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[Draknek]

Shall we go with Browns then? Could try another location next time if you make it monthly.

I might ask a couple of people from work if they fancy coming along, if that's ok? (I work at a games company)

The more the merrier!

If you're going to be somewhere in easy walking distance of the station, then I'll try to make an appearance, at least for a couple of hours

Most of the suggestions here are 10-15 mins walk or so, would be good to see you there.

However, I might not be able to come after all, might be seeing family during the week.

Boo!

[PaulForey]

Awesome to see this is coming together now.

Can't wait for Wednesday. I'm currently completely re-jigging my Uni project into something which I hope is fairly unique. Of course I could find out if it's unique by googling for it, but I daren't do that yet

I'll try to have something playable(ish) for the pub, then. And Browns sounds good to me.

[bluescrn]

And Browns sounds good to me.

Is this the right place?:

http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/77/7715/Browns_Cafe_Bar/Coventry

and:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/place?cid=4595283953623148437&q=Browns,+Coventry&hl=en&sll=52.402477,-1.534612&sspn=0.070025,0.077821&ie=UTF8&ll=52.445757,-1.666145&spn=0,0&t=h&z=12  (more similar reviews at the bottom...)

Nasty doormen that don't like letting fat, old, or foreign people in?...  That's kind of offputting...  Not just a few comments either, about half a decade of comments on a 'ridiculous door policy' on beerintheevening (and 2.5/10 score)...   As a single fat not-exactly-well-dressed person arriving alone, I think I might pass...

[Ishi]

Been loads of times and never seen any problems myself. But we can go somewhere else if you want.

[Draknek]

Huh, I've been there a few times and never had any issues like that either.

[bluescrn]

Been loads of times and never seen any problems myself. But we can go somewhere else if you want.

Don't change your plans because of me... if I make it, it'll only be for a couple of hours due to work/trains anyway. And I've not got a lot to show off, just a stack of tumbling Chipmunk-powered boxes on the iPhone (which I'm quite happy with, it's all working nicely with the Airplay SDK, but it's a long way from being a game)

I'm just very 'anti-dress-code' myself, generally refusing to go anywhere that won't let me in wearing jeans+trainers - I'd just searched for the place on Google Maps, couldn't help noticing those reviews... No idea if it's maybe just a late night time Fri/Sat sort of thing when the place is busy - but with that many reviews over that long a period - certainly seems to indicate that they have (or have had) some sort of fairly messed up policy that goes well beyond keeping troublemakers out...  Strange...

[Ishi]

I've never gone in there wearing anything but jeans and trainers. Also if it's any consolation I have nothing at all to show off.

[Hayden Scott-Baron]

Glad to see some more UK meets!

[bluescrn]

I've never gone in there wearing anything but jeans and trainers. Also if it's any consolation I have nothing at all to show off.

I'm sure plenty of people have a good night out there, but I think I've read enough now to stay away just on principle...  they seem to have one heck of a reputation...  more here:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186403-d800387-Reviews-Browns-Coventry_Warwickshire_England.html

Doesn't exactly sound like a friendly place... not exactly the usual moans about an occasional bad meal or dodgy pint, is it?

[Ratchet]

Well I was worried by those links, seeing as I've only ever been there during the day, but then i saw this

if you are not homosexual or lesbian you will be treated like dirt!!

So I'm inclined to disregard this as chavs getting kicked out.
I've eaten there once or twice, and there's usually a wait to be served, but other than that I've never had any problems with it. Propellor knows at least one of the bar staff, he's not the sort to treat anyone like dirt :/

Well, we'll all stick together anyway; if the bad doorman in those reviews is there, and stops one of us from entering, we'll go elsewhere.

Oh. another thought: Brown's doesn't have wifi, so it might be worth a few of us swapping mobile numbers.

I will be able to come after all, hooray! But I'm not sure how long I can stay, and I don't have a laptop atm, so I can't show off the game I'm working on. I'll bring it on a memory stick on the offchacne someone else's laptop has pyglet and pygame installed  
Propellor can't make it, but I haven't poked Raggy about it yet, and he might be interested.

EDIT: After speaking to Propellor a bit, he says they do have a weird policy for turning people away. I'm still not sure we'd be the types to be turned away, though.

[PaulForey]

I too have never seen any sign of nastiness from Browns. I and family and friends been there plenty of times, including a few evenings.

The behavior the reviews describe is really shocking, and I'd be damned sure that if I saw any of that I wouldn't give the place a second glance ever again. Righteous anger on the internet yeah!

Regardless, if Browns doesn't meet our fancy, there's a few other places we could head to. Rosie Malone's is just across the road and does a cheap bit of Guinness, and Whitefriars is nearby and is an old ale house type thing.

[Ishi]

Whitefriars has half a well at the back

Sorry you couldn't come Ratchet. Fun times though, lots of good old super nerdy chat. Should be done again sometime.

[Draknek]

Cheers all for a lovely evening.

[bluescrn]

Cheers all for a lovely evening.

Yeah, it was good - Browns wasn't as scary as the interwebs made it seem - decent food and some nice beers

[PaulForey]

Yeah it was good fun.

Definitely should make it a monthly fixture.

[radcow]

i'm in kidderminster but would love to get involved

[PaulForey]

Good to hear. I think if we are doing this monthly-like then the next one would be sometime next week.

A lot of the people last time were from the Warwick Game Design society, and since Draknek was the one who was in contact with them - and he's probably in Bristol during this one - I'll e-mail them to see if they're interested.

Who else is still game?

Also, would people prefer to change the venue or go to Brown's again? I'd be up for a change myself but it's entirely up to the majority.

[Ishi]

I'm up for it. Don't mind where we go.

[tigershungry]

hello, Midlands folk. I used to be based up in B'ham and organised a few game meet ups (mostly with an indie dev focus) in B'ham and Leam but I've since relocated to London so these have gone on hold and I'm sure some of the old regulars from this would be interested to know of other meet ups in the region if this settles into a permenent slot. Theres also a real gaggle of indie devs beginning to pop up in Aston Science park in B'ham.

For people based in Staffordshire its worth following @wormella on twitter who works at Staff uni course and organises the Staffordshire are of the Global game jam up there.

And if we're talking Midlands then of course there is Game City Nights over in Nottingham- but this was always impossible for travel back from in the evenings on the trains and I'd been trying to rally up interest for a potential mini bus contingent but sadly not had enough take up.

[tigershungry]

ack and of course you have Indiecity based in Leamington who I'm sure would be up for helping get word out about a regional indie dev meet up!