Events in 2016 (Latest news: IRE playtest day?)

[MarcoSkoll]

There's a new table, Boralis IV, at WHW:



Unless there's a rabid call for it, I'm not going to try and amend the IGT booking at short notice, but it definitely looks like it has potential, so I think it'll be worth a closer look when we're up there next week!

[Cortez]

Marco.

I've got the scorecards/registration cards etc. printed off, I'll print off some spare copies of the event pack and I've done an Inquistorial quiz. Is there anything else I need to do/bring for this weekend?

Also do we know how many people are definitely coming? There's seven confirmed attendees (including myself) and three unconfirmed attendees + possible goons.

[Lord Borak]

I'm 100% attending (provided I don't crash on the way there). I even have the OK from the wife!!

Just be aware that I haven't played an Inquisitor game in over a decade.

[Cortez]

You were already on the confirmed list. Try not to crash on the way 

[mcjomar]

I'm definitely attending now, bar unfortunate circumstances on the drive.

I've not played an Inquisitor game in about... well, over half a decade anyway, so there's that.

[MarcoSkoll]

I've got the scorecards/registration cards etc. printed off, I'll print off some spare copies of the event pack and I've done an Inquistorial quiz. Is there anything else I need to do/bring for this weekend?

Certificates? If you're still in need of some, here's the designs I used last year.

It's a Photoshop PSD file - at a pinch, it can be loaded in GIMP, but won't have the adjustment layers* - and you'll need the Vibrocentric font.

* They're very basic adjustments though, so can be done directly to the background layer. My adjustments were Levels (with Midtones set to 2.00), then Hue/Saturation (at -50 Saturation), but what works best depends on the printer being used. Most printers overdo greys, hence why I lightened up the mid-tones.

Also, there's a deliberately all-white layer on the top of the file you need to turn off. (PSD files save full resolution previews. You notice the difference less on files with lots of layers, but in this case, it's saving the background layer, and then what's basically a preview of the background layer, nearly doubling the filesize. I can't find an option to turn the previews off, but throwing in an an all white layer makes the preview filesize much smaller).

You probably want at least some form of computing power to add up the scores, even if it's just a calculator.

Also do we know how many people are definitely coming?

The list is as up-to-date as I know about; what is now eight names who've said they'll be attending.

I'm not completely certain about RobSkib, as I've not heard from him recently (although he has been quite active over on Carthax). I've pinged him over on Facebook, and I'll let you know as soon as I do. I'm pretty sure about the other seven though.

As far as the maybes, I expect Mike Blake is a "no" (he hasn't been on the 'Clave since we'd finally nailed down a date), Rob's goons will probably depend on Rob and Shard has yet to confirm.

~~~~~

As far as things I will bring, I will try and provide a few more leaflets, and hopefully a decent sign too. I'm currently planning on reducing the size of the 'Clave logo - with one new draft and a slightly older one (without the stylised title) experimenting with putting the logo at the bottom.



Personally, I think the logo works better at the top, but it might seem less arrogant at the bottom. Comments on a postcard, gentlemen.

[mcjomar]

I prefer it at the top.
Looks better that way to my eyes.

[MarcoSkoll]

I'm not completely certain about RobSkib, as I've not heard from him recently. I've pinged him over on Facebook, and I'll let you know as soon as I do.

Errrm... Rob somehow thought it was next week, he's trying to see if he can re-arrange at short notice.

[MarcoSkoll]

Unfortunately, Rob isn't going to able to make it; the mix-up on dates means the goon he was supposed to be getting a lift from isn't available. (It does at least mean we've averted any mix-up with him turning up a week late though).

~~~~~

In slightly better news, I've printed out several more leaflets, and have a a reasonably successful test print for a sign. There's possibly a couple of tweaks to make regarding fonts or font sizes, but I think it's fairly finalised:

[Van Helser]

The poster is looking good.

My bag will soon be packed. I have a bunch of Russian goons in my miniatures case if anyone needs to populate their table with NPCs.

I'm looking forward to some games tomorrow.

Ruaridh

[Cortez]

Well I've made it home ok.

Thankyou to everyone who came and I hope you all enjoyed it.

Van Helser won 1st place and best Gamesmaster.

