2014 Feedback

[Carl]

 

With their being a few knowledgeable Hirst Arts crafters in attendance maybe a class next year on dungeon terrain construction would have some interest?

This sounds more like a panel discussion to me than a class tbh.

Fair enough.

 

I wasn't able to attend any classes this year so I'm not sure what they are like exactly.

[MonkeySloth]

Classes have 1 instructor and 6 students in a cramp space.  Panels were in the banquet area and could have lots of people and a projector.

[Mr Melons]

Panels would be much more conducive to an intro/explanatory panel for Hirst Arts dungeon building. Samples can probably even be brought in for people to work on some of the tables with.

[GlenP]

First, I would like to thank the entire Reaper staff for a well run show and a more than helpful staff ...and in a new venue to boot!

 

I don't play the games (please keep reading...), so I don't have anything to say about them. Since I was more-or-less chained to the NTFC display table in the painting competition area, I only had limited forays into other areas - mainly the coffee pots and the bathroom (they sort of feed off each other). I did notice that the painting/sculpting area was brighter and had more elbow room than the area in the Reaper facility. This had to help painting.

 

I was, due to reasons cited above, unable to partake in any of the classes. That will change next year - sculpting and special effects painting are high on my list and I should be able to leave the table unmanned for a couple of hours here and there. I would echo the comments about the class noise and lighting situation. Short of attendees bringing in their own portable lights I really don't have a solution to the problem. LIke-wise the noise. Ideally these would be individual rooms, but that's not an option. I could hear the classes from across the competition room where our display table was located, so I can just imagine what it was like with concurrent classes running on top of each other. Perhaps thicker, sound-deadening curtains? Expanding the rooms a bit might also be option, but it would come at the expense of the painting competition area - already packed due to over 400 pieces on the tables. I really didn't have any issues with the competition room lighting. I've been going to various model and figure shows for many years and the lighting is fairly typical. Some might be a bit brighter and some might be a bit dimmer, but none have the lighting you have at your painting desk.

 

X2 on the name tags. Like others, I sort of remember faces, but I'm lousy with names whether forum handles or real. There were several people who came up to me at the table and called me by name and I had no idea who they were! So,my apologies if I seemed to be in a 'huh?' moment... A prominent name tag with large, easy-to-read real and forum names on them would have been helpful. Additionally, it should be high up, not dangling down the front. This can be awkward staring at someone's chest trying to find a name and read tiny printing if you find one - especially if it's a female of the womanly-type persuasion... .  'Nuff said.

 

Lastly, I'd like to thank everyone who came up to the NTFC display table, looked at the miniatures, and engaged in boy-howdies and painting conversation. We picked up eight new names for the mailing list from people who had no idea there was a figure painting group in the DFW metroplex. We probably need to do more advertising... Here's hoping they can make it to the meeting this Saturday.

 

Last note, next year, I'd like to see more flats. You have one year. Ready, set, start!

 

Slainte,

 

Glen

[Corporea]

I had such an amazing time!  My classes were awesome.  The only thing I'll change for myself is making sure I bring a portable light to the class, just to help my eyes.  There was something odd about the climate control in the hotel and the paint just didn't want to dry on the bones.  I know at least for the speed painting this was hard, but it certainly did make our efforts more, er, creative.

 

I took 2 classes a day except sunday where I took 1.  I think I was able to handle the load fine, but I didn't feel like I had enough time to just hang out and have fun.  I'm not a night owl as my fiasco group quickly learned, so I think next year I'll just take 1 a day and socialize for the rest of the time.  I still had some time to paint and sculpt, so that was nice.  Having free internet was great.  Having a refrigerator and microwave in the hotel room was perfect!

 

I'd love to have name tags next year if possible, but if we don't I'll make sure to bring one!

 

Overall, a wonderful experience!!!  Thanks to everyone who hung out with me!

[Mr Melons]

Rhonda Bender brought up the point that the paint wasn't drying properly. I took one look outside and noticed it was the time it had finished raining. We surmised that it was most likely due to the increased humidity and precipitation in the air because she only really noticed it on the rainy days. Not sure if it can be helped considering. Maybe see if the staff has any dehumidifiers? I honestly don't know.

Edited April 30, 2014 by Mr Melons

[DixonGrfx]

 

Lastly, I'd like to thank everyone who came up to the NTFC display table, looked at the miniatures, and engaged in boy-howdies and painting conversation. We picked up eight new names for the mailing list from people who had no idea there was a figure painting group in the DFW metroplex. We probably need to do more advertising... Here's hoping they can make it to the meeting this Saturday.

 

 

Thanks Glen, I was one of the new names on your list. This Saturday is out for me. Family from out of town will be visiting. Maybe next time. :)

[Heisler]

I see some good suggestions but a lot of them have some serious logistics requirements behind them. But I'll keep track of them all and see what can be done in the few areas that I have a little influence in.

 

I'm honestly not sure what we can do about the classrooms. The lighting is dim because the curtains have to be hung from the ceiling cutting out a lot of the small amount of light that we had. The curtains are about as thick as you can get and still be able to hang them. We might be able to run power for lights that people bring but Reaper does have to pay for the use of the hotels electrical outlets.

 

Classes for HIrst Arts molds have been discussed many times in the past. Its just not feasible to go through an actual mold to build sequence, but as a seminar, especially focused on design, it certainly has possibilities.

[MiniCannuck]

I see some good suggestions but a lot of them have some serious logistics requirements behind them. But I'll keep track of them all and see what can be done in the few areas that I have a little influence in.

