Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Gencon(line) 2020 Report Card

Gencon - Plague Edition!

I don't remember a ton about this Gencon. It was 2020, the lost year for so many of us. However the ability to still play, albeit remotely was pretty cool. And certainly better than nothing.

GURPS - Deadly Ice

This session of my favorite old school RPG had our characters investigating some kind of mystery. I can't remember much, it was 2020 :)
The session used Roll 20 in kind of a vanilla way. There wasn't any game mechanical integration, but the GM used the handouts and other features well. The group was good and overall a good experience

Trail of Cthulhu - The Case of Ernest Wheedon

Very well run by the GM. Although I think most of us figured out the mystery early, or at least had strong suspicions, everyone in the group rolled with it, and played the characters up in their ignorance and we had a fantastic time - in which we eventually realized we were all in fact just ghosts. Already dead, and our task was to put things to rest. Well done.

Fate of Cthulhu - The Rise of Tssthogua

I came in late on this, as in this was the fourth and final session of a 4 part mini campaign. It wasn't needed to be in the earlier sessions, but I believe it would have been helpful. I'm already familiar with FATE and its various versions, and FATE of Cthulhu fits in well, with its own interpretation and take on things. In this game, the investigators are traveling through time to stop the stars from coming right, or whatever other existential threat is facing humanity today. It also takes the idea of madness with a more gentle hand. I like this - mental illness isn't a joke, and gaming around with the idea of sanity requires a very special kind of touch and skill to do it well and not just make it for the LOLs. This game instead looks at corruption. When a player is fully corrupted, they are no longer a hero, and no longer under the players' control. Get the same job done, but with a significantly less insensitive bent to it. I don't think it gets in the way of roleplaying someone's lack of coping and losing of their senses a bit, but lets focus on the point of it mechanically. Maybe you think its just more "woke-ness". Just keep an open mind and give it a chance.

InSpectres session (GMed)

So much goofy fun is had in an average Inspectres game, and this was no different. I was able to rope in a very old friend who usually can't go to gencon, but was able to play in this session because it was online. So lemons from lemonade!

InSpectres session (GMed)

I don't remember the particulars of either of these Inspectres sessions. What I do remember was the table being great, and having a really fun time Going for them.

GM101 - GMing for Beginners and GM210 - The Art of Conversational GMing

OK, here is where "Genconline" kind of shone. I've been running this seminar for about a decade now, and this was by far the largest audience I've ever had. Not constrained by physical attendance, or by the number of seats in the room, people were able to attend from all over. I had people in the audience from Europe, Australia, and South America. What a treat to be able to reach such a wide audience.
It also gave the the opportunity to have slides. (Yuck! I know you may be thinking). But honestly, sometimes just having a picture up can help really drive the point home even better than just your words. Here's an example. From my section all about what NOT to do when you're planning your early sessions:


A funny picture, but it gets the point across like mere words can't describe. 
Finally, for the first time I was able to record the seminar. If anyone is interested you can find them here if you're interested. If you like what you read, or think it sucks and want to tell me about it leave a comment!

I'm not the be all end all of GMing. These are just my own experience of whats worked and not worked for me over the years. Use at your own risk, I hope they're helpful.

SO that's Gencon 2020. How was your experience? I'm heading out to physical meatspace Gencon in just a couple of weeks. With some nervousness about it of course. Really going to try to not get COVID!!!!!! Wear your masks people. This is the Con Crud from hell. Wear your masks. Wash your hands. Be safe, and I'll see you there. If you run into me say hi. :)