Put on a game yesterday (Zombie) for some of the boys from Posties Rejects, usually Postie umpires nearly all (95%) of our games but now and again some of the group put on games and this time it was me and I made sure Postie attended so he could actually game for a change.The game took a couple of days to prepare (scenery and figures), also familiarising yourself with the rules (never played with them before), cooking (optional), 6 hours to play and basically hoping to satisfy the people who play your game because if you don't game with your figures or people don't want to play, what's the point?
Afterwards the boys said they enjoyed it and went home happy and tired and stuffed but it does give you an appreciation for the umpires who put on games with figures and scenery they painted (and sometimes see damaged and mistreated by others) but usually only get to see others play with them.So in conclusion be nice to umpires as without them there would a lot more solo wargaming out there and its not as fun as it sounds.
Not bragging here, but I used to have people drive as far as 50 miles to play in my AD&D and Tomorrow Black Games. They loved me...lol.
ReplyDeleteWith that stated, I sure did like their appreciation of my efforts, I used to have ALL and I do mean ALL AD&D Miniatures produced by Ral Partha and about 500 odd miniatures for Rifts and my Tomorrow Black Sci-Fi game. We always used miniatures for our RPG's
I would stay up all night sometimes, just to get some new miniature ready for my players to encounter, or to make a new building or whatever.
The point is simple. When people love what you do, it makes you want to be a better person, and work even harder.
Good job, especially with the optional cooking. Good conclusion too - I think it's too easy to take other people for granted when it gets so regular.
ReplyDeleteVery true indeed! For a fun filled evening of wargaming you need a "victim" to prepare it all. In an ideal world it would be a joint venture but often it boils down to one person.
ReplyDeleteA round of applause for the "victims" and we should all hug them next time we see them!
Oh, and I second Porky on the cooking bit! It will make you very popular :-)
My trick is to do a terrible job... then I'm never asked to DM/umpire/etc ever again.
ReplyDeleteIt's a real labor of love.
ReplyDeleteDoes technology help?
Can't you quit? Or is it addictive?
ReplyDeleteMMmmm, the Lurkers pasta dish, argh!! drool, drooolll!!....... sorry Fran, the game was good, even if it was Zombies, but the pasta was a dish of bowl lickinn' deliciousness!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteUmpiring is a hard job. If its not the players knocking you out its the fans chewing you out...
ReplyDelete