"Pacificon in San Jose area next weekend" Topic

Looking forward to attending – just checked the events list and see they have 60 historical miniatures games on the schedule (actual history related miniature games). Great job Dave P!

I will be there, will you?

Not the biggest con out there but one of the best.

I used to go almost every year but a couple of years ago I stopped going because things didn't work out.

And so I started going to CelestiCon instead.

Our gang will be there starting Friday noon.
Hosting games and general 'mingling' .

Have fun
Clif

Nice selection of different era and game scale. Sixty (60) game events with only a few duplicate games on different days.

Compare to Strategicon (Gateway 2014) at LAX (in Los Angeles) with 13 events over the same four day Labor Day weekend. Such a huge difference of historical gaming between northern and southern California. Why?

) Ticket pricing about the same.
) Parking issues at both.
) Local food sources the same. (Pacificon maybe provides reduced pricing at hotel?)
) Travel issues for both areas with traffic etc.
) Population density? I think Los Angeles county (So Cal) has a larger population vs. the SF Bay area.

Must be the event GM's and their assistants being well supported at one convention event and not the other. Active historical miniatures event staff who actually seek out top quality games from local GM's and contact them. Local advertising done and GM's thanked personally for their work and providing the game play miniatures and terrain materials. Pacificon historical gaming is growing every year (# of games wise) and becoming the West coast version of a small "Historicon".

Summary: Pacificon is burying Strageticon on the historical gaming front.

Why…..

No parking issues at this event if you are staying at hotel.
Clif

While I no longer attend Pacificon for personal reasons, It is one of the longer running NorCal conventions and has had a strong historical games tradition the entire time.

I'll be there as a GM

Pacificon has a great miniatures events coordinator as well as a long standing connection to three very solid gaming clubs in the greater bay/Sacramento area. That will lead to 50-80 games depending on the year.

I am not running any games this year but will be helping a great deal with two games. In the past I have run 1-3 games usually with different rule sets. There are a lot of good GMs in the bay area that want to put on nice games.

I'll be GM'ing at Strategicon. San Jose is too far away

Sespe, will you be running any historical games…?

No historical games. Songs of Blades & Heroes this time.

I am surprised there are not more events in the Southern California event. But Pacificon I believe is over 30 years old and the Historical Miniatures co-ordinator is first rate. Great hotel, decent prices, even the hotel food at the specially setup stands isn't too bad or too outrageous in price (though the hotel restaurants and room service is a bit pricey but it is a hotel and such is to be expected), pleasant staff from both the hotel and the convention. And for those with families Great America is a walk away – and the new stadium isn't too far away for NFL fans. (sorry, I ain't paying their admission price. I'm happy to be the most important position player in football – no, seriously, I am – I am a COUCH BACK!)

That 'other' convention that weekend in the bay area, I think I counted – maybe – five historical miniature games. Lots of other games, of course, but I'm only interested in the miniature history side so no appeal for me. Well, okay pseudo-history or hypothetical history is okay. But keep those orcs off my table, please. : )

Thanks for taking time to reply, Sespe, and best of luck with your game -- or games if you're GM'ing more than one!

Strategicon I think has been around for 25 years or more. Been there many times and run GM historical games in the 1990's and early 2000's including massive 20 player sized games. But in recent years the lack of historical miniature gaming support, the "dark" room lighting for the miniatures area and general apathy has shown. Parking was always a luck factor unless you paid for the hotel room… which is unless if you live nearby in LA.

All the "major monthly organized historical gaming clubs" in So Calif generally don't visit Strategicon or GM games there. Simply cheaper to run the game at their monthly meeting location by far (saving travel, parking fees, convention fees, food and drink costs, better lighting, less stress to organize the game/scenario, no movement of miniatures and terrain required etc). Personally…. the biggest issue is the total lack of effort to reach out and contact these gaming clubs and their members. Apart from the local HMGS-PSW chapter members, historical miniature gaming would be totally missing at Strategicon by in large.
The local HMGS-PSW conventions (with volunteers) have much lower entrance fee and other costs and just as good as the best Strategicon offering for gaming venue. Granted not the same with Strategicon's hotel rental costs etc but they have been running conventions since 1988.

So how did your con go? Seemed to be plenty of games at ours. Parking is better now IF you have a hotel room.

Hello Badger
I posted anAAR and pics for PacifiCon.
It is in this message group.
All four of the games I hosted with our group were well attended and fun for all.
Wars of Roses using C&C and the Warmaster for rules.
Then two games of SAGA Teutonic Knights vs Steppe Horse.
Clif

Looked great! Hope I can make it up there some time.

"That 'other' convention that weekend in the bay area, I think I counted – maybe – five historical miniature games. Lots of other games, of course, but I'm only interested in the miniature history side so no appeal for me. Well, okay pseudo-history or hypothetical history is okay. But keep those orcs off my table, please. : ) "

Since the other convention started with a Science Fiction theme and continues it, that's no surprise. They do have the War College now, though.