Transcript
Speaker: I mean, can we just cut Dylan's question and our answers and make that the oh wait? Well, the problem is it needs to be short and we always make it so damn long. That's what she said.
Speaker: Hello, friends. Welcome to Tabletop Tangents, a podcast about running tabletop RPGs, writing stories, and sometimes the meandering paths we take in pursuit of creativity and inspirations.
Speaker: Tangent 19, Con Drop, starring Nicolas Cage and John Malkovich. Oh my gosh.
Speaker: Really? We're just going off script. Immediately. It's a tangent. Immediately. No, are talking about that post-con letdown, experience the then what happens after the con.
Speaker: that postcon let down the experience the experience of the khan and then what happens after the khan Yeah, yeah. there It was something kind of in a – we're trying to contextualize this in terms of our gaming lives and not just the, oh, I'm depressed and down. I don't want to do any work kind of thing, but more like what what what that really is and what the con has satisfied for us that makes that con drop happen and all that.
Speaker: First of all, though, we have a special guest this week, a name of Dylan Brooks, who is an old hand at the ah swag program. Is that right, Dylan? that That is true. I do have, I think, one of the like first 10 or something swag products out there. Ah, look at you. look at i know, right? Early adoption.
Speaker: La-di-da. Yeah.
Speaker: But Dylan has also been a pillar of our particular discord community since way back um in the Savage Interludes days. When did you, when did you start?
Speaker: Did you start Savage Interludes at the beginning? i think I did. Yeah. Or at least very, so very close to it if it wasn't right at the beginning. Cause I was definitely listening quite early.
Speaker: Lucky us. One of the OGs. That's right. That's right. Anyway, Dylan also went to GameholeCon with us, and that transitions us into ah one of our apologetic moments, which is why we've been gone for so long.
Speaker: yeah And there's been a perfect storm of stuff that's been happening with your your humble hosts here. And one of them, I think i've we've talked about before, my spouse, Boof, ended up having two different surgeries in a two-week span.
Speaker: And so ah that's been... something. And it's, it's our recording day is Monday and every, every Monday during this time, I'm just like, Oh man, I'm just, I don't know. I'm just not in the right headspace for it. And i just, I'm worried, you know? And then I was also under the pressure cooker of getting ready for the deadline's 30th anniversary, which we'll talk about in a second.
Speaker: um And then there was other stuff going on. Dot had various illnesses well. Happens. And I'm ill and again. and she's ill and again. and house guests and stuff. and Oh, yeah. no my my mom's husband um was here because they're getting ready to buy a house in town. And then my sister also had a baby, you know, a couple weeks ago. So I've been...
Speaker: Doing a lot of traveling further south in Minnesota to be with her. So there's just been, like Tracy said, that perfect storm of scheduling incompatibility. Yeah.
Speaker: Busy being Auntie Dot. Auntie Dot is in da house. Yeah. Right. Yeah. so that's why we've been gone. Chris was probably available, but I don't uh yeah my my my well my schedule was relatively free but i was happy to have that time because i was also rap uh frantically trying to make sure everything was in place for uh game hulk on as well so yes because you ran more well we'll get to that but you ran more of events than
Speaker: Yes. Yes. true So that's why we've been gone. We have no intention of stopping. In fact, we did do a little bit of a conference among ourselves during GameholeCon about the ah enthusiasm for the podcast to check in on everybody, make sure that we were all on board with continuing what we might continue with and go forward with. We got some feedback from Dylan and some others. And so...
Speaker: You know, weve we have plans, plans within plans. and And we're not going to change the fundamental sort of what we do, but um we do have some ideas about how to refine and to hopefully maybe broaden our listenership ah going forward, hopefully. um But yeah, yeah, there's that. So cons.
Speaker: Do we want to talk like... prep for cons a little bit is there is this is that important to our contextualization of this topic i think it can be brief yeah i mean you're the one who ran your very first con game i did and y'all i didn't prep until the like two nights before i left Wow. I mean, that's a pro move right there.
Speaker: i You have run Aetheryke a number of times. i have I have run Aetheryke a number of times. I i ran a series that I have run before. So it was like the same locations in the same order. so I was familiar with the path, familiar with like what they were going to to obviously. um I did prep some...
Speaker: like in between scenes, little block text moments. And I think that helped with some of my transitions a little bit better. But for the most part, the only other prep that I did was buying red colored beads to use as like a physical meta currency of blood on the table.
Speaker: is it Very nice. Physical and that occurrences. Those are important. Those really help. du it Yes, indeed. So then you minimally prepped. There was there was no stress for you. no Nothing. I was... as cool as a cucumber. like Even leading up to the event, it was only maybe about 15 minutes before my event started that I really started to get a little bit jittery because nobody had shown up yet. and then like Within a minute of that, two people showed up and then the rest of the table showed up within like three minutes of that. and I was like, okay, cool.
Speaker: The worst part's over. now I'm just going to do the thing. yeah and That really is the worst part. What about what about you, Chris? i Actually... Contrary to what I have done in the past, I was mostly prepped before the move in September.
