sysop - May 20, 2004 1:17 am (#4019 Total: 4024) [John Kranz] ConsimWorld Expo 2004 featuring MonsterGame.CON 4.0, May 19-23, 2004 Gratitude My thanks to all CSW Expo attendees as we have braved through our opening round of festivities. The ballroom is already brim full of games taking place, and I will begin taking digital picts tomorrow to share with everyone. The first day is always a bit tough since we have to get through the opening round of registration + welcome reception + making sure everyone is being taken care of, so I am over the hump in terms of event admin. Special thanks to Brian Blad and Marty Sample who have stepped up in a big way to help with the expo registration process and other duties. It's 1:10 am right now, but it would probably feel more like 3 or 4am without their help. The highlight for me, other than meeting some of our first-time attendees, was in presenting Rodger MacGowan with the Hamilton-Blomgren lifetime achievement award for contributions to the consim gaming industry. The audience showed an incredible amount of gratitude for all Rodger has done to shape our hobby in a positive way. Another tremendous roar went out to Avalanche Press, as they gifted all attendees with a free game! Unfortunately, the 200 games were shipped to my household, so I will be picking them up tomorrow to present to our attendees. Since APL was unable to attend in person at the last moment, rest assured we will be generating some gratitude sales in the days to come for the tremendous contribution they have made. When I asked the audience how many thought they would not receive a door prize, it was nice to be able to counter all the raised hands with the generous gesture made by Avalanche Press. We still have quite a few folks expected to arrive tomorrow, but many games are already under way. We will be extending out the ballroom facility tomorrow evening, which will be more good news. Well, I have to get up in a few hours, so it's time to get some much needed beauty sleep. Rick Byrens - May 22, 2004 5:47 pm (#4043 Total: 4097) Expo First-Timer Just got back from CSW Expo, and it is even better than I imagined. I will be back! Only the last weekend of my daughter's softball season kept me from going the distance. It was great to meet Jim Winslow, who gave me another lesson in Paths of Glory - this time live and in person. Thanks to the whole Winslow clan, who came all the way from the great Northeast, for their comraderie - hopefully Art and Josh drove the Hun back in GBII!! Thanks to Andy Lewis, who was kind enough to teach Replay Baseball to me also - don't worry Steve, I wasn't the only one hooked....yes I did play a sports game at a Monster Game con. Also played a new game called Manuever brought by Andy which is going to be a big hit - may it pass through P500 with flying colors!! My friend Paul Marjoram and I slogged through a couple of games of For the People, a game I had never played before (but will hopefully be playing again soon). We both agree that someday we may have to break down and join a Monster...ah, but which one??? Perry, sorry next time I will make sure Power Grid is there Hope all the participants have good finishes this weekend (does anybody actually ever finish a Monster game?), and to the rest of you for next year one word.....GO! Rick Richard H. Berg - May 23, 2004 1:03 pm (#4047 Total: 4097) "I'll try to be nicer, if you try to be smarter" Good con . . .long trip back . . . Good playtesting for DYNASTY and LOUISIANA TIGERS . . . word that ALESIA, TURNING POINT and, probably, ALEXANDER go P500 next week . . . Some major hobby news about to break in a couple of weeks . . . major. I don't like being coy, but I do not know any details, as the people who advised me of this are under Confidentiality Agreement. My trip to Paris (two weeks) got way way more interesting . . . Bruno Sinigaglio still shaking his head in disbelief & amazement; Our Beloved Tempestuous Sysop wants to use this incident for marketing . . . More details when they develop, but, safe to say, it wasn't all dierolling at the Mission Palms . . . More (details) tomorrow when I've relaxed a bit more. Great convention . . .best of all, got to see all my friends, old and new . . . great great bunch of guys. For me, a Family Weekend. RHB Alan Emrich - May 23, 2004 8:16 pm (#4053 Total: 4097) "A ship in harbor is safe -- but that is not what ships are for." - John A. Shedd Well, I made it after all. Warner Brothers moved their lesson from ConSimWorld Friday to the following Tuesday, so I drove out. Had a lot of fun and really enjoyed the auction. Did some TK2 playtesting and played several smaller games, including MANEUVER that GMT is looking at publishing. Cute little Napoleonic battle game. Does anybody have GMT Andy's email address? I have some ideas for him. Alan Emrich DirkHeinz - May 23, 2004 8:52 pm (#4054 Total: 4097) "I feel a tug on the line, which end will I be on this time?" Had a great time and played thru most of two complete campaigns of The Mighty Endeavor with Shelly Crawford. This game is now my favorite SCS game and I can't wait to see what the full production copy will look like. George Keyes - May 23, 2004 9:42 pm (#4057 Total: 4097) Best Expo Yet... Having been to all four Expos/MonsterCons, this one out did itself. The weather was fabulous, the Hotel impeccable, John had it all put together again--just great. Played Ardennes44 great game also went through some turns on Fallschirmjaeger and Vimy Ridge both looking very inviting. Came home with more new games than I should have as usual. Auction was a load of fun too. Perhaps we should make this a semi annual event instead of just annual? Well done John Kranz! stevepaschal - May 23, 2004 10:02 pm (#4058 Total: 4097) One thing I wanted to mention is the Tempe Mission palms hotel. Although a first class hotel in every aspect, the place makes me feel more like I'm staying in someones wealthy family home. The ambience is very personal rather than the cool business feel that many hotels foster. In fact there during Expo one can literaly go next door and ask if someone wants to come out and play! Its that kind of place. The food is also good across the board. Hurry next year. PAVEuf - May 24, 2004 2:16 am (#4059 Total: 4097) Never shake hands with a left-handed draw PAVEs monstercon stream of Once again I had a blast. Boundless gratitude and thanks to John, Brian and all the faceless minions doing their bidding who make it all possible. I wanted to jot down some thoughts of the week quickly lest I forget. Many will not recognize any, but to those who do, my thanks for the memories: "My Dad likes that beer" The Auction (I actually got the game I was after this year! -- and no, it wasn't Lupinacci at Bay!) "Bloody April" "I'm a Government Water Inspector" "This is the Luftwaffe's greatest moment, AHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA" "She is my daughter... my room number is..." "We have some free software from HPS Sims" O Zombie Bin Laden "If you want to know what Napoleon looked like, check a mirror" I know there were others, but the pain in my ribs must've