Big Bang Burger Bar

Hi Gang,

Just a quick note to spark some discussion about our so far successful Thursday night sessions.
If anything they have become too successful as we have attendance in excess of what some of the less experienced DM's could handle.

I think, as good as the coopers is, we need to find a venue that could hold 2 or more games so we can have smaller easier to handle groups. If anyone has any suggestions please post here.

The Coopers has served us fine but the side room is t00 noisy with a large group to be able to run simulatenous games. We have a great little group and I would like to see these fortnightly games continue but we need to make some changes so we can have a good spread of games and DM's.

Let me know your thoughts

Thanks.

+:beer=+::beer:

Well, actually as of the last few weeks, between things, there has been if anything a complete LACK of thursday games. (With the Vampire games being put on hold at the moment due to lack of important players due to RL concerns.)

I don't think we really have enough regular thursday people to guarentee two games, which is pretty much why the Science-Fiction Double-Feature idea fizzled out. By my count, we have a theoretical maximum of 11 players. It's a bit much for some games, but except on rare occaisions I'm usually seeing two thirds of that at most. (That's including Evil-Ginger, on account of the possibility of him running a Rogue Trader game on Thursdays at some point, if people are interested.)

Perhaps it'd be an idea to have our potential DM's discuss maximum and minimum player numbers? (As well as who is prepared to run what game).

I'll agree though, the Side Room at the Coopers is, at times, not quite perfect. Between it and the Devonshire, we've been doing okay for the last couple of months, but if there are better locations, I'd love to hear it and/or give it a shot.

I have not been present at the Devvy sessions but if that provides a suitable alternative then thats great.

The problem we have with attendance is some RL issues, also 2 of our number whilst they have online presence here rarely actually get online so unless someone actual contacts them about a specific game they are unlike just to turn up on spec.

I have not been involved in the Vampire game, as previously stated not really my thing. Whilst I could have attended to be social I felt it would distract from the game and also would feel it rude turning up to chat for a short time then leave.

I am mostly thinking if we publish and discuss here what games are wanting to be run and as you suitable player numbers then as and when needed we can run games side by side at an alternate venue, when we have fewer attendee's we can revert to normal status quo.

When we have popular games running (B5, Serenity, Toon, etc etc) attendance is high. The problem then is I feel some people are unknowingly left out a little as it is very easy to get sidetracked by the more forthcoming personalities. I know I am sometimes guilty of this and I would prefer to run with only 4 or 5 people in a game but I also don't like to exclude :(

Not sure I have any answers but if we have an open discussion here at least we can all get our heads together and try one of our famous "plans"......

 ;D

Yeah, If I was running a game, I'd certainly be prepared to run for higher than that personally, (not saying I'd be particularly good at it, but I'm up for a challenge!) but my hands are going to be full with the wednesday game I'm putting together.

Had a word with Stacey, and she's happy to run for between 3 and 6 people, (which is, admittedly, pretty much the golden range.)

For want of more immediate plans, I believe we are looking at a game of Changeling this Thursday. It's got similarities to Vampire, being the same company and to a degree, system, but has huge flavour differences. (being a game about those unfortunate souls who have had run-ins with the cruel and capricious Fey.)
If you're up for giving it a shot, Zarni, it's all pre-genned (with nice little character cheet-sheets about the person. Could possibly use the time to have a natter on what next, and where, before-hand?

No idea what Evil-Ginger's character-limit would be, we'll have to wait for the man in question for that. I suspect he doesn't really have a minimum, however, as he's run some particularly fiendish solo sessions as part of the various Dark Heresy and Drow games.

As for the Devvy, well. On such occaisions as it has been needed, and wasn't itself overly busy, it did make a pretty good location. Also made a nice change, if nothing else.

That said, Andy does alledgedly know someone who owns a bar, (and would likely welcome the custom, I'm sure.) Perhaps it might be worth someone popping in and having a look?
Purely in the name of science, of course. :)

Well, my tupence worth is:

Venue - Coopers can be used if we only need one game (if it were a bigger game say). It is always a bit awkward if we're in the side room with 6 people and the pub is packed.... However, as the Devonshire has stopped doing food, they are not really busy, so we could easily host 3 games if we wanted to.