Speaker: So I had taken care of a lot of things as far as like having everything written out at least... the bulk of the adventure, the pre-gens were all done. All of that was what was done prior to the move. Then it was the last few weeks is where where I go through, do that final editing pass, do that rehearsal pass yeah um of the of the event. And then you that's when you realize, oh, you know what?
Speaker: i would I would, it would be a good idea to save this here. Oh, wait, this this bullet point doesn't make any sense now that I'm like saying it out loud and like going through the flow of the adventure. So let's change this. And on top of that, because the nature of one of my events, um I had a co-GM at a second table. So we were running parallel events at the same time.
Speaker: I had to be doubly sure that I was writing for someone who wasn't me. So you always have that mental shorthand um when you're writing your own stuff. Like, you know what you mean when you say this or that particular note But...
Speaker: if somebody else is running it, they don't. So it's akin to writing, ah writing a regular adventure module. You have to be a bit more thorough and a bit more clear in what you're trying to say. And so, and, and, you know, and fortunately, you know, Josh who was running it, he, um he had done a, he had done a pass through there and he had, you know, found a few things, whether it's even, even some, some rules discrepancies that I needed to clear up.
Speaker: um But yeah. And, But I was fairly well fairly fairly ready. um i was it was all new stuff this time for me. This is something I don't recommend, but I do it all the time. um is yeah Is the the the running of this event being the first full play test of the event. yeah It's just not a good plan. but It's rough. It's very stressful. if there's a bad gaming habit that I do, is 100% that.
Speaker: I think that is easier to do if you are very experienced. that you can just sort of go, I'll be probably be fine once we get there. But like, how did you and Josh, like, did you run basically the same thing in parallel?
Speaker: and No, it wasn't the same adventure. um It was structurally like as far as scenes went, it followed kind of the the same pattern. um I had a dramatic task. He had a dramatic task. He, he,
Speaker: there was I think he he had a combat encounter. I had a combat encounter. And you had to write this. Normally, i I write for four hours. This one, I had to make sure that everything was done in three because we needed that last hour for the merged tables because the tables merge at the end.
Speaker: Right. Hashtag spoilers. um But ah so things had to be adjusted as far as as that went. And it was it worked out really nice. And this is a kudos to...
Speaker: um the people in the Savage Alliance, because i put in the special request, and like we have to have our tables next to each other because of the nature of what this is. And so he and I were able to check in during the event, you know, where you at, how you doing, what round are you on in this particular thing? And so i did it did it, it did balance out fairly well.
Speaker: um There's absolutely things that need to get fixed, but it did balance out fairly well. So you were, again, a pro because you got your stuff ready before you had to do all your personal stuff, like move. Sure. Sure. You can use that term. All right. well Well, we'll get to me in a second. Anything for you, Dylan? I know you didn't run anything, but I know there was some personal stuff that made it questionable whether you were be able to come.
Speaker: Yeah, for me, it was mostly just a question of whether or not I was going to be able to attend. I mean, I was checking my hotel's cancellation policy up to like a couple of days beforehand, just due to family stuff going on. But it all sort of worked out well enough that i could still go but it was it was very it was feeling very unlikely up to like a week beforehand before i left so that was why i i knew i didn't want to run anything because i thought there was a pretty good chance i wasn't going to be able to show up but i don't want to do that to people like i didn't anytime you've got a game cancellation at a con it sucks and i didn't want to do that to people yeah Well, speaking of which, here here we go with the fully unprofessional Tracy prep, which was um run ah an adventure you've never run before, which I did at Deadlands 30th, right? And i now that said, I did do a little test online um just to get the feel of it to make sure that the that the ideal was sound.
Speaker: um with the people in this podcast, well, while we're as we speak. um And that went fine, but I knew it wasn't going to go perfect. It really did help ah the actual running of the adventure at the actual event because I realized what I was missing. I realized what I needed to do. And um I think it really helped. So it wasn't like it was unplay tested, but it was virtually unplay tested. Yeah.
Speaker: And then I did the sin that Dylan just said is I canceled an event at GameHolicon before I left because i was like, but well, why a ways back.
Speaker: i mean, I don't think anybody was signed up yet because it was it was during the VIP sign up when I canceled it. No one was signed up for it yet, but people had wishlisted like crazy.
Speaker: And it was the sequel to the horizon zero dawn game. And I was like, yeah, I'm not ready to do this. I'm not ready with the adventure. The person I'm asking to paint the mini that I want is not ready. And I don't want to pressure him because he's doing it as a favor to me. So I'm like, I just, I need to cancel this. And so I did and nobody was signed up yet. So it was no harm, no foul. I would have felt bad if people were signed up.
Speaker: I don't think that counts as like, but if it's if it's that far ahead, i don't think you have any reason to feel bad. Yeah. And you shouldn't. But I didn't cancel Texas Express, which was, we had the full table. it was great. it was It was awesome. Dot joined in. It was awesome.
Speaker: and And so yeah that was my prep, but I was really, it was a lot of stress for me because of, I just, I didn't have Texas Express written two weeks before Deadlines 30. I had nothing. I had an outline. I had an idea. That's all I had.
