Petition for a Tabletop Gaming Subforum.

Ein

Carrying over from discussion in the Warhammer 40k thread, I'd like to suggest that a subforum be created - Tabletop Gaming. This would incorporate miniature-based gaming, pen and paper gaming, and similar non-electronic games. Some examples of the games that frequently get discussed in G&T are Warhammer Fantasy, Warhammer 40k, and Warmachine, to name a few. Of course, there are dozens of tabletop miniature games that also merit discussion. Pen-and-paper gaming is also included in order to provide a centralized subforum for discussion, as we've had a lot of those threads, too.

Creating a subforum for Tabletop Gaming would also provide for the ability to sticky useful topics, such as modelling tutorials, painting tutorials, or any relevant pen-and-paper gaming tutorials (I don't play those, so I can't be more specific than this, but I'm sure others would be able to contribute something better along those lines).

Threads in a subforum would also help keep these topics more relevant. For example, in the Warhammer 40k thread, essentially one in five posts is someone submitting a potential army list for peer review. Sometimes, these army lists get brushed over due to the other lines of conversation going on in the thread simultaneously - but if they were in a separate thread dedicated to army lists, they would stand a better chance of receiveing constructive commentary and being read.

While it may seem impractical to create an entire subforum for tabletop gaming, it does make a reasonable amount of sense. Pictures of Tycho holding a 20-sided die represent the main page of PA's site, even, representing the interest that gamers hold in non-electronic gaming.

[Alpha Edit : Poll Added]

Orikaeshigitae

But.. we already have a forum for games?

edit: to clarify, I don't see what's wrong with our current setup.

TDL

I heartily support this motion.

Orikaeshigitae, we have a forum for games, and yet there are WoW and City of Heroes forums. I think tabletop merits it's own forum.

It's at least worth trying.

Alpharius

Orikaeshigitae wrote:

But.. we already have a forum for games?

edit: to clarify, I don't see what's wrong with our current setup.

aren't 'city of heroes' and 'world of warcraft' games?

edit: beaten

Ein

From the 40k thread:

-SPI- wrote:

I approve of the subforum idea. We already have about 7 or 8+ tabletop threads in G&T and many of these could be split up into smaller threads as a lot of stuff is getting looked over with these massive discussion threads.

I think that was put pretty well, so I'm going to use that as an example of why.

Orikaeshigitae

Yes, but as I understand it their massive, massive following necessitated a subforum so that those games' respective threads did not move at warp speed. I'm not sure that tabletop games has as huge a following. This is just my opinion, mind - it's Whippy & Alpha's place to make subforums, not mine.

Thanatos

I'd probably frequent a tabletop gaming forum, here.

G&T just moves too fast to keep up with for something like that, honestly.

MinionOfCthulhu

A seperate forum would also help get the various pen and paper games that are being played by PA'ers online get started up easier, as they're not always on the front page, or even the first few pages.

Ein

G&T is very centralized around graphics cards, breaking game news, console threads, and single-game dedicated threads. That's a very broad generalization, of course, but overall a post that doesn't get touched on for more than about 3 minutes gets lost from the firstpage and eaten by the internet. Due to the nature of tabletop gaming being a little slower (it takes time to paint a miniature, come up with army lists, play the games..) there is just as much useful and beneficial content regarding it but it tends to get lost in G&T's noise.

Also, threads for those who are interested in starting particular games would be very helpful in encourgaing the growth of alternative gaming.

prawnstar69

I'd love to see a seperate tabletop forum.

There's a whole lot of stuff which could go there, PnP RPGs, tabletop wargames, board games, etc.

I'm sure there's more of a tabletop following here than City of Heroes and WoW.

It'd also be useful as we could have ongoing stickies with such as modelling help & advice for the wargames. PnP information and boardgame suggestions, it'd just make everything a lot easier to find.

Oh, CCGs could go there too, I'm sure there are other things which fit nicely too.

Der Waffle Mous

WHY like seperate forum idea.


WHY read all the time!

~Nephilim~

I'd love to see this subforum, we could have thread dedicated to the specific races in the games and so on and thus forth.

Magic tournaments and everything.

Hell, my thread got t like 95 pages in about a month.

there's alot of potential for this.

Cynic Jester

Look at the CoH/V subforum. The Warhammer 40k thread alone moves faster. Putting graphics cards and Risk in the same category doesn't make a lot of sense.

Angry Weatherman

I think this is a really good idea. We can have one forum for video games, and another for board games and stuff. It'll be GREAT. Pleeeeease?

PsychoLarry1

I support this idea, it will give posters the ability to focus more on aspects of the game such as conversion or suggested army lists. Also, the 40k thread was the main reason I started posting on the forum, so I think it's a great idea.

Sushisource

I support. We will purge the heretics in his most glorious flame.

skorch

I would also like to see this subforum created.

Though it is all up to Whippy and Alpha.

