Building up a community

[arloid]

Hey everyone,

So I have been sitting around with the store manager and we have decided to start setting up a frostgrave day as well as maybe a bit of a rogue stars day on saturdays. However we don’t really have much of a community, we do for x-wing and infinity, but not for frostgrave.

Were currently in the preperation face, but I was wondering what we can do to increase the chances new and old players start walking in and increase our public reach.

We don’t really have much terrain for frostgrave and what we have is of substandard quality so that has to be solved. I already volunteerd to print some terrain so that is more or less solved. Just have to do some calibrations and some small upgrades to the 3d printer before terrain can be printed.

As far as reaching the public, we still have to make a group on Facebook, however the plan is to once we have a FB group to plan a few introduction days, obviously setting this up on the store’s agenda and the store’s Facebook page. Beyond that I was planning on promoting our group on the official frostgrave and rogue stars FB groups, assuming we get permission of the group admins there as well as on the dutch wargaming forum.

However I was wondering what else we can do to create a healthy community from the ground up.

[voltan]

From the shops point of view, it would be good to have some suitable stock on hand so people can impulse buy into the game.

[arloid]

From the shops point of view, it would be good to have some suitable stock on hand so people can impulse buy into the game.

We have that covered, there is a seperate rack with all the wizard types + a couple of soldier and barbarian boxes. The rest can be ordered by the store manager.

[fred]

As well as what you are doing - which sounds good.

Post up some battle reports - and mention that you are going to do a full day at the store.

[Hammers]

Hey everyone,

So I have been sitting around with the store manager and we have decided to start setting up a frostgrave day as well as maybe a bit of a rogue stars day on saturdays. However we don’t really have much of a community, we do for x-wing and infinity, but not for frostgrave.

Were currently in the preperation face, but I was wondering what we can do to increase the chances new and old players start walking in and increase our public reach.

We don’t really have much terrain for frostgrave and what we have is of substandard quality so that has to be solved. I already volunteerd to print some terrain so that is more or less solved. Just have to do some calibrations and some small upgrades to the 3d printer before terrain can be printed.

As far as reaching the public, we still have to make a group on Facebook, however the plan is to once we have a FB group to plan a few introduction days, obviously setting this up on the store’s agenda and the store’s Facebook page. Beyond that I was planning on promoting our group on the official frostgrave and rogue stars FB groups, assuming we get permission of the group admins there as well as on the dutch wargaming forum.

However I was wondering what else we can do to create a healthy community from the ground up.

I would invest time and/or a little money in ruins. A nice looking spread makes a whole lot of difference. Good looking treasure tokens are another thing.

[vodkafan]

Printed flyers maybe?  a door to door leaflet drop ? Some posters in the high street?

[Duncan McDane]

Offer a small discount ( or a free miniature ) for people who did play demo games and got enthousiastic  .

[arloid]

I would invest time and/or a little money in ruins. A nice looking spread makes a whole lot of difference. Good looking treasure tokens are another thing.

Sounds like a good idea, may try to model some ruins myself in blender to be printed, otherwise there are a lot of great premade ruins to choose from.

Printed flyers maybe?  a door to door leaflet drop ? Some posters in the high street?

Could hang up a poster at the front door of the shop, I don't really live close so no leaflet drop.

Offer a small discount ( or a free miniature ) for people who did play demo games and got enthousiastic  .

I will have a discussion about this with the store manager.

[kuba]

I have small experience in popularizing a system in a gaming store. Whole thing was about regularity -one day in a month (almost always the first friday of the month, to keep the pattern) me and my brother organized introductionary game. There were info about the game on facebook and store's newsletter. We were not trying to play full game -after setting up if there was anyone interested one of us (or both if there were more than one potential player) skipped playing and focused on explaining the rules, letting other people play with the army that was prepared (we were using our own armies plus store's showcase army), even if only for a turn or two. The beginnings were humble (just basic store terrain, often not really suited for the theme of the game), but by keeping it regular some people started to visit more often, after some time there were games organised between people without our knowledge, so I consider it quite a success, as before our games propably no one in the country played the game in our chosen scale.

Most helpful factors apart from regularity were visuals (the game we were showing was about mass battles between armies with units of 28mm scale figures -even with mediocre painting minis in large numbers draw attention) and easy to grasp, fun rules -forstgrave certainly has the latter.

[dadlamassu]

I have no experience of organising this sort of thing but I was a participant in one.
 It all started on a rainy day when I was walking around the high street with my grandson waithing for granny and mummy.  We stopped in front of  model shop and saw games going on inside.  So we went in.

Immediately we were gtreeted and given a cup of coffee for me and some diluting juice for grandson.  We said we were really passing time and were invited to play one of the games.  We did and we both enjoyed it.  As we left we were given a flier that dates dates and times of regular meetings and special events.  The wee chap chirped on about the game all the way home on the train.

Next Sunday we went back to the "Beginners Hour" and over the next few Sundays were were taken through a series of game scenarios by the same staff member and a couple of other "regulars".  One of whome gave him a couple of starter figures and he was off! 

The result cost me a few pounds but started the grandson on a hobby.  His younger brother did not have that opportunity as the staff member left.  It turned out he was a student and had graduated.  So I copied his style and now have three wargamers aged 6,7 and 10.

So I echo - regularity, consistency, enjoyment and something to take away.

[Elbows]

I'll say I have little practical experience, but have had my best friend and several other friends work at or manage game stores, so I've been around (a tad).  Off the top of my head.

1) Yes, Facebook.  It's "the" way at the moment to get notice out.  Look up local wargaming, board gaming or role-playing game groups local to the area.  Check with their admins if they mind you posting some invites or info, etc.

2) Have nice terrain.  Seriously.  This hobby is about 80% based on spectacle, or we'd all be playing chess or video games.  A nice and attractive table (even when no one is playing on it), and nicely painted miniatures are what will get people interested - not pointing to a box on the wall and saying "imagine the possibilities!".  The terrain and figures should all be painted to at least a tabletop standard.  You're selling spectacle - so make it one.

3) If you're aiming to get a particular game up and running, then keep at least a small stock or sample (or hell, just the rulebook) available.  Make it plain that you will special order stuff for customers.  Playtest and have on standby a small intro game you can use to showcase the game to people (hopefully the store has enough staff to spare 30 minutes on occasion to do this).

4) Establish a game night or two, perhaps one week per month or one night per week is dedicated to intro games - perhaps offer up a free mini or two, or a simple 10% discount coupon if someone comes and gets in a game, etc.

The reality is that even Frostgrave has a very small community.  The overwhelming majority of tabletop games do not have enough people locally (outside of a major population centre) to support a group of more than 8-10 local players, meaning 2-3 at most would show up for a regular night of gaming.  Occasionally this mould is broken and you get a booming small fan club of a specific game, but I'd argue 98% of all tabletop wargames are not big enough to generate 20-50 dedicated players in a normal area.  If you're imagining you'll have 30-person Frostgrave events you're probably expecting a bit too much.