In this thread, we'll be putting together the Indie RPG Explosion at Dreamation '05 in January in New Brunswick, NJ.
What are our goals?
As Double Exposure has generously offered sales space, I say we focus on selling games. I think that should be our primary goal with a secondary goal of promoting awareness of the "indie scene." Along with these goals, we must also fulfill what DE has requested of us: A) Run at least one game in every timeslot and B) participate in a forum on Independent Publishing.
How do we meet those goals?
By running great games. Particularly by running those games that we'll have on-hand to sell. Looking at Luke's stock (which will be there even if he won't), plus what Dregg and Tony bring, we'll have the following games to sell:
Capes
Dogs in the Vinyard
InSpectres
My Life with Master
No Press Anthology
octaNe
Pulp Era
Sorcerer (& Supplements)
Universalis
With Great Power...
The convention has 12 time slots (Thursday 8PM and midnight, Friday and Saturday 10AM, 3PM, 8PM and Midnight, and Sunday 10AM and 2PM.) Ten games in twelve slots means that some games will need to be run more than once. No problem there.
Since we'll have product and a cashbox at the table, that will need to be manned continuously. I think if we each take a few slots when we're not running games, we'll be covered.
I need everyone involved to answer the following questions: (here, preferrably, but PM will do)
A) When do you expect to arrive at the con and when do you expect to depart?
B) Will you be taking advantage of the crash space generously provided by Double Exposure (four double beds if I understand correctly)?
C) What games, of those listed above, will you be willing and able to run for a 4-hour session? How many time slots will you be willing to run in?
D) How interested would you be in participating in the forum on independent publishing?
I'd like everyone's responses by next Friday, 11/12 at the latest. I'll draw up a schedule and submit it to DE by 11/26. We'll talk about flyers and any other promotional stuff later.
I'll go first:
A) Kat and I will go Thursday night and stay till Sunday, after the last slot.
B) Kat and I will be making use of crash space.
C) I'm willing to run Dogs in the Vinyard, InSpectres, My Life with Master, No Press Anthology, octaNe, Sorcerer, Universalis, or With Great Power... and I'm willing to run a maximum of 8 slots.
Kat's willing to run Dogs in the Vinyard, My Life with Master,or With Great Power...
D) I'd be rather interested (7 out of 10) in participating in a panel on independent publishing. Kat's not interested.
I hope to hear from everyone soon.
Is there any sort of "buy-in" charge involved with this? From reading the other thread, it didn't sound like it, but I wanted to double check.
Thanks!
There is never a charge for company reps to come to our events and have demo/display space. Just tell me how many badges you need, and send me names/reg info, and they'll be waiting for you at registration. The only out-of-pocket expenses for publishers are travel costs, any meals outside of what we're providing in the staff suite (and we really do keep the basics covered for every meal as long as you don't need anything fancy), and sleep space. And in the case of the Forge-associate Indie publishers, you will have two rooms with two double beds each for sleeping. One, of course, will offer a little less crash time since there will be parties and games being run there.
And thank you so much for being willing to organize this, Michael! :) Just let me know, if you need anything at all from me.
Also, since I've already been asked once, the mass transit information to the hotel. I can find more specifics regarding NJ Transit, if people need it:
Take a Suburban Transit bus to the Neilson Parking Plaza. There may be more than one route that goes there so ask from which gate the next one is leaving. Usually they leave from Gate 420 or 421, in NYC.
Important point: though the hotel calls the stop Tower Center, the Suburban Transit website calls it the Neilson Parking Plaza.
Do NOT take the Suburban Transit bus to Transportation Center, it's not the same as Tower Center!
Do NOT take any NJ Transit bus (unless you you what you're doing).
I'm provisionally coming to Dreamation as well. (Hi, Helvetian! Mark me down.) I've got to clear it through work, but, well, I hate my job, so I'm coming whether I get an OK or not. The $100 JetBlue tickets are too good to pass up. I expect to arrive mid-afternoon on the 26th, and leave early[/b] on the 31st. I will be taking serious advantage of the crash space.
I definitely want to be on the independent publishing panel, specifically on technical tools to push your game. TSOY has been an awesome experience in using free, open-source tools, and I think it'll provide a good example of what you can do without buying into the Adobe publishing machine.
Games to sell
The Shadow of Yesterday
Donjon
Games I'll sign up to run
The Shadow of Yesterday
Sorcerer (with heavy &Sword influence, probably)
Oh! I forgot:
I will run kill puppies for satan like a motherfucker. I suggest a weird late-night 2-hour-kpfs/2-hour-dogs-in-the-vineyard game, but that might be because I'm very caffeinated.
Well, this has me confused. The Dreamation folks emailed me directly. Should I confirm through them or on this thread?
To answer the questions:
A) When do you expect to arrive at the con and when do you expect to depart?
I haven't booked any flights yet, but presumably afternoon 26th, evening 30th.
B) Will you be taking advantage of the crash space generously provided by Double Exposure (four double beds if I understand correctly)?
Hell yes.
C) What games, of those listed above, will you be willing and able to run for a 4-hour session? How many time slots will you be willing to run in?
Mike, you contemptible cur, what about my own game? Khannnn! I can run that (Primetime Adventures), plus Inspectres and Universalis no problem. I could also probably run Pagoda from the NPA.
However many time slots need to be filled, I will gladly run my share of them. How's that for an answer?
One Q: Any way we could split a 4-hour slot into two halves and run two shorter games? I think with many of these games, if not all, you could present a fantastic demo in 2 hours.
