[GZG] What works at conventions

Tomb's guide to running events at conventions:

1) Don't oversleep. <rolls eyes at self>
2) Be prepared. Have quick reference sheets, ideally for each player.
Have SSDs. Have rulers/tapes. Have dice. Have miniatures all based,
numbered and ready.
3) Playtest any scenario more than once, ideally with different people
and trying different ways to break it. Last minute major changes to
scenarios without subsequent retesting = crap shoot. Can work or can
suck.
4) Player's at Cons may move far slower than you are used to. I would
say the average FT Con game orders writing phase is 5x as long as the
ones I'm used to. Also, some people don't play all that much or are
real numbers crunchers and deliberate a lot on movement plans and
firing plans. Put everyone on a clock (egg timer might help). When you
playtest, use the same timing.
5) Know the rules. Know how to adjudicate issues surrounding the
chosen parts of the scenario. Try not to be caught with unexpected
developments. (Much easier in games where you know what the fleets
will be)
6) Do not opt for the biggest thing you can do. People will be slower,
you will be more harried, and if it is your first time, probably a bit
stressed. Do something big enough to be fun, but small enough to be
manageable. My rule of thumb is 2-3 manouver units per player.
7) Convention goers show up unepectedly or fail to show up. Have plans
for how to instantly scale your scenario from 4 players up to 8
players (as a good rule of thumb). You can specify 6 and 6 may show
up, or 2 may, or 4 or 8. Try to be able to accomodate 1 or 2 extra
players if you can - makes people feel included. But know your limits
at the same time. If you can break down forces into elements of a
standard size (roughly) and have 1 per player, then scaling is a bit
easier. Consider what happens if you get a 4 on 3 and how to divide
out the remaining stuff.
8) Consider appointing a team leader on each side to help you
coordinate activities. His job becomes making sure his team has
finished plotting in a timely fashion, answering questions for the
other side (how fast are you going, how many fighters are in that
pile, etc).
9) If using FB FT, be very leery of throwing out custom ships against
FB ships. This is doubly true if there are fighters.
10) I'll say it again: Playtest.
11) Start painting and playtesting as far beforehand as you can.
You'll still end up with stuff to do you didn't expect at the last
minute. If you leave things late, you'll be overwhelmed before the Con
and that's not a good plan. (Recalls one 'Paint or Die!' night...)
12) Be polite, be inclusive, try to help new players learn the game,
and point people to Jon's website if you can. He's always supported
his player community, it is nice to support him and it is where they
can get rules, minis, etc.
13) If Stuart Murray shows up, run. (This is a generic rule that does
not just apply to conventions!) <Hi Stu!> :0)

-- 
http://ante-aurorum-tenebrae.blogspot.com/
http://www.stargrunt.ca

"He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy
from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a
precedent that will reach to himself." -- Thomas Paine

"When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of
liberty quits the horizon." -- Thomas Paine
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