MD-VA-DC Game Day - 10/2/04: Crunch Time Approaches - Volunteers Needed!

[Old One]

A quick thanks...

Fine then. We'll have two badges: terps and lepers. Your choice.

Seriously though, couple updates. Turns out the SGA doesn't like us using money from last year for an event in the following year, so that kinda sucks. On a positive note the funding provided by our generous donors, combined with some line-item changes from TGC, should be sufficient to handle our expenses.

At the moment we have the Margaret Brent Room and the PG Room rented. Together they are capable of holding 15 tables, which translates to about 90 people (6 tables in MB, 9 tables in PG, 6 people per table). So let's plan for that. We may be able to get a new room which will be adjacent to the PG Room, but they're not sure whether or not that'll actually be ready in time. If it is, TGC should be able to cover the expense.

So here's how it looks right now:

TERPCON
Where: Stamp Student Union, University of Maryland\
Rooms: PG Room & Margaret Brent Room
When: Saturday, September 25, 2004. 8AM - 12AM

Schedule:
8:00 AM - Union Opens
8:30 AM - Morning GM Arrival & Preparation
9:00 AM - Morning Sessions Being
2:00 PM - Morning Sessions End, Lunch
3:00 PM - Lunch Ends, Afternoon Sessions Begin
8:00 PM - Afternoon Sessions End, Open Gaming Begins
12:00 AM - Open Gaming Ends, People Leave
12:30 AM - Stragglers Executed
1:00 AM - Union Closes

We will most likely be engaging in pre-registration.

Also, is anyone interested in some kind of PvP Tournament of Champions?

A quick note of thanks to DRM (aka Kevin) for helping to organize this and to Xath for suggesting the Stamp Student Union at U of M. I stopped by for a quick recon today...met Kevin (whom, in addition to being one of the tallest gamers I have ever met, is very nice)...and checked out the space(s).

As noted above, the Prince Georges + Margaret Brent Rooms give us space for 15 tables of gaming goodness (count on 6 per table, although an extra person could probably squeeze in if need). Rental for the 2 rooms is covered by our anonymous donors, so we should be good to go. Kevin indicated that his crew will need 4 tables, so that leave 11 for EN Worlders. In addition, there are several adjacent lounges that are, as I understand it, "first come, first serve" for overflow and pick-up games...plus room in the very expansive food court.

The Stamp center is very easy to get to. All-day parking in the adjacent garage is $8.00 and there is a pleathora of good eats 1 floor down in the food court. We will be putting together a TerpCon .pdf with maps, directions, schedules etc.

Also, as Kevin noted (and I agree with), we will be running with a pre-registration so we have a semi-accurate count of players, games and DMs. This will allow us to plan accordingly and, hopefully, avoid a situation where we either have a dearth of players for games or DMs for games or both !

We will probably end up starting a new "registration/sign-up" thread, with descriptions of the games, slots, etc and open it up for registration in the very near future.

Stay tuned for more!

~ Old One

 

[DelayedReactionMan]

We're still working on how registration and slot selection would be handled. Any ideas or suggestions would be sincerely appreciated.

 

[Old One]

I understand the concern...

Can I sign up for the Midnight Straggler Execution without being considered a Straggler? Is that possible?

All joking aside...you guys are doing a great job. Absolutely marvelous! Thank you very much for everyone's time and effort.

Also, something else for the sign-up process...

Are we doing it as 'first come, first serve'? I don't disagree with holding slots for fellow EnWorlders we might want to game with but I do disagree with a first-come, first-serve policy. I just wanted to toss the idea that if the person in charge of sign-up gets more people for a game then it can hold, then a raffle should be employed.

Just two more cents to even if up to something a little random.

We are welcome to suggestions for sign-up besides "first come, first served" when we open the games up for registration. However, what if a game is full, then 3 weeks before the event, someone else wants to get into it? The DM may have already sent out pregen PCs and finalized things.

An alternative might be to have an open sign-up for a limited amount of time (well publicized in advance), say 2-3 days. If certain games have more players sign up than they can handle, then the DM can either roll dice, draw straws or randomly determine which of the players get the open slots. After the open sign-up phase, if games are full, they are full...and players will need to sign up for a different game.

Thoughts?

~ Old One

 

[MarauderX]

We have a Call of Cthulhu d20 DM to be signed up for either the AM or PM, whichever players would like who want to attend.

From M. Scott Welker: (Color=Teal)

"Okay, so the ENWorld forum is not cooperating with me today.so, I will
post the game info here.sorry

Hey everyone, I will be running a Call of Cthuhlu game and I wanted to
post the details here.

DM: Scott

SLOT: AM or PM (not sure yet)

GAME: Call of Cthulhu d20 (modern era)

TEASER: I never can remember exactly when my moment of clarity came, as
it seems so damn distant, like a mist keeps that one snapshot of time
obfuscated. But, here I stand alone, the last of my kind; a man of
reason. I have fortified this place, setting iron bars at the small
window which is set well above eye level (so, of course, no one can see
in) as well as locking the door to all, myself included (I do not recall
the whereabouts of the key, but that is irrelevant now). To the walls I
have applied all of those strange, runic glyphs we had uncovered in the
so-called 'pre-Cambrian' tomb. These seem to keep all of the hidden,
dark whispery things at bay, as well as all who have succumbed to their
taint. I allow only one other person access, apparently having given
her a spare passkey. She carries my words on to those who struggle
still with, with...They Who Wait Dreaming...soon now, so soon...

