Council of Five Nations

Wyatt

The Schenectady Wargamers Association is putting on a gaming con Columbus Day weekend (Oct 8th-10th) at Proctors Theater Conference Center. I'm thinking about checking it out and probably dragging a few people along with me. Is anyone else going or has someone else been?

WEB PAGE

Apreche

The Schenectady Wargamers Association is putting on a gaming con Columbus Day weekend (Oct 8th-10th) at Proctors Theater Conference Center. I'm thinking about checking it out and probably dragging a few people along with me. Is anyone else going or has someone else been?

WEB PAGE

This is the same weekend as the NYCC/NYAF and also the 101010

Rym

This is the same weekend as the NYCC/NYAF and also the 101010

Fail going against a big gaming event and two big conventions on the same weekend. ;^)

Omnutia

It'd save you time having to type that smiley if you just changed your avatar to Hedonism-bot.

Wyatt

.....FUCK!!!

Rym

This particular case aside, I've noticed in general that gamers, much like anime fans, are distinctly split between "on" and "off" the radar in terms of being aware of the larger gaming community. Local gaming groups often are entirely unaware of gaming events outside of their local area, and simultaneously under the radar of everyone elsewhere.

The connected gamers are online, and seem to know about every major gaming convention or event, as well as any minor ones nearby. The unconnected gamers seem completely unaware of even large gaming conventions, at best knowing that Gencon exists but having never attended and not knowing about most other gaming cons.

I've never fully explored what differences there really are versus simply the ones I perceive, but I get the feeling that the culture of local, non-technological gamers is surprisingly distinct from the people you'll see at, say, Dragoncon or PAX, despite them playing and enjoying the exact same games.

Anime cons, for example, are extremely careful to see what other cons are going on around them, even little local cons. Small local gaming cons, however, seem largely to ignore the rest of the gaming world when choosing dates.

TheWhaleShark

Small local gaming cons, however, seem largely to ignore the rest of the gaming world when choosing dates.

That probably has to do with being tied to a local community. I find this in a lot of local groups of any sort; they tend to play with each other more than they reach out to anyone else. It's not really intentional; it's just that local groups tend to reach a size that is practical and manageable for the people in it, so they don't tend to think about expansion.

It can get annoying when such a group becomes cliquey, but I find that gamers don't have that problem as much as some other hobbies.

Matt

I can definitely relate to those statements. I have a gaming group of about 30 people culled from friends met in high school, college, at jobs, friends of friends that have been brought around, etc., and we meet once a month (about half will show up any given month). Yet out of all these people, I am the only one with any desire to go meet other games, learn new games, etc. I have been going to board game nights in the city for a year but only have 1 guy from the group who comes with.

I am sure this sentiment translates right up to the regional groups, where they love to go to "hotel con" but don't know PAX exists. It's just hard to convince people to pay attention to something bigger if they are happy with what they've got, and I suppose you can't really blame them.

It also calls into question a level of interest. My friends use board game night at my house as a way to stay in touch since we're scattered all over the state now, but they've got other interests in life and probably don't want to give a second day over to gaming, so naturally they choose to go where they're going to know everyone. I am sure the SWA con mentioned in the original post is full of people who are interested enough to game that weekend, but not enough to warrant driving 3 hours into the city for some bigger event.

Wyatt

Anime cons, for example, are extremely careful to see what other cons are going on around them, even little local cons. Small local gaming cons, however, seem largely to ignore the rest of the gaming world when choosing dates.

Anime cons market to a small but ravenous fan base. Those cons also require corporate sponsorship to show movies and episodes. I don't need to call WotC to run D&D; at an event. If two major cons went head to head, I feel both would suffer irreparable damage in 3 years. Neither would be strong enough to survive the lose. Hence, the caution about stepping on toes.

Gamers are everywhere, maybe just a bit lazy, and don't give a fuck. I'm sure most local gaming cons are run for local groups by the local people. Anyone new or non-local is just a bonus. People donate boardgames, run events, and are their to just play games. It may have more to do with reinforcing a local fan base over eventual convention expansion. Maybe someone demos a few games and a few rush out to the local hobby shop to buy them. Next, they disappear into their respective basement not to emerge for another season.

It can get annoying when such a group becomes cliquey, but I find that gamers don't have that problem as much as some other hobbies.