D) How interested would you be in participating in the forum on independent publishing?
I'm definitely interested, though I think I'd have less to say about publishing and more to say about finding an audience.
Quote from: Matt WilsonWell, this has me confused. The Dreamation folks emailed me directly. Should I confirm through them or on this thread?
One Q: Any way we could split a 4-hour slot into two halves and run two shorter games? I think with many of these games, if not all, you could present a fantastic demo in 2 hours.
D) How interested would you be in participating in the forum on independent publishing?
I'm definitely interested, though I think I'd have less to say about publishing and more to say about finding an audience.
Sorry about the confusion, both posting and emailing. Even with the invitation being posted, I still prefer to send emails to folks. You aren't all one entity, after all. And I want to be certain to reach everyone as individual companies. :)
Regarding the slots, you can absolutely schedule 2-hour demos. Those are likely much better for games done at the demo tables, with the 4-hour slots being used for more 'proper' games. If you guys want to schedule a separate track with just a series of shorter demos, we could certainly do that. Actually, it would help for scheduling who gets the small tables that I'll be setting around the public area for demos.
About the forums, I think it would be great to have one about finding an audience/pushing the games. That's pretty important. :)
(A) I'll show up Thursday pre-opening, and stay until Sunday post-close, running (and hopefully selling) Capes until my eyes bleed.
(B) I'll bring a sleeping bag, and happily crash on any corner of floor. Such memories! A bed would just spoil my nostalgia. Shower sure would be nice though... nostalgia only stretches so far.
(C) I'm very eager to run Capes. I can also give a try at InSpectres and MLwM, though I'm worried about my (total) lack of experience with the systems. Maximum of ten slots, more comfortable with eight. I'm keen to run both slots thursday, to burn off my initial frantic energy.
(D) I'm up for a panel. I can chatter unendingly (ask anyone!) about the creative process. I can speculate hopefully about what it means to be published, but will mostly buck those issues to folks with actual experience.
I've just spoken with Vinny, and he's letting me offer you guys one page worth of quarter-page ads in the Dreamation program book. We of course are accepting product for them, at a rate of $75/quarter-page ad. Naturally, we have half and full pages available for product swap as well, at rates of $150 and $250. The quarters will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Hey, maybe I should get this clarified for everyone.
The trade show regulars like Clinton and me are used to getting to a show the day before. Does this show start on Thursday evening or Thursday morning? If it starts in the evening, then I won't show up on the 26th, and maybe Clinton won't want to either.
Plus, what time does it end? Late Sunday or early Sunday?
Thanks.
Quote from: Matt WilsonHey, maybe I should get this clarified for everyone.
The trade show regulars like Clinton and me are used to getting to a show the day before. Does this show start on Thursday evening or Thursday morning? If it starts in the evening, then I won't show up on the 26th, and maybe Clinton won't want to either.
Plus, what time does it end? Late Sunday or early Sunday?
Matt,
We should probably wait for an official answer, but looking at the game schedule, it looks like a 8PM Thursday to 2PM Sunday thing, which confirms your thoughts. With that in mind, I'll be adjusting my travel to show up mid-afternoon on Thursday, and leave Sunday night.
The convention runs Thursday evening through Sunday afternoon. :)
Becca
I would very much like to come, by due to transportation costs, things don't look so good. (Anyone want to carpool?)
But anyway, Mike M. said he would schedule a time slot for The Mountain Witch if I could find someone to run it, and Clinton has offered to do that. So it looks like the 'Witch will be there.
If everything goes according to schedule, I should be able to take pre-orders by then. I will hopefully have some sort of mock-up available for people to preview. I will try my hardest, but the schedule is kinda tight, and I won't know for sure-sure until around New Year's how things look for having the game available.
you guys are killing me. i want to come just to hang out and play your games.
the old lady is going to kill me,
-L
I am definitely interested in being there as well, and I have a number of different games to bring and hopefully run (mine and other folks from IPR (http://www.indiepressrevolution.com)). Michael, or folks from the con, let me know what info you need from me!
A) When do you expect to arrive at the con and when do you expect to depart?
I will be there Friday Afternoon (3ish) and be leaving Sunday about 2-3pm
B) Will you be taking advantage of the crash space generously provided
by Double Exposure (four double beds if I understand correctly)?
Unless plans change between my wife and I about going to dreamtion together change, I will have my own room. If I go it alone I will need crash/storage space for my games.
C) What games, of those listed above, will you be willing and able to run for a 4-hour session? How many time slots will you be willing to run in?
Well I know Pulp Era of course, but I am not familiar with the others. I would love to learn how to run Sorcerer, but alas I do not own it. I have a copy of inspecters and OctaNe though... I was also going to run demos of my newest system called Twilight Cinema. I was planning to run at least 1 demo on Friday/ 3 demos on Sat. so 16 hours all together. I could run on sunday, but I will need some time to relax.
D) How interested would you be in participating in the forum on independent publishing? Hell yea! Count me in!
I can spend time at the booth as well, we should all work together in doing this as one big forge group... unified.
Vinnie and the DE folks are some of the greatest people and will bend over backwards to make sure each of us is taken care of. I say we won't regret this. Let me know what plans are being made as I want in on getting this set up. I will PM those who want it my home phone number for further talks.
