2014 Feedback

[kacey3]

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.

  buckyball

In the past most of us advertised on the forums in advance, but I know I, for one, got lazy when the schedule went up early and people could actually register in advance. I had though that Reaper had kind of taken care of the promotional end.

 

Now, that said, I had a full table for every slot.

[Mr Melons]

Fiasco does most of its own advertising too. It's hard to avoid all the laughter and not come over to see what's going on.

[Shakandara]

To those commenting about class burn-out, I'm going to take this one and only time to say "we told you so."

 

~v

[ShadowRaven]

 

This was my first reaper con and it was possibly the most fun I've ever had in a public venue.

Ditto.

Me also

[CashWiley]

To those commenting about class burn-out, I'm going to take this one and only time to say "we told you so."

 

~v

I think you misread what we were saying. :)

[MissMelons]

To those commenting about class burn-out, I'm going to take this one and only time to say "we told you so."

 

~v

To be fair, I limited myself semi properly. Had I done one class a day instead of all three in a day, I would have been fine. @_@ I'm just glad I was able to remember everything. A lot of the stuff I was shown were mainly improvements/easier ways of doing things I was already trying to do. Loved the classes.

[Sergeant_Crunch]

I avoided class overload by not taking any. :D

[Sanael]

I don't feel like I suffered course overload thus year, but I definitely had too much scattershot. I've already said something to this effect, but my plan next year is to just take two classes, focused on two thing (OSL being one of them), then spend much if the con alternating between painting something with that technique, then bugging a bunch of painters.

 

So my big suggestion for next year's con is that there be an OSL class in the first slot on Thursday.

[Bonwirn]

 

Reaperbucks wont really ever be able to be converted into hard currency like that. The auction items were donated so essentially there is no hard value for them thus it is easier to use the Reaperbucks for them. If you convert them into boneyard ounces it gives them a monetary value and defeats their purpose.

 

This is absolutely true!

 

The best "alternative" use I've seen for ReaperBucks so far was for in game bonuses. GMChris ran a Star Wars game two years ago that allowed you to buy extra, black market goods for your character with ReaperBucks before entering into the module. I thought it was brilliant, and knowing that I would not have enough bucks to be competitive in the auction, I was more than happy to throw in for some upgrades.

 

In this theme, I would love to see ReaperBucks used as a sort of currency for bonuses, advantages, or even special favors in games and activities around the con.

 

so, what you are saying is.... I need to run a couple of games next year, selling "upgrades" to the characters, so that I (we) can garner enough Reaperbucks to ensure my group has enough to get the paint set?  Awesome!

[Bonwirn]

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

I offered to do this for Bryan, but artists are not paid for any item they give out in the session.  Casting a kit, time and expense of the material, plus making 6 or 8 kits for each class, and to duplicate or not duplicate the kits, all comes in to play.  I would be willing to run classes next year, with small parts, but a complete kits possibly would require an additional charge to cover the material cost.  Not a lot of money, but probably $5 or $10, depending on which kit is selected.

 

Edited to add a little further elaboration:

 

The class time is roughly 2 hours.  In that time, I feel the particpants can get a feel for the mold filling and casting process by filling a mold and demolding a set from the previous class.  Clean up from this would be rather dicey, as I make a mess doing this in my house and wouldn't want to leave a mess for the next class.

 

The class could easily glue a CD sized diorama containing up to X number (x=25) individual pieces.  This could be a great introduction with an unpainted piece at the end.  I was probably overthinking it with making a kit like the Prison Tower, the fieldstone bridge, a 4" tower, the gothic ruined tower, etc.  This may be something that is more for the open/artist areas outside of class that folks could walk over, pick out a kit, "donate" to cover the materials, and then receive instruction/help on the more complex kits.

 

It is something I am definitely willing to participate and/or lead the effort.

 

After the HA chess board that was donated went for the same "reaperbucks" as the resin Nethyrmaul, there appears to be interest in HA builds.

Edited May 1, 2014 by Bonwirn

[Heisler]

 

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

I offered to do this for Bryan, but artists are not paid for any item they give out in the session.  Casting a kit, time and expense of the material, plus making 6 or 8 kits for each class, and to duplicate or not duplicate the kits, all comes in to play.  I would be willing to run classes next year, with small parts, but a complete kits possibly would require an additional charge to cover the material cost.  Not a lot of money, but probably $5 or $10, depending on which kit is selected.

 

Edited to add a little further elaboration:

 

The class time is roughly 2 hours.  In that time, I feel the particpants can get a feel for the mold filling and casting process by filling a mold and demolding a set from the previous class.  Clean up from this would be rather dicey, as I make a mess doing this in my house and wouldn't want to leave a mess for the next class.

 

The class could easily glue a CD sized diorama containing up to X number (x=25) individual pieces.  This could be a great introduction with an unpainted piece at the end.  I was probably overthinking it with making a kit like the Prison Tower, the fieldstone bridge, a 4" tower, the gothic ruined tower, etc.  This may be something that is more for the open/artist areas outside of class that folks could walk over, pick out a kit, "donate" to cover the materials, and then receive instruction/help on the more complex kits.

 

It is something I am definitely willing to participate and/or lead the effort.

 

After the HA chess board that was donated went for the same "reaperbucks" as the resin Nethyrmaul, there appears to be interest in HA builds.

 

 

I definitely think the interest is there but it comes down to logistics again. Think about what it takes for you to set up to start casting and multiply that by 6. Also you are going to have to have pieces already to de-mold for all the classes, otherwise not everyone is going to get the same experience.

[Bonwirn]

I have three game days at the FLGS and several paint club sessions to "practice" what I can do in 2 hours...  challenge accepted!  I might even get some "free" labor out of all of this!  double bonus!

[Heisler]

I have three game days at the FLGS and several paint club sessions to "practice" what I can do in 2 hours...  challenge accepted!  I might even get some "free" labor out of all of this!  double bonus!

 

And you should do it in low light with a table surrounded by heavy curtains that don't give you much room to move around. Just so you duplicate the conditions correctly.

[Harrek]

 

I have three game days at the FLGS and several paint club sessions to "practice" what I can do in 2 hours...  challenge accepted!  I might even get some "free" labor out of all of this!  double bonus!

 

And you should do it in low light with a table surrounded by heavy curtains that don't give you much room to move around. Just so you duplicate the conditions correctly.

 

 

And ice water to thin the paint.

[TGP]

The class time is roughly 2 hours.  In that time, I feel the participants can get a feel for the mold filling and casting process by filling a mold and demolding a set from the previous class.  Clean up from this would be rather dicey, as I make a mess doing this in my house and wouldn't want to leave a mess for the next class.

 

A thought on cleanup: the venue this year had round tables covered in plastic with a printed checkered table cloth pattern. They were decently water proof. But as a first step for a class like this maybe a clear 3mil plastic drop cloth could go down on the table? then at the end everything that is not wanted or to be kept gets piled in the middle of the drop cloth along with the 'mess'. Roll up the cloth. Done.

 

But... Would the logistics work better if there were casting "demos" running Thursday and Friday on a --wander over,  walk-up and check it out-- basis?  Then hold the "Building with Hirst Blocks" classes on Saturday?

 

Here is a close-up picture of one of the tables (tool kit is from the Converting Bones Class):