Drake

I think it would be really, really, really sweet to have a Table Top gaming forum. The online PnPer's, such as the Shadowrun and Mage games, could possibly even find a new home there. It would encourage more of those types of games as well. Also it would allow us to distill our mighty combined forum knowledge even further thus enhancing the geek factor of PA overall.

Invisible

I think it'll stagnant afer two months and will be lucky to break 50 topics at that point. Personally, I'd rather see Games and Technology broken-apart than having a forum for each individual type of game.

Metalbourne

One entire forum devoted to Jack Thompson topics, please.

42

Invisible wrote:

I think it'll stagnant afer two months and will be lucky to break 50 topics at that point. Personally, I'd rather see Games and Technology broken-apart than having a forum for each individual type of game.

WoW and CoH are still kicking over a year later and Tabletop games are a much wider range. There are probably more than 50 different tabletop and PnP Rpgs out there; I really don't think it would run the risk of becoming stagnant

Suriko

I'd approve of a subforum.

It'd be nice to have all the tabletop wargaming and pnp games consolidated in one area.

42 wrote:

There are probably more than 50 different tabletop and PnP Rpgs out there; I really don't think it would run the risk of becoming stagnant

Limed

Drake

42 wrote:

Invisible wrote:

I think it'll stagnant afer two months and will be lucky to break 50 topics at that point. Personally, I'd rather see Games and Technology broken-apart than having a forum for each individual type of game.

WoW and CoH are still kicking over a year later and Tabletop games are a much wider range. There are probably more than 50 different tabletop and PnP Rpgs out there; I really don't think it would run the risk of becoming stagnant

There is plenty of discussion just from the D20 and D&D players alone. Throw in the White Wolf line and the Games Workshop lines and you have potential for many varieties of active discussion. This doesn't even touch more traditional games like Chess and Go. People could discuss poker or bridge strats. I think the environment alone would ecourage more discussion and curiousity in table top gaming of all varieties.

edit: I think it would be another step towards making the PA forums the greatest gaming resource of all time.

Salvation122

Pros:

1. Allows for better discussion of tabletop games, as elaborated on above.
2. Fosters discussion in tabletop games. Tycho often talks about card games, board games, and D&D-esque stuff on the front page, but with the exception of the Warhammer threads, which have recieved a pretty steady following since, oh, June I think - whenever CapK started the first one - G&T is devoted almost entirely to video games. Someone browsing the forums with an interest in D&D or Vampire Masquerade or Flames of War, considering joining, would probably be more likely to do so with a dedicated, active section for their format of choice.
3. Allows for far easier Play by Buletin Board RPG games on PA. I know we've had a few that tried to get going, and ultimately imploded; not having to search back eight pages (or having it pruned) because people aren't contributing every three hours would make it a lot simpler.
4. More easily allows for a focus on the hobby end of minatures games; it's easier to ask for painting or conversion tips when you're not in the middle of a three-page discussion on the various strong and weak points of an Eldar vs. IG matchup, or how the Tau are teh animez ololz.
5. Although I'm certain it would have enough of a following to support itself, the forum would probably move slowly enough that the additional mod requirements would be minimal.
6. A note on popularity: G&T has had 9 threads active in the past week regarding tabletop games: 40k thread, Board Games!, Shadowrun, Werewulf: Apocolypse, Vampire: Requiem, PA CCG, Warhammer Fantasy, Alternative to Warhammer, and WoD 2.0. Additionally, we had a long running (now pruned? I got lazy) thread on the worst things you've had happen in tabletop games, and I think there's a Mage thread kicking around somewhere too. Plus, most of these things are longish threads; if it could get away with it, I'd be suprised if the 40k one didn't get broken into at least three or four seperate topics.

Cons:

1. Segregates the tabletop discussion from G&T, which means we might have less people peeking in and saying "Oh sweet where do I get in on this?!"
2. Nominally higher mod staff? Not my decision, but perhaps. If not, higher workload for current mods.

That's what I got. Obviously I'm for the thing.

Ein

Salvation122 wrote:

Cons:

1. Segregates the tabletop discussion from G&T, which means we might have less people peeking in and saying "Oh sweet where do I get in on this?!"
2. Nominally higher mod staff? Not my decision, but perhaps. If not, higher workload for current mods.

That's what I got. Obviously I'm for the thing.

1. I think that if we had the forum, there would occasionally be people that come in just to see what it's about - and if we had 'Introduction to XXXXXXX game' threads, it'd better foster an interest in the subject matter.

2. Might be a bit of a stretch, but since this stuff is currently in the G&T forum they're probably the best equipped for moderating it's offshoot.

Tini

I support this idea. I would love to see some modeling and painting tutorials.

Projeck

I want this forum.

I want it nooooooooooooow!!!

Rabid_Llama

This idea has my full support. And my Blood Angels'. And my Tyranid's. And my Ork's.

