These are the notes I (Gene) took at the debreif sessions the weekend after BattleCry 2006.

These notes are slightly disjoined, but hopefully set out with the meaninful headers for key points that came out.

This is interspraced with paraphrased dialog and abbreviations - my appologies. We spoke around the table mostly, with people chipping in further information as noted.

Tony’s Vs Converstation

Tourament vs non tournament - bad as people don’t have a choice from the four that play across the weekend. Pro – everyone has a common thread of conversation.

System/systemless – people who want one or the other, or don’t cares will cross over. If you have say only less, only they will turn up. Systemless is harder to judge. We are the only club that specifically does a less game. Wargamers and jihad cant play in systemless by their very nature. Perhaps keep AmericasCup, create a third tournament which is systemed. Suspect that current student member dislike systemless (due to not being introduced early enough?). Old crowd could hold the systemless cup “ye olde games” instead and bc in a new format, or some such.

Ranking/ voting. Pople like the voting system as the system.

One issue has been there is no intro for new members to systemless games in the first few weeks. Resolve - Project twilight ( actually systemless using a ‘10 bad’ pseudosystem system), Tony, Jason running less games during O week this year.

Tony’s Feedback

Tony liked prizes and prizegiving – little things – lanyards, specific prizes for events. Organizing flowed and worked,.. stalls and game shops were great. Clubs running their events. The huge amount of players. The level of games were quite high, and he quite liked the pitching of the gm’s games.

Intro and Extra

Combined intro and extro – wargamers left at different times – good to have the hardouts at the time, but the last part “thinks, good tournament” – then do prizegivings. (Jason – like the idea of a combo prizegiveing – 5.30pm if you want it tho as wargamers always go at this time – why aren’t the rpg getting the spreadsheet marking and getting in the last game? … need a spreadsheet, and an organizer for rpg who does this. Danni – need more roles. Jason – overall organizer (front door, games are running ) kitchen person (separate person) head of section (idealy not playing, prizegiving) – only the rpg let that down. Tony – fundamental lack of people who want to do that specific task. Kitchen needs to be paid. Perhaps use a roster? Tony – need to have a head organizer who actually runs it and not asking questions – Jason – she sent an email which look like she was saying “I have decided, I have spent” where it should have been from Patrick. )

Venue Issues

Venue issues – not having dfferent rooms, and that it was far too hot. Lots of areas good, and centralize and feel together. Larp – a month ahead a year ahead of knowing what is going on – costuming important (Danni - number fluckuate – a bit of a surprise, people dropping out even if they book even the good people. 28 out of the possible 50 at the start. Custumes changes as they drop out depends on style of game setting and costume not as important here. Loin cloth theme of Tribal this year?)

Jason’s Feedback

Jason – single biggest problem – Patrick, where are the prizes for flames of war? Patrick – certificates were, oh, you didn’t get that? J: Noone asked me for the prize winners. P: Karen is the person to speak to. She has organized these certificates. J: that shouldhave been organized ahead of time. Told that Certificates Prepped on the day, had people waiting which was bad, including major sponsor awaiting.

Organising

As organizer of fow, didn’t mind collecting the fow stuff from the sponsors, orgainisng teams to load/ unload. Annoying was no offer of assistance. Danni: “Pack in pack out team” is a great idea j: have longer time after time, had the place to midnight? No idea that this happened: Gene: no timetimble. J: Coordination Timetable Danni – big day out orientation with the location and map, times, toilets, gum, v stations, fun stuff like that. Tere was not “how to join America” or logos or anything. Sponsor could put their fliers. J: no coordinated lunch hour. Fow rpg and 40k dbm can all having lunch different times, they are all structured, they al could do so (jihad couldn’t) Jason: we dictate start, lunch and dinner and the corrdinators deal to the rest.

Live Game

Tony - Capcon 3 games sat 1 live Saturday couldn’t really do that Sunday. J: fow does 3 games already. Tony: wargamers have the night off due to larp. J: do we encourange the wargamers to join the larp? Tony: realisticly, % of rpg and wargamers, who do? J: argue thaall sections play same sessions. 2.5hrs for a wargame, and rpg too. Tony: 3.5 hrs? j: games go overtime. Tell gm you have x hours to play. Need to be coordinated with rounds of wargaming rounds so everyone is playing lunch together, dispalys together, do shopping to the stalls at the same time. Danni: Need time between games and larp – danni: pushes larp to 8pm, dropps players drop off. Tony: capcon have games straight after chris: they have a different gaming environment. Danni: do not want to do this at the expensive of the larp, and need the full hour. (tonya dont danelle don’t agree) Tony: I want 3 hr + .5 slacksession not jason’ 2.5. 830 1230 4p 730 (end of 4rd seesion).( .5 hr), 8p larp. Pat: the number of times that games run overtime. J: lunch needs to match if nothing else. Just get the 1st session end at the same time, but rpg start earlier coz their slack’er. Glenn: we could always do like dinner order

