Seek the Wolf in Thyself!
First year con jitters. It has been a while since I first experienced a first year con. I had forgotten the struggles it goes through to get attendance, appear attractive to the base, and the general issues first year cons go through. Con-Gregate is a little different from this perspective, however. The experience behind the staff really helps the con jump over some of the traditional hurtles a con has to deal with.
Mid-June found myself and my family in sweltering North Charleston, SC for another StormCon, a young and growing gaming con run by a great group of people. I had fun last year at this con and I fully intended on supporting it again this year. I signed up to run a good variety of games – 1 RPG, 1 board game, and 1 miniature game. I was really looking forward to this as a break from real life and a chance to game with some friendly faces – new and old.
Another year passes and another weekend in May/June goes by. I find myself a little less bitter but still holding resentment against those that betrayed my trust. Meanwhile, they continue to benefit from my hard work, particularly this year because of the guest I got them. It was my magnum opus and I did not…
I have received enough feedback from my RavenCon review that I felt that a follow up was needed. From this feedback, I think there are some beneficial lessons that can help with convention management, gaming coordinating, as well as one’s convention experience. Getting the full perspective of a con is not always easy. I sometimes find more insight after the con. Since RavenCon, I have spoken with a senior convention staff member as well as a game designer/publisher that attended. Their feedback to my first review is what lead me to this follow up. This is not intended to be a retraction or an “apology.” I stand by what I wrote in my initial review. I just truly feel that after the feedback I received that there is more of a tale to tell about RavenCon.
The journey from my home near Charlotte, NC to Richmond, Va is not a short one but I have been wanting to check out a con for years called RavenCon. It is run by a good group of people, some of which I know from my days of running sci-fi cons. My kids like to dress up and play around with other kids that like sci-fi, so I like to go to these on occasion. I know going in that the gaming is not the focus at these cons, but I have at least a minimum expectation that there is some and it might be reasonably organized.
March 2014 meant not only that I turned 45, but also that MACE West moved to Asheville, NC, home of the Biltmore Estate! It was a new area for us and they seemed very welcoming to us on Facebook, but I wasn’t sure how accepting they would be about how we do things. We are a little more organized than what they may be used to, which I freely admit is sort of a double-edged sword. They could love the organization or they could think we are too “nazi” about the way we do things.
It’s been nearly a month since MACE 2013 ended. I have been caught up in various things post-con related as well as real-life related, so this report is late in coming. Since it has been a month, much of the emotion and energy has died down in me but I have to say that this was definitely one of the best MACE events ever. Between the tons of gaming and connecting up with so many old and new friends, it was an amazing weekend.
July 12-14, 2013 marks the first weekend of a new con in the Carolinas – StormCon. It took place in Summerville, SC and was formed by a group of veteran gamers with a common desire to put on a good gaming con. I attended the full weekend and have to say that it was definitely a great experience.
In 2013, JustUs Productions (the guys behind this web site and gaming cons like MACE in Charlotte, NC) was asked to run gaming at a con in Columbia, SC called RoundCon (RC). RC has been around for 20+ years, first started by a gaming club out of the University of South Carolina. Sean Martinez has been the guy behind RoundCon for several years now. Some time ago, Sean took over the con from the ailing gaming club and turned into his own business.
PROJECT STATUS: ON GOING. An ongoing contest and project to create a Living campaign exclusively for MACE, set it at least 3 systems (Savage Worlds, Pathfinder, and Bare Bones Fantasy). Phase 1 decided on the specific setting, Emberbright by Matt Holmquist. Phase 2 details the Elven Magocracy Houses and is in progress.