This is for the people we all see standing around the game tables at conventions--watching, not playing. If you're not one yourself, you probably know one. You might want to let him read this. I used to be one of these people myself. I started going to Gen- Con back when it was in Lake Geneva, and I continued going every year. I would spend three or four days wandering from table to table, from morning to night. Yet I never played anything, even when asked to. I was afraid of showing how poor a player I was, but eventually I learned my lesson. I have a lot of fun at conventions now. I even run games. Here are some tips to help you break in and build your courage. Try some demo games. Every convention has a few. These are games run by a manufacturer or distributor to introduce a new product. The key word here is "new". Everyone else in the game, sometimes even the judge, will be playing it for the first time. Therefore you don't have to be afraid because you don't know the rules. No one does. Small games are better than large games for beginners, and fewer figures are better than more. In small games, the judge has more time to answer your questions, and the less figures you have to move around, the less confused you will become. Skirmish games usually fit the bill quite nicely. Remember your fear of not knowing the rules? Don't expect to walk in off of the street and play Empire III or WRG Ancients-too difficult, and most of the others in the game probably won't appreciate it. They have the rules memorized. Look instead for home-grown or modified rules. Rarely are all of the people in these games buddies of the judge, so he expects to do some helping and teaching. These games are often the most fun, too, and again Skirmish games often fit this description. Still afraid? Bring a friend or two and all enter the game together. There is strength in numbers. You can be on the same side or not. It doesn't matter. You'll feel more at ease knowing someone else in the game. Finally, don't be afraid to ask a judge questions. Don't argue with his rulings, if they're consistent, but also don't be afraid to ask for them in the first place. Most judges enjoy teaching new people the rules that they like, and they enjoy seeing these people again in their games at later conventions. It tells them that they're doing something right. When the convention is over, remember the rules and the judges that you liked. Chances are that you'll run into them again, and it's a lot more fun to play than to watch. Back to MWAN # 24 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1986 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com