Steve Carey - 01:42am Apr 29, 2001 PST (#6814 of 6834) 'A helmet or cuirass is put on for a soldier's own protection - the shield is for the common good of the whole line' Demaratos, exiled King of Sparta Back a bit early from the GMT Weekend, and here are some random thoughts : Lots of PoG and FtPII were being played on the 'big boards', with multiple PoG games going on simultaneously as well. These two continue to attract folk in droves, it's just amazing. GBoH was seeing constant action at multiple tables, while I introduced many attendees to SGBoH. Several people tried both systems for the first time, coming away with big smiles. I was a bit concerned that the diehard GBoH grognards would shun any SGBoH fans, but they welcomed us with open arms (and even led to a few converts). David Fox had no trouble gathering attention for his upcoming Thirty Years War design as the flow of interested parties rarely ceased. Multiple games were played, and all's I can say is that the feedback I received from the particpants was overwhelmingly positive. Besides being a personable fellow, The Fox demonstrated that he can coach a tight game of SI's classic college football game Bowl Bound as his '69 Michigan Wolverines bashed my '66 Purdue Boilermakers 33-22. Played some War Galley which I certainly did enjoy, but not sure if I like using the markers or status sheets to keep track of the wild ramming/boarding/raking action that occurs in this game. There obviously are no torpedoes in this game, but damn them anyway, this is a fun 'full speed ahead' design. EastFront and DiF had constantly crowded tables, but I really only had a chance to squeeze in and view bits and pieces of the action. It's apparent that these are two series with very loyal players. Battle Line was the one game that I never saw sitting idle - at least one session (often more) was always in-progess. The appeal of this one is apparently widespread. Since I posted a 9-0 record over the weekend (and won the tournament), naturally I think this is a smashing item :) The one surprise to me was how well that FMR was received. Comments were that it was the perfect light multi-player game to start or end the day with, and many in-between sessions were also held. Lots of player interaction (i.e., jocularity) and quick play is a plus here. Ivanhoe was also being played. It has become a well-respected effort, and deservedly so - my carpool buddy Larry Burman (who has never really played a Euro before), went bananas over this. I didn't see anything happening with Galaxy this time around. Ken Tee had Crisis Korea 1995 set-up near the front, and while he wasn't able to lure an opponent, he was able to showcase a game that he regards as top-notch and worthy of a reprint/update. OK, Kasserine - wow, the guys running through this one were seriously involved in the action. Nick M. (sorry, don't recall how to spell his last name) offered a few more helpful nit clarifications. Putting the great debate surrounding this one aside, my take here is similar to the soldier who goes through boot camp and takes a few lumps, but then emerges in the best shape of his life. The proofing, testing, and editing on Kasserine has been exceptional. Hold on, it's a comin'... I must admit that the project that has me the most excited is Wilderness War. It sure looks great. Play of this one was delayed for a while because the rules somehow ended up inside the Battles of Waterloo demo box - lucky that someone went to go make a rules check on that game, and voila. Anyway, Mark K. (I'm bad on last name spelling, sorry) GM'd a raucous session that included raids, burned down forts, Indian activities, and much more. It doesn't involve much of a risk to predict that this one will be a huge hit. Though the event was naturally heavily dominated by GMT games, other companies efforts like Columbia's Pacific Victory, SPI's Operation Typhoon, and Avalon Hill's Bitter Woods also made an appearance. In conclusion, a most excellent time was had by all, and an overall very positive gaming experience once again at the Hanford HQ (aka, the mall). While I appreciate the convenience of the location and the adjacent hotel, Gene mentioned that he would be looking forward to booking a larger venue for the next OctoberGMTfest to accommodate more people. Heck, squeeze me into a closet, and I'd still attend...