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Autumn Conclave - October 29th 2011

Started by MarcoSkoll, March 29, 2011, 04:17:18 AM

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MarcoSkoll

Autumn Conclave 2011
October 29th 2011 at Warhammer World

Event Briefing.
Fluffy thread thing.


Possible Attendees:
Aurelius 12
Bloodpact
Brother_Brimstone
Canis-Sapiens
Cortez
DapperAnarchist
Dan (via e-mail)
Flinty
Greenstuff_Gav
Holiad
JoelMcKickass
Kaled
karandras_sh
Lacerto
mattausten86
Myriad
Necris
Priesty Tom
RobSkib
Shannow
Stormgrad
Van Helser

Red indicates attendees who have volunteered to GM.

~~~~~

Earlier version of post:

Now, I nominated myself for running the Autumn Conclave, so...

Obviously, we're talking half a year off here, but previous experiences have taught us that the WHW bookings fill up way in advance, so it won't hurt our choice of dates to be thinking enough in advance.

I've sent an email inquiring about available dates (EDIT: Dates volunteered, see bottom of post), looking for dates in the traditional "Autumn" of Sept-Nov, but we may have to be open minded about late August and early December if they don't give us many choice.
I will update this thread as and when I get a response (even if that means I have to actually ring them, and I hate phoning people). However, feel welcome to post your interest and/or dates you definitely will not be able to attend.

I can start by saying that 24th Sept is unlikely, as that clashes with my yearly steam locomotive chasing and may well clash with Games Day too, but if it's otherwise the most popular choice, I'll consider it as a possibility.


EDIT: Date now confirmed. October 29th. Be there, or be declared Excommunicate Traitoris.

~~~~~

On another side of things, I've already got some of the basic story drafted up (although I have yet to decide whether it's going to be set around a campaign against traitors or against Eldar - the latter would be an excuse to make an Eldar Guardian model, then cast up a couple of squads of NPC Eldar. Obviously, if I did that, the casts would most definitely not be made available for purchase, because that would be wrong), as well as plans for the grand finale.

At some point, I may be on the prowl for a co-GM, but that will depend on the format I choose for the event. I am considering both:

- I (and any co-GM) write all scenarios and each person is assigned one to run. This may be slightly dictatorial, but just giving a GM a campaign pack to choose from can mean players end up in the same scenario twice, which may not be as fun for the players.  The other thing is as the first games will be about winning support for the finale, I can't really have two opposing players both winning the support of the same NPCs.
(Alternatively, I may make a campaign pack but with first-come-first-served on each scenario.)


- Each person will write the scenario they will run, and I will act as something of an editor, steering them away from things outside the event's theme and perhaps feeding them ideas. This will probably save the requirement for a co-GM, but I may still need to nudge one or two willing people into writing their scenarios on a tighter theme to plug holes in my plot. ("Run a scenario to secure control of a Damocles Rhino" is a possible example)

Are there any votes on that one? The first should allow a more coherent campaign, but the second would allow a wider variety of ideas and GMs to be more familiar with their scenarios in advance.

Now, as I'm talking about GMing...
... because I intend to be GMing for the whole day, not every attendee will need to GM and there will be a number of "get of of jail frees".
If they want them (and will be attending), I'd like to offer the first two of these to Kaled and Van Helser - as Dave has run the last two events and Ruaridh is running the Summer 'Clave, it seems fair they get some time off to use their characters.
S.Sgt Silva Birgen: "Good evening, we're here from the Adeptus Defenestratus."
Captain L. Rollin: "Nonsense. Never heard of it."
Birgen: "Pick a window. I'll demonstrate".

GW's =I= articles

mattausten86

As long as its not on the 26th of september i should be able to attend,cos as cool as my wife is i think she would kill me if i missed our wedding anniversary!!

cheers
matt

Kaled

I suggest the second option - give people a theme, details of the scoring system, and any other parameters their scenario will need to comply with and let them come up with something.  There were some great scenarios at the IGT, so why not let people flex their scenario writing muscles once again - plus it'll save you a load of work and mean the scenarios can be a lot more interesting.  If you write the scenarios and the GMs only see them right before the game then the scenarios can't be too complex - they need to be easy for the GM to pick up and run.
I like to remember things my own way... Not necessarily the way they happened.