Honestly, i think that the the demand for a TT subforum is underestimated. I think that once established, the subforum would flourish.

Morskittar

Anyone not approving of this idea will either have their children stolen in the middle of the night or their fridges poisoned with warpstone chunks.

Orikaeshigitae

Suriko wrote:

I'd approve of a subforum.

It'd be nice to have all the tabletop wargaming and pnp games consolidated in one area.

42 wrote:

There are probably more than 50 different tabletop and PnP Rpgs out there; I really don't think it would run the risk of becoming stagnant

Limed

[GAME ON] PARANOIA!

[GAME ON] D&D

[GAME ON] D&D (2)

[GAME ON] D&D 2nd ED

[GAME ON] Alternity (D&D sucks!)

[GAME ON] Mechwarrior 3rd Ed. (no it doesn't)

[GAME ON] Vampire: The Masquerade

...

Personally, I think that it'll stagnate. But, again, that's my opinion. Feel free to discount it if you want.

Salvation122

I somehow doubt it's going to turn into a PB3 forum.

Thanatos

Orikaeshigitae wrote:

[GAME ON] PARANOIA!

[GAME ON] D&D

[GAME ON] D&D (2)

[GAME ON] D&D 2nd ED

[GAME ON] Alternity (D&D sucks!)

[GAME ON] Mechwarrior 3rd Ed. (no it doesn't)

[GAME ON] Vampire: The Masquerade

...

Personally, I think that it'll stagnate. But, again, that's my opinion. Feel free to discount it if you want.

Orikae, you're limiting yourself to just PnP RPGs, there (well, other than Mechwarrior).

You've got LARPs, tabletop war games (I can think of about 4 threads for Warhammer alone), board games, running games (i.e. games that are being run on PA, each of which could have its own thread), etc. Shit, man, we've been playing chess like crazy in D&D for about a week, now; that's a thread, right there.

Orikaeshigitae

Thanatos wrote:

Orikae, you're limiting yourself to just PnP RPGs, there (well, other than Mechwarrior).

I was quoting from my collection of rulebooks. FASA put out a Mechwarrior RPG for quite a while, until they went bankrupt.

Anyway, that's true but it was an illustrative example, whose point was that it would become quickly filled with many, many people playing many, many different games, which means that it'd stagnate.

At least in my opinion, which does not reflect that of the mod staff or admins of the message board belonging to the webcomic at the address www.penny-arcade.com.

The Celestial

I fully support this idea. Hell, half the time I spend in G&T in reading about 40K, Vamp, board games, etc etc. I'd post in them, but they fly by so fast, it's hard to have a decent conversation about the new Tau models or how gay Space Marines really are.

It could be used as a tool to open folks up to newer TT stuff as well as organize games that...frankly, are more enjoyable (to me) then 0's and 1's.

Pheezer

This would be just like the Writer's Block only far less active.

The Celestial

pheezer FD wrote:

This would be just like the Writer's Block only far less active.

First of all. What the hells is this "Writer's Block" you speak of?

And second, so?

2868

I agree. Make the new forum.

Seriously of all the communities i belong to, I have never seen mods and members so averse to creating new threads or forums. (I will say this is my favourite forum community)

Ask about an Army with it's own thread and you are told "Warhammer thread", so you move it there and it is quickly buried in a 50 page rant about Tau.

For that matter you could ask about an Xbox 360 game in its own thread, and be told "to the 360 thread nub." So who knows.

If we can support a barely frequented but much loved forum like graphic violence I think we can support a table top forum.

Dice, Cards, and Minis oh my.

fsmith1

I support it with a rock hard erection.

Srsly.

Tabletop makes me hard.

Suriko

The Celestial wrote:

First of all. What the hells is this "Writer's Block" you speak of?

That would be here.

EDIT: And if we can support a subforum for an individual game (see: WoW, CoH), shouldn't it be at least worth trialing a subforum for a complete range of hobbies?

Ralakan

I also support this particular action.

once it's known that the forums support this style of gaming, the amount of posts should go up. afterall, the 40k thread is doing very well, and there a TON of tabletop games that havn't been covered yet

Drake

pheezer FD wrote:

This would be just like the Writer's Block only far less active.

I really doubt that. For one thing, the writers block approaches a level of intellectual snobbery that keeps alot of us from participating. I don't think this would be the case at all with a Table Top forum. Look, everyone of us here is a gamer. That means that the majority of us are going to have at least one or two table top games that we dig. Whether it's fucking chutes and ladders or grand championship style chess; munchkin style, monty haul AD&D or some kind of cultish LARP ( not really table top, I know but bear with me ) it would be best to discuss it in a forum that encourages it. I bet no one would really respond to a Monopoly thread in any real positive way in G&T, but in a table top forum it would receive more serious consideration. Come on, table top gaming has been the ugly stepchild of the PA forums. Well, we want more! Glory, glory Hallelujah!