Ha! This is one of the first time I've seen the CE login list empty - everyone's still at the pub quiz!

I was really pleased to have played in/run 6 games over the weekend. 3 were GOD games, 2 kids and one a playtest.

As Per says on his blog, In A Wicked Age was _fun_ and I'd like to give it a shot with different oracles. Adam ran Lacuna which I... well. I found it interesting and involving and completely aggravating. I don't think it works as a game. And I thought the mechanics had huge gaps. BUT, as Adam said to me, it's something of a Rorscach test. So I'm still mulling over the experience. And we also had a Roach (I was goggle-eyed at some of my associates... srsly dudes).

Pooka ran Faery's Tale for me plus Thomas, aged 10. The mechanics were better than I expected, and while they didn't push scene stuff, had a nice economy. Pooka and Thomas were joined by Ben (aged 10) in my Tiny Triangles. Altogether _very_ rewarding, and both kids were terrific in different ways.

AND I got to play a 90 minute playtest of Pooka's The Hammer Falls which was easily my favorite of the convention. And you guys will chortle when the gets the AP written up. It was dark, sick, hilarious and glorious. I <3 dystopias.

I was a bit disapointed at GOD, actually. We had fun at each and every table, in every slot - and we maybe had 10 games over the weekend. We didn't have any duds.

But I don't think we had the advertising we needed, so we really just had three or four people turn up we didn't expect. We had flyers, and we walked the floor a bit. The sign up desk was cluttered and hadn't sheets for GOD.

Then, the con was the quietest Conpulsion I've seen.

So altogether, GOD was fun. But I really wanted more gamers sharing in it.

...of the mezzanine, the wacky mad inventors playtest corner was in full effect. I'll tag my stuff on here to keep things compact and to illustrate something later.

I got a good three hour 'playtest' of Duty & Honour in on Saturday morning. The inverted commas come into play because apart from a couple of 'wouldn't it be cool if the rules did this...?' comments and one instance of play that could do with an example in play (what happens in a skirmish when you are attacked by two forces?) the test went as well as a standard game, which was extremely gratfying.

In the game 2nd Company, 1st Battaltion, 22nd Lothian Borderers successfully recruited Spanish Guerillas to aid them in holding the ford at Castranostra in order to stop Wellington being outflanked and thus losing the battle of Salamanca and losing the Peninsular War! The Captain also found his lovers lost cousin, an Ensign and the Private took mass, fulfilling his need for religious peace before the battle. The Corporal failed horrendously to acquire some fine brandy and the Sergeant showed his power and strength before the men ... and then was shot in the head!

That evening I ran 'The Square' - my playtest scenario that I ran with my game group for Hot War. Its my first ever 'horror' scenario and it succeeded in freaking out at least one of the players, which is a bonus. The v1.4 Hot War rules make the outcomes of the game mechanics much easier to manage and as such, it felt like a much tighter game than the previous time I ran the scenario.

The reaction of the players to Hot War was similar to that which I have before, Great game, good setting but a little hard to absorb or find a connection with (especially in comparison with the very instinctive hook of Cold City floating in the background). It was mentioned that it was a very British game and once again that any idea of factional infighting in the face of Russian occupation and twisted technology on the rampage seems a little inconsequential.

In the game, the players uncovered only about half of the horrors that the square holds before they managed to press enough 'fear' buttons to have the soviet fear demons unleashed on them. They did however, do so by shooting the vicars daughter, the trapped pole and then the vicar, very publically. One escaped the Square and the other two were at Crisis Points and were captured by the Soviets ... for experimentation. (bwahahahaha!)

On Sunday I grabbed Joe Prince and was a Demanding Gamer for a game of Piledrivers and Powerbombs. What an excellent game?! We played through a threeway dance, two singles matches (one of which was the classic 'sledgehammer on a pole' match), a tag team match, a series of singles matches and then a threeway elimination match for the WTF World Championship ... won by me, Joey Diamond - Lady Thriller, Man Killer *g*. What was exceptional impressive about the game was that at least one of the players had never watched wrestling before but everyone was so into it! AP sells games, and one was purchased!