blocked retention... See you all next year! PAVEuf - May 24, 2004 4:00 am (#4060 Total: 4097) Never shake hands with a left-handed draw Auction Kudos Hearty Congrats to Alan, Lou, Marty & Brian for the auction format this year. The tagteam approach really speeded things up kept things fresh. I've got a few more squirts for the stream, "I'll bid six dollars for a stiffie" Don't pose for pictures during a live auction. "It ... deserved to get dropped" Zombie-Ben-Willie Thanks again fellows!!!! Randy Heller - May 24, 2004 4:36 am (#4061 Total: 4097) The dogs may bark but the caravan marches on. I had a great time at this con. John K. is a true Master of Ceremonies. The breakfasts were outragiously generous. Only one problem. Anyone else have trouble getting their rental car back to the airport Sunday morning? The police had the route blocked off for local joggers and were unable to redirect me to an alternate road net. It was a bit dicey time wise. RicVanDyke - May 24, 2004 4:46 am (#4062 Total: 4097) The only bad thing about MonsterCon04: It's over. The Best John really did a great one this year. Gaming - Gaming - Gaming and more Gaming! You all need to make plans for being there next year. It's wonderful to see everyone and see all the games setup and going. The food was great, the people were fantastic, the games were aplenty, the acution was a riot, the hotel staff was super, the weather was wonderful (of course being in the ballroom nearly the entire time the weather is not that important... ) We really should do this more often... Richard H. Berg - May 24, 2004 4:56 am (#4063 Total: 4097) "I'll try to be nicer, if you try to be smarter" "I hope John gets it [major news item] posted to the main ConsimWorld page as soon as he gets pack around to updating it." John doesn't know more about this than I stated . . .yet . . . and there's Confidentiality Agreement restraints. "...the Tempe Mission palms hotel. Although a first class hotel in every aspect . . . ." As nice as it is - and it is a very good hotel, for convention stuff, the Mission is B-List, not A-List. You want A-List? Try it's sister hotel, the Royal Palms, across town . . . THAT'S an A-List hotel, as anyone who has ever been there will attest. (Not to denigrate the Mission, which is perfect for what we want here . . . ) "Anyone else have trouble getting their rental car back to the airport Sunday morning?" Gotta leave at 4:45AM like us tough guys, Randy . . . no traffic, no security lines (which can be grotesque) at the airport. What i found most interesting this year, an outgrowth of last year, is the number of designs being playtested . . . and how good (visually) many of them looked. (Aside from Joe Miranda's JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS, which looked like the end result of a 4th grade study hall . . . on the other hand, the game was great, and Joe could have a big winner with this one). Avalanche had the con's comic coup (I just luuuuvvvv alliteration), giving away umpteen gazillion copies of CANNIBAL. Good marketing bit . . .and it emptied their inventory shelves of what I've been informed is a real clinker. (That makes 5 C's.) Works for everyone all around . . . GMT was present in toto - Tony Curtis, Andy Lewis, Mark Simonitch, and, most pleasantly, Rodger MacGowan . . . I think that was a first. (And which enabled me, personally, to have a very productive business weekend.) Another visual treat? Todd Davis. "I'm Mister Blue . . . " Todd was also playing his giant Minas Tirith game that he's hiding from tghe Tolkien Estate police. On the social front, it was, as I said, great seeing so many of the people who are so helpful to me and with whom I only meet electronically. Special kudos to Martin Scott, for doing a playtest version for DYNASTY that looked better than half the published games (double-sized map on canvas!!). Opened some company's eyebrows (everyone is always looking for good graphics people). I also got to have a marvelous dinner at T. Cook's . . . foie grois [sp?], lamb en croute, some great dinner cheeses, a nice white Bourdeaux, a relaxing Macanudo de Rothschild (that's a cigar, folks) . . . topped by a glass of 160 year-old Madeira. Ah, those boring business dinners . . . And then there's Paris . . . RHB Bill Gibbs - May 24, 2004 5:29 am (#4064 Total: 4097) I gambled on the hotel's shuttle and didn't rent a car. The wait at the airport was 20 minutes due to my arriving between trips, but I timed walking out the door just as the van pulled up for my return. Unless you have other things to do in the area, the shuttle was good enough. Randy Heller - May 24, 2004 6:06 am (#4065 Total: 4097) The dogs may bark but the caravan marches on. MacGowan was there and I didn't get to meet him? Damn! As I recall, Todd Davis had the best Saturday night "under the balcony" view of the entire con. John Loy - May 24, 2004 6:07 am (#4066 Total: 4097) "The die has nothing to do with movement" Great Con Well, it's over for another year But looking forward to next year, and sowing my oats in March Was Napoleon THAT bald Todd was everywher being himself and group host, Art circulating and enjoying the experience, Steve Pachal - very nice guy; Ric trying to fill in for Pave at Hooters And of course John running the best con anywhere!!! The hotel is outstanding! I hope we don't outgrow it although maybe we could rent a dorm at ASU? Complete with co-eds Must be something in the water!! Brian Blad - May 24, 2004 10:17 am (#4069 Total: 4097) Consimworld Expo 2005 Assistant Coordinator--Help us hit 500 attendance for the 5th anniversary! My AAR Well I must say I had a most excellent time! First: It was great to see so many returning friends and new faces! Todd, Pave, Art, Jeff, Adam, Lou, Marty, John, Joe, Perry, sheesh I could go on forever and still miss names! It was awesome to be with all of you again! Second: BRAINS! Must have BRAINS! If you come you have to join the late night unwinder game of Zombies..Only sex is more fun! Third: I had an incredible time helping John! Thanks to all your patience while we got you registered, for listening while I introduced Jeff Tibbetts and Lance Nielson. Thanks for participating in the auction and for giving me your feedback. I know that John and I will be sharing feedback and working together again to make 2005 an even bigger and better event! Fourth: Got to playtest WAR2 and had a blast. Doc says winter 2004 and based on our playings I believe that that is about right. The game has some very interesting rules, we did some tweaking to make it play faster. There is a chance that the German can win! If you have not pledged for a copy with Decision yet, the time is now! Looking forward to working with all of you and playing with you all next year! Please send me your feedback! Brian Nathan Kilgore - May 24, 2004 10:45 am (#4070 Total: 4097) Designer-Iron Tide- Individual Game/Western Front--OP Typhoon set in the Bulge and soon Salerno This has got to be one of the best conventions for any reasons that you can think of. First, having attended all four of these events, I can say the family is growing and attracting all of