I will be posting more information about Vul-Con as the date draws closer.

Livingdice is a sponsor of this convention, so I will be there in person. Drop by and throw a few slings and arrows at me.  Figuratively, of course. ;-)

Trask, The Last Tyromancer

The 501st Dune Sea Stormtroopers Legion put on an impressive showing of imperial might, but lost some of their mojo because of a 30-foot tall Stay-Puft marshmallow man at the Arizona Ghostbusters group.

A large cadre of  coplayers floated about the convention and were often  more interesting that the exhibitors!  Some choice costumes included various Furry-style costumes, a great Chewbacca costume (My respect to these brave souls. It is Summer in Arizona and Chewbacca is not built for the desert. Surprisingly,  no one heat-stroked out.) A variety of high charisma women wearing…ahem…barely enough to stay legal and many costumes I could not even identify their origin. The Aryan blonde woman wearing a full Nazi SS uniform definitely took me aback.  It took me a minute to register it was probably from an anime/manga series. Nazi symbols just do not have the same impact in Japan, so you see them more often in pop culture. Still, I found it a bit tasteless.

Mantecoza, the steampunk web series that friend of mine worked on also had a nice booth filled with Steampunk goodness.

High point was a quick signing with Max Brooks of the “Zombie Survival Guide.” I am a big fan and just saw him sitting at a booth before his seminar as I wandered around. Fortune smiles upon the lost.

After fleeing the bazaar of the bizarre, I hit the game area.

Gaming was in the Hyatt, nice venue with lots of tables.  Attendance seemed low, but I am not surprised. Unless one of my LFR addicted friends had not decided to go to the battle interactive I would not have heard anything about gaming at Comicon.  Since game conventions are few in Arizona I will make an effort next year to get the word out about gaming at Phoenix Comicon. It seems a waste to have such a good venue and empty tables. I have no doubt next year will improve significantly the information percolates though the Phoenix gaming community. RPGs, board and card games  all shared the same space.  However, the one event I really wanted to experience cancelled for “logistical” reasons, so said the information desk.

Iron GM, the game mastering competition with prizes cancelled at the last-minute. This annoyed me greatly because it was the primary reason I went to the convention and I had high hopes of competing. Notice I said “competing” and not  “winning.” I am confident about my GM abilities, but I am certain that others far exceed my skills. Still, it would have been fun.  I will keep an eye out for it next year.

I am not really interested in meeting actors or other media types, so I blew off any of those sessions.  Though I did note that Adam Baldwin from “Firefly” seemed to have the longest line for autographs.

Overall Phoenix Comicon 2011 was a fun event and I think the gaming will improve next year. I will let you know.

Trask, The Last Tyromancer

Beyond gaming, several authors of note, including John Scalzi and Max Brooks are in attendance. Scalzi’s seminar in particular is high on my list. I am a huge fan of “Old Man’s War.” Brooks wrote “World War Z,” arguably the best zombie book ever.  Time permitting I want to do both seminars, but that seems unlikely.

I will take some pictures and give you a full report next week.

Trask, The Last Tyromancer

The Table Top Gaming Society will be running three different historical miniatures gaming events, including Rome vs. Gauls, Alexander the Great vs. Hannibal, and a Wild West Skirmish game.  The Arizona Men in Black will be running a variety of Steve Jackson Games, including Munchkin, Revolution, Car Wars: The Card Game, The Stars are Right, and Greed Quest.  Local Author and Game Designer Todd VanHooser will be running the Adventures Under the Laughing Moon Roleplaying Game twice during the day, in dual Gamemaster format with a twist.  Fantasy Flight Games is sponsoring three tournaments – a Wings of War WWI mini-campaign Tournament, the first “official” Dust Tactics Tournament in the Southwest, and a Tribune Board Game Tournament.  We’ll also be unveiling two of the Ludi Vulcani games that will appear at Phoenix Vul-Con 2012 - Gladiator played in a 5ft diameter Gladiatorial Arena with 90mm miniatures, and Circus Maximus played on a model Hippodrome nearly 22′ in length and 7′ wide with 50mm miniature chariots.

We’re highly recommending pre-registration, so you can lock in a seat at your preferred events.  Slots are limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.  Interest is high and we’ve had several registrations prior to announcing that the schedule and registration are live.  Those who pre-register for Phoenix Vul-Con 2012 can attend all Vul-Con Arenas for free and for those who haven’t entry is only $10 and garners you a coupon for $10 off your Phoenix Vul-Con 2012 registration in addition to access to Arena I.

 

Work allowing, I will be participating in the “Wings of War” event.  Drop by and prove your air superiority by shooting me down!

Trask, The Last Tyromancer

Here are a few items I thought needed improvement at the various company game demonstrations I attended.

