SoCal Games Day 1 Report

Scott Alan Woodard, Mark Johnson, Ken Miller, Ed Green, Greg deBeer, Dave Arnott, Eric Mitobe, Neal Sofge, Steve Carey, Aaron Antaloczy, Michelle Antaloczy, Alyssa Haub, Chris Richardson, Rock Jones, Bob Claster, Zoe Claster, Max, Claster, Alan Stroud, Fen Yan, Randy Simcox, Dick Dillehunt, Jonathan Degann

Big Boss, Carabande x5?, Assault on Hoth, Rome at War, Ritter ohne Furcht und Tadel, Minion Hunter, Corsairs, Tikal, Attila x2, Take 6!, Tennis Masters, San Marco, Empires of the Ancient World, King of the Elves, Adel Verpflichtet, Red Empire, Clash of the Lightsabers x7?, Traumfabrik, Arbos x2, Queen's Gambit, Simple GBOH (Lamia 208 BC), Die Glucksritter, Expedition, Carcassonne

On Saturday, January 20, Games Day 1 was held in Santa Clarita, California. It was a full day of open-invitation boardgaming intended to bring gamers from different groups--or no group at all--together. It's game convention-style open gaming, but without the convention. Plus, it's almost free. The idea for such an event came from similar gatherings of gamers in the Bay Area and near Boston. I think Games Days are best in large cities whose gamers are already organized into groups (private or public), but who don't often get to "cross-pollinate" with other groups. It builds community within the hobby, too.

It was held in an unusual location--a pet store! The Petco chain has Community Rooms in the back of their pet supply megastores. The hospitality of Petco meant we could hold Games Day for free! (In contrast, the community rooms at the local shopping mall or public library were expensive & closed early). Most attendees thanked Petco by buying a few pet supplies, or else donated a few bucks to one of their charities.

Turnout was about what was expected, a couple dozen gamers who played a couple dozen games. About half of the folks came right from Santa Clarita or the nearby San Fernando Valley. I think a couple hardy souls drove about an hour from Orange County.

The day got off to an auspicious start when we found Petco had double-booked the Community Center. In addition to Games Day (which we'd scheduled first from 11am-9pm), they had scheduled bus driver union meetings at 1 and 5pm! Fortunately, the union cancelled those meetings, though not without some grumbling.

That trouble out of the way, we set up tables & chairs as the first gamers trickled in. Right off the bat, one wargame and one German boardgame were set up. That pattern continued throughout the day, with both types of games active at almost all times (multiple and shorter German games means they racked up more titles in the list).

Wargames & Boardgames: Ed & Steve play Rome At War to the left (and had set up the Simple GBOH scenario in the foreground), while Eric, Dave, Greg, Scott, and Ken play Big Boss on the right. Later on we kept most of these tables busy.

The two-player games Hera & Zeus as well as more plays of Clash of the Lightsabers could be added to the list of games played, since Alan and Fen squeezed in several of those while waiting on some car repair! They were on their way to Games Day when Alan's car had some trouble, so four of their gaming hours were spent dealing with a tow truck and Pep Boys. They finally made it, though, and we're glad it all turned out okay.

Halfway through the day we held a drawing for door prizes. On his own initiative, Jim at Boulder Games had provided three $10 gift certificates, along with nice pens bearing Boulder's website and toll-free order number. :) Zoe Claster pulled the names out of a hat (actually, the lid to a Carabande box!). First was Michelle. So far, so good. The next name Zoe pulled was her brother Max! Hmm . . . The final name she drew was . . . her father Bob! A good haul for the Claster clan. Thanks again to Boulder Jim for the prizes.

Chris: "I had a great time at Games day. I played three games I'd never seen before. That's always a treat. Winning two of them was an added bonus . . . Thanks for putting together such a cool event. Hope to see you all again soon."

Ed: "Just wanted to let you know that I had a great time on Saturday. Games Day is a great idea, and please let me know when you will be holding another one."

