7 things I wish I'd known before my first megagame
BeckyBecky Ladley started megagaming in 2014. She is a voracious megagame blogger at BeckyBecky Blogs and designer of the Everybody Dies and Trope High megagames.
Becky (centre) as her alter-ego, Captain Freedom, during City of Shadows 2 (Photo by: Becky Ladley)
So you're going to your first megagame. Maybe someone invited you. Maybe you saw the Shut Up & Sit Down video, or another megagame video, or read a megagame blog. Maybe you saw it advertised on Facebook or in your local gaming shop. Either way, you signed up and now...you're nervous.
You don't know what you've really signed up for? Is it a board game with lots of players? Is it a LARP with some maps? Is it a model UN with aliens, a tabletop roleplay where you wander about a bit?
Now you've received the handbook and your briefing, and you're feeling even more overwhelmed. You've seen costume suggestions, but you were planning on wearing jeans. And you're already feeling kind of hungry but you don't know why.
Fear not. Megagames are awesome. And here's some tips for your first one.
1. It's okay, no one else knows the rules by heart
Especially if your first game is a very rules-heavy game or you've been put into a very mechanics-heavy role, you might feel a little intimidated by the rule-book and the amount of things you are expected to remember.
But it's completely fine - the great majority of other players won't be turning up with a encyclopedic knowledge of the rule-set. There will be Control available to help you get to grips with the complexities of your role, and there are also often cheat sheets available to remind you of the order of play. It's common for the first few turns of a game to run a little slower to allow players time to get up to speed.
Don’t get me wrong – it’s still absolutely essential to read through the rule-book properly. You’ll pick up the rules faster when you do see them, and you’ll have a better idea of the options available to you and the decisions you’ll be making – which means you’ll have a better time.
2. There are a lot of other new players
I'd estimate that most games have a new player percentage of around 20-50%, so you won't be alone. Many games ask all the new players to raise their hands, so that will be a great way of sussing out who around you are your fellow newbies.
Don't be afraid to tell other players its your first time. I'm not saying they'll go easy on you! But they will take a bit more time to explain the rules to you and are more likely to cut you a bit of slack if you're late to a certain phase.
Becky and her gang at Mirrorshades 2.1 (Photo by: Becky Ladley)
3. The community is SUPER welcoming
The megagaming community is overall incredibly friendly to new players. After all, they were all newbies once.
And when you end up in the pub after the game for the "real debrief", you'll be able to join in one of the finest megagame traditions - talking about your moment of triumph. Whether you ended up President or just made a really awesome deal that won your team some income.
And it's not all in person! Make sure you join the Facebook Event for the megagame you're heading to, and the Facebook group for the community that's running it. Before the game, you'll be in the thick of all the hype, and after the game it will be easy to read megagame reports, share your own stories and find out about future games you might want to attend.
4. If you get stuck, New Player Liaison is your friend
An increasing number of games are including the role of New Player Liaison, Player Liaison or New Player Control on their roster. This is a dedicated member of the Control team who does not have responsibility over any aspect of the game itself but is present purely to make the game better for the newer players (or any players that need a little more help).
If you find yourself at a loose end, they will find ways to link you back into the game, such as suggesting a potential ally, a route of attack or a way to interpret your existing briefing.
It's not just in-game support either. If you're feeling out-of-your-depth, they can help you manage those feelings. If you're having a disagreement with another player, they will help mediate. And if you're just not in a role you enjoy, they will look at the situation to see if there's a way they can pivot your character or even move you to a different role or team.
5. Bring food, drink, pens and paper
This is more of a practical tip. Don't forget to turn up with enough food to get you through the day (personally I prefer snackable stuff as there's no break for lunch) and plenty to drink (water is always good, and there's normally a tap where you can refill water bottles).
You might not use it but stick a pad of paper and a couple of pens in your bag as well. If you end up needing to make notes about the game state or to send written messages to other players, you'll be glad you brought them.
You should also read the emails from the game designer to find out if there's anything else you need to bring.
Becky as the Baroness of Tzoulou during Kingdom of Seasons in 2019 (Photo by: Becky Ladley)
6. Turn up on time
Honestly as a game runner there's nothing more frustrating than a player turning up late. They miss out on pre-game bonding time with their teams and depending how late they are they might miss essential information in the briefing and even a mechanics demo.
Normally game registration opens half an hour or so before the game opening briefing and this is when you should be aiming to arrive. Make sure you check your handbook or emails from the designer carefully for this information - you don't want to think the registration starts at 9:30am when actually that's kick-off time! On the other hand, if you turn up too early you might be stuck outside the venue while Control finishes set up. It's a balancing act.
7. It can be pretty intense
I'm not gonna lie. Megagaming is full-on. It is entirely likely that you will not sit down all day, will forget to eat that lunch you carefully packed, forget the names of EVERY single person you spoke to, and finish the day feeling exhausted, happy and confused. That's pretty standard.
If you get overwhelmed, don't be ashamed to go have a time out. Step outside for some fresh air, go splash water on your face, reapply some lipstick and give yourself a pep talk. I still have to do that on occasion, and I've been to more than 50 games by this point.
Remember - if you pop to the loo for 10 minutes and miss your army's movement phase or a dramatic vote in the council... your day isn’t over. Your narrative has just changed. Missing that opportunity may well open up other ones, and you’ll probably feel a bit more refreshed when facing them.
BONUS 8. Read 7 Habits
This blog post has focused on the stuff that is particularly opaque to newbies, but if you're like a lot of megagamers out there, you don't just want to survive - you want to thrive!
So go have a read of my 7 Habits of Highly Effective Megagamers blog post, which talks more about the skills that will come in handy once you've got your feet under you. Don't feel like these skills are only open to experienced megagamers - there's no time like a debut to make a splash.
The learning curve for megagames is pretty short, and goes something like this:
Step 1: what do I do? This is when you are learning the rules and the basic structure of the game.
Step 2: what can I do? This is when you start to realise that the boundaries of the megagame aren't limited by the rules, but instead by your creativity.
Step 3: how do I do it? You've mastered the creative aspect of the game, and are now asking Control what you need to do in order to reach your objectives.
Many players make it to step 3 within their first or second game. Free your mind of the confines of most gaming types and allow yourself to think like the role you are playing for the day.
Good luck... and have fun!
Thanks to Becky for writing this blog post for us! If after reading Becky’s list you’re interested in signing up to a megagame, check out our global calendar.
If you’d like to see your writing appear in our blog, get in touch now!