2012 DW Convention ~ Cripple Mr. Onion Card School

[Jan Van Quirm]

http://janowyn.deviantart.com/gallery/28530111 Linkie to my DeviantArt Gallery page for the Tarot Meer will be using at the convention - am putting the final card artwork up as I finish them.

Here's the latest one that I'm quite pleased with



Haven't heard back from Eelco yet on what the form is for August but no doubt he'll be in touch after the holidays. Have had a quote back from a print company who make bespoke card decks for magicians and corporate merchandising for some special sets which aren't actually that expensive for what they are - will be getting hold of Lynsey at Transworld for assists with that side of it though

[KarenM]

Let me know if you are waiting on replies etc. after a while - I do pop in sometimes around here still I just haven't got much time

I've just started a new role at work, we're completing on our house purchase next week and then we have to sell mine *and* I've got all the con stuff!

If you need me I'll be in the corner rocking back and forth drinking gin.

K

[Jan Van Quirm]

Cheers Karen - I may join you with the gin

[Jan Van Quirm]

Have heard from Eelco on arrangements for us at the con...

What he's said
Hi Jan,
This sounds awesome.
As far as planning goes: How about I just start suggesting stuff, so
we have a basis to start from, but feel free to tell me you want to do
stuff different.
Room: I am planning on using one room as a kind of permanent gaming
room. The room will be 11.7 x 6 meters. [38' 5" x 18' 9"]
Programme items: I'll put you in the programme for 2 times 1 hour
where you can explain CMO. I'll plan on having the room open for lot
longer so it can be played by whomever wants to.
Plan 1 hour Tarot readings?

We will be discussing the major programme items this week, and it's
probably a smart move to close the room when those are happening.
Since several game designers are going to be at the con, I expect them
to go there as well. We'll have to instruct the hotel staff on a
proper setup for playing games.

My reply
Room: that's massive! But yeah if we're sharing with the other games peeps then we'll assume that we have just the one game going at a time, with room for another at less busy times. If the hotel can provide actual card tables (with green baize tops ) that'd be great, and we'd need chairs of course - up to 14 in reserve if poss?

Programming: make it 2 lots of half hours for the 'lecture' - this is one of those games that almost defy description and you really just learn as you go. We'll have a booklet that people can have as a souvenir (if they actually play it) that they can use at the table - if there's a spare laptop that can do a slideshow/powerpoint demo then I could put together something using visuals and show that (I could bring my own laptop but I don't have a projector).
Having it open when there's not much going on in the major venues (and closed when there is) sounds good and I have 2 other people already signed up who'll help me run things (Meer and Dotsie! ), with more that I can probably talk or blackmail into helping so we'll be able to have someone in there most of the time and still get to have time off for prog items we want to go to.

Tarot/Caroc - we only have one lady to do this atm and I expect she'll want to fit it in with other things so perhaps not programme that as such, except as being 'available on request' and by appointment if lots of people want a reading? She's going to be using a Roundworld-based deck essentially (unless Bernard's Discworld tarot is out by then) so this won't be Discworld as such.

One thing we ought to clear with the hotel - gambling... I don't know if people will want to play for money or with chips. If it's allowed on premises then perhaps we can ask people to bring their own chips if they do want to wager or play more normal poker games, but CMO doesn't have to be played for money so this isn't a problem if the licence won't allow it. Also can people take drinks into the room (alcoholic or otherwise)? As memory serves those side rooms could get quite warm especially if there was a good crowd in.

From what Eelco's decribed I think the room is probably like the one where we played Werewolf last time? Once they have the other board games and things like Thud set up I think we'd be fine with just the one table for up to 7 players going most of the time the room's open (so mostly during the afternoons) and people can play CMO or whatever else they want to.
Dotsie - you can back out if you want, but I will need at least 2 more people to help with looking after the room (and making sure people don't walk off with the cards... ) so there'll be at least one of us in there most of the time? Sounds like they'll be publishing the programme a little nearer the time but if it's not open during the 'peak' event times (so not during the evenings much if at all) then it shouldn't be too onerous on people's entertainment schedules. So - looking for volunteers to take a turn to help me in the Temple and we can work out a firmer rota once the programme's out.

