After being in Houston a few weeks, I have decided the gaming scene REALLY sucks here. I miss Austin 🙁
After being in Houston a few weeks, I have decided the gaming scene REALLY sucks here. I miss Austin :-(
After being in Houston a few weeks, I have decided the gaming scene REALLY sucks here. I miss Austin 🙁
You wouldn’t be wrong. Houston lacks a strong game store presence, which doesn’t help recruiting or a sense of community, and is also so spread out that you can drive an hour each way for a game.
You wouldn’t be wrong. Houston lacks a strong game store presence, which doesn’t help recruiting or a sense of community, and is also so spread out that you can drive an hour each way for a game.
I agree with those things. The driving part doesn’t bother me personally (I drive a lot in my job), but the general lack of enthusiasm does. I like to actually, you know, PLAY GAMES. A lot of people I have met in Houston are only theoretical gamers. They love the idea of games, and they may even enjoy reading-up on various rule systems, but when it comes down to actually sitting down with a group of people, putting together characters, and creating a shared experience, they turn their noses up.
I agree with those things. The driving part doesn’t bother me personally (I drive a lot in my job), but the general lack of enthusiasm does. I like to actually, you know, PLAY GAMES. A lot of people I have met in Houston are only theoretical gamers. They love the idea of games, and they may even enjoy reading-up on various rule systems, but when it comes down to actually sitting down with a group of people, putting together characters, and creating a shared experience, they turn their noses up.
Owlcon belies that to an extent. This year’s attendance topped 700, and there’s nothing to do there BUT game. I personally tried two games I’d never played before, and ran ICONS for two groups who’d never played the game.
I think the problem is the gaming scene in Houston is very fragmented and parochial. I’ve got a group I play with every week. They’ve been together in one form or another for more than 20 years (I’ve only been with them for six). We’re full up on membership (overfull, honestly, for the space we use), and we tend to play games we know can fit into our time/space requirements (which means a lot of D&D/Pathfinder types stuff that can be broken down into individual encounters fairly easily).
For me, the biggest stumbling blocks are time and distance. With career and family, my gaming time away from home is very limited (I get my once a week game, an occasional weekend game that’s been on hold for several months that’s an hour’s drive each way, and once in a while, a Skype game from home, if the stars align properly). I would love (LOVE) to run a regular game at home again, so my son can play, but all of my usual suspects for such things are up against the same issues.
Anyway, I am in the early stages of planning something at my place later this spring. It won’t be a game day so much as a cookout/gathering of gamers, where folks looking for other players might get to meet talk about stuff, burn meat and generally let folks connect with more people in the hobby.
That’s the plan, anyway.
Owlcon belies that to an extent. This year’s attendance topped 700, and there’s nothing to do there BUT game. I personally tried two games I’d never played before, and ran ICONS for two groups who’d never played the game.
I think the problem is the gaming scene in Houston is very fragmented and parochial. I’ve got a group I play with every week. They’ve been together in one form or another for more than 20 years (I’ve only been with them for six). We’re full up on membership (overfull, honestly, for the space we use), and we tend to play games we know can fit into our time/space requirements (which means a lot of D&D/Pathfinder types stuff that can be broken down into individual encounters fairly easily).
For me, the biggest stumbling blocks are time and distance. With career and family, my gaming time away from home is very limited (I get my once a week game, an occasional weekend game that’s been on hold for several months that’s an hour’s drive each way, and once in a while, a Skype game from home, if the stars align properly). I would love (LOVE) to run a regular game at home again, so my son can play, but all of my usual suspects for such things are up against the same issues.
Anyway, I am in the early stages of planning something at my place later this spring. It won’t be a game day so much as a cookout/gathering of gamers, where folks looking for other players might get to meet talk about stuff, burn meat and generally let folks connect with more people in the hobby.
That’s the plan, anyway.
I wasn’t able to make it to OwlCon, but I take your point (though I have to imagine those weren’t all Houston gamers).
‘Parochial’ is a terrific word. There’s a little bit of that in Austin, too (Pathfinder is still the most popular game), but there is definitely more of a willingness to try new things.
I think I’m going to have to just get the kind of gaming I want over Google+ Hangouts and/or Roll20. Which is kind of a shame, because I actually really enjoy the energy and camaraderie of a live group.
I will certainly continue to game in Austin and San Antonio when I’m able, but it’s a real shame gaming in Houston is so damn hard, because this is where I live now.
I like your cookout idea. Regular meet-ups like that would be terrific.
I wasn’t able to make it to OwlCon, but I take your point (though I have to imagine those weren’t all Houston gamers).
‘Parochial’ is a terrific word. There’s a little bit of that in Austin, too (Pathfinder is still the most popular game), but there is definitely more of a willingness to try new things.
I think I’m going to have to just get the kind of gaming I want over Google+ Hangouts and/or Roll20. Which is kind of a shame, because I actually really enjoy the energy and camaraderie of a live group.
I will certainly continue to game in Austin and San Antonio when I’m able, but it’s a real shame gaming in Houston is so damn hard, because this is where I live now.
I like your cookout idea. Regular meet-ups like that would be terrific.
I feel your pain Jason Cordova. I was part of two gaming groups for over ten years when they slowly came apart thanks to job changes, kids, loss of interest, etc. I found myself still wanting to play so I had to look online and start reaching out.