Yeah. The SCA is full of assholes.

TheWhaleShark

Yeah. The SCA is full of assholes.

Well, I wasn't talking about the SCA specifically, but that's a valid example. I've met quite a few wankers in my time playing pretend.

Andrew

Yeah. The SCA is full of assholes.

Well, I wasn't talking about the SCA specifically, but that's a valid example. I've met quite a few wankers in my time playing pretend.

Is this the same SCA that does all the large scale medieval fighting stuff?

Wyatt

Is this the same SCA that does all the large scale medieval fighting stuff?

Yup. Mostly I'm just busting on Pete, BUT the SCA group in Northfield, VT proved themselves to be epic dicks by kicking the Special Olympics out of the Norwich's gym. Why would they do such a thing you ask? Cuz those assholes filled the paper work for the gym first. It is also my understanding that if ONE person who is higher in the SCA food chain then you doesn't like you very much. That ONE person can bar you from advancing.

SCA is a great idea, but it's full of socially inept disillusion assholes that checked out of reality a LONG time ago.

TheWhaleShark

Is this the same SCA that does all the large scale medieval fighting stuff?

Yup. That's how most people know them. I got into them because Nuri is a bard, and she told me that an event last year had a brewing competition. I've been hooked since. It does help that we met a very awesome group of people.

SCA is a great idea, but it's full of socially inept disillusion assholes that checked out of reality a LONG time ago.

Well, that's a bit of a sweeping generalization, but yeah, I've met my share of socially inept wankers. The people I know in Albany are cool shit, though, and a lot of the other people I've met are pretty cool as well. The key is that a person needs to remember that you're playing pretend.

Wyatt

Well, that's a bit of a sweeping generalization, but yeah, I've met my share of socially inept wankers. The people I know in Albany are cool shit, though, and a lot of the other people I've met are pretty cool as well. The key is that a person needs to remember that you'replaying pretend.

Yup. I had a not so pleasant first encounter, and my overall opinion has yet to be changed. I do enjoy some aspects of what they do. SCA Fencing is hell of a lot funner then Olympic Fencing. I fucking hate bunny suits. Heavy List would probably be great now that I'm in fantastic shape.

Also, why are most folks into the SCA are older (30+)? I'm not sure if it's because of the price tag attached to serious commitment or time commitment or what. I remember being in the age minority every time. I've been to an event. (3 events. I am scientifically justified in drawing a trend :P)

Relating this back to the original topic: one gaming group in an area may suck, but don't assume all gaming groups in that are like that. Hell even different gaming stores in the same area can very greatly. Zombie Planet is not Flights of Fantasy and neither is Mr. Bill's. Pay attention to big events (PAX, AnimeBoston, NYAF/NYCC...ect) but get involved in your local events too (SWA, NerdNY, RWAG,,, etc)

Matt

the SCA group in Northfield, VT proved themselves to be epic dicks by kicking the Special Olympics out of the Norwich's gym. Why would they do such a thing you ask? Cuz those assholes filled the paper work for the gym first

I don't know any of these people, so I can't say whether they're dicks or not, but how is it wrong for someone to kick a person out of an area that they are renting out? It's not as if the special olympics contestants had an unfair handicap in signing up to use the gym, the perfectly capable people arranging the event do that for them. Sounds like laziness on the part of the special olympics event planner's part, and imparting guilt on others because their event is for a good cause rather than casual recreation.

Wyatt

unfair handicap (HA! I get it!) ...Sounds like laziness on the part of the special olympics event planner's part,

Nope, I'm glossing over the details, but here are some more: The Special Olympic event was run as part of class. Some higher end Physical Therapy class where they work with special needs kids. The class didn't start until Spring Semester. The papers where filled before any one even realized that the two events would conflict.

The SCA "club" was primarily, and I mean all but One Lady, run by non-students. One lady, who was a member of the SCA and a commuter student, filled for them to be a campus club and to use campus money/facilities. Being a new club they didn't go through a review board until the end of their first year. Those club laws went under review after this. The Northfeild SCA (not the Norwich University SCA) had an yearly Alchemy event each Spring. Normally at a church or something. Instead they decided to use the campus facilities for what I would consider a non-campus event. It would have taken much less effort to move a dozen or so fully mobile albeit fat folks across the street into the ballroom. Then, it would to have changed up the Special Olympics event. The SCA people may have been justified in staying in the gym, but they're assholes for doing it.