the hobby's best members. I did not hear one single solitary complaint of the orginazation, set-up, hotel service, weather, food, availability of gaming opponants, interest, auction, fun, visual attractions on Mill Ave, excessive rules and restrictions, varity of events, or any other thing save bad dice rolls. What a great con, in a great place with some of the funniest and most skilled players in the hobby. Thanks John Kranz! ! ! sysop - May 24, 2004 11:35 am (#4071 Total: 4097) [John Kranz] That's a wrap...CSW Expo 2004 was a huge success. T hank you, everyone! Thanks to everyone again for a great event. I can't post now since I've missed the last few days at work and it's "piling up" -- but I'll be sure to post something of more appropriate length once I can wrangle the free time necessary. John Kisner - May 24, 2004 12:51 pm (#4076 Total: 4097) How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake? It's a broken record by now, but I too had a great time in Tempe. I really look forward to spending time with the slowly-growing circle of friends that I've made at CSW Expo. Sometimes we forget the quiet dignity with which most wargamers carry themselves -- they'll never be "stars of the convention" but really add a great deal to the tables where they are playing. I also really enjoy the opportunity provided by this convention to sit down and chat with many of the designers who I've really grown to respect over the years. Talking with Joe Miranda, it struck me that he seldom repeats himself even after 120 or so published designs. That's just remarkable. Vance Borries and Ed Wimble struck me in another way: they take the craft of designing and testing so seriously it's very unlikely they will have a hundred games between them published. The final thing that struck me is how cool it is to watch games go through their lengthy gestations. Wacht II has been floating around for several years -- maybe even as far back as Expo 1.0 -- but this was the first year it was ready to be really played. It was likewise great to observe the transformation of Devil's Cauldron from one year to the next, as well as to see the playtests from previous years -- Iron Tide and Europe Engulfed -- now be played in their post-publication glory. Special mention, I suppose, should be made of Miranda's Storm of Steel, which is still in testing a dozen years after the design was first announced. Thanks to everyone -- John Kranz, the guy who drove the hotel shuttle, and most of all my fellow game players -- for making the weekend so enjoyable. Vance Borries - May 24, 2004 12:56 pm (#4077 Total: 4097) Let me add my voice to thank John Kranz for a great convention. Many good people, many good games, much of interest, great fun. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I'll be back next year too. Still recovering though. VvB David Dean - May 24, 2004 4:46 pm (#4080 Total: 4097) History is a continuing dialogue between the present and the past. AFR - Typhoon Well its the day after and its time for another AAR. Our group played GMT's Operation Typhoon. We set it up with three "commanders" on each side an an alternate German. I played the Guderian Operation (so this AAR is from that perspective). Here's how it went: On the opening attack in the south, Guderian rolled 10s on two overruns and came to a screetching halt. In the subsequent mech phase however, he punched through the important places and began the run for Orel. The bad luck overruns foreshadowed ill things to come. The center group had some success and an early breakthrough as well as some moderate success in executing the 16th Army Offensive in the north. Despite Guderian's initial bad luck, all seemed well. On turn 5, Guderian captured both Bryansk and Orel and drove to the outskirts of Tulla. In the middle, the Russians were reeling from successive double blow maneuvers and were working hard to keep the German breakthrough from becoming a breakout. Then the luck (weather) changed. On turns 6-16 (yes 11 full turns) the Germans rolled MUD or Mud/Storm. In fact of the 11 Mud turns, 6 of them were mud/storm. With bad weather and no air support the Germans pressed on. Unfortunately the slowdown meant that Tulla became fully reinforced and fortified leaving Guderian on the wrong side of the river and no movement to go around. In the meantime, the German offensive in the middle was reduced to only 2 or 3 combats per turn. Incredible dice rolling continued to inflict heavy casualties on the Russians. Additionally the remaining Soviets in the South surrendered (on rolls of 1 or 2). One brief action was the Soviet defense of Kursk which drew a number of German forces to the sector. Eventually it was reduced and occupied but not without resource loss in front of Tulla. So turn 17 the Germans roll Frost and start to move forward only to be stymied by Mud/Storm, Mud, Mud and Snow on the subsequent turns. Since the Germans were far behind of their campaign objectives, the team called it at noon on Saturday. The high point of the whole weekend was having a chat with Vance about the game and getting his insight on some of the mechanics. He was very generous with his time and gracious with his answers. I personally was very flattered by Vance's comments about my gameplay. Also, I've never had an opportunity to ask a designer "What were you thinking...?" Only at this Con could that happen! One conclusion we came up with was to allow the Pz units to exert a ZOC during mud turns (not the other armor units) but it would have to be tested. After 11 Mud turns we wondered if there was a weather modifyer for consecutive weather results just so the whole game doesn't hinge on one element. We didn't have a solution; but we did have the question. During the rest of the weekend, members of our group played Dif, 1776, Europe Engulfed, Victory in the Pacific, Napoleonic Wars, and SPI's classic Russian Civil War. Overall it was a great convention and as usual efficiently run, awesome treatment from the hotel, and well worth the money. Looking forward to next year, David Lance Nielsen - May 24, 2004 7:06 pm (#4084 Total: 4097) Designing 'Home For Christmas', Diceless,PTP, Market Garden Game (My girlfriends headshot is more pleasing to the eye) 2004 gone - roll on 2005 Huge thank you to Todd Davis from Lance for your friendship and assistance at the Con, Keith for giving me a lift, the dude in the blue shirt for dinner, Shannon for being such a rude man, Steve, Nathan, Art, Adam, Rick (both of them)Lou, John and everyone else I met for making it such a great event! Really glad I made it there, even if it was by the skin of my wallet. Todd I forgot to give you that money for my phone calls so let me know how much it was and I can send it to you. Great job everyone. Lance Paul Marjoram - May 25, 2004 6:58 am (#4092 Total: 4097) Trying to find the Path to Glory Consimworld thanks Here's my brief AAR on CSW 2004. Firstly, many thanks to John K for putting it all together. It is hard to imagine the convention being any better than it already is, and I realise it only appears to run as smoothly as it does because of the huge amount of