jchurchill
SOC-12
I'm going to New York tomorrow morning and was wondering if anyone knew of any good stores in Manhattan that sell Traveller items new or used.
All responses appreciated
All responses appreciated
RPG stores in NYC???
- Thread starter jchurchill
- Start date
Mr. Agent,
Just a block from the Empire State Building is the granddaddy of all FLGS; the "Compleat Strategist" (yup, they spell it that way). This place is amazing, I found SPI flatbox wargames there during the TML RealSpace get-together last December. Believe me, the stock will bobble your mind. It reminds me of those old, old, 2nd hand books stores we have in New England; row upon row of groaning shelves with just enough room to walk between them.
There is also 'Uncommon Ground'(?) another amazing FLGS within walking distance. I can't tell you where, the NYC members of the TML guided we yokels about. We met Sam Weiss there and the number of people actually *playing* games in the store was very heartening to see. Rob Davenport even spotted a LAN set-up for multi-player computer gaming.
Have fun and have a Nathan's for me.
Sincerely,
Larsen
Just a block from the Empire State Building is the granddaddy of all FLGS; the "Compleat Strategist" (yup, they spell it that way). This place is amazing, I found SPI flatbox wargames there during the TML RealSpace get-together last December. Believe me, the stock will bobble your mind. It reminds me of those old, old, 2nd hand books stores we have in New England; row upon row of groaning shelves with just enough room to walk between them.
There is also 'Uncommon Ground'(?) another amazing FLGS within walking distance. I can't tell you where, the NYC members of the TML guided we yokels about. We met Sam Weiss there and the number of people actually *playing* games in the store was very heartening to see. Rob Davenport even spotted a LAN set-up for multi-player computer gaming.
Have fun and have a Nathan's for me.
Sincerely,
Larsen
jchurchill
SOC-12
Great! Thanks. I recognize the name and it will be my first stop on saturday.....
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
If you get a chance to, or have the time...have a look BEHIND or BELOW where they keep all the New Titles. I found a bagged copy of FASA's King Richard Luxury Liner and those Fenris ships from the 80's. I also found the Starfrontiers 2001 module (a hoot!) and a lot of other gems...
Ask the black guy with the cowboy boots, hes awesome, and knows his stuff...
Jim Handey's Comic Universe is on that block as well... there was also another Strategist on 7th and 57th, but it may have closed...
There are two other stores I know of...
The Games Workshop store is on 8th Street and Broadway (downtown), the Barnes & Noble across the diagonally across the street also has a considerable RPG section, mostly mainstream stuff...
Up broadway, towards Union Square, there is Forbidden Planet, a comic store with a small Game section upstairs. it is usually packed with young teens and kids bent on destroying the "coolness" of roleplaying with thier Heroclix (I dont know why I shudder when I say "heroclix", but I do...) and Magic cards. The staff is usually disaffected and angst-ridden. The Selection is pretty good, and it even has some miniatures...
Hey Larsen,
I used to play SPI's Starforce and Starsoldier as well back in the 70s... wasn't there a third one?
And didnt they do "War of the Ring" as well?
Ask the black guy with the cowboy boots, hes awesome, and knows his stuff...
Jim Handey's Comic Universe is on that block as well... there was also another Strategist on 7th and 57th, but it may have closed...
There are two other stores I know of...
The Games Workshop store is on 8th Street and Broadway (downtown), the Barnes & Noble across the diagonally across the street also has a considerable RPG section, mostly mainstream stuff...
Up broadway, towards Union Square, there is Forbidden Planet, a comic store with a small Game section upstairs. it is usually packed with young teens and kids bent on destroying the "coolness" of roleplaying with thier Heroclix (I dont know why I shudder when I say "heroclix", but I do...) and Magic cards. The staff is usually disaffected and angst-ridden. The Selection is pretty good, and it even has some miniatures...
Hey Larsen,
I used to play SPI's Starforce and Starsoldier as well back in the 70s... wasn't there a third one?
And didnt they do "War of the Ring" as well?
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
I think the store you mean Larsen is "Neutral Ground" on W 27th street and 10th Ave. its pretty sweet... Its also set up that you can rent tables! Its a good sociological experiment if you are intersested in seeing "Gamerlopithicus Urbanes" in their natural habitat.
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
Indeed, Lord LArsen, and there was also an oddly- smelling comic store there, if I remeber correctly...