Speaker: But I'm experienced enough to know. i was like, yeah, I'll figure this out. i'll get I'll get it done. I'll figure it out. And I did. i did. And it's a different kind of adventure for me. a Sort of more emergent play than a lot of the ah other adventures that I do.
Speaker: But anyway, that was my prep. We can move on to more interesting things. um I think Chris is more interested in the in the after stuff. Right. um well Yeah. I mean, we could absolutely just touch on like how we felt overall the experience was. Yeah. And, you know, at Game Ocon, I mean, because I think that for anybody who is listening, who has never gone, i think that that's, that's good perspective. Yeah.
Speaker: ah it as a, as a con, and I've heard other people say this, so I'm absolutely going to steal ah this because I kind of feel the same way. The, the games forward centric focus that this con has is, is really impressive.
Speaker: um Though it felt like there were less particular Savage Worlds events there this year than, than in years prior. but, There still was this still was very healthy. Yeah. They had numerous game halls which were constantly busy with, you know, all manner of things. I did a Pirate Borg demo um and that room or area that we were in ah was about as large as a Savage World area and completely filled with active tables. Yes. All demo in Pirate Borg. Yeah. Which is theyre fantastic.
Speaker: um But, yeah, they've I think a lot of the early issues at the con have, they have ironed out a lot of those. Food truck selection was good. It it it was busy, but it never felt overly crowded, even on the busier days. um Exhibitors Hall has grown to a point where it's not overwhelming, but it is it feels...
Speaker: healthy and sound to me. um Yeah. I just, it's, it is it is a good worthwhile con to attend. Yeah. I really, i really like it. They also did big big improvements to our space, the the savage Savage Alliance space, which is, they added carpet up there. They had some covering on the windows and ah the smell really wasn't there. the only tone I smelled, it was like between the in the airlock between the doors. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. and And to be clear, when you say smell, because everyone thinks gamers right away, but it's not that. It it was because that that area, the building is often used for cattle related. yeah agricultural stuff. Agricultural stuff. And yeah that smell.
Speaker: none existent Right. It wasn't there. wasn't there. So it was... they they And water was available. They did major improvements this year yeah for what from what it was last year. the The comfort level of that room was definitely better. I mean, the chairs are still terrible. Yeah, yeah. Other than that, that room is much more comfortable because I remember last year the the sun was very, very glaring.
Speaker: And... was hot. It was hot and it smelled. Yeah. And I think... Most of those issues were fixed this time, yeah which was very great. Yep. Yep.
Speaker: So I want to hear about Dodd's first con game. Like how, of course, what I saw because I went and and observed just a little bit. All three of you did. Yeah. It was, it was amazing what I saw.
Speaker: What I saw was a very confident, very energetic, engaging GM that, who was who was pulling their players into the game and encouraging them to play and encouraging them to be excited about what they were doing and to explain, you know, why we're all here and all that stuff.
Speaker: There are, I mean, like I said to Dot, I think privately, there are very few GMs who can do that. And even at cons, very few, ah because I've played in lots of con events, I know. And ah you're a natural. And so I want to know what it was like for you from that first person perspective.
Speaker: It was awesome. It was really I... i There is a reinforced level of confidence in wanting to continue GMing. Like if you had asked me two years ago to do this, I would have been a nervous wreck. I would have been terrified. Nope. Can't do it. Will not. Okay. Bye. Yeah.
Speaker: And it probably would have ruined my experience for me because I just didn't have the, the right mindset about it. And I think, In exposing myself to,
Speaker: i don't know, stepping outside of my comfort zone more um and just forcing myself to do the thing instead of saying I want to do the thing, but I don't think I'm ready to do the thing and then continuing to avoid doing the thing because I'm making excuses for myself to not do the thing. Yeah.
Speaker: I, I want to keep doing it. I want to keep GMing. want to... And i mean... It even extended beyond my own event, which is the part that I think surprised me most because there were times when I was in Tracy's event that evening and then in, you know, Chris and Josh's event the next day that I'm sitting there and I'm like,
Speaker: I could do this. I could have done this. I could have run that adventure. i could have handled that. I would have been okay. I can do better than that. No, it wasn't that. It wasn't. See, see, I knew. i knew you were going to say that. No, I wasn't. a Not better, just my own. yeah like i I could have done it for myself as well. and is that one of those si holden Is that one of those situations where you say this is how I would have run that scene. It's not necessarily that you're saying you've done it better, but i would have I would have run the scene this particular way. Like, here's the angle. Did you find yourself yeah doing that?
Speaker: Yep. Okay. yeah Yep. And i think i think that is my next my next level up my next advancement is that I i now I'm like okay well I get to move to the next step like I'm gonna I am going to start running more savage worlds because that's what I want to be running that's what I think will test me more and so that's what I'm gonna do a okay awesome why do you think that would test you more
Speaker: Uh, because currently, eat the Reich is my comfort zone, because I know, understand, and have a sense of ease with the combat system, and combat is the thing that terrifies me most about Savage Worlds, so, um, I want to push myself there.
Speaker: And yet during combat on the games that you were in, right, you felt like, oh, yeah, I know that rule. I know that. hu Yeah. Yep. I can do that.
