And for the record, ensign, the only reason why Games Club was bumped up to before 3pm was because people wanted to play long, complicated games and didn’t want to be there all night. Historically, or at least for as long as I can remember of all the years I’ve been going it’s been set for 3pm until we started going to Chit Chat and playing games like Diplomacy and Settlers of Catan.<<<<<
Um, the ‘sticky’ thread , (below this one) where the Games Club was noted as moving to the Witches House, specifically says 2PM, and was posted in December 2004.
I specifically said this, because part of your point in your original post seemed to be that people who turn up after the club ‘starts’ find that a game is already going on…so, perhaps you need to adjust your mental clock slightly and remember that it hasn’t started at 3PM for some time now. 
However, in ANY club, those who come later will find members who came earlier have often already begun activities. Or are you going to suggest that the club have a “don’t start anything until member X arrives” rule? I myself have several times arrived after 2PM to find a game already in progress, or being set up.
My choices are: 1/ join in the game being set up,
2/ask them to start again, 3/ start a new game immediately, or 4/ wait until there are enough people/enough people in agreement as to what to play, and start a new game. No problem. As for reading the Sunday paper, or gasbagging until the first game finishes… that is also a sociable option. I have been known to do that too
In my observation, at Game Club, a game doesn’t ‘start’ until there are at least 3 players willing to play, and others will join in during the setting up time, or sometimes a game will either start again or even finish when more people arrive. Since most people like to play multi-player games, if there are quite a few people there at 2PM then there is often some discussion before a consensus of what to play is arrived at.
Additionally, there are people coming and going and games being started throughout the time from 2PM until 10PM (when the Witches House closes). I don’t recall any occassion at Games Club where anyone has been ‘forced’ to play a game that they don’t want to…we are all adults after all.
Further observations: your comment
Especially of games that take more than 4 hours to play for those who already know how to (6+ hours if there are new players). <<<<<
hits a very big nail on the head: tfinding a balance between finding new games to play, and playing to death familar ones.
I have observed in various game clubs in various countries that I have been a member of, that people when thinking about playing a new game for the second time very often forget that part of the reason it took X hours last time is because it took a significant amount of time to teach the rules, and get familar with the game. Also some people often dislike spending a game feeling lost and refuse to play it a second time, despite the fact that for many games the experience naturally improves as you play more.
This has the unfortunate effect that people think some games take longer than they actually do. It can also sometimes mean that a game will always take a longer time because there is always a new player. And some people just play slowly anyway
Sorry, I plead guilty to arriving on time and setting a game up. I had however, already arranged the previous meeting with the interested players that we were going to play that game. Others can make this kind of arrangement too, should they desire.
Also, there is a huge selection of games of varied playing time and usually a large number of players at the Witches House. Most people can find something they want to play.
) started.
, of what people play by someone setting up games before anyone else even shows up any more. Especially of games that take more than 4 hours to play for those who already know how to (6+ hours if there are new players).
).
.) If someone would like to learn I’ll show what I know.
