Gencon, It's about time?
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Post Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 10:20 pm 
 

Since I've already posted a crazy-man rant on Dragonsfoot (quoted above), I feel I should post about the good stuff that happened, too.



Meeting Frank and the rest of the Acaeum members was obviously the highlight.  The behind-the-scenes tour was fascinating, of course, and the free history lessons from Frank and Tim would be great even without the tour.



I was one of the people Invincible Overlord treated to lunch (where we discovered that apparently 3/4 of the Acaeum membership is named "Mike" -- good thing we've all got usernames!).  I'm nowhere near most of your guy's level as collectors, but you all made me feel like I belonged.



I spent most of my time at the auction observing, trying to get an idea how prices sort out there compared to ebay.  (Hopefully, this will help me plan my purchases better as I build up my collection.)  My one auction purchase turned out to be a bit of childhood wish-fulfillment -- I bought an RPGA dicebag. I've never owned a dicebag before -- I keep my dice in a jar!  I may actuallly use the RPGA bag (it's not exactly mint), but only for special occasions.



(An aside for those of you at the auction -- remember that box of Gencon programs?.  I saw on another forum that it went to this guy -- apparently it's research for this. Something to look forward to, next year, I think.)



I spent quite a bit of time in the auction room with Stratochamp (and the lovely Mrs. Stratochamp) because we always seemed to be there at the same time.  They got to hear a couple of my odder rants, like the one about TSR's miniatures.



I'm not a 100% sure I'll be at Gencon next year (I need to find out what research project I'm working on next summer before I can make decisions about vacations), but I'm definitely going to try!



Now, I have a question about my button:



Image



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Post Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 11:03 pm 
 

Dear All,

After reading the posts regarding the DCC module fiasco, I just wanted to put in my sympathies as well.  As the mapper for that module, I had been promised copies from both Harley Stroh AND tacojohn.  Broke my tiny black heart when I found it was not to be.

I too will continue to support Goodman Games (I am the superfan after all) but agree that Joe made "a boo boo."  It happens.  Heck, I make them daily, and I work in surgery  8O

That being said, stay away from hospitals in Minneapolis, and enjoy my maps.  Hopefully the furor over this issue, if nothing else, will convince Joe and others to support more 1E products.

Rock on guys, this site is the best!
Ben "superfan" Waxman

p.s. Looking to trade some modules for a 1st ed DCC #1 or #2 (#2 signed by author Jeff Quinn) drop me a line at [email protected] .

  

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Post Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2006 11:57 pm 
 

benwax1 wrote:Dear All,

After reading the posts regarding the DCC module fiasco, I just wanted to put in my sympathies as well.  As the mapper for that module, I had been promised copies from both Harley Stroh AND tacojohn.  Broke my tiny black heart when I found it was not to be.

I too will continue to support Goodman Games (I am the superfan after all) but agree that Joe made "a boo boo."  It happens.  Heck, I make them daily, and I work in surgery  8O

That being said, stay away from hospitals in Minneapolis, and enjoy my maps.  Hopefully the furor over this issue, if nothing else, will convince Joe and others to support more 1E products.

Rock on guys, this site is the best!
Ben "superfan" Waxman

p.s. Looking to trade some modules for a 1st ed DCC #1 or #2 (#2 signed by author Jeff Quinn) drop me a line at [email protected] .


Cool to hear from you, Ben.   8O

Oddly, I am more upset about you not getting your artist copies than I am about the GenCon issues selling out early.  That has happened to me before as well.  Sucks.

Mark   8)


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Post Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:50 pm 
 

My plan at this point in time is to definitely return next year; either with the Auction or as a Guest under the aegis of Paizo and some sort of DRAGON celebration.

As to mongrels. I dispute the assertion that I was in any unique position. BITD, anyone who was around when it came time to fill an order pitched in.

