[Heads up!] Table-top Gaming Track for AC2010!!
Hello friends and fellow game hosts!
This quick entry is to get folks willing to host games at Anthrocon 2010 thinking about what they'd like to host as part of the Table Top Gaming track. We made a great start to rebuilding this track in 2009 and all the games were well received; I want to see that trend continue.
I'm looking to fill next year's schedule with table-top Role Playing Games, Collectible Card Games, Non-casino Card Games, Board Games, Game Demonstrations, Miniatures Games, Live Action Role Play and Group/Party Games (Human Chess, Lupus in Tabula, Twister).
If you already know you want to run games at next year's AC, feel free to e-mail me at foxesden AT hotmail.com I'll be beating the bushes in earnest starting in January.
This notice was modified to alleviate further misinterpretation.
Thank you for your time!
Swift Fox
Table-Top Gaming Track
tabletop.gaming AT anthrocon.org
Anthrocon 2010
Am considering holding a ADnD 3.5 "Beginners" sessions, over the course of the con. It would be limited to 6 people, and most likely be all three main con days (Friday to Sunday), mainly because I anticipate making characters to take one full day.
Not quite sure if it'll fly, as I'm still working out the kinks, but I know of three people who are interested, if it happens.
You gonna work up a "whole" game or just throw some test scenes at'm? Just wonderin'. 
Was figuring on a whole game, as far as we could get.
Would have to be after the Den closes, though, as I hope to have a table in there. Hence, it possibly taking the whole weekend. Not sure whether people would want to commit to that. :/
Typically what works well are 3-4 hour "dungeon crawls" as they are called at Gaming Cons. It's a short, point A to point B, scenario with a climactic finish using pre-generated characters. Primers are provided to highlight the system mechanics and any special rules for each individual character so players don't need game system handbooks. Most of the time these are written for a player new to the game, but more popular systems can be held for "experienced" players. Expect to have a set or two of dice for players to borrow.
Want to give more people the chance to play your game? Offer the same game up twice? If the same person shows up for both, have them play a different character the second time and remind them to keep Out of Character knowledge out of the game. Let the randomness of the dice help make the two games different.
Anyway, toss me an email at tabletop.gaming AT anthrocon.org and I'll help you get started so you can get on the schedule.
Thank you for your interest!
Swift Fox
Table-top Gaming Track
Anthrocon 2010
Swifty:
A couple of games that I think may be good as "general gaming" options might be: Exago, Abalone, and Blokus (or Blokus Trigon).
I've played these simple board games at parties and people have really gotten into them and enjoyed them. Just a thought.
KP
I'll play you in Abalone any day, K.P. I'm *mean* at that game.
...well, I was in high school. been a bit.
Lupus In Tabula, Lupusburg, Werewolves of Millers Hollow, Snorta, Killer Bunnies.
Some other options: http://tinyurl.com/yg2m784
Swift;
I hope this comes as a reasonable question: will there be much advance notice as to specific games being played? I don't necessarily mean individual sessions (though I sincerely hope we're not talking more than one or two LARPs; that sort of thing isn't really tabletop and needs a lot more prep and room) as much as which RPGs would be popped in. Games like Ironclaw and Jadeclaw, along with the newest version of Albedo (or older Chessex, too) would be natch, and Werewolf (Apocalypse, I hope, as opposed to Forsaken) are easy paw-ins; Justifiers or Other Suns might both need a lot of hands-on prep as I suspect the bulk of modern Furry fans who also game might not be old enough to be familiar with them (that more or less includes me, mind; i know of Justy from an oldschool gaming fan who also is a furry and a good friend no less, and OS from my very early BBSing days I regularly chatted up Nick Shapero over Fidonet). Palladium Fantasy is a thought, as well as Rifts, with all of the anthropomorphic races available.
