Contingency 2018

If I’m going to report on UK RPG conventions then I really ought to report all of them, even the ones I can’t get too.

Decades ago, me and my RPG mates thought the great British Holiday Camp would be a perfect venue for an RPG convention - and a great way to bring custom to those camps in the slow season.

Well it seems we weren’t the only ones with this idea. For a few years I attended two GREAT conventions at a holiday camp in Dorset - Conception and IndieCon. These were both multi-day conventions but I could only ever attend at weekends due to work commitments. In fact one of my main reasons for looking forward to retirement was so that I could do the full Wednesday to Monday at Conception.

Then a change in the business plan of the holiday camp meant that there was no longer any room for these two superb events and they folded.

Grrrr.

But a group of fans and attendees from Conception - who were nothing to do with the original committee - refused to accept the gap in their diaries and willed a replacement into existence. With little more than enthusiasm and good intentions, they’ve created CONTINGENCY.

I SO want to go to Contingency but its venue - the Sandy Balls Holiday Camp in the New Forest (English seaside humour) - is less accessible than the one for Conception if you’re travelling on public transport.  This would involve a longer journey, fewer games and greater costs - for me.

I've since found out that the organisers have organised lifts to and from local stations for a nominal charge. So they're aware of the issue and are trying to address it.

However,  if you drive or can get a lift you MUST go.

My impression is that the first year they successfully muddled through through goodwill and everyone wearing rose coloured glasses and convincing themselves they were really at Conception.

This year the feeling is that they’ve learnt from their first event and this is an excellent, well organised event in its own right.

It ran from Wed 17th Jan until Sunday 21st. But Sunday is a full day and you can sleep over until departing Monday morning. However, even though the convention OFFICIALLY starts on the Wednesday, you can actually check in from Monday (I THINK at no extra cost, but don't quote me on that.) So, apparently, loads of people went down early and made a week of it.

There are only two minor negative feedback points I picked up. Firstly the “public gaming space” is limited. This meant there were worries that games would have to be played in private in Guests’ lodges (leading to it being called a “LodgeCon”.) This makes the event seem a bit less social. Some people prefer quiet private games, others (ME!) prefer the hustle and bustle of a large open space. This was exacerbated by the public areas being closed for out of season refurbishment. However, the organisers had supplied a Marquee which seems to have worked well.

The other thing is the Pathfinder vs The World thing you get at many events. Pathfinder referees are very organised and promote and book their games well in advance of the event through the excellent “Warhorn” booking system. Referees of other RPGs prefer to offer them at the event itself. So, looking at WarHorn prior to the convention gives some people the impression that this is just a Pathfinder convention - which is far from the truth. There are loads of RPGs offered.

But all other feedback about the event is overwhelmingly positive. I’ve already mentioned how seamlessly it seems to have been organised this year. Other highlights  are the many many comments praising the friendliness of the staff and the quality of the on-site food.

And the game reports are amazing. Five days of solid high quality games. I am jealous.

So it seems that Contingency deserves to continue - and maybe needs to change its name. It seems to be becoming an essential part of the annual convention calendar - being the only five day convention on the annual circuit. Whilst it’s inconvenient for me personally at the moment, if you can make it next year, you certainly should.

I’m now looking forward to my retirement so that I can go to Contingency.