So, like most of my friends, I went to UK Games Expo this year.
And Was looking forward to it, I really was. I was GMing all weekend as usual and all of my games had been booked out for months. (I'd had a couple of ticket returns recently but last time I checked there was only one space open for one game.)
But......
You have to make plans for Expo months in advance and things change.
1) one of the sessions I was offering was based on a game which failed to fund on Kickstarter. It's still a good game and a good adventure (Anime, King Kong meets Power Rangers) but the gloss was off it a bit for me.
2) another commitment came up for me. I need to be somewhere in Birmingham City Centre Saturday night. So I had to pull my Saturday night game. I hate letting people down. (I think I have a good rep and have only done this once before in a decade of convention refereeing.)
3) most importantly - my game designer mind had gone elsewhere in recent weeks. Yes I still loved all the games and adventures I was offering, but I'd got new itches I want to scratch. Fledgling ideas I'd love to give a run out to. So I tried to fit in some playtesting.....
UK Games Expo on the cheap (1):
For reasons of my own I've decided to try and cut corners on my Expo experience this year.
So I've accepted ALL the GM rewards. I would've caught a £7.30 train to the con but my wonderful wife game me a lift. My hotel room is free - but I have to make share it with a fellow referee. Luckily I know a great guy from previous conventions.
Good news - checked in early to my room. Bad news - queue for 10am games which was slow even with GMs being fasttracked. Only to find I should've picked up my GMs pack at the NEC main hall. Mad dash over and back followed by confusion over rooms. Also £1.99 charge to take out cash. Really?
First game, my anime game, was great fun. We had one very young player whose ideals were left field but everyone was very accommodating. The climax was a bit more gonzo than even I normally go for. But fun.
Ticket scanning via app didn't work. Food orders via volunteers did. And there were items costing exactly£5 now - the value of the food tokens. Good!
Lots of dashing past people with no time to chat. Trade hall looks a LOT better this year.
Afternoon, classic D&D using The Black Hack. Only four players. Underpowered party. Still succeeded. Finished early, had time for a quick playtest of my new rules.
No food token for tea so spent £5 on a pasty. £5.15 on a pint (really?) just to get a glass to top up from cans under the table (sorry!)
Evening game, Blake's Seven. Some players not familiar with the series. Some VERY familiar. Slightly gonzo ending (again) with lots of Timey Wimey stuff. Great fun, though.
Expo on a budget, day two.
Got up early for breakfast to beat the queue. Breakfast starts at 7:00. I was down by 7:10 and there was ALREADY a queue. It isn't just gamers at the Hilton. Traders and exhibitors were also there and they HAVE to get up early.
But the Hilton staff are very organised and things went well.
Because I was trying to squeeze in a playtest for my card based RPG, I didn't make full use of the breakfast. I only had coffee juice cereals fruit and full English once. Didn't eat any breakfast pastries. There was an exotic looking gateaux there. Breakfast cake? That's new to me.
No one turned up to playtest my game but I had a great time chatting to other referees over breakfast and in the bar area afterwards.
My first game was Martin Pickett's peerless The Great Martian Tripod Race. A mum, a dad, a son that wanted to play Lucifer and another guy. Yes. Lucifer.
As always fun. But I think the length of my "Code" games is directly linked to the number of players. With only four rather than the six who'd presigned and with clever play they wrapped it up in three hours rather than four. Still they seemed happy and kindly let me run another playtest of my card based RPG system. Great feedback but seem to be taking it in such and obvious direction that someone must have already written it, surely?
Artisan hotdog for lunch - free food voucher collected by volunteer - and a run over to the station to pick up my tickets and a Subway for my trip into Birmingham later. (The subway in the NEC was heaving. The one in the station, 5 mins away, was empty. Just a hint for the future guys.)
Expo on a budget (3)
Sunday morning got up early again and went down to breakfast as soon as it opened. There was already a queue! But the organisation was good again. I took my time, paced myself and managed the full four courses this time - taking a freshly cooked omelette in place of the full English. I had a great chat with Lloyd about the Games On Demand I'd seen him running so successfully.
Packed and then came down for my first game - another chapter in Martin Pickett's steampunk trilogy - The Antiquerries of Mars. I only had two players turn up out of six booked. One of these was an old mate, Tim, the other was new to me. I panicked for a bit but eventually a third player arrived. We had two ex-army gun bunnies - one retired to hunting, the other to gambling. The third character was an inventor type. They were packed off to search for a legendary Martian artefact. The tension in the scenario built well to the great scene where they find and recover the thing. Then the journey was less exciting as they dodged all the patrolling airships. Three players so - again - it finished early. But everyone seemed happy.
Tim accompanied me over to the trade hall to talk with people about printing cards.
Then back to the Hilton to pick up my preorder for lunch. By now the choice was limited and I had to top up the free voucher with £2 of my own money. (The only £2 I spent at the convention today, though.)
My day rounded off with my old "All of Time and Space scenario". I've been running this for years now and this is the third Expo running it's been my closing game. It's THAT good.
Again only three players. Scarecrow - an Australian navy seal type from some thriller novels. The Eternal Warrior from Warhammer 40k and Londo Molari from Babylon 5 (with personal retinue). Londo and bodyguards were soon dispatched by Scarecrow to be replaced by the pregen Tardis maintenance android. The game was fun as usual, but this time extra Daleks appeared which the characters accidentally led to Gallifrey, resulting in the characters being sent on a decoy suicide mission by the Timelord council.
This one under ran as well but everyone was happy to finish early and get off home. Everyone was knackered after a busy weekend.
My thoughts on Expo 2017:
For me it wasn't a classic but I didn't do anything to MAKE it a classic. Just refereed RPGs wall to wall using safe, well tested, scenarios.
