Looking to gauge interest in a MD/VA open play day

[inkybrushes]

Hey everyone,

Who would be up for another Hell Dorado open play day sometime in the next couple of months? My last one didn't turn out well at all (i.e. no one showed up), but I'm still really into this game and would like to get some people out for a day.

I know Glen Burnie is a little far for some of you, but due to the nature of my job (I work at this store), I can't really suggest moving it to another spot.

My eventual plan is to try and get a monthly tournament happening, so we can do prizes and stuff, but I just don't feel like the player base is large enough at this point. If I try to arrange for something in September or October, would anyone be interested in coming up? If not, is there anything I can plan to coax you out anyway? XD

Thanks,
Sarah

[Liancour]

9 hours driving to get there (since I don't find bus or plane to come). But still, I would try to be there. I'll just have to find some place to sleep halfway.

[PhineusPhule]

Just as an FYI to help when planning your event. Victory Comics in Falls Church, VA is having a demo day on Sat. Oct. 13'th. I was originally going to volunteer to run a demo here until I learned they already have a demo person lined up. I still plan on attending and contacting all the central and northern VA players I've met about this event.

Regarding your event, sometime in Sept. or Nov might be better. On a personal level my only free time is on a Sunday. Any Saturdau event I need to take special time off for it and I can only do this about once a month. Obviously Oct is spoken for but I don't have any set plans for Sept or Nov yet. As far as many of the other players I've met in the VA area they seem to have more open availability.

Another suggestion to help with interest. Some sort of unique prize would help draw more players. If I'm being truthful, MD might be a little further than I want to drive for an HD tournament with something like "store credit" as a prize. BUT, if you were offering prize support like the ltd ed tournament only Traveler figure or the LE Hashishin figure CoolMini is offering at Gen Con this week that might be the incentive I would need to make the drive. I also suggested in another topic to keep in mind for next year the NOVA Open( http://www.novaopen.com/). With enough planning we could organize all of the central east coast players to attend and maybe you could convince your store to be a sponsor and send you to it. Regardless, keep organizing on your end and I'm doing my best here in Central VA. Good luck

[Liancour]

I can garantee you that, if this event take place, they would be a Traveler somewhere to win. 
I would also prefer sunday, and november could be simplier for me to handle.

[inkybrushes]

How about this: maybe I'll look at doing fewer events, but larger ones. We could do some sort of really big event, including a tournament, maybe once every season? With any luck, that would draw some local players, too, and we'd get a more regular player base in this area.

I still want open play days though, tournaments aren't the only thing. And speaking as a really non-competitive player, they're my preference.

I would love to give out tournament-only prize figures! How do I go about getting one? I guess I can get one through retailer support or some such thing?

[Liancour]

I still want open play days though, tournaments aren't the only thing. And speaking as a really non-competitive player, they're my preference.

It was quite interesting to see that the French tournaments weren't that much competitive.
The storyline aspect was the most important and had a real effect on player's tactics.

I would be happy to help to run such a "tournament" with all the old material I've got (scenarios, terrains rules, and so on...).

[Balgin]

Well hey, I'd be interested but I'm kind of on the wrong continent  .

[inkybrushes]

Alright, I'm going to pencil in something on the calendar for November 4th, which is a Sunday. Anyone interested in helping me make this happen, please contact me via PM or at sarah@gamesandstuffonline.com, and we can get something set up. Also feel free to keep posting in this thread, though I check my email eleventy billion times per day, so that's how you'll reach me best.

Any input on prizes, formats, anything is welcomed, and I'll do my best to make it happen. This is being run for the players, so who better to decide what happens?

Oh, also, PhineasPhule, the guy who is running the demo at Victory got in contact with me and asked me to contact you to get in touch, as he can't get on the forums right now. If you PM me, I'll send you his email address and you can communicate with each other directly.

Thanks everyone!
--Sarah

[Liancour]

For those are pretty bad in US geography, I've just found that Glen Burnie, is quite close from Baltimore, so there's plane to get there (and I still need to get a look at bus option).

I can also assure you that Cipher will support the event (we'll take about that in PM).

[inkybrushes]

Hey everyone, sorry for the silence for awhile. I've put a lot of things on my plate this fall, therefore things planned for November can't command quite as much attention currently as the jillion looming September events, but I decided to check on this thread and see how things were developing.

Several of you have contacted me and for that I am most appreciative: I'll be getting back to you personally some time in the coming week. It's probably about time to lock down whether or not we're doing an open play day or a tournament; or perhaps we can swing both, with demo tables set up for new players?

Liancour, if you're serious about coming down from Quebec, I can help you explore travel and lodging options if need be. And I would love it if you were able to bring some of your older stuff to run a more storyline-based tournament. Send me a PM, please!

PhineasPhule, I got your PM and will respond to it in the next couple of days in more detail. I would love it if you could come up and bring some people with you.

themailedfist, we've been emailing and that's cool! I hope you can attend as well!

Once September's craziness is over, I'll be able to devote a little more planning time to this event: I think we'll have a lot of fun with it.

--Sarah

[varagon]

Dang it Sarah, why can't you be in the midwest near Kansas City?  I'm only an hour and half south, but still, that'd be a lot closer than where you are at now!

I'd love to have some interest at least in my "region" of the country! lol

Good luck!