Kapcon

[confusiontempst]

So, I went up to Wellington in the weekend for Kapcon. It was the most awesome convention I've ever attended, and I hope that next year continues in this vein.

This is going to be a bit bare bones, I think, I hope to come back and update this some more in the next day or so.

Pre-con:I had 2 and a bit days precon, having arrived on Wednesday

Comments

[anarchangel23]

It's just hard to mesh with a group that's comprised in large part of people who are quite good friends. It's hard to not feel like you're intruding on conversations sometimes.

I found the same thing at the Kapcon drinks I attended a couple of years ago. It's always tricky being at a big con where you only know a handful of people.

I need to work ongetting things set up better, and not dragging so much.

We should play a couple of games when I'm down later in the year.

Scott narrating his combats via what songs were being queued up on his Mandelbrite armour.

That's awesome! When I played Inspectres in a lobby area at Neoncon in Vegas I used the piped musak as inspiration for a few character moments, but nothing that cool.

I really need to find a way to work around recalcitrant Sergeants.

That's an interesting problem. I don't think I've ever encountered that. It could be that there's something in my style that pulls people out of turtling, but it's probably just dumb luck (and on at least one occasion, collusion!)

[confusiontempst]

Well, the first time I ran my sergeant, an otherwise awesome person that I've never had an opportunity to game with, actually fell asleep during the game because it was the final session of Buckets and she was exhausted.
The second time I ran, (the Kapcon time), my sergeant started directly disobeying orders right at the end. Maybe I should have just used instant field demotion and promoted someone else to sergeant in his place? (He was balking at continuing on into another combat when half his squad was on the verge of death, since his mission was obviously pointless. I don't think he quite got what 3:16 is all about.

[anarchangel23]

Ugh, sleeping players... that's impolite. They really should have sat out.

I wish I had a sergeant disobey orders! That's fantastic! I would have tried to prompt a mutiny :)
Incidentally, that sergeant's situation is what the E-Vac command is for. :D

[confusiontempst]

I think I didn't explain weaknesses properly, no oen used one. Then again, no one died either. (Mike Sands advised me to just crank the diff up to 8 or 9, or even 10, for every planet)

He did so in front of a propaganda officer, who turned to the 2 corporals and ordered them to shoot the sergeant. One fired, and intentionally missed. I think if it happens again I'll just have to say "the man who kills the traitor will be promoted."

[anarchangel23]

Yeah, 8+ is where it gets challenging. I usually set the first one at 6 or 7, then roll after that. Then the opening planet is hard, but probably not fatal, and the roleplaying carries it more than the danger after that. I've run it three times at US cons and killed... one character? Maybe two?

At the point where the ranking officer has mutinied, I think you've won. I'd just it into a chase game at that point. Nothing says 3:16 like dying in a blaze of gunfire at the hands of the 3:16.

[confusiontempst]

That's true. I really should've just run with that. Need to think better on my feat. And take Mash's "yes, but" advice to heart.

[anarchangel23]

Yeah, it's all well and good for me to say it now though right. :) I may not always agree with Mash's advice, but it's always worth thinking about.

[anarchangel23]

I found the same thing at the Kapcon drinks I attended a couple of years ago. It's always tricky being at a big con where you only know a handful of people.

Actually, I feel this way at times and I know most people there most of the time. It might be more to do with the set-up than with the people. You end up at a table talking, and those floating around assume they can't just join in. It's usually false. But that's why my favourite part of the pre-drinks is after most people have left.

[adrexia]

Ahh...that was me. :)

[anarchangel23]

I agree with that. Groups of people conversing usually seem much more exclusive than they are.