I posted a blog entry on Reddit regarding buying from your Favorite Local Game Store or Online and an interesting idea came up. Someone argued that the LGS format is outdated and unnecessary. To me, aside from the ethical argument of buying in store or online, I feel that if I didn't have an LGS to play, I really wouldn't be the avid X-Wing'er that I am today.

I am fortunate enough to be able to keep up with releases and have a fairly sizable collection. Without the LGS with weekly X-Wing nights I think my interest in the game, as well as my interest in collecting the ships, wouldn't be nearly as strong.

I'm interested in knowing what you guys think. Here's the original blog entry.

Without an FLGS, the only games I would ever get in would be on Vassal. And I doubt I would have gotten past Wave 1 if that was the case.

My LGS doesn't need to exist for me to enjoy this game. If FFG keep making the game I will keep playing.

I use LGS about 5-10 times per year. Majority of games are either at my house or another player's house.

Every second Monday I have pickup games at my FLGS. We have tournaments there on a pretty stable schedule (about every two months). I also visit two other stores when they have pickup games or tournaments, but on a less frequent basis as they are further from my place.

No flgs near me so no not really.

No flgs near me so no not really.

My LGS doesn't need to exist for me to enjoy this game. If FFG keep making the game I will keep playing.

I'm wondering how you guys play and if you guys ever have opportunities to get in any tournaments. I'm not trying impose any sort of values here, I'm just genuinely curious. Do you guys have a gaming group where everyone has their own ships, or do you guys provide them for the whole group.

For me, I'd say I play 90% at my FLGS or another game store. Outside of that, I have a couple friends who have ships and we play (and drink! yeah!) at each other's houses, but that's rare. Usually, if I play outside of my FLGS, I gotta provide the whole kit (ships, templates, everything) for the other player.

No flgs near me so no not really.

Same

A FLGS isn't inherently required, but, they certainly are useful.

Where I grew up back in Australia - the only Toy store was a small Toy store, they didn't bring anything in. You could occasionally special-order Warhammer from them, but they stocked Toys and Model Kits.

The answer, of course, was to form a formal club. We hired a hall on a semi-regular basis, and at one point, even formed it as an official club in order to get government grants to cover hall hiring and administration costs... We got under the borders of running an after-school program.

This meant there was money available for things like Tournaments, for hiring out a bigger hall for tournaments, and we had the official status that we could turn around to a distributor and say "We're not just a person, we're a gaming club with retail/wholesale buying power"...

If it weren't for the fact I was living now in a Major City in Canada, I'd probably have done the same thing here...

It might be interesting for everyone to mention where they are located.

I have noticed over the years a big difference in the importance of LGSs between the US and Europe.

It might be interesting for everyone to mention where they are located.

I have noticed over the years a big difference in the importance of LGSs between the US and Europe.

Yeah, that might make an difference, too. I'm in the Los Angeles area, so that might be why the lgs experience is so positive for me.

When I first started, my LGS vehemently refused to stock X-Wing, because the owner didn't think it would last. So I bought pretty much everything online, and only got in games occasionally at home when friends or family would join me, or when I'd play on my own.

In the last few weeks I've joined in with a group, and it's nice having some new opponents, and seeing new lists and strategies across the table (got really boring playing against myself).

So, I'd vote that the FLGS is very nice to have, but not required.

I'd get maybe 4 days a year where X-Wing was played if I didn't have an FLGS. Those would be holidays where I meet with family. But the game has already grown beyond the point where it's easy to play a pickup game with others. There are too many options and I wouldn't be able to fly whatever I wanted because I'd have to worry about balance. Nearly every game would be an introductory demo game. I would have sold my collection and focused on solo games if it weren't for my FLGS.

Being able to meet nearly every week at the FLGS to play X-Wing has sustained my interest in this game.

I'm lucky enough to have great shop 5 minutes from my house with a thriving community. For me, my one day a week of gaming keeps the game alive for me and it's nice to have a great social atmosphere.

Unlike computer/video games table top games tend to force a little more interpersonal socialization. If it wasn't for a game club I used to go to at college I wouldn't have noticed the new LGS that carried FFG products such as X-wing. I was well aware of Twilight Imperium and got all the expansions as dare I say that was my favorite FFG product. But it wasn't untill the club showed me X-wing and I started to get into it as well after pulling out all my Star Wars starship miniatures from Wizzards of the Coast.

