GenCon Oz: Sunday

Gencon Oz: Day 4 (final day)
I decided to come in 'early' for the final day of Gencon Oz rather than sleep-in. Soon enough I signed on for Jungle Hunt, an RPGA module designed for players that share an adventuring company (in our case the Westgate Adventurer's Guild). I liked some of the ideas in the module, such as choosing a local guild to sponsor us and give us their power-up.

Our DM for the session was Corey who has qualities I like; positive, patient and polite. I'm getting a sense of which Brisbane RPGA DMs run good games that I enjoy and I'm starting to develop tricks to make sure that I sit at their tables (such as lingering until I know who is running what rather than sitting at a table before I know which DM will be there - it's a little uncomfortable saying "Oh you're running this one? Well, I'm going to a different table"; much easier to just wait until they have sat down first so I can either avoid them if they are abrasive or pounce on an empty seat if they are gold!).

Grognard the Cleric is now level 4. Kevin and I discussed the possibility of getting along to another RPGA game day over at University of Queensland next weekend so the extra level will be handy.

Preparing to face a Green Dragon,
my character is backed into the corner!
(click on image for a larger version)

After the game I met up with Marc for lunch and we bumped into Nat whilst discussing the merits of using a Telosian Tank Droid from the Star Wars miniatures game for anything other than what it is (I don't care much for Star Wars these days). Nat took an amusing photo of us pointing and pondering at said miniature in a cabinet... well I found it amusing.

Edit: I pinched a copy from her Facebook album

Marc and I crouch on the ground and giggle like schoolgirls at the Telosian Tank Droid

With Marc off to play Shadowfist I lingered in the Trade Hall until my final session; a "promo" game of World of Warcraft miniatures. My understanding was that it would essentially be an extended demo - to my dismay I found that it was actually a sealed event where players open a booster pack and take the two best figures from it to play competition matches! I was considering taking the miniatures I pulled from my booster (featuring the epic High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind and a slashdance loot card, not bad for the $6 session fee) and dropping out but I soon learned that of the ten players who had signed up only two had played before; and they only had a single game to their names. Given that we were all newbs (and I had an epic!) I decided to hang around.

I have sympathy for the event's organisers who had to scramble amongst us trying to teach how the game ran while keeping the pace up so we could get playing before the convention closed. As it was we only had time for a single 20 minute match so I can't say I know very much more about the game now than what I did prior to the "promo". But hey, you can't complain when you pull an epic and a loot card out of a booster :)

With moments to spare before we were herded out of the convention I grabbed a discounted Dungeons and Dragons miniatures booster from the Fastbreak stall ~ if only to satisfy my self-imposed obligation to buy something.

So here I am at the end of the second Gencon Oz. It was great to see everyone again and I'm glad I went. The first two days were under a cloud of sleep-deprivation and I think it was a mistake to try to push myself so hard at the start - but it's only one weekend a year so I might as well go hard.

Next year I might try to get some more miniatures events into my schedule. I didn't feel particularly competitive this year so I'm glad I mostly played cooperative roleplay events.

GenCon Oz: Saturday

Gencon Oz: Day 3
As expected there was no L5R action for me due to the anticipated lack of key cards from eBay. Granted, I probably could have put something rubbish together with my existing collection (maybe even adding the best bits of a starter deck to pad it out) but I decided I didn't feel like being beaten up all day. I've done that at conventions before and to be honest it does help you learn the game you are being flogged at; but it's less fun than competing properly.

Today I put my hand up for a little more RPGA - this time the "convention special" which featured avoidable fights! Yes, just like a real adventure the players are given opportunities to avoid conflict. This impressed me greatly and was a much-needed departure from the tragic rail-roading that is found in all the other RPGA modules that I have played, seen or heard of. Bravo! I can only hope that The Powers That Be continue to publish this kind of thing for RPGA'ers in the future.

I was joined by Kevin and Gareth - two friends of mine that were looking for something to do and James - an RPGA'er who (by chance) I have shared a table with at all of my RPGA events, even those at Fastbreak. We worked together well, moving quickly through encounters and promptly defeating those monsters which we could not avoid. Despite having a team of four our decision to go with the classic roles of Defender, Striker, Controller and Healer ensured we wrapped things up in record time. This was the first session I can remember that had a Controller at the table...

Everyone except the Paladin lingers in the doorway,
not long after this shot I move forward to heal the Paladin :)
(Click on image for a slightly larger version)

Grognard the Cleric is now only one adventure off hitting level 4 and there is one adventure left that I am able to take part in, so tomorrow I'll be back at the roleplay arena.

I managed to spend enough time in the Trade Hall to get a good look at everything on offer. As expected I didn't find much that excited me despite feeling obliged to purchase something. Well, tomorrow is the last day of the convention and traditionally sees the best prices from vendors as they try to avoid bringing all that stock back home with them - so there's hope for me yet!

