[Southern California] Indie Games @ OrcCon, Feb 17-20

[Josh Roby]

Submission deadline is November 14, 2005, for pre-convention flyer printout and mailing; January 29, 2006, for convention program printout.

So we can certainly get in the program.

[ptevis]

I guess my real question is, "What are we trying to build here?" What is success? If we're trying to establish some sort of mindshare foothold in Southern California, what do want the people we come into contact with to do? Come back and play more indie games with us next con? Check out the Forge? Buy the games we're running? Become entangled in the allegedly nascent NerdSoCal web? Once we figure that out, then we should be able to see how we want to get there.

--Paul

[Josh Roby]

If I do dive into doing a NerdSoCal.com (short version: I'm not doing it without partners, people aren't getting back to me saying they're interested), we will at least, by mid-February, have the site up and business cards / flyers to hand out to con-goers.  So there's that.

I'll be bringing some (~100) copies of CtH to give away.  I have a spread in the back that I can put some ads for other games in -- either the games we demo or others, whichever.  I can take ad copy from the game designers themselves or I can, you know, crib off their webpages.  So some web traffic and maybe even possible sales of games.  If any other game designers want to send me some promo materials, I've no problem handing those out at our games or our demo table or whatever we end up doing.

I shot off an email to the con events staff to see if they have any provisions for demos as opposed to full-on games, where such a beast would be put in terms of traffic flow, and what kind of coverage it would get in the program.  Waiting to hear back.  Depending on their response, I can easily see doing this again, so the invite to play again next Con sounds feasible.

Overall, the things I want out of this are: (a) get my feet wet running demos and 'doing a con', (b) proselytize the revolutionary idea that there's more ways to play, and (c) start getting to know the LA Con-goers scene.

[jburneko]

For the me the key is really growth and exposure.  When I was 15 I used to attend these same cons and just about every game imaginable was represented.  The con was where I went to "try something new."  Then I come back to the cons 10 years later and there's basically three or four games represented.  Indie games aside, I wondered, "Where are the 7th Sea, Deadlands, Wraith, Cyberpunk, Blue Planet, etc, events?"  Since indie-games are where my interest lies I started bringing these to the cons and well, failed.  It seemed that people weren't intrested in trying something new at all.  On my last attempt I had flyers and everything for my events.

So, what I want to see happen is more people playing more types of games in general.  And more exposure to different styles of play and indie games in particular.  I would be happy if we and anyone else who wanted to join us became the 'go to' guys for that bored, frustrated, on the verge of quitting long time player or that newbie, not-quite-but-kind-of-intrested tag-along boyfriend/girlfriend in search of 'something a little different.'

Jesse

[Josh Roby]

Speaking of which, I should get a copy of BtI to take.

Sort of a 'Diversify or Die Out' take, Jesse?  I can dig it.  And I'd be willing to give it a try.

[ptevis]

I've been going to these shows and running games for about three years. I've built up a reasonable following as a GM running "less popular" systems (which in this context means Unknown Armies, Feng Shui, and a few others), so I'm hoping that people who've played in my games in the past will continue to do so regardless of whatever "weird thing" I'm running.

I think that trying grab a section of open gaming to do sort demos of the games we're planning on running would be a good idea. That way we can direct interested people to full games. We'll definitely want flyers and signs.

I'm thinking about shifting my Mountain Witch game to the afternoon-evening slots so that we can potentially rope more people in during the morning. I'm also thinking about doing a Dogs game on Saturday. Anyone care to claim slots? We should probably rotate.

--Paul

[Josh Roby]

I asked about signage in my email to events staff, for reference.

Rotation would be a good idea -- assuming we're talking the three of us, two at the 'demo' table and one guy running a full game sounds about right.  Or maybe two running full games in the evening slots.

[ptevis]

Given that there are only three of us, I suggest at this point we take the discussion to email.

--Paul

[Ben Lehman]

I actually find it quite edifying to read, but it's up to you guys, of course.

yrs--
--Ben