"Williamsburg Muster - six weekends away!" Topic

May 26-28, 2017
Williamsburg, Virginia

Hello! There are just six weekends until the Williamsburg Muster this year, and we are about to publish the first draft Game and Event listing (the Preliminary Event List, or PEL). We wanted to remind the gaming community so they can get any games registered that they might want to run.

New hotel, larger space. We are on Memorial Day weekend this year, but will return to a new time (not Memorial Day Weekend) for 2018. Even so, we feel that this is going to be a great event this year.

With our larger space this might be just the year for you to try out that really big scenario you might have been thinking of.

Thanks,
Chuck

Hampton Roads Gamers
Old Dominion Military Society
hamptonroadsgamers.org

We heard from the hotel this past week, rooms are going fast, so if you are thinking of staying (and for Memorial Day weekend, in Williamsburg, it is a great price), get your reservation in soon. I don't think there will be many rooms available outside our block.

Made sure to grab mine last month! See you there ;)

This is always an enjoyable show!

Justin,

Will you guys be back on schedule next year for February?

Our plan is to return to our normal schedule with a date in February next year. When the Ramada shut down we were left with the choice of no show this year, or running the show during Memorial Day Weekend. No show, was simply not an option!

NEWS FLASH!!!

If you have plans for attending Williamsburg Muster 2017 next month, May 26 – 28, 2017, you had better make your room reservations for the Doubletree Inn ASAP, as the room block has dwindled to near single digits, and the cut off date is in less then two weeks!!

Once they are gone you'll be paying substantially more IF they have rooms available, and even more for any of the two nearby hotels!! Right now the rates are at summertime levels in Williamsburg, so don't say you haven't been advised and forewarned!!

Be sure to mention "Williamsburg Muster" to get the discounted rate!!

Getting excited about February next year, but I think that this year's show will be top rate, also!

Some cool stuff planned.

So, our first draft PEL has been posted. Still some room for more games, but this is the first idea of some of the things going on . . .

PDF link

Nothing seen on status in a while. Only 2 weeks off. Any updates of note?

The website still shows only 4 vendors, tho they normally average 7-10. There may be more coming that haven't been listed, (probably) or they may be balking at the holiday weekend (less probably.) It's hard to know.

The PEL has had some new events listed, even tho the "Last Updated" date and the KB size of the data file haven't changed. I printed the original PEL, so I could read them against one another to find the changes.

One off-site thing to reflect upon. The con site is 30 mins from the Mariner's Museum, which houses the recovered portions of the USS Monitor, which really ought to be on any gamer's bucket list.

The weekend of the convention the staff of the Viking forge will be in Iceland, so we will unfortunately miss this one.

Next time, Viking Forge, next time! Enjoy Iceland.

Some more games posted, a SAGA tournament has been added. More vendors. I think that the vendors shown on the website are the only ones who submitted logo's. We have somewhere around our usually 10 or a dozen (I'll have to check the list).

Things are different this time, because of the calendar change. But we should be back on more solid footing next Muster.

Would you please list the expected vendors? Enquiring minds want to know.

I think this is what we have, currently…We missed a few of our regulars, because of the holiday weekend.

Atlantis
For the Historian
The Phalanx Consortium
Dragons Hoard
BV Traders
Covert Intervention Games
Cotton Jim
Silver Eagle
Thoroughbred Miniatures
Collins Epic Wargames (tentative)

Scant hours! Mere Days! Williamsburg Muster is almost here (starting this Friday).

We hope to see you there, and maybe to play a game or two with you.

Not this year, unfortunately, but The Muster and Guns of August are on my list.

Maybe some day.

On another topic checked out your PEL. I know too late to do anything about it but has anyone else noticed the very first game on the list the name of the group putting on the game?

Only about 12 hours before the doors open, and the troops are called to "Muster"!! You still have time to report for duty and enjoy a weekend of fun gaming, shopping, and meeting new great friends!

With a larger venue this year we've added lots of new things for everyone to do and see. More room for miniatures games, a larger Board Gaming Room with lots of games for you to check out and play! There is a whole room for KidsKon! Several games are scheduled for the younger crowd to play and enjoy featuring the ACW, Sailing Ships, and even Pirates!

