Another Airecon analogue gaming weekend in Harrogate, and what a fine time we have had! I run the RPG track as part of a lovely tabletop community convention, well organised, with a strong and positive ethos. It’s great to play a part in supporting this perfectly sized gaming weekend. Below are some personal reflections, in anticipation of feedback from my GMs and possibly some attendees via the community forum.
It was a very good weekend, with RPGs continuing to grow a little year on year, providing another gaming expression to the amazing board, card and other games. This year we moved to the grand Hilton Majestic Hotel with the Reading and Drawing rooms opened for 21 tables in each of the 8 sessions available. Being a short walk from the main convention halls probably had its pros and cons, but we were very happy with the space provided, amidst the grandeur of the column and chandelier great rooms, with carpets, drapes, and high ceilings that managed the sound so well. It was a delight to work the desk, helping people to find their booked tables and get into games. The buzz and laughter emanated through the walls to my corridor desk all weekend.
Our space was sponsored by Chaosium, who are significantly contributing to tabletop convention roleplay events across the UK (and doubtless beyond). Thank you to them for helping us put our RPG event together in such a fantastic location!
With some spaces in our programme, particularly on the lighter Sunday afternoon, we offered 781 player spaces, with 543 tickets sold. This tells me that, for now, we have the right number of tables, and should focus on filling the capacity we have, before expanding the space that we might need in future years. RPGs are very much a full part of the Airecon experience and they are there to stay.
Airecon’s RPG Gamemasters (GMs) are a terrific group, many of whom return every year to ply their craft. They bring a wide range of different RPGs with varying playstyles, thrilling situations for the players to resolve, or indeed murders to solve, and all delivered with a lot of heart and significant preparation. I think Remi might have stolen the show with his huge Lego diorama for his Star Wars games, though as I toured the tables I saw gorgeous character sheets, figures and maps, props, and even a touch of fancy dress, all of which, though not essential, adds to the experience. However, the real preparation is more important and invisible. The mastery of the game, the design of situations that engage, and characters that can be expressed through play at the table. Creators of memorable gaming experiences all.
Not everything works out smoothly on the day. Some games might not fill or be viable, some players do not show up, and just occasionally a GM might not be able to make the session they had pledged to run. We have a principle that GMs are ready to run, even if we know there are no, or few, ticket sales for their game. This enables me to juggle late minute player sign ups, or re-allocate players from one cancelled game to another. It was so nice to see players prefer to be slotted into another game, other than the one they had booked, instead of going for a refund. People had arrived to play! GMs with no sign-ups are also able to join games to make up numbers and get games going if required. GMs like to play too.
We were especially concerned about one GM who didn’t show up at all, and wasn’t responding to messages. It is with profound sadness that we were told that one of our number, David Gallico, passed away on Thursday night. Many of you know David, a lovely and kind hearted man, who shared our passion for RPGs and was always keen to offer a rich variety of games at conventions. David will be greatly missed, and I shall think of him, and his game of DCC that he ran for me. Time is so precious, and I am so glad to have shared the moments I had with David.
As an organiser, I also like to run games. I thought it particularly important to do so this tmie around, to personally experience the new play space. My planning of table numbering was designed to soften any impact of loud noise, though the rooms handled the volume extremely well. My three games of Free League’s ‘Dragonbane’ went well, with some riotous and welcoming play from a cast of wonderful players. My last game on Sunday afternoon was much shorter than I had planned, a full hour and 45 minutes less than the same game the previous evening. Sometimes the players take routes and decisions that short cut potential complications. I’ll be running three games again next year.
I have made a few notes on a very few changes that will fine tune the organisation of RPGs for next year. Most especially, I think some form of ‘#children friendly’ tag (or some such) will help parents choose games that GMs have prepared with children and younger adults in mind. I was very lucky to have a ten year old and mum play in my first game, and it was a considerable delight to see my other three adult players adapt their play to make the younger one welcome and included. The youngster seemed to have a wonderful time and remained fully engaged throughout more than three hours of play.
To conclude, I just want to say a big thank you to all the GMs. The event is nothing without you. You’re commitment to bring great play experiences to the table is clearly evident from the preparation, your skill and approach to managing the sessions, and perhaps most of all the electric buzz of players engaging in your games with all the cries of surprise and laughter flowing from the room.
We’ll be ready for next year.