Playing with random any advice?

[hunk]

Hey guys I have some questions related to playing with new people or like playing against people at game shops and hobby shops.
My little warhammer group mostly consists of two people me and my friend so we don’t really know a lot of people who play outside of our group. We are both in highschool still and feel like it would be really awkward playing against grown adults any advice or tips one should follow before going to a local gameshop ? Any pet peeves or things I shouldn’t do ? Thank you for your time

[gigasnail]

when playing with random folks, chat them up a little before the game. make sure you both want the same kind of game. if you're in a game store that has regulars, find out about any house rules so there aren't surprises. have a clear copy of your army list, not a bunch of (please do not swear) scribbled on a napkin (yes, this has happened to me).

most of all, have fun and keep your cool. you might even make some new friends.

[naviedzony]

I would say - get in touch with your opponent via facebook or something and establish if you are going to play for fun or is anybody trying their roster before tournament. It can make a huge difference. Nobody is gonna have a good time if you take some Haruspexes and Lictors just becouse they look cool and your opponent will show up and table you in the first turn with his Iron Hands super cheesy probably-tournament-winning list.

That is the most important thing for me: to establish the level of "competitivness" we play on. The rest is secondary.

[hivefleetkerrigan]

Go in with roughly the same mindset as your opponent. One way to do this is simply to share your list.

If your store has free play, go there and play with your friends. Observe the interactions of the other players. This will allow you to avoid having a bad experience of challenging a person who you're going to have a miserable time playing.

Go in with a relaxed mindset too. Did your opponent forget to do something minor? Let them go back and do it.

Mostly, I'd recommend good sportsmanship against someone you don't know. Be kind and empathetic. They're having a bad dice day? Show empathy. Do they have awesomely painted models? Complement them for it. I know at least for one of my friends we'll sling insults back and forth as we play sometimes or make a stupid tactical move just to mess with each other. Don't do that against a random opponent until you know them and know how they'll react.

As for the age difference, that can be awkward. Just be kind and mature. Remember, you're both there to play the same game. Use that as a point of common ground.

[naviedzony]

One more thing: I graduated high school a long time ago and here I am, playing with my plastic space bugs. I am not being that much more "grown-up adult" then you, aren't I?

[Overread]

Gamers are generally a friendly bunch of people and more than welcoming to people of all ages at your typical club/store. Even if some might lack in some social skills here and there, the general attitude is positive.

I would say go down and ask at the local store/club about playing. Depending how big the local community they might have a range of options including:

1) Dedicated gaming times. Even if its a store with tables open at all hours for play; most will have a dedicated time (or several) where people come to game. Some stores open later one or two evenings a week just for that etc... So ask and find out as those would be the best times to come down and get a game against new people.

2) Prebooked. Even if they've got a dedicated gamer night they might also have prebooked tables and the like. So you might book a day or two and come down with your friend and just play each other. You get to pick up on the atmosphere of hte place whilst playing someone you know.

3) Age specific events/evenings. Bigger clubs might well split older and younger players onto their own nights. This is more about just keeping like with like and cutting down a bit on the generation gap whilst also allowing for a bigger population to use the same facilities without crowding each other.



Otherwise just be polite and mature. Try to avoid screaming/shouting; do use a shower before you go; be polite to your opponent, avoid swearing, shake their hand before and after the game etc.... Ergo just general good behaviour and you should be fine. There will always, no matter your age nor how old the other people are; be a period of getting used to a new group where you feel out of place. wargaming has the bonus that once you've got a game that's it you can focus on that and not worry about the rest.

[mattblowers]

Play nice and treat your opponent the way you want to be treated. You learned everything you need to know about playing with random people in kindergarten. Gamers just seem to tend to forget that. If you simply do that everything else will fall in place. If it doesn't, it's not a person you want to be playing with.

[kazetanade]

Go with the expectation of breaking the other persons army in half.

*not serious*

My first few games with strangers was really rough. Most of them were looking to club seals. They had bad reputations in the community in general. I have also had the displeasure of doing the same to some new/returning players as well (although I don't know how my reppo is, but I'd assume it isn't as good as I'd like). It's sometimes not something players can control and it just happens (like in my case, going easy meant I get tabled on T3 because I'm full GSC).

So I would recommend staking out a place on a day to see the general mood, see the general level of play, and try to secure a match prebooked rather than just turn up to play, unless you're familiar with the meta in that store and how well it sits with you. With prebooked, you can work out the level of competitiveness, and not be unpleasantly surprised. Be very firm in the type of game you're looking for, and don't fall for stuff like "oh don't worry, my army only has 9 models you'll be fine". (seriously, 9 model armies are broke.)

[infornography]

Also understand, a lot of players (myself included) don't know how to bring anything other than their A game. If I know ahead of time that it will be a more casual match, I can bring a poorly tuned list, but when I am playing I will be playing to win by default. I quickly get lost in the minutia of tactics and forget to take it easy. I've tried and just can't keep my eyes off the prize so to speak.

Some other players care more about making pretty models, which is cool, it is always really impressive to see their armies deployed, but they sometimes just don't seem to care how the battle goes and mostly play for the cinematic feel. It ends up not being fun when you have a player like me playing a player like them because it ends up REALLY one sided.

It is important to understand that even if they are not there to bring their A game, their way of enjoying the hobby is equally valid as someone who rolls in with a mostly unpainted, partially unassembled proxy laden hard as nails list. As long as both of them show good sportsmanship and friendliness there is nothing wrong with either, but they probably shouldn't play each other. Try not to take it personally if your playstyles clash and they don't want to invest hours in a match that likely won't be fun.