Alan: "Games Day was a lot of fun. I wish I could have been there earlier, but I had a great time with the games I got to play. You, and everyone who helped you, did an excellent job setting it up."

I tried putting on a Games Day like this two years ago, and it was a failure. Back then I tried it by myself. This time, I had Dave Arnott, Fen Yan, Steve Carey, and the tireless Scott Alan Woodard helping me. They helped with all of the organization, and most of all with getting the word out to other gamers. What a difference! Thanks, you guys.

Here are a variety of photos snapped throughout the day. Names given are to be read left-to-right within the picture. Most of the time I disabled my camera's flash, to not disturb the people playing the game. Unfortunately it means some blurring on occasion, too. Next time I'll probably use the flash, and snap fewer candid shots.

Neal: "Lord Vader was most displeased with former Imperial assault unit commander Neal Sofge, who really should have sent two walkers and their troops after the Rebel power station to reduce their defenses, or at least keep the accursed snowspeeders busy. As it was, the Rebel reinforcements blunted the Imperial's final charge against the shield generator. This debacle unacceptably delayed the Sith Lord's landing and allowed the Rebel headquarters elements (along with ice troop coordinator Mark Johnson) to safely evacuate to an unknown location."

Chris: "I brought this one. I've never played with all the rules. We each had only one set of Knights/Ladies since I was the only one who had played previously. Its a real fun quickie with plenty of ops for yelling and cheering. My kinda game. I think Greg DeBeer won."

Rick: "Four of us played. I don't recall the names of the other players. The game system won, with the Fey Folk completing enough of their plots to take over Dark America. (In Minion Hunter all players work together against the game mechanic. The new Lord Of The Rings game uses a system similar to this.)"

Chris: "This was a real surprise. Very simple at first but cunning is needed to win. I saw some real social engineering at work while playing this. I like that kind of thing. I think Greg won this one also."

Chris: "Highlight of my evening. Fen recommended this and he has rarely let me down. Some poor designer took the time to weld that terrible mess of an ending in Episode one into a workable game system. It has chrome galore. Two boards and a three level throne room in between. If you let any part of the game go without your attention the other side can capitalize on your negligence. Fen and I jousted back and forth with him as the rebel scum and myself as the dark side. Extra drama points were gained with the simultaneous deaths of Darth Maul and Qui Gon. This left Obi Wan free to pour through my droids like a wrecking ball. Blowing away the true queen and kill all the imperial guard saved the Federation from an embarrassing defeat."

Neal: "I'm surprised at the commercial failure of this title, considering that it was strong enough to support so many games in a row between the same group of three players. I think the final score was Maul 4, Qui-Gon 3, but considering how many times we switched sides I'm not sure how relevant that is. Max was definitely the champion for the evening."

Chris: "I didn't expect much from this dry looking game. Another big surprise. Lots of fun not hurt by it being the first win of the day for me. Reminded me a little of Stop Thief by Milton Bradley. (Someone my call this Blasphemy)."


