Advice for starting a Blood Bowl league

[J_Bone]

Hi everybody... I wondered if any of you might be able to offer me some advice on starting up a Blood Bowl league?

We have a small Blood Bowl league at the moment with around 6 or so players but are looking to expand a bit and make it open to pretty much anyone. We are thinking of having it at a local pub so 1. It makes it a bit more welcoming than a gaming store that people might not normally frequent and 2. We are all getting on for being middle-aged and would rather attract adults than little kids 3. The "social lubricant" might help make it a more fun and relaxed atmosphere (or result in a brawl. Either will be entertaining).

The league we just finished had an averaged points system due to people dropping out and some having played more opponents than others and the top four players then entered semi-finals for the league title. This worked pretty well but we would much rather have a proper organised league with set matches once we have the numbers. My idea is to make it a weekly night and put a fortnight limit on matches so people will have a chance of two nights to go to before we have to start hurrying them up. I also wouldn't have an issue with people playing their matches at home and reporting them but I guess this would take away from the social factor that I am looking for.

My main questions are:

1. How do your leagues deal with people restarting teams? We didn't have anybody retire a team in order to restart with a fresh one so I'm not sure if there are issues surrounding this or not.

2. As league commissioner I have so far just had to write up fluffy match reports and file away the results. Is there more to it once you get more people involved? I'm thinking player disputes etc might be an issue?

3. What sort of formats do you use (scheduling etc) and where do you play your matches?

4.What sort of numbers are good for a league? Is a dozen about right or do things start going screwy when you have too many players?

These are just the questions that popped into my head when writing this post but any advice from experienced league commissioners would be welcomed! Thanks

[Joemanji]

Where are you based? Easiest solution is to just join up with an existing league nearby.

[J_Bone]

We are based in Derby and there is nothing in the area really. There are a few leagues in Nottingham (Warhammer World) apparently but it's a bit of a trek and we'd rather have somewhere more local. We have people interested but are just looking at the logistics of running it.

[sann0638]

Great that you have a regular night. I would go for a fixed schedule round-robin league, so people play each other in a set order. Allow people playing on a different night if that particular night doesn't work, and occasional playing out of order.

If you can use OBBLM that sorts it all for you, if you have someone techy to set it up, and people can manage their own teams too.

Commissioning involves chasing people, and making occasional decisions about points, Khorne, playing out of order, prizes, organisation of schedule (I think those are things I had to deal with).

Good luck!

Mike

[lunchmoney]

My league fluctuates between 6 and 14 people; there is nothing wrong with a small, dedicated, group of friends playing in a league

1. How do your leagues deal with people restarting teams? We didn't have anybody retire a team in order to restart with a fresh one so I'm not sure if there are issues surrounding this or not.

Allow people to restart teams at the end/beginning of each “season”. With a small number you will only be playing a small amount of games, so if someone does get mashed you could ask them to stick it out for the remaining games then start a new team. However if someone isn’t going to enjoy their games, there is no point in them playing. At the end of the day it’s a game we play for fun. Take each case on its own and allow them to reset if needed.

2. As league commissioner I have so far just had to write up fluffy match reports and file away the results.

Get the coaches to write their own bloody fluff/match reports! I encourage this in my group by getting people to secure sponsorship and every time they write a report that features their sponsor they get an extra 10k in the treasury.

Is there more to it once you get more people involved? I'm thinking player disputes etc might be an issue?

Remember the LCs word is law. That’s in the rule book, page 24 If you have a mature group they should be able to sort any dispute between themselves. Just remind them it’s a game and to get on with it

3. What sort of formats do you use (scheduling etc) and where do you play your matches?

My group used to play in a GW store (until they banned all specialist games) and would just turn up and play whoever was there, with the caveat of playing each coach once. Towards to the of a “season” it took a little work to make sure the coaches you hadn’t yet played were going to be there, but we’re all adults and worked it out.
Nowadays, once I know who is in for the season I create a fixtures list for the whole “season”. For each round I give everyone 2 weeks to arrange and play their matches. If a game doesn’t get played I look at various things and might award a default win to one coach or a default draw. Then the next round starts. If I know some is away for a while, holiday for example, I give extensions.
And we play our matches at home. Generally swapping around so we all travel an equal amount.

4.What sort of numbers are good for a league? Is a dozen about right or do things start going screwy when you have too many players?