It remains a superb convention. Ideally you'd divide yourself into three parts to enjoy the whole thing. I think it's slightly more for board gamers than RPGers and the Hilton feels a bit cut off from the main event.
Notes to self for next year: put an age limit on some games. It's great to see the youngsters coming through and I'm an OK ref for them. But you need a break from them sometimes. Don't ref wall to wall. Build in a break and enjoy some of the other things the convention offers. I know they're not advertised when you have to submit your games but use this year's programme as a guide. Try to run at least one "event" game.
Bring more food/drink with you, especially fruit and veg. Take advantage of the rewards scheme and share with Robin again.
The Trade hall was better this year. They used vertical promotion so it looked like a show, not an empty warehouse. There were items of food on the food carts costing £5 so, when the volunteers collected your food voucher and got your lunch (BRILLIANT!) they didn't have to worry about bits of change. Though I have to say, if I was paying for the food myself I'd be disappointed. £5 for a hotdog or toasted sandwich is too much no matter good they are.
Talking about the RPG volunteers, they were AMAZING! Jude made it look easy.
OK the ticketing app didn't work - for the RPGs at least - and there was some delay/confusion Friday morning. But it'll be better next year and it's good to see them trialling 21st century solutions.
The BIG negative. The prices in the Hilton are disgusting. The word "gouging" comes to mind. I would seriously recommend no one buys anything at the Hilton.
BUT, apart from that, if you take advantage of the rewards package, can find a good person to share a room with, offer to run the minimum necessary RPGs to get the free room and bring your own food and drink (not allowed officially but I'd recommend it) you can have a great weekend for next to nothing.
To get the rewards, offer to run games for 6 people. Even if they sell out, you'll have some games where people don't turn up so you'll have some smaller groups. You don't even have to do a load of prep. Someone was offering "The Lost Mines of Phandelver" this weekend. £16.99 and comes with pregens and everything. There are plenty of easy and cost effective options out there.
So, Expo remains fantastic and, with a bit of thought, can be pretty cheap weekend. You've got no excuse for not coming.
Sunday, 25 June 2017
Saturday, 20 May 2017
Five Cards (2)
The 200 word RPG challenge. My thoughts and dilemma:
I been very vocal about "micro RPG's" and "pocket mods". These are tiny RPGs, generally designed to fit on a single sheet of A4 and distributed for free. They seem to be particularly popular amongst the teen/early 20s section of the hobby. Games like "Lasers and Feelings" (and its various iterations), Sea Dracula and The Actual Cannibal Shia Lebeouf. I don't like the idea.
1. At least two of the above examples - possibly all three - are actually great little games. But the drive to fit them onto a single sheet of paper leaves them feeling unfinished.
2. I'm pretty sure they're the exceptions. Surely 90% plus of these "throwaway" games are forgettable at best. This mass of dross undermines the hobby IMHO.
3. If a game like Laser and Feelings - with its great so-simple mechanic - is a good game, surely its creator deserves some reward for his inventiveness. Giving good games away for free devalues the hobby IMHO.
Personally I think a game like Lasers and Feelings would benefit from being expanded, finished off, have a bit of artwork added, published in a book and sold. Like The Black Hack.
So when I heard about the "200 word RPG challenge" I was initially dismissive. This was backed up as I read some of the previous entries. Let's just say that the great majority are not to my taste or, even, fit within my conception of what a game is.
But something began to nag at me. Could I write a GAME in 200 words and show these whippersnappers how it's done? (More than once in my game writing career I've been spurred to write by negative emotions.) It was also an intellectual challenge. I had a couple of ideas which I mulled over on my journey to and from work. I typed one up, submitted it and forgot about it - fully expecting it to be swamped by all the "touchy feely story poetry" stuff.
But then it was chosen as a finalist. Out of 700-odd entries, it got into the top 30. It didn't win. But it got into the final, had some positive judge's comments and leaves me with a marketable property.
So, from being dismissive of the whole "200 word RPG" concept, I've gone to being grateful to the organisers because of the spur and opportunity it's given me.
As an idea the game isn't bad. Not the sort of game I'd usually choose to play, but definitely workable. Rather than ditch it, I should do something with it, right?
1. Even though it's not the type of game I'd usually play, it might suit other people. So I shouldn't deny them that possibility.
2. If nothing else it might raise my profile as an author and draw attention to my other games.
3. There's the satisfaction of finishing the game off - I have some ideas.
4. It might bring in a bob or two.
I'm currently thinking of:
1. tidying up the basic 200 word entry so it looks neat and giving it away for free.
2. Turning it into a complete game as a "pocket mod" and selling it as "pay what you want".
3. Producing a proper book of the rules with artwork, examples, scenario etc. For sale as PDF and POD.
My issue is that I don't have a home group, and my foreseeable convention slots are already booked up with my other games. So how do I playtest this game? Do I need to?
I been very vocal about "micro RPG's" and "pocket mods". These are tiny RPGs, generally designed to fit on a single sheet of A4 and distributed for free. They seem to be particularly popular amongst the teen/early 20s section of the hobby. Games like "Lasers and Feelings" (and its various iterations), Sea Dracula and The Actual Cannibal Shia Lebeouf. I don't like the idea.
1. At least two of the above examples - possibly all three - are actually great little games. But the drive to fit them onto a single sheet of paper leaves them feeling unfinished.
2. I'm pretty sure they're the exceptions. Surely 90% plus of these "throwaway" games are forgettable at best. This mass of dross undermines the hobby IMHO.
3. If a game like Laser and Feelings - with its great so-simple mechanic - is a good game, surely its creator deserves some reward for his inventiveness. Giving good games away for free devalues the hobby IMHO.