The reason I'm bringing this up is because of the rather lax prep, supervision and running of RPGs (at all) at the last con I went to that for several years sported a gaming track. (In the last 3 years I attended, the company that managed its GT dropped off the map.) I can only clearly recall two sessions that went from beginning to end during the 10 years or so I attended; one was a Scho-ka-Kola and Coke one=shot Rifts session that went into the wee hours, and the other...actually, was a Rifts game as well, and was just as enjoyable (and run by an old friend whom I hadn't seen in for eight years or so, completely out of the blue!), but it wasn't even a registered game and had three players (two of whom had to jump out halfway through), besides myself and the GM. The first year I went, I played in a comfortable but totally wretched Werewolf game that fizzled after the Garou we played got into a scuffle with some throwaway Black Spiral Dancers, and for 3 hours- I still shiver when I think about this- 3 freaking hours- the bulk of the players were cluelessly struggling to handle a single 5-minute combat round. I'm not putting myself on a pedestal or anything, I wasn't then nor am now a hardcore gamer in any sense of them word, but that experience left a really bad taste in my mouth when it came to 'convention games'.
I guess a good question might be this: will there be a section of this site eventually put up to tout what games are scheduled to be played? I really think it'd be an asset, especially for LARPs, if we're talking more supplies than dice, pencils, and books (costumes, perhaps). I know AC 2010 is still 7 months away, but I thought it good to ask. Danke!
-Worker.
First off...Thank you to Black Jack...You hit it on the head with your response.
To reiterate a few points...
We'll do our very best to keep everyone up to speed on what games, systems, events are being offered at the convention to support the gaming track. Game hosts are welcome and encouraged to post about and drum up support for their respective games right here and anywhere else outside of this forum that might be expeditious.
We supply the game host with a form that they fill out letting us know what they need space wise, a whole room or a table or two, what day and approximately what time they'd like to start the event, and how long they think they need to carry it out to conclusion. Typically, pick up game demos and board games ask for 1-2 hours; Table Top RPG's request 4 hours; CCG and other tournaments seek about 4-6+ hours; LARPs and Miniature games need around 4-6 hours also to give them time to get the characters and setting ironed out and then have time to play. The Game Host is the best judge of how long they need to run their game. They're the experts. I just manage the schedule and the space to try and make it all work and coordinate the track with other Con Staff.
Of the games you mentioned in the first paragraph...none of them are guaranteed unless a Game Host comes forward to host them. Last year Sanguine Games, makers of IronClaw, JadeClaw and Albedo, weren't even represented even after exhaustive calls for GM's by both myself and Sanguine's staff.
I'll conclude by saying that, in my opinion, we had an exceptionally successful Table-top Gaming track at Anthrocon last year. Every game host I talked to was overwhelmed by the response and excited to come back and do it again in 2010. If you've got a game that you'd like to run at AC this coming year and would like to get on the schedule, drop me a line at tabletop.gaming AT anthrocon.org.
Thanks for your input.
Swift Fox
Table-top Gaming Track
Anthrocon 2010
-Comes into thread all sneaky-like-
There should be a Warhammer table or something! I'm gonna need to get my gaming fix and there's no army more appropriate to bring to a furcon than my Skaven!
-Leaves sneakily-
I'm not Swiftfox, but I can answer some of that based on AC gaming experience.
(Which Swift can overrule me on if necessary since he's "official".)
I guess a good question might be this: will there be a section of this site eventually put up to tout what games are scheduled to be played?
Yes. We call that the Gaming section. It's up now. You and I are posting in it.
Anyone running a game, anyone floating the idea of a game and seeking interest on it
and so on, could (and should) post here about it. In fact, people who want to see
a game run should post here about it. (That's how I first ended up running a
LARP- others posted a thread asking if anyone would be running a LARP, and I
ended up being the best-qualified attendee to run one.)
I hope this comes as a reasonable question: will there be much advance notice as to specific games being played? I don't necessarily mean individual sessions (though I sincerely hope we're not talking more than one or two LARPs; that sort of thing isn't really tabletop and needs a lot more prep and room) as much as which RPGs would be popped in.
