GenCon Presence

I was thinking the same thing. Yea or nay DDM this year?

I believe Tried hinted at being at GenCon this year here:

http://ddmguild.com/forum/general/new-set-coming

With the statement:

"If there were a legal map constructed out of a defined arrangement of dungeon tiles or board game tiles, would that be of interest to the masses? Just a thought I was kicking around for GenCon this year."

I am really hoping to go this year as I want to get in on the new Miniatures game, Dungeon Command, from WotC. There is supposed to be some sort of tournament.

AND, what would GenCon be without DDM!

I have been trying to contact Chris Tulach, with no success.
I have been told he knows we are trying to contact him.
As it is, we are now excluded from the print book.

I don't know if they will accomodate us in Sagamore.

More when I know it.

I can live without being in Sagamore, especially as D&D has now moved.

We really need to try and get in book, IMO.

But we really need to know to make reservations soon is will Tried be at GenCon and will there be DDM?

Hopefully you here something very soon.

The lack of response and long duration between communications does not bode well for DDM this year, IMO.

Furthermore, it's official, no DDM listed in this years GenCon catalog. That is the first time in how many years there is no DDM listed in the GenCon event catalog?

Also, you will be able to play WotC's new miniatures game "Dungeon Command" all GenCon long if you like. It is listed in the GenCon Events Catalog each and every day. I guess you will be able to collect multiple sets of each army.

And I am guesssing this is why WotC has not responded or invited the DDM Guild to GenCon this year - they don't want any miniatures competition. To me it would make sense to get as many of us there as possible to support the new game. I for would have been interested in trying the new "Dungeon Command" miniatures game.

So at this point we will have to wait and see what will happen for DDM at GenCon this year.

arghhh - I was thinking of maybe coming from the UK this year...

Look at the bright side Ale, you're now organizing the World Champs instead of just Euro champs.

What is perhaps even worse is that there is no neoncon to make up for any lack of a gencon presence we might have this year.

My favorite con has gone under.
Sigh and Sadness.

BTW, would stil show up at Gencon if it worked out.
dgs

"BTW, would stil show up at Gencon if it worked out.
dgs"

What has to work out? We're not in the GenCon Event Catalog, but we can still get the word out to all players who want to show.

Do we need a place to play?

Do we need WotC permission?

Your schedule and availability?

And how long until you know?

I would like Wotc blessing and support; I'm unsure if we can be squeezed in without a place in Sagamore at this point.

I agree with the thoughts about featuring the new game exclusively. It will still be a good place to go and see Kevin and catch up with him.

Deep breath. Premature to share this, but here it goes...

My own back up plan is to launch our own miniatures game that would allow any minis you wanted, as long as they matched an appropriate shadow (approximately matched) on a card.
I confess that in the shadows I have been writing rules for this situation (inevitability?). If there had been a Neoncon this year, we could have launched at that show.

For a new game to succeed, it needs to have a web-card equivalent and a player base.
It needs to be easy to learn and complex to play. It needs to have some element of luck that will allow a new player to (once in a blue moon) beat an experienced player.
And it needs to have a competitive base to support it. In short, it has to take the best features of what we currently call ddm.

I would be willing to run it, produce cards, and do the competitive tournaments for this game.
But my question is this; Is it the game system you like, or is it the D&D product that attracts you?

This would be a labor of love, not a real company launch, btw. After all, you know the joke-
How do you make a small fortune in the gaming industry?
Start with a large one.

Ding dong it sounds like DDM is dead. I do not think you will hear from WotC this year nor receive any blessings. Thank you WotC.

Why do we need to be in Sagamore? Any room at the convention center would work IMO.

I'm not all that interested in a new home-grown miniatures game. I like the current game, figures, and ties to a bigger game - D&D. And I think that's what drew / created the player base we had. A new game would be very hard to get players interested in.

It was fun while it lasted.

Cheers.

Regarding Tried's question: I like DDM because it's a great game system, not because it's connected to D&D. I'd be interested in a new, deep strategy game in a similar fantasy setting. If it's easy enough to learn, and there are organized play opportunities, people will play it.

A home-grown miniatures game?
What do you think you are playing right now? Heh.
Do you think the quality would change?

I've been consulting with legal counsel. Did you know any mini that is purchased at retail can be used in a new product, as long as you don't represent that miniature as a product from the original manufacturer or use the manufacturers name for it?

Goblins are goblins. Orcs are still orcs. elves are elves, and dwarves are dwarves.
There may no longer be Drow, but there can be Dark Elves.
Nuff said.

I have always been impressed with the design effort and quality of Tried's work, so I'd support it.

I'd like to see a discussion take place with Paizo though, because I'd love to see their minis included in the game - whatever shape it takes. I'm also sure they'd be interested as it would open more opportunities for them.

Count me interested!

Me too !!!

About Paizo/Wizkid figs, I made a conversion for H&M, but it seems more difficult with the Runelords ...

What's clearly happen with the Guild ?
Tried, you want the "Gamistic Asylum" in Belgium ?

Sorry to hear of the WotC apparently turning their backs on the Guild, even though it was somewhat expected in the current circumstances.

As for the possibility of a Tried-run new game: I agree with alepulp and others about Tried's design ability and would be very interested in seeing what he comes up with. As I've said on several occasions, the level of the design has been higher than in the WotC-made 2.0 sets, the fact that is underlined by the steps taken to balance the missteps of the past.

That said, I still love DDM with the current rules and would love to see it continue, if a reasonable chance for that exists.

