Going to a show or convention with purpose

not just random happenstance

So a few weeks ago I asked, "What is the purpose for attending the games show, demonstration games?"  From the hobbyist standpoint.

Now I shall reveal some of my own thoughts and observations on the matter.

Going to a show with no plan to at least play in one particular game is asking the event to find you something in serendipity.  While this can be fun and I certainly have done this in the past, I could not recommend this now, for I have to ration the time and resources (especially funds) that I put towards these events.

That means that I shall go with a particular purpose in mind.

The principle reason for going to a show for me is to get into or host a game that I cannot be part of in any way at home.  If I could run the same game at my kitchen table or friend's basement I just do not see the reason to waste the time and effort of moving out all the minis and terrain and other bits and bobs when I could just as easily pick up the phone and have the game on in 20 minutes or less at home.

This means that the game(s) typically are larger in number of players or deeper into a subject battle or campaign era than I could normally do at home.  This most often involves more players than I can comfortably host at the home or friend's table(s).

For a while this meant that I really was not much motivated at all to go to shows since Jeff had an awesome setup where four to six players could easily take part, indeed we often did from 2008-12.

For my own part, in the past, I can recall really great games hosted by Kelly Jones at Salute and at Dak-Kon - a massive 1813 Hanau battle with 7 players on a 16'x9' table and so many Pirate and ole west town battles that the gun-smoke could hardly clear before the next 8 players were at the table ready to go again.

Hundred Days Map that players will have

Now I plan to run a Hundred Days Campaign over a Friday night and all day Saturday at this year's Salute, I have the minis prepared and a strategic map in 4'x6' full color ready to take on two tables in this year's event.  My aim is to both have the 3+ players AND go deep into the subject matter with a strategic part and a tactical element to test mind and body of the players.

I plan to have skirmish battles on Friday, when the kibitzing and talking tend to have higher priority then roll into larger tabletop actions on Saturday when the players tend to want more serious action.

May your next game have a full slate of players!  Game on!