Monday, November 20, 2017

Board gaming / Pax Unplugged

Boardgaming.....

My Family likes playing games and it is a great way to meet people, and interact socially. So we found out that was a gaming store local to us, so we have been going there... I always like to support local merchants as long as the price difference is not greater then $10... that is my savings cap. and for some items the cap is larger

I also cap my willingness to spend money on a game as to how many people you realistically need to play the game vs my wallet.. Needless to say, this has kept me from by the Firefly board game (I hear it is awesome, but at $50, + the expansions... not truly interested in the game

So, my main Gaming base is Caffeinated Gaming, less than 10 minutes from my house. Tom is great so spend a few or more dollars if go to support them..

We have a board game night on Thursday and special game nights a couple of times a Month


1202 N Gravel Pike Suite 100 
        Zieglerville 19492





https://www.facebook.com/caffeinatedgamingstore/


So every week we play games and try different games. both of my daughter love to go and try games

At one of our sessions, Eric was Demoing 

Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle A Cooperative Deck Building Game


It is a game for up to 4 players and it helps to have someone run the game and watch to keep track of everything overall

Eric was wearing his Double Exposure Envoy shirt... I know them from going to Conventions such as Dexcon and Dreamation.. It was Eric who suggested I email Vinnie and setup with a game company for doing demos at Pax

Join the Envoy Program here:



PAX UNPLUGGED

Originally, I was not going to go to Pax Unplugged... When I first heard about it, I emailed them to see if they or when they would be looking for people to Run Role Playing Games and got a polite No Thank you... 

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Hey Greg,

Thanks a lot for your interest in Unplugged!

We are partnered with a few groups who GM for us at PAX shows, so we are not recruiting at the moment. Things might change however as we get closer to the show and our events schedule takes a little more shape. If you aren’t already, I would sign up for the newsletter on our website so that you can be notified if things change.

Let me know any other questions!

Best,

Ryan XXXXXXX | ReedPOP | (Title Removed)
PAX Unplugged | PAX East | PAX Dev | PAX West | PAX South
T: (203) 840-5387 | F: (203) 840-9387 | E: ryanXXX@reedpop.com
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Ok, not a show I want to pay money for to go play games run by people who are given a game to run and barely read them....(That is how I feel about most GMs that are recruited from my experience)

So after hooking up with Vinnie and doing a Skype session... He hooked me up with USAopoly and Jake Davis, Marketing & Events Specialist

Soon after he sent me Codenames Disney and Super Mario Level up so I can get familiar for the Convention

 


So My kids and I played around with them and then I brought them to the game night before the show

I also had a change to Play   - The Thing™ Infection at Outpost 31 - at a Wednesday Game night

Gamers Heaven Facebook Page





So I was well prepared to Play games at PAX



The First Day was Saturday for me and I got there, changed into my Shirt after cleaning up and applying deodorant... walked around for 15 minutes, and stopped at 2 booths... Steve Jackson Games and Looney Labs



Then I started at the USAopoly booth at 10:00 AM.. before I knew it, it was 2:30 and I had not left the boot at all.. so I took 5 minutes to go to the men's room and then it was 5:30 before I knew it... 

Jack Berkenstock from The Bodhana Group dropped off some shirts for me so I can help Promote the Save Against Fear Convention in Harrisburg Next year 

I forgot I was trying to go to the Bodhana Panel "Bringing Characters To Life" and walked the expo hall until I remembered then went down to the panel for the final 1/2 hour




After the Panel we went to back to the Hotel with Jack and the crew and found a great space to play games... ended up playing Harry Potter Hogwarts Battle until after 11:00PM..then hit the train home

Sunday was another mass transit nightmare going in... arrive just before 10... Luckily my exhibitor pass allowed me to cruise right into the Expo hall and get my shirt on 

Sunday was kids day and I got to play with tons of kids.. of course I was doing Codenames: Disney and Super Mario Level up and had a ton of fun !!!

They brought Sandwiches in for us and did a coffee run.. they really took care of us... all weekend long 

I even got to walk around a bit more on Sunday and had friends drop by.. Luke from gaming group showed up and I got to teach him Codenames: Marvel.. he never played Codenames before and he is a huge marvel fan..


                    

They told me around 5 I could go, then asked me if I wanted a game... I selected The Thing and they set me up with a game and a bog and some promo stuff for my game nights... 


I got go buy some dice, and I forgot to go get other sets that I wanted

I went back to collect my stuff from our booth and they asked if I wanted another game... so I selected Codenames: Marvel

I successfully rolled my "Avoid Mass Transit" roll as Luke gave me a ride to my car... I treat my friends very well and this was rewarded 

I will add some final thoughts but here is the tiny gallery of Pictures not shown above


















Places To Play Games in the Area
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This is our  "Home" Store that we like to be at

                        Zieglerville 19492

https://www.facebook.com/caffeinatedgamingstore/


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Gamers Heaven Facebook Page


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Alternate Universes - East Norriton
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Local Meetup.com Board Game Groups
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https://www.meetup.com/GAME-20s-30s/     
This is the one we usually attend


https://www.meetup.com/Eastern-Montco-Game-Party-Meetup/

https://www.meetup.com/Bucks-County-Over-the-Hill-RPG-Gamers/

https://www.meetup.com/Gamers-Heaven-Tabletop-Game-Nights-Phoenixville/



Kick Starters and Projects

I have backed several Kickstarters and supported other projects: 

Sometimes, it requires a little Patience... Other times, it requires a Lot of Patience

I select the Kick starters I back based on several things:

1: What is the Project, do I really need it ?

