GameStorm 2009 Post-Con Wrapup

WOW IT’S OVER. *sleeeeeeeeeeep*

Okay, now that that’s done with, I’m here to talk about GameStorm 2009, and how it was awesome. I spent the entire recently-past weekend at this local game con – some call it “Portland’s Best Game Con in Vancouver.” This was my third year in a row going, and my first year actually attending for the majority of the weekend.

My initial forecast at the beginning of the weekend: “I’m going to be fucking tired of gaming by the end of Saturday night.” I am plum-tuckered thrilled to state that I was absolutely, horribly wrong in that prediction. When it was all over, I wanted to game even more than I already had. The weekend was fabulous, in every way. I met great folks, played great games, and have some gaming memories to last a lifetime.

Rather than go step-by-step walking through the events of the weekend, I decided that this time, I’d make it a visual piece, a detailed collage of swag and memories.

1. First we have the Cannibal Contagion teasers that were printed up for the con. MANY thanks to Kat for the assembly and production of these. Also, MANY thanks to the folks that actually purchased them (and even pre-ordered the game!) at the con.
2. This strip of black with the bolt emblazoned upon it is the special Indie Hurricane armband I acquired on day one. Someone in the GoPlay PDX community made and brought a whole mess of them. Thanks! I wore mine all weekend, and actually intend on cutting out a strip of it and sewing it to my jacket, right above my patch of “The Damned.”
3. I grabbed a copy of a nifty little game called “Lucky Pip & the Incomparable Ithamar Conchie.” It’s a simple narrative story game in which fortune cookies are used to provide solutions to the big challenges of life that face the poor accident-prone Lucky Pip.
4. My Gamestorm badge was quickly adorned with the nifty “Indie Hurricane” ribbon shortly after I acquired my free all-weekend guest registration. I wanted to put my roommate Veira’s badge in the pic too, but couldn’t find it.
5. This is my personal copy of what I like to call “Classroom Explosion.” A year ago I took my copies of Panty Explosion and Classroom Deathmatch and spiral-bound them together in the same volume. I had to loan them to Nick for his own Classroom Deathmatch game this year, and it felt pretty nifty to show them off. I’m still pestering Jake about the idea of revisiting Classroom Deathmatch with a new revised edition I like to call “Season 2.”
6. At GS11, all I brought with me was a water bottle and a single backpack. The latter was filled to near-bursting with books, gaming utensils, clothing, hygiene products, and a big wad of Odwalla bars. These delicious pick-me-ups were lifesavers, especially given the con’s brand-new totalitarian regime governing their hospitality suite. The price of registration increased, while the quality of service measurably plummeted. Shame on you, GameStorm.
7. While I’ve had this box (and many more) of Avatar cards for a while, I met a fellow story-gamer at GS11 who won four full starter boxes of them as prizes. Perhaps some day we shall duel, neh?
8. I finally caved in and bought a whole tin full of the Pirates minis game pieces, by WizKids. My primary purpose is to use some of them as game pieces in my monthly Sea and Shores campaign, but since I know a few locals who play, I’m also looking to have a few rounds o’ broadside combat in the coming weeks.
9. I met a fine gentleman called Ogre, who let me talk for a bit on his podcast. He also linked me to a variety of things, including a forum he said I would probably enjoy called Cultures of Play. One gripe: why why why must is be Vanilla? Ah well, I will be checking it out shortly. Thanks for the long and engaging chatting, Ogre, and for the links! Thanks also to Willem, who led a damn good discussion on integrating Learning and Play.
10. Ah, Jack Daniels – a delicious whiskey and a handy deck of cards. Both are quite useful in games of Cannibal Contagion!
11. The Yellow background actually has nothing to do with GameStorm. It’s a poster that my roommate made when we hosted our first Zombie Survival party. It’s only here for contrast, and because it is hilarious and awesome.
12. This is a flier for a local area community of LARPers who call themselves SHAGLARP. I always love LARPers who allow themselves to expand their interests beyond Vamps and Werewolves, and as such I greatly recommend other similarly-minded gamers to check these folks out. While I didn’t get to play it, I hear they run a game of “Og!” that is to die for, provided your character can remember what “die” means…
13. This art book was acquired when we pre-ordered the Deluxe version of Dead Space for the PS3. it served well as a prop for the first game of Cannibal Contagion run at the con, which was set in the same fictional universe.
14. Here we have four cards from the various Cannibal Contagion games I ran. Yes, that says Golem Jesus, and you should be very, very afraid. Pablo wasn’t, and don’t forget what happened to him…
15. Ah, finally, we come to Quad. I gave away a crapload of the Quad folds, and noticed that even more were picked up without my promotion by passers-by at the con. The best part of the Quad drive, though, was the random and unexpected (and unexpectedly awesome) pick-up game of it that I ran for Nick and Gilbert shortly after my Jesus Camp Massacre session. The number 7 there is a nice reference to that, which only the three of us will ever get.

So there’s my GameStorm in a nutshell. There’s a few bits and pieces missing, but I think that sums it up pretty nicely.

As for the sessions I ran, there were four: Dead Space, Occupant Necrodanger, The Jesus Camp Massacre, and the Quad pick-up game. I intend to post full AP reports on all four of them over the next week or so, provided it doesn’t interfere with the planning for this weekend’s upcoming Sea and Shores session.

As a final bit of hoopla, I sold a good handful of copies of the Cannibal Contagion numbered teasers, but didn’t get the names of the people who purchased three of them. Let me know who you are and what number your teaser is. And thanks, by the way!

The LinkRoll:

• Stabbing Contest Podcast
• Classroom Deathmatch
• Cultures of Play
• Lucky Pip & the Incomparable Ithamar Conchie
• SHAGLARP
• While not mentioned in the picture key, I did chat a bit with Nathan Monger about his games, and wanted to give a shout. he was one of my mid-stage playtesters for Cannibal Contagion. Thanks for helping out, man. Next time we cross paths, show me some of your games.

That’s it for now. Expect the Actual Play reports to come very soon.

– NPC