Hey Guys!
Got a few things to talk about this month.
Shop Location: How does Weston sound? We're considering changing our plans slightly by setting up shop in Weston before moving to Bristol. This is for several reasons: It's cheaper, it's less distance to commute, it's still easily accessible from Bristol, Weston's suprisingly busy in winter months, it'll attract people that need something to do on a rainy day. Please let me know your thoughts! Is this something that would put you off coming? Would you want more monthly events to compensate?
New Computer: Because I'm a terrible person I've been neglecting this blog in favour of playing with my new computer. I'd bought several games over the past year or so only for them not to work, so now I can get things like Skyrim in ultra-high graphics that's eaten up a lot of my time. I also haven't had an awful lot of inspiration for blog posts to write; nothing significant in the world of gaming, no interesting movies (apart from Frozen but not got an awful lot to say on that); it's a bit of a dead time at the moment. I've also made a conscious decision to stop the Traveller's Guide to Faerun for now in favour of writing more of my book.
Online Trading: Unfortunately, since moving the Prince's Trust has been less than helpful (as in I haven't heard a thing from them since we moved despite repeated attempts to contact them). Still, after selling a couple of old high-value games on ebay, I have a little money left over which I'm going to use to start trading under the Rooksburg name on ebay or Amazon. I'm currently looking for a selection of things that should provide an example of what the shop will be selling, and you will be able to find these for sale online soon- probably start of the fiscal year in April. Naturally I'm looking at D&D books and specialist boardgames, minis that can be painted and sold, but also some video game things like Skylanders- I feel a lot of gamers are getting drawn into the collectible nature of the game, myself included, and I still believe multiplayer games will have a place in the shop.
Next month: Expect news of monthly gaming meetups and more details about ebay.
Until then, sayonara.
Rooksburg
Featuring updates on the Rooksburg's Realm gaming shop, coming soon to Bristol.
Showing posts with label Shop News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shop News. Show all posts
Friday, 28 February 2014
Wednesday, 8 January 2014
Monthly Update: 01/14
Happy New Year!
Sorry for the lack of update last month, but it took a couple of weeks to convince BT to connect our internet in our new flat. We now live in Weston-super-Mare and as such are looking for D&D players (or people willing to try Pokémon Tabletop, or anything interesting really) as it has been far too long since we played!
Regarding the shop, I have spoken with our Prince's Trust advisor; as it is unlikely we'll be in a financial position to open the shop any time soon, the current tentative plan is to set up an online shop with the Prince's Trust's help. This will help build up stock, get a decent website, and get us on track to getting our brick and mortar premises. An ETA for the online shop is some point before July, probably starting with ebay and painting commissions; in the meantime let's get a gaming group together- or if you're already part of a gaming group then let me know so I can get to know you all!
Regarding the blog, more coming soon but a little sporadic (as always) whilst we unpack boxes etc. There are a couple of video game reviews I'd like to do, some more creative writing, and I'm sure I'll have a couple of rants- sorry, 'opinion pieces'- thrown in as well.
Until next time,
Rooksburg
Regarding the blog, more coming soon but a little sporadic (as always) whilst we unpack boxes etc. There are a couple of video game reviews I'd like to do, some more creative writing, and I'm sure I'll have a couple of rants- sorry, 'opinion pieces'- thrown in as well.
Until next time,
Rooksburg
Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Monthly Update: 11/13
Greetings, all!
A couple of things of note this month, starting with the most important news: we are officially moving to Weston-Super-Mare on December 18th! (Well, assuming we pass our referencing checks). What this means for all of you is that we're a step closer to the shop, and all we need is the money to start. It also means we'll be looking for players for a gaming group soon, playing either D&D or Pokemon Tabletop Adventures- if you're interested in joining then let me know.
In other news, Rooksburgs Realm now has a Twitter account, where you can be updated on new blog posts as well as other random gaming things I come across. The Twitter handle, as you can probably guess, is @RooksburgsRealm. I promise it won't be filled with irrelevant things like what sandwiches I'm eating, it will be entirely gaming related- the most mundane thing there will be what games I'm playing, and I'd be grateful if anyone wants to drop me a comment along the lines of 'you should totally have this for the shop' or something similar. Likewise, if you come across something I might find interesting like a new game then don't hesitate to let me know.