Inquisitor - Blood Bowl - Malifaux - Fairy Meat

Necris

I would consider giving people the very basics of of each scenario and let them build upon that theme

It gives a flavour and depth beyond a strictly written set of scenarios

You could even go a far as when sending out the campaign pack include an individual scenario brief for each player.

Also expressing interest I should be able to make any time after October 22nd
This here is my very favourite gun...I call her rita.

The Order of the Iron Rose - Necris' Inq28 Plog

Flinty

I think I'm going to try and make an appearance at this (depending on where I'm working and if I've already got the family holiday over and done with) - in other words, the later the better for me.

The idea of individual scenario outlines, perhaps with some general/specific do's and dont's, sounds like an good midway point; allowing Marco to retain some control, but letting the individual GM's to unleash the torrent of thier creative effluvia.

Of course, that may involve a considerable amount of work for Marco, but that seems to be par for the course on his part!
Neanderthal and Proud!

Stormgrad

i can not do the 25th of september but im up for any other day in the sep/nov period

MarcoSkoll

#6
Quote from: mattausten86 on March 29, 2011, 07:10:18 AMAs long as its not on the 26th of september
That's a Monday, so it definitely won't be on the 26th. (The 24th is also unlikely, as I said in the first post).
I'm going only for Saturdays, as train links are awful on Sundays - and for the people who need to make it long distances back, they probably need the Sunday to get themselves ready for the next work week.

For reference, the Saturdays in the autumn (none of which have yet been offered by WHW) are:
September: 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th
October: 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th
November: 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th

~~~~~

It seems, thus far, that allowing each person to write the scenario they will GM is the most popular option.
That works for me. I'll need to check over the scenarios for appropriateness, but it should save me needing to write in excess of a dozen scenarios.

However, it does still have an issue.

The planned event format is a number of opening games, then one big multi-table finale where objectives on each table will affect play on each of the others. Now, I will have to write all of of the finale games so they link together, and it will eat up the last game session of the day, so...

...For example, if I run a four game day, 11 players turn up, and I GM for three opening games, and then hand out scripts for the other two tables in the finale, this will mean only 6 people will get to GM their own scenarios. I don't want to leave five people with hard work that they didn't get to use, so I will need to:

- Tell 5 people in advance: "Don't worry about writing a scenario - I'll only give you one to run if we end up short of GMs".
- Step back from running any of the opening games (unless the numbers work out better for me to do so), and only tell two people: "You won't need to write a scenario, that'll be covered by the finale."
- Make it a five game day and I step back, not running any of the opening four games (again, unless the numbers work out better).

I then run the finale with the other tables GMed by either volunteers or people randomly press-ganged from those who didn't earn a place on the finale's "central table".

The second solution will give most people a chance to GM. The final solution will give everyone a chance to GM, but will make games that much tighter - and I find that four games in a day already makes for short games.

However, either of the options where I'm not GMing all the time will give me more time to run the event side of things and take more pictures. I'd perhaps rather have more part in actually running the games, but I'm prepared to go that way if it's going to be better for everyone else.

(There is also the five game and I GM option, which would only leave three people with no scenario to GM.)

Any votes?
S.Sgt Silva Birgen: "Good evening, we're here from the Adeptus Defenestratus."
Captain L. Rollin: "Nonsense. Never heard of it."
Birgen: "Pick a window. I'll demonstrate".

GW's =I= articles

Necris

Having run a conclave event I'd now go with the last option, in not running any of the leas up games and instead acting as an arbitrator of events sending people to tables ect ect and only run the final big game(s) myself (or with the aid of a few others)

The other way meets have been run is with people volunteering to be GM's for the first set of games an then taking a step back for the final (which can leave them at a loose end as they want to play but also want to watch the final game)

A method I've been toying with is

Giving a brief outline of the scenario to players

Give the outcome to the players

Let the players fill in the gap between outline and outcome

This here is my very favourite gun...I call her rita.

The Order of the Iron Rose - Necris' Inq28 Plog

MarcoSkoll

Quote from: Necris on March 29, 2011, 05:42:13 PMHaving run a conclave event I'd now go with the last (third) option
I'm very wary of a five game day. The four game IGT often struggles for gaming time, so trying to squeeze in another game is probably going to cause even more "we almost got to the objective, but not quite"s.

I almost think I'd rather go with option 2 (four games, and me only running the finale), and reserve a couple of slots for people who don't need to GM - this would cover any late additions to the event who didn't have enough time to script a scenario, or for people who I think deserve a break from running games.

Quotewhich can leave them at a loose end as they want to play but also want to watch the final game
For the finale, I want to give everyone that choice. The top three players will automatically get themselves a place on the "centre" table, which I will run. Anyone else is either welcome to watch, or to get shuffled onto side tables to take part - if slightly indirectly.

But I am anticipating that there will be spectators for the central table, so not all the side tables will get filled.  And that's fine - spectators with cameras will save me needing to take as many photos and give me more time just getting on with the game.

However, I promise there will be a big battle report, so anyone who does take part on the side tables won't miss the story on the main table!
But as part of that, I am going to have to insist that at least one person on each of the side tables (if there are any) is prepared to give me a heap of photos and a good write-up, 'cos I won't want to miss what happened in those games either!