Speaker: Yeah. Yeah. i I typically will usually play characters with powers. So it's just, you know, that o cult focus, focusing all this easy. Right. But in Chris's well, in Josh's half of Chris's event,
Speaker: I was playing a fighter and I was like, there's things on here I never do. Fuck it. We ball. Let's go. Yeah.
Speaker: Let's hit people. Everything's a hammer now. all right yeah everything Everything's an everything was a nail. let me just whack it. Yeah. Wait, which is great. It's a, it's a, it's a fun way to play sometimes. Yeah. I i thoroughly enjoyed Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. And Dylan, your experience, cause you didn't, you didn't run anything. And I didn't. um So I just played, i had, i had a good time. um My goal this time was to do a variety of things, mostly things that I had not played before. I mean, I played in Chris, your Deadlands game, which obviously Charlotte, that was to play with yeah the Charlotte's web one. Not that I didn't do the Viking one.
Speaker: Um, But that was to see you guys and to play with you guys, which I did a lot of this weekend. But the actual events that I signed up for were mostly things that um I had not played before. So I played like Old Gods of Appalachia or um Pirate Borg or I played Shadow Dark again, this time actually using the Shadow Dark mechanics. The first time I played Shadow Dark, it was just stripped down crappy 5e, and they didn't do any of the like torches and stuff.
Speaker: It was a very baffling Shadow Dark experience. But this time it was actually good and fun and used the mechanics of Shadow Dark as I was told they existed. Yes. so Yeah.
Speaker: Nice. Yeah. How was Old Gods? um It was good. The um the system was fine. i was not in love with it. The game itself was a little weird in terms of It was kind of large scale and long term. mean, I think the game actually took place over the course of several months, which seems very weird for a one shot, but it was like scene, scene, scene, like with time jumps in between. yeah
Speaker: um Which is not something I'm used to in a one shot. That sort of like longer term, I think it took like a season or something to actually play out. but um It was an interesting game. Sort of a, this town is cursed and like we are all the descendants of the important families. And it turns out we, our, our ancestors did some magic deal and now we're not aware of it. So we had to like figure out what deal they made and sort of,
Speaker: refresh the deal. Well, once again, i passed by Shauna Germain who wrote, uh, no thank you evil and old gods of Appalachia and recognized her, but I didn't have the courage to go and flag her down and say, Hey, I'm Tracy Sizemore. I've worked with Tim early on Holler. She wouldn't know.
Speaker: She would know that because she's worked with Tim early because he wrote some stuff for old gods of Appalachia. And I've just never had the courage to say hi. She's by all accounts, very nice person. i would like to make that connection, but I keep chickening out for some reason. Right. It's just one of those, she's always busy and I don't want to interrupt her kind of thing. um I had a great con. I was pretty relaxed. I ran one official game, which is the Texas Express game, which worked which was great, I thought. Yeah.
Speaker: And even greater was the private game of Curious Death of Violet Evans, which I ran for everybody here, plus a friend of of ours named Carl. And it was great.
Speaker: It was, I belly laughed, I cried, i did all the things and I had amazing players. And it was it was everything that Curious Death the Violet Evans usually is when I run it for people.
Speaker: So I hope you guys enjoyed it, but that was the highlight. Besides the alpha strike and the nighttime intimate time we had together the con after hours, which was not sexual at all. Absolutely. I was like, what whale it is. In the realm of word choices. I know. It was very nice because I'm used to all these party cons where we're in big spaces, very loud with lots of people, and I just disappear in those situations. I cannot assert myself at all, and I don't want to, and people just end up talking around me, and I just sit there. So it's much, this was, this was great. This was exactly what I wanted. So that was my experience anyway.
Speaker: And then we can move to the after, which Chris, tell me, tell me what you're after here. i think it's, it's, it's a combination of things because I think that there's, there's a, there's a high post-con drop and then there's a low portion of the post-con drop. And yeah,
Speaker: I guess the best way to explain it, just to kind of just go into it from from my perspective. So for me, Whenever I go to cons like that, i get absolutely re-energized in regards to the hobby. And I know that this this particular topic has been kind of brought up before, but it is you're you're there amongst you know your your people and you're sometimes you're playing in new games or you're certainly playing games with new people or even if they're familiar stuff. And there's just that palpable energy that goes on there. And it does get you stoked up.
Speaker: for when the con is over. You know, if you if you don't leave a convention feeling in some way like, I want to do this with this game. I want to try this with this game. I want to go and do these gaming things, whatever they might be.
Speaker: um Then you missed something at the con. So like like for me, for example, the I have done, i own i own Pirate Borg.
Speaker: I have things for it. I have never ran that game. I have done now two different demos over two different years at GameHulkCon. the The demo this year was light years better than the previous one. And the previous one wasn't even that bad, but for some reason, this one clicked more with me and I left this con absolutely feeling and committed that I'm going to play this game. I'm going to run this game in some capacity, whether it is a one shot, whether it's a short campaign, I don't know.
Speaker: But um I enjoyed it tremendously and I want to do this. I want to try and play this game, run this game. And I'm very excited about that fact.
Speaker: uh even on the even on the savage world's front um I was very nervous going into this about the events because of what I had said previously. and But now coming out of them, the you know things are clicking in my mind after getting feedback. i could I could tweak this. I could change this. I can do this.
