I'm kinda hoping this article comes to me as a write it, so apologies right off the bat if it's a little all over the place or just plain bad. I'm hoping this writers block comes down to only two things; nerves about a job interview I have later (or yesterday by the time this gets published) and excitement about my charity event, The Cleansing of Toreldos, tomorrow. And by excitement, I really mean more nerves...
So why am I nervous? OK, well the job interview is kind of obvious. Even though I know it is a job I can do, having done it exceptionally well before, there is a chance I could screw up the interview or have a clash of personalities with the hiring manager or something else equally stupid and unlikely, but The Cleansing of Toreldos is what really has me on edge I think.
When I first conceived the idea (a good while before I posted my 'Of community and charity' article), the draw of Apocalypse games seemed like a big thing, at least to me and my friends. Being about half way in to 5th Ed 40k, there were certainly some kinks to be smoothed in the rules, a few questionable stratagems that needed banning or significantly nerfing, maybe even some bits that just flat out didn't work any more. They were all reasonably easily surmountable, based on the games we played. I'd call them beer-and-pretzel games, though pork-on-a-fork would be a more apt description (which I'll explain another time. Probably...) We were having so much fun, I couldn't think why people wouldn't want to take part in a bigger game, so long as someone was willing to step out of the game and make sure things kept on track. Adding in the feel good factor of raising a decent amount of money for charity seemed like a no brainer. I even got one of the managers at the hotel I worked at quite excited, to the point he said we'd be able to have a conference room at the hotel for it, possibly even for free!
That was as far as that idea ever got. I didn't really have any way to advertise such an event beyond the two or three of us in my gaming group, nor the free time or excess of effort to get it off the ground, working 60+ hour weeks regularly. Fast forward a few years and I was on Bell of Lost Souls talking about community spirit and the like and I got the idea for my aforementioned post. I talked through the idea for an Apocalypse event with my new, much extended gaming group. I got quite a good reaction, but knowing that the new edition of Apocalypse was just on the horizon I held up short of actually giving it a go. Then, it seemed like a great way to introduce new players to the gaming club I attended, being a university based society so getting an influx of new members at the same time each year. Again, I held off actually running it.
Now it is only a couple of days away. In all that time, I have had around 50 people showing genuine interest in raising money for charity by playing their favourite game. Slowly though, people have dropped out; mix ups on the dates, not being able to get the day off work, those usual kind of reasons. I don't want to use the word 'excuse' as most of the player base seemed genuinely disappointed they won't be able to make it. That or I am more gullible than I thought. Many have still offered to donate the cost of their ticket to the event though, so at least I should still raise some cash. The problem I'm left with is that I am really worried about how many people are actually going to turn up. I have put more man-hours in to setting everything up than the event will actually take; the thought of that all going to waste has left me quite jaded.
Maybe it's just the fact that the process of creating everything I have done is coming to an end that has me so flat. This blog is supposed to be about what inspires me, and there is no doubting that this idea has run wild in my mind, stirring up the creative juices. I'd love to explain all the examples of which, but for now you'll just have to look at my wall of fluff on the second page of this blog. I wrote out that whole story just to justify the warp-rifts as a game mechanic. The setting is fairly immaterial. Who plays on which side is going to be entirely determined by who has how much stuff, not which faction they have fought for. There was absolutely no requirement for me to write even that reasonably short fluff piece, but I did it because I was inspired. Now everything, aside from baking the cakes and physically setting up the tables, is ready to roll.
Wow, I'm doing quite well for someone who can't think what to write!
I guess that's just how I go about projects. Something sparks me off and I just have to run with it. Fingers crossed I can get a few sparks for doing the terrain we need for holding the Student Nationals this year. For those who don't know, the Nationals are a huge gaming tournament for UK university gaming clubs. There are several wargaming tournaments (of which I'll be running the 40k one), boardgames tournaments, card tournaments and one-shot roleplays, with players competing to be the best in their category to earn points for their team. The University with the most points wins and has to host the next year's event, hence why Leicester have it this year. By this time next April I'll be up to my ears in terrain, stressing about making sure the tables are set-up fairly, that we have enough room for all the competitors, worrying what'll happen if X-many people don't turn up in time... Who knows, I may even have time to worry about getting a lost blog article published in time!