Meer - we're already talking about the Tarot and if you're the only person we have to do readings then you can write your own schedule and people will have to fit into it If there's anyone else on the forum who's got the Gift and is going to the Convention we'll have a really nice Fantasy Tarot for you to use (and possibly the Cunning Artificer's new Caroc set if he gets his finger out and is flogging them at the con) if you fancy helping out Meer with the Tarot readings?

[Dotsie]

Dotsie - you can back out if you want

This lady's not for turning!

[Jan Van Quirm]

Not if you're wearing those stays!

[Dotsie]

Or bending, or breathing, or sitting down...

[Jan Van Quirm]

.
.


Makes a change from 5 exclamation marks... In just over 1 hour there will only be another 11 weeks to the 24th August, the first day of the Convention...


Got your attention yet? Never mind the bug
OK - we're more or less there with the main things for our little part of the Convention in that I'll have a few decks of cards for people to play with in this function room we're camping out in with the other game makers for the duration. I'll report back in here on domestic arrangements as Eelco lets me know them (like whether people can play for money if they so wish) and also more practical things that we might have to arrange such as pots for winnings, a projector for presentations (I'm currently preparing something fairly basic in Powerpoint ) and a few instructions-on-how-to-play-CMO printed up for people to use.

I'm feeling quite organised which is probably not a good thing as this usually means I've forgotten something really major, so in these last few weeks (which will of course seem to drag by but will suddenly speed up when we'd rather it didn't ) please feel free to post the bleeding obvious in here especially if you're one of the people who've had advance copies of the 'how to play CMO' booklet as the game can be played with normal sets of cards of course.

If you haven't got a copy of the booklet we prepared earlier in the thread...


PM me for the download location!

What I do need help with now, whether or not you're going to the convention, is feedback on how CMO can be played because - I'm moronically card-phobic, especially with poker-type cardgames So I need practical feedback on gameplay from people who can play poker, bridge or at least gin-rummy to a reasonable standard so I at least sound as though I know a bit about it when someone actually gets brave enough to play the thing in Birmingham.

Any help gratefully recieved in fact

[KarenM]

I just wanted to say how amazing this is and how awesome I think you are for arranging it!

All too often people have great ideas and they wait for someone else to do it.

Also, is the con really that close?

[Jan Van Quirm]

Also, is the con really that close?

Yes it is - I got the calendar out and tried to get it to come to more than 11 weeks and it just wouldn't!

Mind you - with the footie, Wombledon and that thing with the Rings in it going on in between it still seems like there's ages to go...

[michelanCello]

I still have your copy, Jan, but didn't figure it out yet Promise I will as soon as the finals are over!

[Jan Van Quirm]

NP mC - it's a workshop so we don't have to be perfect or even that knowledgeable about it

The way we've done the cards you can play normal games with them as well so we don't HAVE to play CMO at all

Eelco wants us to do a couple of presentations for people to orient them on all things Onion so I'm currently working on an illustrated slideshow which may condense the more important info needed to play and I'm now thinking of taking the laptop with me again so people can run through it themselves when we're busy or short-handed so we'll have some support material to fall back on

[michelanCello]

Looking forward to it!

[Jan Van Quirm]

OK - the convention programme is almost finished. I have a slideshow on the Workshop at 5 pm on the Friday and then 'The Dice Box' will be open during the day from 9 am from Saturday all through.

We'll be sharing premises with the other board games and will have the services of gophers if there's times we need any cover so we're more or less set now aside from making up 2 or 3 decent decks to play with and some 'How to' booklets.

[Jan Van Quirm]

This is getting exciting now. Been doing some 'branding' for our little bit of the Disc at the Con...



and this is the blurb for programme

The Association of Gamblers, Fortune-tellers and Slot-fillers cordially invite our esteemed Roundworld visitors to enjoy an illuminating and entertaining few hours at the card tables of The Dice Box. Our adepts will be delighted to demonstrate the rudimentaries of that ultimate game of fortune, Cripple Mr. Onion or, if you are feeling fortunate and wish to flirt more fulsomely with The Lady, play a hand or two with you.
Specially commissioned decks provided or bring your own.
Caroc readings with Mrs. Gogol by appointment.
Also available for the discerning gamer - Thud, Ankh-Morpork, Guards, Guards etc.

The committee decided to rename the room we'll sharing with the other games peeps (instead of using the Temple of the Lady which was the working title) because it was more in keeping with convention's theme of 'early' Discworld.