And in the afternoon slot, Per graciously ran Burning Empires. I was a little skeptical about the game at the start but Per's very honest presentation of the game - the strengths and the weaknesses - set up the game perfectly. The game was a bit complicated to explain fully here but we were rebels and we stormed a space station. (Apolgies Per for reducing your scenario to one sentence!). The game illustrated two parts of the game magnificently - the scene economy and the balance that brings to the GM vs Player nature of the game. It is all very clever indeed and I thoroughly enjoyed our victory, even though I was only involved in the build-up. Great game.

Indeed, thats what I took from the convention - the *quality* of the gaming that was going on was generally acknowledged as excellent. The gaming experiences delivered by IGT and GOD were really we received by the people who found them and took part.

However, there were three major downsides from my point of view. The first was that the play area was horrible. Small round tables bunched together don't make an easy play environment. The spaces that were best were the corners of the square but even that cut off access to the fire escape and was very dodgy indeed. The second was the lack of sign-up sheets for the IGT games and their lack of inclusion in the progamme couldn't have helped our attendences. I filled my games mostly with people who I knew already (or their friends) who I had tapped up prior to the con about the games I was running. I think most of us had to scrabble for players - compare that to Graham's Gumshoe Marathon and the difference was obvious. That was my illustration - the IGT virtually became part of GOD most of the time because of this lack of prior sign-up. The third problem was the general lack of people amidst a very packed programme of events. With LARPS, seminars, auctions, rpgs, indie rpgs, GOD, CCGs, wargames and boardgames all happening it did seem to dilute the intensity of the convention. When you compare it to Furnace (where people were jockeying for position to sign up for some games!) it was a very different beast.

All in all, I had a cracking weekend. It was great to put faces to online names and to be welcomed so warmly into the fold. It was also quite humbling to see the genuine interest in D&H (and the uncovering that I am clearly not the only Napoleonic geek in the gang!) both from within the CE and from some of the con-goers at large. I did learn a few things - I need to work on my D&H elevator pitch and a quick explanation of the mission economy! Special props go out to Graham, Matt and Iain for keeping me laughing all weekend and especially Iain for putting me up for the weekend, subbing me some cash when I lost my waller and feeding me his beautiful tangy pie. Hmmm ... tangy pie.

Cheers
Neil

Take the King's shilling at http://www.omnihedron.co.uk/dutyandhonour/

Too many games, not enough players that were not members of the CE.

Sadly I didn't get to do any of the GOD games, or the D&H playtest, which I had really wanted to try, due to timing. I hope you'll run another one at some event we are both at Neil.

There were no signup sheets for the IGT because the con staff had been told that CE were doing their own, which was obviously not the case. Signup sheets were provided on Sunday morning for the IGT, once John realized, but no one bothered to fill them all in, so there were still no sheets for some of the games.

Glad to see you had a great time Neil, I'm sorry we never had more of a chance to talk.

http://www.solipsist-rpg.com/

Thanks guys for a great time at Conpulsion. Without GoD (or at least the IGT) I'd have been pretty bored. After two trad games in the first two slots, it's clear to me that I've had enough of them. Thanks to all of you (Adam and Per especially) for educating me with excellent storygames. That was the first time I'd actually played any full-bore story games (e.g. with strong scene framing and player narration rules) and I'm now psyched up to to bring them back home like a terrible waterborne disease.

Also, you people are crazy and wrong. This helps, I think.

-----------------------
With regard to the shortage of IGT and GoD players, I can give you my experience:

IGT --- Everyone who pre-booked got 3 pre-registrations. The IGT isn't visible on the web site (at all?), while the main games were. I scanned the list looking for storygames but didn't see any, so just picked Traveller, Fear Itself (partly because I knew who Graham was), and some Vampire thing in the evening that I never played (my bookings never made it to the sheets anyway, so it wasn't an issue).

