The Art of Selecting and Signing Up for Intercon Games (The Lily Way)
I remember there was a discussion on the Intercon Facebook community, last year, on how people go about selecting and signing up for games. This is my process, for the edification of others and proof of my own dorkery.
The first thing I do is read the blurbs for every game on the schedule. Generally, I try to catch each bid as it's approved throughout the spring, summer and fall, so that I don't have to do everything in one fell swoop. But either way: blurbs get read. Immediately, some games stand out. Whether it's because I know and like the GMs, or the concept just plain hits every one of my pings. It's very subjective. There's no helping that, and I honestly don't think it's something which needs to change. Yes, sometimes I will take a risk, branch out, try something new. But even then, the 'something new' must have a component which really appeals to me. For instance, I'd never played anything by the GMs of Intercon O's (re)COURSE. But come on! Magical girls! Utena, Madoka and Persona 4 inspirations! And boy did I get everything I want and more from this game! Similarly, I don't know the GM of this year's The Always Waltz, but the concept sounds awesome. Twisty magic? Amnesia and mindfucks? High emotion? Come to mama! (Though the blurb's overemphasis on costumes and 'masks required' does put me off a little. Does the GM not realize glasses exist? I suppose a Venetian mask-on-a-stick might suffice, if it comes to that?)
On the flip side of that equation, we have Storm Cellar. The concept doesn't catch me immediately, but at this point I know that the deSmets can be relied upon to consistently provide a kickass game.
The last (and hardest to pin down) element which influences my decisions is which of the games all my friends are excited about. Because I want to play with my friends, of course. :) This is the reason why I might change my mind mid- signup frenzy, and reserve the right to do so.
All right: onward!
Once I've gone through all the available options, I make a three-column chart for each of the available slots. (Or a three-category list. Because I'm lazy and prefer lists to charts. But anyway...) The first category is for the aforementioned 'ooh, shiny!' games. The second is for games which I've already played, and are thus totally out of the running. The third category's for everything else. At the beginning of the signup process, I won't bother to sort the 'everything else' much, though believe me, this category's going to contain games ranging from 'this is actually kind of neat' to 'if this is my only option, I'm playing Nap: The LARPening.'If all of my first choices in the given slot fill before I get to them, then I will do more sorting.
THE LAYOUT SO FAR:
Thursday Night
Happily Ever After? is the only game available in this slot, and I've already played it. I'll probably be attending panels or taking an introvert night before the big con.
Friday noon
Cast Party - Seems pretty neat, but it would mean Tory and I have to be in Westboro by 12:00, and that's a pain in the ass, so probably not?
Friday 3:00
Emotional Baggage. This is a game that appeals to me a LOT. If I get into For Those in Peril on Friday night, I'll want to be in this run of Emotional Baggage. If I whiff on FTiP signups, then we'll see.
Friday Night
Okay, now we come to the meat of it. Actual more than one game per slot! Excitement!
Priority
For Those In Peril - I heard amazing things about last Intercon's run of this game and its immersiveness and intensity, and I know a lot of people want to sign up for it this year, so this is my first choice. If I don't click on it the literal moment signups open tomorrow, I'll be Shit Outta Luck on this one.
Emotional Baggage - I'll be signing up for one of those runs, hopefully. Ideally the afternoon one.
Already Played
Devil to Pay
A Second Chance for Wings (signed up for SLAW run)
Everything Else
An Age Unending
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Honor & Profit
Port Hidalgo
Slayer Cake
Trapped in a Mall with Some Zombies
Life's Sacrifice
Pub Crawl
Early Saturday Morning, like midnight to four
On one hand, both the games being offered (Adrift and Tartarus) sound really appealing. On the other hand, that would mean I'm not sleeping that night. So it's unlikely I'll sign up. Maybe I can get the GMs to run them again outside of Intercon. Pouty face.
Saturday Morning
Priority
Syncretism: A Coming of Age Ritual. The GMs are awesome people, I really like the concept, and I've just recently learned I really enjoy boffer LARPing. Am I good at it? Noooo. But I like!