Personally I think a game like Lasers and Feelings would benefit from being expanded, finished off, have a bit of artwork added, published in a book and sold. Like The Black Hack.
So when I heard about the "200 word RPG challenge" I was initially dismissive. This was backed up as I read some of the previous entries. Let's just say that the great majority are not to my taste or, even, fit within my conception of what a game is.
But something began to nag at me. Could I write a GAME in 200 words and show these whippersnappers how it's done? (More than once in my game writing career I've been spurred to write by negative emotions.) It was also an intellectual challenge. I had a couple of ideas which I mulled over on my journey to and from work. I typed one up, submitted it and forgot about it - fully expecting it to be swamped by all the "touchy feely story poetry" stuff.
But then it was chosen as a finalist. Out of 700-odd entries, it got into the top 30. It didn't win. But it got into the final, had some positive judge's comments and leaves me with a marketable property.
So, from being dismissive of the whole "200 word RPG" concept, I've gone to being grateful to the organisers because of the spur and opportunity it's given me.
As an idea the game isn't bad. Not the sort of game I'd usually choose to play, but definitely workable. Rather than ditch it, I should do something with it, right?
1. Even though it's not the type of game I'd usually play, it might suit other people. So I shouldn't deny them that possibility.
2. If nothing else it might raise my profile as an author and draw attention to my other games.
3. There's the satisfaction of finishing the game off - I have some ideas.
4. It might bring in a bob or two.
I'm currently thinking of:
1. tidying up the basic 200 word entry so it looks neat and giving it away for free.
2. Turning it into a complete game as a "pocket mod" and selling it as "pay what you want".
3. Producing a proper book of the rules with artwork, examples, scenario etc. For sale as PDF and POD.
My issue is that I don't have a home group, and my foreseeable convention slots are already booked up with my other games. So how do I playtest this game? Do I need to?
Five Cards (1)
This year I entered the 200 word RPG challenge.
https://200wordrpg.github.io/winners
My entry got into the final. (Best 30 of 700 entries - ish). It wasn't one of the three winners.
Here it is RAW. I'll be referring to it later.
Five Cards
Referee designs adventure. Challenges defined in terms of the number of success needed to overcome them.
Players get 10 cards. 5 Action Cards:
Success with complication
Complete success
Failure with benefit
Complete failure
Standoff
And 5 blank Character Cards. They define their Character by writing 5 things on them.
Referee gets 5 cards:
Referee claims card
Player retains card
Card goes to another Player
Card discarded
Player vote
Referee describes the setting. Players state actions. When Characters face a challenge, player draws random Action Card. Results interpreted by Referee. Failure may cause wound - turn a Character Card over. Successes/benefits may heal wounds.
Referee draws a random Referee Card to determine what happens to the player's Action Card. The Referee can take no proactive actions until they have gained at least one action card. They then have two piles of cards.
Player and the Referee shuffle their card piles. Action moves to next Player.
If a Player has no Action Cards and their Character has a wound, they are dead.
Play continues until the adventure is over or all Action Cards are discarded.
https://200wordrpg.github.io/winners
My entry got into the final. (Best 30 of 700 entries - ish). It wasn't one of the three winners.
Here it is RAW. I'll be referring to it later.
Five Cards
Referee designs adventure. Challenges defined in terms of the number of success needed to overcome them.
Players get 10 cards. 5 Action Cards:
Success with complication
Complete success
Failure with benefit
Complete failure
Standoff
And 5 blank Character Cards. They define their Character by writing 5 things on them.
Referee gets 5 cards:
Referee claims card
Player retains card
Card goes to another Player
Card discarded
Player vote
Referee describes the setting. Players state actions. When Characters face a challenge, player draws random Action Card. Results interpreted by Referee. Failure may cause wound - turn a Character Card over. Successes/benefits may heal wounds.
Referee draws a random Referee Card to determine what happens to the player's Action Card. The Referee can take no proactive actions until they have gained at least one action card. They then have two piles of cards.
Player and the Referee shuffle their card piles. Action moves to next Player.
If a Player has no Action Cards and their Character has a wound, they are dead.
Play continues until the adventure is over or all Action Cards are discarded.
Sunday, 30 April 2017
Conquord Convention Day 2
Conquord 2017 day two.
Of course, I'm one of those people who see the options on a hotel breakfast as a challenge rather than a range of different choices. Porridge. Fruit course. Full English. Topped off by a round of breakfast pastries. But even I couldn't manage to fit in a freshly cooked waffle! The waffle iron and batter dispenser were a new innovation for me and I wish I could have fitted one in.
Then a quick wander to the convention. If anything, people were even thinner on the ground than on Saturday.
We started the day with a game of Maschine Zeit offered by Dr Bob. Horror on a space station. Good background, good system. I liked it - and I don't say that very often. Basically you narrate a combination of your abilities to get the highest percentage possible and succeed by rolling under it. So if you're running away, you don't HAVE to add in your physical abilities, you can add in social abilities instead by throwing other people under the bus or because people would expect you to succeed. The more you roll under, the more bennies you get. Bennies have to be spent before the end of of the scene, speeding up the action and stopping the benny hoarding seen in some games. As you use abilities, you tick them off and, eventually, they degrade so you have to narrate other abilities instead. Nice system. Should work well.
The game was slowed by us having some "ponderers" who analysed the best combination of abilities before rolling to succeed. I'd've preferred a slightly more frenetic pace. But it was fun. We all had our own reasons going to the space station to find out what had happened to a missing film crew. I drew the wife searching for her missing husband but chose to twist it so she was going to check he was dead - so she could claim the insurance.
