""The Weekend" June 2014. Update" Topic

"THE WEEKEND" June 20th, 21,st and 22nd. Planning and scheduling for this summer convention held in Lancaster Pennsylvania is completing.

So far the games we have are.

__Pharonica Veronica versus Schlockem and Glockamorra, Ancient Chariot Armies in a constant pick-up game. GM'd by me.
__ "Morning Noon and Night in Vienna" A game of espionage, intrigue, wine women and song, and seduction in Old Vienna, Patries, and coffee, tea and cognac served.
__ An Advanced Civilization Avalon Hill Game with all the bells and Whistles, hosted by Tracy Johnson.
__ Saga Event, brought to us by Ralph Krebs. Krebs might also be doing another Victorian Sci-Fi game.
__ The Battle of Marzipano, The Swiss versus the Landsknechts in the Renaissance, with assorted scum and riff-raff dragged along for the gratuitous slaughter.
__ Waiting for Leonardo. Pete Frechtling puts on another Leonardo Game, lots of fun and the most beautiful scratch built models you have ever seen.
__ Conquistadors of Space, Gary Richards. Gary, another scratch-building expert modeler has created this whole interplanetary space game complete with planets, stars, and entirely scratch-built fleets.
__ Frederick the Great Invaded Candyland. Mike Lorenzo brings us his beautiful 7 Years War Armies, even large and more elaborate to simulate the Prussian invasion of Candyland. Come and fight over the Molasses Swamp, the Lollipop Woods, Candy Cane forest and earthworks made from cookies. You take it you eat it. No complaint! I'm just glad he didn't have Frederick the Great invading Zombieland.
__Zombie Jamborie. Unfortunately Jim McWee has now caught the Zombie bug and will be doing something with them on the standard themes. Jim Is very welcome, he's just back from deployment to Aghanistan.
__ The Siege of Alesia, by Mark Zaslavsky. Mark is bringing his huge award winning set up of the siege for a refight once again, lots of romans, lots of fortification, and lots of Gauls.
__55 Days of Peking Duck- by Bob and Cleo Liebl. If you know Bob and Cleo you know this will be another great game, and of course they are bringing several tins of home-baked cookies to die for.
__Games are promised but not yet finalized by George Garifo, Bill Gray, Andy Turlington, and half a dozen others.
__ Jonathan Albin, all the way from California, will by presenting a seminar on "Game Play Today" and demonstrating it with a new game system based on a conferencing methodology. It also is based on several star trek episodes.
__ In addition there is a painting contest, a modeling contest ($25 first place, $15 USD second place, $10 USD third place, in each) Several of the wives have organized a shopping-outlettery excursion for the ladies to enjoy the pleasures of dining, shopping, and antique hunting out in the Lancaster Countryside.

There's a munchies table, a kick-off dinner, and a luncheon out by the pool also planned.

The convention is held at "The Continental Hotel, 2285 Lincoln Highway East, (route 30E), Lancaster PA., 17602. (Just across the street from the Lancaster Host). 717-299-0421. The hotel charges $89 USD per night for a single, up to $109 USD for a quad. There is a free full breakfast Saturday and Sunday morning. The hotel has an indoor and an outdoor pool, hot tub, sauna, and a kiosk out on the grass where lunch can be had. We are expanding this with some extra items for the gamers this year. The "Kick-Off Dinner" is held at a local restaurant, Thursday night before the convention, where people get to meet, greet, eat, and joke and renew friendships.

There is no charge for the convention if you book a room at the Continental. There is a $10 USD donation asked for walk up or if you stay at a different hotel. If you come, please let the reservations clerk know you are registering for the "Society of Daisy Weekend" so we get the credit for the room. It defrays the cost of the 5,000 sq ft ballroom.

The convention is technically "Invitation only" but anyone can ask for an invitation and receive it. We do this simply because no one wants to sit at the front desk and take money and hand out badges and we want you to let us know so we can send your convention badge to you through the mail in the last update bulletin before the convention. That way you can just walk in and play. My wife wanted to run the desk last hear to help, but she told me at the end of it "this sucks, I want to play games or go shopping." We originally also did this because the room we rented was small and we had a capacity of about 40, but having outgrown that and with the 5,000 sq ft Ballroom, we now have lots of space, but still like to do all the grunt work (like badges and stuff) through the mail.