Bill Coffin
SOC-7
Have fun at the Strat. It really is as incredible as everybody says it is. Just be aware that it's about as cramped in there as a WWII submarine, which makes browsing the ground-level shelves a little awkward when there are other people there.
And since you're going to be in the neighborhood, do check out Jim Hanley's Universe. As far as comic book shops go, this is a really good one.
I pass both these places walking to and from work. I like to refer to this little part of my daily commute as "Temptation Alley."
And since you're going to be in the neighborhood, do check out Jim Hanley's Universe. As far as comic book shops go, this is a really good one.
I pass both these places walking to and from work. I like to refer to this little part of my daily commute as "Temptation Alley."
jchurchill
SOC-12
Gentlemen,
Thanks for your advice. I found several several good books to bring home including the first 4 Traveller Alien Modules that came out about the time I went into hibernation with all of this.
I flipped through the Adventure reprints and discovered the Secret of the Ancients as well...so now I have a fuzzy idea of who "Grandfather" is.
Never made it to the other store on W. 27th but I had other obligations while I was there.
Thanks for your advice. I found several several good books to bring home including the first 4 Traveller Alien Modules that came out about the time I went into hibernation with all of this.
I flipped through the Adventure reprints and discovered the Secret of the Ancients as well...so now I have a fuzzy idea of who "Grandfather" is.
Never made it to the other store on W. 27th but I had other obligations while I was there.
jchurchill
SOC-12
The good Baron wrote:
"The staff is usually disaffected and angst-ridden"
Time for them to move out of their parents' basement and perhaps go on a date before their 35th birthdays. Then again you can't rush these things. Rome wasn't sacked in a day....
"The staff is usually disaffected and angst-ridden"
Time for them to move out of their parents' basement and perhaps go on a date before their 35th birthdays. Then again you can't rush these things. Rome wasn't sacked in a day....
Baron Saarthuran wrote:
"Hey Larsen, I used to play SPI's Starforce and Starsoldier as well back in the 70s... wasn't there a third one? And didnt they do "War of the Ring" as well?"
My dear Baron,
Please excuse the tardiness of my reply, while flitting about in my usual frenetic style I completely missed the last bit snipped above.
As for the 3rd on, SPI had *so* many titles! Does 'Battlefleet Mars' ring any bells?
They had a 'War of the Ring' game too, almost a RPG-wargame mix with one player moving chits representing a PC about and trying to play 3 Card Monte with the Ring. Even better, they had a few Middle Earth folio wargames too! You could play Seige of Minas Tirith or the 3rd Age assault on the Gates of Mordor.
I was a grognard well before being a roleplayer and still play wargames more often than RPGs. I picked up one of SPI's ACW folios, Gettysburg, back in 73 or 74 thinking it was a magazine about the battle. After opening the game at home, I was hooked. I weap everytime I think about the games I had and lost, gave away, throughout, etc. It's like baseball cards, who knew they would be worth so much!
I've always mixed wargames and RPGs, using Snapshot and Mayday with Traveller ovr and over again. My minis group mixed DBM with a CT/Melee fantasy fusion a few years back.
Sincerely,
Larsen
"Hey Larsen, I used to play SPI's Starforce and Starsoldier as well back in the 70s... wasn't there a third one? And didnt they do "War of the Ring" as well?"
My dear Baron,
Please excuse the tardiness of my reply, while flitting about in my usual frenetic style I completely missed the last bit snipped above.
As for the 3rd on, SPI had *so* many titles! Does 'Battlefleet Mars' ring any bells?
They had a 'War of the Ring' game too, almost a RPG-wargame mix with one player moving chits representing a PC about and trying to play 3 Card Monte with the Ring. Even better, they had a few Middle Earth folio wargames too! You could play Seige of Minas Tirith or the 3rd Age assault on the Gates of Mordor.
I was a grognard well before being a roleplayer and still play wargames more often than RPGs. I picked up one of SPI's ACW folios, Gettysburg, back in 73 or 74 thinking it was a magazine about the battle. After opening the game at home, I was hooked. I weap everytime I think about the games I had and lost, gave away, throughout, etc. It's like baseball cards, who knew they would be worth so much!
I've always mixed wargames and RPGs, using Snapshot and Mayday with Traveller ovr and over again. My minis group mixed DBM with a CT/Melee fantasy fusion a few years back.
Sincerely,
Larsen
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
"True Dat" Lord Larsen! The Afformentioned Compleat Strategist had both Starforce and Starsoldier for 150.00 each!!! I don't think the Baroness understood the gravity of the find, what? I remeber having the SPI folio Game of the battle at the end of the Hobbit... I was impressed deeply by the map and the Packaging (A ziploc Bag) I also very desperately wanted to have a tshirt made of the Smaug chit, but the technology was years away...
