Conventions and wargaming
WargamerGMW
I admit I have never attended a 'Convention' but have played war games
since 1959 (age 9).
How many people in this list/NG :
1) Have never attended a convention - and why not
2) Attend rarely (<1 per year) - why go if so seldom
3) Attend regularly 1+ per year - which ones and why
4) Attend one or more religiously (plan for it right after/while
attending the event.) Which one(s) and why are you so committed?
AND
1) Attend only historical cons
2) Attend only fantasy and/or SF cons
3) Attend cons known as balanced in two or all three arenas.
Gracias,
--
Glenn Wilson, Miniatures Gamer in predominantly "Pre-Firing Pin" eras.
Past gamer in Board War Games and Computer War Games. Uses 25mm minis
(NKE, 'Medieval', Renaissance/Reformation, New World Skirmish, Fantasy,
and SF) and 20mm (WW2) currently but looking at 15mm for New Armies.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
MGluteus
when I'm at a convention) I attend Cold Wars, Historicon, Tricorn and Havoc. I
put on several games at each convention and organize some 20 to 30games at the
major conventions
Note they are Historical Only.
I go to support the hobby (1), to see what's new (2) and to buy a few things. I
also try to get into a HISTORICAL game that I have not tried before or new
rules.
I make reservations for the big conventions for next year BEFORE I leave them
this year though we don't start scheduling games and the trip until some 4
months before the con - i have to playtest any game that I am putting on 3/4
times before I'll put it on at a convention.
Dick Bryant
COWW (Stan Olson)
>
> I am curious.
>
> I admit I have never attended a 'Convention' but have played war games
> since 1959 (age 9).
>
> How many people in this list/NG :
>
> 1) Have never attended a convention - and why not
> 2) Attend rarely (<1 per year) - why go if so seldom
Stan: very few well run local conventions,
Some gaming ones dedicated to Only one genre of
miniature gaming.
> 3) Attend regularly 1+ per year - which ones and why
Stan: 2 DBA tourneys, very well run, a showcase for
ones painting effort, and we can win a raffled
painted army, and there is some vendors ...
> 4) Attend one or more religiously (plan for it right after/while
> attending the event.) Which one(s) and why are you so committed?
Stan: I am at the point, again, of organizing a modest local
miniature wargaming event ...
... I should be committed, but only after at least
Trying to get the best local people to run various
miniature wargames-demos-seminars .... [:D
Travel to major conventions is impractical in
my neck of the woods, we have to build a modest
event of our own ( Winnipeg MB Canada ).
>
> AND
>
> 1) Attend only historical cons
Stan: I play every sort of miniature wargame game
and design scenarios-games in all genres.
And enjoy historical gaming/research very much.
> 2) Attend only fantasy and/or SF cons
Stan: these I attend and host games at (historical and
SF / Fantasy ) because they Include gaming-demo space
(in the worst case in one's own hotel suite.)
I first played DBA ancient/medievals 15mm at a SF convention
this helped me renew my hobby interest and got me
painting again .... I now carry on this tradition
myself, and teach army painting as well ...
> 3) Attend cons known as balanced in two or all three arenas.
Stan: sounds like there is not many historical
events that do this, unlike more gracious SF/Fantasy events.
In my own small way I am trying to offer such
event opportunities, for hosting miniature wargames.
DBA, HoTTs, Crossfire WW2, Great Rail Wars (western gunfight),
SF skirmish/small unit actions, games based on movies and TV shows
Painting, scratchbuilding, teaching ....
John D Salt
WargamerGMW <warga...@juno.com> wrote:
[Snips]
>How many people in this list/NG :
>2) Attend rarely (<1 per year) - why go if so seldom
That's me. Indeed, I haven't made a convention in the last
year. I claim pressure of work, but often it's merely
incompetence in planning on my part.
One show that is IME invariably very well worth a visit is
SELWG (South-East London Wargames Group). I consider this
to be in a class of its own, better than any other I have
attended (and I think I've visited most of the biggies
at one time or another).
>1) Attend only historical cons
That's me... though I think most UK cons will have a spot
of fantasy in them, and it doesn't worry me.
