What do you look for in a convention game?

[Coffeefiend]

What do you look for in a convention game?

I ran a WWI 28mm game at the last convention. It went well. Next year, I plan on putting on Fontenoy.  But as I sit here, waiting for my order in from Pendraken, I find myself contemplating what makes for a good convention game? I feel that I want to leave this open-ended. I do know what I look for in a convention game, so an answer of "what would you want?" Is not going to be what I am looking for. I am curious what others look for. So please take a moment to inform me, what is it that makes you select one game over another in a convention setting?

[Shecky]

when running a convention game I try to focus on:

1. explain the rules in 15-20 minutes.
2.  Every player is engaged. If one player seems to be stuck on the inactive flank, have him roll initiative dice or do some other thing which allows him to participate more.
3. Let the players make their own decisions and offer tactical advice only if they don't know the rules.

When looking for a game to play:
1. Period or genre which interests me.
2. Can I expect the game to conclude in the allotted time
3. Does the GM have a history of putting on good games

And here's what I avoid based on past experiences
1. GMs who are still setting up when the game past the schedules start time.
2. players who try to make all decisions for their side.
3. rules I dislike
4. Large games scheduled to go over two or more time slots.

[Norm]

All games are lovely to look at, but the ones I enjoy most are those on a smaller table that actually look like something that I could do at home  - i.e. giving  an inspiration to go home and play. Plus I like to buy at a show, so something that will make me want to go to a trader and get something new due to the inspiration given by the table.

I want to be able to take a photograph of the table without being left to feel that I am an interruption to the players and I want the players to be happy to engage me with conversation, but not so obsessed with their game that I can't get away :-)

I have back problems and would love there to be a spare chair at the table so that I can sit to chat if I want - as standing can be a killer.

As I sit here typing this, there are two games that really stick in my mind, One was not so long ago, a 10mm game covering Borodino on a 4' x 4' table and the other was many years ago (Tripples), on a small and oddly shaped table going 6mm WWII - both games just looked good and so do-able for transferring to the home environment. I'm sure everyone would have a memorable table and likely they are all different, so there is no true one answer, but the point is that your table will press someone's button at some point and you may not even know it. That is rather a nice gift to give to an anonymous crowd.

I come away from every show, grateful of all those who have given up their day to be there. That does include traders, who don't always have a great day, but it especially includes those who put on games and those who run the show and make it look a seamless success.

[Steve J]

For me as a visitor it would be:

- An information board or something similar saying what the game is. It is so frustrating seeing lovely tables, but often without any idea of what the game is.
- A 6'x4' table maximum, so that I can feel it is a game I could play at home.
- A game that is actually being played, so that I can get a feel for the ruleset.
- 'Helpers' who can engage with members of the public and answer any questions they may have about the period, rules, scenario etc.
- If it is a participation game, 'idiot cards' that contain all the information broadly speaking that you require to play. Ideally coupled with an umpire who can advise and run through the turn sequence etc so that you can focus on your tactics etc.

[Ithoriel]

I'd agree with the need to have something to identify both the action portrayed and those putting on the game. An A4 printed sheet with the equivalent of "Fly-by-Night Gamers, Battle of Dogger Bank (1902). Britain vs France" is fine, bigger can be better.

Also the need to have people engage with the public. It shouldn't be a club night game played in public. Given the average wargamer, "heads down, bums up" is not a good look

If you can have people who know about the figures, the rules, how the terrain was made so much the better but a general willingness to talk to the public will get you a long way.

For participation games I prefer small quick games that give a flavour of the game, nothing too serious and nothing that keeps me from the serious task of spending money I don't have on things I don't need for too long.

For demonstration games I'd prefer something spectacular in scale and or execution.

[Orcs]

Given the average wargamer, "heads down, bums up" is not a good look

So your suggesting we need some Totty wargamers ?  cleavage showing as they lean over the table, presenting a nice rear to passers by.  So we have a nice view from both sides of the table and hopefully a nice looking game 

[Ithoriel]

Actually, it was a plea for gamers to stand up and engage with the punters rather than an idea to recruit a club composed entirely of cheerleaders (and/or Chippendales, lets not be discriminatory) .... though now you mention it .....