Infinite Magic Glories: Impact Mosaic - More magical girls, come on, I love that! Now with extra duels. The down side is that it runs through both the Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon slots.
Already Played
Star-Crossed
A Second Chance for Wings (see above)
Everything Else
Wrestle Mania!
Hello, You Must Be...
Darkness Visible (two runs)
RED DWARF
1493
Space Station Omega
The Return to Gray
Woodplum House
Saturday afternoon
Priority
Infinite Magic Glories (see above)
The Case of the Comic Convict (A Courtroom Whodunnit) - Come on, it's Phoenix Wright the LARP! Plus it's run by one of the reCOURSE GMs. I want it!
Already played
Collision Imminent!
Everything Else
The Lower Decks
Redshirts
Congress of Vienna
Another Flag of Bones
36 Degrees of Separation
The Neverland Conclave
Stop That Moon!
The Golden Valley
Wishing Well (two 2-hour runs, back to back)
Storm Cellar
Saturday Night
Priority
Rabbit Run - Dystopia, cyberpunk, scientific experimentation, boffer, awesome GMs?! GIT IN MAH SIGNUPS!
Fuyu no Yuri: Winter Lillies - I love me some lesbian manga, okay? Also run by one of the reCOURSE GMs.
The Always Waltz
Already Played
The House of Becoming
Persona: Too Late
Everything Else
The Love Craft
The Men of Mars
The Worst Story Ever Told
Glastonbury: A Soap Opera in Dance
Platform 6
Together Again
Other
The Inversion of Me and My Room doesn't actually need a second GM, but I'll be helping with the casting and other admin, and could always help GM, if I'm really out of options for the night.
Sunday Morning
Gotta be real, this is not a priority slot. I may sign up for something here, or I may decide I'm oversaturated and sleep in/eat a nice long brunch. Games which start at 11 have a better chance of drawing me than games which start at nine. But again, this is still my last-pick slot. If I do play, it'll be Dustpan or an Iron GM game, probably.
Plan of action: Tomorrow at 7:00 PM sharp, I sign up for For Those in Peril. If the Signup Roulette odds are not ever in my favor, I sign up for Rabbit Run. Tomorrow night, we shall see how well that works out. Stay tuned for Part 2!
The first thing I do is read the blurbs for every game on the schedule. Generally, I try to catch each bid as it's approved throughout the spring, summer and fall, so that I don't have to do everything in one fell swoop. But either way: blurbs get read. Immediately, some games stand out. Whether it's because I know and like the GMs, or the concept just plain hits every one of my pings. It's very subjective. There's no helping that, and I honestly don't think it's something which needs to change. Yes, sometimes I will take a risk, branch out, try something new. But even then, the 'something new' must have a component which really appeals to me. For instance, I'd never played anything by the GMs of Intercon O's (re)COURSE. But come on! Magical girls! Utena, Madoka and Persona 4 inspirations! And boy did I get everything I want and more from this game! Similarly, I don't know the GM of this year's The Always Waltz, but the concept sounds awesome. Twisty magic? Amnesia and mindfucks? High emotion? Come to mama! (Though the blurb's overemphasis on costumes and 'masks required' does put me off a little. Does the GM not realize glasses exist? I suppose a Venetian mask-on-a-stick might suffice, if it comes to that?)
On the flip side of that equation, we have Storm Cellar. The concept doesn't catch me immediately, but at this point I know that the deSmets can be relied upon to consistently provide a kickass game.
The last (and hardest to pin down) element which influences my decisions is which of the games all my friends are excited about. Because I want to play with my friends, of course. :) This is the reason why I might change my mind mid- signup frenzy, and reserve the right to do so.
All right: onward!
Once I've gone through all the available options, I make a three-column chart for each of the available slots. (Or a three-category list. Because I'm lazy and prefer lists to charts. But anyway...) The first category is for the aforementioned 'ooh, shiny!' games. The second is for games which I've already played, and are thus totally out of the running. The third category's for everything else. At the beginning of the signup process, I won't bother to sort the 'everything else' much, though believe me, this category's going to contain games ranging from 'this is actually kind of neat' to 'if this is my only option, I'm playing Nap: The LARPening.'If all of my first choices in the given slot fill before I get to them, then I will do more sorting.
