One of the things that's been bugging me for a while (especially since talking with Luke at GenCon SoCal) is the absence of indie games from conventions around here. Of course, I've been part of the problem, as I've not been volunteering to run them. I've noticed that there are several people from the Los Angeles area on these boards, so I'd like to try to turn this trend around. I'm know I'm going to try to run a double-slot game of The Mountain Witch, and I might slip in a game of Dogs. Any Forgites willing to come out to try and support me? Anything people would like to see me do instead? I'd love to stir up some interest in these types of games, but I can't do it alone.

Thanks,

--Paul

Linky to OrcCon?

Oops.

http://www.strategicon.net/

This is also due in part to Jesse's comments <a href="http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=17698.msg187961#msg187961">here about the state of RPGs at Los Angeles area conventions. He makes a good point that gaming at these cons is reasonably clique-y, and I have the feeling that there might be enough of us in the area to make our presence felt. Also, the group running the RPG section has changed recently as and demonstrated substantially more clue.

Well, as it looks like I can show up for a day for free, I'm all about driving half an hour down the 105 to game.  I'm in.

Hello,

Well, I'd definitely consider consider returning to the con scene if I knew I'd have back up.  In the thread ptevis linked too I made suggestions about sort of blitzing the open gaming room.  Any thoughts on whether that would be a good idea or not?

Jesse

Open gaming was pretty bare last con, but as I've become fond of it at other shows, I'd love to see a "storming." However, attendence is low enough that open gaming is likely to be slim pickings. Not that we shouldn't try to change that.

--Paul

Hmmm... I'm not sure where open gaming is located relative to normal traffic flow.  My main point was that if you run an event and no one shows up, then it's just us in a room.  Rock on for us, but it doesn't do much to raise awareness of these games.  But if we start with just us in open gaming then we increase our odds of attracting the attention of a passer-by.  But then, if there are no passer bys to attract, it might not be a worth while strategy.

Jesse

RPG opening game is on the second floor, between the RPG signups and the dealer's room. It's not a bad spot, actually. In fact, it's probably about as good as it could be for that sort of thing.

It looks there will be a scheduled Mountain Witch game on Sunday at 10 AM, scheduled to last until 7 PM, with a break for lunch.

--Paul

When is this thing, February?  I can certainly bring some copies of CtH and run little bursts of that game, and I very well may have FLFS materials for teaser/playtest/demo.  I'd also be fine cribbing TonyLB's notes on the Dogs demo.

Hi guys,

one way we built up interest in small press games in NYC was by actively hitting the local cons and game days and running both walk in demo style games and scheduled, four hour games. Mike Miller and I became very effective at taking new players who had wandered into our games and farming them off to each other. Lots of folks will be willing to try something new, if given the chance. And if they have a good time, they're more likely to try the other things you suggest.

If you're interested in expanding the small press rpg presence in SoCal, then I strongly urge you to try to appeal to the local gaming crowd. It's nice to have a base of like-minded folks, but if you hit the cons just to play with your friends, then we're back where we started. Generating the interest in your scheduled games takes a bit more effort than usual. Talk to the con organizers about featuring you as "new and cool" on their website. Make sure you get into the schedule, and don't be afraid to pass out flyers advertising your schedule. We also try to get a reasonably public table to play at. People invariably walk up to the table to see what all the ruckus is about.  Those people are more likely to try these games with you in the future.

Just my two cents. I hope you don't mind my butting in.

-Luke

abzu wrote: Just my two cents. I hope you don't mind my butting in.

Just my two cents. I hope you don't mind my butting in.

I'd be all over running some stuff -- Dogs, CtH, maybe FLFS (but it won't be in a pretty format at that point).  I'm going to see if I can get on the schedule.

For Con play my eyes have been on Capes and My Life With Master.  I also always look for opportunities to take my Gothic Fantasy material for Sorcerer our for a spin.  If the event schedule isn't closed yet (and if I'm really availble, 99% sure but my wife sometimes schedules events months in advance that I  then forget about), then I'll email the coordinator and post some events too.

Before I do, I'll post my schedule thoughts here and get some feedback and see if we want to co-ordinate in anyway.

Jesse

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

--Paul

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

yrs--
--Ben