Poor notification of what else was going on – could have had sword display during lunch, mordavia on a different day same time for pople interest. Tony: there was mordavia? Gene: website only? Tony: leaflets. Cups where great – need to thank Karen for that, so professional

Kirsten’s Feedback

Kirsten - Hour to setup night before all good – rooms setup, tea coffee, boxes pencils, out before an hour. Can be later in the morning and still be ready

Sponsorships was good – assumption was usually none or internally funded – Heros4Sale came to party with vtes players guides with all the cards in it bloody useful 9 copies. Awesome, starts and boosters – they rock! Gene: America library for that book? Bound? Prize support Didn’t get organized til last minuites and didn’t come til Sunday. Stll over the moon

If intergrated prizegiving – needs to be when it says it is “another 5 minutes” x10 due to counting votes with rpg – counting votes, maying following gms for fun prizes. Karen refused help as like last time as for camereon b was – someone onto it – Karen need assistance. Put on name takes Renwick: Lanyard great Kir: coloured stickered suck.

Live and Wellington

Larp clases with OneWorldByNight Live game – Karen insisted on setting a date before this BC – clashes with Auckland game – OWBN is always 2nd weekend of month, and this was decided for feb for BC. Only one to not clash with wargames with country. Ak anniversary “too close with capcom” doesn’t clash anything in nz J: none of the wellingtonians turned up anyway for any session – absolute no show. Kir: lost 10 people to OWBN, we didn’t get any from welly. Pat: committee needs to vote on date. Tony: would have impoact on gming to bc and going to capcom. Kirs: Waitangi fell over J: and we loose to two other convensions - taranaki con in particular Tony: shift OWBN for one night a year? J: clashes with another larp week before and after. Kir: want committee to know that they are creating that clash. : there are always balancing considerations to any weekend. Voted this year date, but now Having seen impact to larp and lack of wellington, decision may have changed. Danni – plenty of time to discuss. 28 vs 50 last year.

Chris’s Feedback

Chris – good… wargaming, rpg and especially jihad – good all round. Heard good things about all games and tournament, occasionaly negitive but that always happened. In regards to the schedule idea – put one up to every room rather than putting into bags – big a1 timetables, 4 or 5 copies which is about as expensive, but better for slack people kir: and leaving their bags around c: organsiers or times for secondary games mord might have watched it lunches matched.

Better –prizegiving was a mess in its timeing, warg prizes were there, players weren’t there it was a mess.

Clash and Internal Appearance

Tradedy – didn’t see a magic tournament going – Glenn: it was downstairs. Pat: we went for a legacy tournament – not as popular Tony: didn’t play in magic as it was verry bad, and had a bad runner. Glen: weekend was bad too due to VS (DC Vs) event. J: there was a big VS tournament, why wasn’t it at BC? Would have had 8 fow people but had prepaided. Bigger issue that it wasn’t here. VS organizer knew time ahead apparently. Danni – we need a “section, sponsor and their contact, our contact” and what and when the prizes are. particularly available to all the comittee. Partilcualrly have what the right hand was doing. We had the people. Last year’s bc2005 was better – tournament in general felt better. Tony + Renwick: disagreed. J: rpg vs everyone else. People wanted to poke their heads into games. Chris: rpg was fantasic, the rest wasn’t so. Danni: needed more pre battelcry meeting, Wednesday. Kir: getiting the tour orgainsiers in one room, like all the wargamers, weeks ahead, every week.. Pat: sponsors are going to be resistant to this time much closer to the time (~ January).

Prizes

Also, had some issues with prizes not having the right number if people turning up. Tournament prizes being similar l5r and magic having similar prizes price. D: if we have 10 ppl give us this, if we have 20 people do this… pat: need to organize this Danni: and get it in writing. Pat: can we do this and this – we don’t have the space (paraphrase) J: Dave support?J: if I had known that the store was a sat only, would have spend more money. Gene: would like to put photos of prizes n website with winner – later.

Patrick’s Feedback

Patrick –Venue – we can fit more wargaming in, but nothing else. J: if we don’t have as many or any of stores we can fit them in. Pat: we were trying to get the language room upstairs but at last moment saying we cant. J: as of this year, we have outgrown the venue. Pat: alternate venue – asb stadium, as much wargaming we like. Tony: expensive? P: no, like the evening cost of where we are. J: rpg? P: part of Selwyn College and has a language block which is great for it. Diassadvantage – no fully combined, but problems with that. J: card games with the war gamers hall? Kir: jihad wont. Pat: carpeting, function room, café, entrance area long hall, stalls, built in rego desk. Akaranga, Epson girls, (Sacred Heart too far away) AucklandGirls is big with a complex, Dillworth deffintly hire out but may be more expensive.

