From: "DOUGLAS E. JORENBY" Subject: Future Shock I took a day trip to Gen Con yesterday. I realize that this is hardly the bastion of board gaming that Origins is, but: (1) over the last 7 years, there has been a significant miniatures presence and good representation by wargaming companies in the Dealers' Room, and; (2) it's only 70 miles from Madison (much unlike Origins). Anyway, I was quite shocked by what I saw in Milwaukee. Miniatures and boardgaming, which used to take up almost a third of the main level of the MECCA building, had been shunted to a small corner of the second floor. None of the large, elaborate events that had characterized years past were present. Board gaming was also fairly anemic. The traditional monster "Europa" game had about half the usual number of players. There were a few boards of ASL in action, many games of "Axis & Allies," along with a smattering of HoTW and "Civilization." In the Dealers' Room, Avalon Hill and The Gamers each had small booths (featuring "Rising Sun" and "Geronimo"/"Black Wednesday" and "Tunisia," respectively), while Columbia Games had more floor space, split between their bloack games and "Dixie." Dominating the entire convention, though, were collectible card games. You could scarcely turn around without bumping in to someone hawking a card game -- even the registration packet had samples from 5 different games. Outside of the Dealers' Room, there were groups of people scattered in any sort of open space you could imagine with their card decks in action. Over the past two years, I've certainly seen the impact CCGs have had at the local game store, but I don't think I realized the magnitude of the change until yesterday. Board gaming and miniatures were so marginalized, and even role playing (typically the strong suit of Gen Con) was taking a back seat to cards. I really wonder what this holds for the future of the hobby. Regards, Doug From: "Louis R. Coatney" Subject: "Naval Action" at GenCon and Emperor's Birthday/FoxCon Well, my car rolled down my driveway at 2:46 AM(!!) and I arrived at the parking garage across from MECCA/GenCon at 8:30 AM. Good car. ... still! :-) I walked into GenCon and found Jon Pickens who was in his usual GenCon Sunday condition: thinking aloud and incoherently. :-) We set up my event for noon. They didn't have enough floor space, he thought, so I set up a 1:4800 "Rescue of the BISMARCK" scenario, having SCHARNHORST & GNEISENAU coming to crippled BISMARCK's assistance, in the face of the 4 destroyers, KGV & RODNEY, and DORSETSHIRE. (Actually, it turns out that 3 more Tribal class destroyers were accompanying K & R. One of them (MASHONA) was sunk a day later by German bombers, W of Ireland.) Frank Chadwick was wrapping up a strange/modern scenario of his "Command Decision" miniatures, and gave "Naval Action" another ringing endorsement. :-) He declined my offer to take command of S & G, although he did seem tempted. (He too was exhausted. On Saturday, for example, he had been game-judging and seminar- giving from 8AM-Midnight *straight*. The guy *WORKS* ... but still seems to enjoy it.) Finally, a couple of guys decided to try a few turns, dubiously attracted by my assurances of NA's speed and simplicity. One was a Bill (?) Coleman. He took BISMARCK. The other fellow was also from St. Louis and named Robinson, I think. He took the 4 Tribals hounding BISMARCK. I took KGV and R, still out of range, but boring down from the NW. Bill was rolling each turn for S & G's arrival, and DORSETSHIRE was due Turn 8. Some of their friends sat around, vacantly observing us in their Sunday stupor. (Been there. Done that.) Despite everyone's agreement that Coleman has the worst wargaming luck of anyone they have ever known, he proceeded to roll miraculously. Despite my "special rule" randomization of BISMARCK's heading(s), he went in whatever direction he wished to, *when* he wished to. After about 6 turns, he had sunk ASHANTI and BEDOUIN on their torpedo-launch turns. (The one torpedo hit was a dud or otherwise insignificant.) The killer 5.9" BISMARCK secondaries had gored ZULU, and -- despite "Good" British damage control -- Z's damage took a heavy-damage turn for the worse. (Yes, a ship with heavy damage which is out of control *could* sink! Many of the real heroics of naval combat were in the damage control phase.) Finally, KGV barely got into range ... and then S & G showed up. With the DDs torpedoes spent, I offered to swap ships with Robinson, and I would also take command of DORSETSHIRE. However, D -- coming from the SW -- soon came under fire from all 3 German ships! I forget exactly what the die rolls were, but D's crew would have been generously showered with 15" fragment- filled H2O, and an 11" shell apparently entered and exited through a couple bridge portholes. (DORSETSHIRE *exit!* -- stage LEFT!!) After an hour or so of play, the frustration of the poor torpedo results, and the firm arrival of S & G, Admiral Robinson decided to call it a day. We conceded B's survival, while all of Coleman's buddies writhed in anticipation of his homeward gloating. :-) Everyone marveled at how easy a tabletop naval miniatures clean-up is. (I had everything under one arm, of course.) Lots of folks had looked at my paper models, the copy of GERMAN EAGLE VS. RUSSIAN BEAR on the adjoining table, and the "Naval Action" game, and had picked up my handouts. I went back down to the dealer's area -- Chessex was selling Roger Nord's Potomac game and TSR's PTO/WWII game for $5 each ... and GDW/GRD's SCORCHED EARTH (addendum to FIRE IN THE EAST) for $18 -- and said my good-byes. As I came back up to 2d floor, I saw the 1:1200 Fletcher Pratt (rules) game continuing ... on the floor. They had started at 10AM and it was now 3:30 PM(?) ... and they were only in the 11th turn! :-I :-) I leaned over to a friend in it and observed that *we* had gotten through 11 turns in under 2 hours. He was not appreciative. :-) Incidentally, I saw our own Jason Matthews (from S. Ill. Univ.) there. Fewer wargame dealers with smaller booths. Avalon Hill was being repped by some local gamers and had only one, small stall. (Lots of copies of GERONIMO. :-) ) There were some very *beautiful* girls. However, they were typically young -- on a one-time curiosity visit, presumably. (Dealer women don't count ... although they are pleasant to see, of course. :-) ) "Naval Action" is about ready. I haven't figured out what the price will have to be, yet, though. I'm *planning* on being at FoxCon/Emperor's Birthday (outside Chicago) two weeks from now. There's something going on down in St. Louis, as well, but I'm not sure when that is going to be. Lou Coatney