Inspired by the Guild's great work since it's inception and the game system (instead of the D&D ties) I've statted nearly 300 figures to RE from other lines and the figs have sat onto our DDM table well.
If some outside-of-D&D minis (Paizo, Arkham Horror, DungeonCrawler, Dreamblade, MonPoc, whatever) are to be considered for the new game, re-based when necessary, there are some terrific options available... and one isn't going to run out any time soon. VERY INTERESTING, that legal point about the purchased miniatures.

(Also, a good joke about the gaming industry! Hope it wasn't true, though.)

Basically I'm in to see wherever this goes, whatever the route.

Sorry Tried, no dis on you. You have been fantastic in supporting the game and have done an incredible job in redesigning and tweeking the game to its current state, which is a fantastic, fun, and competitive product. I have no doubt in your ability to design a new game (as we have discussed on occasion) and make a huge go of it.

It's just that in my current state of mind I was looking forward to GenCon this year, playing some DDM, trying out WotC's new game 'Dungeon Command" game, and in general having fun in Indy. But right now I'm a little more than ticked off (at WotC).

I just can't believe that WotC would pull the rug out from under you / us the way they have. They supported the DDM Guild for so long now and it seemed like it would make sense to get as many DDM players to GenCon as possible to try out there new game (the more support the merrier). But I guess in retrospect a clean break with the Guild makes more sense. The lack of communication makes it "look" a lot like they do not want any "miniatures" competition for their new game at GenCon. And with 3 more sets for Dungeon Command due out between now and Feb '13, if the new game takes hold, they could be building to a "new" miniatures championship for 2013. Who knows.

Anyway, the Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures game was an institution. It is not a home grown game, but a game with a long and rich history, at one time a huge player base, world wide appeal, and a game based on something bigger.

It was also a "Collectable Miniatures Game." Which was something important to me. I loved to trade and try and get minis I loved or needed for warband building. To me this was part of the fun of the game.

The home-grown part of DDM to me was the grass roots / player based DDM Guild founded by you and others to try and grow and keep the game alive after WotC dropped tha ball and decided not to continue with DDM. The home-grown is the effort you and others put in trying to accomplish this. The current rules and many many of the new stat cards are definitely "home-grown", but it is still all rooted in and based on the original DDM and DDM 2.0 (but much improved upon IMO).

I have no doubt in my mind that you can desing a new, fun, high quality, and competitive miniatures game, you have a great mind for that kind of stuff. And I might even take a look at it (maybe then I could get some use of all those WoW minis I have), as I do have a "miniatures" gaming void to fill at some time in the future if DDM is indeed at the end of its rope.

Finally, the one most important part of DDM for me was meeting all of the great people out there that were a part of the game. I made a lot of friends playing DDM from all over the world! And ultimately, this is something that will lead me to / be a part of my decission on a new game or not.

Cheers.

Sirohk

To answer your question I have always loved the game even though when I started I was an avid D&D player at the time I started. The game has kept me playing even though I mostly play other RPGs at this point.

I have expressed my interest in this concept before and I am defiantly still very interested. I am particularly in favor of an open system not tied to any miniature product.

Hi guys

There is people interested to play DDM at GenCon on the Facebook Group ...

http://www.facebook.com/groups/127759155482/10151716847855483/?notif_t=group_comment_reply

Regardless of what happens in terms of WotC or location, I will be at GenCon and am interested in playing DDM. Any casual location would work.

Sorry, I do not have a Facebook account.

Perhaps we could start a new thread here for those who might want to meet up and play at GenCon?

There appears to be a ground swelling of folks (well, maybe 8-12 players, maybe more if we get the word out) who really really want to play DDM at GenCon 2012.

Tried, will you or will you not (and the DDM Guild) be at GenCon to run DDM, with or without WotC blessing or support?

The DDM Guild should be able to find a space / room to play. Can we contact GenCon for this?

The DDM Guild can schedule events on our own. The heck with being in the catalog.

The DDM Guild can make and sell event tickets. And proceeds from the event tickets can be used for prizes (and paying GenCon?).

It should not be too hard to do:

- 200 pt Championship
- 500 pt Tournament
- Community Draft
- The Dungeon Run
- Other events (ie 200 pt No Rares, 100 pt, 200 pt Arena, ...)

I'm sure we can round up help from the Community to help with stuff.

What say you? Yea or Nay?

Sirohk

There are issues with the approach you suggest, including the possibility that I personally get in really big trouble with gencon, but in general terms, if I can work things out, I can certainly be there running events.

Its what I do.

( I have a note in with Peter - he is super responsive, and may be able to help get others to contact me.)

Well, I did get an email from him asking me to volunteer for the 4.0 stuff...
but I didn't think that was a hint...
He does represent a resource, though I still have questions over how best to use it, so I've not acted yet.

I hope you hear something soon.

Out of curiosity, what legal issues with GenCon? Can you not register with the convention or something like that and run a game there? That is how I thought all the other little clubs / groups get into GenCon to run games?

[1] we can't make and sell our own tickets. Gencon gets mad.
(Unless we rent our own space in a different building. Expensive.)

[2] We could do it through gencon, though it is possibly too late to get space through them, and we are now somewhat dependent on WotC's game.

[3] we don't want to do anything directly contrary to wotc's intentions with our game. this bites the hand that feeds us.

WotC is not in Sagamore this year.
Think Marriott instead.

David Christ can't free up any space in the WotC area, as they booked just what they needed.
(in fact, you always need more, I suppose).

Could still try to do an after 8 or 9 community draft somewhere - not sure about other possibilities.
- more information as i know it.

tried