Now then, I also promised I would elaborate a little more on my long-term plans this month. Let's do this role-play style:
You are in the city of Bristol. A city known across the country for being a busy cultural centre; a reputation well-deserved and a matter of pride to the Bristolian people. As you explore, one shop in particular catches your eye: 'Rooksburg's Realm'. There are a couple of posters up in the window- one reads 'Currently seeking party of five level 6 adventurers for slaying a dragon and looting ancient temples: D&D 3.5, Wednesday nights, apply within'. The other reads 'Do you want to be the very best? Like no-one ever was? Then take part in this Saturday's Pokémon League and take home the title of Champion!'.
Hesitantly, you enter- from previous experience with gaming shops, any newcomers are met with stares that say 'you're not local, are you?'. You breathe a sigh of relief as that doesn't happen here. On one side of the room are shelves of games and miniatures, some of which you are familiar with but many you've never seen outside of ebay. On the other side is a small seating area, with a group of five people- 3 guys and 2 girls- chatting whilst eating their lunch of homemade sandwiches and milkshake. There are two others, sat opposite ends of a small table with biscuits held above cups of tea, staring at each other intently. On the wall there is a rather ornate sword hanging, with a small note next to it.
'Good day sir, can I be of assistance?' says a man in smart shirt and hat, presumably the owner of the shop.
'I'm fine, just browsing' you say.
'No problem. If you find something you like the look of, we can try it out if you want. You see we offer a 'try before you buy' service, just pick a game and we can have a practise before you buy. If you decide you don't like it then all we ask is a small fee for the trial- much cheaper than buying the game and finding out later that you don't like it.'
'Sounds great', you say, 'but my group has to like the game too'.
'Well then bring them here and you can all try it out together. Even if you do like it but not enough to buy then you can 'rent' the game for a few hours.'
'I shall bear that in mind! Also... what's with the sword?'
Rooksburg smiles.
'You saw the sign in the window, the D&D request? That sword is the +3 Keen Rapier used to defeat the Devil-King of Dinosaur Island. The party fought hard for that.'
'But that's a real sword.'
'Yes.'
'From a fictional game.'
'Yes,' Rooksburg beams, 'and you can buy it for £250.'
'Wait... are you saying that you sell the items your gamers find in their games?'
'That's right. And if you look at the note next to it you'll see a photo of the group that found it as well as their characters' names and classes.'
'...Where do I sign up?', you say.
Well I hope that's explained a little of what things will be like, and didn't sound too much like a text-based promotional video. (Who am I kidding, I hope when it comes to tv advertising I have something exactly like this with the corniest actors it's possible to find!). There are bigger plans, but they are much, much further down the line...
So until next month, assuming I have internet access after moving and I'm not too busy with Christmas, so long!
Rooksburg
...also sorry for the blatant Order of the Stick reference
A couple of things of note this month, starting with the most important news: we are officially moving to Weston-Super-Mare on December 18th! (Well, assuming we pass our referencing checks). What this means for all of you is that we're a step closer to the shop, and all we need is the money to start. It also means we'll be looking for players for a gaming group soon, playing either D&D or Pokemon Tabletop Adventures- if you're interested in joining then let me know.
In other news, Rooksburgs Realm now has a Twitter account, where you can be updated on new blog posts as well as other random gaming things I come across. The Twitter handle, as you can probably guess, is @RooksburgsRealm. I promise it won't be filled with irrelevant things like what sandwiches I'm eating, it will be entirely gaming related- the most mundane thing there will be what games I'm playing, and I'd be grateful if anyone wants to drop me a comment along the lines of 'you should totally have this for the shop' or something similar. Likewise, if you come across something I might find interesting like a new game then don't hesitate to let me know.