effort he puts in to it. This was my 2nd visit, and I expect to attend each year from now on. I'm not a monster gamer, but one of the most enjoyable aspects of attending is simply watching the monsters slowly unfold over the course of 4 days. Those games certainly present a great visual spectacle, and one year I will have to join one myself. For this reason, from an open-gamer's perspective, the meeting took a distinct upturn once the open-gaming was able to move to the main ballroom. First up, I had the pleasure of playing Britain Stands Alone with James Jones. It was a first playing for both of us and was motivated by our mutual happy memories of playing SPI's Seelowe many years ago. The games system worked pretty well, albeit with rather more die-rolling than I would have liked. The Germans formed a decent foothold in Kent, but ultimately looked to be heading for slow death by starvation when we called the game. I spent the rest of the week playing For the People, Age of Napoleon, Paths of Glory, Hammer of the Scots and L2's Russian Campaign. Another great aspect of CSW is the chance to meet face-to-face with those you have gamed with via email. This year I had the distinct pleasure of meeting, and gaming with Jim Winslow, as well as getting to know the rest of the Winslow boys. A nicer bunch of people couldn't be imagined and I look forward to renewing those acquaintances, as well as making further new ones, next year. Finally a word of thanks to the sponsors and their incredible generosity in giving away so much good stuff. This really adds to the spirit of community, rather than business, that pervades the con. Cheers, Paul. Art Lupinacci - May 25, 2004 10:27 am (#4096 Total: 4097) Let me GAME, and no one gets hurt!™ AAR of the Consimworld Experience Tuesday, May 18... Get ready, stay up until 1:00am doing last minute things I swore I would not do this year!!! Wed., May 19, the big day Get up at 5:30am Drive to Buffalo International Airport Arrive in Tempe 1:00 Brian Blad, thank you! Dump bags in room, go downstairs and setup up: - who has time to unpack. I just lived out of the suitcase for the duration!!! lol Russian Campaign: Played Bruno Sinigaglio Streets of Stalingrad: Played Ken Nied Russia Besieged: Played Bruno Singaglio twice Inbetween play, I spoke to more people then I can remember. My Highlight of the con was meeting Rodger MacGowan in person. You couldn't chat with a nicer person!! Saw a lot of close and dear friends. Yes, Todd has blue hair. I think I will try some blonde highlights on my "doo" next year, not to be outdone by Todd. Gamed until I dropped through to the next morning!! Slept a couple of hours. Highlight of the day, the Welcome Cerimony. Rodger MacGowan is given an award for recognition of his contribution to the hobby. His list of achievement is a very, very long one indeed. Over due and much deserved. Congratulations to Roger. Thurs., May 20 Breakfast speeches. Back to gaming at 9:00am No game parcels from UPS!!! Delayed in customs. Nothing to sell until Friday. I shipped my stock two weeks in advance, the boxes were used as target practice at Customs, or tested to see just how much punishment an L2 Design Group shipping carton can really take. A lot, from the evidence received on Friday. Played the Russian Campaign with expansion, plus rules...V#2, V#11, V#12, V#13, V#17, V#23, V#24, V#25 + SS rule, if memory serves me correctly. We played the game to a DRAW. Ken and I took up our GRUDGE MATCH of the Grain Elevator and the game got off to a slow start due to lots of chatting and socializing. I ended up being one of the last people leaving the ballroom in the wee wee hours of the morning... I should mention that along with a wonderful breakfast, part of the offerings was the snack bar outside. ALL YOU CAN EAT! What more can you say to a wargamer??? So, I tested the ALL YOU CAN EAT theory. WARNING: Do not "ALL YOU CAN EAT" the Salt and Vinegar potato chips. I burned the lining in my mouth. But damn, I did ALL-I-COULD EAT pretty good!! The ice cream bars were worth the price of admission alone. If only my stomach would have co-operated more..... Friday, May 21 Breakfast and gaming starting at 9:00am Bruno and I play a furious game of Russia Besieged. I am stumped completely by Bruno's aggressive play and loose. We reload and play again. Jalapeno Peppers. Gods revenge on my eating habits. Everything in Tempe is made with these miserable little peppers that TODD DAVIS eats as if they were Hostess Twinkies. Mother of all that is evil, this stuff is poison, and it is in everything.... Ken, Gary Graber and I did find a nice restaurant around the corner. They serve the best corn bread and pork tenderloin in Tempe. They also have DAMN BEST GOOD LOOKING WOMEN TO GREAT AND SERVE YOU. So, I ate myself stupid again... Gamed until I dropped, early evening, I retire around 3:00am to go over what I am going to say in my breakfast seminar, a few hours away. By now, I am loosing my voice from talking... Games arrived by UPS and I set up in the dealer room. Sold out of Deluxe Bitter Woods in an hour. Saturday, May 22 Give a short breakfast speech on new products and company direction. Went to dealer room and sold my last couple of remaining games and went back to play. Beat Bruno soundly in our second game. Played Russian player in both Russia Besieged games. I also won the Grudge match with Ken for the Grain Elevator. Stayed up until the very early hours of the morning yet again. I believe we were the last to leave the ballroom. Sunday, May 23 The last day. Man, you wait with anticipation and it blows by faster then you can blink. Said goodbye to good friends with promises to meet again next year!! Dead tired, left my map tube on the curb of the hotel. Made the driver turn around to go get it. Luckily we didn't get out of the parking lot!!! Oooops. A women in the van got out a block away, forgot here keys in her room!! ROTFL It could have been me... Convention Highlights: - Meeting old friends, this alone is worth the trip - Making new friends.... - Talking to other designers - The Auction - The Monster Games being played: Guderian's Blitzkrieg II, DAK, Enemy at the Gates, Barbarossa East Front where just managing to reach your counters in the middle of the map is a gaming experience in itself and more.... - Joe Youst, arriving in a rush, and staying up all night cutting a BILLION counters with scissors. I was one of the last to leave the ballroom and Joe still had 1/2 a billion to cut and they were all done the next time I walked by the table and he was still standing!Amazing!! - All you can eat, or shouldn't. Next year, a BBQ would be great!!!! - The Tempe Women. Even the ugly ones are gorgeous. - The Tempe Mission Palms. What great service, what a great hotel!!! - Talking to Richard Berg! Well, let me re-phrase that...listening to Richard Berg. - I did find a new restaurant thanks to Shannon, a nice Chinese food place on Mill Rd. Ken and I had a wonderful lunch there. - Purchased a Ken Nied dice tower. Gorgeous!! Fly home: Bumpy flight, get my luggage, take the shuttle. I have the WRONG TICKET to find my car. About