Speaker: ah And that that excites me. It re-energizes me for writing, fixing the events I have, and then and then working on more. um So that's that's the high end of that for me.
Speaker: And the low end, of course, you know ah is the fact that it's over. you know And you...
Speaker: Everybody's kind of experience and feelings are a little bit different. Like, work has been incredibly stressful for me since I have changed my job slightly. So for some reason, the detachment in being able to go and do this this time around was ah much more impactful. And so leaving the con...
Speaker: and having to go back to reality basically is it's hitting a little bit harder. Most of the time, you know, by the end of the weekend, sometimes you're really exhausted and you're like, yeah, you know what? I'm good to go. Um, that's wasn't necessarily the case this time around.
Speaker: Um, yeah, had it gone on for a couple more days and i had other events you know sure that would have been that'd been great but uh yeah it is yeah exactly because that that's it's because at that that point it comes kind of an endurance test i guess but um you know there is just that sort of dip like oh the party's over yeah you know um but
Speaker: I don't know. Does that make sense? Are you picking up what I'm putting down with this? Oh, yeah. that ringing true? Okay. Yeah. I don't want to monopolize it, so by all means. No, no. I i mean, I...
Speaker: I'm the same and for me this particular one-two punch of Deadlands 30th plus game hole, I knew it was coming. i knew the Deadlands one was going to be the pressure cooker high stress one because people were paying a lot of money to be there, specifically to be in my games from all over the world and it was like, I was like, I have to perform.
Speaker: Humble brag. Well, it was true. It was true. It is true. Turned out. It was true. Like, you know, yours was one of the first games I signed up for. I'm from the UK. You know, I had somebody from Australia sit down before Shane stole them away from me.
Speaker: um oh wow. Shane. Yeah. Well, yeah. Shane was like, well, she's from Australia and she really wants to play in my game. So it was okay if she moves over. really Yeah, sure. Yeah.
Speaker: So, yeah, you know and then i had some i had another person who had listened to Savage Interludes and started gaming because of that podcast. And now she's running Deadlands and she was just over the moon to play in my and Daryl's games.
Speaker: She was just so excited. And I was like, I don't want to let this person down. You know, I can't let this person down. I have to bring a Tracy game. So I don't think I did. i think I did good. But wow, two weeks before, I wasn't sure.
Speaker: I just wasn't sure. I was just like, well... somehow this is going to get done. Deadlines work for me, turns out, but it doesn't, it doesn't help my stress level at all. And then game hole was the relax con.
Speaker: It was the, I have one game to to run and then one game off the books to run, which I know is going to, I know it backwards and forwards and I know the players and there's no, i don't, I don't feel like this is going to bite me in the butt, but yeah,
Speaker: Yeah, and it turned out to be great. And i now am a little down, of course, because that's what happens after a great experience like that. And part of the part of the down comes because of that experience. It's like this is this is one of those times, and it doesn't happen every con, that you sit around the table and you're like, ah, that's going to be memorable.
Speaker: People will remember that. I will remember it. And um that's pretty great. and And I've had moments like that where I've made friends that way.
Speaker: you know where all of a sudden ah I didn't know them. And then after the con, i have I'm Facebook friends with them, and now we you know communicate together. And that's pretty great. There's no there's nothing quite like that that that in the in the sense that gaming can produce that, especially conventions, because you're in with your people.
Speaker: Yeah. And yeah, I get inspired. i used I used to get inspired in the sense that um I want to write something. you know I want to put it out there. i want to i want I want to have my own stuff. And I've done that partly because of these experiences. This is why I go to cons. is why I spend the money to go. There's a lot of people who just can't justify it, right? Either the time or the expense or the away from family stuff. And I'm...
Speaker: It's my, it's one of my things that I just do. It's I automatically do it. I go to Gen Con every year and because there's nothing quite like that. There's nothing quite like being among your people. And so, yeah, I get inspired.
Speaker: i am, i am inspired again, but in different ways than I used to be. It's now, it's not so much I want to write something and publish something. Now it's more I want to go back to what really excited me and do a really, really, really good one shot that I can run for years.
Speaker: you know And I have two in the pipeline. One is for Dune, the ah you know Frank Herbert's Dune. I have a plan to do a one in the universe. And then one is the Horizon sequel, which I think will be good once I figure everything out.
Speaker: But so that's, I get inspired. I do, I do for sure. And, but I also get down because it's over and I have to go back to work.
Speaker: And i think, I think part of the context we're we're getting at here is what, what the con does for us in our life ah beyond just our gaming life. But to be able to get away that way. I mean, I have Booth who supports me in doing that.
Speaker: and saying, you needed this, you needed to go and have a break from your chores and, you know, be in a hotel and just not have to worry about anything. And I'm like, yeah.
Speaker: That was pretty nice. It's pretty great. was pretty great. As it turns out. And now i now I plan cons to have that space. you know I used to go and say, I'm going to get all the events since you know and like it's not worth it if I don't play in every event available.
Speaker: Now I don't think that way anymore. Now I think curating, doing what I know I love, and then having time and space to just sort of be among my people without any pressure.
