Games Run:
Agents of SWING: Ran this three times, went jolly well. I think the prevalence of CSI thinking has impinged on the 60’s style though given everyone was FAR too interested in the stomach contents of the dead though once they got to the foreign locations and the evil base and so on it all got back on track. One group utterly failed to thwart the evil scheme. I think this one will work better as a published adventure outside of the confines of a con slot.
PROJECT: A simple playtest but it’s thrown up a few interesting issues and highlighted the need to get the world across more strongly. If everything goes well I reckon we can get this out next summer.
Blood!: I ran this twice, Steve ran it once for me. Very bloody, very messy and plenty of ideas for revising the rules when I get around, finally, to putting together Hell on Earth.
Invaderz: Ran Operation: Operation, where they were micronised and inserted into the body of the president. Hijinx ensued. Deadly hijinx.
Games Played:
Perfect: Interesting GMless game about a dystopian Victorianesque, Big Brother society. We only got through a few turns and I don’t think me or Carl quite got into the right spirit of the thing since it’s meant to be about people wanting to do ‘normal’ things, but being constricted by the society. I, however, decided to play an evil, criminal genius conspiring to undermine the whole of society while Carl played a ‘ripper’ murderer. Still, it was fun and I’d have bought it if the only copy hadn’t sold.
Forbidden Island: We own a copy, but playing with other people I think we were maybe doing something a little wrong, not that it really matters that much to gameplay.
Cthulhu Gloom: Fun game with see-through cards that leads to some very interesting card interactions and modes of play. Everyone’s doomed, you just have to make it interesting and the untimely demise of your characters scores you points.
Deathwatch: While not as memorable as ‘melta rape’, playing a space marine ‘ninja’ sneaking around in power armour was good fun. Especially when it completely boned the GM’s plans 🙂
I don’t get to play much at cons… alas… too much work.
Loot Accrued:
Skull faced soft-toy monkey (for the wife).
Purple dragon top (for the wife).
Resident Evil deck building game (for the wife).
Ant Attack card game (again, for the wide).
Airship Pirates: Yarrrr
Umlaut – which I had helped playtest at a previous Indiecon.
3:16 – Been meaning to pick it up for ages.
Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple – I like these GMless story games but don’t know when I’m going to play them. They do make good story exercises though.
Titan: Fighting Fantasy worldbook – I still have my original Out of the Pit and wanted this back in the day, so nostalgia time.
Assorted GM screens – useful reference.
MARS – Savage Worlds version. GMS can be a tool, but so can ERB inc. I’m a sucker for Barsoom and shake my fist at the legal shenanigans but perhaps I can do something cool with it. Also: nipples.
Report:
Indiecon is rad as ever and while I’ve never thought of it as a particularly commercial con – being more about playing, playtesting and networking, it made me almost as much cash as Gencon ever did. Which was nice.
Generally a good crowd, always a couple of dysfunctional people around by most of the con goers are mature and can handle such situations without making anyone feel bad. Child friendly – which was nice to see though it made me start feeling ‘broody’ 🙂
Compared to a lot of cons I feel Indiecon is also more welcoming to women and girls and despite expanding it still retains an atmosphere almost like going to your mate’s house for a weekend of gaming, just with added awesomeness.
I would still like to see some seminars or round-table talks between/with/to/at game designers and would-be games designers as I think this would add value to the con as one for Indie gamers and designers. It would be nice to brainstorm with each other more than how happens already by chance.
I think the ‘Muster’ tradition is one that’s going to have to go if the con gets any bigger. Gathering everyone together to dole out games is becoming too time consuming, loud and cramped which is a pity, but something I feel needs addressing.
Quote of the con was Mick Red talking about Agents of SWING:
It’s like Spycraft, only not shit.
If I ever did another edition and if I didn’t worry about people not having a sense of humour, that’d go on the damn cover.
Postmortem Studios 