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3.3 KiB

draft title date series author cover tags summary
true Too Many Games 2024 Retrospective 2024-06-25
Nick Dumas
tabletop
travel
In which I drive to Philadelphia and play a bunch of games.

Driving there

The drive in was really exceptional. It took about six and a half hours, but in light of the 10-14 hour white-knuckle hauls I've had to undertake, it was a dream. The weather was warm but not sweltering, and frequent cloud cover and light rain kept the temperature mostly within reason. The real highlight of the drive was a really tiny boat on a trailer named "Toot Toot". Good luck out there, Toot Toot.

My packing checklist made sure I didn't miss anything I needed, so as soon as I got on the road it was a genuinely enjoyable trip.

The Lodgings

I thought my friends booked an AirBnB, but they just booked a regular BnB, some secluded farmhouse well into the rural outskirts of Philadelphia. I saw a deer, I think a white tail doe, just around dusk that first day which was a real treat.

The farmhouse has wireless, hot water, a fridge, and air conditioning so I can't complain. We picked up our badges and got some food, nothing interesting to note.

Day 1

The convention center didn't open until mid-afternoon so I took the time to do some grocery shopping. Rice for the stir fry I prepped before I left, some firewood for smores, nothing extravagant.

The Schedule

My schedule for the first day is pretty light, mostly because the convention opens at 2PM on a Friday. My priorities were board game play/testing, filling in gaps spectating on tournaments.

Friday

The tabletop offerings didn't really line up with my schedule, I wanted to spend th evening mostly with my friends while we had the time

Character Study, Writing, and Creation - Rachel and Guinevere
  • What Drives a character?

    • goals
    • allies, who qualifies?
    • background/upbringing
    • who is in their life? friend? family? lovers?
    • personality
  • What is their motivation?

  • Character analysis

    • Astarion
    • Trilla something from Jedi stuff
  • Character creation

    • who are they?
    • what kind of world do they inhabit?
    • who is in their life? friend? family? lovers?
    • personality?
  • How does analysis help with creating a character?

    • character goals?
    • how did they get here?
    • why do they want what they want?
    • How do their interactions with other characters affect the story
    • Why do they act the way they do?
  • Ways to get in tune with your character

    • pinterest board
    • playlist
    • collage
    • find an aesthetic that suits them
    • list of inspiration sources
    • pick out a birthday
    • likes and dislikes
    • draw, make a paper doll, visualize the character

Saturday

I only signed up for a Saturday game of Ten Candles.

  • 1100: Convention Opens
  • 1100: THPS2 High Score Competition
  • 1100: Board game freeplay
  • 1100: Board game playtesting
  • 1130: MtG Draft Pods
  • 1200: Burnout 3: Takedown tournament - hall C
  • 1200: Twilight Imperium ( game )
  • 1300: Gaming through Generations - Emerald stage
  • 1300: Warhammer 40k
  • 1400: Wandering Towers Demo ( game )
  • 1400: Cosplay pro wrestling
  • 1430: Alternative tabletop wargaming - Hall C
  • 2200: Convention closes

Sunday

Checkout from the BnB is 1100, so I made the command decision to just leave straight for home.