Colorado Events: Past Present and Future

[someguy]

I attended MileHiCon yesterday. A table had been reserved in the gaming section for a day of Heroscape. The guy who arranged it didn't show up. The table sat there, acquiring a coating of empty bottles and half-drunk soda cups.

I still had a good time. I met authors whose work I admire, and I felt like a cultural anthropologist observing the geekfest. Yet as I saw hundreds of people shuffling past the empty table where Heroscape had been scheduled, I was aware of a missed opportunity. New players could have been recruited, new energies and ideas brought in, and the sales could have increased, which would have helped grow the game.

There's a smaller, newer convention, called MAGNACon. It's scheduled from January 15th to the 17th. It's devoted to gaming, and its profits will go to charity. I realize it's in conflict with the tentative scheduling for the next Colorado event, but I think it would be a good idea if a group of scape fans contacted them soon and scheduled some HeroScape activities -- I'd like to see it on this page, soon. We can play scape and other games, raise money for charity, have fun, meet people, and recruit new Heroscapers.

If we want to make a tournament structure, now's the time to start planning it -- coming up with prizes, etc. I'd like to have some non-tournament games as well, since I felt the competition structure lost a lot of the enjoyable aspects of the games we've played at home -- but that's for another post.

[dok]

Originally Posted by someguy

There's a smaller, newer convention, called MAGNACon. It's scheduled from January 15th to the 17th. It's devoted to gaming, and its profits will go to charity. I realize it's in conflict with the tentative scheduling for the next Colorado event, but I think it would be a good idea if a group of scape fans contacted them soon and scheduled some HeroScape activities -- I'd like to see it on this page, soon. We can play scape and other games, raise money for charity, have fun, meet people, and recruit new Heroscapers.

Well, I don't think we've got enough people to pull off a solid event on the 16th in Boulder AND an event at Magnacon on the same day. That leaves three obvious choices:

1. Don't participate in Magnacon.
2. Cancel the Boulder library reservation and run the event that day at Magnacon, plus some other sideboard events to encourage newcomers.
3. Still have the event in Boulder on the 16th, and then do something at Magnacon on the 17th.

All three work for me, frankly. I live 5-10 minutes from where they're holding Magnacon, so it's very convenient for me.

Originally Posted by someguy

If we want to make a tournament structure, now's the time to start planning it -- coming up with prizes, etc. I'd like to have some non-tournament games as well, since I felt the competition structure lost a lot of the enjoyable aspects of the games we've played at home -- but that's for another post.

One of the nice things about the rolling format is people could drop out and join in freely. There's no reason we couldn't take a walk-on player halfway into the event, and there's no reason four people couldn't take a break from the event for a team game or other more exotic scenario.

[Elginb]

Originally Posted by dok

No clear victor? Watchutalkinaboutwillis? Q9 would have sent all those heroes to the grave, and The blade gruts would have been nothing but tasty snacks in zombieland.

Seriously, though - yeah, the idea of using the rumble to set up the semis and finals seems to make more sense than starting with an elimination draw.

Setting that aside, though, I still like the second idea in general. This gets to my earlier argument that close games are more fun than blowouts. (Of course, you had your most fun game playing a 2-1 army against a 1-3 army, so maybe I'm off-base here.)

That game against the 1-3 army was close, and that's one of the reasons I liked it And, you know, the last time a frenzy army was popular, Charos was a force to be reckoned with, too, so I don't think it should be such a surprise that it was a close game from an army perspective...

Anyway, sorry if I created a controversy about your win-- I thought I heard you say something to that effect at the end of the tournament...

Originally Posted by someguy

There's a smaller, newer convention, called MAGNACon. It's scheduled from January 15th to the 17th. It's devoted to gaming, and its profits will go to charity. I realize it's in conflict with the tentative scheduling for the next Colorado event, but I think it would be a good idea if a group of scape fans contacted them soon and scheduled some HeroScape activities -- I'd like to see it on this page, soon. We can play scape and other games, raise money for charity, have fun, meet people, and recruit new Heroscapers.

I'm not much of a big crowd person, so I'll probably pass on this one. It's a good idea, though. If we want to reschedule our event for February or something, I'm certainly willing to push it back...

Originally Posted by dok

I understand that. However, I also don't feel there's a clear divide between "play for fun" and competitive play. To me, competitive army selection is fun. I also much prefer close, highly tactical games (including losses) to blowout wins against mismatched armies. I think some stratification where the stronger players/armies gradually end up facing off towards the end of the event leads to more fun for everyone.

I guess when I say "competitive", I'm referring to tournaments. I mean, Heroscape is a game with winning conditions, so it's competitive by it's very nature, but there are different ways to play it that aren't as rigid as the traditional tournament structure. I mean, we could have a game day without a tournament structure at all, in which we play a bunch of pick-up games, build maps in a more casual way, use custom units, do role-playing etc. But there would still be plenty to be competitive about.

Mind you, I actually want to have a tournament-- I'm in to that sort of thing. I have some issues with the bring-one-army-for-the-whole-day thing (counter-drafting is one of my very favorite things to do in Heroscape, and it gets short-shrift on the tournament scene), but I enjoy a good, tight, sweat inducing game. I enjoy challenging myself in that way, and I like how facing tough competition makes me a better player.

But others clearly want some room for non-tournament games, so let's try to work it in somehow.

Originally Posted by someguy

If we want to make a tournament structure, now's the time to start planning it -- coming up with prizes, etc. I'd like to have some non-tournament games as well, since I felt the competition structure lost a lot of the enjoyable aspects of the games we've played at home -- but that's for another post.

I get the impression that the tournament structure wasn't to a few folks' liking, and I'd like to get some more specific input on other ways to do the event. I think we're going to have a tournament, but there's no reason why we can't have other things going at the same time.