Fairly obviously, how satisfactory a convention is will
depend on the reason you go there. Lots of people seem
to focus mainly on the traders. I don't, although it's
interesting to see what's available; and I'm not
interested in competition gaming. My main motivation
for attending shows is to meet and talk to other
wargamers. Good demo games, with people prepared to
talk to passers-by rather than being embroiled in the game,
and good participation games, are therefore the main
criteria by which I judge an event. I would be very
much in favour of UK shows having more in the way of
seminars, discussion groups, workshops and stuff --
I really *must* organise myself to get to COW some
year soon, I've been meaning to since about 1984.
All the best,
John.
--
John D Salt Dept of IS & Computing,| Barr's Law of Recursive Futility
Brunel U, Uxbridge, Middx UB8 3PH | [BLORF]: If you are smart enough
Disclaimers: I speak only for me. | to use one of these... you can
Launcher may train without warning.| probably manage without one.
Martin Rapier
<7pc1id$67c$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>...
> 3) Attend regularly 1+ per year - which ones and why
I suppose I'm in this category. As with many people in the 1990s, I'm
really busy, work a lot of weekends (or if I'm not, my wife is) so I only
generally get to local shows - Triples in Sheffield and the SOCTW Gathering
at Middlewood Hall. For the first year ever I went to COW (or DMCS as it is
now) which is entire residential wargames weekend run by the Wargames
Developments crowd, and had a ball, so I want to go back there again. Went
to FIASCO in Leeds a couple of years ago, so I may try that again this
year.
I'd like to go down to Salute in London again, but I haven't been for five
years or so.
> 1) Attend only historical cons
> 2) Attend only fantasy and/or SF cons
> 3) Attend cons known as balanced in two or all three arenas.
I wouldn't go to a purely SF/Fantasy one, as I mainly go for the shopping!
Though now the kids are getting into Warhammer.....
Cheers
Martin.
WargamerGMW
Guess I should answer my own questions occassionally... 8^}
<snip>
> How many people in this list/NG :
>
> 1) Have never attended a convention - and why not
That's me. Not sure just why really. Wife is pretty conservative and
some of the stories friends bring back from SF cons in the past...
I have plead poor cash flow (college, USAF enlisted, and nurse's
aide/orderly days); small children (1970's and again now); and 'no one
else I know is going" syndrome.
I think really I always have seen conventions in light of 'competition'
gaming - an arena I dislike, especially if ahistorical matchups in
'historical' games.
> AND
>
> 1) Attend only historical cons
IF I went it would be this most likely. The miniatures format seems
more conducive to multi-player games then board games/FRPGs and I like
to focus on one genre at a time, personally. The rules I am most
interested in exploring currently are all historical also.
> 2) Attend only fantasy and/or SF cons
Not likely, especially in light of the strident tenor of the GW/anti-Gw
issue, the dearth of other (IMO better games systems) in the few con
flyers I have skimmed (one or two only I admit,) and the current flavor
of SF/Fantasy/FRPG systems I see presently riding waves of popularity
currently. But this is just based on observation not participation so
may be suspect. But then I didn't go during my TSR frenzy days
either...
> 3) Attend cons known as balanced in two or all three arenas.
>
ARE there such animals? Usually I see one genre dominant with one or
two others 'included' in small numbers. I see nothing wrong with that,
personally.
<snip>
DLCRCF
>2) Attend rarely (<1 per year) - why go if so seldom
I tend to go to Cold Wars once every few years. I go to see what"s new and just
have a look around. Sometimes I go to Crusades because of the time of year it's
held.
>
>1) Attend only historical cons
I am not interested in other areas of gaming and don't have the time to waste
on SF/Fantasy as far as Conventions go.
Don Gilmore
answer your questions:
We attend one, and sometimes two conventions per year. We live in Memphis,
TN,
and normally we go to either Historicon or GenCon.
If you would like, I could further break it down:
1999 Historicon
1998 Historicon and Nashcon <for a day only>
1997 Nashcon
1996 Nashcon and Gencon
1995 Nashcon and Gencon
1994 Nashcon and Gencon
1993 Nashcon and Gencon
1992 Nashcon and Gencon
1991 Nashcon and Gencon
1990 Nashcon and Gencon and Coldwars
1989 Nashcon and Gencon and Coldwars
1988 Gencon and Coldwars
1987 Origins and Historicon and Coldwars
1986 Historicon and Origins and Coldwars
1985 Origins and Historicon
1984 Origins
Notice the changing of conventions over time and why:
The cost of attending conventions is expensive if you must travel and stay
in a hotel.
