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I would consider myself a “guest player”. I focus purely on my favorite miniatures and game with terrain belonging to my gaming friends.
1 (1.1%)
I would consider myself a “host player”. I have terrain and miniatures I use for world building.
83 (93.3%)
I consider myself neither and will further explain in the comments below.
5 (5.6%)

Total Members Voted: 89

Author Topic: Owning gaming terrain and how it may affect how you game.  (Read 2994 times)

Offline Grumpy Gnome

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Owning gaming terrain and how it may affect how you game.
« on: June 16, 2021, 09:35:55 AM »
I have this idea that there are most players, let’s call them “guest players,” the folks who may have their favorite character mini, or their favorite warband, maybe even their favorite army. They also may have their favorite dice and appropriate personal rule books but no terrain, no NPCs. I believe these players are the majority of gamers.

For most of the years I have been gaming I was a guest player. It never crossed my mind to get some props, terrain or minis that I would not be “controlling”. I always relied on a “host player” for these things.

So then, what are  “host players?” They have playing/storage space, game props, terrain, their own favorite character/warband/army and a bunch of NPCs that they or others may be “controlling.” These host players could also be described as world builder players. I believe that they are likely a minority of gamers.

The last couple of years I have become a host player.

Now I would like to test my theory… are guest players the majority and host players the minority?

To what end you may ask?

For me, adding terrain to the table helps share the sense of world building. It makes me feel more like it is “our table” compared to “my table”.

I would love to see the majority of players get some terrain, easy to transport scatter if you will, some buildings or modular pieces of buildings. Pieces that they can continue to use long after they have repeatedly switched favorite character/warband/army. Pieces that they bring to the different games they play and pool together to help host players make even more amazing tables.

It is true that some folks do this already as part of gaming clubs but again I believe that is a minority and that most folks who bring things to share at clubs or events are still actually host players…. Just on the move, so to speak. It is folks doing this that gave me the idea that maybe it would be good for the hobby if more did it.

Another thing that sparked this thought was watching Too Fat Lardies using their random terrain set up system for Infamy, Infamy! on YouTube.

Do you think it would be a good idea for more players to have a couple of favorite terrain pieces and/or NPC’s to bring to games?

What do you think could be done to encourage more players to do this?
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Offline BZ

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Re: Owning gaming terrain and how it may affect how you game.
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2021, 11:03:36 AM »
I voted for host player, because technically I am. But as I just play with my kids and wife, its not that clear and 100% coverage of the essence of the question.
And I think, You will get more host votes here, because a host must be more interested in the universe of tabletop gaming, so more likely to read LAF too.
And just a theoretical thought: I wouldnt bring any terrain to a game (unless asked for it), because I think its important to have a homogene style of the table, and more different sources of terrain pieces could hurt this. But as I never played elsewhere, I may easely be wrong about this.

Offline fred

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Re: Owning gaming terrain and how it may affect how you game.
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2021, 11:37:17 AM »
Within our gaming group there are probably about 5 people who can host, and a similar number who are guests.

But all the hosts will be guests at times.

Guests nearly always bring their own figures / armies.

We tend to play big battle games, so NPCs are less common in our terrain / table setup. It is rare that we bring terrain to other hosts houses - and when we do it will be some specific item for a scenario. Transporting armies is much easier than transporting terrain as well, which probably comes into this.

Offline Ogrob

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Re: Owning gaming terrain and how it may affect how you game.
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2021, 11:48:23 AM »
I think you will get a skewed result on this forum :D

Agree with your premise, not all players have the resources and interest to gather terrain and play surfaces.

In my case I am definitely a host player when it comes to DnD, and to a large extent wargaming as well. I like to collect terrain, monsters and NPCs. However I also play a lot at a gaming club and I am less of a host player there. I am one of the few players to bring bestiaries for Frostgrave, but so far I have only contributed a little bit of terrain to the club. Others do that to a large extent, while many only come bring their minis for the game they are playing.

Offline Grumpy Gnome

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Re: Owning gaming terrain and how it may affect how you game.
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2021, 12:06:15 PM »
Whilst I have been asking these questions in a number of forums, fair point about results being skewed by the type of interested folks who are on such forums compared to more casual players.

I can see from early responses  in various places my terms are causing some confusion.

The fact that you would provide minis and terrain at all makes you a “host player.” The question is not where do you game or are you a DM/GM. Where ever you play, in whichever role, you help in hosting the game by helping with the physical tools of world building.