Renwick’s Feedback

Ren – pizza thing was great. Rpg great - good testing for new gms. Prizegining was a good bonus to the tournament – but otherwise good. Combination prizeing would be brilliant.

Need centralized control – in particular Karen can be in charge but she has to report to Patrick. Patrick felt sunday trying to help orgainse that Karen knew too much. J: Karen is pissing off the sponsors. Urban warfair. Battlefront and vagabonds, games workshop are good with bc and America as she complicated, confused, and annoyed them, and do not want to be dealing with her. All: Back to table to sponsor and contact and our contact.

Danielle’s Feedback

Danielle – more ability to spec char and costumes – cant have set in stone cant compare to capcom myself, but there is always the same muddle. Kir: no - major char gets it 3hr in advance and leave? Major players that signed up early, and decided not to play?

J: three questions - need new venue. Yes. Live office is responsible but approachible. battlecry committee and orgnaniser are needed – committee good, need a coordinator.

Kir: inflation exists j: $30 is fine for wargaming chris.

Er, Internal Support Team

Tony: disappointed with lack of cheerleader that strip down. Chris: and then some kind of hoes J: and some form of wet teeshirt competition. All: it was really hot – no air con – fow faught for the area next to the door coz of this – sweaty wargamers. Pat: asb stadium J: Lotteries commition could now interested in us Tony: Uni problems? J: comuinity grants, its all good, council grants that we already have. Tony: needs to be done right now All: yes J: lottiers lion, Council, University – paid for asp before we walk in the door. Pat: discounts and npos – council says we shouldn’t get discount for $6 entry fee J: actually we are charging nothing for entry, only for participation in one of the 6 sections. Tony: ASB better as the schools and such. City guard have to pull their stuff around as it is located at the comnity centre J: most their stuff was pulled from external anyway.

Glenn’s Feedback

Glenn – main issues were the weekend it was on with the VS clash and the ccgs and magic. Between the games there are overlap especially with the sat vs full weekend games, and some personally clashes too. J: possible poor selection of format? Gl: not one that they can always play – hard deck to play. And build. Pat: we will go witht eh format that will bring the most glenn: type 2 for next year propberbly, need to speak with james perhaps? Pat: may need to allow the organizers to set prizes, but then can garrenty a box set and cards and such. Jason: $50 for fow tournaments at the moment. Jason: need advertising out end of feb. tony: prirates? All: Aaargh! J: Pirate hats for organisers.

BC comiittee- have an informal set of the major players … rpg jihad magic? Fow. The rest are on the own back to turn up. Tony: Need are core group and helpers. And have a list of people 15 or 20 people.

Renwick – hadens game for bidding for skills was great

Unrelated

Ac - Looking at a systemless five gms over four sessions, we maintanin consistency while gaining the opt-in games. We shift away from gms playing different games for each seesion, but they will have to play the same game four times. Tony – problem – if there isn’t enough players for a game, we need to drop it out and shuffle players.

How doyou know if your Old Croud (rough)

New crowd – is stillat uni,studying their batchelours degrees, and attends to Tuesday nights, typically doesn’t attend the larps or America parties.

Middle Crowd – still at uni, are playing on tues are playing to larps and parties and part of the org of the club

Old – not at uni, doesn’t often turnup tueday, sually behind the scenes at larps parties and organisiation.

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Karen’s Feedback

In regards to matching prizegivings – fow finished and wanted to do theirs at 330, the other wargaming had things to d until the 5 530 prizegiving. The l5r played sat but attended sun 530 prizegiving.

Feedback

40k – everyone had fun andenjoyed- skirmish was good. Other groups were annoyed that fow did it early. Personality clash – odd army that out of ak army verification in chch and England and verified as legal and had sportsman issues. Other concern for the prizes were to be donated by gw – they gave enough for 6 awards last year, this year not. Use vagabonds for 40k and needed more. Prizes turned up on the day. Wayde is good for doing next year- city guard is good for 40k sponsor for next year.

Fow – fantasic feedback – great support – great terrain etc – battlefront forum scoring discussions? Comms problem with prizes – we were told six but there were actayally seven awards – sorted easily. Terrain was borrowed from battlefront problems next year – Karen vs Jason organization? May be issues with damage and their events coming up. 50% rego fees need to be looked at for next year for usage and compensation due to what was borrowed and used. Hadn’t asked sponsor before asking advertising (Patrick didn’t ask - battlefront).

25mm – loved it – have made a wooden bc trophy with figure on it, and a plague with people names writing on it and being handed around. Where was was the pretty terrain (from watchers) – players loved the support and game – looking at more people next year. Good feedback on the wargaming forums. Prize issue – slightly less urban warfare vouchers Sunday avo – put extra cash to balance. Didn’t mind the priaze issue- the game is whats important but try to level the field and standard.