In the eighties, I was single until 1989. I could fly for free on my
company's aircraft, and in the case of Historicon and Coldwars, had a
friend that I could stay with. This made it cheap to travel long distances.
I made many friends and ran quite a few games.
Origins was nice to go to for a wide variety of games and the "new
releases" that came out there. Historicon and Coldwars always were good
minis cons, and normally I ran games for two days, and played for two
days. Gencon, when I went the first time, was a much richer gaming
experience than either of the other two. It was better run than
a non-Baltimore Origins (old timers will know what I mean), the UMW
Sandburg Hall accommodations were cheap (not so any more) and provided 3
buildings full of gamers
to chat/play with befroe, during and after the con. The amount and variety
of gaming was great, and there was a fair bit of minis gaming. They also
had the auction store that, at least in that year, had tons of bargains. I
came back with a car that was loaded to the gills.
After getting married, I came to the reality that I couldn't fly around all
over the country to every con anymore since not only did I have a family to
support, but because my wife was also a gamer and I didn't want to leave
her out. As conventions went, we then had to make a choice:
Historicon/Coldwars was a very lengthy drive of over 1,000 miles. Just
getting there and back took enough time that I had to waste a good
portion of my vacation time in transit. Also, during this period, it was
sometimes hard to get into games since there were more people playing than
running. Gencon quickly became our con of choice for a few reasons:
It was much closer (500 miles), and we drove it in a day. Usually some of
our other gaming friends/couples would also go, and we could convoy up,
meet there, etc.
There was a lot of fun stuff to do in Chicago and Milwaukee that was not
game related.
The wealth and variety of games was nice.
Alas, however, things began to change. After MTG had been out for a couple
of years,
it seemed that gaming habits changed. The costs at Gencon went up a good
bit for the dorm rooms at UWM to hotel like prices, and frankly, the
quality and number of games
that we liked to play seemed to drop off somewhat. More importantly, the
number of Dealers who showed up at Gencon with Historical minis to sell
went to virtually non-existent. We then took a year off from Gencon since
we wanted to pay bills, and the cost of spending a week at a major con is
about equal to the cost of a cruise.
When we once again decided that we wanted to do a long drive to a con, we
had to make a choice...Gencon or Historicon. After looking at the books
for the post-TSR run
Gencon event books, we decided on Historicon, mainly because it afforded us
the best opportunity to view, select, and purchase miniatures for the games
that we liked to play. We planned the convention as a family vacation, with
several non-gaming stops
and sites along the way. It was great fun and our kid also enjoyed
himself. As a result,
this year, we again made the choice to attend Historicon over the other
cons.
In the meantime, we had spent about every year going to Nashcon, which was
on a good weekend, and only 200 miles away. However, as the years went by,
we felt that the quality of this con declined. Both my wife and myself had
trouble getting into games, and in consecutive years had trouble getting
into games because the GM was holding all or most of the slots for his
friends, who were usually local. Two years in a row we were put off enough
that we left Nashcon early. In 98 we stopped in on the first day of the con
to see if it was going to be the same old deal. It was, and so we left the
con and went to the Air Force Museum in Dayton for vacation. This year,
we both agreed that we didn't even want to bother wasting our time going to
Nashcon. This was kind of sad to see, since we were members of
HMGS-Mid-south and had been since HMGS
was split up into geographic areas in the eighties. Both my wife and myself
saw several games each year that we would have liked to play, but the
"closed" open gaming drove us away. Instead of going this year, we went
fishing at the local lake, and had plenty of fun.
Historicon was great for us this year, just like last year. Both the gaming
and the shopping. If the opportunity arises in my job, we have considered
transferring up to that end of the country so that we could be in close
proximity to the Historicon/coldwars/fall-in and attend all three.
Average cost per day of attending the Historicon for us was about $200
including food,
gas, and lodging. While there, we also spent several hundred buying games,
minis, paints, and books. Like I say, the cost is comparable to taking a
cruise.
With a school age child, the fall and spring cons are presently out of the
question.
Coldwars would be possible only it usually falls either the week before or
after his school spring break.
What would we like to see:
The gaming diversity that we saw at Gencon in the late eighties with the
range of historical mini dealers that come to historicon. We aren't really
committed to any particular con. Instead, we return to cons that we like
if we are able, and stop attending those which do not provide a pleasurable
gaming experience for us that
has enough fun factor to offset the costs incurred. Balanced Cons are the
best cons,
but you really don't see that in the mega-cons anymore, meaning that as
gamers we have to choose which flavor con we want to attend each year.
