Valerie Putman:  I’m sorry, I have another appointment

In a report from WBC, a gamer complained that someone was urging everyone to play quickly because he had semi-final round for another tournament coming up.  The game he was currently playing was allotted 2 hours on the schedule, but often takes less than that to play, and his other tournament was starting in 1 ½ hours.  In an open gaming environment I would consider it a terrible breach of etiquette to make those kinds of plans, but having been to WBC before, I know that this behavior is fairly common, widely accepted, and almost necessary unless you want to leave yourself with hours at a time to just twiddle your thumbs.

Just last week I had to decline a game of Die Macher that I helped plan because I knew I had to leave early and the game that we’d hoped to start at 6:30p at the latest wasn’t going to start for at least another hour.  I was also concerned because while I was assuming that the game would take about 3 – 4 hours (based on many previous experiences), others were expecting the game to take 5 hours.  (And with a lengthy rules explanation for the new players, I found out later that the game did take about 4 ½ hours and ended later than I could have stayed.)

But sometimes our judgment is off and we start a game that we shouldn’t have.  I’ve talked before about abandoning a game and I mentioned that if it is because someone is late and must get home to relieve the babysitter, this is a scenario I can understand.  But even better is a well planned gaming night so that the person leaving early doesn’t disrupt the experience for everyone else. 

My time management coping skills have developed over the years as one of an overestimating procrastinator.  I put things off until the last minute (or so I think), but I overestimate how long things will take, so I still end up with plenty of time.  For example, I estimate that it will take me 2 hours to get to the airport, park, check in, and get through security in time to make my flight.  I usually end up running late and leave the house about 110 minutes before my flight, but still make it with time to spare because the ordeal only ends up taking me about an hour to accomplish. 

Unfortunately, I find that my estimating skills are erring on the short side when it comes to how long a game will take.  Several times recently I have often been guilty of suggesting a game that is really longer than the time we have.  (Which is why the Die Macher game was getting off to a late start to begin with.) Maybe it’s because I have so much fun gaming that time flies.  And maybe that explains why I’ve been known to suggest Age of Steam or Roads and Boats at midnight!

Speaking of appointments to play….  I am at Gen Con as you read this.  I’ll tell you all about it next week.  After that is Dragon*Con during Labor Day weekend in Atlanta.  I then have two more invitationals, Buckeye Game Fest (our regional convention), Essen, and BGG.con, which should bring the total of events for the year to about 18. 

I’d rather be gaming,
Valerie Putman

© 2006 Valerie Putman

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Comments:

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Yes. As someone who often plays games with you at conventions, I would have to say that you have appropriately found that you suggest games longer than the time available.  Part of this is because you always ask for Age of Steam!  <g> Posted by Dale Yu on Aug 13, 2006 at 02:58 PM | #

Wow!  18 events… I’m jealous… Posted by Thomas Pancoast on Aug 13, 2006 at 10:22 PM | #

You know, midnight Age of Steam is underrated. Kudo’s to Valerie for pushing it...there are few long games that I’m willing to start that late, but AoS is definitely one of them. Posted by Ted Alspach on Aug 14, 2006 at 09:12 AM | #

I’ve attended Origins for 12 years and something like this happens often… I like to play Poker, and, according to my pre-reg book, I had a gap on Saturday, so I signed up for the 2 hour poker event, there wasn’t much of anything else that I wanted to do, and 2 hours would be enough for a ‘fix’ and a break from ‘real’ gaming. Anyway, once there, they said it’s not 2 hours it’ll be more like 8 hours, and the ‘real’ program book now has an event I want to play in. SO, after two hours of poker I had to drop and move on to what I really wanted to do. Felt bad about it, but rationalized it with a ‘not my fault’. So sometimes it’s not my time management skills, it’s the organizers. Posted by Bob Trezise on Aug 14, 2006 at 12:51 PM | #

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