Re: PBM Conventions

From: "H. Barker" <hb239@cus.cam.ac.uk>

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I've often thought it would be quite nice to combine a PBM con with a
Games Day type affair... Those old Games Workshop run days, before White
Dwarf was a catalogue, were the highlight of the gaming calendar. Or
rather than combine it, just organise a GD and have PBM stalls in
attendance.

On Sun, 10 Oct 1999, Rob Harper wrote:

> First, apologies if this has been discussed to death before
> (I've only been part of this NG for a couple of months) but
> as I've missed any of this and things have been rather quiet
> here of late, thought I'd see what current thinking is on the
> matter of PBM Conventions.  Feel free to killfile me or this
> subject if I'm just flogging a dead horse...
>
> Here in the UK, conventions have been organised for PBM
> enthusiasts since the mid-80's.  The organisers and attendees
> have been primarily players and moderators of "commercial"
> games.  The focus has always been on games that at least *can*
> be played by post (i.e. not exclusively e-mail or web based).
>
> The format of these conventions has, for the most part, remained
> the same: a one day event, centred on a trade hall, with a bar
> for drinking and chatting, and maybe a couple of events happening
> throughout the day.  The traditional events have been an auction
> and a GM panel discussion, and sometimes something else.  That's
> about it.  These have made for fun days out, a good way for
> players and GMs to meet, and one of the best ways to find out
> about new games.  Still, I can't help but wonder what else could
> be done?
>
> For the last few years, there has been Manorcon PBM, an offshoot
> of one of the UK's main boardgames conventions, which is a
> residential convention centred (so I believe -- I've never
> actually attended) around participation games and face-to-face
> versions of PBM games.
>
> What else could be done at a convention?  At most non-PBM
> conventions, the trade hall is a minor element of the event,
> which instead features guests, debates, film screenings, and
> numerous other happenings.  How would such things be greeted?
> Are, in fact, PBM conventions an outmoded anachronism?
>
> All this, and more, after this word from our sponsors...
> --
> Luv&hugs, Rob.
> State of Mind Games (Play-By-Mail & other Pointless Exercises)
> http://www.homestead.com/stateofmind
>
>
>
>

Harvey Barker
hb239@cam.ac.uk
University of Cambridge

References

PBM Conventions
"Rob Harper" <stateofmind@breathemail.net>
Sun, 10 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

PBM Conventions
"Rob Harper" <stateofmind@breathemail.net>
Sun, 10 Oct 1999 00:00:00 +0000