So for tabletop games I say it is essential for an environment to allow players to get together and play games thus a LGS FLGS is necessary for X-wing.

The nearest FLGS to me is a little over 200km away, so it has no impact on my enjoyment of the game. For this reason most of my purchases are from online retailers, however if I know I am heading that way to visit the in-laws I make a point of stopping in to see whats there (I play more than X-wing for games). I do provide everything for the game to my friends to use, it is just simpler that way.

I went to the local FLGS last night for our bi-weekly game night. 4 tables and I was the 9th person. I read my comic book and picked up two games afterwards. Got home for 9:45 pm .

We get the occasional new player showing up but most are regulars. It is my regular fix for x-wing.

I had my first taste of TLT last night. I don't like those turrets. Will have to build to counter.

What? your guys' enjoyment doesn't come 90% from theory craft?

When my x-wing fix becomes too greater than that which can be sustained from friends, I attend a league night at my FLGS.

I play pretty much 100% of the time at my FLGS. I wouldn't know any other X-Wing players if it weren't for the store.

I like my store for the fact i get a discount on pre orders.

I play most my games at home or friends houses but sometimes its convenient to play at the store if the house is a bit of a mess, its also good to arrange 'first games' there in case i really dont get on with someone i've chatted to online and arrnaged a game with or they turn out to be a total mentalist (not happened yet) in which case i'd rather they did not know where i live!

(i was once starting a band with a guy who seemed really normal until round my house for a jam session he started telling me how he was the illegitmate son of prince charles and that he was going to kill the artist 'basshunter' for running off with his fiance... i quickly regretted letting this guy know where I lived and politely over time distanced myself. So i kind of learned a lesson there )

No flgs near me so no not really.

My LGS doesn't need to exist for me to enjoy this game. If FFG keep making the game I will keep playing.

I'm wondering how you guys play and if you guys ever have opportunities to get in any tournaments. I'm not trying impose any sort of values here, I'm just genuinely curious. Do you guys have a gaming group where everyone has their own ships, or do you guys provide them for the whole group.

For me, I'd say I play 90% at my FLGS or another game store. Outside of that, I have a couple friends who have ships and we play (and drink! yeah!) at each other's houses, but that's rare. Usually, if I play outside of my FLGS, I gotta provide the whole kit (ships, templates, everything) for the other player.

Same here. No FLGS around. I just play with my friend. Usually once a month (three 100pts battles)

I play most of my games at home, teaching family members to play, when I'm not practising for band performances. We two FLGS within 1/2 an hour of us, and we have 2 clubs (more or less).

Both stores have successfully held small tournaments (in limited space), and one is thinking about setting up a league. Still waiting to hear whether the league will get up and go.

One of the Clubs used to play at recently moved from a local school hall to one of the FLGS and from what I have heard in the last couple of days is that the club has ceased to function as it did before the move.

Due to a disagreement with the management of the hall where the other club plays, I will not set foot there ever again.

I see the benefits of both, but my preference is for the standalone club as described in an above post, where there are gamers only and it is set up and run well or to play at home. (as I work in a retail store, dealing with the public all day, I often don't feel like going to another store to play, where there are both gamers and public/customers)

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Absolutely. My FLGS is where I get my games against other dedicated X-Wing fans.

I'm in New England (Rhode Island to be exact) and I totally support my FLGS's (there are a few in this, the smallest of states). Every Thursday night a group of us game at the corner (literally) hobby store that's about 5 minutes from my workplace. Ever since game stores started wherever I lived I've been going to the local one to play (that's been since around 1981 I think...). So in answer to the OP, yes the local store IS integral to my gaming enjoyment. I don't think I'd be gaming (other than online computer games) if I didn't go to the local store.

I think it would have to be fairly rare for someone to have a good LGS and not have it at least enhance their enjoyment of the game.

I mean I suppose there could a few people who play a game like X-Wing but are too socially awkward to feel comfortable at a LGS. But considering you need two people to play X-Wing I can't imagine there's many people like that who get into these kinds of games in the first place.