The problem I’ve found is that most good groups don’t look for new blood often and new groups forming are usually looking to play some D&D incarnation. Add on top of that I live out in the woods and my wife works on the weekends means I’m usually at home with the kids when most groups want to game.
The cookout/gathering is a great idea. A meet and greet for the local gamers in the community would be awesome.
I feel your pain Jason Cordova. I was part of two gaming groups for over ten years when they slowly came apart thanks to job changes, kids, loss of interest, etc. I found myself still wanting to play so I had to look online and start reaching out.
The problem I’ve found is that most good groups don’t look for new blood often and new groups forming are usually looking to play some D&D incarnation. Add on top of that I live out in the woods and my wife works on the weekends means I’m usually at home with the kids when most groups want to game.
The cookout/gathering is a great idea. A meet and greet for the local gamers in the community would be awesome.
The Best Gamers are always were you came from and were your going to…
In my experience, I’ve always reminenced about where I use to play and the people I use to play with, or though that if i moved here…there would be better games.
I think Theron, has a point though about the game store support. Last I was in Houston, (before the invasion of Games Workshop)…there were some good stores, granted they were perceived as a little clickish but there were good crowds at almost any store you could find in your neighborhood. MTG gave them a boost when they needed it, and MMO’s took away their customers who were more of the casual gamers you mentioned Jason.
Over all though, I think that Houston has a good crowd, its just that the older crowd is busy making the next generation of gamers, and the younger crowd still thinks D&D 3.5 is the orginal version.
I’ve got my little gaming spawns developing nicely and as they get a little bit older, I’ll be doing what I can to revitalize gaming here in Houston.
The Best Gamers are always were you came from and were your going to…
In my experience, I’ve always reminenced about where I use to play and the people I use to play with, or though that if i moved here…there would be better games.
I think Theron, has a point though about the game store support. Last I was in Houston, (before the invasion of Games Workshop)…there were some good stores, granted they were perceived as a little clickish but there were good crowds at almost any store you could find in your neighborhood. MTG gave them a boost when they needed it, and MMO’s took away their customers who were more of the casual gamers you mentioned Jason.
Over all though, I think that Houston has a good crowd, its just that the older crowd is busy making the next generation of gamers, and the younger crowd still thinks D&D 3.5 is the orginal version.
I’ve got my little gaming spawns developing nicely and as they get a little bit older, I’ll be doing what I can to revitalize gaming here in Houston.
shane jensen I don’t do much reminiscing because I make it a point to actually play games. Our Dungeon World didn’t work out today, but I have another game of DW Tuesday, a session of Monsterhearts on Thursday (in San Antonio), and a game of Sweet Agatha on Saturday (in Austin). Granted, I have neither a wife nor kids–and a job where I am my own boss–so I have the luxury of time. But I think you need a little passion, too. And I’m not sure much passion exists in Houston.
Today’s aborted DW is a great example: in Austin, that game would have filled-up pretty quickly. Theron Bretz ‘s point about distance is totally valid, but we were holding the game on a Sunday afternoon in a pretty central location. I advertised it in a number of forums and communities. It baffles me we couldn’t even get three people together. Perhaps it was the choice of game, but I kind of reject that notion since Dungeon World was RPG Geek’s Game of the Year for 2012 and it has a huge following (and it’s a dungeon crawl, which is about as unifying a theme in our hobby as I can think of).
To be fair, Austin has some advantages Houston does not enjoy: a younger, more transient population (which discourages group crystallization); it’s easier to get across town; and a general spirit of creativity and free-thinking which lends itself well to various types of geekery. But I want Houston to be a fun gaming city. When I found this Google+ Community, I embraced it wholeheartedly (even though there was very little activity at that point). This is my home now.
But more and more, like Alex Camacho , I’m inclined to get my gaming done via Google Hangouts. But it’s definitely not the same.
shane jensen I don’t do much reminiscing because I make it a point to actually play games. Our Dungeon World didn’t work out today, but I have another game of DW Tuesday, a session of Monsterhearts on Thursday (in San Antonio), and a game of Sweet Agatha on Saturday (in Austin). Granted, I have neither a wife nor kids–and a job where I am my own boss–so I have the luxury of time. But I think you need a little passion, too. And I’m not sure much passion exists in Houston.
Today’s aborted DW is a great example: in Austin, that game would have filled-up pretty quickly. Theron Bretz ‘s point about distance is totally valid, but we were holding the game on a Sunday afternoon in a pretty central location. I advertised it in a number of forums and communities. It baffles me we couldn’t even get three people together. Perhaps it was the choice of game, but I kind of reject that notion since Dungeon World was RPG Geek’s Game of the Year for 2012 and it has a huge following (and it’s a dungeon crawl, which is about as unifying a theme in our hobby as I can think of).
To be fair, Austin has some advantages Houston does not enjoy: a younger, more transient population (which discourages group crystallization); it’s easier to get across town; and a general spirit of creativity and free-thinking which lends itself well to various types of geekery. But I want Houston to be a fun gaming city. When I found this Google+ Community, I embraced it wholeheartedly (even though there was very little activity at that point). This is my home now.
But more and more, like Alex Camacho , I’m inclined to get my gaming done via Google Hangouts. But it’s definitely not the same.