Free GMs Can Be Expensive

I fully understand that companies often use volunteer GMs for convention events to save money.  Many of them are quite good, some are…not as good. While free is a very tempting price point for some help running games,  one must look at the true meaning of “free” when using volunteer GMs. Releasing a new game into the hands of a free, but sub-standard GM will cost far more long-term than recruiting  better GMs with swag, free hotel rooms or cash. Vetting your judges is time consuming and costly, but worth it to give your players ( and prospective customers) a great gaming experience. An idea is to recruit good GMs from games at Gen Con that plan on attending next year. Yes, this means you have to plan a year in a advance, but at least you can see the GMs skill before approaching them. As an extra bonus, it is my experience the best GMs tend to be leaders in their local gaming community and can really excite their groups about the new game.

Finally, get your GM army together for a couple of hours of training on the convention’s first day. Verify they have all the supplies needed and understand how you want the game run.

Plan Every Event to the Minute

Give all of your GMs a guide with instructions how to introduce the game world and rules. Do not give them a script, but some bullet points of critical information that players need is fine. Assign time limits to each section (world, rules, combat, etc) to maximize play time and keep the game moving. Explanations are not fun, so try to keep them to a minimum. Before the convention let a GM unfamiliar with the system run your demo event and observe how it runs. Tweak times, explanations or encounters as necessary.

Simplify the Rules

Demo games do not require the entire rules set. If you can do a couple of role-playing encounters and two combats with 50% of the rules, then only use 50%. Tell the players this is a simplified version and if they want more rules to consult your rule book. Never mention rules that are not used in the demo adventure. All they do is add unnecessary complexity and I promise some player will try to use them. At Gen Con this year, a demo GM stated “we are not using the magic rules for this adventure”…then spent ten minutes talking about the “cool” magic rules. Argh!

Bring Amazing Character Sheets

Demo players often appear with only a pen and some dice. Be sure that you bring everything to play the game. Primarily, bring character sheets THAT THE PLAYERS MAY KEEP. I hate going to a demo and leaving with nothing but a fond memory. After the convention is over and the players unpack that character sheet your game bubbles to the top of their fuzzy, post-convention memory. Character sheets are business cards, so include contact information. As regular readers  know, I am not a fan of “Wizards of the Coast.” That said, they do a very good job with convention marketing. Here is a shot of their pre-generated characters at Gen Con 2009.

WOTC Pre-Generated Characters

WOTC did not give out these character sheets, so they only got it half right, but they are very well done. For the low-budget publisher a clean black and white printout is also acceptable. Print brief rule descriptions and key ideas on the back of the pre-gen.

Simplifying character sheets is a good idea as well. This is especially true with complex games that use esoteric acronyms and long skill lists. Clarity over complexity is the only goal here.

I understand that some of these suggestions are burdensome to small publishers, but implementing one or two of these ideas will increase the fun factor for your demo players and that will directly translate into more sales. It is worth the effort.

Update: Great minds think alike, Nitessine over at “Worlds in a Handful of Dice” has a related post.

Trask, The Last Tyromancer

Hat tip: Osprey Publishing Blog

Trask, The Last Tyromancer

The ZÜCA is quite possibly the world’s best gamer bag for convention goers. Trask has been asking me to do a review for a while. He even featured it in this year’s ‘10 Christmas Gift Ideas for a Role-Playing Gamer‘ due to all my man-love speech.

So, without further ado, I will begin…

Trask and I first saw the ZÜCA at the Origins 2006 Convention. We were both intrigued, but the $100+ price tag was a turn-off. I almost went back and got one on Sunday; however, I had exhausted my discretionary spending, so took a business card instead…. and never forgot the things I saw that day!

At Origins 2007, I had made up my mind to get one of these things, as I was in need of a new gamer bag. I really liked the look and the concept. Even though they were originally designed for 8-year-old girls who like to ice skate (I hope gamers bypass the sequined pink bag option), it was perfect for gamers on the go. However, ZÜCA did not have a booth at that convention. Foiled again!

But that didn’t stop me. In early 2008, I was gifted with an Amazon.com gift certificate through work. Well that was it, I purchased my ZÜCA. And I have never been more happy with a gaming bag.

I have had the ZÜCA at Origins 2008 as well as local conventions and game days. I find it perfect for my RPG needs. The main compartment is the perfect size for gaming books. And, its many pockets and compartments carry my full complement of gaming accessories (and snacks). And the best part, I always have everything in one place. I set my ZÜCA right next to my desk at home, and all of the stuff I keep in it, stays in it. So when I need to go, I can go in an instant and not have to remember if I have packed everything.

So what sets the ZÜCA apart from a normal bag or backpack?