A word about printing and buying it. It was, and still is I think, a standard practice to set up enough stock to run about 10% over the amount contracted for. This allows for goofs, smears, jams, etc. Also weather fluctuations in drying. 10% was a number that cut both ways. If the printer could only deliver 90% of an order, nobody got too excited as it was understood that the next order would be "over" to compensate. Sometimes you got 105%, other times 92%, for example.

Further, the printer orders cover stock in much the same way. He buys as much as he dares invest in with the understanding that he will be doing future runs. Stuff happens... If a partial skid of cover stock got partially water damaged, the stock might be cut "the other direction" to salvage as much as possible. Hence, some books could have vertical "graining" and others from the damaged stock could be horizontal. If for some reason the printer ran out of a given lot, the next lot he buys from his supplier could be slightly different in color, even though sold as the same name.

When it came time to fill 50 or 100 boxes, we got the requisite number of books and charts out of what appeared to be the oldest stock. (Printed goods, like baked goods, start to smell funny when they get too old; sort of musty.)

Were they always the oldest stock? No; we made errors, boxes got misplaced, mis-stacked and stuck in odd places, especially when we moved from Gary's basement to the grey house. We once found nearly a whole box of 1st charts in my office closet, where they had no business being; we just got the box shuffled in the move.

I said at the con, and I stand by it now again that anywhere from 15 to 20% of the earlier runs could be mongrel sets. We weren't looking to posterity, we were selling product that enabled us to get paid each week.

When we got 1400 M&Ms, 1543 M&Ts, etc., even if we had numbered the boxes and kept strict count, the numbers were not equal so the sets were not all "pure".

When we had odd time to kill we made up sets in advance and stacked them up for future orders. We might have filled a box containing 50 sets with 19 of one run and 31 of the next. Again, we were not looking to posterity, we were selling product. When I needed one I grabbed one off the shelf or collated it for myself out of open boxes.

One last thing; my button from Tom was a copy of a caricature of me that Tramp did a long, long time ago. Think of it; a Tramp rendered by Tom Wham. Am I not the luckiest of individuals?

I really enjoyed meeting all of you that I did and look forward to it again next year. However, you better plan on a lunch meeting--trying to do a dinner will mean a few of us will not be there because of the auction responsibilities we each have.


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Post Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 6:58 am 
 

Hi Kaskoid,

Great meeting you at the Auction.  A Lunch-meeting is in the planning stages right now.  I will update when we get closer to GenCon 2007.

Martin

  


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Post Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 9:21 am 
 

I never posted my GenCon take.  Not as impressive as Stratochamp, Burntwire, or Blackmoor to be sure, but I was quite pleased.  :D

EX+/NM Gold Logo Temple of Elemental Evil for $25
EX+/NM 2nd print Dungeon board game
NM 2nd print Deities & Demigods
Basic set (red box) Mint in Shrink for $12

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Post Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 10:53 am 
 

Gus Landt wrote:I never posted my GenCon take.  Not as impressive as Stratochamp, Burntwire, or Blackmoor to be sure, but I was quite pleased.  :D

EX+/NM Gold Logo Temple of Elemental Evil for $25
EX+/NM 2nd print Dungeon board game
NM 2nd print Deities & Demigods
Basic set (red box) Mint in Shrink for $12


Are you trying to keep the coloring book a secret 8)

Come on tell us about it :D


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Post Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:11 am 
 

Blackmoor wrote:
Are you trying to keep the coloring book a secret 8)

Come on tell us about it :D

Gah!  I KNEW I was forgetting something!

OK, add to the list:
NM AD&D Coloring Album  :D

I actually had Blackmoor bid on this one for me, since I was out of cash, and the ATM wasn't giving me anymore that day.  Kudos to Stratochamp who, during bidding on the coloring album, saw it was down to just himself & Blackmoor, and let him have it for only $30.  :D   Thanks to both of you.  I'd been needing this back in my collection.

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Post Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:49 am 
 

Gus Landt wrote:Gah!  I KNEW I was forgetting something!