Quote from: inthisstyleI am definitely interested in being there as well, and I have a number of different games to bring and hopefully run (mine and other folks from IPR (http://www.indiepressrevolution.com)). Michael, or folks from the con, let me know what info you need from me!
inthisstyle I will PM you my home telephone number later, we should talk about Dreamation and definatly IPR
Those people that I work for like me so much they've barely been letting me leave for the last several weeks. It hasn't left me much time to get this schedule together, but I finished the first draft this morning. http://incarnadine.indie-rpgs.com/draft01.gif
I want to stress that this is a WORKING draft. Nothing's set in stone yet. I welcome your feedback, complaints, etc.
In my experience of conventions of this size, the timeslots with the most attendance tend to be Friday evening, Saturday afternoon, and Saturday evening (although this does vary--unpredictably, as far as I can tell). I've labeled these as "Prime" on the schedule. If we run two games in each slot, that gives us six Prime slots. Coincidentally, there are six of us who are creator-GMs. I've given each of us one Prime slot.
At a convention of this size, one of the problems of running too many games at the same time is splitting the pool of interested players. I've tried to keep it down to two games per slot where possible (and definitely during Prime slots) for this reason.
A factor that will help us in this respect is the fact that there are so many of us. Even if a game gets only one or two players-off-the-street, the unoccupied GMs can sit in and play.
What I now need from each of you:
1) Approval of the schedule. This includes any wrangling, negotiating, slot-switching, threats or cries of anguish as necessary. If it's okay with you as it stands, then just say so.
2) Title of your event. What's the name of this particular scenario?
3) Event description. I've seen DoubleExposure print some pretty long event descriptions in their convention books, but let's not push it. Brevity is the soul of wit. Please include a URL.
We need to finish the above by Sunday, December 5, at the latest.
What happens next?
1) We argue over the schedule. But, just like the Lumpley Principle, we see that the argument is a method by which we agree on the schedule.
2) Once the schedule's finalized, Tony has graciously volunteered to author the web page. Thanks, Tony! We'll post it at http://incarnadine.indie-rpgs.com/ige.html
3) I'll contact Becca about getting all these events registered.
4) In the 2-3 weeks before the event (starting just after the 1st of the year), let's do some online promotion. I'm sorely lacking in online promotion skills, but I know that several of you have them in spades.
5) We descend on New Brunswick like a hurricane of gaming force!
I'm new this sort of group approach to a con. So I need to ask the question that may be obvious to those who have done this before: Are we trying to stretch the games we have to cover the minimum schedule we've committed to, or are we trying to fit the games we want to run into the maximum schedule we can attract players for?
Basically, I'd love to run more slots. If we'd all love to run more slots, but there aren't enough players, or enough tables, or something, then this looks like a fair distribution, and that's cool. But if running more slots would be helpful rather than greedy then, y'know, sign me up!
Quote from: Michael S. Miller
What I now need from each of you:
1) Approval of the schedule. This includes any wrangling, negotiating, slot-switching, threats or cries of anguish as necessary. If it's okay with you as it stands, then just say so.
2) Title of your event. What's the name of this particular scenario?
3) Event description. I've seen DoubleExposure print some pretty long event descriptions in their convention books, but let's not push it. Brevity is the soul of wit. Please include a URL.
1) Nix the Donjon slot for me. I really can't run anything after midnight. If those slots at the top are open, I might take one for TSOY or Sorcerer.
2) Event titles and descriptions
The Mountain Witch - Blood Snow FallsA group of samurai must travel far up a snowy and sacred mountain to find an ancient magician. Only together can they brave the terrors of the mountainside, but each must meet his dark fate alone. When everyone has an agenda, who can you trust? http://www.timfire.com/MountainWitch.html
The Shadow of Yesterday - Rat Moon RisingDeep in the heart of Maldor, a group of soldiers has disappeared into the dark night. Two lords fight over a desolate, hilly land. And deep within its core, two terrifying beasts will find out who is the master and who is the servant. When the full moon rises, whose blood will be spilled, and whose blade will tear through fur? http://www.anvilwerks.com/tsoy/
Hi, all! Sorry I didn't see this thread earlier.
A) Sang and I are going to be at Dreamation beginning Friday afternoon and staying until Sunday post-close.
B) We're going to be driving to & from the con; no need to crash.
C) We registered a demo already:
Masters and Minions: Be The Monsters
> Ready to walk on the wild side? Join a Horde of your fellow monsters
> and turn the tables on the namby-pamby defenders of Good. Each round
> will be an all-new burst of fast, intense paladin-bashing action. Play
> in as many rounds as you like to earn experience for your character;
> whoever levels up the most by the end of Dreamation wins the grand
> prize. Premade monster characters will be provided, or if you already
> have the Masters and Minions Horde Books you can bring your own 12th
> level ashmalkin, minotaur, minotrice, maze mage, or infamous Bull
> Lord. If you were one of the PCs who got killed by this guy at DEXCON
> 7, here's your chance to be on the winning side of that enormous axe!
We set this up as a one-hour event, and requested that it run every 1.5 hours from the time the exhibitor's area closes until midnight on Friday and Saturday night. It hasn't appeared on the schedule yet, so we'll see how that translates into practice.
D) I'd be happy to appear on panels (and will have just done a bunch at Gen Con So Cal), if it's not too late.
I'd like to join forces in creating a gaming hurricane of cross-promotion, and perhaps glom into one big booth rather than trying to run a separate Behemoth3 booth (although our plan was to run games at night & be available to staff a booth while the exhibitor's area is open).
I'm going to be there too, it turns out. I haven't done anything useful yet like register or think about when and how, but I'll be there. I'll need crash space.