Speaker: And I do that with Gen Con now too. That's interesting because i I do still feel like... I mean, possibly this is just my sort of foibles, but if I'm at a con and I'm not doing an event, I get kind of bored just sort of wandering the floor and watching other people's games. I have trouble sort of maintaining that as an activity. And that's why I i either, you know, have events all day or ah go back to my hotel. yeah I don't stay at the con and and like watch very much.
Speaker: I'll go through the dealer hall. I'll go look at like the fancy battle tech setup or things like that, which was very fancy. Yes, it was very fancy. It was real cool. Yeah, it was. But like, I don't want to sort of hang around and ghost around other people's events and make them nervous. That doesn't really. Oh, interesting. And refresh me.
Speaker: Oh, oh, now I worry that I've made someone nervous by being a creep. I don't worry about it. I just do it. But but that said, Gamehole is less big than, say, Gen Con. Gen Con, there is always something there to do. I mean, just to go into the Lucas Oil Stadium and look and see what's going on is interesting.
Speaker: um But but its to say nothing of the exhibit hall, which you could spend the entire weekend in anyway. right um Game Hall has much less of that. so but But again, i'm like, hey, if I go back to the hotel room and just chill for a few hours, that's a good so good use of my time as well.
Speaker: You know, I don't feel bad about it. you know The one time that I did that, I um had to sit in the hot tub and hear children screaming and running through the pool. Oh, good. So in the middle of the after, which, you know, I guess which children are allowed to exist in places, but they're very loud. i mean, I suppose. They can be for sure.
Speaker: So Dot, do you have a perspective? Well, ah I have a habit of just kind of nosing myself into a game.
Speaker: I mean, i wasn't supposed to play in the Viking game but that Hus had. um And i was going to just try and help runner run interference between the two games and make sure that things were going smoothly. And then, you know, Josh being Josh very kindly bullied me into sitting down at the table and playing. And it was a lot of fun.
Speaker: um And I'm glad that I did. But, you know, I i have cultivated go-to GMs, which I did tell Carl that I am going to sign up for one of his events, at least one of his events next year. Absolutely, you should. i like that's goingnna <unk>m I have to collect a new GM. There is an open spot that I now need to fill. So Carl was the person who played Curious Death of Violet Evans with us, like ah a game group member with Chris, right? Yeah, he was he was in my local Deadlands group when living in La Crosse. Yeah. was his How do you pronounce his last name?
Speaker: Oh, don't put me on the spot like that. I think it's Unach. I believe. That's what it looks like. And I know I got that wrong. Yeah, i but that's how I would pronounce it. but i he will I'll get a text from him probably late Thursday or Friday um seeing something like we're saying something like we're not friends anymore or something like that. You dont um can't even pronounce my last name. so which you tell me When you get that text, you could you should ask if he's sick now. It's because he tried to steal your food and eat while he knew you were sick.
Speaker: Speaking of the sort of after effects of cons, Dot is clearly suffering from con crud. do. That is part of Yep. That is part of it. For those of us for those of us with a weak-ass immune system, um large congregations of people tend to be a more violent Petri dish. And I have succumbed. Unfortunately, i started getting so like really sick.
Speaker: I could feel the sore throat the night before my event. I had my event at 9 a.m. m the following morning, and I chugged a bottle of orange juice. I was taking meds like it was candy because I was like, I can't. I can't fall. I can't. I can't be sick for this event. and then You bluffed hard.
Speaker: it was It was not clear that you were feeling as poorly as you were. Yeah, well, a lot of that is just... i A lot of that is a show. it is it's It's me putting on front so that I don't bring the energy around me down because I i hate to be that person. So i will...
Speaker: Pushed myself to the point of absolute exhaustion to make sure that everyone else around me is still enjoying themselves and having a good time. And then when I'm alone, or at least with a very close group of people, then I can like slump over and nearly die. Which is what exactly happened after Texas Express.
Speaker: Oh gosh, yeah, that one was rough. Yeah, yeah. And and I wouldn't have known it. i Even I, and i I have a very high notice skill, and I would not have known it until after that event was over when I saw you just completely collapse.
Speaker: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. But yeah, I didn't get it so far So far? Yeah. but So far, so good. A lot of times, yeah, con cred is a thing. It happens. um I wear masks on the plane when i fly, but I don't generally wear masks at the con. But the plane seems to help. I mean, I've i've avoided i avoided it at Gen Con. I avoided it here, so We'll see. It does make sense though. I mean, it, you know, it's four days effectively of adult daycare and we all know what kids daycare, uh, will do to kids. yeah So, yeah, I mean, it's, it's a, it's a, it's a, it's just ah a risk you take, you know, going back to the the comfort zone thing here too. I think that, you know, and, and something that you had mentioned dot about trying to do that next thing.