Oh dear, I think we may need a Male Chauvinist Pig icon

[Subedai]

Having been an integral part of award winning games in the past my tuppenceworth is as follows:

Games that look good. In that I mean that everything on the table is complementary, the terrain, the figures etc. As examples of this I would say that the Barry Hilton and the League of Augsburg in 25mm, the Gentlemen Wargamers in 6mm have got it right. The one thing that puts me off is something that looks knocked together as for a club night. We are supposed to be selling our hobby to the public and encouraging people to join and that is not the way forward.

Lots of interaction between the players and the public. At a show the game itself, however nice looking, is only the hook rather than the line and should come a distant second. This means that people should be there all of the time. Seeing someone -a caretaker if you wish- sitting there with his nose in a book, a thermos cup of coffee in his hand and being completely oblivious to his surroundings is not a great start.

On the subject of hooks, something eye catching is great. Whether it be a battle in the snow -the ground colour is the hook- or a siege with some curtain walls across the angle or whatever, it should be something that immediately makes you think, 'Hello, that looks interesting.'

Knowledgeable people at the table who can smile, be polite and educate people in a non-patronising way about what is going on. The sound of cheering in the background as a rout happens at a crucial time is another major off-putter(?).

A small handout -be it A4 or even A5- is great to give any interested party a brief outline of what has gone before the situation on the table has been arrived at.

Something I have been seeing more and more at shows is a stand alone board with more information about the game on it. The club's name and location is normally prominently shown.

Nice looking tables littered with coffee cups, rulebooks and other such impedimenta spoil the look of the game. Everything should be off table apart from the figures and terrain.

[Coffeefiend]

Thank you everyone. Some excellent advice. Once my figures arrive, I plan on bogging about the progress of getting Fontenoy on the table and prepared for a convention game here in San Diego.

The next question would be Madeira, Port or Brandy at the table?   

[Norm]

(loud scream on) PUT NOTHING ON THE TABLE !!!!!!!! (loud scream off) ooh-eeerrr sorry, don't know what came over me then, I lost the plot for a moment there

[FierceKitty]

Scream on. Battlefields are for battles.

[fsn]

(loud scream on) PUT NOTHING ON THE TABLE !!!!!!!! (loud scream off) ooh-eeerrr sorry, don't know what came over me then, I lost the plot for a moment there

With you on that one. It's a bit like voting Tory*. Everyone apparently hates it and yet it's seen everywhere.


* Please note this is an observation, not an invitation for political ranting.

[FierceKitty]

Well, since you raise the subject of party politics....

[toxicpixie]

I like a nice mix at any given convention - for demo games I like to see the huge, lovely, massively detailed, complementary approach as it's really good to look at. However, they very often just don't function well as games - you come back two hours later and nothing much has moved. They're also not really representative of what an "average" club night or home table will look like. So - I want to see two other kinds of games, really.

The smaller "pocket games" in the above type, where you're still looking at really nice crafted terrain and figures but aren't huge. So the skirmishy sort of "bejou gamette" like Malifaux, or Necromunda (or the Mantic knockoffs), or Saga or Song of Blades & Heroes sort of level where you can have a couple of dozen really nice figures  (or bases for smaller scale) on "crafted" terrain and an actual game that can run through three or four times in the day. This is also the level I like for "participation games" - e.g. the Peter Pig PBI demo (couple dozen bases of 15mm), or the sci-fi one that Baccus were taking round etc etc. It looks really good to aspire to, it's playable for a con and doubly so for visitors (a half hour slot is probably the most a UK type con goer is going to have spare?).

And thirdly there's the "typical decent club/home game" - probably falls between the two above in size, and looks acceptable - ok, it's not as pretty but it says "if you're interested, you can do this period/scale/battle/campaign/whatever" yourself, no one is going to sneer, and you can get a game in on a club night/evening at home without running out of time. This isn't a cry for half painted/bare figures on a green cloth with felt shapes with "tree" written on, but something that a "normal" wargamer can bang in a box and take to a mates/club, set up in half an hour and play to conclusion in a usable time frame.

[barbarian]

I'm preparing a table to introduce wargaming to a young population that have probably never heard of it.

A friend of mine have a table with Talibans and Predators (yes, predators instead of Westerners.)
It is like 4 predators against a lot of Talibans and it's fun.

I'd like to do a table on WWII.

Any advice ?