"If youi've hosted a con game, you've had sorrow..." Topic

You were asked – TMP link

When hosting a convention game, have you had anything pilfered or broken?

26% said "I have never hosted a con game"
25% said "yes, I have had something stolen or broken while hosting a con game"
21% said "no, I have not had something stolen or broken while hosting a con game"
20% said "yes, but only minor figure breakage"

I hosted a game and no one signed up to play. Got the rules from someone who posted his home-brewed Lilliputian rules (Battling Big-uns).

I've never had anything stolen, but something breaks in almost every game, and usually something minor. Miniatures are fragile. It's not that big a deal.

- Ix

A wise man once observed that all GMs will one day face a watershed first, when some table item of theirs gets broken during a game.

This watershed moment is then followed by another. The first time they fix a table item of theirs that got broken during a game.

I've run maybe 20 games in my days at cons. Never had anything broken or pilfered.

I played in a Harpoon game using GHQ 2400 scale Cold War ship models. Despite the diligent efforts of 2 friends and myself, every one of the models suffered some kind of damage to the super fiddly upper works.

It was this that sold me on avoiding GHQ 2400s as much as possible, and ditching the provided masts in favor of pin wire when GHQ was the only option.

I run a wargame at a local toy soldier show for kids to play, and of course adults are welcome. I have never had a kid break anything or try to walk off with anything, but that's not the case with the adults, not only have things been broken but on more than one occasion I have stopped them before they "walk away" with something.

I have been running, games (usually big games), since the mid 80's. With over a thousand 28mm fig or over 200 15mm vehicles, on the table something gets broken. I usually have some intricate and detailed terrain that is also always not exempt from attrition.

But I explain right from the start, that these are toys and meant to be played with. Treat them with respect and if something does break please tell me right away so I can fix it later.

I have quite a few well painted mini armies that I would rather see on the gaming table to be enjoyed instead of locked away in plastic boxes. A little "battle damage" is a small price to pay for hours of fun they have generated.

I always tell my players that minis can be fragile and there will be breakage in a game. I don't care if you break a figure as long as you don't intentionally throw it against the wall or floor. Then I might get slightly peeved,

Well, it helps that I've been doing a lot of 54mm WW2 tank games…

But so long as nothing is intentionally damaged, accidents happen and stuff can usually get fixed.

Meh.

Eric

Once when playing in another guy's home, I had a combination motorcycle-sidecar carelessly knocked off the table and broken by his teenage daughter as she passed by (not playing). She was quite unconcerned, but he was furious! I fixed it. What the heck.

For a North Africa game, I made some fragile cactuses that didn't survive the first game. I've since bought commercial models, and they're fine.

No one -- child or adult -- has taken anything of mine at a convention. A local gamer asked to borrow a set of rules. Though I didn't know him well, I foolishly complied. Never saw him -- or the rules -- at another local event. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I attribute it to laziness and lack of consideration rather that thievery.

For a North Africa game, I made some fragile cactuses that didn't survive the first game

Cactii are native to North America, they don't exist in Africa. Unless you made lots of Mistletoe Cactus, which doesn't look like a typical cactus.