Lunchtime I confirmed that Tescos was really nearby and was able to grab a meal deal in record time.
After lunch another referee turned up who'd offered to run Delta Green. It was his first stab at being a convention referee so we wanted him to get a game and were ready to play but then another player turned up looking to play my Dr Who game so I got to referee for the third time in two days. Lucky me! (The Delta Green game still ran.)
This was the scenario I've been hawking around conventions for nigh on three years now. And it delivered again.
I had three players. One of them was the convention's organiser (Mark - an absolute hero) who chose to play a pregen - Silurian Warrior. The other two made Data - THE Data from Star Trek - and Tim Taylor. You know, the guy played by Tim Allen in the series "Home Improvement". The handyman presenter of "Tool Time". There's something about the ability to play "anyone from anywhere in time and space" that really sparks something in players.
Initially the players seemed a bit frustrated by the factional infighting on the planet they landed on. But once in space, things really took off. The climax had the Jh'duhn nuking the place from orbit (the only way to be sure), Data flying off with the only working jet pack (saving an NPC) and Tim Allen shoving a sonic screwdriver into the power pack of the bad guy's appropriated wheelchair - in order to make it rocket away from the explosion - only to make it go flying backwards. He'd obviously reversed the polarity.
This afternoon slot was a full four hours but I finished half an hour early and was able to make my way to my train in good time.
Bristol is a great setting for a games convention. And Mark and his associates are trying hard to offer a full convention rather than just a games day. They are wonderful people and deserve to succeed. It'd be great if this event grew.
However, none of the many local clubs turned up. They were all off playing their usual games elsewhere. I've noticed this before at other conventions. The local clubs just don't support their local conventions. And why should they? Why should they pay - no matter how small the entry fee - when they can get together with their usual group and play their usual game for free? What can a small local convention offer to lure them out?
I'm not sure I have the answer to that. Until we find one, I worry that conventions like Conquord will fail to grow as fast as we'd like.
Of course, I'm one of those people who see the options on a hotel breakfast as a challenge rather than a range of different choices. Porridge. Fruit course. Full English. Topped off by a round of breakfast pastries. But even I couldn't manage to fit in a freshly cooked waffle! The waffle iron and batter dispenser were a new innovation for me and I wish I could have fitted one in.
Then a quick wander to the convention. If anything, people were even thinner on the ground than on Saturday.
We started the day with a game of Maschine Zeit offered by Dr Bob. Horror on a space station. Good background, good system. I liked it - and I don't say that very often. Basically you narrate a combination of your abilities to get the highest percentage possible and succeed by rolling under it. So if you're running away, you don't HAVE to add in your physical abilities, you can add in social abilities instead by throwing other people under the bus or because people would expect you to succeed. The more you roll under, the more bennies you get. Bennies have to be spent before the end of of the scene, speeding up the action and stopping the benny hoarding seen in some games. As you use abilities, you tick them off and, eventually, they degrade so you have to narrate other abilities instead. Nice system. Should work well.
The game was slowed by us having some "ponderers" who analysed the best combination of abilities before rolling to succeed. I'd've preferred a slightly more frenetic pace. But it was fun. We all had our own reasons going to the space station to find out what had happened to a missing film crew. I drew the wife searching for her missing husband but chose to twist it so she was going to check he was dead - so she could claim the insurance.
Lunchtime I confirmed that Tescos was really nearby and was able to grab a meal deal in record time.
After lunch another referee turned up who'd offered to run Delta Green. It was his first stab at being a convention referee so we wanted him to get a game and were ready to play but then another player turned up looking to play my Dr Who game so I got to referee for the third time in two days. Lucky me! (The Delta Green game still ran.)
This was the scenario I've been hawking around conventions for nigh on three years now. And it delivered again.
I had three players. One of them was the convention's organiser (Mark - an absolute hero) who chose to play a pregen - Silurian Warrior. The other two made Data - THE Data from Star Trek - and Tim Taylor. You know, the guy played by Tim Allen in the series "Home Improvement". The handyman presenter of "Tool Time". There's something about the ability to play "anyone from anywhere in time and space" that really sparks something in players.
Initially the players seemed a bit frustrated by the factional infighting on the planet they landed on. But once in space, things really took off. The climax had the Jh'duhn nuking the place from orbit (the only way to be sure), Data flying off with the only working jet pack (saving an NPC) and Tim Allen shoving a sonic screwdriver into the power pack of the bad guy's appropriated wheelchair - in order to make it rocket away from the explosion - only to make it go flying backwards. He'd obviously reversed the polarity.
This afternoon slot was a full four hours but I finished half an hour early and was able to make my way to my train in good time.
Bristol is a great setting for a games convention. And Mark and his associates are trying hard to offer a full convention rather than just a games day. They are wonderful people and deserve to succeed. It'd be great if this event grew.
However, none of the many local clubs turned up. They were all off playing their usual games elsewhere. I've noticed this before at other conventions. The local clubs just don't support their local conventions. And why should they? Why should they pay - no matter how small the entry fee - when they can get together with their usual group and play their usual game for free? What can a small local convention offer to lure them out?
I'm not sure I have the answer to that. Until we find one, I worry that conventions like Conquord will fail to grow as fast as we'd like.
Saturday, 29 April 2017
Conquord 2017 - day 1
Conquord 2017 Day One:
There was an old lady that swallowed a spider...........
Faded with a plethora of choices on International Tabletop Gaming Day, I opted to attend Conquord. Partially through loyalty (the organisers have always been very good to me) partly through convenience (Bristol is a darn sight easier to get to than Dorchester), partly because I totally support it going up from one day to two days and partly because I know it's going through growing pains and really needs the support.