THE LAYOUT SO FAR:
Thursday Night
Happily Ever After? is the only game available in this slot, and I've already played it. I'll probably be attending panels or taking an introvert night before the big con.
Friday noon
Cast Party - Seems pretty neat, but it would mean Tory and I have to be in Westboro by 12:00, and that's a pain in the ass, so probably not?
Friday 3:00
Emotional Baggage. This is a game that appeals to me a LOT. If I get into For Those in Peril on Friday night, I'll want to be in this run of Emotional Baggage. If I whiff on FTiP signups, then we'll see.
Friday Night
Okay, now we come to the meat of it. Actual more than one game per slot! Excitement!
Priority
For Those In Peril - I heard amazing things about last Intercon's run of this game and its immersiveness and intensity, and I know a lot of people want to sign up for it this year, so this is my first choice. If I don't click on it the literal moment signups open tomorrow, I'll be Shit Outta Luck on this one.
Emotional Baggage - I'll be signing up for one of those runs, hopefully. Ideally the afternoon one.
Already Played
Devil to Pay
A Second Chance for Wings (signed up for SLAW run)
Everything Else
An Age Unending
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Honor & Profit
Port Hidalgo
Slayer Cake
Trapped in a Mall with Some Zombies
Life's Sacrifice
Pub Crawl
Early Saturday Morning, like midnight to four
On one hand, both the games being offered (Adrift and Tartarus) sound really appealing. On the other hand, that would mean I'm not sleeping that night. So it's unlikely I'll sign up. Maybe I can get the GMs to run them again outside of Intercon. Pouty face.
Saturday Morning
Priority
Syncretism: A Coming of Age Ritual. The GMs are awesome people, I really like the concept, and I've just recently learned I really enjoy boffer LARPing. Am I good at it? Noooo. But I like!
Infinite Magic Glories: Impact Mosaic - More magical girls, come on, I love that! Now with extra duels. The down side is that it runs through both the Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon slots.
Already Played
Star-Crossed
A Second Chance for Wings (see above)
Everything Else
Wrestle Mania!
Hello, You Must Be...
Darkness Visible (two runs)
RED DWARF
1493
Space Station Omega
The Return to Gray
Woodplum House
Saturday afternoon
Priority
Infinite Magic Glories (see above)
The Case of the Comic Convict (A Courtroom Whodunnit) - Come on, it's Phoenix Wright the LARP! Plus it's run by one of the reCOURSE GMs. I want it!
Already played
Collision Imminent!
Everything Else
The Lower Decks
Redshirts
Congress of Vienna
Another Flag of Bones
36 Degrees of Separation
The Neverland Conclave
Stop That Moon!
The Golden Valley
Wishing Well (two 2-hour runs, back to back)
Storm Cellar
Saturday Night
Priority
Rabbit Run - Dystopia, cyberpunk, scientific experimentation, boffer, awesome GMs?! GIT IN MAH SIGNUPS!
Fuyu no Yuri: Winter Lillies - I love me some lesbian manga, okay? Also run by one of the reCOURSE GMs.
The Always Waltz
Already Played
The House of Becoming
Persona: Too Late
Everything Else
The Love Craft
The Men of Mars
The Worst Story Ever Told
Glastonbury: A Soap Opera in Dance
Platform 6
Together Again
Other
The Inversion of Me and My Room doesn't actually need a second GM, but I'll be helping with the casting and other admin, and could always help GM, if I'm really out of options for the night.
Sunday Morning
Gotta be real, this is not a priority slot. I may sign up for something here, or I may decide I'm oversaturated and sleep in/eat a nice long brunch. Games which start at 11 have a better chance of drawing me than games which start at nine. But again, this is still my last-pick slot. If I do play, it'll be Dustpan or an Iron GM game, probably.
Plan of action: Tomorrow at 7:00 PM sharp, I sign up for For Those in Peril. If the Signup Roulette odds are not ever in my favor, I sign up for Rabbit Run. Tomorrow night, we shall see how well that works out. Stay tuned for Part 2!