	SoCal Games Day 1 Report \| Back to SoCal Games Day SoCal Games Day 7 Report \| SoCal Games Day 6 Report \| SoCal Games Day 5 Report \| SoCal Games Day 4 Report \| SoCal Games Day 3 Report \| SoCal Games Day 2 Report \| SoCal Games Day 1 Report January 20, 2001 Santa Clarita Who was there Scott Alan Woodard, Mark Johnson, Ken Miller, Ed Green, Greg deBeer, Dave Arnott, Eric Mitobe, Neal Sofge, Steve Carey, Aaron Antaloczy, Michelle Antaloczy, Alyssa Haub, Chris Richardson, Rock Jones, Bob Claster, Zoe Claster, Max, Claster, Alan Stroud, Fen Yan, Randy Simcox, Dick Dillehunt, Jonathan Degann What was played Big Boss, Carabande x5?, Assault on Hoth, Rome at War, Ritter ohne Furcht und Tadel, Minion Hunter, Corsairs, Tikal, Attila x2, Take 6!, Tennis Masters, San Marco, Empires of the Ancient World, King of the Elves, Adel Verpflichtet, Red Empire, Clash of the Lightsabers x7?, Traumfabrik, Arbos x2, Queen's Gambit, Simple GBOH (Lamia 208 BC), Die Glucksritter, Expedition, Carcassonne Event Report On Saturday, January 20, Games Day 1 was held in Santa Clarita, California. It was a full day of open-invitation boardgaming intended to bring gamers from different groups--or no group at all--together. It's game convention-style open gaming, but without the convention. Plus, it's almost free. The idea for such an event came from similar gatherings of gamers in the Bay Area and near Boston. I think Games Days are best in large cities whose gamers are already organized into groups (private or public), but who don't often get to "cross-pollinate" with other groups. It builds community within the hobby, too. It was held in an unusual location--a pet store! The Petco chain has Community Rooms in the back of their pet supply megastores. The hospitality of Petco meant we could hold Games Day for free! (In contrast, the community rooms at the local shopping mall or public library were expensive & closed early). Most attendees thanked Petco by buying a few pet supplies, or else donated a few bucks to one of their charities. The Santa Clarita Petco's Community Center was the location for SoCal Games Day 1 Turnout was about what was expected, a couple dozen gamers who played a couple dozen games. About half of the folks came right from Santa Clarita or the nearby San Fernando Valley. I think a couple hardy souls drove about an hour from Orange County. The day got off to an auspicious start when we found Petco had double-booked the Community Center. In addition to Games Day (which we'd scheduled first from 11am-9pm), they had scheduled bus driver union meetings at 1 and 5pm! Fortunately, the union cancelled those meetings, though not without some grumbling. That trouble out of the way, we set up tables & chairs as the first gamers trickled in. Right off the bat, one wargame and one German boardgame were set up. That pattern continued throughout the day, with both types of games active at almost all times (multiple and shorter German games means they racked up more titles in the list). Wargames & Boardgames: Ed & Steve play Rome At War to the left (and had set up the Simple GBOH scenario in the foreground), while Eric, Dave, Greg, Scott, and Ken play Big Boss on the right. Later on we kept most of these tables busy. The two-player games Hera & Zeus as well as more plays of Clash of the Lightsabers could be added to the list of games played, since Alan and Fen squeezed in several of those while waiting on some car repair! They were on their way to Games Day when Alan's car had some trouble, so four of their gaming hours were spent dealing with a tow truck and Pep Boys. They finally made it, though, and we're glad it all turned out okay. Halfway through the day we held a drawing for door prizes. On his own initiative, Jim at Boulder Games had provided three $10 gift certificates, along with nice pens bearing Boulder's website and toll-free order number. :) Zoe Claster pulled the names out of a hat (actually, the lid to a Carabande box!). First was Michelle. So far, so good. The next name Zoe pulled was her brother Max! Hmm . . . The final name she drew was . . . her father Bob! A good haul for the Claster clan. Thanks again to Boulder Jim for the prizes. Comments from attendees Chris: "I had a great time at Games day. I played three games I'd never seen before. That's always a treat. Winning two of them was an added bonus . . . Thanks for putting together such a cool event. Hope to see you all again soon." Neal: "Games Day was great, I'll definitely do my best to attend any recurrences." Ed: "Just wanted to let you know that I had a great time on Saturday. Games Day is a great idea, and please let me know when you will be holding another one." Alan: "Games Day was a lot of fun. I wish I could have been there earlier, but I had a great time with the games I got to play. You, and