Games were pre-advertised via a rather scrappy website and GMs were invited to run "quests" making players want to come to play their games. (You'll have seen me posting my "quests" on here.) There were a range of activities on offer, not just RPGs, and it looked to be an interesting convention.
I booked a one night stay in Bristol as the hotel rates are relatively high. It's a popular destination, and advance-booked some specific single tickets to get the lowest travel rates possible. I was able to get up reasonably early in Birmingham, get a 7:42 train and get into Bristol in time to walk to venue. It's a stiffish walk from the station but manageable. The entrance is down a side road and took me a couple of tries to find.
I think it was same venue as last year. However, whereas last year both floors were a single business - bistro downstairs and function room upstairs - I think that business has gone bust. The two floors are separate entities. The convention was in the upstairs room which is now a small comedy club.
Which is where one of ConQuord's quirks comes in. There was a show on in the evening so the Saturday of the event had time for two 3.5 hour sessions and we had to be finished by 4:30 and out by 5:00.
People were thin on the ground. Initially there didn't seem to be many people but - like last year - people elected play my game. The Great Martian Tripod Race - again! One by one the table swelled until it passed the GM plus 6 mark and hit the GM plus 7, which meant we could split into two table of GM plus 3. So Dr Bob was able to offer her Dropship Down scenario - again!
Characters were duly made. An Engineer, a "percussive mechanic" (fixed things by hitting them) and a Martian Entrepreneur. Not a Martian who was an entrepreneur but an entrepreneur who dealt with Martians. A guy who'd popped into say hello to his mates and offer support was co-opted in halfway through and given a pregen - a charming Knight of the realm (who'd been travelling with a circus - go figure) and we were off.
This wonderful scenario by Martin Pickett always delivers. Through a fluke combination of technical, business and social skills and useful character subplots - one character has a secret Martian lover, another was secretly half Martian - they were the most effective group ever to tackle this scenario, but I don't think they realised this, and a good time was had by all.
Then lunch - the bar opened early and I had a pint of lager. I'd bought my own lunch but the venue is within 5 minutes of every kind of outlet. So even though the break was only 30 minutes, you could nip out to (eg) a supermarket and easily grab something in plenty of time.
After lunch everyone agreed let me GM again and I ran my Anime scenario - Kong Island Raiders. Because at least one person has left, we went to a single table and I had six players. An archeologist, a biologist, a vet, a physicist, a big game hunter and a cyborg commando. Because we started late, the larger number of players and a couple of plot derailments, only one of the group received their "Power Ranger" style upgrade and the characters never found the ancient Mecha. Oh, and they released the giant spiders (you were expecting an ape?) to run riot on the island. Hopelessly outclassed (except for the mutated character who became queen of the spiders), it became a case of a hasty retreat with the big game hunter willing to sacrifice his life buy time for his comrades to escape. But someone rolled a double and introduced a new plot element (you know my game system) - giant wasps to attack the giant spiders. Then, when THESE proved to be a threat, someone introduced giant birds to eat the giant wasps. When THESE proved to be an even bigger threat than the wasps.........
Somehow - I'm still not sure how - the group avoided a TPK. It was a laughter filled but gonzo session.
After our early departure from the convention venue, a group of 8 of us hied to a local restaurant to have a friendly chat and grab us some vittles. I'd've been happy to check into my hotel room and watch Dr Who or pop into the cinema next to the venue to watch The Gardens of the Galaxy, I was invited around to Dr Bob's for a game of The Gentle Ladies Tea, Monstrosity Destroying and Quilting auxiliary. I've seen her offer this, successfully, at conventions before and was keen to try it. It was a really pleasant way to spend the evening but the designer in me found the game frustrating. There's a lot to it and the system's seem clever and well balanced but it felt like half a game. I felt like, if I got my hands on it, I might be able to finish it off and turn it into something - but I've already got too much on my own plate.
Then back to my hotel where I'm typing this. I've had a great day.
If, YOU'VE had a great day tabletop gaming wherever you are, can you please let us all know about it here. I'm really interested to know how all the other events went.
There was an old lady that swallowed a spider...........
Faded with a plethora of choices on International Tabletop Gaming Day, I opted to attend Conquord. Partially through loyalty (the organisers have always been very good to me) partly through convenience (Bristol is a darn sight easier to get to than Dorchester), partly because I totally support it going up from one day to two days and partly because I know it's going through growing pains and really needs the support.
Games were pre-advertised via a rather scrappy website and GMs were invited to run "quests" making players want to come to play their games. (You'll have seen me posting my "quests" on here.) There were a range of activities on offer, not just RPGs, and it looked to be an interesting convention.
I booked a one night stay in Bristol as the hotel rates are relatively high. It's a popular destination, and advance-booked some specific single tickets to get the lowest travel rates possible. I was able to get up reasonably early in Birmingham, get a 7:42 train and get into Bristol in time to walk to venue. It's a stiffish walk from the station but manageable. The entrance is down a side road and took me a couple of tries to find.
I think it was same venue as last year. However, whereas last year both floors were a single business - bistro downstairs and function room upstairs - I think that business has gone bust. The two floors are separate entities. The convention was in the upstairs room which is now a small comedy club.
Which is where one of ConQuord's quirks comes in. There was a show on in the evening so the Saturday of the event had time for two 3.5 hour sessions and we had to be finished by 4:30 and out by 5:00.
People were thin on the ground. Initially there didn't seem to be many people but - like last year - people elected play my game. The Great Martian Tripod Race - again! One by one the table swelled until it passed the GM plus 6 mark and hit the GM plus 7, which meant we could split into two table of GM plus 3. So Dr Bob was able to offer her Dropship Down scenario - again!