Besides people posting threads about it here, I expect there will be a thread
with the names that are finalized, and there will be limited listings in the schedule.
(Personally, I think we could use more SPECIFIC notice this year than we usually
get-some games are listed in the schedule, but many have no notice I could find as an
attendee, and I'm not likely to trek to the gameroom to see if MAYBE a game I like
is running. I've gone when a game was written somewhere.)
Your concern about rooms for LARPs is unwarranted. Swift is an experienced LARPer and
was well-aware when I first spoke to him that LARPs need room to operate freely.
Proposed LARPs for this year should be put forth as early as possible so all details
can be ironed out- like what KIND of space, how MUCH space, and so on.
(If short notice is given, there's only so much he can do-most space will have been
spoken for already.) Tabletop games, of course, should give plenty of notice
as well, but they don't need large areas to themselves- one table is usually enough.
As to runtime of games and experience of GMs, that's up to the specific games and GMs.
My philosophy has always been that any game is just one dish on the buffet that is
AC, and no one game, event or panel should attempt to "take over" the event. People
should be free to attend other things besides them. (I initially considered a
2-panel, 2 episode LARP but scratched the idea pretty early-people weren't going to
attend AC primarily for LARPing.) Anyway, both the game's runtime and pacing need to
take that into account. You mentioned a game with a 3-hour combat. We've fit our entire
LARP inside of 3-hour blocks the past few years. (It takes careful writing, planning,
and management during the game's runtime. It CAN be done-but not purely through
improvising.) Anyone who wants to run a LARP and needs specifics is welcome to ask me
separately how it's done.
Random thought popped up in my head... Fursuit "Sorry" tournament. XD Don't know why, but seeing a bunch of furs knocking coloured pawns about and sarcastically woofing / mewing / calling out 'sorry' made me giggle.
My task is to provide the opportunity for furs to host table-top games at Anthrocon and do my best to schedule everything into the time and space allotted.
If you're interested in hosting a few games of Sorry at AC, drop me an e-mail at tabletop.gaming AT anthrocon.org and we can discuss what I need from you to get you onto the schedule.
Thank you for your interest!
Swift Fox
Table-Top Gaming Track
tabletop.gaming AT anthrocon.org
Anthrocon 2010
I should be back to host Rage again this time and hopefully I will not end up scheduled in two places at once this year! I had to reschedule one of the Rage demos last minute last year because I'd been scheduled to run an art panel at the same time. I unfortunately don't have a clone, so that just didn't work out...
Hey Fenris!
If I remember right your Rage game went pretty well last year and I'd be happy to have you back on the schedule again this year. (We'll try to do a better job about scheduling overlaps too.)
If you have your Gaming Event form for 2009 saved, just modify it to meet your needs, day, times, etc, for 2010 and send it over to me at tabletop.gaming AT anthrocon.org. If you need me to resend the form to you, toss me an e-mail to the addy above and I'll send it back over to you.
Thank you for your interest!
Swift Fox
Table-Top Gaming Track
tabletop.gaming AT anthrocon.org
Anthrocon 2010
Hey, would a few Magi-Nation CCG duels help nom on time?
I received your e-mail and have responded back regarding your idea.
Swift Fox
Table-Top Gaming Track
tabletop.gaming AT anthrocon.org
Anthrocon 2010
I've sent a few emails regarding timing and scheduling, have you received them?
I haven't seen anything. Currently I have your Magi-Nation Tourney scheduled for Friday 2-7pm.
Actually, disregard any of those missing emails about scheduling, the time you have the tournament set up is perfect.
Enough time to teach people and get a couple tournaments/rounds/games in.
Hey, I've got a couple more questions regarding what we can and can't do for the tournament. You said you didn't get my previous emails so hoping you see this message.
Popped this up on the front page and the Twitter feed for you.
Pennsylvania Furry? Be sure to check out http://www.pa-furry.org/