NorCal Game Day, Part Deux (planning)

[bloodymage]

I started to post this in our memories thread, but decided it needed a thread of it's own.

I certainly be willing to do this more than once a year. Two problems: Getting GMs and hustling prizes. NorCal gamers will determine how much GM participation we have. If you don't have a game to run, that can be provided. The prize situation I'll have to take some responsibility for. I didn't push for it until three days before the event. Our next game day can hopefully have more prizes that are more suitable. Nothing wrong with what we had, but depending on one person's private collection for half the prizes and a gift certificate reedeemable with a two hour drive (garyh, I'll talk to my guys and see if one of them will buy that from you), can definitely be improved upon! A little more advance work on the restaurant would be nice too.

Do we want to settle on Sacramento and even Great Escapes as a base or do we want to rotate venues? It might be kind o' neat to have a traveling NorCal Game Day, checking out different game shops throughout Northern California. Or, we could shoot for four a year in four different locations.

 

[Gunslinger]

If we are going to have a travelling game day, I would prefer for it to be further south this time. Another reason I left early is because I didn't really want to drive home on unfamiliar roads from 11-1 am (especially on 3 hours sleep the night before).

 

[garyh]

I'd like to use Great Escape Games as the base because they're three miles from my apartment and have a big gaming area.

That said, I understand the equity issue and would drive wherever it ends up.

As for prizes:

1 - I don't think prizes are absolutely neccesary. D & D is cooperative, not competetive, after all. It's not like we're planning a CCG tournament.

2 - If prizes include FLGS gift certificates, they should only be from the host store. Since we're coming from at least three different areas, at least an hour and a half away each, it just makes sense that the prize be for the host FLGS, since even if a participant is from out of the area, they can spend the GC before driving home.

Any other ideas?

 

[loball]

Moving the location sounds like a good idea - maybe we should change the name to Central Valley Game Days...that way thoise pesky Bay Area Geeks will stay away (hey, wait, I was one of those once....). I don't know the game store situation outside of this area (heck - I don't even know it very well *in* this area), but it shouldn't be too much of a problem to find a store with tables down south. I sure liked Great Escape, though, when it's in this area.

Prizes - I'm with Gary on this one - I wasn't there for the prizes, just the gaming. If it's important to people so they'll come, great, otherwise I wouldn't stress about it.

I'd be up for GM once in a while, probably not every "Day". It takes a lot out of me.

BTW - I just looked it up. Both NCGD.org and SVGD.org are available as domain names, if we want to set up a web page... just in case....

Loball & Co.

 

[garyh]

I might be willing to GM a session the next Game Day. I haven't GMed in a while, but I can handle a one-shot, I figure.

I think having NCGD.org would be awesome!

 

[reapersaurus]

I'll keep my comments brief. (well, TRY, at least)

1) No prizes are necessary to play - certainly welcome, but a very small part of the many good reasons to have a Game Day.

2) Moving locales is interesting, and certainly fairer to some people, but.....
Remember how much difficulty there was in getting together this first Game Day? bloodymage and Tsunami (and others) tried multiple times, and thank god it finally got pulled off successfully (I guess the stars aligned)
If the locale changes, we are back to uncertainty about location, then arranging schedules from scratch, some people won't make it due to distance, etc...

Personally, there's something about late October that screams GAME DAY to me...

 

[Breakstone]

I really liked Great Escape Games, and I think it's a safe bet for future Game Days.

I'd be willing to DM again (I've already got an adventure in the planning based off of an old Andy Collins adventure), but I do think once every three months is a little much.

But hey, I like to take things slow like that.

 

[garyh]

Late October works for me. The earlier we decide on the date, the easier it is for me to plan around it.

 

[bloodymage]

I think we should plan for early November to keep our game day quarterly. I have my own website and would be willing to give the NCGD a sub-domain, but based on our past efforts to get it running, I'm reluctant at this point with the lack of interest and participation we've had. If NCGD really gets going, I'll gladly create the sub-domain, but let's see if we can really get a regular event happening.

As to locales, I was thinking of finding gamestores in the Bay area, Santa Cruz and maybe Sonora. Great Escapes is fantastic, of course, for the Sacto and Sacto Valley folks and an excellent place to play, but it's a little unfair for the rest of our NorCal gaming community.

On prizes, they're certainly not necessary, but it's cool to be able to provide them. Maybe we could get NCGD sponsored by NCFLGS's? We get that and the participation and I'll provide web space in a hot second!

 

[mistergone]

I think maybe a raffel (raffle?) for like one prize might be a good idea. But yeah, prizes are not required. I was happy to donate this time.

As for location, of course I'm all for Great Escape, but I admit I'm biased as I live like 5 minutes away from it.

Trying to pull off another one in late October? That also sounds okay to me, but... I want to get in a regular game now! I haven't been in a good ongoing game for so long, I can't even really call myself a "gamer" anymore. I am pretty burned out on D&D though, despite not gaming much. I think opening the next Game Day to a wider variety of games would be keen.