-Vincent
TONY:Quote from: TonyLBI'm new this sort of group approach to a con. So I need to ask the question that may be obvious to those who have done this before: Are we trying to stretch the games we have to cover the minimum schedule we've committed to, or are we trying to fit the games we want to run into the maximum schedule we can attract players for?
The short answer: "we trying to fit the games we want to run into the maximum schedule we can attract players for"
The long answer: I understand your desire to run more slots, Tony. When I do these cons solo, I try to run a game in every slot I'm going to be awake for. We've got to keep in mind that they're expecting somewhere in the vicinity of 800 attendees. A good number of those are coming to play board games and won't look at anything that isn't a board game. Of those coming for RPGs, a decint-sized chunk of them are coming to play in RPGA sanctioned events an
only RPGA games. Of those remaining, some will only play d20 (good for Behemoth3, not so good for the rest of us). My experience is that nonD&D events at these kinds of cons generally all draw on the same relatively small pool of players. Keep in mind that there will also be folks running nonD&D commercial games: GURPS, 7th Sea, CoC, and the like.
My fear with running as many slots as we can is that an interested player in any given timeslot will be presented with a wall of half a dozen GMs each expectantly saying "Play in my game." We could accomplish that by working alone. Just as the GenCon Forge booth doesn't work by each person only pushing their own game, this should allow us to present a united face to the attendees: "We each publish our own game, but we're each part of something larger. Play some of these games and we're sure you'll find something you like."
Also, limiting the number of slots that are running in each slot enables us to play in each other's games. That is good because it lets us speak more knowlegably about each others games (cross-promotion now and in the future is a great thing), and also remember that the most reliable customers for indie RPGs are other indie RPG designers.
Quote from: Michael S. MillerOf those remaining, some will only play d20 (good for Behemoth3, not so good for the rest of us).
I'm eager & willing to serve as bait for those players and then draw them into our tightly linked web of indieness! One implication might be that it's not a bad thing to have many B3 events, and that rather than trying to avoid them overlapping with other games, we should try to make sure that another indie event begins shortly after a B3 event lets out so we can funnel our players to that event.
One way we could do it is for Sang or I to DM a B3 event, establish rapport with the players, and then say "Hey, I'm going to go play in this cool game now, want to come along?" This way it's "let's do this!" rather than "you should do this," and folks get the kick of seeing someone they knew as a DM turn into a fellow player. Since Sang and I will both be available to run, one of us could be playing while the other is DMing, which would let us get first-hand experience with other folks' games -- I'm looking forward to it!
Thanks so much again Michael, for the help getting the track scheduled!
A few quick notes as I'm reading:
There won't be a separate exhibitors area, since we feel it can really limit how much exposure companies get to our attendees. Yes, you could be in the dealers room if you like, but my plan is to put you out in the common area by the elevators, where you'll have constant walk-by traffic. Yes, it does mean that when closing up for the night, you'll likely want to move your product. You can certainly move it into the dealers room anytime you want though, rather than have to lug it back to the room. The area I have planned for you is right between the elevators and the con suite. Given the dealers room is on the other side of the elevators and over slightly, it isn't a long haul to move things. And we can certainly let you use our handtruck or volunteers for it if needed.
Also, you can find last year's Dreamation schedule at http://dexposure.com/d2003sched.html. That page also shows you what information we include in our game listings, so we can get everything registered as smoothly as possible. :-)
A quick note about the RPGA: There won't be any at Dreamation. WotC forgot that we emailed them 7 months ago with our dates, and their subsequent promise not to schedule Winter Fantasy to conflict with us.
Guess when Winter Fantasy is? There are... some unhappy people. So in order to keep the players and GMs from feeling conflicting over which to attend (many have been coming to our events for years and would feel badly about skipping us for Winter Fantasy given the circumstances), Vinny is dropping the RPGA track this year.
Yes, it will obviously cut into our attendance some. But nor will you be competing with them for attention.
Becca
Quote from: Tav_BehemothOne way we could do it is for Sang or I to DM a B3 event, establish rapport with the players, and then say "Hey, I'm going to go play in this cool game now, want to come along?" This way it's "let's do this!" rather than "you should do this," and folks get the kick of seeing someone they knew as a DM turn into a fellow player. Since Sang and I will both be available to run, one of us could be playing while the other is DMing, which would let us get first-hand experience with other folks' games -- I'm looking forward to it!
This is a great idea, Tav! Let's make that happen. I'll ask Becca to include your already-registered stuff under the "Indie RPG Explosion rubric."
CLINTON:No midnight Donjon? That's cool. Do you want to add another TSoY somewhere?
VINCENT:Welcome aboard. That brings our total number of GMs (counting Tavis and Sang) to 10. (Possibly 11--Jared expressed interest in coming, then fled to Australia for a month, so I wasn't able to confirm anything.). That's one of us for every 80 convention attendees--that's roughly equivalent to having over 300 indie RPG folks at GenCon. Wow. I'm a bit concerned about over-saturation, but I'm also excited to have so much talent in one place.
Anyway, as for where to put you on the schedule, it's tough. As far as drawing power, DitV is the 800-pound gorilla (I've already lost convention players to a rumor of a Dogs game). Wherever it goes, it will draw players. I'm thinking about putting it in some of those nonPrime slots. How are you with midnight games? Let me know what you think.
BECCA:Thanks for the info on Winter Fantasy. I hate explaining my game to someone for twenty minutes, getting them to the point where they're really excited to play, and have them ask "How many RPGA points is it worth?" When I tell them it isn't RPGA they look at me like I'm nuts and walk away. I hate that. Like fingernails on the chalkboard.