Lord Borak came in 2nd and won best Hobbyest.

and I came in 3rd and won the Best Player award.

I particularly enjoyed the antics of Gav's Kommissork, if there was an award for most fun character he'd have won it.

[greenstuff_gav]

just got home!
thanks Cortez for organising and running things

didn't get alot of pictures but got an indepth painting and modelling article to write!

[MarcoSkoll]

I am also home (actually, I have been for a while, if I'm honest, even with the train delays).

It's a bit of a change to have not been running the event; I think the last time I had no involvement in the running was the 2013 Autumn Conclave!

I enjoyed the day in general.

We had some interesting antics in my game (with Inquisitor Mordechai ripping the leg off the Sentinel with his power fist, then promptly realising that it would then fall over...)

It was nice to have done well in the painting competition - although it eventually turned out I'd actually come third to Ruaridh (by a margin of just one tick box!), I am entirely happy to admit defeat there; it was always going to be tough for Calleigh to compete against the models which could justify fancy colouring effects and detailed freehand, and I'm honoured to have managed to have held up so well.

Lunch worked out reasonably well with the slightly stretched timings (we were a little late, but got away with it).

Gav's game was an interesting concept, although if I am brutally honest, wasn't hugely enjoyable for me.

By way of feedback, I think it could have worked well had I brought along different characters*, or perhaps even if Holiad and I had switched objectives, but Inquisitor Rhodes' warband was already quite modestly armed before the scenario confiscated all their firearms, and they were then largely left to face down Inquisitor Awchus' naturally melee/psychic oriented group (and their much more aggressive objective) with little more than harsh language.
(I had brought along Maya, but she didn't manage one successful attempt to use an offensive psychic power between risky actions, test fails and the one attack she did cast not connecting with its target).

* Inquisitor Skoll's warband (were it ready) would have worked rather well as he has rather more hand-to-hand specialists in his employ, but Riemann's warband would have had one character completely sidelined (Evelyn doesn't do close combat. At all. She resorts to point blank lascarbine fire instead.) even if both Martejja and Daniela can mostly handle themselves in a brawl.

While a simple concept, Lord Borak's scenario was an entirely satisfactory way to wrap up the day for me, partly due to the opportunity to beat up loads of misguided redemptionists (the instruction "make sure their leader is dead" went down well with Daniela, who took the first available opportunity to shove a krak grenade in his gob), partly due to the sheer abundance of injuries to left arms.

Also, I came away with some number fewer leaflets than I arrived with (I think that number was 5, although I don't trust my maths while I'm this tired). That's not as many as we got rid of last year (although I forget how many of those were pilfered by our own players), but we had a much less optimal position in the hall, so it may be that the sign had some success (there were certainly people reading and discussing it).
There's no real reason I can't see to keep it.

~~~~~

Anyway, looking forward to the future, I will at some point want to push on with an IRE test day at Dark Sphere. I'll schedule that when I'm close to (or actually have) a satisfactory V0.2 draft, which will leave us with a bit of time to discuss theory and spot kinks in advance of the actual day.

Legacy will also be happening at some point, although exactly when depends on if or when I find time to push on with Leander (as the plot is focused around a major conflict, Leander and Helane will be partially representing the favour of Imperial commanders), or decide to rewrite parts.

[Lord Borak]

I had a good time chaps so thanks for that. A bit disappointed I didn't get to take any body parts as trophies or peel some heretics faces off but otherwise good fun! Especially when two girls blew them selves up whilst trying to put a krak grenade on my Radical inquisitor - after the same Inquisitor backhanded another Inquisitor out of the way to get to a Marine.

The Sentinel was by far my favourite piece of the day though!

[Holiad]

Personally, I found the scenario's limit on ranged weapons a nice change from the large amount of anti-psyker effects and characters in inquisitor, but then again I wouldn't actually consider those reasonable to use at a scenario level. More problematic for me was the random objective location, since it gives a big edge to the warband that finds the objective first. As it was inquisitor Rhodes only gained a slight edge, but if either of us had discovered the inquisitor on the first marker we checked it would have been close to an auto-win.
An enjoyable day none the less, and apologies to player numbers 2,5, and 6 for putting their characters into a G.K. Chesterton story. I was really stuck for ideas, but you all made it work considerably better than I expected.