This is going to be the first of two posts here in the transition int the new year. My focus in the first is to wrap up the events of the old year, top it off with a bow, and then set the whole thing on fire.
PAX Wrap-up
Since my last post the major event for me was PAX AUS. The Penny Arcade Exposition Down Under.
I have never been in a position to attend conventions regularly, mostly due to financial reasons. So when the opportunity came up to attend a major gaming convention in what is for the moment my home town, I go all in.
When you read advice articles on attending these conventions, there are certain common threads. Point 1, plan ahead. Look at the schedule well ahead of time and identify the events that to do not want to miss. In the modern era, smartphones make this moderately easier. PAX even has its own app for this purpose. I only say moderately easier because when it comes down to it, you still have to be aware of the time, and when one is gaming that is often difficult.
Point 2, buy your con merchandise early. Many people have an aversion for standing in long lines. When you first approach the merch booth and see the hundreds of people waiting to check out, your first inclination is to come back later in the convention. Bad idea. You must fight instincts and wait in the line, unless you are not picky in the least, or wear an abnormally small t-shirt size. For big people like me, 3x and 4x t-shirts are the first things to run out and since restocking my wardrobe iwas part of the point of coming, in the queue I wait.
Point 3, be patient. Other than the merch booth, patience is critical. Day one of the convention is generally for scouting. Fine the booths that have the long lines and mark those to hit first on day two and three.
The Panel Discussions
There were a lot of interesting sounding ones but I skipped most in lieu of game playing. There were a couple I did attend.
How Geekery Saved My Life and Made Me Who I Am: This was a semi interesting discussion amongst people (primarily from the video game industry) who used gaming and game design to turn their apparently uninteresting lives around into a fulfilling career. To topic sounded interesting to me simply because I had a similar experience in college. It was gaming, and all of the wonderfully strange people that came with it that made my college experience great.
Geekological Diversity, Tabletop Edition: Diversity in gaming is a big deal at these conventions, much as it is within other media industries. The panel in this case started with stories of how gaming was for them difficult due to the lack of inclusiveness in their local communities and how they eventually broke through and reached fulfillment in the gaming industry. One of the other main points that was made was that board/rpg games themselves are sorely lacking in gender and cultural diversity. Much was said about board games that feature no female figures anywhere in the artwork, and RPGs that thrive on "tired old tropes" and cultural references. While I am certainly on board with the idea that diversity is important, I questioned the panel what they considered the end goal to be. Was the goal full diverse representation within the art and themes within the games themselves, or is the goal a community that is itself fully inclusive and welcoming to anyone that wants to play? In practice I did not really get a straight answer out of anyone on the panel. They seemed to be more focused on the former, being primarily a gaming industry problem. I feel that the latter is the more appropriate goal. As long as anyone who wants to play games can, and they enjoy the experience, the rest is secondary. Not unimportant, but secondary.
Games Played:
The Good, The Bad, The Munchkin - Muchkin tournament. I lost in a close game. Did get a free card out of the deal. WHEE!
Sushi Go - Casual game that I tripped over in the food court with friends made in the entrance queue. This is one of the best filler card games that Gamewright has released in recent memory. I will likely have to add this to my wish list.
Quaddle - This is a fascinating little indie game that I got to play with the designer. It is an abstract game, looking like a strange combination of Othello and Tetris. I have not been that into abstracts lately, but this one was a lot of fun.
RoboRally - Played a LOT of this. Mostly in one long tournament. I lost the tournament on points, but had the high number of robot kills, so I came out of the experience with a rare PAX Challenge Coin.
Magic: the Gathering (TT and iPad version) - Even though I have been out of the loop of Magic for a long time, I can't let the game go completely, especially when they have free stuff. All I had to do was pretend to be a newbie and I got a free deck of cards.
Scythe - This one is always a blast. In this case I tripped over a group that needed a teacher. I was happy to do so and fun was had by all.