~~~~~

Also, it seems that GW has confirmed the Games Day date. My mistake. 25th September, so I think that basically rules out the 24th.
S.Sgt Silva Birgen: "Good evening, we're here from the Adeptus Defenestratus."
Captain L. Rollin: "Nonsense. Never heard of it."
Birgen: "Pick a window. I'll demonstrate".

GW's =I= articles

Kaled

I wouldn't worry about having some people write scenarios and not getting to run them - it's more likely that you'll have people who haven't prepared a scenario - people had months to prepare for the IGT and more than one person made something up on the day or the night before. Plus I'd hope a couple of new players would join us and they probably won't want to GM.

I could be wrong, but it normally seems that people prefer to play rather than GM so When I ran the Spring Conclave I GM'd so as many people as possible could play.
I like to remember things my own way... Not necessarily the way they happened.

Inquisitor - Blood Bowl - Malifaux - Fairy Meat

MarcoSkoll

#10
Quote from: Kaled on March 29, 2011, 07:25:07 PMPeople had months to prepare for the IGT and more than one person made something up on the day or the night before.
Guilty, but that's more because of my misfortunes!

QuoteI could be wrong, but it normally seems that people prefer to play rather than GM so When I ran the Spring Conclave I GM'd so as many people as possible could play.
Yes, but it changes a bit when the players are running their own scenarios rather than just picking them out of a campaign pack.

Still, that's a fair point. Options 1 and 2 are not necessarily mutually exclusive. If combined, I guess you get this:

A four game day, where whatever happens, I head up the finale (looking for volunteers to run any side tables people want to play).

Anybody is welcome to nominate themselves for one of the GMing slots in the lead-in games - providing this is enough in advance, they will write their own scenario, with a little guidance from me.
I will fill in as many of the remaining time slots (if any) as possible, but I may have to pull names and pre-written scenarios out of a hat if I haven't got enough GMs.

That should hopefully both account for people who just want to play, and those who'd like to stretch their GMing muscles a bit.

And so that GMs don't harm their chances of placing in the finale, they will be compensated with a few points towards their score. Not as many as they would get for winning a game, but more than they'd get if they lost - we'll assume that as they GM, their characters are off concerning themselves with less violent politics and accruing favour within their relevant factions.
S.Sgt Silva Birgen: "Good evening, we're here from the Adeptus Defenestratus."
Captain L. Rollin: "Nonsense. Never heard of it."
Birgen: "Pick a window. I'll demonstrate".

GW's =I= articles

Bloodpact

Im happy to GM this event if it means i can have a get out for next time :P

I need to get more GMing under my belt, but wouldnt mind a bit of help with the scenario, to avoid as much 'making up on the spot' as possible.
Repent! For tomorrow you burn!

RobSkib

I'm always happy GM'ing and writing scenarios. It's what I do for my current circle of gamers, so I'd be glad to carry it over to any Conclave events.

As a side note, what about having anyone who didn't make it onto the 'central' table in the finale still able to affect the final outcome, but indirectly? Say the finale involved fighting their way into a sacred chapel through a horde of plague zombies (gav? :) ) and the three warbands who didn't make it to the central table can fight over control of an Earthshaker emplacement - those in control get to fire at the end of every turn on the central table..
An Inquisitor walks into a bar - he rolls D100 to see if he hits it.
                                     +++++++
Gallery of my Inquisitor models here.

Kaled

Also, how about giving experienced players the chance to share GMing duties between them - that way they can all play if they want...
I like to remember things my own way... Not necessarily the way they happened.

Inquisitor - Blood Bowl - Malifaux - Fairy Meat

greenstuff_gav

i make no apologies, i warned you my ability to roll ones was infectious...

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