Characters were duly made. An Engineer, a "percussive mechanic" (fixed things by hitting them) and a Martian Entrepreneur. Not a Martian who was an entrepreneur but an entrepreneur who dealt with Martians. A guy who'd popped into say hello to his mates and offer support was co-opted in halfway through and given a pregen - a charming Knight of the realm (who'd been travelling with a circus - go figure) and we were off.
This wonderful scenario by Martin Pickett always delivers. Through a fluke combination of technical, business and social skills and useful character subplots - one character has a secret Martian lover, another was secretly half Martian - they were the most effective group ever to tackle this scenario, but I don't think they realised this, and a good time was had by all.
Then lunch - the bar opened early and I had a pint of lager. I'd bought my own lunch but the venue is within 5 minutes of every kind of outlet. So even though the break was only 30 minutes, you could nip out to (eg) a supermarket and easily grab something in plenty of time.
After lunch everyone agreed let me GM again and I ran my Anime scenario - Kong Island Raiders. Because at least one person has left, we went to a single table and I had six players. An archeologist, a biologist, a vet, a physicist, a big game hunter and a cyborg commando. Because we started late, the larger number of players and a couple of plot derailments, only one of the group received their "Power Ranger" style upgrade and the characters never found the ancient Mecha. Oh, and they released the giant spiders (you were expecting an ape?) to run riot on the island. Hopelessly outclassed (except for the mutated character who became queen of the spiders), it became a case of a hasty retreat with the big game hunter willing to sacrifice his life buy time for his comrades to escape. But someone rolled a double and introduced a new plot element (you know my game system) - giant wasps to attack the giant spiders. Then, when THESE proved to be a threat, someone introduced giant birds to eat the giant wasps. When THESE proved to be an even bigger threat than the wasps.........
Somehow - I'm still not sure how - the group avoided a TPK. It was a laughter filled but gonzo session.
After our early departure from the convention venue, a group of 8 of us hied to a local restaurant to have a friendly chat and grab us some vittles. I'd've been happy to check into my hotel room and watch Dr Who or pop into the cinema next to the venue to watch The Gardens of the Galaxy, I was invited around to Dr Bob's for a game of The Gentle Ladies Tea, Monstrosity Destroying and Quilting auxiliary. I've seen her offer this, successfully, at conventions before and was keen to try it. It was a really pleasant way to spend the evening but the designer in me found the game frustrating. There's a lot to it and the system's seem clever and well balanced but it felt like half a game. I felt like, if I got my hands on it, I might be able to finish it off and turn it into something - but I've already got too much on my own plate.
Then back to my hotel where I'm typing this. I've had a great day.
If, YOU'VE had a great day tabletop gaming wherever you are, can you please let us all know about it here. I'm really interested to know how all the other events went.
Friday, 28 April 2017
International Tabletop Gaming Day
So today is International Tabletop Gaming Day. There are events taking place across the world and across the U.K.
If you have the slightest interest in any kind of (analogue) Tabletop Gaming, be it cards, board, CCG or RPG you really should be out at one of the MANY events taking place up and down the country.
But how do you find out if there's one near you?
As far as I can tell, International Tabletop Gaming Day was started by Geek and Sundry in the USA. They have a website where people can post their events. But, last time I looked, there were only US events listed and I suspect there are some US events missing because the organisers didn't know about the site or neglected to post. There were no UK events listed. I sent in details of four I knew about. However, I haven't checked back to see if my post was uploaded nor have I sent details of all the events I've found out about since.
In addition there are at least three semi-major fledgling RPG conventions today - ConQuord, DevaCon and ConTroll - some of whom seem to be struggling to attract the numbers of attendees they'd like. (Though, TBH, they're spread across the country and shouldn't be in direct competition.)
We could do with an accurate, up to date, public, publicised calendar of events in the U.K. so that people can find local events on days like this and prospective convention organisers can see if there are any competing events on dates they're considering.
That said, today is the time to get up, get out and get Gaming. There's no excuse not to.
Sunday, 23 April 2017
Seven Hills 2017 - Sunday
As I sit here on the train back from Sheffield to Birmingham, preparing to write about just one day at Seven Hills - the second day - I look back and the morning seems a week away. Is there any other hobby where you cram so much into such a short time? I'm sure there must be, but they don't come to mind.
Breakfast. I left my room, headed up the stairs to breakfast and nearly gave a heart attack to the cleaning lady. I was the first to arrive and popped my toast into the toaster, collected my coffee and was surprised when a hoard of convention-goers all arrived together. It seems everyone else had been waiting for the "proper" door to open and I, somehow, have found a secret back way to get into the Garrison breakfast ahead of the pack. A useful trick that I'll be employing in future.
I had a great breakfast chat with fellow convention organisers (I know I'm rather bigging my qualifications in this area up). It turns out that - guess what - no matter what you do, someone always complains about it.
I'm sure you all already do it but, if you don't, can I humbly suggest that you all take a moment to thank a convention organiser? We need a wave of love to overwhelm the occasional loud moan.
Back to my room to pack and check out. Then I went to my assigned table to set up my morning game - my Blakes Seven scenario. I realise I'm completely out of step with the times on this one. The series isn't on anyone's radar. As I sat there. The table next to me filled up and I had no players arriving. So I went upstairs to check the sign up sheets. As I suspected, I didn't have a single player. Ah well, no worries, I took down my sheet and looked for a game to play.
To my shock, I discovered that the sheets fell into two categories. They were either empty, like mine, or completely filled up. There were no games with any spaces left. I pulled down my sheet and considered going around the tables trying to crash a game or demanding Dr Mitch sort me out a game to play in. Then two guys came in and also checked the sheets. I think one of them was in the same boat as me - a GM with no signups. I pounced and offered them Blakes Seven. He countered with Toon Glorantha. I held firm. (I'm not big on Glorantha.) We grabbed a third player and I had a game to run. Phew!