• Con Shoulder – The worst part about going to a 4-day convention is coming home with both aching feet and aching shoulders. Carrying around gaming supplies and books is a heavy load and four days really takes its toll. You can have two sore shoulders from a backpack or one REALLY sore shoulder from a sling bag. Well with the ZÜCA, there is nothing. You just have to wheel the thing behind you like a piece of luggage. And it has a handle to grab if, for some reason, you hit a space where rolling doesn’t work so well, like a staircase. The ZÜCA actually does stairs really well thanks to it’s secondary wheel; but, for big stairs I have found it easier to just pick up the thing and go.
• Con Feet – The before mentioned sore feet? Well the ZÜCA is built to be able to sit on. That is right, you are wheeling around a portable chair with you too! It is not the most comfortable seat in the world, and you wouldn’t want to sit on it long term, but it works great for something in a pinch. Standing in line waiting for your RPG to start? Sit instead.
• More workspace – And that flat hard top that is designed for sitting, makes great auxiliary table space at the game table. I routinely set books, food, drinks, on top of that instead of being kicked on the floor or knocked over on the table (Note: I am usually the one doing the kicking and knocking). And since it is like a mini locker, I set it next to me, door open, and all my books are within easy reach.
• Rugged – With a durable aluminum frame, this thing can take a beating and keep going. I had to replace my gamer bag every couple of years due to tears, rips, etc. I am going one year strong on the ZÜCA and have no worn areas. Not, even the mesh netting on the side, since it is somewhat protected by the metal frame.
• Replaceable Bag – Part of me wishes that the bag would rip apart and need to be replaced though. Then I would have an excuse to replace it with this cool Flame Job Bag! FYI:The bag is replaceable and you can keep the same frame, which is the expensive part.

The negatives of the ZÜCA are minimal. Part of me wishes that it was slightly larger. But, at least this way it forces me to bring less stuff with me on the airline (a costly thing now). And you can use the ZÜCA as an overhead bin bag on an airplane if you wanted (I haven’t done that yet). Really, the negative most people will cite is the price. The frames for the ZÜCA sport are $100. From there the bags that go in them are around $30 to $45 depending on how pimped out it is (you can get bags that turn the ZÜCA into a pet carrier). But, I found the price to be well worth it, especially over the long haul.

If you do get a ZÜCA, please just do yourself and everyone around you a favor. You aren’t that 8-year-old ice skating girl, so don’t get the wheels with lights that flash as they turn.

That said, here are a couple of pictures of my personal ZÜCA and how I use it. And feel free to post any questions that you have.

Zuca Bag with Dice Tray

Zuca Bag Interior View with Game Books and Miniature Cases

Haaldaar

Disclosure: I have no relationship with ZÜCA other than being a very satisfied customer.

2008 proved eventful to the gaming community. Gary Gygax, creator of “Dungeons and Dragons,” co-founder of “TSR” and the public face of role-playing left us.  I doubt he had any inkling in 1975 that one day tens of thousands would play his games and millions more could play in shared virtual worlds based on his ideas. He will be missed.

Gary also founded the legendary Gen Con gaming convention (in his basement!) that is still the largest gaming convention in America, if not the world. Gen Con branched out into other conventions in 2007/2008 and precipitated a financial crisis, culminating in a bankruptcy filing and a hostile take over attempt by the departing head of GAMA.  Although Gen Con weathered the storm so far, it is not over until the bankruptcy is discharged.

2008 also saw the release of “4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons.”  The hotly anticipated release landed in the summer and instantly polarized the “D&D” community. Some argued it was a necessary cleanup of 3.5′s complicated rules set. Others, myself included, thought it was an attempt by “Wizards of the Coast” to pander to the MMORPG/CCG gamer community with less setup time and faster game play. Regardless, it was very popular and sold widely.

There are dozens of other game-related items I am forgetting, but the past is done, so let us move on to 2009. The title of this post “A Year of Fear and Wonder” was not chosen lightly. There are many things to fear in 2009 for the gaming community. Gen Con is still in bankruptcy and a group of outside investors is trying to take it over. Should Gen Con change hands or disappear into Chapter 7 liquidation, the future of the convention may be in jeopardy. Gen Con is more than just a convention, it is a trade show and prime marketing opportunity for smaller companies to display their wares.  That exposure is crucial to small start-up companies.  A year without Gen Con is a dark thought to contemplate for the game industry.

Beyond Gen Con, the miserable state of the economy threatens many game companies. Oddly, I think that “mom-and-pop” game publishers will survive the recession. They just stop producing new books and hunker down in their garages for the duration.  Home-based operations have such low overhead that they can go into hibernation easily.  Large companies like WOTC or Kenzer have sufficient reserves to continue operation in a poor sales environment. There might be some layoffs or product releases canceled, but the company itself will survive.

No, the most vulnerable companies are retail game stores and mid-sized companies that have limited resources and relatively high overhead to income ratios. Some might survive by downsizing, but I am expecting a wave of shutdowns and canceled product.

