{"id":3256,"date":"2019-06-04T21:17:04","date_gmt":"2019-06-04T20:17:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hoarde.net\/craigblog\/?p=3256"},"modified":"2019-06-04T21:20:37","modified_gmt":"2019-06-04T20:20:37","slug":"plans-for-an-eventful-gen-con","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hoarde.net\/craigblog\/?p=3256","title":{"rendered":"Plans For An Eventful Gen Con"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For some reason, possibly related to having too much free time, I decided to do a roundup of this year’s Gen Con plan; Specifically, the games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As you can see, I have coloured pens, no ruler, and am terrible at lettering <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These are, with one exception, events I have a ticket for, so there’s a place at the ‘table’ reserved for me. Most of the events are games to play.
So, from the start;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The <\/strong>Stink<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Not actually a game, and also not something I have a ticket for.
It’s a gathering of folks, nominally the ones on the Gen Con forums, and the ticketing is more for getting attendance numbers than anything else; Once the ticketholders go in, anyone else can, and there’s often groups giving away free stuff & misc. promotional items.
There’s a cash bar, a sort of ice-breaking “find a person fitting X criteria” passport game, that sort of thing.
I tend to put this one in the “I go there to meet up with people I know will be there, then leave when it gets too annoying or loud” bucket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Timewatch – Hatchet & Axe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What does Carrie Nation have to do with World War III? Everything, when your mission to prevent a nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis leads you through centuries of pre-apocalyptichistory! <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Timewatch is a time-travel RPG.
Played it once before & had a hell of a good time, so hopefully that’s a repeatable experience, especially as I have a copy in PDF that I’d like to get some use out of one day.
It allows for a lot of the wacky time-travel shenanigans, like “Once we get through this locked door and escape, we can go back in time and hide a key in this plant pot!”, or “In order to blend in at spring break, we need to learn to play music so we can be a band; OK, done that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kids On Bikes – The House On Poplar Court<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Theo Easton has called a meeting of the Investigations Club. He has decided it’s time to investigate the strange, abandoned house at the end of Poplar Court. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Kids On Bikes as a genre … think The Goonies, ET, Super 8, Stranger Things, etc.
Conveniently unsupervised kids getting involved with things they probably shouldn’t.
Never played it before, but it’s been getting a fair chunk of attention, so I’m looking forward to this one a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This was a promotional stand in one of the games halls last year<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

VIG Mixer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

OK, some explanation.
I buy a much more expensive “Very Important Gamer” badge ( entry ticket ) for Gen Con, which comes with a few perks.
Biggest one is a guaranteed downtown hotel, which is fairly important when you’re coming in from overseas and aren’t that keen on driving.
There’s also an area to hang out in ( with couches, tables, & ‘free’ drinks ), a swag bag of gaming-related stuff ( the 2017 games became the games lending library at work, 2018 went to a school ), and a social event – The VIG Mixer.
There are drinks, nibbles, and given that the folks attending Gen Con are mostly doing so to game, it’s one of the few times you’re likely to run into a lot of the other VIGs in a situation where they’re not about to head off for their next game.
I don’t always go, but kind of felt like it this time around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orc Stomp 5k Charity Fun Run<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I decided I needed some form of challenge or goal, and chose … poorly.
Did this with some friends ( in walking mode ) a few years back, and if nothing else, it’s quite a pretty route to go through while you pray for the merciful release of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

QAGS – Apocalypse Truckers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Civilization crumbled beneath a rain of nuclear fire, but folks still need their toilet paper, beer, and Molly Hatchet 8-tracks. It’s time for you wasteland weirdos form yourself a CONVOY!
The irradiated highways are dangerous for any lone trucker. Grab your shotgun, jump behind the wheel, and get ready for some post-apocalypse grindhouse fun and mayhem! <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

QAGS ( Quick-Ass Game System ) is a good one for somewhat gonzo games.
Does cinematic well, and has a system for bribing the person running the game to let you get away with stuff.
Also has damage worked out for a “Cathedralpult” in the rule book, just in case that’s of any use.
I have no idea whether Apocalypse Truckers is an upcoming or existing product for the company producing QAGS, but I’ve played in a game run by the GM for this one before, and it was a whole lot of fun. Hoping that’ll happen again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Masks – One Day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The same day keeps happening over and over. Only you seem to notice. What’s so important about today? Will you be able to get time back on track? Or are you doomed to this one day forever? <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Masks is a game about Teenage Superheros, with about equal emphasis placed on both parts of that.
You’re teenagers, so you’ve got parents \/ teachers \/ adults \/ society telling you what to do and who to be.
And you’re the new generation of superheros, so you’ve got all of the previous generations of supers \/ government agencies \/ mass media telling you what to do and how to do it.
Played the system before, and it rapidly became a favourite, even though I’m still a bit hazy on how parts of it work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zombie World – The Dying Light<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There’s not much fuel left for the generators, not after last night’s theft. The harsh winter cold will kill you, if the undead don’t get you first. What will you sacrifice to take back what’s yours? <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Zombie World is from the same people who do Masks, and I found out about this new project of theirs last year at Gen Con, while exhibiting poor sales resistance with respect to the Masks books in hardback.
I backed their kickstarter because it sounded interesting, so I have a copy coming, but I wanted to see what it’s like to play, It’s a card-based RPG, so … I’m not really sure how that will work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Strange – Game Of Screams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You and your friends are playing a Halloween-themed board game purchased from Crow Hollow, but too late you discover it to be an artifact of the Strange with a deadly power over its players. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Modern day world, into which odd things intrude.
Never played this, and couldn’t get into a game last year, so I was glad to find one this time around. Plus, while I’ve run a lot of horror games, I’ve not played in that many.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part Time Gods – American Gods<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Control the power of a god with the responsibilities of a mortal.<\/p>


This became your life, the balancing of the mortal and the divine, the normal and the supernatural, the mundane and the strange. Maintain your dominion as part of a Pantheon and still make it to work on time. <\/p>Balancing one’s mortal and divine lives can be tricky, and divine responsibility doesn’t always pay the rent <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Another one I’ve wanted to play, but not been able to.
Did have a ticket for this last year, but got sick & decided that a midnight finish was a dumb idea on the first day of the con when I was already feeling ill. I was OK for the rest of the con after a decent night’s sleep, so I guess it worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bulldogs! – Heir Restoration Solutions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Frontier planet Quellim has been wracked by civil war for a decade, ever since the last king died without an heir.
Now there is someone claiming to be the rightful successor of the king, but no one is willing to dive into the deadly competing factions to bring her home. What’s a lost heir to do? Hire Class D hazardous shipping to do the job! You’ve just got to keep her alive long enough to get the manifest signed for delivery. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

I’m sure it’s possible to play a Bulldogs! game in a serious manner, but nobody I’ve asked has ever seen it happen.
A suitable game for the last afternoon of the con.
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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