Chicago Gameday IX is 10/23: Planning thread.

Fall is on its way, and the smell of dice and Mountain Dew is in the air... at least that's what I think that is. Time to sart planning the next Chicago Gameday!

Currently, Gameday IX is scheduled for October 23rd. The venue is ever-awesome Games Plus in Mt. Prospect, IL.

So, if you want to propose an event you'd like to run or offer feedback or ideas about Gameday, post here. Feel free to take the attached poll. I'll be posting my ideas as individual posts, so as to make for clearer threading of discussion.

When posting an event, please indicate the event's title as it should be listed on the Gameday schedule, the system, whether pregens will be provided, a brief summary of the event, and list which time slot you'd prefer. Also indicate if you require pre-approval of players (see my post below).

Current event lineup

Slot 1: Morning
Game 1: Littleton (HERO, buzz; dibbs on whiteboard)
Game 2: Magnum Action (d20M, FCWesel; dibbs on private room)
Game 3: Allied Avengers Assemble (SASd20; Reidzilla; dibbs on front table)
Game 4: Slaughter House 3.0 (D&D 3.0, Gorak)
Game 5: Minis seminar (KnowTheToe & Nikmal)
Game 6: Eye of the Needle (Arcana Unearthed; Jaws)

Slot 2: Afternoon
Game 1: Angel/Buffy (Angel/Buffy, FCWesel)
Game 2: Till death due us part... (D&D 3.0/Oriental Adventures; Reidzilla; dibbs on mutant coin monkey and table from slot 1)
Game 3: Eberron (D&D, Halma; dibbs on private room)
Game 4: The Enemy of My Enemy (D&D, Mark; dibbs on far back minis table w/ stools)
Game 5: Minis seminar (KnowTheToe & Nikmal)
Game 6: Meet Me Halfway (D&D 3.5, Bront)

Player sign-up approval

I'd like to get rid of the requirement that GMs need to approve player sign-ups *by default*. It seems to me that the GMs who want pre-approval are in the minority, so instead I'm proposing that all events are, by default, open on a first-come, first-serve basis.

If a GM wants to pre-approve players before letting them sign up, the GM will specify that in their event submission. Their sign-up list will then have links to email the GM in place of the blank "slots" on the roster. Be sure to give me your email address! Sign-ups for these events will then only be accepted from the event's GM.

Does this seem reasonable?

Locking the schedule

In an attempt to avoid the boneheaded-ness on my part that semi-hosed Reidzilla last time, I'd like to set a cut-off date for scheduled events. I'm thinking that maybe 1-2 weeks in advance I'll set the current schedule in stone. No cancellations, no last-minute additions.

This means that, if you have elected to keep an event available that has had only 1-2 people sign up, you come to Gameday ready to run your game. You hope for walk-ins, or you make allowances in your adventure for a small group of players. If the one or two people who signed up come to Gameday and ditch you, well, them's the breaks (but it will be made clear that doing this isn't nice).

Alternately, if you come to Gameday with a game you want to run but did not put in the schedule, you're on your own when it comes to finding a table and players. Ideally, people should only be doing this as backup in case we get a lot of walk-ins.

Making allowances for more or fewer players

A mere suggestion to event GMs: make allowances in your event for too few or too many players. When you submit an event, plan for the possibility that you might have more or less than the standard six players. This will make it easier to find a place for walk-ins, and not disappoint the people who did sign up if you're short. If your game really can't be run without a minimum number of players, ask to have it removed before the cut-off date.

Or is this too big a PITA?

Littleton, a HERO Sidekick adventure

In honor of HERO sweeping the Ennies this year (woo!), I submit the following event for the morning slot:

Littleton
HERO Sidekick
Being a teenager in a small farm town isn't easy. Chores, homework, peer pressure, the opposite sex... battling aliens, stopping pyrokinetic kids from burning down the school, and trying to prevent the gym teacher from eating your dad's brain. Oh, and you're flunking math! Rough, dude.

A HERO Sidekick adventure. Rules will be taught; no prior HERO experience necessary. Be sure to birng a lot of d6s.

Buzz I am looking at doing a D20 Modern 70's Action Show RPG called "Magnum Action", so slot me in the morning for that, will ya?

As for the afternoon slot, let's do something different and do me up for a EDEN STUDIOS RPG set in the world of ANGEL and BUFFY.

I will have a slot description for you in a few days in all likelyhood.

I am waiting for the info packet from Wizards about "Play D&D Day." I know it involves 2 different events, a game for brand new players, and game for experienced players where you can earn RPGA points (no membership required to play in or run these games.) I will look at our calendar for alternate dates, too.

Oh, and we have our first donations for prizes, too. Fiery Dragon donated 2 copies of Arriba Espana, a wargame mini-game, and 2 copies of Adventure Tiles Dungeons. I am donating a 30th Anniversary D&D tote bag that I picked up at Gen-Con.

I saved two copies of Tome of Horrors 2 so we'll have them as well.

At the con, one of the guys running the Goodman Games booth mentioned some stuff about Blackmoor and wanting to run it RPGA style. Perhaps Curt could contact him and find out if he'd be willing to donate anything for Games Day?

Missing Options

A poll like this should also include something about "I am unconcerned with events related to the RPGA" so that you can get some idea of the relatively low member to player ratio.