| Powder Monkey Convention Advise |
Running your favorite game at a Con should be fun for you and your audience. After all war
gaming is our hobby and it is supposed to be fun, right? A good convention is our weekend of fun, not
a root canal! So, I have some simple guidelines I use to make my experience and the gamers fun and
enjoyable.
First, pick a game system you know well. A convention is not the time to try a brand new rules
system you just learned. I have sat through a game where the Game Master knew less than I did
about his game. It was horrible and not much fun. Pick something you know really well, so if a gamer
asks you a question you know the answer.
Second, make a cheat sheet up. A one page information chart with important facts: example,
movement, ranges, numbers needed to hit, armor thickness and the like. Have these where the players
unfamiliar with the period or game can look at one place and have the answer(s).
Third, have a ruler and dice for each player set out. If you are going to have six players, go to the
Dollar store and buy six sets of rulers or dice. Make each player comfortable so they can play and not
worry about borrowing rulers and dice. Fourth, give each player enough troops, ships, tanks, or
whatever to have fun. But also recognize that someone might be eliminated on the first turn. If this
happens simply give them more troops etc, and get them back on the table. One of the most
successful games, I have ever run, was a large Napoleonic battle with as many reserves as I had
troops on the table. Someone’s command was destroyed, routed I brought in a reserve division.
People kept playing and having fun.
gaming is our hobby and it is supposed to be fun, right? A good convention is our weekend of fun, not
a root canal! So, I have some simple guidelines I use to make my experience and the gamers fun and
enjoyable.
First, pick a game system you know well. A convention is not the time to try a brand new rules
system you just learned. I have sat through a game where the Game Master knew less than I did
about his game. It was horrible and not much fun. Pick something you know really well, so if a gamer
asks you a question you know the answer.
Second, make a cheat sheet up. A one page information chart with important facts: example,
movement, ranges, numbers needed to hit, armor thickness and the like. Have these where the players
unfamiliar with the period or game can look at one place and have the answer(s).
Third, have a ruler and dice for each player set out. If you are going to have six players, go to the
Dollar store and buy six sets of rulers or dice. Make each player comfortable so they can play and not
worry about borrowing rulers and dice. Fourth, give each player enough troops, ships, tanks, or
whatever to have fun. But also recognize that someone might be eliminated on the first turn. If this
happens simply give them more troops etc, and get them back on the table. One of the most
successful games, I have ever run, was a large Napoleonic battle with as many reserves as I had
troops on the table. Someone’s command was destroyed, routed I brought in a reserve division.
People kept playing and having fun.
Know your rules system, this will help you when you determine how big to make each players
commands. I enjoy running a set of Civil War Ironclad rules, Brown Water Navies. I know that
usually in a convention session I can get in two games may be three. So I start everyone with a
learner game. I give each player one a ship and we walk through several turns. Once everyone has the
sense of play I set up the scenario I wanted to run. Ideally, by this time they can play the game
without me. As a rule, I run games where each player runs two ships, 10 infantry or horse figures,
and or four or five armored vehicles. If the gamers are experienced I add to their commands.
As for terrain, presentation is everything. As with food, with gaming a nice looking table is inviting.
Bring only your terrain that will look nice and set off what you are playing. In the case of my
Ironclads I bring a couple of islands, docks, a few houses, may be a battery or two. I pack everything
in one box. Make sure everything is easy to carry—after all you are doing the carrying. When doing a
skirmish make the terrain look interesting. For example, in the Pet shops there are some interesting
cheap pieces of oriental buildings, walls and temples that are for fish tanks. These pieces are unusual
and will draw interest. Use your imagination; it is all right to mix genres: science fiction and ancient
for example.
In summary, running a convention game should be fun for you and your gamers. Remember to run
something you know- read the rules before you go to the convention- have the equipment to play the
game -bring everyone a rule, a cheat sheet and dice. If you can get them to laugh, you all will have a
good time! So good gaming I am cheering for you, we are all in this hobby together.
commands. I enjoy running a set of Civil War Ironclad rules, Brown Water Navies. I know that
usually in a convention session I can get in two games may be three. So I start everyone with a
learner game. I give each player one a ship and we walk through several turns. Once everyone has the
sense of play I set up the scenario I wanted to run. Ideally, by this time they can play the game
without me. As a rule, I run games where each player runs two ships, 10 infantry or horse figures,
and or four or five armored vehicles. If the gamers are experienced I add to their commands.
As for terrain, presentation is everything. As with food, with gaming a nice looking table is inviting.
Bring only your terrain that will look nice and set off what you are playing. In the case of my
Ironclads I bring a couple of islands, docks, a few houses, may be a battery or two. I pack everything
in one box. Make sure everything is easy to carry—after all you are doing the carrying. When doing a
skirmish make the terrain look interesting. For example, in the Pet shops there are some interesting
cheap pieces of oriental buildings, walls and temples that are for fish tanks. These pieces are unusual
and will draw interest. Use your imagination; it is all right to mix genres: science fiction and ancient
for example.
In summary, running a convention game should be fun for you and your gamers. Remember to run
something you know- read the rules before you go to the convention- have the equipment to play the
game -bring everyone a rule, a cheat sheet and dice. If you can get them to laugh, you all will have a
good time! So good gaming I am cheering for you, we are all in this hobby together.
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| ABC’s of running a Game at a Con By Larry Brasington |