I came to the CE website looking for more info but all I could see was people "shouting" that the IGT was "in the timetable". It wasn't, at least not in any version I saw.

(The IGT was marginalised in the con booklet, too, but that didn't have much effect on me personally because I'd done my planning from the web site)

I was particularly keen to pre-book stuff because my previous con was Furnace, where people were fighting for slots in games.

GoD --- After Grahams game, which finished at 7, I came looking for GoD. I look at the poster... it says 11, 3 and 7. It's nearly 7 now and I want food... that's no good. I'm now slightly annoyed because it looks like you've set up GoD in a way that doesn't fit with the rest of the con.

In any case, there's no-one in the main room waiting for players (there were some guys on the balony playing something, but they were in the middle of a game so I didn't want to barge in).

I ask at the main desk, the woman there says "Maybe those guys on the balcony". She thinks that the '7' is probably wrong but doesn't seem at all sure. I talk to them (at that point, it becomes apparent that they're playing Mechaton, so I needed have been worried about interrupting anyway).... they don't seem to know, but suggest that there are people in the bar who do.

I go into the bar and wander about a bit. I've got no clue who it might be that I'm looking for. After a bit I see Matt M, who I recognise because I've met him before at two previous cons. At last, someone who KNOWS. He points me up at you guys on the balcony.

(I think I've actually missed a step there... I think I went to the bar after the main info desk and then back to the main room again. I may have talked to two different blue-shirted organisers, who were pleasant and helpful but clueless wrt GoD.)

Now, when I get to the GoD team there's a cheer, and everyone's obviously happy to see me and ready to run a game. That was great, you really made me feel welcome. But finding you was hard work! If I'd been any less keen than I was, not known any CE people by sight, or not sick to the back teeth of the kind of trad games that were (much more obviously) on offer elsewhere, then I doubt I'd have kept looking.

-----------------

Thanks again everybody for a great time. Hope to see some of you at another con soon (maybe UK Games Expo?).

rob

Sounds like a good convention! Congratulations Neil on a successful outing of D&H! Sounds like it's nearing completion.

What, if any, lessons can be learnt for next year? How did the CE stall fare in its second year? I'm sure we had the same problem with the IGT and signup sheets last year - I certainly remember hastily scrawling out sheets on the morning of the con. Maybe something to remember for next time.

And David - how did your games of Solipsist go? I'm eager to hear!

Yeah, the IGT kind of didn't work this year (no sign on sheets doesn't really work for activities where you have to sign up) and I think I can promise that GoD will be better next year, but only if Joe, Pooka and I can have the reins from early on and we don't have to quibble on a forum about how to do what and when. There's maybe an argument for simply embedding the IGT in the 'normal' convention schedule, wiht pre-bookings etc.

But on a whole: GoD was the fly in the ointment, and the convention organisers, apart from Gregor of course, didn't seem to have a clue. Maybe that's not too bad at all.

Neil mentions the playing space - while I agree on the tables (they were awful, no room for papers or dice rolling at all) I think the balcony was kind of nice, much better than in a big room full or board gamers.

The full sessions of play worked a treat, much much better than the 1 hour IGT sessions I'm used to running - though prepping for 6-7 seven full session games for a weekend was kind of...crazy.

Rob! My pleasure entirely!

http://darkplaces.squarespace.com

This was my first Convention, so I really don't have anything to compare it to. That said, even I could tell that attendance was very low - a shame, because as previously noted we basically kicked the ass of every game we played. Seriously, even the less spectacular slots had everyone chipping in and coming up with amazing, excellent stuff.

I played IAWA, Shock, Roach, Faery's Tale, Mouse Guard, and The Hammer Falls. There's not a single game in that list that wasn't a bundle of fun.

Despite the low attendance, I was highly impressed by the kid's games. Mouse Guard in particular had an amazingly cool storyline, a lot of which was contributed by our younger players.