an hour later....Long story.....but as you can tell, I made it. John Kranz, thank you. I am grateful to you, as are many others, for the time you invest from your personal life to not only make Consimworld the conduit for thousands of gamers to come together to enjoy their hobby, but for also putting on a wonderful event. CSW Expo has a country club feel to it that one cannot fully describe unless you are there. It is the event of the year for me, both from a business and pleasure point of view. I do not enjoy any other event more then this one. This year, more then any other, the brain trust of the hobby was there, under one roof, talking and playing games. Please, keep up the good work! The hobby is grateful to you! Art Alan P. Murphy - May 25, 2004 3:22 pm (#4100 Total: 4113) "I hate the corpses of empires, they stink as nothing else." - Rebecca West, "Black Lamb and Gray Falcon" Thank you John Kranz and all the others for creating such a fantastic and memorable gaming experience. It was so great to see everybody and also to meet many new gamers as well. I had a wonderful time and actually had the opportunity to play AFS for four solid days! Hats off to Houndog Cross, Matthew Hayes, Jerry McKenzie and Michael Pitts for a memorable game! Also took in some of 'Roads to Leningrad' with Vance on Friday, and to also discuss L2's upcoming games with Art and Ken on Sunday. I also enjoyed the opportunity to talk about L2's upcoming 'Alesia' game in detail with Ken Nied. Equally impressive was the great number of playtest games currently in work. Perry Andus brought one very impressive OCS Case Bleu map that was actually blue in color! My God, it is huge - definitely a "Consimworld Only" game, considering the time and space needed to play this puppy! I hope we did not overkill our welcome with the hotel, this after having eaten them out of house and home with their freely available snacks, drinks, coffee, etc. Can't wait to do it again; already counting down to June 2005. mark simonitch - May 25, 2004 5:00 pm (#4101 Total: 4113) Suggestion Box Great Convention!! Thanks John. My two suggestions for next year: 1. Print first-timer name badges on a blue card stock so other players can spot them out and make sure they are welcomed into any game starting up and to allow them some extra privileges (two names in the door prize jar). Print the name badges of those who have been there all 4 previous years in gold so we can look at them in awe. 2. Keep those morning meetings to a 15 announcement and door prize session. I know some people who began to avoid the breakfast area or ate early to avoid them. This year they all ran late. Bill Gibbs - May 25, 2004 5:15 pm (#4102 Total: 4113) Not mine. Shortest talk ever from me. (I knew John was squeezing me in since I had to leave Saturday.) sysop - May 25, 2004 5:17 pm (#4103 Total: 4113) [John Kranz] That's a wrap...CSW Expo 2004 was a huge success. Thank you, everyone! Thanks for the feedback. And definitely keep it ocming...most of our venue enhancements come from our participants. I'll be following-up with an email to participants as well to help drum up suggestions for next year. As always, we look for opportunities to serve our attendees better! Martin Scott - May 25, 2004 5:44 pm (#4104 Total: 4113) "I ought to give thanks, I think to Mr. Higgins who furnishes my indispensable India Ink. And my thanks to Mr. Strathmore who furnishes the paper I ink up. And to Mr. Smirnoff, who furnishes the vodka I occasionaly drink up" -Dr. Seuss, 1980. Well I finally have time to do a quick MonsterCon AAR. It was a blast! Bigger and better than my first one last year. As usual I mostly hung out at the Down in Flames tables, but I wandered about quite a bit to see what else was going on as well. It was great to see the GMT gang, Rodger, Tony and Mark again, and to finally meet Andy Lewis (who is just as cool a guy as the rest of the GMT gang). Lots of old friends and acquaintances to chat with as well as new faces to get to know. Had a chance to spend some time with the incredible talented Craig Grando, who was there for the first time. In fact there were a lot of very talented designers, game artists, and publishers there. It was like being at an industry trade show where everyone gets to play instead of work. Play tested Dynasty, and with the new minor rules changes RHB added in, it looks like it’ll be a very fun game. Also saw quit a few games in various stages of development, virtually all of which looked very nice. The Down in Flames event this year was even bigger and busier than I have ever seen before. Mike Lam really goes all out for this and nobody puts as much energy into an event than he dose. My own Ace pilot of the event racked up another 14 kills, for a total of 49. But I was out done by Greg Smith’s newer Ace who I believe got 16 kills this time, bringing his total to over 30. I’m sure Mike will have the exact stats and details up as soon as he recovers. I took a few pictures rather hurriedly, so they are not that great, but they should give some small idea of how things went. You can see them here: http://www.sbfsbo.com/Martin/Consim/ Finally, all I can say is Thanks John! You put on the best show on Earth and I can’t wait till next time! Martin. MARK VANROEKEL - May 25, 2004 6:36 pm (#4105 Total: 4113) "If a man says something in the middle of a forest and there isn't a woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?" Died and Gone to Heaven My sense is that John has experienced a great deal of this "event" stuff while in marketing at Apple --in (many) years past I attended the product roll-outs and they are extravaganzas and great parties. The amazing thing is John brings much of that grand "event" feel to a beautiful venue with the just a few hundered in attendance. It is my perspective no one yet has brought this level of class to an event in our hobby. His attention to detail is simply amazing. Simply put, John is a good business man. He brought good business practice to our little hobby and produced a great party. Of course it wouldn't be a "thang" without the great supporting cast: the attendees. Wargamers never had it so good. Thanks everyone I had a great time, --mvr Andy Lewis - May 26, 2004 11:13 am (#4128 Total: 4193) Proud Alumnus of Division 1-AA Football Champion Delaware Fighting Blue Hens! Well I want to make several observations about CSW Expo, but it will have to be over several posts at different times because there's just too much to write. First installment. Mission Palms - What a great site for a convention. The hotel rooms are the same as in every hotel and the ballroom was nothing special, but it was the little things that made this place the best that I've ever been to a con at. -Full breakfast buffet included. -Afternoon refreshment stand - no need for lunch and some of the food was even healthy plus the soda drinkers weren't excluded (actually with the soda fountain machine, we were in really good shape). -Enclosed open-air courtyard. Even if you didn't leave the hotel, you still got fresh air. What a nice thing. -Very courteous staff who bent over backwards to