Oh for a time machine and what I know now!
Oh for a time machine and what I know now!
Baron Saarthuran comm linked:
"True Dat" Lord Larsen! The Afformentioned Compleat Strategist had both Starforce and Starsoldier for 150.00 each!!!"
My dear Baron,
Ouch! (a grey headed fat man winces painfully and pats the pocket holding his malnourished wallet) That may be a result of those particular games' desirability. IIRC, I spotted SPI's 'Frigate'; their godawful answer to AH's WSIM, on the shelves priced around 20USD.
That was SPI's Achille's Heel, too much production. Some of their designs were ground breaking, some of their designs became sought after classics, and some of their designs looked as if Imperium Games had a hand in it!
"I remeber having the SPI folio Game of the battle at the end of the Hobbit..."
Yup. Most of their folios came in groups of threes and fours; four ACW battles, four WW2 Pacific island battles, four 30YW battles, etc. If memory serves, they had three or four Middle Earth offerings. I remember playing the Minas Tirith folio and trying to hang until the Rohan reinforcements arrived. Having all that cavalry storm onto the map was a real morale booster. Having Aragorn show up later with the ships of Umbar didn't suck either!
"I was impressed deeply by the map and the Packaging (A ziploc Bag) I also very desperately wanted to have a tshirt made of the Smaug chit, but the technology was years away... Oh for a time machine and what I know now!"
When you do find that time machine drop me a line, will you? I had the ENTIRE 1967 Red Sox Impossible Dream Team and simply lost the cards over the years. (gnashes teeth)
I loved those little 'microgames'; SPI folios, Metagaming's offerings, and all the other publishers. Great little games you could play in an hour or so. The better ones weren't simplistic at all depsite their size and chit count. Ogre bbegan as one, so did Starfire and Star Fleet Battles. Task Force Games, the publisher of the last two I mentioned, had a nifty duelling planetoids game and an even more nifty planetary invasion game.
In a nice turn of events, the 'Net and desktop publishing has brought the genre back. There's a Microgame Design Group offering many very intriguing designs.
Sincerely,
Larsen
"True Dat" Lord Larsen! The Afformentioned Compleat Strategist had both Starforce and Starsoldier for 150.00 each!!!"
My dear Baron,
Ouch! (a grey headed fat man winces painfully and pats the pocket holding his malnourished wallet) That may be a result of those particular games' desirability. IIRC, I spotted SPI's 'Frigate'; their godawful answer to AH's WSIM, on the shelves priced around 20USD.
That was SPI's Achille's Heel, too much production. Some of their designs were ground breaking, some of their designs became sought after classics, and some of their designs looked as if Imperium Games had a hand in it!
"I remeber having the SPI folio Game of the battle at the end of the Hobbit..."
Yup. Most of their folios came in groups of threes and fours; four ACW battles, four WW2 Pacific island battles, four 30YW battles, etc. If memory serves, they had three or four Middle Earth offerings. I remember playing the Minas Tirith folio and trying to hang until the Rohan reinforcements arrived. Having all that cavalry storm onto the map was a real morale booster. Having Aragorn show up later with the ships of Umbar didn't suck either!
"I was impressed deeply by the map and the Packaging (A ziploc Bag) I also very desperately wanted to have a tshirt made of the Smaug chit, but the technology was years away... Oh for a time machine and what I know now!"
When you do find that time machine drop me a line, will you? I had the ENTIRE 1967 Red Sox Impossible Dream Team and simply lost the cards over the years. (gnashes teeth)
I loved those little 'microgames'; SPI folios, Metagaming's offerings, and all the other publishers. Great little games you could play in an hour or so. The better ones weren't simplistic at all depsite their size and chit count. Ogre bbegan as one, so did Starfire and Star Fleet Battles. Task Force Games, the publisher of the last two I mentioned, had a nifty duelling planetoids game and an even more nifty planetary invasion game.
In a nice turn of events, the 'Net and desktop publishing has brought the genre back. There's a Microgame Design Group offering many very intriguing designs.
Sincerely,
Larsen
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
Y'know which one I really loved, too? TSR's pocket game, Revolt on Antares! that game "owned" as the kids today say... i really enjoyed the scale and the production, esp the work of my freaky long lost idol, the Immortal Erol Otus...
