So Renaissance Games, a shop that is local to me for the time being, is trying to stimulate the warmachine/hordes player base and they are starting by moving the "assigned" day to tuesday nights. That can work out for me so I'll be dropping by tomorrow (tue Sept 11th) with probably my Trollbloods in tow to find an opponent.
I have tried to go to the store several times on the previous "assigned" day of Sunday but never saw a game of warmachine/hordes and didn't have any luck finding opponents.
This has me wondering why some stores can develop a large group and others can't. I'm sure there are hundreds of factors like location, etc etc but how much blame can be put on the player base. Is it the responsibility of the players to help the store keep the gaming going or is it the stores responsibility to give the players a reason to come in?
I think it falls more on the store than the players. A store that can some how make people want to go there on a saturday and hang-out in the store instead of their basement helps to inspire a sense of "store loyalty". I do not have any "store loyalty" right now I have to say. A few of the disorderlies are loyal to Dream Wizards for various reasons but I'm too far away from them to really develop it.
For me, when I had "store loyalty" it was to The Arena. And the reasons were 1) always had people in it when I went 2) good owner, good to talk to 3) A good "core" of player so you could run events with. This made me like going there even when it was just to sit and chit chat. And that made me want to spend my money there and to help run events and to promote the store.
Right now, when my impulse shopping kicks in, I'll go grab the figure from the closest store. I don't go to my "favorite" and order it if it's out of stock. If I can't find it, I just order it online.
Oh, and I'll be wearing my disorderlies shirt tomorrow.. Time to represent! I just hope somebody shows up...
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Store loyalty has to do with a lot of things:
1. Proximity. Sadly, if the store isn't local enough, it's just not going to get a lot of loyalty because we're all busy people.
2. Staff. If the staff isn't receptive - and appreciative! - they just don't get my efforts. It's cruel to think of things in this way, but my time is among my most valuable and in-demand asset these days. I don't give it away without return. Appreciation is pretty much mandatory; apathy means I'll take my toys and go home.
3. Players! Although it's cool that the Disorderlies can often bring their own crowd - let's address how many Confrontation tournies at Dream Wizards were not only DOMINATED by Disorderlies but entirely COMPRISED of Disorderlies- you need people there to play with or whatever your efforts are they are going to be for naught.
Sadly RennGames is not in proximity for me. I've never been in there, so don't know the staff or the players. It's out.
The Arena has some potential, but it really falls down on STOCK. Those walls are almost bare.
And the hardest hurdle of all for me is: compelling reason to go play elsewhere when I have POURED MONEY into a good space to play at home.
ROI on playing at home: HIGH
ROI on playing elsewhere: Low.
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