Speaker: Um, That was one of the things I had thought about trying to do this year was run something that wasn't Savage Worlds. I wanted to try. it Yeah. i wanted In addition, i was still planning on it because, you know, i mean, you you you have to you have to dance. What is it? You have to dance with the person who brought you there or whatever. Yeah. So, but I have other games that,
Speaker: Right. You know, and wanting to try and and in and run that. And because certainly my style, i've ah i've I've cultivated and adapted quite well when it comes to running Savage Worlds. I want to see how how would that translate when it comes to running other games? Because it's not quite the same thing. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker: You know, what parts of it are. But that for me, that's my next thing. What would you do wrong? I don't know. That's the thing. is because Because I didn't take enough time leading up to it, and I'm going to blame GameholeCon for this because you have to start submitting events like in January or something like that. It's crazy early. I admire their preparation, but at the same time, like, wow, I have to decide now?
Speaker: Exactly. Exactly. How could I get that so far away? How can I even think of that? So um I never got around to actually making a firm decision of like, because I knew I would have to like read a rule book and and to make that commitment. I don't know, man. The theme of the weekend.
Speaker: What are rules? Well, yes. but But see, that's the thing. If you sit down with if you sit down with a table full of people who say, know the rules, and you're like, you know, just not going to really bother with those rules. That was one of the first things that I asked. when i had my full table, I said, so how many of you have ever played Eat the Rack before and know the rules? And all of them were like, nope, never played it. Just read the description, have wanted to play this for a couple, you know, whatever. And I was like, good, you won't know if I fuck it up. Sweet.
Speaker: But at the same time, the people who don't know the rules are there a lot of times to play that game. And this is yeah this is the trick is like if you go in and say, I want to play Cyberpunk Red and the person who's running doesn't really know Cyberpunk Red, then you've not gotten what you came there for. Yes. Yeah, that's right.
Speaker: Speaking of, that was my experience with Shadow Dark yeah last year. The person who didn't do any of the Shadow Dark stuff. And I'm like, well... This seems crappy. I don't know why people like this. It was because they just didn't do any of the Shadow Dark stuff. Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah. I followed the rules, just to put it out there. okay i I did play by the rules. Sure. The only thing that I did was... yourself Yeah. I mean, the only thing that I do because it's a con event is I hand out blood instead of making them spend successes to do so. Yes. And you admitted that as much. Yes. Yes, I did.
Speaker: And ah yeah, the the opposite effect is when you go to the deadlines 30th and everybody knows the rules really well. and Terrifying. Luckily, I know them really well as well, but I'll make mistakes like everybody does. But when it's it' it's part of that pressure cooker situation. If I'm going to put a huckster out there, i better know as the GM how to deal with the deal.
Speaker: I better know how to do it. Because somebody is going to do it. And lo and behold, they did. And if I know it and they know it, we can get through that very quickly.
Speaker: Whereas as opposed to if one of us knows it and the other doesn't and we blah, blah, blah, and then we're just wasting everybody's time because it's like we're looking up the steps and all this other stuff. It's really not that hard, but if you don't know it, it can be confusing because you're trying to make a poker hand. You're making PowerPoints out of that hand. And what happens if you got over PowerPoints and all this or under and blah, blah, blah. blah blah And so, um yeah, that was it was that was an example, but it was – That's another aspect of it is that you got the people who really know the rules. Luckily, i didn't have anybody who was just like, well, actually, it was it was it was more, we know them and we're here to help each other, but you're the GM.
Speaker: you know It's it's it's kind of what you say goes. Have you had anybody umm actually in the Savage Worlds community like that? ah yeah A little bit.
Speaker: um named ni Not there, but um but at at other cons, i've had I've had Savage Worlds players who were a little bit overzealous about following particular rules, but a lot of times those people don't actually know them.
Speaker: either. oh So they think they know them. And that's, that's the problem is is a lot of people who are like that think they know, but actually don't or are making a mistake or whatever. And and then I have to, well, actually them. And then it becomes this whole, well, actually off.
Speaker: And, and so I, I don't like that either. And really ultimately comes down to like, I'm just going to say it's this because I'm the GM and that's the way it's going to be. like And then that, that's usually when Shane backs down.
Speaker: No, Shane is one of those people. When I ran for Shane the first time, i ran Curious Death of Violet Evans. And um he didn't want people to know who he was at the table.
Speaker: He's like, if if people don't know who I am, please don't tell them who I am. um And he's very good about that, about this is your game. It's whatever you whatever you say it is. But because people do know who he is, they will defer and ask. And I did that too with Curious Death. I was like, I'm not sure how this actually works. but And he's like, nope, whatever.
Speaker: It's your game, you know? And, ah but some people want the official answer, right? They want the the person who wrote the game to tell them how it's supposed to work. And so that's a weird place to be in. And I've been there with Hong Cluster as well, where I was like, well I don't know, it's your game, you know? I could tell you how it works, but It doesn't matter. Like, just just let's not interrupt the flow. And there's some, sometimes it's worth interrupting the flow and looking it up and all that stuff. But a lot of times it isn't, especially with Savage Worlds. So whatever, you know, but Shane's pretty good about that. In our home games, we're much more diligent about it because a lot of times we're playtesting. we want to make sure that we're following, you know,
Speaker: This is actually how bound works and this is how we, you know, blah, blah, blah. And we do, we do this stuff. We look it up. I look it up just because I forget. And I know that yeah Shane sometimes get things wrong. Daryl sometimes gets things wrong. We look it up because why not?