No Blake but, more surprisingly, no Avon. Vila (naturally), Cally and Tarrant. I've run this scenario a couple of times and this was the best yet. Everyone got into character. Vila tended to dominate earlier on, with Tarrant seeming under powered by comparison but, as soon as conflict started, this switched. I thought I did a much better job running the NPCs than I'd done the previous morning. I got to roleplay Servelan for the first time and even got Avon to make a surprise appearance as an NPC. As usual, because I'm running this at Expo (where it's booked out), I can't discuss the plot details. Suffice to say there were many laugh out load moments, many in-trope scenes and the characters were all portrayed perfectly. Which means we all got to enjoy the marvellous Vila, again! Being a bit of a gonzo Referee I've always tended to randomly roll the effects/powers of the maguffin when/if the characters get control of it. However, the idea they came up with this time was so strong I may seize and use it for all future run outs. It'll be on the random table every time at least. Great game with great players.
Lunch at the Garrison is normally their special Sunday lunch where the huge Yorkshire puddings dominate the plate. But I had some fixings left over from my visit to Morrisons the previous day and am on a bit of an economy kick so I popped down to MacDonalds for a couple of items from their "saver" menu. It's the first time I've popped there at a Garrison con. and I was struck at how close it is to the hotel and how easy it is to nip there and back. I wasn't the only one.
Then you carry your food back and cram into the upstairs room for a chat and wait for the closing ceremony. This starts with the raffle. No tickets required, everyone's name goes in the hat. I won - as often happens - and am now the proud owner of a 5th Ed campaign book (The Curse of Strahd.) Hey, I own the 5th Ed starter pack so I might use it one day. If not there are always bring and buy stalls. The opening of tickets for Furnace was announced and the theme for Seven Hills 2018 was drawn. "Far Frontier". (Anticlimax if you ask me.)
My afternoon game was Simon Beaver's "Stiff upper lip" Fate Hack. You'll have noticed I haven't tended to give surnames in these two Seven Hills reports, but I give Simon's name because he was one of three good convention referees called Simon at the convention and I don't want anyone getting confused when I completely and totally commend his games to you. When he came to the table and began sorting out the pregens, I began to recognise a few things. When you go to as many conventions as I do, you can't remember all the details of every game. I began to worry that I might have played this scenario before. It turned out I HAD played these rules with Simon before and some of the characters were the same. (Some of the players were the same as well.) But it was a brand new adventure. Phew!
"Stiff Upper Lip" is a superb, highly researched, set of rules set at the height of the British Empire and is absolutely spot on in detail and tone. So let's get my reservation out of the way first. The scenario centred around hunting a Maguffin that had been stolen from India by returning members of the East India Company. Some of the citizens of that sub continent had come over to London and were trying to hunt it down - killing people in the process. I felt a bit awkward playing at a table of all white players - and characters - fighting a horde of NPCs antagonists from a different ethnic background. Simon played it straight, it was true to both the history and the fiction of the time ("The Sign of Four" comes to mind), it actually turned out to be sympathetic to our opponents (one of whom was portrayed in a very superior manner) and no-one at the table crossed the line in any way. But I was on tentahooks every moment worried that there might be an inadvertent racist comment. I guess I like my history games to be more revisionist.
That aside, this game was superb. I was struck how close Simon's sensibilities were to my own. We both have "morality" as hit points, for example. The aspects, skills stunts (whatever) are all laugh out loud genre appropriate. And, as I said above, it is meticulously researched. I took the last character, as always, and it turned out that the seemingly straightforward heroic ex-soldier had a deliciously twisted back story. Great fun.
I had accidentally sat right next to the GM for the fourth game of the convention. Normally a sit as far away from the GM as possible because I don't want to dominate the game. I find it hard to wait for my time in the spotlight, especially in the last half hour of the game. I hope I didn't irritate my fellow players too much. They were keen to solve the mystery and find the maguffin before the bad guys to stop the murders. I was keen to roleplay my roguish conman and pretend we'd already found the damn thing and flush them out to be ambushed on our terms (which could, potentially, have included backup from the entire London Police Force.)
The game over-ran slightly so I had to cancel my taxi, order a later one, accidentally steal someone else's and catch a later train - which was delayed. All worth it. "Stiff Upper Lip" is the best iteration of Fate I've played. The system almost makes sense. (Almost. I lost it a bit when an "Invoke" was created and a card dropped on the table.) I really flattered Simon in the hope that I could encourage him to get the bloody thing into print. It's a really fine game.
Whilst waiting for my delayed train, I bumped into Dave M. scion of the U.K. Roleplayers forum and someone to whom the hobby owes a debt of gratitude. Then the train home - where I've just about finished typing this up before my final destination.
Fantastic Convention. Great setting. Fantastic people. I loved my whole weekend.
Breakfast. I left my room, headed up the stairs to breakfast and nearly gave a heart attack to the cleaning lady. I was the first to arrive and popped my toast into the toaster, collected my coffee and was surprised when a hoard of convention-goers all arrived together. It seems everyone else had been waiting for the "proper" door to open and I, somehow, have found a secret back way to get into the Garrison breakfast ahead of the pack. A useful trick that I'll be employing in future.
I had a great breakfast chat with fellow convention organisers (I know I'm rather bigging my qualifications in this area up). It turns out that - guess what - no matter what you do, someone always complains about it.
I'm sure you all already do it but, if you don't, can I humbly suggest that you all take a moment to thank a convention organiser? We need a wave of love to overwhelm the occasional loud moan.