2009 is not entirely doom and gloom. There are several companies producing new products that arrive in 2009 that I am anticipating with held breath. The mysterious Eoris project promises some fascinating art and story lines. Fantasycraft brings a fresh take on the “cinematic” fantasy game. Perhaps most exciting is the Paizo “Pathfinder” project that offers a  fan “fixed” version of the 3.5 OGL rules with Paizo’s usual high production values.  I hope the “open source” aspect of Pathfinder rules license  influences the pending GSL release from WOTC.

Wizard’s original  “Game System License” proved  so unpopular that an “edited” version is due out in 2009.  A new, more open version will go a long way to increase the number of third-party products on the market and erase some of the ill will that the original GSL generated. Am I the only one that noticed that the number of non-WOTC 4th edition compatible offerings is slim in my local game store?

As I said, there are both reasons to fear and wonder in the new year. 2009 promises to be interesting!

Before I close, I would like to make a few prediction and get them “on the record” for 2009.  Feel free to add your own and next year I will review them and see how we did.

1. The Dungeons and Dragons Digital Insider will go away.

I think that the subscriptions will not be enough to offset the high development and maintenance costs. That, combined with a recession and Hasbro looking to cut costs will doom this project.

2. Gen Con emerges from bankruptcy unscathed.

I read the documents and their plan seems reasonable. I think they have a good shot to move on from this nightmare

3. Gen Con 2009 will lose money.

High plane ticket costs and hobbled consumer spending will keep attendance low. Since Gen Con 2008 went off, then 2009 is all but assured. I cannot say the same for 2010…

4. Trask will keep blogging for another year!

Happy Holidays!

Trask, The Last Tyromancer

A “Letter of Intent for the Purchase of the Assets of Gen Con LLC Chapter 11” was filed on 11-20-2008 with the bankruptcy court. The “Letter of Intent”  is a summary of the terms and conditions of a potential  Gen Con purchase by the “Gen Con Acquisition Group.”  I summarized the highlights below and have a download link for the original document at the bottom of this post.

• The purchase price is the amount sufficient to pay off all of Gen Con’s outstanding claims (debts.)
• Buyer will pay $500,000.00 on closing day and $400,000.00 30 days later. Then $400,000.00 every six months until all claims are paid in full.
• They buyer is paying 6% interest on all claims, payable from the date of closing.
• Buyer will pay the Make-A-Wish charity claim, plus 6% interest from the initial date of claim
• Buyer will purchase all contracts, rights, licenses, intellectual property, leases and franchise agreements. (This is a partial list, check the original for the full list, but it is basically everything Gen Con owns.)
• Closing date is December 31st, 2008

Gen Con accomplishes two things by this sale. Primarily they escape bankruptcy, since the purchase price is the cost of Gen Con’s outstanding debt. Secondly, Gen Con LLC and by extension, Peter Atkison will no longer own Gen Con. An earlier Chapter 11 reorganization filing, made mention of attempts to sell Gen Con before the bankruptcy filing that failed and how Mr. Atkison was not as involved in the day to day operations as he once was.  This sounds like a winning solution for all parties.

I am especially happy that the “Make-A-Wish” charity receives their promised monies. I always felt that this debt to a worthy charity cast a pall over Gen Con.

It is also likely that this pending sale  was a factor in the dismissal of Lucasfilm v. Gen Con.  Since the buyer promises to pay off all debts, which includes Lucasfilm, the court case is pointless. Assuming Lucasfilm’s attorneys knew of the pending sale and approved, it also implies that the offer is sincere and backed up with sufficient funds. I am not a lawyer, but I would not dismiss my case unless I checked that the buyer had enough money to complete the purchase contract and pay the debt owed to my client.

The buyer, “Gen Con Acquisition Group” is identified by name, but the document does not list the members or backers of the group. The document lists the group as “to be formed,” so there is probably no paper trail on it yet, but I tried to find something nonetheless.  The letter of intent has this line,” This LOI shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.” The lawyer that filed the LOI resides in Kentucky. Starting from those clues, I did some checking on the Kentucky Secretary of State’s website and checked for trademark, business licenses or LLC filings for the “Gen Con Acquisition Group.” There was nothing. I hope future filings reveal more information about this group.

Remember, this is all still in the realm of a potential sale. There are many hurdles to clear before Gen Con changes hands. I just hope the new owners are worthy stewards of this gaming institution.

“Letter of Intent for the Purchase of the Assets of Gen Con LLC Chapter 11″

Trask, The Last Tyromancer

The document is very brief,  but you are welcome to check it out for yourself at the link below.

Lucasfilm v. Gen Con Dismissal Notice

I am very pleased that this resolved. Once the bankruptcy also clears,  Gen Con can get on with the business of executing a great convention without pending lawsuits.

Trask, The Last Tyromancer