Have you seen the Yellow Sign?

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 5

NUMBER OF OPEN PLAYER SLOTS: 5

PC TYPES/LEVELS: Pre-generated levels

GAME RATINGS (SCALE OF 1 - 10):

Action = 4
Role-Playing = 7
Puzzles/Mystery = 8

MATURITY RATING: R (Due to content, language, and imagery)

SPECIAL NOTES: I chose to use the d20 version, as I think many here are
more familiar with d20 in general and it should give them a chance to
see how far d20 can be stretched. I would like to see non-CoC players
join up for a good thrill ride.

DM: Scott
Player 1: Open
Player 2: Open
Player 3: Open
Player 4: Open
Player 5: Open"

I will be responsible for relaying any info to him and the other DCRPG DMs & players.

 

[Xath]

I've heard on good authority that we have several gaming vendors interested in hosting booths at our gathering. So Kevin (DRM) and I talked today, and thought we'd check it out as a possibility. The way sign up is going right now (80+ people not counting DC-RPG) we may end up in one of the bigger rooms, and vendors would be a good way to cover it. I'll also be speaking to a few local comic writers to see if they'd be interested in making an appearance. More on them if they say yes.

As far as Pre-Registration goes, I think we can cover it by opening an email account like terpcon2004 "at" hotmail "dot" com. Since funds are being handled through a different channel, all anyone would have to do is send a confirmation email to the address, saying something like, "I would most certainly like to come." or "Please notify yon DM that I would like to participate in yon game." or "I'm original and I want to make up my own sentence. And I'll be there."

-G

 

[Old One]

I am all for it...

I've heard on good authority that we have several gaming vendors interested in hosting booths at our gathering. So Kevin (DRM) and I talked today, and thought we'd check it out as a possibility. The way sign up is going right now (80+ people not counting DC-RPG) we may end up in one of the bigger rooms, and vendors would be a good way to cover it. I'll also be speaking to a few local comic writers to see if they'd be interested in making an appearance. More on them if they say yes.

As far as Pre-Registration goes, I think we can cover it by opening an email account like terpcon2004 "at" hotmail "dot" com. Since funds are being handled through a different channel, all anyone would have to do is send a confirmation email to the address, saying something like, "I would most certainly like to come." or "Please notify yon DM that I would like to participate in yon game." or "I'm original and I want to make up my own sentence. And I'll be there."

-G

Xath,

If we can get sponsorship and it doesn't break any student group covenents/restrictions...I am fine with vendors hosting a booth (Kevin, can you check into this?). Right now, we have $200 definitely commited...if a couple of vendors want to pony up the $425+ balance we will need to get the Grand Ballroom...that would be fantastic. I would really prefer not to have to hit up the attendees for donations if we can avoid it.

Since you folks are already talking to potential sponsors, I will let you take the lead on this. Also, if anyone else knows a vendor that might be interested, please point them to this thread and let them know that lots of gamers will be gathered in one place for 12+ hours !

As far as sign-up...I think I would prefer that folks post in an open forum to express their interest and follow that up with an e-mail to the address listed in Xath's post above. That will easily allow DMs, the organizers and other players to see who's up to what.

Lastly, for Kevin, at what point do we start having to worry about security? Is there a magic number that we can't officially go over?

Thanks,

~ Old One

 

[GM Iago]

Yeah yeah yeah...I know I'm getting the reputation on this thread as the troublemaker and the guy with all those "damned ideas"...

...in truth I'm just really bored here at work and a little tired, which is a very dangerous combo...

...nonetheless, I just wnated to also toss out the idea of some carpooling. I know I'm up here in PA and not very far at all from WizarDru and his gang. Costs going down I-95 on the tolls alone are quite painful ($13 for a round trip), not to mention gas.

So, if anyone is in the Philadelphia area (the closer to King of Prussia the better) and might be interested in a carpool group I might be able to, ummm...acquire a van for the day from work and haul a group down to save some money and give some company.

Oh yeah...and helping the environment too. Who ever said gamers weren't ozone friendly?

 

[DelayedReactionMan]

Lastly, for Kevin, at what point do we start having to worry about security? Is there a magic number that we can't officially go over?

Not really. It's more of a qualitative determination. Since we have a pre-registration and no money being exchanged, security isn't needed. If money was being exchanged then we would need security. What I would do is have the vendor(s) pay for the additional expense of security, which shouldn't be too much. Anybody know how much a booth usually costs?

In other news, I contacted the SGA today about requesting emergency funding. No guarantees, but we may just get our funding afterall. It helps to be good friends with the VP of Finance.

 

[Old One]

Yer trouble, alright...

Yeah yeah yeah...I know I'm getting the reputation on this thread as the troublemaker and the guy with all those "damned ideas"...

GM Iago,

You have trouble written all over you...

~ Old One

 

[Old One]

Hmmm...

Not really. It's more of a qualitative determination. Since we have a pre-registration and no money being exchanged, security isn't needed. If money was being exchanged then we would need security. What I would do is have the vendor(s) pay for the additional expense of security, which shouldn't be too much. Anybody know how much a booth usually costs?

In other news, I contacted the SGA today about requesting emergency funding. No guarantees, but we may just get our funding afterall. It helps to be good friends with the VP of Finance.

DRM,

Can we set it up so that vendors (if any) just pay an honorarium/make a donations, which is used to pay for the room...so we don't have worry about money changing hands at the event period?

That would keep things nice and clean...

~ Old One