Games  - Personal preference shapes what I'd like to see obviously.

1) Traveller would be at the top of my list, as to date all I've had is my characters foot blown off!
2) Star Trek - this can be a great setting for more cerebral games and I'd love to play in some games....
3) Supernatural - just love the TV series and the game is Cortex system based (same as Serenity) so that'd be grand.
4) Unremitting Fear / Fear Itself - wouldn't mind trying these out
5) What about a Pulp style game - maybe using Savage Worlds?

Loads of others, but I'd like to let others have input....

I believe our absent Andy was waiving a Star-Trek book about. Also, for referrence, the Rogue Trader game Evil-Ginger could be persuaded to run, is not only a faintly traveller style set-up, it also is patterned after an old Star Trek campaign of his, alledgedly. (Complete with Redshirts, I might add.)
Frog, I believe, might have had a Cthulhu-esque 4th ed thing in the works, but whether and when you'd have to ask him.

I'll play whatever I can get in on, as ever. :)

ok apart from my needing serious doses of amphetamines to stay awake past 8pm nowadays I manage with caffeine for the Drow an Dark Heresy games but feel like I have been on bender for weeks the following morning.  

I would run any thing my favourites at the moment are

1 Rogue trader 6-8 players
"Gallant enterprise" Tiki & Moroghan have generated characters for this and we have the ship done as well.

2 Runequest forgotten realms anything up 10 players
as before our would be heroes set forth into the world and seek the child who will tell them all to cheese it before they all die.

3 Dying Earth 1-4 players
Zarni will play this as I have spent months working up a game just for him

4 Ars Magica 1-4 players

5 WHFRP 2nd ed 1-6 players
"Strike the earth" as mentioned else where the game of dwarves with a wagon two horses a pair of dogs, a pregnant cat & lots of beer

 >:DGinger

I think a 2nd thursday game would be good if you knew you had the players.
Mostly as i agree that some games do have overly large numbers (sometimes). I do however think that you would not be able to run this all the time as folk do tend to come and go for various reasons. As i cannot think of other venues besides the two pubs, i am happy with these at the moment, but i have doubts both/either have room for two games at once.

Games i would like to see on a thursday include andys' original star trek and star wars the old republic game, and finally EvilGingers' Rogue Trader. Oh and that traveller game.

Traveller! And Rogue Trader!

I had forgotten that I had done a character for Anu's proposed Knights of the old republic game, so providing I can stay awake I would be up for that as well.

I could also run a D&D 4e game based in the world of Dark Deeds in deep Places should any one be interested.

As for venues I like the Coopers the beer makes up for many of its faults indeed in many ways more than makes up for them but its not the place for games which require tactical maps or large groups, of my games I would run Dying Earth and Ars Magica there. The other games would be better at the Devi if its not heaving or the shop as I am sure we can convince Phil that one of us is a responsible adult and able to set the alarm lock up etc. There is even beer on tap across the road even if the selection is not up to Coopers/Devi standards.

 >:DGinger

One other idea as well - mainly because I noticed a set of Aftermath! rules on the SG web-site - a nice Post-Apocalypse game.

Hi Gang,

So Andie's Star Trek game is coming to a conclusion, and he has a downtime session planned.
After that what do we have ready or close to ready to play after.

I'm sure Andie would like a break in GM'ing for a while (chance to get that chapter 3 re-write in  ;) )

So pop a note here with your ideas and then we can see what people want to play, we might also gain some new recruits (well you never know.

Um, stacey might want to do things, so i'll wait to see what she wants first.

I believe the backup plan is that if no other ideas or preferences are forthcoming, then we go from the downtime session pretty much straight into Star Trek Episode 2.

I for one would be fine with that, because it's nice and different to so many other games, in so many ways. The emphasis on conflict resolution and simple exploration etc is quite refreshing.

We'll probably need an interlude game of some sort after Episode 2 reguardless, so suggestions for other things people want to run are still very much welcome.