Back to my room to pack and check out. Then I went to my assigned table to set up my morning game - my Blakes Seven scenario. I realise I'm completely out of step with the times on this one. The series isn't on anyone's radar. As I sat there. The table next to me filled up and I had no players arriving. So I went upstairs to check the sign up sheets. As I suspected, I didn't have a single player. Ah well, no worries, I took down my sheet and looked for a game to play.
To my shock, I discovered that the sheets fell into two categories. They were either empty, like mine, or completely filled up. There were no games with any spaces left. I pulled down my sheet and considered going around the tables trying to crash a game or demanding Dr Mitch sort me out a game to play in. Then two guys came in and also checked the sheets. I think one of them was in the same boat as me - a GM with no signups. I pounced and offered them Blakes Seven. He countered with Toon Glorantha. I held firm. (I'm not big on Glorantha.) We grabbed a third player and I had a game to run. Phew!
No Blake but, more surprisingly, no Avon. Vila (naturally), Cally and Tarrant. I've run this scenario a couple of times and this was the best yet. Everyone got into character. Vila tended to dominate earlier on, with Tarrant seeming under powered by comparison but, as soon as conflict started, this switched. I thought I did a much better job running the NPCs than I'd done the previous morning. I got to roleplay Servelan for the first time and even got Avon to make a surprise appearance as an NPC. As usual, because I'm running this at Expo (where it's booked out), I can't discuss the plot details. Suffice to say there were many laugh out load moments, many in-trope scenes and the characters were all portrayed perfectly. Which means we all got to enjoy the marvellous Vila, again! Being a bit of a gonzo Referee I've always tended to randomly roll the effects/powers of the maguffin when/if the characters get control of it. However, the idea they came up with this time was so strong I may seize and use it for all future run outs. It'll be on the random table every time at least. Great game with great players.
Lunch at the Garrison is normally their special Sunday lunch where the huge Yorkshire puddings dominate the plate. But I had some fixings left over from my visit to Morrisons the previous day and am on a bit of an economy kick so I popped down to MacDonalds for a couple of items from their "saver" menu. It's the first time I've popped there at a Garrison con. and I was struck at how close it is to the hotel and how easy it is to nip there and back. I wasn't the only one.
Then you carry your food back and cram into the upstairs room for a chat and wait for the closing ceremony. This starts with the raffle. No tickets required, everyone's name goes in the hat. I won - as often happens - and am now the proud owner of a 5th Ed campaign book (The Curse of Strahd.) Hey, I own the 5th Ed starter pack so I might use it one day. If not there are always bring and buy stalls. The opening of tickets for Furnace was announced and the theme for Seven Hills 2018 was drawn. "Far Frontier". (Anticlimax if you ask me.)
My afternoon game was Simon Beaver's "Stiff upper lip" Fate Hack. You'll have noticed I haven't tended to give surnames in these two Seven Hills reports, but I give Simon's name because he was one of three good convention referees called Simon at the convention and I don't want anyone getting confused when I completely and totally commend his games to you. When he came to the table and began sorting out the pregens, I began to recognise a few things. When you go to as many conventions as I do, you can't remember all the details of every game. I began to worry that I might have played this scenario before. It turned out I HAD played these rules with Simon before and some of the characters were the same. (Some of the players were the same as well.) But it was a brand new adventure. Phew!
"Stiff Upper Lip" is a superb, highly researched, set of rules set at the height of the British Empire and is absolutely spot on in detail and tone. So let's get my reservation out of the way first. The scenario centred around hunting a Maguffin that had been stolen from India by returning members of the East India Company. Some of the citizens of that sub continent had come over to London and were trying to hunt it down - killing people in the process. I felt a bit awkward playing at a table of all white players - and characters - fighting a horde of NPCs antagonists from a different ethnic background. Simon played it straight, it was true to both the history and the fiction of the time ("The Sign of Four" comes to mind), it actually turned out to be sympathetic to our opponents (one of whom was portrayed in a very superior manner) and no-one at the table crossed the line in any way. But I was on tentahooks every moment worried that there might be an inadvertent racist comment. I guess I like my history games to be more revisionist.
That aside, this game was superb. I was struck how close Simon's sensibilities were to my own. We both have "morality" as hit points, for example. The aspects, skills stunts (whatever) are all laugh out loud genre appropriate. And, as I said above, it is meticulously researched. I took the last character, as always, and it turned out that the seemingly straightforward heroic ex-soldier had a deliciously twisted back story. Great fun.
I had accidentally sat right next to the GM for the fourth game of the convention. Normally a sit as far away from the GM as possible because I don't want to dominate the game. I find it hard to wait for my time in the spotlight, especially in the last half hour of the game. I hope I didn't irritate my fellow players too much. They were keen to solve the mystery and find the maguffin before the bad guys to stop the murders. I was keen to roleplay my roguish conman and pretend we'd already found the damn thing and flush them out to be ambushed on our terms (which could, potentially, have included backup from the entire London Police Force.)
The game over-ran slightly so I had to cancel my taxi, order a later one, accidentally steal someone else's and catch a later train - which was delayed. All worth it. "Stiff Upper Lip" is the best iteration of Fate I've played. The system almost makes sense. (Almost. I lost it a bit when an "Invoke" was created and a card dropped on the table.) I really flattered Simon in the hope that I could encourage him to get the bloody thing into print. It's a really fine game.
Whilst waiting for my delayed train, I bumped into Dave M. scion of the U.K. Roleplayers forum and someone to whom the hobby owes a debt of gratitude. Then the train home - where I've just about finished typing this up before my final destination.
Fantastic Convention. Great setting. Fantastic people. I loved my whole weekend.
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