Catan - another couple tournaments. Lost every time. I don't play this game nearly enough to be able to win consistently.
Carcassonne - another tournament. Came closer to winning, but again lost to the experts.
Between Two Cities - taught this one too. Even though this does not feel to me like a filler game, the short game play serves that purpose.
Final War CCG - Because of my experience with Magic, I am always hesitant to even try another CCG. This one looked a little interesting because it was advertised as a more tactical game, and they were giving away free stuff.
So finally, the haul.
I did not walk away with nearly as much as some, and certainly not as much as I could have. I did manage to exercise a measure of restraint.
Merch:
2 PAX AUS 2016 T-shirts (the aforementioned wardrobe replenishment)
PAX 2015 Pin (grab bag)
2 PAX AUS Neoprene Playmats
PAX AUS Slap Bracelet
PAX AUS Water Bottle
Magic: The Gathering Water bottle with LEDs (free from demo tasks)
PAX AUS 2016 Patch
PAX 2016 Challenge Coin
Games:
Red Dragon Inn Allies: Keep and Nitrel - Filling out the RDI collection
Dominion: Seaside - picked this up off of the clearance shelf
Magnum Opus - Very interesting deck builder.
Final War CCG - I caved. It made a difference that they spent the entire convention throwing free booster backs at me.
Final (non PAX) Notes on 2016
In many ways, this past year sucked mightily. In other ways it was really a very good year. The year started with a gaming goal with which circumstances interfered (reference year suckage). Even though that goal fell apart, there was a lot of games and a lot of good gaming in the past year. My job is stable and remains interesting. The family adventure in Australia continues to be fun and interesting, and yet we are all looking forward to the time when we return to be closer to friends and family. While there are those lost in the past year that we will dearly miss, those that remain have our health and each other. And as long as we can sit down and play a game together, that is something to be thankful for.
Other games acquired recently:
Evolution: Climate - Conversion Kit & Promo Pack III
Vinhos Deluxe Edition
Xibalba
The Oregon Trail Card Game
Tiny Epic Western
Red Dragon Inn: 3
Red Dragon Inn Allies: Halden, Zariah, Pooky, Erin, Wrench
Lords of Waterdeep
Speedy Recall
Qwixx
Gubs
2 PAX AUS 2016 T-shirts (the aforementioned wardrobe replenishment)
PAX 2015 Pin (grab bag)
2 PAX AUS Neoprene Playmats
PAX AUS Slap Bracelet
PAX AUS Water Bottle
Magic: The Gathering Water bottle with LEDs (free from demo tasks)
PAX AUS 2016 Patch
PAX 2016 Challenge Coin
Games:
Red Dragon Inn Allies: Keep and Nitrel - Filling out the RDI collection
Dominion: Seaside - picked this up off of the clearance shelf
Magnum Opus - Very interesting deck builder.
Final War CCG - I caved. It made a difference that they spent the entire convention throwing free booster backs at me.
Final (non PAX) Notes on 2016
In many ways, this past year sucked mightily. In other ways it was really a very good year. The year started with a gaming goal with which circumstances interfered (reference year suckage). Even though that goal fell apart, there was a lot of games and a lot of good gaming in the past year. My job is stable and remains interesting. The family adventure in Australia continues to be fun and interesting, and yet we are all looking forward to the time when we return to be closer to friends and family. While there are those lost in the past year that we will dearly miss, those that remain have our health and each other. And as long as we can sit down and play a game together, that is something to be thankful for.
Other games acquired recently:
Evolution: Climate - Conversion Kit & Promo Pack III
Vinhos Deluxe Edition
Xibalba
The Oregon Trail Card Game
Tiny Epic Western
Red Dragon Inn: 3
Red Dragon Inn Allies: Halden, Zariah, Pooky, Erin, Wrench
Lords of Waterdeep
Speedy Recall
Qwixx
Gubs