S'me again..

Any updates on the Thur night games?
Nothing has been posted on the calendar so I'm guessing the Shadowrun has stalled?

Do we need volunteers to run some sessions?

The next Thursday night game session will be on the 15th July

Depending on availability and preparedness it will either be the Shadowrun game or a character creation session for Star Wars Knight of the old republic era.

Both of which I want to play in but neither of which I will be able to as I cant do evenings gaming reliably as I demonstrated yesterday. I have to get up too insanely early. :(  >:(


 >:DGinger


 

Hi Gang,

Myself and the EvilGinger have been hatching a plan to relocate the fortnightly Thurs night session to an alternative venue to try and be more welcoming to a wider audience than the local pubs.
Yes I know they are friendly, sell really really nice beers but by playing in a pub we kind of have to spend money, it will put off people who do not drink or are too young to be in one etc etc.

So to that end I have spoken to Phil @ Spirit Games (http://www.spiritgames.co.uk) who has said we can use the shop Thurs nights. This means we have  more space, more chance to play without disruption and hopefully get some of the previous players/DMs back as well as attract new people. Also with the extra space it may be possible, with larger numbers, to run more than one game to cater for peoples preferences.

I have spoken to a few people who have expressed an interest and so I am keen to get this started, a good start might be to re-kickstart Evil's Hackmaster Character Session or something else if someone wants to step up.

Firstly though a show of replies for those interested in these sessions, then we can sort out a start date and opening game(s)

I am all in favour of this hence my shameless plotting with Zarni, for which see above, I like my beer & my DMing but want to be part of a bigger group again where we can have more people run multiple groups & different DM's Spirit has that & there is even good beer across the road but you dont have to buy it.

I am also more than happy to kick off with Hackmaster as I have had some thoughts since the first go the other week. The only question for me is when do we start as this Thursday is booked for my Exalted game.


 >:DGinger

Well, I'm not entirely sure that the location has much to do with attendance, but there's no harm giving the idea a go.

I must confessed I'm a little confused by the talk of you kicking off with Hackmaster, Evilginger, as you're already running two different games on thursdays. If you're up for more frequent DMing than fortnightly on thursdays, wouldn't it make more sense to run an extra session of an existing game than to start a third?

I'm probably missing something here, though, so feel free to fill me in. :)
Conversely, there are other DM's putting games together, I for one am trying to figure out when and where to run my Deathwatch campaign for example, but it all depends on attendance and availability and so on.

Simple I really want to run HackMaster as its different from what I am running already & varying the group I pay games with as well as playing rather than GMing also helps keep it  all a bit fresher.

I also dont think I could force my current groups to play more often than they are already.

 >:DGinger

I would be interested in this when i am in Burton, which will vary for some months to come yet, but if another potential player or GM is required then i will be happy to join as and when i can. Happy to run some intro games of Pathfinder if needed as well, with the intention of a regular campaign when the move to Burton finally happens next year as posted in the Pathfinder thread  :)

Ok one offs & tasters are a good idea. However  all we need is a date & preferably one with time for me to lie in a darkened room with my head in a bath of ice whilst I recover form Beer & Lard which will knacker me out as the raiders committee will attest to the amount of work organising events.

I also hope to have a set of Teraclips dungeons to run my Hackmaster encounters in & on

 >:DGinger

I would prefer & suggest the 4th or the 25th of October as first session dates, what does every one else think?

 >:DGinger

Works for me but would have to be the later date, as the other is already booked  +:dontknow=+::dontknow:

Would give me time to drink  +:coffee=+::coffee: and read up DLB as an option

I am happy with the date Zarni can do, but any more comment? I need post this on face book as well as there are people on the friends of Spirit Games who may be interested but FB is on the Fritz for me at the moment so I will have to try that again latter.


 >:DGinger

Owing to the 4th being penciled in as a "200 mile journey back to Burton day"! it may be awkward to confirm that as free owing to the fun that is long distance travel and unexpected delays  ::)

At the moment i should be able to make it for the 25th though but would have to confirm closer, pencil me in as a hopeful for now  :)