How long is a piece of string? The issue with too many is drop outs and irregular players. If you have a fixed schedule league and people start dropping it becomes a PITA. Taylor your set up to the group.

[mzukerman]

I'm speaking to it from a US point of view, but cultural differences shouldn't be too much.

Our league (Long Island Blood Bowl League - NYC area) just started it's 6th season. We started with 12 teams and have 22 this season. I started with a few friends who were into Warhammer that I introduced to the game and hooked up with a few players from a league that dissolved a while back. I then ran a few sessions at a local game store where I taught the game to new players. Eventually, we had the original 12. We play in a game store and are kid-friendly - but I get the desire to keep it to an adult level. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. One of the kids (13) just got to the semi-finals last season. It was great to witness! Right now there are 20 adults (one which was a kid, but is now in college) and 2 kids (12 and 13).

The stability of the league is paramount. I recognized that people have lives and so I wanted to make it so that the schedule wasn't too imposing. So we have one game day a month where we play 2 games. The season is between 10-12 games long with pre-season and post-season tournaments. Life gets in the way, so we allow people to make up games if they can't make it to game day as long as it's done before the next game day. So how do you keep the players engaged? Sometimes you can't force it. We've had people drop from the league and luckily have had others to take their place. When people see us playing in the game store, they gravitate to the game because they see us having so much fun. They want to be a part of it.

Another way to keep engagement high is to put effort into developing the fluff of the league. I will tell you straight out that it is a lot of effort for me and a few others, but it is fun so we don't mind. And everyone seems to appreciate it. We have a very active mailing list on Yahoo where we are always talking about recent games, breaking news, etc. Also there's a magazine that I produce on a monthly basis.

As for team restarts, this was an important aspect of the league. Yes, we allow them and I've been told by the guys in the league that had previously folded that this was the biggest reason their league fell through because coaches would drop if they got tired of playing their team but had to finish out the season. It took a while to develop what we have now, but I believe it's the best so far:

"A team may be restarted by the coach playing the same race as they did when the season began. Teams may be restarted at any time during the season. If the coach does restart the team, they will be able to keep the points that the team accrued up until that point and just start with a fresh TV1000 roster. Team replacements occur when the coach wishes to play a different race than the one they started the season with. During a season, teams may be replaced with new teams only. If a team is replaced, that new team may not carry over the points that the original team accrued up until that point."

The key is to listen to the players and find out what they want. There are going to be a few that may be ones to "game the system", but as long as you collaborate and listen, the coaches will respond well.

I hope this helps!

[sann0638]

This is all good stuff. Keep contributing everyone, and then perhaps a willing volunteer can pull it together into a document/post for the NAF website? I'm sure the question has asked before!

[J_Bone]

Yeah, thanks guys... This is all helpful stuff. I'm also getting a friend of mine to do some cool posters at the moment to put up in model stores etc to try to drum up more interest. A lot of our stuff is sorted on Facebook at the moment and it works pretty well as a way sending out league information so we're going up give that a bit of a facelift too

[sann0638]

And obviously add your league to the league locator: http://www.thenaf.net/leagues/leagues-locator/

[mzukerman]

I'd give you the link but we had to password the OBBLM site because we got hacked last season. Apparently the dead really do tell tales... and they're dirty ones.

Anyway, this is our full rules page. Everything that isn't covered by the LRB6:

1. GAME RULESET

1.1 LRB6

All rules for playing a game and drafting a team are covered in Living Rulebook 6 (aka LRB6) verbatim unless otherwise contradicted in this ruleset, an errata released by Games Workshop, or a specific tournament rule clearly defined in the tournament's ruleset.

1.2 Teams

All teams defined in LRB6 are available for play. The three experimental teams (Chaos Pact, Underworld and Slann) are also available for play. No other race may be entered without a 75% majority of the coaches.


1.3 Special Play Cards

No special play cards will be used in this league. This can be changed in the future with a vote resulting in a majority of the coaches passing.


1.4 Turn Duration

Timing of a turn will depend on what the experience of the coach is. New coaches will be given unlimited time to play their turn for their first 4 official games (including league and tournament games). After that, they will be able to finish out the current season with 6 minute turns. The start of their next season will be at the 4 minute turns prescribed in LRB6. This can be modified at the discretion of the commissioner on a case-by-case basis.