What will it be next year?
Good question.
Most likely not Nashcon.
Gencon is a remote possibility (but unlikely due to lack of historicals
lately).
It will probably be historicon again even with the lengthy drive.
Sorry for being long winded, but you did ask <g>.
Don
WargamerGMW wrote:
> I am curious.
>
> I admit I have never attended a 'Convention' but have played war games
> since 1959 (age 9).
>
> How many people in this list/NG :
>
> 1) Have never attended a convention - and why not
> 2) Attend rarely (<1 per year) - why go if so seldom
> 3) Attend regularly 1+ per year - which ones and why
> 4) Attend one or more religiously (plan for it right after/while
> attending the event.) Which one(s) and why are you so committed?
>
> AND
>
> 1) Attend only historical cons
> 2) Attend only fantasy and/or SF cons
> 3) Attend cons known as balanced in two or all three arenas.
>
WARGAMING
GenCon you should check out Little Wars hosted by HMGS-Midwest in April. This
year will see it expanded and enhanced!
sabe...@my-deja.com
>
> How many people in this list/NG :
> 3) Attend cons known as balanced in two or all three arenas.
West Front replaced ViciCon a local Historical con
Con-Quest replaced PacifiCon a long running (Labor Day weekend) multi-
genre Con
GameConII replaced GamesCaucus a long running (Memorial Day weekend)
multi-genre Con
DunDraCon because tho a long running SF/Fantasy Con still has a large
Historical presence.
I try to support all of the Cons in the SF Bay area, tho some
(Slugathon) are just too far away.
Michael Brown
Rich R
WargamerGMW <warga...@juno.com> wrote:
> I am curious.
>
> I admit I have never attended a 'Convention' but have played war games
> since 1959 (age 9).
>
>
> 2) Attend rarely (<1 per year) - why go if so seldom
Probably never really enjoyed gaming at a convention. I treat this hobby
as a recreation and not all that serious. Seems many at a convention
take the hobby as a reliious experience. That is difficult for me to
deal with - so I tend to stay away for the most part. I have gone and
set up several Napoleonics games with my equipment. It is quite a
chore to do so, so I limit that to special occasions where I know I'll
get an acceptable response to my presentation.
> 3) Attend regularly 1+ per year - which ones and why
> 4) Attend one or more religiously (plan for it right after/while
> attending the event.) Which one(s) and why are you so committed?
>
> AND
>
> 1) Attend only historical cons
> 2) Attend only fantasy and/or SF cons
> 3) Attend cons known as balanced in two or all three arenas.
Any and all depending on how I feel at the time. Now days it would
probably be historical.
>
> Gracias,
> --
> Glenn Wilson, Miniatures Gamer in predominantly "Pre-Firing Pin" eras.
> Past gamer in Board War Games and Computer War Games. Uses 25mm minis
> (NKE, 'Medieval', Renaissance/Reformation, New World Skirmish,
Fantasy,
> and SF) and 20mm (WW2) currently but looking at 15mm for New Armies.
>
DSundseth
>since 1959 (age 9).
>
>How many people in this list/NG :
>
>1) Have never attended a convention - and why not
>2) Attend rarely (<1 per year) - why go if so seldom
>4) Attend one or more religiously (plan for it right after/while
>attending the event.) Which one(s) and why are you so committed?
>
>AND
>
>1) Attend only historical cons
>2) Attend only fantasy and/or SF cons
>3) Attend cons known as balanced in two or all three arenas.
I attend several conventions each year, each for a different reasons:
GenCon (for work, on a press pass)
Origins & Historicon (as above, but not on a yearly basis, as Origins is too
close in time to GenCon and has most of the same manufacturers/advertisers, and
Historicon dealers don't generally have ad budgets for advertising to stores).
Genghis Con, BenCon, and Tacticon: Local Denver conventions, relatively
balanced (heavy on card games & RPGs, but with a relatively wide variety of
F/SF and historical minis and board games as well.) I go to these for myself,
to see people that I usually only see at conventions and to attend a convention
while not working.
West Wars: Local Denver historical minis con put on by Colorado Military
Historians in January. I'm a member of the group, know all the people, and
like gaming with them.
MileHiCon: Literary SF con. I don't go to game, but there is gaming space and
I often use it. The attitude of MHC is that the gamers help pay for the space,
and don't negatively impact the rest of the con (in spite of having little in
common in many cases), so why not give them space to play.