As I mentioned above, Behemoth3 and it's awesome Masters & Minions stuff can be considered part of the Explosion.
We don't have much as far as table display goes, so stowing it in the room when nobody's there won't be a problem.
The schedule isn't final yet. We've got some last-minute add-ons. I intend to have it finalized by December 5, latest.
Tav's suggestion is a solid one, and we should definitely go with it. Any GM who runs a non-midnight game can then go and play in an indy game in the next session, and try to drag players with them. That's what I plan to do, now that Tav's pointed out the tactic.
There is, however, one slight practical hurdle... there's that one-hour gap between sessions. Now it's not (at all) hard to fill up an hour with folks just generally raving about roleplaying, but people also do meet friends, grab food, etc. There is, in short, this desire to "go somewhere".
About the only thing I can think of that we could plan to help with that is that we can try to make our area a destination. I'd be particularly happy if people were using it as a landmark... "Meet me at the Indy Explosion". But I'm not at all sure how to do that. Free food (my first, lame, idea) would (a) be ludicrously expensive and (b) attract too
much of a crowd.
BECCA: That actually leads to my other area of questions: What is our physical layout, and how will it constrain what we can do without crossing the line from "exciting exhibit" to "general nuisance"? Specifically:
- How much clearance around the exhibit is there before we start blocking traffic? Which is mainly to figure out...
- How many people could we have hanging around before it becomes disruptive?[/list:u]It's wildly optimistic (I know) to think of a crowd of 20 gamers spontaneously gathering around a booth listening to, say, Vincent talk about the design of Dogs. But it could happen, and if it's something to be avoided (because a crowd of twenty would cause a critical traffic jam, ticking off many con-goers) then we should be taking that into account.
MICHAEL: Thanks for the clarification. Now I can look forward to having some relative down-time with a clear conscience... the situation requires that I sit around, point folks to great games, and talk with all these legendary Forge-folks. It's not laziness, it's the exigencies of the situation!
Also, earlier....
Quote from: HelvetianIf you guys want to schedule a separate track with just a series of shorter demos, we could certainly do that. Actually, it would help for scheduling who gets the small tables that I'll be setting around the public area for demos.
This strikes me as a great idea. Michael, is that what the top (largely unoccupied) row in the schedule is for?
Quote from: TonyLBAbout the only thing I can think of that we could plan to help with that is that we can try to make our area a destination. I'd be particularly happy if people were using it as a landmark... "Meet me at the Indy Explosion". But I'm not at all sure how to do that. Free food (my first, lame, idea) would (a) be ludicrously expensive and (b) attract too much of a crowd.
BECCA: That actually leads to my other area of questions: What is our physical layout, and how will it constrain what we can do without crossing the line from "exciting exhibit" to "general nuisance"? Specifically:- How much clearance around the exhibit is there before we start blocking traffic? Which is mainly to figure out...
- How many people could we have hanging around before it becomes disruptive?[/list:u]It's wildly optimistic (I know) to think of a crowd of 20 gamers spontaneously gathering around a booth listening to, say, Vincent talk about the design of Dogs. But it could happen, and if it's something to be avoided (because a crowd of twenty would cause a critical traffic jam, ticking off many con-goers) then we should be taking that into account.
On the free food point, unless the logistics are different this time you guys will be really near all the free food we're providing in the con suite. If they move it, I'll likely be shifting you to ensure you're right along the path there. Also, there will be lines forming as we prep the con suite for both Chocolate Heaven and Ice Cream Dreams. So there will be people right by you guys, milling and then waiting their turn to go in. Remember also that you'll be using one of the rooms we're providing you as party/gaming space, and we'll be seeding those events with munchies. Anything in addition that you want to provide to personalize it/lure people up is more than cool by us.
Tony, you guys cannot become a general nuisance unless you really, really work at it. And a big crowd surrounding you will not at all make you a nuisance. Actually, it would delight me to no end. Be loud, be exciting, sell the heck out of yourselves. If you do manage to start really blocking traffic, someone will ask nicely to rein it in a bit. If anyone asks you unnicely, you find me. :-)
If you go to www.eastbrunswick.hilton.com, look under Groups & Meetings, then Facility Detail. Under the Virtual Tour, you can see the Ballroom Level's floor plan. You guys will be in the large, open area between the elevators and the Brunswick Rooms. At DEXCON, Brunswick A was the Con Suite and Brunswick B was the videogame room.
Hey Mike:
Any 4-hour slot you assign me to will instead be 2 2-hour slots, please. I'll happily do Primetime + Pagoda or Inspectres + Uni, but no game for 4 hours straight.
Slots look okay except for Sunday 2-6. I'll be leaving early evening.
It looks like I might be there. I need to talk with the Dreamation people.
The schedule works for me, Michael.
Here's my event:
Scum and Villainy Our Specialty
TransGalaxy is one of the largest corporations in the galaxy, and they deal with some of the sleaziest clients around. Someone has to go and collect from these deadbeats, and when the debtors are tinpot planetary dictators, crime lords, and semi-legal arms dealers, it takes a special kind of someone to do it. TransGalaxy High-Risk Collections is home to the baddest SOBs anywhere, and as part of one of these elite teams, you need to get your cut. Today. Load 'em up!
Quote from: Michael S. Miller
What I now need from each of you:
1) Approval of the schedule. This includes any wrangling, negotiating, slot-switching, threats or cries of anguish as necessary. If it's okay with you as it stands, then just say so.