1.5 MVPs

Team MVPs are decided randomly between 6 elected players who were on the field during live play by the coach. This should be rolled in public. In the case that it cannot be, it should be done on a randomizer site such as Secure Dice where the results may be mailed to the opponent and/or commissioner. Note that the 6 players should be clearly defined before the dice roll is made.


1.6 Skill-Ups

Skill-ups should be rolled in public. In the case that they cannot be, they should be done on a randomizer site such as Secure Dice where the results may be mailed to the opponent and/or commissioner. Note that the player with the skill up should be clearly identified before the dice roll is made. The skill does not have to be chosen in public though, it may be done at any time before the team's next match (even if the player is not eligible for that match due to an injury).


1.7 Bounties (Commissioner note: This replaces the previous rule 1.7 on bounties)

Any coach may submit a bounty to the commissioner for the death and/or maiming of a specific player (including one of his own). The funds will be removed from the coach's treasury at the time of the declaration of the bounty, not when a player is killed. There is a 10K minimum and no cap can be placed on the bounty. Upon injury or death and AFTER the apothecary or regeneration roll is made, the inflicting coach would receive 1/2 the pot (rounded down to the nearest 10K) if the final result of the injury is a "MNG" or worse. The inflicting coach would receive the full amount if the player is killed. This payout happens no matter how a player is hurt or dies (e.g. crowd surfing or foul is legal). Players who are regenerated or saved by the apothecary will not result in a payout of any portion of the bounty. If a bounty remains unclaimed by a coach when the original player retires or the team is removed from play, the bounty is lost. If the player should come out of retirement for any reason, this bounty is immediately reinstated.


1.8 Inducement order

The gold transfer will be moved to AFTER the team value calculation during the pre-match sequence. This allows coaches to spend their treasury on inducements without inflating their team value.


1.9 Extra Inducements

The following inducements will be added to the pre-game sequence.

1.9.1 THEY ARE PLAYING WITH A LOT OF HEART - A team may induce an extra MVP during the post-match sequence. This would cost 300K.

1.9.2 NEW TEAMS GET NEW CONTRACTS - A team may induce an extra 1d6 winnings roll without a reroll. This would cost 200K.


2. LEAGUE MATCHES


2.1 Team Points and Tie-breakers

Teams will be ranked for playoffs by points. Wins=3pts, ties=2pts, losses=1pt, forfeit=0pts.

2.1.1 Two-way ties in the division will be broken in order by: 1. Head-to-head play 2. Divisional record 3. Common opponents record 4. TD differential 5. Cas differential 6. Team ELO (on the OBBLM site) 7. Coin flip

2.1.2 Three-way ties (or more) in the division will be broken in order by: 1. Record against teams in the tie 2. Divisional record 3. Common opponents record 4. TD differential 5. Cas differential 6. Team ELO 7. Coin flip

2.1.3 Two-way ties for wild cards or playoff rank will be broken in order by: 1. Head-to-head play 2. Common opponents record 3. TD differential 4. Cas differential 5. Team ELO 6. Coin flip

2.1.4 Three-way ties (or more) for wild cards or playoff rank will be broken in order by: 1. Record against teams in the tie 2. Common opponents record 3. TD differential 4. Cas differential 5. Team ELO 6. Coin flip


2.2 Game Schedule

Each team will average approximately 2 matches per month. These matches are scheduled to be played on the monthly game day, however if a coach cannot make the game day, they can be made up at any time before the next game day.

2.2.1 Matches may be played out of order within a given month's schedule in order to facilitate scheduling conflicts.

2.2.2 Matches may be played before a game day as long as the previous month's matches are completed by both teams.


2.3 Game Forfeits

Teams must make best effort to get their games in before the next month's game day. Any coach having issues connecting with their opponents should contact the commissioner for assistance. If one team is unable to play their game, it will be marked as a forfeit as per LRB6 rules without the requirement to roll if players leave the team. Only the commissioner can assign a forfeit.

2.3.1 In the rare case where a team shows up on the game day, but can't complete their game in the month following, the commissioner will rule on the outcome based on the efforts of both teams.


2.4 The Dan Nielsen Rule: Restarting and Replacing Teams (Commissioner note: This replaces the previous rule 2.4 on restarting teams)

A team may be restarted by the coach playing the same race as they did when the season began. Teams may be restarted at any time during the season. If the coach does restart the team, they will be able to keep the points that the team accrued up until that point and just start with a fresh TV1000 roster. Team replacements occur when the coach wishes to play a different race than the one they started the season with. During a season, teams may be replaced with new teams only. If a team is replaced, that new team may not carry over the points that the original team accrued up until that point.