Bloodbowl – noone asked about running, players, or sponsors. Sorted with Karen a few weeks before battlecry. Lovely, still want to keep playing – low turnout due to rush and lack or advertising.

Jihad – seemed to be happy – great prize support from h4sale. Coms problem with Sunday being rushed out.

L5r – al happy – no sponsor for this year need one for next year. Ran out of time. Needed to confirm the actual content of prizes. Had several special card, aquired boosters from king of kards. looking to make it a aeg sponsored event. Keen as mustard to return.

Magic – bad! Prize support excellent – kok fine with sponsoring, some discussion on the prizes vs people who turned up. Don’t put in writing anywhere how much the prizes are – screwed kok and couldn’t pull out of prizes. Kok has a people vs prize schdl that they may be able to help. “Game player” has no invested interest in bc – all other input was free – this year and last year he had to pay for the judges. He also didn’t advertised until a week before bc, and has chosen a style that wasn’t popular. Had issues with walk through people that were actually magic players meaning that they hadn’t payed – treasurer berated the organizers for letting people in – sponsors were not happy. Suggested to have the recept as proof to sign in to closed room events off the side.

Rpg – choosing games worked well, and games on the wall. They all had a great time. Rzrag – some games may have been better than others, and may not have been play tested before. Rpga players also had a good time. Helped to have the rpga detailed removed (logos, arcane stats and disclaimers), many characters level 1 characters – the gms were good about it and how it was intergrated in and pregen’d. there was on Sunday rpga level 1 intro to rpga, and rpga specific with players (list of modules that had been played) and shared the miniatures boxes and didn’t get many from wotc. Prizes reshuffle meant that cup and books for gms and players, and did the number looting of tables – what capcom does – choice vs last year’s raffle. Could approach publisher and see about getting prizes via them (steve Jackson, wizards, etc) rather than second loot from sponsors.

Kaos did not happen – opponents didn’t not happen due to other things happening the same weekend, and the alternatives didn’t turn up, promsed but never eventuated.

S+shield – great but but timing not good. Thoses that did quite enjoyed it, and then stayed for the mordavia. Option as alternative to rpg – go 6 or 7 that played this instead. No mordavia next year – storyline has finished. Mordavia had said they weren’t sure it was confirmed, and then we told them the date section. Hadn’t been confirmed, confusion raigned, approach nzlarp and arranged for Sunday avo for a game of something – go them interested. Still interested in stuff for next year - pirates.

Live – fun – something new and different. Some gaps in info, disjointed in some places, people with nothing to do, game machianics stoppig them doing things. Customes. If chars given weeks before tie people in.

Them

Shops – food not ready at right time, no healty range, staff not knowning whqat was going on. Generally food was good, need to add more to it. Timetable for tournament end times for food to be ready. Needed org team. Stop people comimg into kitchen – hot water urn.

Stall in venue- good support – redbrick raved about doing stuff. Wargamers also selling gear and happy. Mixed coms with shops - vagabonds didn’t come. Sat vs sun shops.

Rego – having complete list with alpha – split list paid unpaid. Just nametage and lanyards in lootbags. Door person to let amoun of people out – “do not pass” lne, and enough time to write receipts etc. samller tables at rego. Signs for entrance with costs. Side door issues. Pre regoed – used a lot and welcomed. Need a prerego package with the booklet – nothing to send, timetable and map and blurbs etc. prerego for rpg needed the blurbs more in advanced. Prerego people are paying ahead – need to get the rpgers to do it. – blurbs were missing genre, age level, players, etc.

Us

Organisatioal – Karen felt she was the ony one that knew what was going on. Patrick not feeding back. Responsibilities were not organized before so that when they came to head they couldn’t be offloaded to someone else.

Todo better

Lootbags – good. Shops quite happy with lootbags (to put in and advertising from this) – long term effect not known til march – vouchers and such will be known later. Lootbag contence sign that tells you what you have at the rego stall.

Best feedback – having all the sponsors on board and there to check it out and having a perv at what is going on – starting to get serious recognition for what we are doing. Flow on – king of kards talking about cost of venue and cost to battlecry.

Setup was good – packup was bad – needed the timetable and a team.

Website – feedback – people liked what we had to run, and the specifics. Form download good. People noted when it was down being worked on.

Booklet – needed further proofreading and use proper printing place as they needed to be reprinted.

Finances - banked with ausa from rego and shop profit – prizes to be factored in and receipted out. James has also banked some too. Rough profit – 2500 rough exp – 2000 (looking for est of 800 to 1000 profit)

Biggest expense is sat night – sugest to have live on Friday – have little tournaments on sat night so also can play fow etc during the day. Would have more people in it.

Having prizes and up for grabs on display at he start so people can get excited about it