This month I had what could be described as polar extremes of convention experiences. The first reminded me why I stopped going to conventions a long time ago. The second demonstrated just how much fun a convention can be when it's done properly.
I'll concede up front that comparing a science fiction convention to a gaming convention may be like comparing apples to oranges. But the science fiction con did have a gaming area, so I'm not completely off the mark here.
The first experience was, thankfully, a brief one. It happened at Norwescon, an annual science fiction convention in the Seattle area. This event has been going on for years now and has grown to quite a respectable size. I can't really comment on the programming and events, because I didn't pay to attend. Twenty-five dollars for one day is just a bit too much for me to swallow, especially because my interest in such things has waned dramatically since my high school days. But my gripe with the con has absolutely nothing to do with the convention itself. Instead, it has everything to do with the people attending it.
Once upon a time, science fiction conventions were gatherings of fairly normal, although often not socially clueful, people who share a common interest and want to discuss that interest with others. Somewhere along the line, "science fiction convention" became synonymous with "weirdness on parade."
Many attendees appear to look upon an SF con as an opportunity to wear the most bizarre garments the back of their closets can spew forth. Most conventions have a specific event dedicated to that purpose-- a masquerade, costume contest, etc. It's reasonable to assume that such events were organized to contain these outrageous get-ups in one place, providing a sanctioned outlet in which the frustrated and repressed could live out their fantasies of otherworldly lineage. But somebody somewhere left the cage door open and the loonies came chittering through.
Before anyone confuses me for Rush Limbaugh, I should say that I can understand and even support the impulse. Some people spend tremendous amounts of time and effort in the creation of their costume, many of which are truly spectacular. Naturally, they'd want to get as much use out of them as possible. But when people set out to "freak out the mundanes," I know things have gotten out of hand. I consider myself a mundane, thank you very much, and the antics and attitudes (not to mention body odor) of some convention attendees have disturbed me. Conversing with some of these people made me more than a little edgy-- I sometimes felt that if I didn't share their enthusiasm for their favorite author or celebrity their fragile hold on reality might snap, sending them racing for the nearest clock tower. Obviously, not everyone is this way. But the few who are far overshadow the rest.
Many of these people think that because they're at an event celebrating fictional works about alien societies, the mores of our society are suspended for the duration. Bzzzzzt! Thank you for playing. Until the mothership spirits you away, you're still in our world and have to play by our rules. When science fiction, fantasy, and gaming enthusiasts dress themselves up as outcasts, it's little wonder society so often regards them as such.
The second experience was, thankfully, far more pleasant. Alan Moon's annual Gathering of Friends was everything a gaming event should be: fun. It had none of the flash of a major convention, and its simplicity was its charm. All Game Report subscribers should have received an invitation to the event. If you missed it this year, I urge you to clear space on your calendar for the next go-round.
The Gathering took place at the Holiday Inn in Holyoke, MA. I'm not sure what the final tally of attendees was (Alan?) but I'd guess it was around fifty or sixty. The entire affair took place in one room smaller than your average Kentucky Fried Chicken's dining area. About six rows of long tables filled most of the room. Everyone was asked to bring at least one game, new or used, to donate as a prize. These were stacked on a table in a corner of the room for perusal throughout the weekend until the awards "ceremony" on Saturday. Tables along one wall held the bags, boxes, and stacks of games people brought with them to play. These quickly filled to capacity, as did the space beneath the tables. Virtually everyone brought games to play, and they ran the gamut from Taboo to tabletop wargames.