2.5 Coach Vacancies

In the case that a coach is unable to complete their games for the rest of the season, the commissioner may rule at their discretion that another coach may take over that team (or slot if they want to restart). If there is no available coach for that team, then all unplayed games for that team will be considered a forfeit for that player.


2.6 Team Updates

Coaches must enter their team updates onto the website no more than one week after any given game. Teams that are unable to do this or do not make sufficient arrangements to do so will forfeit any inducements and MVP rolls for at least the next match and each of their successive opponents until the updates are made. This penalty will not be invoked if there are errors on the team that need to be corrected, only if the update has not occurred. If there is a discrepancy, the commissioner will make a judgment based on the intent of the rule.


2.7 Tie Games

Games may end in a tie. No overtime will be played for regular season games.


2.8 Unfinished Games

If a game cannot be completed, it may be picked up at another time. The board should be recorded and reconstructable at that designated time. If a coach cannot complete the game by the next game day, it may be forfeited according to rule 2.5. All statistics will be counted up to the point of the forfeit.


2.9 Injuries

Injuries to players reset at the beginning of a new season. All "miss next games" are removed from players. Niggling injuries and penalties to stats stay with the player for the rest of their careers.

2.9.1 Teams with a bye-week during the season cannot reset their injuries. They will hold until the next game.


3. PLAYOFFS AND TOURNAMENTS


3.1 Tournament Rulesets

All official tournaments of the LIBBL will utilize the same ruleset as the league unless contradicted by the tournament ruleset.


3.2 Team Experience and Eligibility

Teams registering for the tournaments will accrue experience as if they were a league team and therefore can be used in league play. League teams, if eligible, may also play in official LIBBL tournaments if they meet the entry criteria of the specific tournament.


3.3 Star Player and Mercenary Usage

Star players and mercenaries can be used in playoff and tournament games, including the finals unless specifically restricted by the tournament ruleset.


3.4 Prizes

All tournament and playoff prizes will be communicated before the beginning of play. Prizes are to be considered permanent to the team (e.g. additional reroll, cheerleader, etc.) unless otherwise stated.


3.5 Home Field Advantage

Playoff teams with home field advantage shall be granted +1 FAME for that match with a maximum of +2 in any single game.


3.6 Ties

Single elimination playoff or tournament games may not end in a tie. A new half will be started with a coin toss for receiving and the game will continue sudden death until a touchdown is scored.


3.7 Unfinished Games

If a game cannot be completed, it may be treated as described in rule 2.8.


3.8 Injuries

Injuries to players reset at the beginning of of the playoffs. All "miss next games" are removed from players. Niggling injuries and penalties to stats stay with the player for the rest of their careers.

3.8.1 Teams with a bye during the playoffs or tournaments cannot reset their injuries. They will hold until the next game. This may be overridden by a specific tournament ruleset.


4. GAMEPLAY AND SPORTSMANSHIP


4.1 Model Identification

All players on the team should be identifiable with either a number or easily discernable difference in the model. If a team is using anything other than a miniature model (e.g. paper/cardboard chit or marker), the same rule applies.


4.2 Rosters

Each coach should have a copy of the team roster of their opponent. If a roster is not available, each coach should clearly explain which models have which abilities (and should be written down for reference during the match).


4.3 Designating Players Finishing Their Turn

After a model has completed their action for the turn, they should be rotated such that it is easy to discern that they have moved.


4.4 Illegal Procedure

Illegal procedure can be called on a coach for all violations of the ruleset including not moving the turn marker. Coaches can agree to waive this at the beginning of the match (or during if applicable).


4.5 Dice Usage

Both players will use the same dice for the game


4.6 Poor Sportsmanship

Coaches exhibiting repeated displays of poor sportsmanship or generally unacceptable public behavior may be disciplined by the commissioner. An official written (emailed) warning, stating it as such a warning, will be issued first. Further issues will incur disciplinary action ranging from game forfeits to expulsion from the league.


4.7 Coach Disagreements

Disagreements between coaches on a rule interpretation or any other situation should be resolved amicably between the coaches. If they cannot come to a solution, they should contact the commissioner for resolution.