Of course we have even more tournaments available this time with FOW, Star Wars, Star Trek, Armarda, and more!

Need a break from the rough and tumble action at the miniatures table? Then take a seat in our "Star Fleet Simulator", and see how you stack up against Kirk, Picard, Spock, McCoy, Chekov, Jordy, or Scotty! Take a seat at your chosen station helm, weapons, engineering, or communications, and help guide the Starship to complete it's mission! Can you go where no man has gone before?

That's just a sample of what awaits your arrival at "Muster", so pack your kit and report for a full weekend of fun in Williamsburg, VA!!! If you miss it you'll have to wait till next year, and the fines could be heavy!!!

So get moving!!!!

Good luck. See you at Historicon.

Photos?

Photos? Report? Anyone?

Well, my wife and I have been regular attendees, both for the Muster and Guns of August for the past six years or more. But this was the last one for us because we are not going to drive 200 miles each way, spend $200 USD a night in a hotel full of screaming kids and then fork over $20 USD EACH to play my own game that I can put on at home for free.

While it was nice to be at a convention in a hotel that hasn't been declared unfit for human habitation for once, the choice of a major holiday weekend to hold the event was about as wise as Custer's plan to surround all those Indians. Apparently many others thought so too, judging from the handful of tables in use on Saturday.

A gaming friend of mine from the NOVAG group arrived with his son on Saturday morning but they took one look and decided visiting a battleship would be more interesting, and I must say if I had not been already committed to running my own game later, I would have joined them.

historygamer – photos coming

number 4,

The staff is sorry for your experience at this past Muster but here is an answer to a few of your concerns.

As you know the convention was held primarily at the Holiday Inn Patriot since 2009. We lost this site as it was closed last year. We held Guns at the Ramada Inn Williamsburg East but as you mentioned the hotel was unfit. So we had two other choices in the Williamsburg area, the Fort Magruder Inn, which was unavailable, and the Doubletree. The only weekend dates that were available was Memorial Day weekend. We could have forgone the convention this year but so many of our attendees kept asking, so we decided to do it at the Doubletree.

As far as the handful of tables, the facility was MUCH larger than the Patriot and Ramada East combined, so the events were spread out. If we had placed the tournaments in the main room it would have been seen as much larger but we had the room and used it.

Did you get a chance and go to the conference center across the main hall? On that side there was a club room and that is where the tournaments were held along with some board games and RPGs.

As far as paying $200 USD for a room, if you had pre-registered for the hotel two weeks before the con the rooms were $119 USD a night. Yes this is still a little bit expensive but the hotel and facilities were very nice.

Please understand we understood that this weekend could be a problem for attendance but it was our ONLY choice.

In our post meeting it was decided that the next Muster will be held in late September 2018. This will give us more preparation time to make everyone's experience top notch.

Also Guns of August will be held at the Virginia War Museum August 23-25. As of right now all you will have to pay is admission to the museum. The museum is also working on hotels that are nearby to see if he can get a convention rate. Games will be held around the exhibits in the museum. Possibly with themes-- so if you are running a WWII game your table will be set up with the WWII exhibits or imagine four games being run around a German 88 or behind a Stuart tank. warmuseum.org

Again number 4, I'm sorry for poor experience but hopefully this answered some of your concerns.

Justin
Marketplace Liaison

Justin, thanks for the reply: I don't do tournaments, boardgames or RPG's so cannot comment on that. We did preregister and our bill came to $238 USD plus taxes for the two nights we stayed, not 200 a night but still expensive. I understand about you being between a rock and a hard place about the choice of hotel, but it did add insult to injury when we arrived and found admission for game masters had jumped from the $5 USD of previous events to $20. USD

IMHO you also need to do more to attract vendors as there was not a single trader there dealing in 1/72nd scale

I really hate to hear that you guys are moving the Muster from February to September. It seemed like you had a good niche in February, especially for gamers who don't want to risk winter in PA. Doesn't Southern Front occur in the fall? Aren't you concerned about competing with that fairly successful regional convention?