 

I'm honestly not sure what we can do about the classrooms. The lighting is dim because the curtains have to be hung from the ceiling cutting out a lot of the small amount of light that we had. The curtains are about as thick as you can get and still be able to hang them. We might be able to run power for lights that people bring but Reaper does have to pay for the use of the hotels electrical outlets.

 

Classes for HIrst Arts molds have been discussed many times in the past. Its just not feasible to go through an actual mold to build sequence, but as a seminar, especially focused on design, it certainly has possibilities.

I think that it would be feasible to do a Hirst Arts class.  In fact, I took one a few years back a GenCon when I first got into this part of the hobby.  What the instructor did was to show the casting process so that people understood the various types of material and how it should be mixed for casting.  After that, they have finished bricks to show prep work and how to glue them together.  They even had some bricks for us to make a ruined wall to take home (nothing big - it was based on an old cd).

 

Though I'd love to see Tim teach this class, I'm sure that with the years I've been making/selling terrain pieces, I could put something together.

[Heisler]

 

I see some good suggestions but a lot of them have some serious logistics requirements behind them. But I'll keep track of them all and see what can be done in the few areas that I have a little influence in.

 

I'm honestly not sure what we can do about the classrooms. The lighting is dim because the curtains have to be hung from the ceiling cutting out a lot of the small amount of light that we had. The curtains are about as thick as you can get and still be able to hang them. We might be able to run power for lights that people bring but Reaper does have to pay for the use of the hotels electrical outlets.

 

Classes for HIrst Arts molds have been discussed many times in the past. Its just not feasible to go through an actual mold to build sequence, but as a seminar, especially focused on design, it certainly has possibilities.

I think that it would be feasible to do a Hirst Arts class.  In fact, I took one a few years back a GenCon when I first got into this part of the hobby.  What the instructor did was to show the casting process so that people understood the various types of material and how it should be mixed for casting.  After that, they have finished bricks to show prep work and how to glue them together.  They even had some bricks for us to make a ruined wall to take home (nothing big - it was based on an old cd).

 

Though I'd love to see Tim teach this class, I'm sure that with the years I've been making/selling terrain pieces, I could put something together.

 

 

Tim has been in our discussions over it before. It certainly is not feasible in the current classrooms. I could see disaster looming there already.

[MonkeySloth]

Ya I don't know what they're going to do about lighting, let along space as they need almost 50% more for the contest along let alone double the class space based off of what people would want to do, but I think a reasonable solution would be to update the class part of the Reapercon website to explain that lighting may not be the best and people should bring portable lighting to any class.  Maybe even show one of those snazzy folding LED lights people were carrying around.

 

Sometimes just setting expectations is enough--it is for me at least.

[CashWiley]

I took 2 classes a day except sunday where I took 1.  I think I was able to handle the load fine, but I didn't feel like I had enough time to just hang out and have fun.

I feel the same way. I took 2, 4, 3, 1 (plus 1-on-1 with DKS sunday), so it was pretty loaded with education. While the class load was just about perfect porridge, I did underestimate how much I'd want to hang out with everyone. I'm such a socialite!

 

But I'm glad I got that under my belt, learned a bit about how the classes flow and got a feel for the instructors. Next year I don't see myself taking more than one a day and really just focusing on preparing some examples and questions ahead of time instead.

[MissMelons]

@_@ I was pleased with my 3 classes. Not so pleased that they were all on the same day though, that was incredibly foolish of me but man that nap afterwards was awesome cakes. 

[Rapheal]

PFS did have a character creation area at the HQ table and several people made their own characters during the Con.  We pretty much had everything there and tried to fill every request we got, and claimed before the Con started.  I don't know about the other games, but we had a great time running and I think a large percentage of the players were having a great time.  I do think any confusion can be found in communication problems either lack of signs or numbers.  I do think a gaming area coordinator might help.  This however, is still new to Reaper with the exception of Pathfinder Society most all tabletop gaming was Rage system for many years.  I started running PFS events 5-6 years ago at ReaperCon for the RPG gamers and its kinda grown from their.  We learn a little more each year and it will get better and we like feedback.

[buckyball]

I will throw my two cents in

 

Gaming

Gaming needs to be organized better. I think the smarter GMs were the ones who advertised their games in advance on the forums. Perhaps you could have a whole sub-forum devoted to that. You should also try to schedule gaming around the more popular events like the auction and the awards ceremony.  Maybe if you moved the time slots around a bit it might help.

One idea I would pitch for gaming: is to have sign-up sheets on a table in the gaming area. At a convention I help organize, we put these out each day. They show what games are available that day, what the start/end times are, and they have spaces for players to sign-up. It helps the participants plan the games they want to play, and you can let people know if a game is cancelled or rescheduled. An alternative might be to post a schedule with a sign-up sheet at each table. This might work better for the miniatures games since they stayed set up for a specific game the whole time.

 

Classes

I only took one class and yeah, it was a tight fit and could use better light. It didn't help that I forgot my reading glasses. I know you have heard this from several other people already, so I wont beat that dead horse anymore. I will say that the instructor I had was very nice and she worked hard teaching each person at the table. Also everyone in my class was friendly and fun to paint with.

 

Other comments

The metal trade-in deal was awesome again this year. You guys are insanely generous for doing this. I came away with a lot of stuff including some rare way out of production minis from the table.

The hotel is pretty nice. I liked the breakfast bar. And the hotel staff were pretty helpful.

The painting competition was really well done. It was great to see so many really well painted minis in one place. The 3-way jumbotron showing the minis was pretty cool also.

The artists I spoke to were very friendly and helpful. You should think about keeping them around in the future.

I thought the speed painting and the Simon Sez event were very cool. I plan to steal your ideas for our convention in August.

 

I plan to see you next year for an even better ReaperCon

 

  buckyball