OK, add to the list:
NM AD&D Coloring Album  :D

I actually had Blackmoor bid on this one for me, since I was out of cash, and the ATM wasn't giving me anymore that day.  Kudos to Stratochamp who, during bidding on the coloring album, saw it was down to just himself & Blackmoor, and let him have it for only $30.  :D   Thanks to both of you.  I'd been needing this back in my collection.


The auction sure was fun, can't wait until next year to do it all again.


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Post Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:31 pm 
 

It is surprising - - - I thought I was one of a lonely few who preferred--heck, missed--first edition D&D stuff (even early second-edition).
Looks like I am FAR from alone! 8)
==============================================
What a contrast to today--when I started playing D&D in 1978, I was thoroughly confused by all the rules, but picked it up. Now, look what you have to deal with before you start:
Dungeon Masters Guide I and II;
Players Handbook I and II;
Monster Manual I, II, III, AND IV;[b]
plus too many books to count of rules for this, that, and so on. 8O  8O  8O  :!:

BRING BACK 1E AD&D, GREYHAWK, AND MYSTARA (yes and even Blackmoor too!).
:idea:

  

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Post Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:04 pm 
 

What a contrast to today--when I started playing D&D in 1978, I was thoroughly confused by all the rules, but picked it up. Now, look what you have to deal with before you start:
Dungeon Masters Guide I and II;
Players Handbook I and II;
Monster Manual I, II, III, AND IV;[b]
plus too many books to count of rules for this, that, and so on.    

BRING BACK 1E AD&D, GREYHAWK, AND MYSTARA (yes and even Blackmoor too!).


Yes but back then you couldn't (officially!) be a half human/half dragon/half-arsed/half elf/paladin/thief/drunken moron/assassin/demon slayer with feats such as great cleave/mighty thwack/super jump/terrible breath etc

J/k btw - I agree (though Greyhawk was never my favourite setting :lol:)

  

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Post Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:30 pm 
 

Gyg, that is just about the perfect description of a typical 3Eech character.
Imagine what 4E will be like. You'll start with 300 stat points (stats ranging from 3-20 of course), 20,000 G.P., and your choice of Ultimate Plate Armor of Invincibility or a +27 Holy Vorpal Flaming double-Bladed Sword of Annihilation. D&D is soooooooooo realistic now.


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Post Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:40 pm 
 

I blame the young!

Seriously though, Deadlord is on the button - in my day (said in an old man's voice) it wasn't all about the instant gratification you get now - dammit you had to earn those experience points!! (perhaps this is a discussion for a different forum - I can already sense the rants and indignation!)

  

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Post Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:59 pm 
 

If you want to start a new forum for BITD rants and stories--I'm all for it.

I will gladly contribute from my WBITD perspective (way back in the day).


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Post Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 12:29 am 
 

gyg wrote:
Yes but back then you couldn't (officially!) be a half human/half dragon/half-arsed/half elf/paladin/thief/drunken moron/assassin/demon slayer with feats such as great cleave/mighty thwack/super jump/terrible breath etc

J/k btw - I agree (though Greyhawk was never my favourite setting :lol:)


And you couldn't fight against one either!


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Post Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 1:15 am 
 

Kaskoid wrote
If you want to start a new forum for BITD rants and stories--I'm all for it.


I'm all for it as well - I love old war stories and you can't beat a bit of spleen-venting once in a while - problem is this is the sort of thing that tends to get waaaaaay off topic. But I'd love to hear some stories from the good Mr. Kask from (wwwww)wbitd!

  


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Post Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 12:14 am 
 

Deadlord--my sarcasm meter went off the scale looking at your reply- - - correct or not. sarcasm?  :lol:

  

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Post Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 12:22 pm 
 

No, I am never sarcastic. Caustic, abrasive and rude, but never sarcastic.
It's not that I think 3E sucks. I merely think it is quite possibly the worst game system ever written. I'd rather learn to play Pokemon. If the choice was to clean a public toilet with my tongue and lye, or play a 3E game, I'd have to sit and think hard.


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