Furnace 12 has been and gone and once again we seem to have had a really good time. It is particularly heartening to hear such good things from ‘first timers’ as it becomes difficult to see the event through fresh eyes. Thanks to all who provided support to fellow attendees when needed and all your general thoughtfulness, it is the bedrock of the event.
We had some concerns about capacity this time around so, in a minor way, the usual and unfortunate player drop outs helped ease this, though this was balanced with some GM drop outs, which raised the heat. Thanks to those who stepped forward and ran extra games – your heroics have been noted in the mead halls and I sorted an extra “thank you” to Hem and Paul.
My own convention was a mixed affair as I had an impending house move that squeezed my time. Just the one GMing slot from me and a quick exit from slot 1 and 2 to do a ‘tip run’ to help with the house clear out. On my return, everything was buzzing along, so all good.
I was glad to get the FFG Star Wars game out on the table. My kids had helped me by buying me some sets of the dice, though it turned out that my players had quite a few sets between them. I had probably over blinged the setup, with maps and sound effects and minis and maps, all in a vague attempt to deflect the fact that I hadn’t run the game before. Bit of a stretch, especially with me going big with six players, but it turns out that the game is really easy to bring to the table. The scenario was an old WEG D6 classic, with plenty of action and some nice interactions, as we headed to the climactic battle. We all seemed to have a good time, which is always gratifying.
On balance I think I like the FFG Narrative Dice System. My experience so far indicates that the reported difficulties with the custom dice symbology is overplayed; it doesn’t take too long to settle with it and use outcomes for narration. You can probably achieve similar effects with other swish modern systems, but the whole package is well balanced, presented, and achieves cinematic action very well. Although not perfect, the starship combat side meshes seamlessly and achieves that difficult balance of player involvement, speed and a sense of the drama, with minimal stat blocks. I’ll shell out for Genesys when it arrives.
We finished in good time, giving plenty of time for Bar and chat. Lovely way to round off the day.
Sunday was a double treat as I had pre-booked the next two games. I got to play in Declan’s Faith game in the morning, which gave me an opportunity to try out the new 2.0 rules that are part of the Kickstarter that I am in. Nice setup and a real sense of tactical ‘effort handling’ by juggling the hand of cards that you have been dealt. There’s some ‘game skill’ to the way that the cards are played and I’m not quite there yet. Simple to play, interesting setting, and innovative mechanics. Maybe, just maybe a crack at it at North Star, but there are many contenders. Thanks to all at the table.
The afternoon brought me to Lynn Yin’s marvelous Tianxia Fate game set at the court of early 18th Century China. A fiendish setup that provided us with a mystery that had consequences for all of China, played out amongst the factional rivalries of the fecund Imperial family. What great players too, munching into character and allowing us to experience the culture and unexpected dilemmas, handled in a light touch way that accentuated the story and the fun. I cannot say too much about what happened. My simple ‘hero of the people’ was winningly out of his depth, but with plenty of story action where he could excel. I pause now at my keyboard. I never saw the faces of the apothecary’s extended family that I effectively condemned to death. Instead, I see random faces, imploring hopelessly, wailing as they are marched away. Wine and time may never make them go away.
The organisation was reasonably smooth, with attendees pitching in and helping when needed. The
Garrison clearly enjoy having us over as they provided each hotel room with a ‘Furnace’ themed bottle of ale and thank you letter. How very lovely.
My thoughts turn to Revelation, Seven Hills and North Star, with some behind the scene stuff to make sure they are smooth and good to go.
Furnace 13 then. Well, I wonder sometimes if I have overcooked things and interest will frazzle and then cool, but it seems not. We have created some islands of gaming fun and I can only see many more to come. That’s when I don’t see those imploring faces.