Unfortunately we have no dealer area, but many dealers come to the Weekend and will be happy to take your orders through the net and deliver it to you at the convention. The venders in attendance are, so far, Dennis Shorthouse of "On Military Matters." Andy Turlington of " Sgt Major Miniatures, and Rich Massie, and Dave Doty of Dayton Painting Consortium.

We DO NOT print a Pre convention Booklet, but we DO publish quarterly updates throughout the year informing past attendees and invitees of the progress of the planning of the convention.

We DO print a "Keepsake Booklet/ After Action Report"which comes out to 48 pages long, full color, lots of photos and battle reports of EVERY game that took place at the convention. This is given free to everyone who attended. Back copies for all our conventions are available at $3.00 USD each just to cover postage. It often includes articles from the Quarterly Society Newsletter " Saxe and Violence" about imaginations and the humorous side of war games.

We DO have a bring and Buy table where you can sell items you no longer want, and a FREE table where you can leave items for others who you just want to find a new home for.

The Weekend has been running now for five years. It is a convention based on a new model which emphasizes, games, gamers, fun, friendship, camaraderie and food. The emphasis is on games not politics, and everyone is there for the food, the fun, the muncies, and the good times. One of the things that is emblematic of the convention is "The Munchie Pit" a large circle of comfy chairs where you can eat, drink, rest, refresh yourself, tell jokes and tall tales and get recruited for games just starting up by anxious game-masters.

Most of the convention finishes by Saturday night, but Sunday morning everyone piles down to the restaurant for breakfast and people socialize from table to table. We would like to expand events into Sunday.

If you want to come, or would like more information, including a sample of last years After Action Report/Keepsake Booklet, an invitation or to get on the mailing list, send your postal address to sigurd@eclipse.net and I'll mail it out to you.

Why have I not heard about this before? I'm game, sounds like a lot of fun for the son and myself. I'll shoot you an email!

Best of Luck on the Con this year Otto.
Clif

Am definitely looking forward to it.

Dear Larry

Well, we've kept it low key. Originally when we were just starting out five years ago we only had a small 30 by 30 ft room with three tables and we couldn't handle much more than 40 people. We got about 30 the first year and it was very close, but a lot of fun. Everyone had a great time. The second year was in the same room, but the third and fourth year we moved tot he big ballroom downstairs, which in addition had the advantage of lots of natural light from the windows, lots of space and two doors where people could use the roll-on roll off doors. Heck, if we had put down paper they could have driven their van tot he table, but we didn't want to chance hurting the carpet on the floors.

Anyway, that was the original reason for the "Invite Only" but it was mainly that no one wanted to do much work AT the convention, we wanted to play games. Well with the larger ballroom we can handle more people but we still don't want to do work and NOT play games, so we keep the "Invite Only" but anyone can ask for an invite. We just want to know who's coming to send out the badge and stuff with the last bulletin (which goes out early June. Another bulletin is coming out in May before that to bring you up to date on new games (you know-- they're gamers, they often don't plan ahead a lot).

The other thing, as you can see from some of the games, it's a very experimental and rather crazy group of people who like to push the boundaries. If you like what's new and unique this is the place for you. Many gamers will come and bring their "not quite playtested" rules or scenarios and hone them here. We have a category of games called "Orgy of the Virgins" where players can play the games for the first time, under the conditions of a real con and see how they work and make changes. One guy brought a set of WWII rules he designed to be tested, and they were AWFUL! But everyone at the con was a good sport, and it soon turned into "You know the problem with this is that… and if you tried doing it this way it might work…" and people then set about doing it and tweaking it and the guy came out with a good set of rules for the next year. I put out my "YO-HO-HO!" rules for Sailing ship combat in the 18th century (not a pirate game) and playtested it well, and the guys helped too. Now it's a much better set. Next year I'm going to try out the first post playtest siege rules for the 18th century.

