On to the games
Masks
A Powered by the Apocalypse game about teenage superhero. This game focuses not only about the conflicts between heroes and villains, but also the conflict between teenagers. It recognizes the challenges of what it might be like to be a teenager who finds themselves with superhero powers. What it would be like to be REALLY different from everyone else at school. How do you juggle those pressures and stresses. Its a really cool take on the superhero genre.
Grade: A-
The Fleet
A Powered by the Apocalypse game in the vein of Battlestar Galactica. A lot of room in here for interpersonal conflict alongside high stakes adventures. The creator did a good job of modeling the characters and their archetypes. In particular the way that those characters interact with their fighters. The GM takes on the role of the Commander (Commander/Admiral Adama). The players will be (I will definitely butcher the playbook names) the rookie, the CAG, the Chief, the psychic, the XO, etc. Great way of bringing the concepts of the main characters of the show into the forefront.
Grade: C (if the table were better grade would be much higher. Other player was really just not fun for us to play with, and pretty disruptive)
Sentinels of the Multiverse
Another superhero game. This one has its own system that definitely feels like it was born out of Cortex Plus, and some flavor from Marvel Heroic Roleplaying, which itself was a Cortex Plus game. Its not the same, but you can feel the DNA in there. A really interesting twist to the game is the idea of some powers not being accessible until things become dire. The hero being really busted up, or running out of time in the scene. Scenes themselves will also have a turn - the environment. And a scene is given a certain amount of rounds before things will go disastrously wrong. It puts a really nice pressure to act upon the players.
Grade: B+
World Wide Wrestling
The WWE in Powered by the Apocalypse form, with the GM acting as the producer, setting up the fights and making the "who wins" decisions. The matches play out like choreographed series of moves, flowing back and forth as wrestlers take momentum and move back and forth. It's extremely fun. What's more, the wrestlers engage in pre-match smack talk and backstage/locker room interviews.
I played the part of a washed up former olympic wrestling bronze medalist, who is just grinding it out on the pro wrestling circuit as a "jobber". That guy who's purpose is to lose to the stars. Through some absurd sequence of luck, he ends up actually accidentally winning, giving him his first win.
Grade: A+
Last Will
A boardgames in which players are competing with one another to spend their rich uncle's money to prove they are the most worthy of it. First one to bankrupt themselves is the winner. We both liked this one, and I bought the game.
Grade: A-
Little Fears
Another new game for me. I love getting to try new games at Gencon. Hannah and I played the roles of two kids, age 10 or 12 I think, who were on family trips to Sesame Place. Unbeknownst to us, evil things were afoot. Our friends began to disappear as we encountered monstersed versions of Cookie Monster, Ernie, and more. I have to say the GM found the creepiest Sesame Street art ever created for this -
and more. Turns out Mickey Mouse was trying to steal all of the color from our world and be evil and such. We both had a great time, and Hannah figured out what the secret was just in time to save the rest of us.
Grade: A
DemonHunters
I wish for the life of me I could remember what the plot was for this one. Definitely a huge act to follow from the "Harrison" musical plot line from the year before. Suffice it to say that we both love Demonhunters. I hope you check it out and have some fun with it too.
Grade: A
Artemis
Artemis is Artemis. We both love it. We didn't feel like it was very well run or organized this year, and found the physical bridge that was created not really much more inspiring than just the usual laptops on a table. And don't get me wrong, laptops on a table with Artemis is a damned fun experience.
Grade: B
The Exhibit Hall
Meeting up with friends
Not entirely the same when you've got a teenager with you. Your teenager probably doesn't give a crap about any of your nerd friends that you only get to see once a year. Not her fault, and I probably shouldn't have dragged her into it. Was still nice to grab a meal with them and swap stories.
Grade: B
GM101: GMing for Beginners
I feel like I was back into my old form and got a lot of good feedback from people about it. I'm always glad to help a new GM get over their nervousness and go into the game excited, and hopefully with a few pointers and new techniques up their sleeve to help their games feel more natural, less choppy and overall more fun. Its a privilege to be afforded the opportunity to share what I've learned and I continue to be humbled by peoples willingness to listen to me. Different this year was my daughter being old enough to stay at the AirBNB by herself while Dad ran off to blather on about GMing. Went back after to pick her up and off we went to the con.
Grade: A
Overall Gencon Grade: A
While I do love and cherish my solo Gencons because of the freedom to just play and run the games I want without having to consider anyone else, there is something so supremely heartwarming about sharing it with one of my girls. Its not totally her thing. She doesn't love it the way I do, and doesn't play during the rest of the year. But the fact that she wants to take this trip and play with me just fills me with such Dad-Joy™ that I can't even begin to express how good it feels.
No comments:
Post a Comment