Finishing these space marine scouts is taking longer than I anticipated. First, I decided that I may as well put together the second squad and paint them all together. Second, I still have to drill out the barrels on the guns. Third, I want to add all those little fiddly bit that come with the kit (packs, grenades, etc.) because they hide the awkward seam between the torso and legs. So rather than an update on my project, I thought I'd share with you an idea I had late last night.
I live in NYC, in an apartment I share with my roommate. I took the bedroom, and he's converted the living room into his bedroom. We share the kitchen and bathroom. What this means is that I have no place to play Warhammer 40K. For those of you who have no idea what this means (which I find highly unlikely since this is a site dedicated to the game), playing requires a large table. I mean HUGE. Six feet by three feet, at least. Then there's all the attendant terrain -- the buildings, forests, hills, and whatnot that you put on the table to provide cover. If you know me, I don't just build my own terrain; I construct my own modular table with different terrain themes (urban, refinery complex, forward operating base, desert, forest...). My current dream is to recreate, in 28mm, the location of the last battle in Saving Private Ryan.
I simply don't have the room for all of this. The living room would be perfect, since I've packed all my other activities into the bedroom already (TV, bookcases, desk, etc.). As I mentioned, however, that room is already occupied by my roommate. I could eliminate him (read that however you like), but then I'd have to pay my $1000/mo. rent by myself. I'm certain I'm not the only one in NYC with this predicament, however. And that's where my terrible idea comes from.
See, I live in Brooklyn. Specifically Bay Ridge. Bay Ridge is a traditionally Italian neighborhood. In my youth, if you were of a certain racial distinction, you did not come to Bay Ridge lest you wanted to be chased, Warriors-like, by kids with bats and golf clubs. The neighborhood is riddled with that old Italian standby and mobster-movie cliche: the social club. I kid you not. There are five of them within a few blocks of my home. These old, Italian men rent a storefront and convert it into a clubhouse. I've looked inside a few of them (not too closely, mind you), and they all have a few card tables, a couch, a TV, and a refrigerator. They sit around all day playing poker, watching the horseraces on TV, and presumably not collecting the vig at 32 percent (or else). Why can't I do the same thing?
The plan is to get a bunch of fellow gamers with too tiny apartments together. We create a club, with dues, and a charter and all that. We fill this space with giant tables for gaming. I could line one wall with shelves for terrain pieces. Put in a couch or two. And a TV so we could all watch the kinds of movies that appeal to gamers. A refrigerator for all the Code Red Mountain Dew and Chinese takeout. There would be a place for people to paint their miniatures. Then, I'd basically sell memberships to the club (to cover expenses). It would be, for all intents and purposes, an Italian social club. Only without all the leg-breaking.
Initial problems come to mind. I would have to be there 24-7, just to make sure everything was okay. Which means I'd have to give up my day job (err, night job). So the club would have to also generate some income for Ross. Gamers are a fickle lot; I'd get 100 people to sign up for May, but none for the month of June. I could compensate by selling Games Workshop and other hobby-related products. But I'd likely have to give a discount to club members (cutting into the margins). I might be able to offset this by selling other games, like Magic: the Gathering and YuGiOh. But that leads to the slippery slope of actually opening up a game store. I don't want to own and operate a game store. I want a clubhouse where I can lay down some smack in the form of 28mm miniatures. Finally, this club would have to be located in Brooklyn, because the rents are cheaper; who in the hell will travel all the way out to Bay Ridge just to play Warhammer?
I don't know how they make the Italian social club a viable, on-going concern. Well, I do, but I don't (if you know what I mean). I've thought about asking them about it, but it would be too hard to explain to a bunch of goombas more inclined to stick an ice pick in my ear. So I have no idea how to make my terrible, wonderful idea come to life.
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