RE: [DS] Scenario Design for Cons

Several points.

1. As others have said, keep it simple.
2. Understand that is a "Travelling" game.  Try to prepare everything
before 
you leave the house.  I take an old sheet/blanket and spray paint 
roads/streams/woodlines on it.	At the Con all I need is to add trees
and 
buildings.
3. Prepare everything in advance, rosters, orders, maps, anything you
might 
think of.
4. Span of control.  3-6 units per player.  Tailor the scenario to allow
you to 
add another player.  Bring enough units to accommodate 6-10 players, but
set up 
for 4-6.  The rest are to allow you to tailor the scenario.
5. Use basic forces, limit the Gee Whiz items.	Grunts, tanks and some
Arty. 
 Keep ortillery and other chrome for games after you are more
comfortable with 
the rules.
6. Re-read the rules.  Bring a copy with you.  Write down any house
rules in 
effect.
7. Steal ideas from everyone.  Look at my site for an example 
(http://myweb.veriomail.com/mwbrown)
8. Prepare everything in advance, rosters, orders, maps, anything you
might 
think of. (see a theme here?)
9. Be ready to start(not set up) at the appointed time, wait for your
players, 
don't have them wait for you.

I've run games at several Cons over the years, and I try to stick by all
of 
these.

Michael Brown

-----Original Message-----
From:	Don Greenfield
Sent:	Friday, June 23, 2000 6:23 PM
To:	gzg-l@CSUA.Berkeley.EDU
Subject:	[DS] Scenario Design for Cons

   The recent posting regarding the West Coast con reminds me that I'm
hoping to run a DS game at the con.  Since I've never been to a con,
much
less run a game at one before, I'm looking for some tips from the more
experienced folks out there.
	First of all, how many players for a ground game like DS make
for a good
con game? Since I haven't played all *that* much DS, I really, really
don't
want to run Carter Island II, but by the same token running a two player
game at a con seems sort of wasteful.  I'm thinking a game of about
three
or four players would be best.	Any opinions?
	Secondly, what sort of force levels should I be looking at?  The
general
sense I get from the miniatures comunity at large is that the best way
to
set up forces isn't so much the points value of each side, but the level
of
decions involved in commanding the forces.  What I'm saying (badly) is
that
it's (generally) more fun to run an armoured company that to run an
Ogre,
which in turn is more fun to run than one super-duper tank armed with
one
super-duper gun.  More decision making involved, the more fun.	This is
subject to diminishing returns, naturally.  What kind/number of forces
lead
to a good (or even decent) game that can be run in a two hour con slot?
	Any good general tips to running a game at a con?  I picked a
few over the
years, but can always use more.
	That's it as far as the questions.  The scenario I've been
considering is
a somewhat modified version of the spaceport assault scenario from the
Dirtside rulebook, with a ESU unit attacking an FSE spaceport (I know, I
know, but politics get murky out in the Colonies).  I'm thinking a
company
of PA with infantry walker support vs hordes (read short battalion ) of
lightly armed security types, with a minor twist or two. I'm kind of
afraid
of going overboard, which is why I'm looking for some tips. Thanks for
any
response.

Don