Re: PBM Conventions

From: "Rob Harper" <stateofmind@breathemail.net>

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000

H. Barker <hb239@cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:Pine.SOL.3.96.991012090215.17644B-100000@taurus.cus.cam.ac.uk...
>
> On Mon, 11 Oct 1999, Rob Harper wrote:
>
> > Are there people reading this who aren't attracted by this
> > convention format -- or even put off by it?  If so, why?
> > Is there a way we can make a con more attractive to you?
>
> Personally I find the cons nowadays a bit stale, but you tend to get a few
> sparks of fun from some of the stands, especially Madhouse.

Yeah, but that Tierney bloke is weird...

> For me the whole thing about the Games Days was the fun aspect; they had
> tabletop games going on where people were being loud and gesticulating
> wildly; fun participation events where even people who turned up 'on spec'
> could get involved.
>
> I remember when I turned up to one of the earliest GDs and my parets
> tagged along... I remember them having a laugh, whether it was at the
> people in costume just wandering about, or watching the participation
> games. The highlight has to have been a game of Paranoia where the GM,
> dressed up as a chef, threw tons of flour and water around the crowd
> watching.

Hmm, I guess PBMers might be upset at getting their printouts wet.

> People were genuinly enjoying themselves, it seemed. In comparison to the
> last PBM con where most of the visitors seemed to bail out and hit the pub
> almost an hour and a half after the con started...

That, I think, was due to this year's biggest failing: no bar,
cafe or any other form of catering facilities other than a coffee
machine in the corridor.  PBM tradition says "Thy con shalt have
a bar" and general convention tradition says that there should be
space for people to chill out and chat, play games or whatever.
Unfortunately this year's PBM con fell down on both of these.

I thought the trade hall had a good atmosphere (largely due to
Harlequin and Madhouse in the middle of the hall), and the event
went pretty well over all, but I'm trying to work out how it can be
improved upon.  A bar is an obvious point, but I'm sure it isn't
the only one.

> Before anyone says it, I know that the Games Days were for RPG,
> live roleplaying, tabletop, board games - hell, gaming in general - rather
> than concentrating on PBM, but there was a sense of fun and enjoyment by
> the masses. I miss that, and think a con aiming at that audience now would
> be great.

Probably right.  And there's nothing wrong with modelling a PBM
con on a different type of event.

> Does anyone think this kind of con would work now ? Or would it just be
> full of card gamers and no roleplayers ? (And I don't mean that card
> gamers aren't roleplayers, but it does seem to dominate the hobby these
> days.)

Experience says that a Magic (or similar) tournament can act as
a major annoyance for non card gamers, and can actually drive
people away.  This is largely due to experiences where people
have turned up to a con and found that the CCG tournament takes
up all the good spaces and all the admin effort, leaving nothing
for other games.  However, nowadays, convention organisers seem
to be learning how to organise CCG events that don't interfere
nearly as much with the rest of the con, so the different parts
of the hobby are starting to sit more nicely together.

I think there probably is space for overall, "Games Day" type
events -- and I'd love to see them...
--
Luv&hugs, Rob.
State of Mind Games (Play-By-Mail & other Pointless Exercises)
http://www.homestead.com/stateofmind

References

PBM Conventions
"Rob Harper" <stateofmind@breathemail.net>
Sun, 10 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBM Conventions
"Tim Lomas" <tim@antsnest.demon.co.uk>
Mon, 11 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBM Conventions
"Rob Harper" <stateofmind@breathemail.net>
Mon, 11 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBM Conventions
"H. Barker" <hb239@cus.cam.ac.uk>
Tue, 12 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

PBM Conventions
"Rob Harper" <stateofmind@breathemail.net>
Sun, 10 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBM Conventions
"Tim Lomas" <tim@antsnest.demon.co.uk>
Mon, 11 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBM Conventions
"Rob Harper" <stateofmind@breathemail.net>
Mon, 11 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBM Conventions
"H. Barker" <hb239@cus.cam.ac.uk>
Tue, 12 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000