Manageable Size Group for Teaching

[sparty]

So I'm planning my first demonstration event. Here's the flier for the event:



The tables I'm at can easily handle about 8-12 players and planes I'd think. They're very big 40k tables.

Despite being a former teacher, I still wonder about optimal size for teaching board games since they tend to attract very kinesthetic learners (people who learn by doing). That means that group size matters for teaching.


I have two thoughts...

1 - Break the huge board into two small boards and make the groups 2 v 2 or 3 v 3 and teach each table separately while monitoring the other table's activities and answering questions.

2 - The second idea is to run everything in sorties where in the first group of 6 gets to play immediately and people cycle into the game and out of it so there are always experienced players and inexperienced players. I'll just handle the rotation based on when a player gets shot down.

Any thoughts?

[Oberst Hajj]

I've found it very useful to have everyone do a test maneuver while you demonstrate that same maneuver for first time players. If you have your decks sorted before the event, the maneuver you want everyone to do will be right on top for easy access. This only takes a min or two and everyone will have the hang of how actually moving the planes work. The rest of it, just explain as you go.

[Bixby]

The flier looks great. I think that a group of six will work fine and Keith's comments are spot on. Get everyone to do a quick test manaeuver.

Have fun!!!

[sparty]

The flier template has been uploaded to the files section.

I've actually got another template I'm working on that can be used for writing up scenarios that I'm just getting the final details done on at this point that's in the same kind of style.

[Pooh]

Last year I did some intro events at a convention. I found that players of all ages caught on very quickly and after about 3 or 4 turns were pretty much running on their own with only occasional questions. In larger games, I found that having an experienced player for every 4 to 6 players was plenty.
Also, I found out I shouldn't try to overteach. Everyone had much more fun exploring the game on their own after a few minutes of the basics.

BTW: We used altitutude rules from the very start without any problems at all.

Pooh

[Charlie3]

We have successfully run games with up to 10 people at the table at a time in one battle. We found that simply taking the time to explain how things work to watchers while a game is in progress gives people enough information to start playing in the next round. This is what I love about this game it is so easy to teach someone to play, and they can be competitive with the experianced players rigth away.

[sparty]

Yeah, the more I play the more I'm kind of like...this is a much simpler game than it first appeared. The game system just sort of gets out of the way so you can fly and shoot at each other with few special circumstances.

I can see why people have added complexity, but I kind of agree with the sentiment that the game isn't about adding all the chrome that can be found in other air war games...it's about the beauty of being able to sit down at a table with anyone and blow each other out of the skies.

[Charlie3]

Yeah, the more I play the more I'm kind of like...this is a much simpler game than it first appeared. The game system just sort of gets out of the way so you can fly and shoot at each other with few special circumstances.

I can see why people have added complexity, but I kind of agree with the sentiment that the game isn't about adding all the chrome that can be found in other air war games...it's about the beauty of being able to sit down at a table with anyone and blow each other out of the skies.

Amen Brother!