If there is anything you wanted to know about GASP, check out the Frequently Asked Questions below and hopefully you will find the answers there. If you don't, feel free to reply to this post and we will add your question with an answer to this first post. Reijin inspired this, so I will start by answering all of his questions as well as a few other basic ones:
What is GASP?The Gaming Association of Southwestern Pennsylvania. We are a non-profit group of volunteers that formed in order to promote gaming in all its forms. We began in 1999 and have been growing steadily ever since.
When/Where do you meet?Games Days are held at:
Baldwin Community United Methodist Church
5001 Baptist Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236
GASP's main focus is our monthly Game Days that occurs on the 2nd Saturday of every month from 10am until 11pm. We also run our yearly GASPcon convention (currently on hiatus until we find a new location to host us though), several regular campaigns, and semi-regular events at locations around the city (see the "Non-GASP" Gaming Events in the forum for more information on these).
How much does it cost to become a member?Nothing! Membership in GASP is completely free. There is a small fee to attend our monthly Games Days, a paltry $5 per person. This gives you complete access to everything Games Days has to offer, including great people to play a variety of games with. This fee is waived for first-time attendees.
We do charge for GASPcon (our yearly convention) however, and we also offer our voluntary
Knighthood program that provides some additional benefits, but is really for the purpose of supporting the convention.
How do I become a member?Basically, just show up at a Games Day and fill out the new member form. This will get you on our mailing list for the monthly newsletter and any important news that we need to send out. Alternatively, you could fill out the
New Member Form from the web site and you will still get on the mailing list. It is also recommended that you create a userID for this forum to participate in the discussions. That's all there is to it. Be aware also that we will NOT share your personal information with anyone else. I wouldn't want anyone doing it to me, so I won't do it to you.
Should I introduce myself to everyone?Sure! Go to the
introduction topic on the forum and let us know a little bit about you. That way we will know a little bit about you when we meet in person too.
What should I expect walking into Games Day?When you enter Games Day, there will be a table with an attendance list and some new member forms. Just put your name down on the attendance list, and, if you're new, fill out the new member form. From there, I recommend you walk around and look confused and lost for a bit. Our Knights and Royal Court members try to look for this so that we can welcome new members and help you get acquainted with everything. Any of us would be happy to answer any questions. If it’s your first time attending a Games Day, we will waive the $5 fee. Otherwise someone will be around to collect the fee from you. Just sit down and play a game and we’ll find you.
What is the Royal Court?The Royal Court (a.k.a. the "RC") is a small group of individuals that have volunteered their time to run the club. They are responsible for organizing all events related to the club. On these forums, all Royal Court members will be marked as such under their avatars (their little picture on the left hand side of their posts). For a list of all the current Royal Court members on the forum, you can
search the members list. Enter "Royal Court" in the "Search For:" box, and uncheck all but the "Search by position" box. This will bring up a list of all the current Royal Court members. I would just list them all here, but it does change, and I know I would forget to come back here and update this
What is a Baron?A Baron is a knight that has been with the club for a very long time, and that has shown a dedication to a particular genre of gaming above and beyond all expectations. The title can only be granted by the Royal Court. The Barons assist the Royal Court by promoting their genre of gaming whenever possible. You can also search for "Barons" on the forums using the forum's search function as detailed under "What is the Royal Court?" above.
What is a Knight?By making a small donation to the club, you can be awarded the title of Knight. Knighthood comes with some benefits, but its main purpose is to support the club, and our yearly convention. Click here to learn more about the
Knighthood Program and its current benefits. A list of current knights is available at
http://www.gaspgamer.com/whatIs/members.html. There's even a chance that it might be up to date. At Game Days the Knights will be wearing the brown name tags like you see at the bottom of this post.
Are the people who attend mostly war gamers or are there a good mix of RPG gamers as well?There is a very good mix of all types of games at Games Day. We have been averaging more than 65 players per month. This usually includes RPG's throughout the day, dozens of board games, and numerous miniature games. If you want to play it, chances are you will find someone at Games Day to play it with. To see what games were played last month, check out our latest
Geek List. To see a list of the most popular games, and a list of all the games that have made an appearance at past game days, go to our
Games List.
Does it make a difference if I use the sign up form on the site, or is there a sign up form at the meet up place?There is a new member sign up form available at Games Days, but it is pretty much the same as filling out the online
New Member Form. Filling out either of these will achieve the same result, which is to get you on our mailing list.
What should I bring to game days? (Food, books, games, et cetera)If there are any games you would like to play, bring them along. We also ask everyone to bring a bag of chips, a two liter/12 pack of pop, or some other snack to share with everyone. You're also welcome to bring your own dinner along, or go out to one of the local restaurants. We do place a group order for pizza every month for $5 per person. This is completely voluntary though.
Is there some sort of schedule for games being played?For the most part, no. The exception:
• Role-Playing games run during loose time slots. Check the
RPG board for monthly updates on time slots.
If so, do I need to sign myself or my group up for these?Most games are pickup games. The scheduled games listed above usually have sign-ups, but generally they will accept new players as long as there is room. The best bet is to read the forums and look for any sign-up requests there.
What age ranges can participate in Games Day?We have no specific age requirements, but for the most part we are a slightly older crowd. Most are between 20-40, although we do have several regulars ranging in age from 8 to the late teens. This does not mean that children are not welcome. In fact, I would encourage parents to bring their children with them and get them involved in gaming. Parents have to judge for themselves whether their children are ready for the more mature games or not. We do require that any kids under 16 MUST have a parent or guardian present while the kids are there. The kids should also be actively participating in gaming. Children running about screaming is not a good environment to game in. Please note the $5 per person fee applies for all attendees playing games, regardless of age.
Would I be able to join games I've never played before without scrutiny? (I wouldn't expect, but hey, you never know)Of course! Our members are always willing to introduce a newbie to a game. I honestly don't think I've ever seen an exception to this.
Should I arrive before 10am to get a run down of how things work?The rental hall opens at 9:30am for some slight set-up activities, so you can arrive a bit earlier than 10am if you wish, but expect to lend a hand setting up.
Can I request that people bring games that I don't own, but would like to play?If looking for specific games to play, games are available for request through the boardgame section of the forum. If one of our members has the game being requested, we will do our best to bring it on games day. Just remember to treat the game as if it belonged to you and don't disrespect other people’s property.