everyone who helped you, did an excellent job setting it up." Thanks I tried putting on a Games Day like this two years ago, and it was a failure. Back then I tried it by myself. This time, I had Dave Arnott, Fen Yan, Steve Carey, and the tireless Scott Alan Woodard helping me. They helped with all of the organization, and most of all with getting the word out to other gamers. What a difference! Thanks, you guys. -Mark Johnson Photo Album Here are a variety of photos snapped throughout the day. Names given are to be read left-to-right within the picture. Most of the time I disabled my camera's flash, to not disturb the people playing the game. Unfortunately it means some blurring on occasion, too. Next time I'll probably use the flash, and snap fewer candid shots. First game of the day! Scott, Ken, Eric, Dave, and Greg ponder Big Boss, while Neal looks on. First wargame of the day! Ed rolls dice against Steve in Rome at War. Note the Carabande track set up in back. Mark and Neal square off in Assault on Hoth Neal: "Lord Vader was most displeased with former Imperial assault unit commander Neal Sofge, who really should have sent two walkers and their troops after the Rebel power station to reduce their defenses, or at least keep the accursed snowspeeders busy. As it was, the Rebel reinforcements blunted the Imperial's final charge against the shield generator. This debacle unacceptably delayed the Sith Lord's landing and allowed the Rebel headquarters elements (along with ice troop coordinator Mark Johnson) to safely evacuate to an unknown location." Assault on Hoth up close. Neal's AT-AT walkers close in on the Rebel base, but all transports got away! Chris, Michelle, Greg, Aaron, and Alyssa dice off in Ritter ohne Furcht und Tadel Chris: "I brought this one. I've never played with all the rules. We each had only one set of Knights/Ladies since I was the only one who had played previously. Its a real fun quickie with plenty of ops for yelling and cheering. My kinda game. I think Greg DeBeer won." Rick, Ken, Eric, and Scott play Minion Hunter. Rick: "Four of us played. I don't recall the names of the other players. The game system won, with the Fey Folk completing enough of their plots to take over Dark America. (In Minion Hunter all players work together against the game mechanic. The new Lord Of The Rings game uses a system similar to this.)" Greg, Aaron, Dave, and Chris shiver their timbers in Corsairs Chris: "This was a real surprise. Very simple at first but cunning is needed to win. I saw some real social engineering at work while playing this. I like that kind of thing. I think Greg won this one also." Max, Neal (hidden), Zoe, and Bob explore the jungle in Tikal Ed, Mark, and Steve manipulate Huns like mutual funds in Attila Fen and Eric serve and volley with Tennis Masters Chris: "I didn't play this. My jaw just hit the ground when I saw it. That game is NUTS!" Chris and Fen refight the end of Star Wars Episode I:The Phantom Menace with the lavish Queen's Gambit Chris: "Highlight of my evening. Fen recommended this and he has rarely let me down. Some poor designer took the time to weld that terrible mess of an ending in Episode one into a workable game system. It has chrome galore. Two boards and a three level throne room in between. If you let any part of the game go without your attention the other side can capitalize on your negligence. Fen and I jousted back and forth with him as the rebel scum and myself as the dark side. Extra drama points were gained with the simultaneous deaths of Darth Maul and Qui Gon. This left Obi Wan free to pour through my droids like a wrecking ball. Blowing away the true queen and kill all the imperial guard saved the Federation from an embarrassing defeat." Zoe tempts fate and physics in Arbos Arbos again, this time in its final shape after Mark's winning placement Scott, Bob, Alan,Greg, and Dave play the silver screen game Traumfabrik Steve and Ken finally put that Simple GBOH setup to work! Mark and Jonathan (who arrived with less than an hour left!) play 2-player speed Expedition One last game of Attila for Dave, Steve, Ed, Bob, and Ken while others clean up. Other comments about games not pictured Clash of the Lightsabers Neal: "I'm surprised at the commercial failure of this title, considering that it was strong enough to support so many games in a row between the same group of three players. I think the final score was Maul 4, Qui-Gon 3, but considering how many times we switched sides I'm not sure how relevant that is. Max was definitely the champion for the evening." Adel Verpflichtet Chris: "I didn't expect much from this dry looking game. Another big surprise. Lots of fun not hurt by it being the first win of the day for me. Reminded me a little of Stop Thief by Milton Bradley. (Someone my call this Blasphemy)."