What would make the Campaign Work?

[Banosby]

Chase, I'm the first one to say we all want you there every night. I know I start getting all panicky when I haven't seen you for a few hours. But you don't have to be there on Thursdays (or whenever) to make this work. Appoint a deputy. Matt's there, and he's cool. Have Sam come in. He loves collecting data and putting it in spreadsheets. Or recruit one of the players to keep things running. This thing just needs an accessible face or two is all.

[Benjamin]

If a campaign needs an accessible authority figure, that can be done. If a lower point default means more people are comfortable, that can be done. I'm actually encouraged by the feedback. For the problems I'm reading so far, there are solutions.

[Chase]

Matt was going to run this league, but I guess people didn't know that. 

I was planning to be there for the first night to get it going and go through everything with him.  I know he read the league stuff a bunch and was ready to go.

Live and learn I guess.

[blantyr]

I've all ready played it a year ago. (which is like the only case for you)

 I feel the plainville community is to young needs more roots. What i mean is it has a lot more younger players which is not a bad thing in fact its a really good thing more then you might understand. What I'm about to say is in NO WAY ragging on chase and if you take this the negatively please ignore it, the problem in with is see this outcome was from the wrong type of  hype, and the hype that was giving might have not hit a home run with the newer players.What i mean is When i played in the League in Abington a little over a year ago there was people telling me how great it was going to be and how much fun i could have and it wasn't serious, becuase of this. This is when i really started playing 40k instead of maybe hear and there. I got to meet great people it was that plan and simple which lead to more connections and games. I know for a fact that some plainville thursday players play with their friends and really don't expand from there there are cases where i am wrong like when ben sets up games for people. Sure over time the barriers from the mini groups could slowly brake over time, But this league could really help make  bg community progress faster. It really sad that it failed. I did not think it wasn't going to happen, but i had a feeling that some people might not join. what could fix it could be like what happen to me peer pressure. I mean hey i wanted to meet and play more people and this league made it happen.

I am really tired now ive been up a very long time so sorry if this doesn't make any sense.

I've never been to Plainville, so I don't know whether the following is relevant, but I have seen a clique effect in various stores.  You might have hobbyists who disdain opponents who aren't completely painted.  You might have tourney players proud of well optimized lists.  You might have youngsters who aren't into painting, and haven't the models or knowledge to give the tourney players a decent game.

At one point I was playing in two stores who had two methods for organizing games.  One store was dominated by a war gaming clique fighting a campaign where winning a game meant you get advantages when it was time to play the next game.  Not to long after, the experienced players got advantages and were able to thoroughly thump the newer players.  For some reason, the new players dropped out and started playing only other new players.

The other store did a pyramid scheme.  No fluff.  You alternated between challenging a player who has won a bit more, and getting challenged by someone who hadn't won quite so much.  You ended up playing someone at about your own skill level, but part of the scheme was that players could challenge people they don't fight every week.  Everyone played everyone else.  There was a minor award given out if a player managed to stay at the top of the pyramid for several weeks, after which point I think he started again at the bottom.

I'm a bit paranoid about cliques.  I'm more than a bit concerned about campaigns where winning one week gives one advantages next week.  Pyramid challenges might be a way to encourage players from playing new people, but there isn't much fluff or strategy.  Not ideal.  In a way cliques can be a good thing, as players find other players with similar interests in gaming and similar skill levels.  At the same time, the game isn't as much fun if one fights the same opponents every week.  A healthy store is somewhere you can go and might have any number of people willing to show you a different opponent.

I've no specific advice, alas.  Plainville is a bit far for me to travel.

[Benjamin]

To blantyr's post, to the best of my knowledge, Plainville doesn't have any cliques in the negative sense of the word. Through luck and effort, we've avoided them in any bad way. I wouldn't put any of this on the Plainville community, because it really is a community.

But to the point of fairness blantyr raises, it definitely is one thing to get beat down in a 6-hour tournament and it's another thing to get beat down over 6 weeks. With our wide experience gap of "as seen in White Dwarf" to "baby seal", I can see where that may have put some people off, from either side. Admittedly, I don't know how one would tweak that aspect and am not sure if it should be tweaked at all.

[Ian Mulligan]

Losing is part of the game. People uncomfortable with that aren't really league folks anyway.

[Chase]

Even players losing get a "way out" in the league.  Each week after the first there is a special rule of some kind, either based on location that are claimed, or something else.

For instance, one might have the opportunity to breach the Vogen city walls in a different, unclaimed area on week 3 and THEN move.  This would allow players getting beat on in their region of the map to relocate to a spot where they can challenge and opponent (or friend) they think they can beat.

It's a shame it didn't happen, because it really is a ton of fun.

[Banosby]

So let's make sure it happens next time around. Pick a date now (or soon) so that people can get armies ready. And start registering (and keep track of how many are registered on the forums) so that people know they aren't signing up for a bum league.

[Grand Master Steve]

I have no idea how i didnt hear about this league. I have Thursdays off and would have played. I long to play 40k again.

[Benjamin]

So let's make sure it happens next time around. Pick a date now (or soon) so that people can get armies ready. And start registering (and keep track of how many are registered on the forums) so that people know they aren't signing up for a bum league.

It could be set up without a specific date. Rather, the campaign could simply start when a minimum number of players have registered.

With different events, upcoming holidays and the like, I imagine any campaign would have to be put off until January. And that's plenty of time to get the word out.

ETA: Changed the thread title, to be more positive!

[the_trooper]

So let's make sure it happens next time around. Pick a date now (or soon) so that people can get armies ready. And start registering (and keep track of how many are registered on the forums) so that people know they aren't signing up for a bum league.

It could be set up without a specific date. Rather, the campaign could simply start when a minimum number of players have registered.

With different events, upcoming holidays and the like, I imagine any campaign would have to be put off until January. And that's plenty of time to get the word out.

ETA: Changed the thread title, to be more positive!

A word of advice, try to line it up to end right before the annual megabattle. People will be excited about 40k in a non-tournament way and they can build up for the megabattle at the same time.

[Benjamin]

A word of advice, try to line it up to end right before the annual megabattle. People will be excited about 40k in a non-tournament way and they can build up for the megabattle at the same time.

That would require patience from some, but it can also get people excited about the Forge World units they could use in both events.

[keithb]

My only reason for not doing it is time.  I think I would have trouble committing to making there often enough.  I wouldn't want to be 'that guy' who signs up and plays two weeks and then like never shows up again.

[cryptoron]

A little too far for me to commit to every week.