Three Innings Out...

Over the summer, at Origins specifically, we were running a Wegshog Round Robin (a session where each player has his hero character and a random group of minions to command). During these games we go head-to-head trying to prove who's the better player. The banter amongst the Wegshogs turns playfully vicious. This isn't just an in-game phenomenon, though - we're constantly berating each other every chance we get...

Now as some of you know, WEGS is played in innings, with a top and a bottom. Just like in baseball, one team goes and then the other. End of inning. As I recall this specific game, I was singlehandedly winning a two-front assault from Bob and Willy the 2. In my cocky "what did you expect, I created the game" way, I berated them prior to every roll of the dice. In an effort to make sure they realized who their daddy was I launched lengthy criticisms of why they sucked at playing the game and why I was, naturally, the better player. The crux of my argument was that:

I played the game three innings out...

At length I explained how (1) they only thought of their strategy the moment they picked up their dice on their turn, (2) that they had no concept of the word strategy, and (3) that I could actually start another game with some other players while I waited for them to finish a game I had already won last inning (which was still two innings away). It was great fun while it lasted, but needless to say, the "three innings out" line has been thrown in my face time and time again since then.

You can't win all of the games all of the time, but when the dice behave like proper steeds and allow you to command them to pull your chariot of the gods across the sky, ride it well into the night and drink heartily from the mighty cup of Hubris. Just know that the dice will abandon you as is their whim, and you will fall Icarus-esque to the feet of your friends who will then take turns plucking each and every feather out of your battered wings.

Shaun Of The Wegs...

(Here’s a long story from Origins to keep y’all sated for the next few days…)

One of the funniest moments at Origins was also one of the most austere – and it wasn’t gaming based. In the movie Shaun of the Dead, Shaun and his group of hapless zombie-fearing heroes are cutting through backyards making their way to the safety of the Winchester (a local pub). As they round a corner, they come face to face with one of Shaun’s friends, who is also leading a troop of zombie-fearing heroes to another safe haven. Shaun and his friend compare their plans (of which Shaun’s is the lesser), and then both groups depart their separate ways. The brilliance of the scene is that as they depart, they pass each other single file – for every member of Shaun’s party, there is an exact same member in the other party. There’s the fat guy double, the girl with the artsy hat double, the Harry Potter dweeb double and the Mom double. It’s just brilliant…

Anyhow, it was the end of the convention, Sunday afternoon and we needed drinks and eats and drinks badly. So, me and the Wegshogs were taking a shortcut through this deserted elevated walkway. Destination, Max and Erma’s. We had taken this same walkway a couple nights prior at midnight and it was a creepy place. The enclosed overpass is a long, crooked corridor with lots of nooks. Its tinted windows give the hallway some kind of grey un-light. The various exits are hidden and you can walk right past them unaware. If this was NYC, the place would be a haven for the various urchins and a convenient urinal for the walking drunks post-last call… In fact, if this was in NYC, the walkway would be closed after sun-down. Growing up in the NYC area, you come to assess things this way. But this was Columbus, OH – there was naught to fear.

Until we rounded a corner and came face to face with a couple of gamers who popped up from a concealed flight of stairs. Instantly I recognized the two as our WittCon comrades – of all the places to meet folks you know! We quickly hailed each other and then compared our plans. Lionel and troop were heading back into the convention center to take one last look around, and we were heading to the pub for one last beer. As Lionel and his friend talked with me and Will, Sue and Bob had taken a step back against a wall. Suddenly, the wall opened and Bob let out a wee-girly scream. Ends up they were standing in front of some concealed elevator doors. Inside were the other two members of the WittCon party – Andy and Julia.

We all quickly exchanged greetings, talked excitedly about the con, wished each other well, and then went our separate ways. Me and the Weghogs went down the stairs to street level and the pub. Lionel and troop went onward to the convention hall. As me and Will hopped down the stairs, I turned to him and said, “You know that was the scene from Shaun of the Dead we just lived, right?”

From behind we could hear Sue laughing at Bob for his little elevator scream…

We laughed at the absurdity of it all. What were the odds of coming face to face with folks you know well in a city flooded with gamers? Especially in that deserted area? Just something that was meant to be… It was great seeing those folks one last time and saying farewell in person.

Perfect way to end the con.

Countdown To GenCon...

Despite the fact that the last thing I wanted to do today was anything WEGS related (after doing it non-stop for the last five days at Origins), I hesitantly pulled down the online GenCon schedule to see how it would compare to what I just went through.

(I'll be honest - there were times between Origins games that I just wanted to crawl into a corner and sleep. If it weren't for the Weghogs juice-ing me up with Dr. Pepper, that just might have happened...)

According to the latest GenCon pre-registrations, 9 of my games are sold out. Out of the 99 total seats available at the WEGS table, 33 remain to be filled. 20 of those remaining seats are for our three Sunday afternoon games (which tend to be dead slots due to the fact that the con is at it's end and folks try to use that time for their final shopping spree in the exhibit halls). With the exception of those three Sunday games, all other games have folks in them.

Despite the fact that the only thing I want to do right now is sleep, I'm pumped for this next WEGS onslaught. Between now and GenCon, I have two other cons with equally aggressive game schedules - but I wouldn't want it any other way.

The summer of WEGS rocks!

Back From The O...

Me and the Wegshogs did Origins this past weekend. It rocked! I'm still trying to recover from the sheer exhaustion of it all. Don't quite know where to begin, but methinks it's going to be one looooong chain of posts.

The best part of the con for me was seeing folks return from cons where we previously have run WEGS the last couple of years. We had folks drop in from prior Origins, WittCon, Ubercon, and GenCon. I usually recognize them on site - and while I don't know some of their names, we instantly connect once we remember what scenario they previously played in.

I'm honoured to see folks return to the WEGS table.

It's one of the perks of face-to-face gaming.

101 Arks Await...

With Origins but three days away, El Willy's been a busy packing and printing. Hot off the printer is a neat stack of 101 Ark Kards ready to be consumed by the throngs of gamers set to descend on Columbus, Ohio this week. I figured I'd print 101, just 'cause it jives with the title of the game.

Hopefully, we'll use them all - but chances are we'll only burn through half of them. That is unless the Yawlamoo ends up being particullarly brutal on the players...

Origins details will be posted next week.

Yup.