5. LEAGUE FEES


5.1 Web site

All coaches will pay $5 by the end of January in order to host the web site. This price may increase depending on hosting costs, however any increase will be communicated in advance.


5.2 OBBLM

All coaches will pay $5 by the end of July for usage of the software to run the web site. This price may increase, but will be communicated in advance.


5.3 Prizes or Other Costs

Other costs must be communicated to all players and should involve a majority vote if it is a specific option that results in the cost (e.g. trophies, site fees, etc.)


6. COMMISSIONER AND LEADERSHIP


6.1 Commissioner Responsibilities and Election

The commissioner is the final ruling on all disputes in the league. The commissioner shall be elected every 2 years before the Fall season. There are no term limits for the commissioner.


6.2 Commissioner Removal

If there is an issue with a commissioner, there can be a vote of no confidence of at least 75% majority of the coaches and the commissioner will be removed immediately. A new election will occur and will serve the rest of the term for the original commissioner


6.3 Tournament Directors

Any player in the league may be a tournament director, however special rulesets should be run by the commissioner to ensure that they do not affect the league in an adverse way (in accordance with rule 3.2)


7. LEAGUE MAINTENANCE


7.1 Rule Change Frequency

Any rule that was put up for vote and did not pass must wait one season before it goes up for a re-vote as is or any other versions of the same rule.


7.2 LIBBL Experience vs. Eligibility to Vote for Rules

New coaches must wait until they've played at least 5 games in the LIBBL before they can vote on rule changes.

[Dr. Von Richten]

I'm in two leagues, one in Amsterdam, one in Utrecht (about 20 minutes by train) both leagues have about 6 regulars and an equal number of people that drop in once in a while. Both leagues are basically 'open', i.e. you can have as many teams as you want, play against whom you want, when you want, except that at league night (which is once a month in Amsterdam, twice a month in Utrecht) you get paired with an opponent, generally based on TV matchmaking.

The Amsterdam league doesn't run 'seasons' at all, just a general ranking that is good for bragging rights only (and who needs anything else, really! ), while the Utrecht league has 6 month seasons in which you earn points via a convoluted system that nobody understands except the guy who wrote it, but that does always have his team end up at first place (the top 4 teams then do semi-finals and a final). Both leagues also have one or two 'cups' running at any given time, varying from the four 'mayors' to minor cups of our own design.

The general effect of this is that if you want to, you can really try to compete in the season (in Utrecht) or a cup (both), but if you just want to play a game every now and then that's possible too, and with everyone having multiple teams (up to 12 in some cases) at different TV's, making a matchup is usually fairly easy.

My point is, if you have a group of people who you are sure will keep up with a regular schedule, you could run a formal competition, like football or what have you, but in our experience, that just tends to lead to people dropping out because RL got in the way and/or the commitment turns what should be fun into a chore, which just f*cks over your league. So beware of what you're asking for.

[gregory_n_white]

Myself and another guy head up the Melbourne BB League.

We are in season 9 and have over 30 coaches.


Some tips in addition to above:

(1) Dont try to please everyone. Keep to the core rules, limit houserules and variations. You want MOST people to be happy, not everyone. Be clear about your league and if people like it they join, if they dont like it, they can find another league. The last thing you need is a small group of vocal coaches always tryiong to mic things up as you will lose good reliable coaches who just want to play regularly.

(2) Have fixed game nights with a fixed schedule and a preferred venue. Similar to point 1, some people wont like this but you dont want to worry about whether games have been played or who is at fault for forfeits. We publish the dates and draw for each season well in advance so people can plan around it. We play at a local game store and encourage everyone to attend (to generate the social side of meeting other coaches and discussing Fluff and funny events).
If coaches cannot make game night then they are responsible for rescheduling the game.
Our base rule is - if one coach can make game night and another cannot, then whoever cannot has to arrange the reschedule at a mutually convenient time. If it cant be rescheduled then the coach who could make the original night gets a forfeit win. This saves the commissioners having to play Judge Judy about who could or couldnt show up and who did or didnt promise to play......