GenCon Oz: Friday

Gencon Oz: Day 2
I survived the 48hr march of work/convention/work/convention with only a few hours of sleep between each long step... I write this post after a deep recuperative slumber :)

Friday was Part Two of the RPGA mini campaign The Scent of Perfumed Swords. We only had four at our table but they were all the same players from yesterday's Part One so I was happy to be with everyone again (and it feels right to have the same characters and players together for what is supposed to be a campaign).

The party scrambles across difficult terrain to
slay the big beastie and save the would-be sacrifices.

(Click on image for a slightly larger version)

I'd like to give a special mention to our DM Vince who was positive, friendly and a pleasure to play with. He brought the session to life and happily worked through difficult/confusing parts of the module rather than complain bitterly and blame the writer, a quality I admire in an RPGA DM. Most notably he agreed that the job of a DM is to make the game "more fun" rather than to impartially adjudicate a dangerous world. Hats off!

Around the con I bumped into more people-what-are-good for chatting and catching up. I had enough time for one patrol of the Trade Hall but wasn't able to linger long enough at the stalls to see what was on offer. I'll have to correct this soon!

There was another attempt to get a good team together for the Ultimate Dungeon Delve but it looks like the stars will not align this weekend. Perhaps we'll still roll through with a less-than-elite team but given that it's a hardcore difficulty dungeon where each encounter is strictly timed to 45 minutes (with an immediate end to the session if any encounter is not cleared prior to time being called) I think we might not bother. Still, I'll make sure I head in soon so that I'm in the area if I'm needed.

Day three (today, at the time of writing) was going to be my big Legend of the Five Rings competition but with thanks to slow-moving ebayers mentioned in an earlier post I didn't get the right cards together in time. I suspect they will arrive on Monday, just in time to be useless! The positive is that I am able to sleep-in, update my blog, have a real breakfast and wander down to the Convention Center without needing to rush. Perhaps some more RPGA will be available for continued levelling of Grognard the Cleric (who is now level 3 btw).

GenCon Oz: Thursday

Gencon Oz: Day 1
Thursday was day one of Gencon Oz 2009. Oh, I'm so tired... so very, very tired. But I love it!

Something I enjoyed about last year's inaugural Gencon Oz was the number of old friends that I bumped into over the weekend and I was hoping the same would happen this year. To my surprise as I approached the registration queue I immediately saw some of my oldest friends (who to my shame I have failed to keep in touch with). Sadly they were lamenting their lack of blue wrist band which would allow them access to the convention, more on this later.

Whilst chatting with them a few other friends from different circles began to wander past and soon enough I was carefully maneuvering to maintain conversations with each pod (and facilitate introductions as best I could). It's not so much a claim of popularity, more a reflection of gamers who like each other clinging together - and with my poor friendship maintenance I have managed to accumulate sticky with a few different circles of gamers as I pass in and out of other people's games.

Speaking of casual gaming my event for the day was a double session of RPGA; part one of the "mini campaign" on offer: Stirring the Embers.

Preparing to beat up some rowdy halflings who are
speedbumping our access to The Next Bit of The Module
(Click on image for a slightly larger version)

Our party consisted of a Swordmage and Dragonborn Paladin on the frontline followed by a Bladeling Monk and Dwarf Artificer. In the backrow was a Sorceress and myself playing the Dwarf Cleric mentioned in an earlier post. The balance worked better than I expected; two protectors, two healers and two strikers - this gave us the option of either sticking together or splitting into two mini-parties to approach bad guys from the flanks. From memory the Dragonborn's breath weapon and Bladeling's burst attack made for impressive minion-sweeps - as did the Artificer's wall of acid!

The players were all polite and worked together well. There was a minimum of player fuss and most of the focus was kept on the game itself. Overall I would love to play with these players again - and at least three are signed on for part two of the "mini campaign" scheduled for Friday (day 2) as I am. We may not be playing together at the same table but I have my fingers crossed.

And now for some negatives :P

I was a little surprised to see that there was no carpet this year. It seems like a minor detail but I was immediately reminded of someone telling me that if you want to change the clientele of your pub you change the carpet. I'm not sure what bare cement with black tire marks from countless forklifts/cherrypickers/trolleys suggests to others but it made me feel like I was in a Titan shed and Fight Club was about to start (perhaps it is a deliberate attempt to extend on an "arena" feel). As far as costcutting goes it makes sense to skip the presumed additional venue-imposed price of carpet rather than lose something more important such as interesting guests. A minor gripe but something that stood out and was noted by many other than myself.

A more frustrating gripe follows. As mentioned above one group of my friends, who had not realised Thursday was an extra day only for those who had pre-registered before deadline, arrived with the expectation that they would be able to buy their blue wrist band at the door and enter. Sadly they were told by the volunteer staff that there was nothing that could be done to let them in - this is harsh but perhaps reasonable enough, after all it is a bonus day that functions as an incentive to attract early registrations and if we "just let anybody in" it stops functioning as an incentive. However I would prefer it if everyone that made the effort to come over to Gencon on Thursday be permitted to pay at the door and come in to play a game, particularly when those people are my friends (yes, I'm biased), particularly when the space needed more people to fill it out and particularly when other people who had not pre-registered were allowed in. It's something that I could otherwise let slide, but when a few hours later I learned that other people in exactly the same situation as my friends were allowed access to the convention - after my friends had been turned away - I'm sure anyone reading this could appreciate my frustration.