Unsurprisingly, the playtest of The Hammer Falls was absolutely a highlight for me. In no small part due to the brilliant players - but I'll leave that for the thread about it.

Thanks, everyone that played in games with me and everyone who made the Con happen. It was great fun. :)

The kids games stuff did look really tasty. Its something that I'm quite interested in myself as my eldest has asked a couple of times about coming along to a con sometime (probably just for the day, attached to me handing the credit card over to Mrs Gow no doubt...) and she likes her gaming.

Looking towards what Iain said about there being more kids at Games Expo, its definitely something that could be built upon as a very unique angle for the indie games side of things.

BTW - Rob? To put a name to a face, were you the garrison commander in Per's BE game? (and indeed, one of my neer-do-well family in the Furnace CoS game?)

Cheers
Neil

Take the King's shilling at http://www.omnihedron.co.uk/dutyandhonour/

Neil - yeah, that's me, sowing discord in your manor since 1895.

Hey Rob!

It was unfortunate that it took you so long to find the IGT / GOD, and it's undoubtedly down to the fact that everyone was feeling somewhat pessimistic at that point. Low turnout and few or no new players joining in made us all fuck off to the bar. Thankfully you re-invigorated us! It was excellent playing with you, and I hope to do so again at some point. :)

Per - fly in the ointment? Am I misreading that statement, or did you mis-type it?

Matt, you played in my Watership TSOY game, and Debbie from Dublin. Who was the last player - Calum?

Jason M demands a writeup (the player characters were written by him for Camp Nerdly), and I might need som additional comments from you guys.

It will go on SG.

http://darkplaces.squarespace.com

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Could be either I guess ;P

Maybe it's the wrong expression for 'those strange hippie gamers on the balcony offering strange off the wall games and who lol while they play even serious stuff'.

Hi Per,

Debbie here - I don't have a SG log-in (supose I'll have to get one and be a "proper" indie gamer now!) If you want, I can get your email from Joe and mail you through my thoughts on the game?

I would just like to say that I found Conpulsion to be disappointingly quiet but still _really_ good fun.

The GoD and IGT didn't get as much publicity or attract as many people as it could have but I don't think that the enjoyment of those who were there suffered too much as a result of it.

I played 5 games, I would have liked to have played more but I was more exhausted from travelling than I thought!

Primetime Adventures run by Matt was my first game, and what a game it was... We played a Drama/Reality TV show based loosely on The Osbournes. The show was called "At Home with the Cult" and followed a German exchange student arriving in sunny Scunthorpe to stay with a strange blood-sacrificing cult. My character, the mother, was the reason that so much shouting came from our table - she had a volatile temper! All in all, I had a brilliant time and will be buying a copy of PTA so I can run it for a couple of people I know will love it.

I then played Per's Watership Down version of TSOY. It was a good game, I don't feel like I really got a proper feel of how the system in the game really works as I didn't manage to get the relevant NPCs involved to use my keys. I'd like to try TSOY again, having read the rule book.

A barn-storming rendition of the Roach was my last game on Saturday. Adam and Pooka shared the GM powers but I don't think that the game is very GM led at all. We played with 7 players which I'm told is more than is conventional, I thought it worked well though for the last game of what had been a long day for most people - allowed everyone to watch the drama unfold. I apologise to anyone I traumatised during the course of the game :-)

Piledrivers and Powerbombs was my first game on Sunday - Neil has covered the game fairly well - gutted I threw away my win though!

A playtest of Hammer Falls was my last game at Conpulsion and I will share my thoughts in much more detail on the other thread. Suffice it to say that myself and Joe are still talking about it and really want another shot at playing it!

Thank you to everyone for welcoming me so nicely - especially the GoD crowd, you really made my weekend.

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Since it is its own thing.

I had great fun, as always, at Conpulsion.