help. The wait staff at the breakfast buffet hustling around to clear plate and bring more coffee and sodas was unbelievable. In NY, you would have gotten eaten alive asking for your fifth soda refill (hell you'd get that on ordering the soda) -Location: right on Mill St with plenty of food selection with patio seating so you could have plenty of eye candy while enjoying a meal -Free airport shuttle -They were always attentive to us and asking what else we needed to make the con run smoothly. Just an awesome site. I'd hate to ever out grow the place. I know for me it really added to the enjoyment of the con. Tony Zbaraschuk - May 26, 2004 11:26 am (#4129 Total: 4193) Playing TK, designing OCS Italy The hotel was great, as usual. (The rooftop pool is very nice for an early morning swim.) The break stand was a wonderful thing -- you must do it again next year, John! I played my traditional game of DAK with Linden Moore; we switched sides from previous years (as I was now the Allies, and he the Axis). Details over in the OCS folder; we closed up Sunday as Crusader turned into an overwhelming British victory. Had a couple of good midnight Puerto Rico games, and then played Napoleonic Wars on Sunday (winning as Russia!). Don Johnson - May 26, 2004 3:58 pm (#4144 Total: 4193) Manassas, VA: The die has nothing to do with movement great con, nice seeing old and new friends. I do think there should be after action reports written up for the games that want to do that, but time is precious at the con itself. I think 10 minutes for a demo is basically a flash of the playtest game map and a howdy to/from the designer, too little time to get into it in any detail, but more than enough to say it will be happening. If you have a con flyer for attendees, it may make sense to list these new things there, and who to see for more info. regarding plaques, I would be concerned if this turned into DonCon, but I do not care if someone wants to increase their fun this way. regarding dress code, whatever it is needs to be stated clearly and up front. I totally agree with no costumes or uniforms, except perhaps by active duty people. Things that are reminders of horrendous past actions of some people are clearly in bad taste and will offend some. Certainly we should all defer to our fellow gamers in desiring to not be offensive in what we wear. really liked the bulge seminar and the auction. The flea market tables should be bigger. the round tables are a pain for those like me that are concerned about lower back problems. Tim Hall - May 26, 2004 8:07 pm (#4146 Total: 4193) Consim: A Survivor's Report First of all, thanks John for pulling this event together. I attended both WBC and Consim last year and this event definitely has more the feeling of a gamers paradise than the event in Baltimore. Of course, between the early breakfast meetings and late night/early morning gaming sessions with no exercise and 8-10 cups of coffee per day thrown in for good measure, I can honestly say I earned each and every Hannibal-induced headache I experienced. Now, next year I will treat myself better (yea, sure). I spent all my time in open gaming and was able to get in 4 games of Hannibal, 4 Hammer of the Scots, 2 We the People, 2 Puerto Rico (Midnight wind down games) and one Battle Line. Eventually I will join a big game such as Three Days of Gettysburg. First I'll need to take a quick trip to the medical supply surplus store and get my first pair of command tweezers. In the way of suggestions, I would love the option of coming in a day early and having a small room to do some open gaming if a few folks are so inclined. We could do a nice game of Civ or Sword of Rome. That would be excellent bonus if that is a possibility. One small breakout room would probably do the trick next year. After that it could become a tradition. Anyway, I loved the 4.0 experience and can't imagine missing one at this point. I guess I'll have to leave my "SS are People Too" T-Shirt at home next year as I can see that it was not well received. — Tim Andy Lewis - May 27, 2004 8:51 am (#4156 Total: 4193) Proud Alumnus of Division 1-AA Football Champion Delaware Fighting Blue Hens! Part II - Gaming I'm not a monstergamer so I didn't get involved in any of those ahead of time. I did look over a few shoulders while there but nothing grabbed me enough to sit down and join in. It did appear to me that a lot of the tables spent a lot of time waiting for gamers to come back while we had some tables that pushed forward relentlessly and got through a lot more than people thought - the best case in point here was the AWAW game which made it into 44 or 45 before deciding on the outcome. Because of my reputation for sports gaming, I ended up playing this mostly. Kinda surprising for a wargame convention but I had a lot of fun introducing people to Replay Baseball and Pairadice Hockey (free) while replaying game & of the 2002-03 Stanly Cup with Faceoff Hockey in what will probably be the most classic game I'll ever play with that game - my Ducks won 3-2 in 2OT while being outshot 60-28. I did manage to sit in on four rounds of Down in Flames and four games of Manoeuvre (an upcoming P500 game for GMT), so no hardcore wargaming but at least some wargaming. I enjoyed the people that I played with and really for me, a convention is all about the people not the specific games. From that point of view, the Expo was a trememndeous success for me. I got to meet a lot of the West Coast people who frequent this board and find out that they are just as nice as they appear on here although Todd's blue hair did clash with the big teddy bear image that he was otherwise projecting I would recommend this convention for all those that didn't attend. I will try to work things a little different and actually schedule a game or two versus floating as much as I did - it will help when we both know the rules ahead of time, plus I want to play a Down in Flames campaign not just a bunch of dogfights because in a campaign protecting the bombers have more meaning and consequences for the fighter cover Todd Davis - May 27, 2004 9:02 am (#4157 Total: 4193) http://www.metrowargamers.com/mt-archives/games/battle_of_pelennor_fields.php After getting home and finally getting some sleep (I figured I got about 26 hours of sleep during the entire con), I get to say thanks to John (and Brian) for all their hard work and effort in putting on another outstanding CSWE! Some of the better moments for me: Perry Andrus and I heckling PAVe at the auction falsely representing the blue-haired government water testing agency and talking with a pretty girl named Madison Saturday night (ask Shelly Crawford) meeting Rodger MacGowan! He even signed the copy of Bitter woods I had with me! What a nice guy! the three people who played my Pelennor game for the first time liked it! helping to tape the Bulge seminar with Jack Beckman (mine may have better sound as I was quite a bit closer to the speakers) picking up a CNA for $57.00!! meeting both Bruno Sinigaglio and Randy Heller-two of the most knowledgable Battle of the Bulge gentlemen out there. Great business card Randy!! having Joe Youst, Mark Simonitch, Craig Grando and Nathan Kilgore up in my hotel room for late-night drinks Saturday. Joe's a drinking wuss (that, or he was just tired!) meeting and hanging out with Lance Nielsen from the UK. You guys might be able to see his big 'Thanks-you' card to JK in some of the pictures that have posted. meeting Napoleon winning the Star Preformer Award ("me!? you all really like me?")