Now then, I also promised I would elaborate a little more on my long-term plans this month. Let's do this role-play style:
You are in the city of Bristol. A city known across the country for being a busy cultural centre; a reputation well-deserved and a matter of pride to the Bristolian people. As you explore, one shop in particular catches your eye: 'Rooksburg's Realm'. There are a couple of posters up in the window- one reads 'Currently seeking party of five level 6 adventurers for slaying a dragon and looting ancient temples: D&D 3.5, Wednesday nights, apply within'. The other reads 'Do you want to be the very best? Like no-one ever was? Then take part in this Saturday's Pokémon League and take home the title of Champion!'.
Hesitantly, you enter- from previous experience with gaming shops, any newcomers are met with stares that say 'you're not local, are you?'. You breathe a sigh of relief as that doesn't happen here. On one side of the room are shelves of games and miniatures, some of which you are familiar with but many you've never seen outside of ebay. On the other side is a small seating area, with a group of five people- 3 guys and 2 girls- chatting whilst eating their lunch of homemade sandwiches and milkshake. There are two others, sat opposite ends of a small table with biscuits held above cups of tea, staring at each other intently. On the wall there is a rather ornate sword hanging, with a small note next to it.
'Good day sir, can I be of assistance?' says a man in smart shirt and hat, presumably the owner of the shop.
'I'm fine, just browsing' you say.
'No problem. If you find something you like the look of, we can try it out if you want. You see we offer a 'try before you buy' service, just pick a game and we can have a practise before you buy. If you decide you don't like it then all we ask is a small fee for the trial- much cheaper than buying the game and finding out later that you don't like it.'
'Sounds great', you say, 'but my group has to like the game too'.
'Well then bring them here and you can all try it out together. Even if you do like it but not enough to buy then you can 'rent' the game for a few hours.'
'I shall bear that in mind! Also... what's with the sword?'
Rooksburg smiles.
'You saw the sign in the window, the D&D request? That sword is the +3 Keen Rapier used to defeat the Devil-King of Dinosaur Island. The party fought hard for that.'
'But that's a real sword.'
'Yes.'
'From a fictional game.'
'Yes,' Rooksburg beams, 'and you can buy it for £250.'
'Wait... are you saying that you sell the items your gamers find in their games?'
'That's right. And if you look at the note next to it you'll see a photo of the group that found it as well as their characters' names and classes.'
'...Where do I sign up?', you say.
Well I hope that's explained a little of what things will be like, and didn't sound too much like a text-based promotional video. (Who am I kidding, I hope when it comes to tv advertising I have something exactly like this with the corniest actors it's possible to find!). There are bigger plans, but they are much, much further down the line...
So until next month, assuming I have internet access after moving and I'm not too busy with Christmas, so long!
Rooksburg
...also sorry for the blatant Order of the Stick reference
Friday, 1 November 2013
Monthly Update: 10/13 (with Survey Results!)
Good day!
I know, I know- it's technically 11/13. I also know there's been little to no activity on here over the past month- it's been busy what with trying to find somewhere to move to and putting up with just about everything going wrong trying to slow us down.
I still plan to move before Christmas (if I can afford it then it will be around Dec 21st), but shortly after my previous post the car decided to die and set me back £300 on what I was expecting to be a £40 fix. Shortly after that, my wisdom tooth decided to cause me extreme agony so I haven't been at all motivated for writing recently. This is unlikely to be fixed for another 6 weeks yet, but the pain has subsided enough for me to continue blogging, if only because of friends participating in NaNoWriMo making me feel guilty.
Now for some actual news you may be interested in, rather than reading my sob story- I have results from my survey! (It's still ongoing, so if you haven't completed it yet then do so now- it only takes 5 minutes! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WDHGNDS )
Now I can give some sort of definitive answer to what you want from Rooksburg's Realm; here are some of the more interesting results.
A significant majority of you are interested in role-playing games more than Wargames. Practically no-one wants TCGs. Over half of you are interested in third-party miniatures and out of print books.
Over three-quarters of you are interested in both types of membership I am currently considering.