In all of the above cases, I usually plan far in advance to attend.
Doug Sundseth
Dragoon695
been to a con since 1997. There were never many in Georgia, and I just moved
again. Usually don't go because of work or distance. Hopefully Denver will
have something worth while.
Figs4Sale
My range is about a 300 mile radius of St Louis, MO. The Mid West has nothing
to be ashamed of as far as events to enjoy.
Nashcon (Hist)
Little Wars (Hist)
Egyptian Campaign (Mixed)
CapitalCon (Mixed)
Winter Wars (Mixed)
Command Con (Hist)
Barracks Battles (Hist)
August Spearhead (Hist)
QuinCon (Mixed)
RockCon (Mixed)
CastleCon (Hist???)
There are a few others that I do not get to, as well.
I would attend Historicon and Cold Wars, but the 16 hour drive (I did it twice)
is just too much of a barrier for a weekend.
I personally prefer historical conventions, but I am happy to attend mixed
events where the staff makes me feel welcome.
THAT is an important point. I spend a fair amount of time and expense preparing
games for the conventions I attend. I would much rather haul my "traveling
circus" of 25mm Napoleonics (and my sorry butt) to a friendly mixed convention
than invest the time, money and effort in going to a convention where I felt
uncomfortable.
I have little or no interest in CCGs or "filksinging" so I do not go to those
conventions. I also do not attend train shows, dog shows or tent revivals.
That does not mean any of the above are intrinsically inferior (or superior).
It just means that I do not choose to attend those events.
Does that answer the question?
All the Best,
Mark
Stephen Graham
>
>1) Have never attended a convention - and why not
>2) Attend rarely (<1 per year) - why go if so seldom
>3) Attend regularly 1+ per year - which ones and why
>4) Attend one or more religiously (plan for it right after/while
>attending the event.) Which one(s) and why are you so committed?
I attend 1-3 cons per year: Dragonflight, Enfilade and Origins. Origins
depends on available funds and proximity. I last attended in 1994, when
it was in San Jose. Enfilade is put on by HGMS-Pacific Northwest.
Attendance depends on whether I have other commitments on Memorial Day
Weekend.
I'm on the Board of Directors for Dragonflight, the local multi-genre
con, and usually serve as convention staff as well. So it's a given that
I'll be in attendance each year.
>1) Attend only historical cons
>2) Attend only fantasy and/or SF cons
>3) Attend cons known as balanced in two or all three arenas.
I attend either historical-only or multi-genre cons.
--
Stephen Graham
gra...@ee.washington.edu
gra...@eskimo.com
Chris
I also get some games in now and again.
I, too, have noticed a big change in games at shows like Origins and
Gencon...
But I plan on changing that... I want to get a lot of historical
miniatures events for GENCON 2000. I will run some myself (and I would
like to imagine that I can put on a pretty visually stunning game or
two), and alreay two others have stepped up to the plate and are
planning on running a few, too.
Why do we all seem to complain a lot? Why not take that energy and make
a grand historicals showing at GENCON and impress so many other gamers
there?
BTW: how about a live-action historical roleplaying, say the Scarlet
Pimpernel or such?
CHris von Fahnestock
TYGHOCK
recently).
Living in NJ, I attend Cold Wars and Historicon. I also make ShoreCon, which is
a Fantasy venue, where I demo Piquet Renaissance games. The color and pageantry
of 25mm Renaissance armies matches any Warhammer set-up, and the rules are
easy to learn (gamers are not turned off by the pretentious obscurity that is
sometimes found in some historical rules).
I enjoy running games (1-2 per show), though I always play in at least one
other person's game. I'd love to play in more, but I spend a lot of time and $
at the flea market and vendor areas. Since I'm the only member of the club who
regularly goes, I'm buying sometimes for the club, sometimes for myself, though
if I see a well-priced unit/army, I'll buy it and see who wants it later.
I would LOVE to attend Fall-In, Novacon, and other local venues, but I do have
a demanding job, a loving family and other obsessions, too!
I personally enjoy conventions immensely. I like gaming in the basement with
our group, too. And I enjoy research, e-mail discussions and rules tinkering.
And like most gamers, I have so much unpainted lead in my closet, Lex Luthor
can safely hide in there from Superman.
- TYGHOCK
If you're not part of the Conspiracy, you're part of the problem.