Schedule looks fine to me, since I have a midnight game. Will work on a scenarios fitting to the slot =)
2) Title of your event. What's the name of this particular scenario?
The Titles are simple and I will send you full details in the evening
Pulp Era: Cinematic Adventures in the Yesteryear - The Revenge of Orubu
Pulp Era: Cinematic Adventures in the Yesteryear - Gods Amongst Men
Pulp Era: Cinematic Adventures in the Yesteryear - Warlords of the Aether
3) Event description. I've seen DoubleExposure print some pretty long event descriptions in their convention books, but let's not push it. Brevity is the soul of wit. Please include a URL.
I'll work one up...
We need to finish the above by Sunday, December 5, at the latest.
No Problemo
What happens next?
5) We descend on New Brunswick like a hurricane of gaming force!
Huzzah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Quote from: Jared A. SorensenIt looks like I might be there. I need to talk with the Dreamation people.
Kick Ass!
Hope you make it Jared, its alway a pleasure to see ya.
The Dreamation people are pretty awsome to deal with.
Michael: for Dogs, a midnight slot - okay.
Is there room on the schedule for my Understanding Roleplaying (http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=13175) workshop?
-Vincent
Matt Only 2 hour slots? No problem there. I'll do a little juggling on Saturday & Sunday afternoon.
Brennan & Dregg Thanks for getting back to me on this so quickly.
Vincent While I'm juggling Matt's timeslots I'll be sure to work yours in. How long do you reckong Understanding RolePlaying to run? 2 or 4 hours? We could possibly do a 2-hour Understanding Role-Playing seminar and 2-hour Independent Publishing Seminar on Sunday morning. Let me know what you think.
Jared Glad to have you aboard. See any games of yours you want to run? Shall I try to shoehorn a session of Lacuna into the schedule? Let me know.
Michael,
is there to be a schedule of who is manning the Forge table?
Times and such?
I want to participate in the Indie Panel and I am hoping that i will not be boothing at the time.
Hey, I'm interested in running a session or two of Ganakagok (http://www.personal.psu.edu/staff/w/j/wjw11/Ganakagok.pdf), my Iron Chef: Fantasy runner-up.
I could show up late Friday, and I'd have to leave early Sunday to make it back to my day job. I think I could probably stay with a friend, so I wouldn't need a place to crash.
Bill White
Quote from: DreggIs there to be a schedule of who is manning the Forge table?
For that matter, are we doing a single Forge table? We've got a very big, very well-located space. Should we be splitting off a thread to bounce around ideas for how to use it to advantage?
And while people are throwing ideas like a hurricane - I want to run a workshop called "Publishing your RPG with free and cheap software options."
- Clinton
I just thought I'd speak up to tell you how frustrating this is. The farther this thread progresses the more often I look for cheap plane tickets...
Thomas
Quote from: TonyLBFor that matter, are we doing a single Forge table? We've got a very big, very well-located space. Should we be splitting off a thread to bounce around ideas for how to use it to advantage?
Tony: Yes, please start a thread about table set-up if you like. However, please keep in mind that we do
not have a very big space. Unless I'm completely misunderstanding Becca, the Indie RPG Explosion table and likely 8-12 other game companies will be in that space between the elevators and the Brunswick Rooms. From past experience at New Jersey cons, we can likely expect to be near to Slugfest Games (our GenCon neighbors), Tony D.'s Mafia d20, the author CJ Henderson, West End Games, and other folks.
Bill: Long drive from Huntington. I'll fit you into at least one timeslot on Saturday.
Clinton: A third seminar? You do realize this is only an 800-person convention, right? I'll gladly squeeze it into the schedule when I do the revision (hopefully tonight). I'm not real optimistic about attendence outside of our own group, but maybe we'll be able to beat the bushes and get some new blood to come to the con. (then again, I'm a born pessimist, so we likely just write off my doubts)
Clinton: If you've run these seminars before, and you've got a plan, feel free to ignore everything from this line forward. My experience is indirect and anecdotal.
My experience with anime conventions was that you can talk more about the methods and resources available to an independent publisher at a general seminar than at one specifically made for the purpose. "How to get published" seminars were empty. "Interviews with the author" seminars were constantly flooded with questions about how to get published.
I know that sounds strange, but there it is: If you create a "How to self-publish a game" seminar then people have to make the mental investment to say "Yeah, that's what I want to do, and I'm not afraid to admit it" before they even show up.
But if they're already at a general seminar, and then they hear somebody else ask about how to self-publish... well, they've just been shown that they are not alone in their secret desires. They may discover for the first time, right there in that seminar, that they want to publish a game.
Tony: Good point. I'll make a comprehensive document and bring a few copies. If anyone's really interested, they can sit down with me at dinner or something.
Quote from: Michael S. Miller
Tony: Yes, please start a thread about table set-up if you like. However, please keep in mind that we do not have a very big space. Unless I'm completely misunderstanding Becca, the Indie RPG Explosion table and likely 8-12 other game companies will be in that space between the elevators and the Brunswick Rooms. From past experience at New Jersey cons, we can likely expect to be near to Slugfest Games (our GenCon neighbors), Tony D.'s Mafia d20, the author CJ Henderson, West End Games, and other folks.