Needless to say, they failed club review for not enough student participation.

Rym

The SCA people may have been justified in staying in the gym, but they're assholes for doing it.

RIT Anime was the jack bastard of doing that to other clubs and groups. There was a reason we were able to get primo theater time regularly, and we angered just about every other student organization at least once every year for taking their space from them.

Wyatt

RIT Anime was the jack bastard of doing that to other clubs and groups.

I remember you guys also saying RWAG was the 2nd largest club on campus. Second only to the Athletics Club. Actually, I recall Rym going into detail about this no less then a dozen times. :P You where the "Big Kids" on campus, and that comes with perks. The "Little Guys" are bound to get stepped on. I don't imagine RWAG would have been able to displace the other clubs it did if you didn't have the numbers to back it.

Anyways... This was 7 years ago, and I was over accustom to being woken by cannon fire.

Rym

I remember you guys also saying RWAG was the 2nd largest club on campus. Second only to the Athletics Club

RIT Anime was biggest. RWAG was second biggest, but had a larger number of non-dues-paying "members." The biggest club, technically, was the club that was comprised of all club members, itself a stupid and pointless organization.

RIT Anime got what it wanted by actually knowing the rules and having someone show up at the reservation desk at the crack of dawn the day any given quarter's room reservation requests began, paperwork in hand. We followed the rules to the letter and requested everything we wanted so far in advance that no one else ever had a chance.

RWAG only ever needed that one room, and they did the same thing.

Apreche

The biggest club, technically, was the club that was comprised of all club members, itself a stupid and pointless organization.

I always wondered about that club. I mean, it had a board and everything. Imagine you go to RIT to major in whatever. What percentage of RIT students even knew that the club club existed? And of those that did, how could they possibly end up running it?

Matt

The biggest club, technically, was the club that was comprised of all club members, itself a stupid and pointless organization.

I always wondered about that club. I mean, it had a board and everything. Imagine you go to RIT to major in whatever. What percentage of RIT students even knew that the club club existed? And of those that did, how could they possibly end up running it?

I wound up running the club comprised of all the other clubs at my university, but it was called the Student Government Association. It did things such as set the rules for how you could be officially recognized as a club (and gain priveledge such as the right to reserve campus space), and doled out budgets to all of the clubs, paid by the student activity fee everyone had to pay.

Apreche

I wound up running the club comprised of all the other clubs at my university, but it was called the Student Government Association. It did things such as set the rules for how you could be officially recognized as a club (and gain priveledge such as the right to reserve campus space), and doled out budgets to all of the clubs, paid by the student activity fee everyone had to pay.

This was a separate thing from student government, which had elections. Being on student government at RIT meant you could use school money to pay for parties with your friends.

Rym

Being on student government at RIT meant you could use school money to pay for parties with your friends.

QFT. There is a long, sad story of our involvement in university politics at RIT. Our Barack Obama rose to power on a sea of promises, but unlike the real one, stabbed us in the back.

Andrew

Our Barack Obama rose to power on a sea of promises, but unlike the real one, stabbed us in the back.

Well at least he did something.

Matt

I wound up running the club comprised of all the other clubs at my university, but it was called the Student Government Association. It did things such as set the rules for how you could be officially recognized as a club (and gain priveledge such as the right to reserve campus space), and doled out budgets to all of the clubs, paid by the student activity fee everyone had to pay.

This was a separate thing from student government, which had elections. Being on student government at RIT meant you could use school money to pay for parties with your friends.

Then I am left dumbfounded at the concept of the club club. Actually, I think it sounds hilarious and would love to hear more. I think it would have been an endless source of humor for me if one had existed where I was during the undergrad years.

Being on student government at RIT meant you could use school money to pay for parties with your friends.

QFT. There is a long, sad story of our involvement in university politics at RIT. Our Barack Obama rose to power on a sea of promises, but unlike the real one, stabbed us in the back.

Damn that is dissapointing. I tried to use my powers for good. Made sure all the engineering societies got their $, and scored a fat supplemental to hold an IEEE regional conference on campus. Also had to work to keep the engineering fraternity (read: the university Smash Bros. team) out of the crosshairs when the meatheads would inevitably do something to put social organizations as a whole in hot water.