To further rub salt in the wound (if I may!) one of the events they had in their sights was the RPGA "Ultimate Dungeon Delve"... for which two tables of players did not show up - leaving DMs idle!

I appreciate that technically they shouldn't have had access - but when exceptions are made for others on criteria that my friends equally met it builds negativity.

Still, the lack of carpet and unfair treatment of friends aside, I did enjoy my Thursday at Gencon Oz. Today (Friday) promises to be better with more players in the space, more buzz and having the Trade Hall set up and running ~ time for some shopping!

As I have just come off my nightshift after very little sleep yesterday I am going to pass on this morning's game "Shield Wall". This is disappointing as I like the game that is used in this session (Feng Shui) and it was the only non-RPGA roleplay event that I had signed on for. As it is I've got just enough time for a few hours sleep before I dive back in.

Mercifully the lovely Emily has offered to pick me up tonight, so no walk home for me :)

eBay frustration

A week ago I ordered (and paid for) a bunch of Legend of the Five Rings cards to build a goblin deck for Gencon Oz; $20 from someone in the US and $50 from a guy in Spain. The timing is a bit tight for International post *but* if the sellers are quick I have a good chance of getting them just in time. Instead...

US Seller: Has not marked items as sent yet, has not responded to my question regarding this.

Spanish Seller: Took almost a week to provide an invoice for combined shipping and only answered my question regarding expedited shipping yesterday (thus negating any advantage of it being expedited!). As if that wasn't bad enough - today I received an email advising that he has run out of stock of about half the items I ordered and offered to provide either Spanish language copies or a refund. Perhaps it wouldn't bother me so much - but I have now run out of time to find an alternate source thanks to all this slackness.

What's with the chain-dragging? Have eBay sellers become suddenly slack or are my expectations too high?

To be fair I may be more sensitive to slow action due to the looming Gencon Oz and the reality that I won't have my cards in time for it... my reason for starting to play L5R was so I could play the game at Gencon Oz (not necessarily after it, although this is still an option of course) and due to the stuffing around I won't be able to play with a competitive deck.

Result: Fail.

GenCon Oz: What I'm doing

GenCon Oz: 17 September - 20 September 2009
Brisbane's big gamer convention is on again

Some folk have asked what games I'm playing this year so we can all be at the same table. Rather than retyping the answer each time the question is asked I've decided to post here for everyone. When you're searching for an event you can use the ID number provided to make sure you're in the same session as me. Note that these are sessions that I've booked and paid for so compromise will be tricky ~ however there are still many gaps in my schedule.
https://registration.genconoz.com/


02/09/09 Update: Note that I have dropped my seat in Friday's RPG00069 "Miser's Run". I'm not sure that anyone reading this is worried but if you were hoping to share a table with me for "Miser's Run" you should know that I just dropped it for an RPGA session (yes, I'm going to try RPGA again!).

05/09/09 Update: Added L5R Main Event to Saturday

{Changes in Red}


Thursday (17 Sept):
2pm-11pm RPGA00025 "Stirring the Embers"

Friday (18 Sept):
9am-12.30 RPG00028 "Shield Wall" ~ I'm always up for Feng Shui
12.30-2pm {gap}
2pm-11pm RPGA00028 "The Burning Scent of Perfumed Swords"

Saturday (19 Sept):
10am-6pm CCG00003 Legend of the Five Rings CCG "Main Event" ~ with Swiss Pairing you eventually find players of your skill level :P
6pm+ I'd like to do something here but may have to wait and see how much energy I have left after a day of cardplay; perhaps Space Hulk if I can find Mike and/or Russel.

Sunday (20 Sept):
9am-10am SEM00002 "Publishing your own RPG in Australia"
10am-2pm MIN00029 "Reaper Miniatures Demo"
3pm-5pm CMG00203 "World of Warcraft Minis Promo"

^ I don't think the Sunday demo/promo games will run as long as advertised - it looks more like eager exhibitors grabbing a large block of time... although I could be wrong - it may be a very long pitch!


♦ I wanted to play Chris' "Valley of Diamonds" so I can see how it looks now (having playtested it months ago) but I've managed to block myself from all of his sessions. You kids should play it though - it's 4th ed D&D but don't let that put you off.
♦ I was hoping for Munchkin Quest but this may be something that I'll have to bring myself for friends.
♦ I'd like to have a look at the Classic Battletech tables (for old time's sake) and the 40k Apocalypse tables (to see if anyone brings a Titan) but there should be plenty of free time for that.
♦ Oh, and Steve Dee has promised something to do with the new edition of Warhammer RPG although I suspect this may be left to the last minute :P