That six-table space (two lines of three with ample space between them for moving around) between the elevators and the Brunswick Rooms are entirely yours. There will be tables along the escalators on either side, of course. And if you need more room, we'll certainly manage it. I plan to put Tony D in the same location he was for DEXCON (the aisle on the other side of the elevators), since he seemed to do well there. CJ is usually on that same aisle along with WEG.
Becca
Becca: Were you giving me seperate space or rolling me in with the Forge group?
Quote from: inthisstyleBecca: Were you giving me seperate space or rolling me in with the Forge group?
Which would you prefer? I'm more than happy to tailor for what works for each company. I know there was some confusion that I was making the invitation both here and in individual emails. Regardless, the space and memberships are free. We do that for every company, Indie or no.
Becca
Also we should talk about throwing a party during the con. One of the many cool things about DE events is the parites at night. We should do a forge party to meet some of the other company people and gamers at the convention. DE has help with a party for I-CON last year and it was great.
I think it should also be on our list of events.
Okay. Newly revised schedule is at http://incarnadine.indie-rpgs.com/draft02.gif I didn't move any slots that were already approved.
Clinton If you have to leave early, we can switch around that Sunday afternoon slot
Dregg A party's a great idea. Since you know what it entails, I think you should be in charge of it. So, what are we gonna do?
JaredI didn't add you to the schedule yet because your post said "maybe" And you're doing the GenCon SoCal thing now.
BeccaWow. Thanks for all the space. I'm REALLY not used to convention people going the extra mile. I have years of experience dealing with convention people who promise to go the extra 20ft and then only don't even do that. THis is surprising and good.
However, because of some folks attending GenCon SoCal, I might not be able to confirm all events until middle of next week.
[Folks in general]Here are the events I still need descriptions for:
Tony's Capes
Vincent's DitV
Matt's PTA, Pagoda, Uni & InSpectres
Dregg's 3 Pulp games
Bill's Ganakagok
and all my games, too.
Thanks, everybody. This is coming together nicely.
The schedule works for me. Here's my event description (cut as needed):
The Great Isle of Ice, Ganakagok, floats in the frigid Sea of Tears beneath a sky that blazes with starlight. For countless generations, your People have lived their lives in the endless night of Ganakagok, whose mysterious origins are the stuff of your legends. All during that time, the spirits of the Stars have been the patrons and protectors of the People...but now the stars have begun to fade from view, and in the east the sky grows lighter. What does it portend? You are the hunters and shamans who must unravel the mysteries of the change in order to lead your People through the perilous time that approaches.
Quote from: Michael S. Miller
Dregg A party's a great idea. Since you know what it entails, I think you should be in charge of it. So, what are we gonna do?
Cool I will talk to Rebecca about what times will not step on other parties toes, and start from there. The rooms were given to us by DE for Sleep/Demos/ and Parites so we might as well use this to the fullest.
Note: Most parties at DE events are not very cake and Ice Cream, so we have to determine how far up the rated scale we wish to go. In the past DE has been know to seed the parties with chips and soda, but we do need to figure what else we would want, and if we want to have Juice for the over 21 crowd. Then its time to hit Sams club/Costco/etc.
Once we get an Idea of what we want then I can try and put it all together.
Thurdsay 8-12: [Capes] "Superhero Old-School": From their high tower the Sentinels of Liberty cast their gaze over Millennium City, ever ready to protect it from any threat, be it from space, another dimension, or the center of the earth. This session will be as unapologetically old-school superheroics as we can manage. One round, All materials provided, Beginners welcome, Fun, All Ages, Up to four players.
Thursday Midnight slot: [Capes] "Villainy Unleashed": All weekend long you'll fight the good fight. Tonight, let your darker side frolic at a super-villain session. Compete with other villains to hold Millenium City for ransom. Prove the futility of resistance, and gloat about your superiority. You can always be the good guy tomorrow. One round, All materials provided, Beginners welcome, Fun, All Ages, Up to four players.
Saturday 8-12 slot: [Capes] "Framed!": Corrupt villain-businessman Phillip West frames our heroes for the attack that hospitalized Senator Malloy, prominent super-rights advocate. Is this mere spite, or part of a more nefarious plan? Can you clear your name and save Millenium city? One round, All materials provided, Beginners welcome, Fun, All Ages, Up to four players.
On another note, can everyone who's coming (who hasn't already) email me with registration information so I can have the badges done and waiting? Names, addresses, and phone numbers for everyone you're bringing (and we're really fine with as many people as you need, to help you demo your games - we do want you guys getting out from behind the tables and playing games too, after all). If you have SOs or kids, feel free to bring them along. I'll have badges waiting for them, too.
Becca
becca@dexposure.com
Ok here are the descriptions for my Indie Games
Pulp Era: Cinematic Adventures in the Yesteryear - The Revenge of Orubu
The year is 1937. An ancient African curse haunts the small town of Gosnold, Massachusetts. A series of global murders all centered around the questionable activities of a Victorian era gentleman's club, seem to be a the focus point, but the members keep dropping like flies. Enter the Collective, an organization dedicated to fighting the world's evil and corruption. Can the world brightest and bravest heroes stop this evil before it can kill again?
Pulp Era: Cinematic Adventures in the Yesteryear - Gods Amongst Men
Asleep for thousands of year, the entities that once ruled humanity with an iron fist slumbered in their tombs of exile and banishment. The magic that once ran wild through the ley lines of our great earth had faded and mankind learned to survive on their own and without aid.... Until today. In 1929 an ancient and powerful cult tried to awaken the black earth mother Kali, with sacrifice they were to open the floodgate to the land of the gods and return the old order to mankind. They succeeded, but Kali's sacrifice was stolen and now she's mad. Magic has returned to the world and as a result the old Gods are awakening and drawing factions within their followers. Join Doc Atlas and the Atlas Trading Company as they fight back the powers of the ancient ones and return order to a world bathed in chaos.
