JP On Gaming

Friday, April 22, 2016

CONGLOMERATION 2016: AFTER ACTION REPORT, PART 3

Sometimes, there is a post that you write and go "I'll post this tomorrow." Then tomorrow comes and your mind is off to other things and you forget about actually publishing the post. This is one such post.

Here are parts Part 1 and Part 2.

Sunday morning started early. Shower. Packing. Off to the convention hall. There, I had the happy surprise to note that I had one extra hour before my game. Unfazed, I headed to the nearby Waffle House for a good breakfast.

Refreshed and ready to go, I came back to my table and set up for the game and waited impatiently to see if the game would go off. Sunday morning is always a luck-of-the draw type thing. Though I personally hate people who sign up and do not show, I realize that many do not take their commitments as seriously.

But my entire table signed up, all six players, too bad that I had to turn away one person. Finally, the table was set and the wheels of Saggakar were set in motion. Things were moving and play advanced.

That's also when I realized that as a dumbass, I threw away the Legacy Records for the special. GAH! Tiny moment of panic there... However, Jacob got me squared away and my paperwork printed out as I ran the game.

I will admit the adventure was a very complex one. It had pages of NPCs, a lot of complex interaction between them, and a number of individual scenes that had to be played to get the whole picture. Credit to my players, they navigated that complex weave with great skill.

When the game ended, I was not only excited but reinvigorated and full of energy to keep on working on Saggakar. I drove home on a cloud of new ideas, taken from my players' querying. It was a great time.

My final tally from Conglomeration was three tables of Tyrants of Saggakar, and one of Call of Cthulhu. A very dynamic group of players and a definite interest in playing games.

The Good


- The organization was very smooth to deal with. I sent them some wacky ideas or thoughts and they got back to me in a quick timeframe.
- On-site things went super-smooth. Chuck, Jacob and Derek did an awesome job making sure I had everything I needed. My missing LRs arrived in time for me not to skip a beat.
- GM badges are finally comp'd if you commit to running a number of events. This is a GREAT step forward for the con, and one I wholeheartedly embrace. Nice job.
- Open panels, perhaps it was just the ones that I participated in, but I rarely went to a con where panels were as open to participation, almost like group discussion. It was fresh and exciting to participate in them.
- The People. Now I will have to say that Kentucky folks are as welcoming and friendly as you'll ever find. So many faces greeted me with smiles and a "hey man how are you doing?" People I saw only once or twice.

The Improvable


- The entry price is a tad steep. This is no doubt related to their con-suite. Dropping the con suite would only make the con better, as more than one person I know mentioned the entry price.
- Speaking of which, the con suite was not very impressive, especially comparing it to Mid South Con. Everytime I when there, I had to enter the cramped room to find mostly empty bowls of chips and dips. I really think it should be axed. It is far-removed from the event sites in the hotel. Not super far, but enough that it requires a game break to get there.
- More people. But I think the two above points will address this.

Will I go back?

If invited to go back, I will most definitely head back to Louisville and Conglomeration! The event has vastly improved and needs to be revisited if you haven't been in the past few years.

JP

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