Thanks to all at GZG-ECC III

    Thanks to Jon, Jerry, and Mark for all of their efforts to organize
GZG-ECC III.  I only get to about 8 cons a year, but GZG-ECC is the best
of the bunch.  Your efforts ARE appreciated.

    Thanks to Keith Watt, JP Fiset, Ted Arlauskas, Pat Muller for a
great maiden voyage of Ord Sarno Pod Racing.  It was a fun game and I'm
glad to have had such enthusiastic participation for the first
convention showing of the rules.  Thanks also for all the comments and
suggestions regarding the rules.  Thanks also to everyone who
complimented the terrain.  I wanted Ord Sarno to look good and that
set-up is about as good as my meager talents will allow.  Finally, yes,
to all who asked, I will be running Ord Sarno at GZG-ECC IV.  I'll buy
some more buildings and get some more terrain ready and see about
getting a slightly larger table.  Of course, I'll bring more debris,
too. <g>

    So after four hours of racing, what do I decide I want to do?  Get 7
other gaming nuts to play Carabande, or as Los put it, "Pog Racing."
Thanks to all who played.  We never did get concensus on the difference
between a "flick" and a "push," but we know a "pull" when we see it.
<g>  Yes, again, to all who asked, I'm bringing Carabande to GZG-ECC
IV.  So Friday night will be filled with my Pod/Pog Racing double
header.

    Saturday morning's game was a blast, as expected.  Stuart Murray's
"Umpire Strikes Back" was excellent, and I can't thank him enough for
his efforts.  Thanks to all who played in the scenario.  I particularly
enjoyed playing the marine commander and I had a fun team with Sergeants
"Boba" Frock and "Friendly Fire" Lawrence each taking a squad.	Thanks
also to Jerry Han for playing our poor cousins, the local militia.

    As a player, "Queen's Retort" was a highlight.  Keith Watt's rules
for fuel consumption are excellent.  The ship designs and background are
great.	If you value my opinion at all (I know at least half the list
has already stopped reading. <g>) you have to play Solar Thrust.  It's a
great deal of fun, and is highly believable.  Sorry, Jon, I would have
liked to link up with you, but with a Jovian juggernaut on my 6, I
didn't have any choice.  Congrats, Aaron for the win.  Not to take
anything away, but it was only by one point.  Still, it was one more
point than any one else was able to squeeze out of Keith's diabolical
victory conditions.

    What can I say about the "Beer (aka Cheese) Game"?	We had 10 guys
playing and about 15 different interpretations of the rules.  However,
after the game, we were all still friends and went out for beer,
mozarella sticks, and cheese fries.  As predicted, KR bought the beer.
But I bought the cheese! <g>

    "King of the Mountain" was a huge success thanks to Brian "Baby"
Bell and his minis.  4 of the 5 fleets in this "bring your own fleet"
competition were provided by Brian.  It makes me wonder why he finished
third. <g>  At any rate, JP Fiset, Lester Bell, Brian Bell, Dean Maki,
and Bryon Gordon helped me finish ECC in style with a spirited
competition that saw everything from Bryon's transfer craft being
abandoned in-system to Dean's core breach in the second to the last
turn.  "Spite" was the word of the day as retreating ships fired upon
the space station to keep it out of the hands of JP.  Thanks to all five
of you for one of the most fun FT games I've seen, as well as my first
chance to run a FT convention game that actually had people bother to
show up! <g>
    Again, to all who asked, I'm not sure if I'll be running KotM at
GZG-ECC IV.  I'm talking with another person about possible GMing
something together.  I'm also considering a BYOF, but with a different
set-up.  I'll be running 2-3 games at GZG-ECC IV, not counting the
unofficial ones.  Ord Sarno is one of them, KotM may or may not be.  But
thanks for all of the interest in my games.

    Thanks again to everybody at the con.  It was the best weekend of
gaming I've had since GZG-ECC II and probably the best I'll have until
GZG-ECC IV.  Maybe the guys at Mardi Gras have a better time, I don't
know.  It's hard imagine a better time than I had in Lancaster.  OK,
maybe it's not so hard to imagine, but with ECC at least, I don't have
to worry about my wife seeing the pictures. <g>

-Mike

--
Michael Sarno

http://vietnam.isonfire.com
Check out the Charlie Company Discussion Group:
Info, resources, and links for RAFM's miniatures
skirmish wargame of infantry combat in Vietnam 1965-1972

"Tradition refuses to submit to the small and
 arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen
 to be walking about."
 -G.K. Chesterton