I ran PTA as part of games track, which once again proved how pick up and play it really is. The black humour and general coolness of the show we produced sticks in my mind. I loved the concept, of an exchange student in a house full of dubious cultists and it played out so very well...

I also stepped up to run Mountain Witch, which again, almost runs itself. Although I think I was a bit haphazard about explaining trust, which I could do better. We played the whole thing, right down to final bloody showdown. Scott wins the award for most betraying-est samurai.

-Matt

Realms Publishing

I had a fantastic convention, most of it spent happily playing GODs. (PTA, (technically IGT, but there wasn't much difference in practice) Lacuna, Roach, InSpectres and Mountain Witch.) While I'll acknowledge the problems raised by Rob, I think it was overall a great success.

There were no were no less than 5 tables of indieness running on Saturday afternoon. 5 tables! Lacuna, TSOY, P&P, I have XP and Shock. With 4 per table, I make that 20 people on the balcony - 10% of the con? Were there ever 20 people playing indie games in previous years? (Of those, I'm guessing at least five were newish...?) How many people were playing in the fabulously organised main track rpgs in that slot?

The complaints aren't with the number of people playing game seem to centre not on the number of people but on playing with people who we already know, and too many GMs. For a start it's a great strength that we are attracting so many "GMs". Secondly, the longer these events go on the more people we know, the larger the group we'll gather and the more old faces there will be. Frankly, I'd be really worried if we were seeing mainly new faces every year.

I some really good conversations about length of slot, demos, suitability for long term play, character depth with various people over the course of the con - and I think we might do better looking at why people who know all about us aren't coming back. Of course, we can't expect appeal to everyone, but I wonder whether there's feedback we're missing out on. I'll post more on this later if I get a chance - and I'm looking forward to actual play threads.

Great to meet you...Adam? :) I'm looking forward to your thoughts about feedback and getting people to return.

I've posted about the TSOY game here:
http://www.story-games.com/forums/comments.php?DiscussionID=6113

http://darkplaces.squarespace.com

Despite the problems finding players and the feeling of being somewhat isolated from the majority of the con up there on the balcony, I had a terrific time. Thanks to everyone I gamed with -- there wasn't a weak session all weekend.

It was great having a game of The Shab-al-Hiri Roach with a bunch of people who approached it with enthusiasm and creativity. My last two attempts at playing it were disasters, and I'd all but written it off, but this session was made golden by some first-class roleplaying. Rob's creepy geologist will stay with me for some time.

Matt's Mountain Witch session was a real highlight. I do apologise to Graham for the vicious backstabbing, but the sight of you jumping up and down with rage was completely worth it.

It was really good to meet so many people who I've only seen online before. I look forward to catching up with all of you again!

Did you get to run anything this time round Scott? It doesn't sound like you to sit back and be a player the whole time ;-)

Thinking about it, this was the first con I've attended in a number of years where I didn't GM at all. I was supposed to run Dead of Night on Saturday, but got no takers. Ironically, I think it was the only IGT game that had a sign-up sheet, but by the time I created it the few potential players had already committed to other games.

I spoke to a few other GMs from outside the IGT, and it sounds like those games that weren't pre-booked before the con started general ended up with very few or no players. It's definitely something to bear in mind for next time.

Still, I got to play several very cool games, so I'm not complaining.

I spoke to a few other GMs from outside the IGT, and it sounds like those games that weren't pre-booked before the con started general ended up with very few or no players.

That doesn't sound right: all my Gumshoe games signed up on the day. I only had a couple of prior sign-ups.

(...and actually the advance sign-ups were a pain, because they weren't marked on the sheet, which meant that I got more people turning up than expected).

Graham

The impression I got was that it wasn't games with no pre-booking that had trouble getting players, but games with no sign-up sheets on the front desk.

I had no pre-booking for Solipsist, but I had a sheet and therefore three players turned up and played. Without a sheet there would have been no one, even though I was telling people about it from Saturday morning onwards.

http://www.solipsist-rpg.com/