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Common Courtesy at the FLGS
Posted On 09/08/2009 08:35:46 by calico_jack73
As stated in my previous blog my group played a one-shot at our FLGS last weekend.  When I arrived I immediately noticed that every regular gaming table was taken up by Magic the Gathering players.  Looks like they were having a tournament or something.  I was a little ticked because when I called the game shop earlier in the day I asked if I needed to reserve a table and they assured me that I wouldn't have a problem.  So... we ended up using one of the wargame tables.  On two of the other wargame tables there were some Warhammer 40K players quietly going about their game.  I was running a one shot World of Darkness game for my group.

Now, IMNSHO gaming at a FLGS should be something akin to playing at the library.  You keep your voices down out of respect for the other games being run at the tables next to you.  The occasional huzzah from rolling a "Nat 20" is fine so long as quiet is the norm.  If it had been just my group and the two Warhammer 40K groups everything would have been hunky-dory.  The MtG tourney almost ruined it all for me.  For one they were just generally loud to begin with.  The event coordinator evidently felt that we were the interlopers because every so often he'd walk around the room yelling at the top of his lungs that some form had to be turned in to him before the end of the night or some other BS.  He seriously seemed to enjoy the power that he appeared to wield over the MtG players.  Every time he'd walk by our table yelling something or other at the top of his lungs I had to seriously reign in the desire to deck the guy.  In his mind no other game existed.  I could tell from the nasty looks he was getting that several of the Warhammer 40K players felt the same way as I did.

Please... when you game in a common room at the FLGS do NOT check your manners at the door.  Be aware that there are other groups playing games that have nothing to do with your game of which they probably have no interest just as you probably aren't interested in theirs.  Have fun but be respectful of others so that you can have the same expectation of them.   

Tags: Manners Flgs Culture



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Viewing 1 - 6 out of 6 Comments

From: laby67
09/09/2009 12:16:08
Well it is not that i truly hate mtg players .... but i am sure that without them world would be the same .. (or a little better parhaps) 


From: Darkforce
09/08/2009 15:13:35
I used to work at a local game store. I was told that Magic players payed the bills and if they wanted tables give it to them. They were always cocky, demanding and jerks. I had one Magic player that was cool enough to tell people to chill. I feel your pain. Our local store that I hit once in a while is awesome. Plenty of table space and if you are bringing players, they want you.


From: StupidSmurf
09/08/2009 13:24:03
Veez:
And thing is, if 10 other people feel (and react) the way you did, that's 10 times the revenue lost. These things add up.

"Support your FLGS"?? How's about they support us right back?


From: Veez
09/08/2009 11:29:37
I found it ironic that the 40k players (often an boisterous crowd) actually were the quiets ones, and were sort of huddled in a corner almost ashamed looking.

I understand the mild penalty for playing there.  I don't like it.  I think it is a sign that the shop has been making some other poor business decisions lately (they also close the register at 9 pm on Saturdays-bear in mind that when we left voluntarily there were still other people playing-that says revinue lost, if only in cokes and snacks sold).  For me it was justification not to buy anything.  Otherwise I would have probably spent $20-30 in order to assuage guilt for using their facilities.  They got $2 from me.  They lost a lot more, to include a little respect.  For even my small fee we should have been assured a little privacy or at least the respect of relative quiet from the other groups; the same courtesy we would have extended if we didn't have to yell to talk.  Call me a cheapskate if you wish, it is only $2 but I sure got what I paid for.


From: unquietsoul
09/08/2009 10:17:58

I have seen this behavior so many many times that I generally refuse to run games if there is any form of a MTG evenyt scheduled. The event coordinators for these, whether store employees or outsiders, always seem to be on some sort of power trip and many insist on using amplification (such as a karoke style speaker system) to make it even worse.

I've run into this locally even when I was paying for table space to run a weekly game at the store, and thus providing income to the store. Its gotten to the point where I'm leary about gaming in the stores. If MTG folks are going to rule the roost because of their gambling addiction maybe its time for all the other gamers to take their business elsewhere in full and let them go down the tubes when it crashes again (and it will, its done it before).

 



From: StupidSmurf
09/08/2009 09:04:31
Words to live by. There's plenty of room at the (gaming) table for everyone.


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