--free entrance to MC5 even! Thanks everyone!! the bar-dancing waitresses at The Library Sunday night and getting my blue hair licked (NOT kidding!) as always, the best hotel and the wait staff were fantastic I finally made a stop at mike Lam's DiF table and was soundly thrashed getting my head handed to me by Lou Manios in SAGM in _3_ turns!! ouch! next time I'll be ready last, but definately not least: seeing all my old friends again and meeting my new friends _in person_: Art L; Shelly & Dirk; RHB; PAVe; RvD; JT; Adam, Dayna and Lou (the east coasters); RGH, Bruno, Ken (and his great dice towers!); Lance; Nathan; Craig, Joe and Mark; Perry; Shannon and John; Bill Gibbs (Mr. Cool!); Marty; Bob C and George (fun night gentlemen??); Jeff Smith; and basically, just EVERYONE I ran into! This place is the best! Andy Lewis - May 27, 2004 9:12 am (#4158 Total: 4193) Proud Alumnus of Division 1-AA Football Champion Delaware Fighting Blue Hens! Part III - The Peripherals (i.e. suggestions for next year) Breakfast seminars - I didn't find the game reports very useful. I think it would be more helpful to have a tote board in the ballroom where progress can be noted so that people can see to go check on games as they progress. Not even sure the company info was worth the time since we find out so much quickly on this topic alone. I think it would be nice to introduce the industry people so that the attendees get to know who they are so that they can talk to them at their leisure during the gaming and it might be good to allow companies to make announcements of new things if they want to, but keep it short (or make one day a longer session and get it all in on that day). Game Demo Sessions - I only attended one for just one game and actually really got more information talking to the designer over the game in the ballroom. I also found that I saw and got a lot of previews walking around the demos in the ballroom. From me, this con is partially a working one so the more leisurely pace of the ballroom worked better. Playtest/Demo Games - I'm all for these. It helps me, but I also know it helps the designers which is a positive for the hobby. Also, I think a lot of people like to see upcoming games and the number of industry people at CSW Expo is very high and allowing this may bring more in too. If this area starts taking up too much of the gaming space, then work out a schedule for the tables either in half day or full day slots (remember days at CSW Expo are different than standard work days with hours of 9 am to 1 am you've got two full work days available). Afternoon Refreshment Stand - AWESOME. Great thing. Please include again. Breakfast - Great. Keep including that. Between this and the refreshment stand, I only have to take time away for dinner. Dinner - It would be nice if a restaurant guide could be put together. Just so I know the choices in the area. I enjoyed the Greek one and Monti's Steak house had the most flavorful beef that I've had in a long time. Tables - If we've used up the allotment of rectangular ones, what about getting 4' x 8' sheets of plywood to put down on rounds to make them useable for the monster games and leave more of the rectangular ones available for the small opening game where big tables are tough to play one? sysop - May 27, 2004 6:11 pm (#4176 Total: 4193) [John Kranz] That's a wrap...CSW Expo 2004 was a huge success. Thank you, everyone! Just an FYI on the tourneys held during the con. Michael Day took the iniative to put that together and it really did draw interest from his local gaming group. He may have pulled in some other gamers who traveled in as well. I'm not sure. The point I want to make, however, is that these tournaments were not conducted or framed in the competitive manner than DonCon was. If you were there, you might know what I mean, but it was done on a very cooperative, friendly basis as a way to add some pleasure and excitement to enhance play. In fact, some big laughs and excitement were coming from the Dune tourney table if I remember, and Michael was beaming from ear to ear and I loved his enthusiasm. DonCon is framed to be more competitive in spirit, and I don't see us gravitating at all in that direction, nor do I wish to. We'll leave the tourneys to DonCon and keep our venue focused while throwing support towards those who go the extra mile (including Mike Lam). And I'm still tracking all the suggestions and comments thus far that are pouring forth. Great to get such open feedback! Mike Lam - May 28, 2004 12:30 am (#4181 Total: 4193) Playing in the DIF continuous experience campaigns at ConSimworld Expo 5.0 in May 2005! My Expo Recap or "How I Spent A Week in Tempe" Tuesday, May 18th Arrived but was unable to set up as hotel staff was still bringing in tables and chairs into the ballroom. Martin Scott arrives and we went to Office Max to get supplies for the DIF event. With nothing else to do, I went to dinner with Martin and Chris Lefevre at Monti's and after that we went to see "Troy". Wednesday, May 19th 10 Missions played Ballroom was open for set up and every table had a slip of paper indicating which game was to be played on it EXCEPT for my event. There was one area without any slip of paper on the tables in the area in the lower left corner just after entering the left side of the ballroom but waited for John Kranz for final confirmation. In the meanwhile, Martin and I began getting the tally sheets prepared for mounting to the walls. John later arrives and confirms this is where the DIF event is to takes place. But the wrong size tables were set up, plus we had no chairs, so the hotel staff went and brought back the better tables and chairs. After the opening reception, the playing began and 10 missions were played that evening. Flying ended around 1 AM but I stayed to finish updating the tally sheets. I finally left the ballroom at 2:40 AM with only Joe Youst still there setting up his game! From what I heard, he was still there when the gamers arrived in the morning. Highlights: Dinner at Hooters with Jack Beckman, Martin Scott, Rick Young, and Craig Grando. The server (her name was Tracy I think), engaged us in the usual small talk, "Where are you from?", "What brings you to Tempe?", etc. When we told her we were here for a gaming convention next door, she asked "What kind of games?" After we replied "Europe Engulfed", "Down in Flames", etc., she replied "Oh, I heard of them." And we all did a double take and said "You have?" with all of us were thinking the same thing "Oh, please marry me!" and two of the group were already married! When she saw our expression, she then changed her answer to "I meant to say I never heard of these games." We were disappointed to