Southern Front this year is 6-8 October. Assume 2018 will be similar.
HMGS-South's Hurricon is 28 September-1 October this year and 27-30 September in 2018.

Yes, may get a bit crowded.

I think Barrage is also in September (actually, I know it is).

I was curious to see how this convention did on the holiday weekend. Sorry to hear it didn't pan out.

I have to agree with number4 about charging GMs to put on their games. A few bucks no big deal, but $20 USD is a lot for the privilege of putting on your own game. Perhaps add insult to injury if there aren't many players either.

While I understand there is a cost to put on a convention, it seems counter productive to charge (a lot) the people you need to make it work. I wonder too when a club puts on a con if they charge their members to attend/play?

Now, if a GM comes and plays in other games, I can see perhaps charging for that.

I know this is a sensitive issue for a lot of smaller cons.

I'm sorry I couldn't make Williamsburg Muster this year – before the change in venue and scheduling I was hoping to run a large Panzer Kids game in 6mm at the February con – but obligations over the holiday weekend just wouldn't allow it. I hope it did well enough for it to continue, as the bi-annual Williamsburg cons have in the past provided periodic opportunities for excellent gaming, shopping, and fellowship. It's run afoul of that constant problem plaguing conventions: finding the right venue for the size and activities at the right price.

I'll admit I, too, was surprised to see an increase in the gamemaster registration price. I expected some increases across the board given the new venue, but jumping the GM registration from $5 USD to $20 USD seemed a bit much to charge a demographic that proves integral to a wargaming convention's success (even if they're playing in a few other games).

Hosting a summer con at the VA War Museum sounds great, though an awkward time for me and a bit far for a day trip (I've learned to add an extra hour to my trip time for wrecks on I-64…) – but damn, I have a scenario with Stuart tanks! While waiting until Sept. 2018 for Williamsburg Muster isn't great, it'll have to do. Barrage is usually at the end of September, so I'll have to weigh my options next year (it's a similar drive time for me as to Williamsburg Muster), but I'm biased in favor of Williamsburg.

The folks running this con have done an excellent job in the past, especially for recent events where they've been forced to work within scheduling and venue constraints that haven't always proven ideal for attendees. Their courteous interactions here prove they're dedicated not only to customer service but to carefully planning for the future given numerous concerns. Whatever they plan and where ever they hold it, it'll be well worth the wait.

A fun convention for my boy. Me not so much anymore. If there is increased attendance it is from more tournaments being added. For me, I think there has been a drop in the number and quality of games and games that really interest me and others I talk with. My biggest complaint is with the PEL. Most games are put into blocks with no actual start time shown. Leaves you guessing sometimes. One game had a listed start time but the GM started the game when he felt like it.

The HAWKS have had Barrage scheduled for 29 and 30 September 2017 since October 2016. Hopefully the new dates of the Williamsburg Muster won't cause us to poach each other's attendees.

See: hawks-barrage.org

number 4, you said "IMHO you also need to do more to attract vendors as there was not a single trader there dealing in 1/72nd scale". At least one was… Covert Intervention Games was there selling 1/72nd-20mm zombies, moderns, and WW2.

Yes, there were some significant "issues." That said, Muster and Guns have been enjoyable small cons and I hope the staff get their collective heads together and come up with options that get things back on track.

Hi Number4,

I am from Covert Intervention Games. We were the 20mm /1/72scale vendor in the vendor hall. We met a good number of people at the show, perhaps you stopped by and forgot or you missed us?

Please reach out to me directly and if you have a need which was not met at the show for your games allow us the chance to provide you with some amazing service to help.

Our website is covertintervention.com and we pride ourselves in our level of service to our fellow hobbyists and gamers.

Cheers,
-Reid

Hi Reid! Now I actually did stop by and see the Zombies and Moderns on your stand, but not the WW2 figures so I passed on by.
In any case what I really need are the fast assembly vehicle and artillery kits from the likes of Pegasus, Italeri, Armourfast and Plastic Soldier Company, rather than more lead figures.