Well that's why we didn't market it much, and frankly we'd rather spread it by word of mouth than do a big marketing program. We were up to 68 attendees last year. We hope for more this year. We want slow growth but steady growth. The emphasis is not on anything but the games, gamers, and good times.

Oh yeah-- I forgot to mention, even if the games scheduled seems light, we always get 8 or nine guys who bring games for pick-up games, board games, and "just in cases." We also have plenty of space and plenty of time, so if you're a GM and need leisurely set up time and take down time, tell us, you can often leave it up for the whole convention. We have about 11 tables of 9 tables that are 6 x 10 and two that are 6 x 12. There is at least 6 to 8 ft between tables so lots of space to move around in. Oh yeah if you have a lot of stuff, there will always be half a dozen guys to help you load and unload. It's not that they are particularly altruistic, they have to move around so they can make room for more food and beer.

So if you want to come out and meet old friends, make new friends and have a good time, please do so.
We'd love to have you.

Will there be a massage chair at the con as promised by George.

Dear Rusty Cop

No massage chair.

Thanks Otto, I appreaciate the run down and I really like the format!

Dear Rusty Cop

The massage person did not ask for an invitation. Please have your friend mail Otto to be invited.

Otto- Best wishes on this years event, A lot of good games listed and I am sure George will put on a great game.

Now if you can just get that "Turner" guy to stop playing real soldiers for that weekend!

Dear 114th

Would that I could, but I have an idea he will show up. Before Cold Wars he told everyone on "Daisy" that he couldn't show up for the show because he was playing Real Life Army Men.

9 am,Friday morning I'm sitting talking with Cleo Liebl and I see Eric Walking up. He said he just dropped by for a minute and he had to go back later. Saw him in the afternoon, the evening and at various times the next day. He sat with the whole "Daisy" crowd of about 10pm in the Lobby and ate cheese, snacks, ice, cream and helped us drain about six bottles of wine. He sang songs critical of New Jerey. Saw him Sunday after Breakfast.

I KNOW by he latter that he was the real Eric, and NOT an incorporeal spirit because I saw him eating. I think Eric has the ability to dematerialize and the spirit part of him is left behind to do the Army man work.

Otto

Bob has a wonderful lecture about Port wine, similar to the siege of Vienna and some silly bun.

Sorry, Orders are confirmed for FT Jackson, SC…

Eric

Is the REAL eric coming?

Two things:

I'll be coordinating an informal Saga Non-Tournament just like last year. So come on down with you armies and sit in for a game or two, or three. A loaner army or two should be available too. If you are a noobie or just want to learn how to play, please drop by and we'll try to accommodate you.

I'll also be running a fun Russo-Japanese Edwardian Sci-Fi game with enough steam tanks and gyro-flyers to maintain a atmosphere of irreverence. Details to come.

(The most difficult part in running one of these games is making up a catchy title that can compete with Otto's and those of the other Daisy veterans.)

Is the REAL eric coming?

Erik The Real?

Wasn't he a Viking King?

Dear Bowman

Really? No problem, I'll cook one up for you, should only take a few minutes. Is this for your Viking Game or Your Edwardian Sci Fi game?

Pleased to help.

Oi! Nae a Viking! Though I've been accised of being a "keelie" once or twice.

Nope. I'm safely committed to the care of Uncle Sugar for the month of June and (fingers crossed) going to Kingston, Ontario for almost three weeks in July to attend the Canadian Forces version of the Staff College.

It's a chore, but someone has to do it…

I hear there's a Timmy Ho's right outside of Fort Frontenac…

Eric

Life in Lititz, and boy do we have fabulous restaurants to recommend….
Can't wait for the Weekend.
C

Sunday morning, why don't you all come up to Lititz and unpack for a few hours….

"America's coolest small town"!

lititzpa.com

Yes, this town is definitely the coolest…

Heck, I could do that almost any weekend from Montco.

Eric

Looks interesting. Maybe the year I take the wife back to Quebec to see the city she was born in (and adopted from) – we could stop enroute since there is a set of ladies (she games [board] and gamed [FRPG] but no war games.)

8)