say the least (ahh, to have a girlfriend/wife/significant other who understands war games and is gorgeous enough to work at Hooters!) and invited her to come and visit the Expo to see the games in action but she didn't. DIF Highlights: Martin Scott and I earned Ace hood with our 1941 pilots and winning the "I became an ACE at Consimworld Expo" T-shirt. Unfortunately, Martin's pilot is soon KIA on his next mission. Thursday, May 20th 21 Missions played After 4 hours of sleep, went back to game, with only a lunch at Hooters and dinner break at the Library before ending after 1 AM, stayed around about an hour or two to clean up table and updated the tally sheets for tomorrow. DIF Highlight: I made a LA-5FN ace in the 1943 east front campaign. Friday, May 21st 28 Missions played Same routine as Thursday; 4 hours of sleep, had breakfast, gamed, with only a dinner break at Hooters before ending after 1 AM, stayed around to clean up table and updated the tally sheets for tomorrow. My DIF Highlight: Shooting down two Ju-88s with my YAK-9 pilot to become the first ever YAK-9 pilot to earn an ace ability since I began using this system back in April 2000. The YAK-9s have never done well in the DIF events and players prefer to use either the P-39N Kobra or the LA-5FN. I like to fly the YAK-9 sometimes because it is a challenge, especially since it has a ZERO Burst rating. Unlike the aircraft with the 1 or 2-Burst aircraft to forces me to think a little bit more on how I have to play my cards. Saturday, May 22nd 21 Missions played Same routine as Friday; catch 4 hours of sleep, had breakfast, gamed, with only a dinner break at Hooters before ending around 1 AM, updated tally sheets. My highlight: Playing in an East Front game with Martin Scott, Chris and Kevin Lefevre as the Soviets against Tony Curtis, Bob Workman and Jack Beckman as the Germans. I joined in the game as a 4th Soviet player as a play balance making it a 4-on-3 game but would use the YAK-9, the worst plane of the possible 3 Soviet choices. For the non-DIF players, the YAK-9 stinks as it compares to the higher ratings of the Bf-109G & the FW-190A. It is average for taking damage (6), has average HP (2), poor firepower (0); its only quality is that it has an above average Performance (7) rating. Well, I shot down Bob Workman's Bf-109G leader on turn 1 (I was dealt an Exploding Fuel tank, an Ace and a Half-loop). On Turn 3 with my YAK wingman, I shot down Tony's FW-190A wingman when I drew TWO 3-Burst/4 Damage OUT-OF-THE-SUN cards! (We were using 3 ZERO play decks). After the game, Tony & Jack thought I had lied to them because I keep saying how much the YAK-9 stunk and they will probably never believe me again when I say the YAK-9s are terrible. In fact for next year, they will probably try to take me out first if I fly the 'dangerous' YAK-9s again! Funniest Moment: Greg Smith's Lavochkin-5FN pilot had just earned an ace ability by shooting down a HE-111 bomber and Greg was all happy and proud after finally earning an ace ability for a Soviet pilot (this was one of his convention goals). That lasted for about 2 seconds when the bomber's defensive fire card was revealed to be the "Exploding Fuel Tank" card and Greg had nothing to respond against it and was KIA. I made the first ever USN Hellcat ace in 1944 Pacific campaign. Sunday, May 23rd 15 Missions played Same routine as Saturday; catching only 3 hours of sleep this time, had breakfast, took no lunch break and gamed until 4:30 PM. With the help of Martin Scott, Chris Lefevre and Eric Lane, took down the tally sheets and packed up. DIF Highlight: Denying Martin Scott's 1942 Japanese pilot (who I refer to as that 'Mendo guy'), his 50th kill when after 2 turns, only that Mendo guy was the only Japanese plane left facing 6 hungry P-40Es. Lucky for Martin, he was at medium while the P-40s were at low and very low. He played it conservatively and RAN to very high and escaped. Post-Expo highlight: Enjoyed a very nice dinner with Martin Scott, Tom Meier and his wife, Melanie, at Gordon Birsch (No Hooters today). The event recap will be done as soon as I go over the all the missions and put the results into a spreadsheet. Thanks to the +40 players who participated this year for making this a fun event for me. Jeff Twining - May 29, 2004 4:36 pm (#4194 Total: 4194) 2004 even better than '03 This was my second time at Consimworld. This was even better than last year, and I thought 2003 was excellent! Most of my time was spent playing GMT’s “Across the Rapahannock”, with John Loy as a partner 'Rebel'. Shannon Cooke and David Burnette were our Bluebelly opponents. We played the Chancellorsville full battle scenario (of course). Sedgewick apparently took some sleep medication. He and his Corps didn’t activate until we were just about finished, which was Saturday evening. Shannon and Dave, suffering mightily under the Union command limitations, nevertheless put up a tough fight. Howard’s XI “Iron” Corps was especially determined; stopping an attack by A.P. Hill after the Union V Corps took a tremendous beating. Hooker remained safely ensconced at the Chancellor House, so he never suffered from any Confederate artillery. The Rebel plan, given the Federal knowledge of Stonewall’s historic flank attack, was to hit the Union line right in the middle. The first major attack, by Rodes division, promptly collapsed. We then moved to hit both Union flanks, before they could be anchored on the river and board edges. Our efforts were helped greatly when John was able to get some major Mojo working on the die, thanks to a magical Mission Palms coffee cup! There were also rumors flying through the Federal lines in regard to Confederate General R. H. Anderson’s, um, sexual orientation. I’m sure that this made the Union troops facing Anderson and his men, especially nervous. When we finished, by nightfall of May 2nd, the Confederates had the lead in victory points. However, the Union were poised to make most of the difference up. I especially enjoyed meeting, and gaming with, David, Shannon and John. It was truly a pleasure! Other highlights: Getting in a few turns of the Soltsy scenario, of Vance von Borrie’s “Roads to Leningrad” game (to be published by GMT). This just confirmed for me that my P500 dollars were going to be well spent. In the game, which takes place in 1941, the Germans are very powerful; which is to be expected. The Soviets, however, are also strong, numerous, and are arriving from all over the board. Coordination and timing seem to be keys to victory, but it’s not always known which formation will activate next! The graphics, of course, are top-notch; which only enhances the enjoyment. Due to the variable activation, both replay and solitaire value should be very high. If you have enve a passing interest in the period, be sure and pick this one up. Overall, the Con was simply terrific. The use of the snack and beverage kiosk each afternoon was icing on the cake (John Kranz; did the Palms make any mony off of us?) The staff of the Mission Palms were friendly and always helpful; a very enjoyable stay. I’m already looking forward to next year!