Checking out the LGS

I got to drive around today and check out the Local Gaming Stores in the area. There may be a few more but these are the two I was able to visit.

Dragon's Lair
I visited the Dragon's Lair first (due to proximity) and I really liked it. I was greeted when I walked in and the staff was busy stocking shelves. I got to browse for 5-10 minutes without being hassled. The shelves were full of the normal 40k/Fantasy/Warmachine stuff but there was also a terrific selection of other games. There were many I didn't recognize but look forward to checking out. There was also a great display of RPG books including DnD, World of Darkness, and Dark Heresy to name a few. There was a huge wall of comics and a back room with a stack (read tower) of open board games ready to try out.

When I asked about Warmachine players, they handed me a calendar of events (already printed for the month) and began telling me about the escalation league starting up and good days for free play. They were excited about their store/products and I found myself signed up for their newsletter before I left the store. I also should mention that I liked the cat asleep on top of one of the three finished terrain tables. =)

Battle Forge
I visited Battle Forge second. The store had several more finished terrain tables and the guys were great about answering questions. It was easy to see what was on the shelves and it was easy to see how the space could accommodate 40+ gamers on a game night. They are hosting a Warmachine tournament this weekend.

I think the best thing about the whole experience is that I didn't get that creepy vibe that goes with some game stores. I think I would be comfortable going to either store on my own (I took a friend this time). All in all, I like Austin =)