(3) Shorter seasons are better. We have had 20+ game seasons in the past. Coaches who arent at the top lose interest and some drop out.
We currently have 4 divisions of 8 teams with 7 games each. Short seasons means a lot of interest as all results are important. It also means promotion and relegation so even coaches who arent chasing a title are fighitng to avoid relegation.
We have one Division 1 (top the Gold division), one Div 2 and two Div 3. All newly created teams, irrespective of coach, start in Div 3. This avoids major mismatch in TV (e.g. no TV100 teams play last seasons TV 200 champs). It also give us a chance to try new coaches out. If someone starts in Div 3 and is unreliable or drops out - the impact in Div 3 is minimal as coaches are playing to develop their team and promote - its less competitive than Div 1.

(4) We play every 3rd Friday. We recognise some people want to play more often, try new teams etc. And also some potential coaches need to learn the game or prove they are reliable. For this purpose we have a Social LEague that runs alongside our Comptetive league. Teams need to be created and managed in same way as league teams but any coach can play any other coach at any time and the result is recorded, teams updated etc.
Many of our coaches have 2-4 teams active playing social games - but also use it as a chance to try new races, new team build strategies etc.
Best of all it is a "pre season opportunity" for new league teams. A coach with a new team can play up to 6 games in the social league before they enter Div 3 - a chance to get a couple of skills.

(5) Fluff is vital!!! We use Ausbowl (similar to talkfantasyfootball but primarily Aus and New Zealand) and have a lot of fluff about rivalries, records etc. It creates a great sense of community. We have a newsletter which aims to do the same (people do write ups about their team, interview coaches to get to know each other, reviews from tournaments, advertise upcoming tournaments to encourage attendance in the local area etc).
Get your coaches interacting between game nights - but share the load - that isnt the commissioners job - act more like CEO and find people able to help, take up particular roles (e.g the "new coach" interviewer).

(6) Dont run the league by democracy. You will get a lot if suggestions, requests, ideas etc. MAny people are happy to tell you what they want changed, when they arent doing any work themselves. And remember point 1 - you cant keep everyone happy all the time. So get inputs but you make the decisions. If you are committing most of the time and energy then you have the benefit, but also have the responsibility to ensure the league grows and is stable and strong. So make decisions as you go along and if people dont like it - they can look elsewhere.

(7) Dont be afraid to call a bad apple or address bad behaviour. You need a strong stable league that people enjoy. IF you have a coach who isnt fun to play against - it will damage your league. If bad behavior arises - have a 1 on 1 chat about the issue, the damage to the league and what you expect. IF some cant adapt their style, ask them to sit out a season or think about playing elsewhere. The league is more important than any one coach.


If you want other info have a look at our site at http://melbourne.bloodbowlleague.com/ as we have our rules set out ther. Or send me questions.


Goog Luck.

[sann0638]

Worth moving this thread to the League section? Also, anyone fancy writing it all up into a nice piece for the NAF website?

[J_Bone]

Thanks again for all of your help guys. This is almost too much to comment on. I'd be here all day. Suffice to say it is all very helpful and informative. Me and the other guy who is going to be helping with the league are meeting about it tomorrow and this gives us a lot to discuss.

[Shteve0]

Agree with pretty much everything Gregory said. We play a different format in WBBL, but most of the same principles apply.

1) minimal house rules. We only allow chosen mvp, really; I'd seriously encourage it if you run short campaigns without returning teams (particularly if you expect new coaches).

2) we play a steady rhythm, declared in advance. A year long schedule in planned out in January with pub closures, league game milestones (typically a pace of about 2 games every four weeks) and playoff dates. Coaches can play up to ten games in a season before playoffs, no repetition, though in the last month I generally have to step in and schedule to male sure everyone who wants to can get their ten in.

3) as sann says, most of your job will be chasing people. Be prepared to issue deadlines, and stick to your guns. Punitive action should be a last resort, but of you have to do it, make it quick and clean and hold your line.

4) get a site and publish your rules. Provide a forum if you can (forumatic is free, or install phpbb in your mercuryvps hosting if you take up their obblm service).

5) consider looking for a mentor locally. Nothing excessive, just someone who's been running a steady ship for a while that you can approach for pointers. I'm extremely grateful for Smeborg's support for example when I took up the reins here - after 18 months heading the wellington league I'm still bugging him every few months on something or other.

6) advertise! Having a fixed location and game night is almost a given for this. Knock up a poster ot two for FLGS, GWs, whatever, along with details of how to find your forum and how to find your gamenight.

Sorry if that's all a bit rambling. I have a head cold