And yes this often falls onto the more experienced players with more resources available… but should there be a way to encourage new players to help out with Terrain at the same time they buy their first minis?
« Last Edit: June 16, 2021, 12:12:17 PM by Grumpy Gnome »

Offline v_lazy_dragon

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Re: Owning gaming terrain and how it may affect how you game.
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2021, 12:16:08 PM »
Definitely a host player (most of my interests are so niche I long ago gave up any hope of finding another player with compatible forces, so now plan on doing both sides!) and ironically, so are most of my gaming buddies. We normally plan in advance what the games are likely to be, and collaborate on meeting the scenery requirements between us.
Have also seen a guest player slowly evolve into a host player when he discovered that none of his local GW players had any home scenery (as they only played at stores) and so has gradually accumulated a table's worth so that he can get games in at home
Xander
Army painters thread: leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=56540.msg671536#new
WinterApoc thread: leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=50815.0

Offline Aerendar Valandil

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Re: Owning gaming terrain and how it may affect how you game.
« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2021, 12:22:36 PM »
I'm inbetween. I have a set (or actually two) sets of terrain for home play,and although I usually play at our club (and use club terrain), and occasionally play elsewhere, I have occasional games at my place, with a full set of terrain. I do have limited space at home and I use the limited space rather for models than for more sets of terrain. And I do not like building (large amounts of) terrain, I simply like painting models better.

So I am neither, or both a bit.
 

Online dadlamassu

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Re: Owning gaming terrain and how it may affect how you game.
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2021, 12:52:43 PM »
Most of the time I am a host because my main opponents are grandchildren and other family members and I have a wargames table.  That said on Monday evenings from 1970s to covid I was a Guest at a friend's house. Once restrictions allow I will again be both host and guest at different times.
'He could have lived a risk-free, moneyed life, but he preferred to whittle away his fortune on warfare.'
-- Xenophon, The Anabasis

Offline Grumpy Gnome

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Re: Owning gaming terrain and how it may affect how you game.
« Reply #8 on: June 16, 2021, 01:09:26 PM »
I'm inbetween. I have a set (or actually two) sets of terrain for home play,and although I usually play at our club (and use club terrain), and occasionally play elsewhere, I have occasional games at my place, with a full set of terrain. I do have limited space at home and I use the limited space rather for models than for more sets of terrain. And I do not like building (large amounts of) terrain, I simply like painting models better.

So I am neither, or both a bit.
 

Do you take terrain with you when you play not at your house or club but elsewhere?

If not, why not? No criticism intended, just genuine curiosity. Too much hassle? Didn’t think to do it?
« Last Edit: June 16, 2021, 04:53:52 PM by Grumpy Gnome »

Online Pattus Magnus

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Re: Owning gaming terrain and how it may affect how you game.
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2021, 02:08:57 PM »
I definitely am toward the host end of the spectrum. I have a solid collection of terrain and usually build a lot of NPCs in addition to my core armies. And I usually build at least one opposing force in addition to my core army.

Of course, that’s also aspirational - lots of my projects aren’t actually complete and I end up with half a core force, one third of an opposing force, a few NPCs and half a terrain build, before wandering into another period!

Offline Elbows

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Re: Owning gaming terrain and how it may affect how you game.
« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2021, 03:24:44 PM »
Definitely a "host" player.  That's something that was introduced to me shortly after college.  The group I gamed with was older by 15-20 years, but they instilled in me the idea 'if you want to run a game...paint it up...and host it".   There was no expectation of the group buying into an arms race.  One person would routinely know the rules, build the table/terrain and bring all the miniatures required, etc.

If, coincidentally, someone else enjoyed the same game or genre and could bring additional stuff - all the better.

My current gaming group consists of around 10 people.  Of that, two host with tables/terrain/etc. with a third occasionally able to host one game.  Several others have the room/space/time/money but don't bother.  Of those 10 only 3-4 play routinely with one or two who are fringe gamers - in that they buy tons of stuff and talk about gaming while almost never gaming (read: once every 2-3 months).

So of my group of ten: 3/10 are host players, and 7/10 are guest players....but some are barely that.  Not much of a coincidence, but the host players are also the ones who field solely painted miniatures, etc.  Everyone else has a 50%+ chance of showing up with unpainted stuff, etc.
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Offline Harry Faversham

  • Scatterbrained Genius
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Re: Owning gaming terrain and how it may affect how you game.
« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2021, 04:28:53 PM »
Wild horses wouldn't drag me into being a guest player!

 :-[

"Wot did you do in the war Grandad?"

"I was with Harry... At The Bridge!"

Offline Grumpy Gnome

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Re: Owning gaming terrain and how it may affect how you game.
« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2021, 04:55:04 PM »
Very interesting replies, much appreciated. It is certainly enlightening.

Offline Dolnikan

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Re: Owning gaming terrain and how it may affect how you game.
« Reply #13 on: June 16, 2021, 05:18:42 PM »
On one hand, I would definitely want to be a host player. I am planning on building some terrain, but the real use will have to wait until I actually have enough space to host a game!

Offline Cat

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Re: Owning gaming terrain and how it may affect how you game.
« Reply #14 on: June 16, 2021, 05:42:41 PM »
Definitely a host player.
 
There are a few games I would like to collect just some figures for and play, and I've been trying to persuade others to host those games — because I don't have the time and the storage space to do terrain for all the games! 

 

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