So, what I need to hear from those who care:

Outside of the tournament structure, what would make this Event more fun for you?

[Cyborgs Gaming]

If the next event is pushed back to Feburary, or even March it is more likely that I would be able to attend. There is Genghis con in Feburary also but I won't be attending that this year either, I don't think. At some point in the coming months I will be hosting a Heroscape event at my house. In the nature of it, there will only be 4 players at a time and it's using almost all of my terrain. I could build one or two smaller maps for those not participating in the event though and I could alternate two groups of 4 players through the main map. I'd probably play in the 2nd group since they will have also already seen how it works before playing, unlike the first group which I would just be referie for. Thing is my event will be on a Weekday, most likely a Tuesday evening.

[GeneralRolando]

Well in my ultra brief overview of this thread, I think I like the whole idea that we do rolling rumble for 3-4 hours and then switch to the team games or whatever we decide to do.

I liked the 520 point limet though I wouldn't mind more or less or maybe a reserve for the switching of game types.

Any date works for me. I will probably be snowboarding like crazy in january though but that shouldn't get in the way too much.

Also, does anyone know how to get a hold of Spider? We were going to make a trade for a dice tower. I tried e-mailing but she hasn't replied. Is she on Heroscapers? Facebook maybe?

-GR-

[someguy]

I'm going to push for MAGNACon. It's fifteen dollars for a three-day pass. We can schedule different events on different days -- a tournament day, a day of drafted armies, etc.

I checked out Enchanted Grounds. It's NICE. It's roomy, and it has a good selection of coffee and other drinks. They're actively soliciting people to bring a regular game, which will go on their calendar, and they have the largest assortment of Heroscape I've seen for sale in Colorado. It's just off I-25.

http://enchantedgrounds.com/index.html

[GeneralRolando]

Originally Posted by someguy

I checked out Enchanted Grounds. It's NICE. It's roomy, and it has a good selection of coffee and other drinks. They're actively soliciting people to bring a regular game, which will go on their calendar, and they have the largest assortment of Heroscape I've seen for sale in Colorado. It's just off I-25.

http://enchantedgrounds.com/index.html

This definitely sounds like a good idea. It would be awesome if we started something here. I'm going to visit this place tomorrow. We would just need to make sure that we have a good amount of people maybe once a month?

[Cyborgs Gaming]

Originally Posted by GeneralRolando

Well in my ultra brief overview of this thread, I think I like the whole idea that we do rolling rumble for 3-4 hours and then switch to the team games or whatever we decide to do.

I liked the 520 point limet though I wouldn't mind more or less or maybe a reserve for the switching of game types.

Any date works for me. I will probably be snowboarding like crazy in january though but that shouldn't get in the way too much.

Also, does anyone know how to get a hold of Spider? We were going to make a trade for a dice tower. I tried e-mailing but she hasn't replied. Is she on Heroscapers? Facebook maybe?

-GR-

She hasn't gotten on Heroscapers. I just normally call her. Heroscape isn't really her main game, she mostly does RPG's, large group games like Werewolf (how we met), and Horror games like Arkham Horror. She generally goes to any convention she can go to and plans most gaming events well in advance. I don't think she has a computer, or at least she didn't when I was there. I can ask her about when she wants to do another event but I'm also still in the process of moving and unavailable for awhile myself.

[Elginb]

Because of MAGNACon and some folks' schedules, I took the liberty of reserving the Boulder Library Community Room for Saturday, March 6th from 10-6.

So, you guys need to let me know if I should cancel my reservation for January 16th-- do you all want to focus on getting something at MAGNACon? Or should we try to do both MAGNACon and an event in Boulder?

Anyway, as it stands now, we have the Boulder Library Community Room reserved if we want it at the following times:

Saturday, January 16th, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 6th, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Let me know if I should change anything.

[Cyborgs Gaming]

I do not plan to attend in January. In March I will almost definatly attend.

Spider is hosting a Heroscape day at her house in Boulder on Monday November 16th, so only 10 days away. I won't be able to corridinate things on here for it, she is the one running it. I won't bother with a new thread for it either. If anyone wants info about where to go for it, just send me a pm. Might take me a few days to respond though. I don't have internet right now and can only pick it up every once in awhile from places with free wi-fi. I'm at Shari's resturant right now having an appetizer sampler.

Also every Tuesday at 7:00 pm from now on is game night at my house. I won't have the same game twice in one month though, Heroscape will be a regular game but that isn't the main purpose of the game day. I will likely have it on Friday nights too but very rarely for Herocape on that night because of time factor.

[someguy]

Some people enjoy hosting events in their homes. I grok that.

I see a lot of advantages to playing in public places, such as gaming conventions and friendly local game stores. A game could be scheduled as a regular event on a calendar, and then there'd be a lot less need for working through the logistics every month. It wouldn't be dependent on a single person's scheduling conflicts and life demands. The location will be easier to find -- a huge sign out front. New people will feel less intimidated walking into a store than into a stranger's home. Playing at game shops could attract new players to the game, drawing new strategic minds and new energy.

We wouldn't be free to order pizza or bring popcorn, chips & salsa, and so on. Are there other disadvantages to playing at game shops that I haven't thought of?

Personally, I'd like to set up Heroscape gaming at every gaming and sci-fi convention, as well as a regular game at Enchanted Grounds. Enchanted Grounds is a cafe and a gaming store, with long tables where people play games.

[GeneralRolando]

Originally Posted by someguy

We wouldn't be free to order pizza or bring popcorn, chips & salsa, and so on. Are there other disadvantages to playing at game shops that I haven't thought of?

I disagree. At almost any venue, even at libraries, I have ordered pizza and dominoes brought it to me.^^