Hello Gentle Entities and Mulled Malcontents !
Today is The Great Egg Toss Day, and while I respect all local intersectional rituals, a gentle reminder for my non-earth plane friends that not every egg is a good candidate for such tossing.
One might be surprised to find out that there are Egg Toss Rules:
It is played in two person teams:
One member of the team tosses ( the tosser) the egg to the other member of the team (the catcher)
Members start 10 meters apart. The tosser tosses the egg, the catcher catches the egg if the egg is not broken, and each person takes one step back away from each other. The toss continues until an egg is broken. Much like the rules for dance marathons or playing Goblin Grenades once the egg is broken the team is then “Out” ! This goes on until there is only one unbroken egg.
While today is the celebration of Egg Toss, the world championship will be held in June as it has been for over a millenia in Lincolnshire. For those of us who like a bit more of a technical challenge, in our competitions there is also the option of egg trebuchet, also under the auspices of the World Egg Throwing Federation.
I may experiment with some wee trebuchets myself in anticipation of spring.
Trebuchets are delightful and eggs are delicious!
Now we shall turn our attention to our fellow planeswalkers who are also interested in engaging in some friendly competitions but are cautiously considering how to approach others in informal play.
As this is our thirty-third column, we at Mizz Mizzet’s School for Complicated Lifeforms would like to remind you that we answer between 1-3 letters from our interrogative entities across the multiverse each week.
This week we will be answering a question about how to politely leave a group encouraging abhorrent behavior, while making one’s displeasure known.
If you missed our initial column, you may peruse it at your leisure at this location.
Content Warnings
Mizz Mizzet’s Guide to Magical Manners is pleased to provide Content Warnings, given that solving bad behavior often means describing bad behavior.
Dear Mizz Mizzet,
Is it rude to play pick up games when an event is happening at a store?
Rural Recruit
Dear Recruit,
It is never rude to play a game in a place where games are played. However, there are various forms of protocol and etiquette to playing pick up games when an active sanctioned event is going on.
Protocols are the rules of the organization and authorities hosting the event, so for instance; tables will be numbered or otherwise labeled for the event – it is a breach of protocol to use tables for pick up games if you are not one of the entities playing in the event.
When an individual round ends earlier than time allotted for the participants may choose to play spontaneous games until time is called. While it is not rude to play such spontaneous additional games with your direct opponent in those seats, it is indeed rude to play in those designated tables if you are not enrolled in the event.
If you are not playing in the event but are playing at the store ask the tournament organizer if there are seats for open play, sometimes there are additional side rooms for open tables.
If you are at any of the large events such as conventions and they have not set up adequate usable space for open play, the rudeness is on the part of our capitalist hosts, and you should feel free to play in any space that does not actively disrupt organized play.
One general note: It is also rude to distract event participants from the event by trying to recruit players until they have left the designated tables.
If there is no open space for pick-up games at your public gathering place, but a nearby or adjacent establishment will let you play at their tables, you may invite participants to join you there when their games are over. Perhaps the Ihop next to your LGS is known to be amenable to gathering gamers. It would be appropriate to announce you will be at the Ihop if anyone would like to join you.
As long as you follow store and event policy and do not infringe on active events, pick up games are perfectly polite public pastimes.
May you always have enough participants for a pod!
MM
Dear Mizz Mizzet,
My general plan of sitting in one place with cards out hoping someone will come ask if I want to play a game hasn’t really been useful for playing regularly. I end up talking to the miniature painters in my LGS more often than getting games in – maybe it’s because I have a lot of stuff out and stay in one place? But I thought that was better than moving around – that felt pushy.
I don’t really like competitive things with timers. What’s a possible approach in my comfort zone without feeling like I’m intruding on other people’s games?
Shambling Mass
Dear Shambling,
First of all please accept my admiration for your grace and perseverance in supporting your local game store, while proving to be a pleasant companion for those who also stay stationary in pursuit of joy while they paint. You are being personable and polite, and have established a small community of the sedentary.
Your actions so far have been an excellent first step. – Your cards are out and the folk who are present know which game you play. There are many reasons you may not have this social reality transform into games played. Some of that may be that others are concerned about intruding on you!
You do not mention which formats you are playing, so I do not know if you are looking to join multiplayer pods or individuals. You do mention you have many accouterments out while you are trying to manage your deck or collection while waiting for a game. Often discussions over things that are on the table can lead to invitations to “try” or “test” them, but as you are writing to me with concern that is clearly not working as one might hope. – Perhaps that aspect of having such an established presence might make it seem like you are expecting someone or create a concern that you are a very advanced player who might not want to be bothered by casual observers.
I will make two suggestions that might work, be comfortable for you, and alleviate your concerns about intrusion. One is to actively enlist the help of your local game store staff.
When you come in, approach the staff and ask them for help in finding someone who might want to play a casual game with you. Stores with play space are geared towards helping their clientele play! Then the staff can make the introductions when interested parties come in.
However, the staff of the establishment might not have that kind of relationship with their regulars, therefore my second suggestion is to have a smaller amount of things so that it is easy for you to pick up and move them. As lovely as your painting compatriots might be a smaller set up that you can move to areas where pick up games are congregating may indicate approachability. Either way it will move you closer to where people are playing what you would like to play.
When you see fellow participants of your preferred card game come in the best time to approach them is before they are setting up a game with their known associates or while they are perusing the shared accoutrement of the game. A simple script of “Hi I notice you’re looking at X, I play X and was hoping to try out a new build today – would you like to play a game?” is really all you need to start the conversation.
The other option is to watch an in-process game and ask if they are open to have you either join the next pod or offer to play the winner of the match. Using mostly the same script and being ready to go back to sit by your friends in the miniatures group this should be relatively low key and not perceived as intrusive. If the culture of the store is the kind that doesn’t really encourage audiences around matches make sure to sit down so you are at the same level as the other players and don’t interrupt during the game itself or others are speaking. When there is perhaps a shuffling moment happening, setting up for the next turn or match is a lovely time to say “Excuse me, would you be interested in playing “X” after this game?” and the conversation should flow naturally.
May your painting comrades soon be joined by fellow card enthusiasts!
MM
Thank you to Adrienne Reynolds, for her interplanar transcription services.
Mizz Mizzet Portrait by Andres Garcia
Delightful Readers, Please Submit Your Questions to Mizz Mizzet.
You may submit your questions to Mizz Mizzet using this form.
New Mizz Mizzet columns are posted every Wednesday right here as well as in Hipsters of the Coast‘s weekly email newsletter. You are also encouraged to follow her at @MizzMizzet on Twitter.
Any questions answered publicly will be made anonymous, and noms de plume will be created to represent any parties mentioned.
Born a perfect dragon in an imperfect multiverse, Mizz Mizzet (she/her) is the pioneer broodmother of today’s multiplanar civility movement. She is now working to persuade Planeswalkers to participate in it.
Her tireless efforts to expand the understanding and exercise of etiquette beyond the stereotypical terror of too many pieces of silverware, and whether to use poisons or explosives at celebratory conquest dinners, have not escaped official notice.
She specializes as a consultant in seating arrangements for inter and intra planar political events as long as contracts include the option to eat the rude.
Out of respect for her relative’s delicate sensibilities regarding draconic rank, she does not reside on the plane of Ravnica.