You are mostly interested in weekly gaming, and are most likely to want to play on Saturdays. You are least likely to want to play on Mondays.
Those of you that are interested in painting want non-GW paints more than anything else (specific demand for Vallejo). There is also some interest in my partner's painting lessons (trust me, she's good!).
It seems that if you're interested in video games, you're interested in everything apart from MMOs. There is an even divide between those of you interested in video games and those of you who aren't.
Regarding refreshments, there has been an overwhelming demand for sandwiches and significant demand for just about everything else. Except juice.
Out of all respondents, only 3 people believe there is no demand for this shop/club. Even better, some of you answered that you would go out of your way to come here from further afield!
Now I know that surveys like this are biased towards the sorts of people willing to complete an online survey, but still this all looks quite promising. Now I'm confident to reveal my plans a little further... But you can wait till the next update for that ;)
Until then,
Rooksburg
I know, I know- it's technically 11/13. I also know there's been little to no activity on here over the past month- it's been busy what with trying to find somewhere to move to and putting up with just about everything going wrong trying to slow us down.
I still plan to move before Christmas (if I can afford it then it will be around Dec 21st), but shortly after my previous post the car decided to die and set me back £300 on what I was expecting to be a £40 fix. Shortly after that, my wisdom tooth decided to cause me extreme agony so I haven't been at all motivated for writing recently. This is unlikely to be fixed for another 6 weeks yet, but the pain has subsided enough for me to continue blogging, if only because of friends participating in NaNoWriMo making me feel guilty.
Now for some actual news you may be interested in, rather than reading my sob story- I have results from my survey! (It's still ongoing, so if you haven't completed it yet then do so now- it only takes 5 minutes! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WDHGNDS )
Now I can give some sort of definitive answer to what you want from Rooksburg's Realm; here are some of the more interesting results.
A significant majority of you are interested in role-playing games more than Wargames. Practically no-one wants TCGs. Over half of you are interested in third-party miniatures and out of print books.
Over three-quarters of you are interested in both types of membership I am currently considering.
You are mostly interested in weekly gaming, and are most likely to want to play on Saturdays. You are least likely to want to play on Mondays.
Those of you that are interested in painting want non-GW paints more than anything else (specific demand for Vallejo). There is also some interest in my partner's painting lessons (trust me, she's good!).
It seems that if you're interested in video games, you're interested in everything apart from MMOs. There is an even divide between those of you interested in video games and those of you who aren't.
Regarding refreshments, there has been an overwhelming demand for sandwiches and significant demand for just about everything else. Except juice.
Out of all respondents, only 3 people believe there is no demand for this shop/club. Even better, some of you answered that you would go out of your way to come here from further afield!
Now I know that surveys like this are biased towards the sorts of people willing to complete an online survey, but still this all looks quite promising. Now I'm confident to reveal my plans a little further... But you can wait till the next update for that ;)
Until then,
Rooksburg
Saturday, 21 September 2013
Monthly Update: 9/13
Greetings all!
Things have been a bit sparse on the blog over the last month, mostly due to Asylum (which was awesome, obviously, and involved an engagement which was nice). Unfortunately the next month won't be much better due to various courses and viewings and such... But in shop news I have a very important favour to ask!
Please please please complete this survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WDHGNDS
It will give you some idea of what we want to do, and you can have your say on what features and stock we have. After all, I want to make sure the shop is stocking games that people want to play! Remember, every comment is valuable no matter how insignificant it may seem- you could well be pointing out something blindingly obvious that I might have missed!
Now, to flesh out this post a little more, here's a video to recap what went on at Asylum (I make an appearance near the middle... I'm the one kneeling down ;) )
Things have been a bit sparse on the blog over the last month, mostly due to Asylum (which was awesome, obviously, and involved an engagement which was nice). Unfortunately the next month won't be much better due to various courses and viewings and such... But in shop news I have a very important favour to ask!
Please please please complete this survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WDHGNDS
It will give you some idea of what we want to do, and you can have your say on what features and stock we have. After all, I want to make sure the shop is stocking games that people want to play! Remember, every comment is valuable no matter how insignificant it may seem- you could well be pointing out something blindingly obvious that I might have missed!