Speaker: And it works fast. But yeah, in, in, in general, i don't get too many of those. Yeah. especially in Savage Worlds because the the the culture of it is so whatever.
Speaker: We most of the time only use 30% of the rules anyway. But um but sometimes you get you get those players and you have to manage them. You just have to manage them. It's part of the GMing gig.
Speaker: Yeah, it is. Anything else about about our experiences? i think we've covered most of everything. It's just a good con. We encourage you to go Definitely, if you have the chance, just go. it's It's fun. And the Savage Rules community that does show up there is just really nice. They are. They're just a nice group. There's not...
Speaker: That's the other thing too, is that sometimes you'll get repeat players and and I'm so abysmally bad with, with faces and names. um But there was, but this year was slightly different in that a couple of people sat down at my table and I'm like, this person looks familiar and you get, um and then, and then that's what I'm just, I'll straight up ask, like, I have game with you before. Yes. And they're like, yeah. And i And I was like, yes, Chris. yeah and then in them And it's brian Brian Brooks. Is that right? Yeah. Golly. No, it's just it's ah it's it's just it's so nice. and Or when they say so something to the effect of, yeah, we always make sure we try and sign up for at least one of your games. yeah And I just think...
Speaker: Why? you know I knew I recognized you. i want to be like that when I grow up. You will be. You've already got it. You've already started it. The people who played in that game are going to be looking for your games next time.
Speaker: It's a guarantee. And at some point, they're not going to care about what game you're running. They're just going to care that you're running it. Because you're going to be one of those GMs.
Speaker: It's going to be a good time. I'm telling you. That's true. Aww. Um, but yeah, I get those all the time too. And some of them I remember and some of them I don't. And yeah I'm always appreciative. Yeah. I'm always appreciative. It's so great to have people who come back. i do have a quick followup. Okay. I noticed that all three of you worked today.
Speaker: Why? Cause I got back like Sunday night and I was like, there is not a chance in the world that I'm, cause I, I took before I even planned anything about the con I took Wednesday through Monday off. i'm Because I know that I'm going feel that con drop afterwards. yeah And I'm surprised that you guys had that in your schedule. Dylan, you would be what most people call smart. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, i gave this morning, I'm getting ready to get Magnus up and ready for school. And, you know, he and I are both sick. He was starting to get sick before no um he got to have the time with his dad. And then I caught the ick.
Speaker: Um, so we're both still kind of getting over it and everything. And my dad comes in and he was like, well, classic Papa move. He's like, well, you know, he's still, he still needs a little time to recover. Why don't you just give him the day off? You're going to be working from home anyways. Why don't you just keep him home today? and I looked at him and I was like, what the hell, man? Where was this when I was a kid? And he's like, that's different.
Speaker: Yeah. I mean, i I worked aggressively, but that said, Gen Con, I usually take the Monday off after. yeah um For this, i would have normally, I would have said to people, I'm not back until Tuesday, but because I was doing two cons in a row,
Speaker: Yeah. Being gone Thursday through Friday, that first one, Wednesday through Friday, the next one, I felt like, oh, I have to come back and I have to do some work. yeah And the the jobs piled up over the weekend. I got like three new jobs. So I'm like, oh okay, I got i just got to do it.
Speaker: I got to go to work. I'm just an idiot. That's what... that's ah this Sure. Okay. Honestly, makes difference over the years, i thought ah that's kind of just how I've done it. when it come When it came to cons, I'd get back on a Sunday or whatever and just go to work the next day. Yeah. yeah Gen Con, I take Monday off, usually, if I can.
Speaker: Yeah. I drive all day after game hole because I drive back to Kansas from Wisconsin and I didn't get back to like 630 or seven. And I'm like, what no, why would I, yeah why would I work the next day? I've, I'm exhausted. I've, I'm in hours of sleep debt and I'm just going to turn my alarm off and not wake up until I wake up tomorrow.
Speaker: Yeah. Well, Dylan, thank you for being here and joining us. It's a pleasure to have you. Thank you for the invite.
Speaker: First official guest of Tabletop Tangents. Ooh. Huh. I suppose that's true. Oh, yeah. You did. Wow. That's it. I've thought about it several times. I'm like, Chris and daughter, aren here, Daryl. I'll go ask Daryl. But at the same time, yeah we were busy. He's busy. I'm like, he'll he'll drop at the drop of a hat. He'll come on.
Speaker: Oh, for sure. At the same time, I'm like, ah nah, let's just take a week off. Nah.
Speaker: Ah, fooey.
Speaker: Thanks for hanging out with us, whether you're behind the screen, at the table, or lost in your own story. We hope that you found a little inspiration. If you enjoy our tangents, be sure to connect with us on Discord and follow us on socials to keep the conversation going.
Speaker: Until next time.
Speaker: And we want to talk about the gargantuan dice bin in the GM's lounge. Dot and I were like, what the fuck? Why would I need dice? And then, you know, Chris is just aggressively pulling dice out of it. Yeah, he's like, let me scoop. But they roll rolled fairly well. They did during Violet Evans. I think it's just because your hand juice isn't on them yet.
Speaker: Wow.