I like dice, I tend to back more Dice projects than others. Don't get me wrong, I back game systems and Modules and board games.

2: What is the Backer Pledge ?

Hey, Everyone is concerned about getting the most for their money

3: When is the End Date ?

That is the date you get charged for the project

4: When is the Delivery date ?



5:  WHO is running the Kickstarter

------------------------------------------------
What is the Project, do I really need it ?


WHAT!? Pencil Dice
I backed these for the story behind the dice.. and the amusing story of what to look for in a failed Kickstarter.. good pointers for avoiding some pitfalls

The whole thing can read here:


The d12s you've always wanted: Mood and Weather dice!



These I backed because I like Cosmo Joe's stuff and the Pencil dice went so good. 
Unfortunately, there was an issue with my Kickstarter account (I had 2 and could not access one) so I double pledged this and it never got properly corrected to the level I pledged... 


Ernest Gary Gygax Jr.'s Marmoreal Tomb Campaign Starter

I pledged this for the name attached, It is late in delivery but I am confident, this will completed in the next few months... hopefully I can take delivery at GaryCon


Gunmetal Polyhedral RPG Dice In Complete Sets
These really do look as good as the picture... I had an issue with a chipped dice, but a replacement was sent ASAP and the issue resolved in an amazing fashion


Cortex Prime: A Multi-Genre Modular Roleplaying Game

I was looking at a system to run my next GaryCon game "The Pirates of Dark Water Lost Episode" and was considering a few systems that would require a purchase or rules adaption... this was one of them. Having played the Firefly RPG, I thought this would work... Cam banks assured me he would get the rules in my hands in plenty of time and I have gotten the working PDF that allowed me to write my game.. 


Top Secret: New World Order - the espionage roleplaying game
I backed this for the PDF, I have a credit with TSR from the Gygax Magazine folding that I am going to use to buy this after the Kickstarter.. I loved this game and the settings when it first came out so this was a no brainer to me...



These are a good sample of what I have backed

Sunday, October 15, 2017

Save Against Fear Convention




In my Sunday gaming group, Luke brought this Con to our attention and at the time, not too many games were listed. I figured, worst comes to worst, I can walk the mall and the Bass Pro shop is at the Harrisburg mall..  Hey, it would be a nice day out of the house anyway... But many games were added later and a Celebrity guest




I did not know much about the Bodhana group, I knew from my own experience with my now 12 year old that gaming was good for Social skills and the many other benefits of role playing as she has been in my gaming group for a while and I thank all the players in my groups that have shown so much patience with her.  This was going to be a charity event for the group so I had no issues running games..

You can read more About the group here:
http://www.thebodhanagroup.org/

And the Therapeutic applications here

http://www.thebodhanagroup.org/therapeutic-role-playing-groups


So I sent in a request to run 3 Games, I thought I would be safe with running 2 Firefly games and a Toon game. Not knowing the crowd, I did not want to go Old school for the day
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My Daughter and I arrived at just before 10 AM and I paid the one day fee. We went to find where we could play the First Firefly game, I was concerned that only 2 people signed up, but hoped that more would just hop in looking for a game... unfortunately no one else joined us and I had to cancel the game... We did play Firefly Fluxx for a bit and had a good time talk to the 2 players (Forgive me but I cannot recall the names)





So we all went off to find some board games to play, My Daughter and I went and Joined the Munchkin Tournament. We were at our FLGS the previous  Thursday for Game Night and had a great session of Munchkin, that gave her the confidence to play... Of course the 3 women co-operated in destroying my at every chance and helping each other... but it was fun in a masochistic sort of way


Then we got lunch in the food court..

After lunch people rounded up a few players for my Toon game and it was a Great time, they even managed to get me bursting out Laughing.. they had a great time and I had such fun running it for them


So Kassie was in the the finals of the Munchkin tournament while I was running Toon, and she had the Cosplay Costume Contest to go to...



She did win and get a prize for the Costume contest, a T-Shirt and Pins and a picture. Because she was the only Star wars Character, she got a Bonus game


She had seen this game and wanted it, it was going to go on her Christmas list


So then it was time for her to finish the Munchkin Tournament and she came in Third after a really cool game.. and got a Prize




After the Tournament we went to Meet Martin Klebba ( Pirates of the Caribbean, Scrubs, and Mirror Mirror)

Butcher 


I brought my Mirror Mirror movie for him to sign and got a picture with my Daughter







So then it came time for my 2nd Firefly RPG game, I had 7 signed up and 2 bailed out, so we ended up with 5 players. I ran the game, it started fine, we got about halfway through when people got hungry... So I said, left's take a 15 minute break and then continue...

1 player (playing Mal Reynolds, the main character) decided not to return. He gave no indication that he was not going to continue... He seemed to be having fun and the story was just heating up and getting good... I don't judge people but I am just going to say it was inconsiderate

I have run this several times at at other cons, but you cannot please everyone...

We did play Fluxx for a little bit and had our own fun talking

Then I was Talking to Jack Berkenstock, the man behind the entire convention... I wanted to Pick his brain as I may be looking to do something similar at our local mall for Charity

We had a great conversation and I am y be going to Paxx Unplugged in November because he is doing some panels there about the group.

http://unplugged.paxsite.com/


So, Overall I had a great time and my daughter enjoyed her first Convention.

I plan on doing some Old School Dungeons and Dragons games next year and will add this to my list of Conventions to attend.. ( I will update this in a few days)