have a lot to offer me.