Now, to flesh out this post a little more, here's a video to recap what went on at Asylum (I make an appearance near the middle... I'm the one kneeling down ;) )
Until next time,
Rooksburg.
Thursday, 22 August 2013
Monthly Update: 8/13
Greetings Readers!
As you may have noticed, a logo has been developed and the blog has been revamped to accommodate it. Aside from that, shop developments are all about potential this month- potential supplier, potential backer, potential new job, potential house to move to... End of the month is when I should have some news about moving, and once we've moved then I'll get to know some of my future customers and hopefully set up a gaming group! We're looking to move within commuting distance of Bristol and as such the group will probably be based in the city centre, though depending on where we live then it could be based in Weston-Super-Mare, Midsomer Norton, or even Newport.
As for the blog- I've got a few series' of posts on here now, which gives me an idea for what people want to read. As such I'll endeavour to write more of my more popular posts (Traveller's Guide to Faerun, and Devils Advocate), and I'm going to drop the Doctor Who reviews in favour of more general reviews; I'll be reviewing both films and video games, and I will be tending towards Steampunk and Fantasy themes, though there may well be some completely unrelated things involved as well (one series I'm considering is overanalysis of Disney films, as I love over-extending metaphors). Once I've established a gaming group I will be looking to review some of the games we play as well, and if we're playing a long-term campaign it's probable I'll be writing an accompaniment on the blog, essentially a novelised version of the game.
So... a fair bit to look forward to; next month will have Asylum coverage and hopefully news on the move as well!
Until next time,
Rooksburg
As you may have noticed, a logo has been developed and the blog has been revamped to accommodate it. Aside from that, shop developments are all about potential this month- potential supplier, potential backer, potential new job, potential house to move to... End of the month is when I should have some news about moving, and once we've moved then I'll get to know some of my future customers and hopefully set up a gaming group! We're looking to move within commuting distance of Bristol and as such the group will probably be based in the city centre, though depending on where we live then it could be based in Weston-Super-Mare, Midsomer Norton, or even Newport.
As for the blog- I've got a few series' of posts on here now, which gives me an idea for what people want to read. As such I'll endeavour to write more of my more popular posts (Traveller's Guide to Faerun, and Devils Advocate), and I'm going to drop the Doctor Who reviews in favour of more general reviews; I'll be reviewing both films and video games, and I will be tending towards Steampunk and Fantasy themes, though there may well be some completely unrelated things involved as well (one series I'm considering is overanalysis of Disney films, as I love over-extending metaphors). Once I've established a gaming group I will be looking to review some of the games we play as well, and if we're playing a long-term campaign it's probable I'll be writing an accompaniment on the blog, essentially a novelised version of the game.
So... a fair bit to look forward to; next month will have Asylum coverage and hopefully news on the move as well!
Until next time,
Rooksburg
Tuesday, 23 July 2013
Monthly Update: 7/13
Greetings!
Now the plan is to find a job first that's willing to wait for me to move closer, which is considerably more difficult, what with the amount of competition that most likely live closer already. But I will continue on.
The third alternative is I win the lottery and move straight to Bristol and open the shop next month- you never know, it could happen!
Thank you for being patient, and I hope you will stick with us on this journey- once again, any feedback is greatly appreciated. Currently we are considering the feasibility of running a café element to the shop, so any ideas regarding that will be most welcome.
Until next time,
Until next time,
Rooksburg.
Thursday, 20 June 2013
Monthly Update: 6/13
Greetings all!
This month is the one in which the first real progress has been made towards setting up shop, thanks to the Prince's Trust.
We went on the Explore Enterprise course, in which we were taught all the ins and outs of running a business. It was a good experience, and has made us much more confident in our abilities and all the more certain that we can actually make this work. The course consisted of 4 main topics: personal skills and finances, sales and marketing, business finances, and business plans. Without going in to too much detail, we found the whole thing surprisingly simple- the majority was just common sense, the exception possibly being the various taxes involved. The course was let down by the fact that the tutors had no idea what we were actually doing (to them a tabletop gaming shop means slot machines), and one of the tutors hadn't done a presentation in 10 years so his presentation was a little unorganised to say the least. However we learnt a lot of valuable information that will be taking up the majority of our time over the next year or so.