That seems as good a point as any to finish. With a little luck, I'll my next post will be about how wonderfully well The Cleansing of Toreldos went! If you want to take part, there should still be room; either send me the money via PayPal (full instructions on the above link) or turn up on the morning with at least one squad of 40k models and £5 for a ticket. For now, I'm going to disappear and try not to panic about the newt few days,
Matt
So why am I nervous? OK, well the job interview is kind of obvious. Even though I know it is a job I can do, having done it exceptionally well before, there is a chance I could screw up the interview or have a clash of personalities with the hiring manager or something else equally stupid and unlikely, but The Cleansing of Toreldos is what really has me on edge I think.
When I first conceived the idea (a good while before I posted my 'Of community and charity' article), the draw of Apocalypse games seemed like a big thing, at least to me and my friends. Being about half way in to 5th Ed 40k, there were certainly some kinks to be smoothed in the rules, a few questionable stratagems that needed banning or significantly nerfing, maybe even some bits that just flat out didn't work any more. They were all reasonably easily surmountable, based on the games we played. I'd call them beer-and-pretzel games, though pork-on-a-fork would be a more apt description (which I'll explain another time. Probably...) We were having so much fun, I couldn't think why people wouldn't want to take part in a bigger game, so long as someone was willing to step out of the game and make sure things kept on track. Adding in the feel good factor of raising a decent amount of money for charity seemed like a no brainer. I even got one of the managers at the hotel I worked at quite excited, to the point he said we'd be able to have a conference room at the hotel for it, possibly even for free!
That was as far as that idea ever got. I didn't really have any way to advertise such an event beyond the two or three of us in my gaming group, nor the free time or excess of effort to get it off the ground, working 60+ hour weeks regularly. Fast forward a few years and I was on Bell of Lost Souls talking about community spirit and the like and I got the idea for my aforementioned post. I talked through the idea for an Apocalypse event with my new, much extended gaming group. I got quite a good reaction, but knowing that the new edition of Apocalypse was just on the horizon I held up short of actually giving it a go. Then, it seemed like a great way to introduce new players to the gaming club I attended, being a university based society so getting an influx of new members at the same time each year. Again, I held off actually running it.
Now it is only a couple of days away. In all that time, I have had around 50 people showing genuine interest in raising money for charity by playing their favourite game. Slowly though, people have dropped out; mix ups on the dates, not being able to get the day off work, those usual kind of reasons. I don't want to use the word 'excuse' as most of the player base seemed genuinely disappointed they won't be able to make it. That or I am more gullible than I thought. Many have still offered to donate the cost of their ticket to the event though, so at least I should still raise some cash. The problem I'm left with is that I am really worried about how many people are actually going to turn up. I have put more man-hours in to setting everything up than the event will actually take; the thought of that all going to waste has left me quite jaded.
Maybe it's just the fact that the process of creating everything I have done is coming to an end that has me so flat. This blog is supposed to be about what inspires me, and there is no doubting that this idea has run wild in my mind, stirring up the creative juices. I'd love to explain all the examples of which, but for now you'll just have to look at my wall of fluff on the second page of this blog. I wrote out that whole story just to justify the warp-rifts as a game mechanic. The setting is fairly immaterial. Who plays on which side is going to be entirely determined by who has how much stuff, not which faction they have fought for. There was absolutely no requirement for me to write even that reasonably short fluff piece, but I did it because I was inspired. Now everything, aside from baking the cakes and physically setting up the tables, is ready to roll.
Wow, I'm doing quite well for someone who can't think what to write!
I guess that's just how I go about projects. Something sparks me off and I just have to run with it. Fingers crossed I can get a few sparks for doing the terrain we need for holding the Student Nationals this year. For those who don't know, the Nationals are a huge gaming tournament for UK university gaming clubs. There are several wargaming tournaments (of which I'll be running the 40k one), boardgames tournaments, card tournaments and one-shot roleplays, with players competing to be the best in their category to earn points for their team. The University with the most points wins and has to host the next year's event, hence why Leicester have it this year. By this time next April I'll be up to my ears in terrain, stressing about making sure the tables are set-up fairly, that we have enough room for all the competitors, worrying what'll happen if X-many people don't turn up in time... Who knows, I may even have time to worry about getting a lost blog article published in time!
That seems as good a point as any to finish. With a little luck, I'll my next post will be about how wonderfully well The Cleansing of Toreldos went! If you want to take part, there should still be room; either send me the money via PayPal (full instructions on the above link) or turn up on the morning with at least one squad of 40k models and £5 for a ticket. For now, I'm going to disappear and try not to panic about the newt few days,
Matt
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