Each day had three timeslots for tournments (morning, afternoon, and evening). Attendees filled out a survey prior to the event, and the most popular tournaments (Acquire, Santa Fe, Wildlife Adventure, Liar's Dice, Adel Verpflichtet) filled an entire timeslot, with other tournaments going two to a timeslot (sometimes forcing some difficult choices). Alan tried to keep the size of tournament games small, presumably to make them move faster. People seemed divided about what the optimal number of players is for some games like Santa Fe and Wildlife Adventure. I'd have pegged them at four players each, but they were run as three-player games. Potayto, potahto. Other tournaments included Hearts/Oh Hell, Elfenroads, Six Day Race, Campaign Trail, Homas Tour, Civilization, Magic: The Gathering, Can't Stop, Airlines, Modern Art, Empire Builder, and Formel 1. For those keeping score at home, I came in third in Hearts/Oh Hell, second in Santa Fe, and first in Magic.
If you didn't feel like playing in the current tournament (or if you'd gotten yourself knocked out) there was no shortage of games to play and people with whom to play them. I'd estimate that about 95% of non-tournament play was with European games, many of which were new to me. Watch for full reviews of many in upcoming issues.
An Den Ufern Des Nils (On the Banks of the Nile): A game from Abacus about planting and harvesting crops along the Nile, which has the nasty tendency to flood and wash your crops away. You also have to watch out for the creeping desert. I didn't get a chance to play this one, but it was getting a lot of praise from people. Apparently there are some interesting tactical decisions, but a questionable amount of interaction amongst players. I ordered a copy based on the word of mouth.
Rette Sich Wer Kann (Every Man For Himself): Aka "the lifeboat game." Abandoning a sinking ship, players pile into lifeboats and try to make it to safety on nearby islands. But the boats spring leaks, and each turn players vote on which boat gets a leak, who in that boat gets pitched overboard, and which boat moves closer to safety. Lots of fun and great components. There's some concern over how replayable this will be with the same group of people, but otherwise it gets a big thumbs up. Full review next time.
Last Chance: Cute little dice game from Ravensburger wherein players bid for the right to try to roll a certain combination on five dice in a given number of throws. Other players can make side bets, and you need to make at least one combination in order to win. Simple and not much depth, but winner of the "Most Boisterous Fun" award. I liked it.
Diceball: This one's American and was featured in a recent Games Magazine. The copy at The Gathering was in constant use, but it left me cold. Dice rolling, dice rolling, and more dice rolling, this baseball game offered no tactical decisions to the players. Yahtzee has more to offer. Granted, we were playing the basic game and perhaps the advanced rules jazz things up. I'm not eager to play it again.
Intrige: Players send workers in five different professions to seek employment in other kingdoms. Kingdoms have jobs at five different salary levels, and which one you get depends on how much you're willing to bribe the king. Of course, you're getting cash from jobseekers in your kingdom, too. This game was a riot, and felt a lot like Junta without the tactical battles. Like Family Business and Rette Sich Wer Kann, it's one of those games where schmoozing and diplomacy are more important than strategy, and where players can arbitrarily gang up on someone. For some, that's not their cup of tea. But Intrige shot to the top of my must-buy list after just one play.
Vernissage: The third art game to come along in as many years and with completely different mechanics from Modern Art and Adel Verpflichtet. Some feel the theme was grafted on as an afterthought, but I liked the way it played and hope to review it in-depth soon.
En Garde and Attacke: A pair of card games from Reiner Knizia were both getting a good deal of play. The former is fencing game for two players, while the latter involves jousting amongst a number of players. Knizia is rapidly assembling a respectible list of credits, and has joined my short list of designers whose games I will buy sight- unseen. Watch for more on these card games in future issues.
Even the most amazing games would have fallen flat with the wrong people playing them. Fortunately that wasn't a problem. The best part of the weekend was seeing old friends and making new ones. It was a blast to finally come face to face with people I've "known" on the Net for years. If I had such a large group of great people around my area, I'd never have time to write this 'zine-- I'd be gaming all the time. I hope the friends I met at the Gathering will keep in touch in the coming year (preferably with fodder for our Letters column), and I'm already eager to do all over again next year.
Many thanks to Alan for running such a fun event. I hope to see all the old faces, and many more new ones, at the Gathering of Friends VI next April.