How to demo

[ApokalypseTest]

Hi,

ran my first demo with my own participation as player today, pretty much the shakedown cruise we had at GenCon. Problem is, I have a hard time playing bad. We used Pontbriand and Pelletier vs. Heartfordshire and Raven, I played the brits.

Rules used where all movement and basic combat plus bracket fire. In the end, the Brits won by breaking Pontbriants keel. I was trying to explain concepts like crossing the T, protecting your broken side etc. while gaming, but the Trainee still made large mistakes - not surprising. It would have been easy to make him win, but I felt that that would pretty much take all the playing the Game by himself out of the demo. Now, winni the demo is sort of bad style either, on the other hand losing by deliberately making big errors is condescending and also gives a bad impression, since the trainee can rightfully assume that I know what I am doing.

Any idea on the subject matter?

[Toolian]

Mistakes are not always a bad thing, they are good way to understand what does and does not work, especially for a person's first game.


I was slaughtered my first or second game. I stupidly forgot the different movement phases between big and small ships. And my french cruiser was a sitting duck.

When demoing, I I notice a better tactic than what the opponent made, I tell him/her and allow him/her to adjust. It is during these moments I highlight particular rules and structures of a ship.

For instance when demoing, when I notice an opponent is clearing allowing me an easy path to blow out his stern, I not it to him/her and not the significance of protect your big ship's stern.

Trick is to do this lightly and with key talking points, don't make it as if you are doing everything possible to let him win.

[turbosonic]

I agree....when someone you're demoing with starts making mistakes, its a great opportunity to start teaching tactics. 

As a side bar, Battletech currently runs something called "Lance Tactics" which we are thinking of adopting for Leviathans in the form of a "Fleet Tactics" event at the major cons.  White Knight brought it to my attention (that would be White Knight on the Battletech secure forums....SouthPaws XO) that a more appropriate name would be "flotilla tactics" or "Squadron tactics" however I feel that Fleet would make more sense mainly because of how the game will be sold (i.e. the main box set and the "fleet" boxes), .  Any thoughts?  I'd like to keep vernacular consistent, but I do know that there are those out there (*cough cough* WK!! lol) don't like that name because it isn't necessarily the accurate title for a small group of ships.  Again, any input would be appreciated! 

Cheers!

[turbosonic]

Nevermind, talked to Randall bout it and he's saying Squadron Tactics makes the most sense!