writes:Sunday being the last day, we loaded up all our personal gear that morning, and checked out of the motor park. I reported the electrical fault (which was received fairly well), but on reporting some rather unsanitary shower arrangements the mood changed, so I did not report the other things such as a broken chair, uneven steps, etc., that failed to impress us. Needless to say, we will never stay there again. Over-priced and under-maintained, despite the check-out clerk hotly saying they pass annual inspections. One might wonder how thorough these inspections are!
At the hall, nearly everyone looked a bit bleary on Sunday morning. I'm not sure if this was due to some having had a hard night, or if it was just general convention weariness by the third day. Nevertheless, there was still a certain air of expectation. The last day is the one when MilSims traditionally hold an auction on the dot of noon. Attendance was up on the last day, even if not as high as Day One, and although sales were steady, there was a certain tightness about early purchases. Anyone who has been knows that this is because many visitors hold onto their money until after the auction, so there can be a sort of nervousness about spending money until it is over.
The air of caution about sales did at least give me time to wander off to other areas of the hall, while Baldric sipped coffee and held his head from the night before. Throwing caution to the wind, I headed down into the competition games area. Oh dear! My love of seeing troops fight on nice scenery was immediately offended.
These games all take on a certain 'sameness' about them. The players are intent on the game, so there is no friendly greeting or explanation as one finds at the exhibition games. The atmosphere is totally different, and any sort of happy chat is absent. To my eye, the general effects were awful. That is not to say some did not make an effort. In fact, there were some really lovely pieces, obviously made with great care and skill. However, to then drop such nice scenic modules on a green sheet, or a bare tabletop is a great shame. Some games had at least something nice on the table, but that was overwhelmed by the lack of anything else. I guess competition gamers will never change.