So when it comes to actual progress, we're now all steam ahead on trying to move to Bristol, in the hopes of getting a 6 month tenancy then finding a shop premises that will have living space as well. In the meantime we have a business plan to be working on, and market research to conduct- hopefully in the form of a gaming event held in Bristol where people can bring some games to play, have a coffee, and generally have a good time, which will help me gauge how much interest there is. More details on that closer to the time, as I have to discuss things with the Prince's Trust first.
So when it comes to actual progress, we're now all steam ahead on trying to move to Bristol, in the hopes of getting a 6 month tenancy then finding a shop premises that will have living space as well. In the meantime we have a business plan to be working on, and market research to conduct- hopefully in the form of a gaming event held in Bristol where people can bring some games to play, have a coffee, and generally have a good time, which will help me gauge how much interest there is. More details on that closer to the time, as I have to discuss things with the Prince's Trust first.
So far, our experience of the Prince's Trust has been a good one and I highly recommend it for anyone thinking of starting a business (under the age of 30). Lots of information, and although we don't have a mentor yet we're told they're extremely useful in giving advice when needed. And, of course, there's the loan when you get started.
Until next time,
Daniel 'Rooksburg' van Vliet.
Friday, 26 April 2013
Welcome to Rooksburg's Realm!
Welcome to the Rooksburg's Realm blog!
Rooksburg's Realm is the collective name of all of my projects, but most importantly it is the name of my future shop, based in Bristol. The main purpose of this blog is to share updates on the shop, starting with how my adventure to get started is going. Aside from that, this blog is also a place for my musings- whether they be reviews, opinions on the news, or general short stories.
The shop will be selling all manner of fantasy role playing games and accessories- I can't say much more than that, because right now it is simply an idea. I am currently in talks with the Prince's Trust for advice and support on setting up a business, and they predict that I will be ready in a year at most. I also plan to run a games club once the shop is set up, so if you think you will be interested in this Bristol-based shop/club then let me know what games you would want to play or what accessories you would want (miniatures, battle maps, dice etc) and I will endeavour to stock them.
Updates on this blog will come sporadically, but I will be writing official newsletters regarding the shop's progress every month. To start with they will be concerning how close I am to setting up, and I am considering hosting a gaming event in Bristol before the shop itself opens so there will be information on that, but eventually the newsletter will cover the month's events and inform you all of any new stock or special offers.
That's all for now, so I hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy writing it. Remember, if you have any feedback at all then I would love to hear it.
Until next time,
Daniel 'Rooksburg' van Vliet.
Rooksburg's Realm is the collective name of all of my projects, but most importantly it is the name of my future shop, based in Bristol. The main purpose of this blog is to share updates on the shop, starting with how my adventure to get started is going. Aside from that, this blog is also a place for my musings- whether they be reviews, opinions on the news, or general short stories.
The shop will be selling all manner of fantasy role playing games and accessories- I can't say much more than that, because right now it is simply an idea. I am currently in talks with the Prince's Trust for advice and support on setting up a business, and they predict that I will be ready in a year at most. I also plan to run a games club once the shop is set up, so if you think you will be interested in this Bristol-based shop/club then let me know what games you would want to play or what accessories you would want (miniatures, battle maps, dice etc) and I will endeavour to stock them.
Updates on this blog will come sporadically, but I will be writing official newsletters regarding the shop's progress every month. To start with they will be concerning how close I am to setting up, and I am considering hosting a gaming event in Bristol before the shop itself opens so there will be information on that, but eventually the newsletter will cover the month's events and inform you all of any new stock or special offers.
That's all for now, so I hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoy writing it. Remember, if you have any feedback at all then I would love to hear it.
Until next time,
Daniel 'Rooksburg' van Vliet.
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