Pulp Era: Cinematic Adventures in the Yesteryear - Warlords of the Aether
1887: The Isle of Great Brittan was invaded by the evil alien race, the Hythari-Hun. Although the people of the Empire were able to push back and win victory over their cunning foe, the isle was in ruin and the threat of their return lay heavy in the hearts of the English and the world. With the help of the American "Boston Gun Club" and the kit bashing of the Hun technology, her majesty was presented with a space worthy craft to send after the dangerous forces. Fly through the Aether with Major Isaiah Kane and this crew to the planet Mars where the alien forces await the final conflict. Rule Britannia!
Thanks for the event descriptions, guys. All I need is Vincent's. Vincent, can you get me a description of your Dogs event and the Understanding Role-Playing seminar?
Will everyone please respond to Becca's request above by e-mail either to her or to me. We don't want personal info out in public.
As soon as I get in touch with Jared, we can finalize the schedule. Then I'll get all the info to Tony, he can put together the website. Then we can brainstorm about table space, parties, and most of all, options of promotion.
edited for typo
Also, here's the description I was going to use for the Independent Publishing seminar. Critique, questions, clarifications, expansions and total rewrites are most welcome.
Independent PublishingWhat is an independent role-playing game? How do indie games differ from the products of commercial publishers? Where can you find indie games? How can you, too, become an independent publisher? All this and more will be discussed in this seminar. Part of the Indie RPG Explosion.
I'd quibble slightly with the word "commercial" as the opposite of Indie. I mean, I'm in this for the love of the game but I'm in it for money too.
Pinning down the difference, though, that's trickier. Some of it is the way that the design and inspiration for a game is created mainly by a small group or single person. Perhaps replace "commericial" with "more heavily staffed"?
Hey, Tony, I chose "commercial" because I've seen it used in a number of threads simply to mean "nonIndie" but you're right about it seeming biased. I don't like "more heavily staffed" because I think there's more difference than just staffing, and it gets a bit too detailed for a description in the program book.
How about "traditional?" It highlights the innovativeness of the indie movement. But it could also be seen as a critique. Perhaps I should just say "other publishers."
"Conventional" instead, maybe? That's my favorite.
My descriptions:
QuoteDogs in the Vineyard
It's a hard winter and God's Faithful are suffering. Demons prey on the weak, the hurt, the lost; in the isolated frontier settlements, even small resentments boil into hate and murder. You'll be God's Watchdogs, charged to put things right and hold the Faith together, riding into demon-ridden New Chapel Town.
Here's a deal with the Dogs games, though - they won't be any good for more than four players each. Is a max of four players going to be okay?
QuoteUnderstanding Roleplaying
Lets open roleplaying up and muck around in its guts. I'll lay out a state-of-the-art description of what really happens when you roleplay, and we'll go from there. Time willing, we can dig into the nitty gritty of RPG design, playing and GMing, dealing with dysfunction, choosing and adapting rules, or even take on the biggie: creative agenda and social dynamics. Whatever way we go, we'll always fall back on the gold standard of RPG theory: actual play.
Guaranteed to kick conventional wisdom down and take its lunch money.
-Vincent
Quote from: lumpley"Conventional" instead, maybe? That's my favorite.
I'm a bit concerned that con-goers might think we're comparing ourselves to companies that run conventions--like Double Exposure.
QuoteHere's a deal with the Dogs games, though - they won't be any good for more than four players each. Is a max of four players going to be okay?
I don't reckon it will be a problem. My With Great Power... events are four players also.
Quote from: Michael S. MillerHey, Tony, I chose "commercial" because I've seen it used in a number of threads simply to mean "nonIndie" but you're right about it seeming biased. I don't like "more heavily staffed" because I think there's more difference than just staffing, and it gets a bit too detailed for a description in the program book.
Hey, I've always just used "mainstream". Unambiguous and honest, although we'd sure like to think that the rpg mainstream is really periphery (if you remember that particular discussion). Regardless, that's the current field, and everybody will understand the distinction.
Another option, if you want to go with Ron's definition of indie, is to call the opposite "work-for-hire", in which case such a publisher is a "IP management" company, as opposed to "one that both creates and manages IP", which is indie.
"How do indie games differ from the products of the more usual IP management companies?" A nice sound, although perhaps not very clear.
Hello, all! I intend to stop by for at least one of the days of this con to visit all you fine folks! Especially since I've worked with so many of you!
Clinton, Matt, Brennan, I'm looking at you! :)
I look forward to seeing everyone there!
-Jenn
Hello,
Let's have all logistics and social Dreamation discussion move to private email from now on.
Best,
Ron
Ron's right, this was originally supposed to be a scheduling thread, and this is the final scheduling post. The final schedule is available here. (http://incarnadine.indie-rpgs.com/ige.html) I know my HTML is crude, but Tony will be tidying it up in the near future.
If folks who are not currently on the schedule wish to be a part of the Explosion, we can add events late, but those events on the schedule will not be moved or changed.
Thanks to everyone for helping me out with this. Let's continue discussion of the physical space on the [Dreamation 2005] Logistics of Explosion (http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=13538) thread. Next week, I'll also start a thread on promoting the convention, so that maybe we'll have more folks to talk to than just one another.