How to find a worthy Adversary
I recently ran into someone at a gaming store. He was looking for an opponent for a game that I don't play, but the encounter made me think. He talked fast and didn't seem to be listening to what I said. Normally I would make suggestions on how to find other players or see if he was interested in a demo of 40k or something. However, in the five minutes I spoke to him, he was consistently negative, complaining and whining about a variety of subjects without seeming to be interested in solutions for them. After our exchange, I decided that I really wasn't interested in him as an opponent anyway, and got back to the business of setting up a game of 40k.
Although he seemed to have some good ideas for finding an opponent, they just weren't working. Now, I grant you that perhaps it was more due to the way he came across rather than a lack of effort or good ideas. With that in mind, I wanted to share with you some ideas for finding new opponents and not scaring them off when they do show up. In addition, I'd like to also include some ideas about how to find a place to play, in case that's necessary where you live.
First off, advertise. You don't need to take out a radio spot or put an ad in the newspaper, but you want to put up a notice somewhere that your target gamers will see it. If there is some sort of local publication or e-zine for gamers, you might see about getting an ad or a short message there. You can also, usually, put up a note about it at your local gaming store. Gaming stores often have bulletin boards just for this purpose, that way local gamers can check the board and see if anyone else is in the area. Make sure your note includes contact information and what game or games you play. (Note, you'll get better results by just posting one game or type of game in a note, then making another note for a different game, as opposed to putting them all on one piece of paper. If you don't have a local gaming store (like you play in your friend's basement) find one, otherwise no one will find you.
Next, do some demo games. After Mike and I had been playing against each other for a little while in my apartment, we decided we wanted some additional opponents. We went down to the local game store and started playing there. We didn't get much in the way of additional people, until we had a better idea. Instead of arranging games ahead of time and showing up whenever we felt like it, we scheduled a specific time and day each week to be there. We checked with the store owner, and he said it was fine, so we let him know that we'd consistantly be there on certain days and times. During those times, when we weren't playing against each other, we'd paint or build terrain or just set up models and make army lists. The idea was to give people a time that they'd know someone would be there and give them something to look at to draw them in. By setting up models, preferably in a nice formation, you let people admire your work and check out the models, which gives you a jump start for getting them to try a demo game. When setting up a demo game, plan it out ahead of time. The idea is typically to show them a quick game in 15-20 minutes. If you take 30 minutes just to pick army lists, they'll get bored and leave. If you don't like someone handling your nice miniatures, have some decent ones that people CAN play with. Have a good time and make sound effects when you play your demo game to help them have a good time. If you notice them looking at a particular model, let them pick it up and look at it while you tell them something interesting about it. Basically, you want to let them have a good time and get interested in the game. As a side note, you don't have to lose all your intro games, but people do generally have more fun when they are winning, so it's not bad, either. If you do try to lose the game, don't be obvious about it, as even very young gamers can see through that. On the other hand, if you simply don't take advantage of situations that arise (He's left his HQ out in the open, or forgets to shoot his Heavy Weapon team) suggest that he adjust the mistake and don't thrash him for it.
Host some events. If there are other people around that play, but they can't be around all the time or soemthing, try hosting an event. If it's just a regular 40k afternoon, people will have other things to do, but if it's Bug Hunt, they will be more likely to show up. Give some advance notice so they can plan ahead and provide most or all of the materials so that it can run smoothly. Run it more or less like a demo game, except that if they are experienced players, you won't need to explain the rules or to go easy on them. You may, however, need to adjust things, if somebody starts seeming overwhelmed. By creating extra excitment and building up a bit of interest in the gaming community, you may find yourself with a surplus of partners as word of mouth goes around.
Whether you are demoing games or running evnts or advertising, remember to be an ambassador for your hobby. Try to project a positive attitude, nobody wants to play with someone who complains or whines all the time. In addition, it sounds funny but it needs to be said, be friendly. If someone forgets to move a model or something like that, let them go back and do it. Answer their questions without making them feel like an idiot for asking. Smile and the world smiles with you, frown and you game alone. Use your best Good Sportsmanship behavior, wishing them luck before the game, telling them it was a good game afterward, and shaking their hand. You get bonus points for using their name during the game, and for introducing yourself. Finally, don't be a Gamer Slob or a Gamer Snob. Gamer Slobs are the ones that give the rest of us the bad reputation. They only seem to shower once a year, if that, and they wear ratty old clothes and generally look like losers. Dress somewhat nicely and make sure you are presentable and not smelly! On the other hand, don't be a Snob, either. Many gamers look down and talk down to younger players, which makes them want to take up a different hobby! Certainly, some of them deserve the reputation for poor manners and short attention spans, but most just need someone to treat them like an adult, so that they can act like one. Remember that the more people you ignore or drive away, the less people you get to play with.
Finding places to play. Okay, now you know how to find that special someone (Duh, the one that games with you, what were you thinking?) where do you play? If you have a local gaming store with good tables, you're set. If you aren't that lucky, you may have to improvise. The first stop is your house or apartment. Tables can be used as-is, or with a bit of plywood across them to increase the gaming surface. You can also use the floor, but then you have to worry more about pets or the dreaded Attack of the Giant Feet. Even if you do manage to come up with a good gaming area in your home or someone else's, remember that it'll be hard to get new people there, both because they won't be just hanging around your den, and because they may be a little nervous about going to a stranger's house. Gaming in public gets you more attention and potentially more opponents, just make sure you follow the rules above for being an ambassador for your hobby. Schools and Colleges often have areas where you can set up a table, or even use an existing one and just play. You may need to speak to someone if you want to do it on a regular basis, though. Some of them also have rooms that you can use, though these will attract less attention, it's still better for strangers than your house is. You might also be able to use areas in malls (definitely ask first, however) or other semi-public areas as well. If there is a store that sells the game (like Barnes and Noble or Target, since otherwise it'd be a gaming store and you wouldn't need to hunt around, right?) see if you can set up some games inside or near the store.
So, get out there, find some fresh meat, uh, I mean new players and get busy! If you've got some tips about how you get new players that I didn't cover, please send them in, I'd love to add them to my site.