UK GAMES EXPO 2018

I’m known for going to lots of conventions and writing memoirs of my visits. These can sometimes be long and rambling, but upon returning for UK Games Expo 2018, I realise I’ve actually got enough material to write a whole flipping book. So I’m going to try and write tersely – and it’ll still be very long.

TLDR: I flipping loved Expo 2018. It was just a little bit bigger and better than previous years but it was BETTER.

UKGE is the UK’s biggest Tabletop Games Convention and the third biggest in the world. It’s rather special and takes a lot of planning – from everyone involved. For some people the prep starts 12 months in advance. For me it starts 6 months ahead when we’re asked to submit any RPGs we wish to run.

I have always “Iron GMed” Expo – that is run RPGs in every slot of the official RPG “track”. ((I’m an addict. I have a problem.)) So I submitted 8 games.

My plan was to have my multi-genre game “Manifold” finished and published by the event, so I submitted 8 games of that in 4.5 different genres. Two of my great mates – Kevin Rolfe (another Expo stalwart) and Martin Pickett (first Expo, I think, but an experienced convention GM) also submitted Manifold games. ((John Dodd – the RPG supremo - thought this was a bit of overkill and asked us to reduce the number of games for this new system.))

My games virtually booked out in advance. Then REAL LIFE rose up and hit me. My convention attendances were curtailed for a few months and the work on Manifold had to be shelved. I moved Heaven and Earth to be back on the scene for Expo. Though Manifold wasn’t ready to be submitted for the Expo Awards (my original plan) I submitted my other recent game – The Code of Warriors and Wizardry – on a punt. There were so many games submitted for the Awards this year that – for the first time – the judges produced a shortlist. And my little game was listed as one of the Best RPGs! ((But because I’d had to submit my RPG’s 6 months in advance I wasn’t actually down to run any games of my Award-nominated game at the event – no-one was.))

((Two weeks before the event it became clear that I would be needed at home on the Friday evening, so I contacted the organisers to cancel my game in that slot. And posted far and wide on Social Media.))

This year, open gaming on the Thursday prior to the official event was back – as was the option to collect tickets on Thursday to miss the queues. So Thursday evening, I travelled over to the NEC. I grabbed a Subway meal and sat doing “Hi’s and Goodbyes” with loads of mates as they passed by. I picked up my tickets and scouted out the Hilton. I’ve always tried to help out the RPG “yellow shirt” volunteers by going straight to the hotel Concierge to fix issues like lighting/heating in RPG rooms. This Thursday I was enquiring about how early we could check in and how early the game rooms would be open. Then I went back to the NEC Hall 2 for the Open Gaming. There was a huge queue!

But  the doors actually opened before the published time of 8:00pm and we were able to march in past a sea of gaming tables. It turned out half the queue was for the Bring and Buy! They were directed one way  whilst we waited less than 5 minutes for the organisers to clear out the last few exhibitors from the Press Conference. They just couldn’t stop hawking their wares. Then I was in and sat at a table.

As always I was attending as a “billy no mates” with no wing-man. But I set up a Code of Warriors and Wizardry sign and soon attracted a table of players. One couple just wanted to play for one hour and then go over to join in a Legend of the 5 Rings game, but once playing they didn’t want to leave.  I ran the scenario from the book for an Illusionist and Specialist Spearman from a Travelling Show, alongside a renegade Elf Noble and a Dwarven Archeologist with time bending powers. The characters and their players were wonderful and we all had a great time. I caught a late train home.

The following morning  I travelled in by train. I grabbed a Subway Breakfast and watched the wave of humanity streaming past on their way to the Expo. More “Hi’s and Goodbyes”. Then I went over the Hilton and – as a designated “Room Captain” asked the Concierge to open up my room. ((I then ran into the magnificent Jude – RPG floor manager – who told me that only Expo Staff could open the rooms so they could control who went in and out – to stop people hogging them for Open Gaming. An improvement over previous years.))

I set up in my room. I had a full table of players. ((My players and then myself tried to rustle up some water for the table from the Hotel, but Jude came up to ask us not to do this.)) The first game was to be the Fantasy scenario from the Manifold rulebook. However, I explained to them about the award and they all agreed to play The Code of Warriors and Wizardry instead. The same rulebook scenario I’d run Thursday night. This time for Three pregens (Blood Leech, Female Warrior, Mystic Monk), alongside the more bespoke Goth, Dwarf Tinkerer and  one of the lost race of Dinosaur people  - who had…. Time bending powers. It was a fun game with a superior group of players who made some extremely good tactical choices but also got themselves into a few scrapes. ((Everyone enjoyed it but I was self-critical feeling that I wasn’t fully “match fit” and allowed some players a bit more spotlight than others at times.)) The player playing the Dinosaur character, told me he was in my Superhero game that afternoon and I was able to collar him for a secret mission. (I normally grab the first player to the table.)

If you run enough games you get free accommodation and food vouchers for lunch. (I run far too many.) So in the break between games I went down to get my lunch – which the yellowshirts had collected for us (superb!) – meet my room-mate for the weekend – my mate Kevin Rolfe – to see if we could check in early. And it all went swimmingly well. This year RPGs start an hour earlier, giving a two hour break for lunch. A little bit better but better. So I had time for lunch, to check in and to have a business meeting.

The afternoon was the Superhero scenario from the Manifold rulebook with the players playing erstwhile protégés having to  track down the senior (but aging) Superheroes who had mentored them. Deathchance (Deadpool-clone), Ruse (Gambit-clone), Professor Thought, White Dragon and “Edna” (she looks like a little old lady but fights like Black Widow), had a great time. ((It was a little investigation-heavy and I’d chosen very experienced player and GM run the secret mission which he over-egged slightly. I’d travelled light to the event for Friday and not brought supplies. So I crumbled and bought myself a pint of beer. FIVE POUNDS!))

After the game, I ran to the station to get home for my urgent errand. I’d noticed that, although the game slots were four hours, most games were clocking in at around three and a half and everyone seemed happy with that.

The next day my wonderful wife gave me a life to the hotel with my slightly heavier bags (possibly clanking with beer bottles). Though I’d missed staying at the hotel the previous night, I didn’t want to miss out on the hotel breakfast. The Hilton Breakfast is very, very good and I sat with two more of my mates (Chris Dean, a fellow game designer) and Dan Marriott (a superb convention GM at his first Expo – and owner of a very fine hat). I also “hi’d and goodbye’d” several other friends. Because I’d had a coffee at home before travelling in, I could only manage four courses. ((I found out that, though I’d cancelled my game the previous night well in advance, the players had all still turned up. Fortunately my Social Media blitz had allowed other referees in the room to let them know what had happened.))

The first game of the day was the Science Fiction scenario from the rulebook. I didn’t keep a note of all the characters but we had a family of four – a mum and dad and two teenage boys. The quieter one created and played Arnold Rimmer – really well. The more hyperactive one made an alien with “nuclear exploding powers”. The mum made a Space Monkey. There were two other – more typical – RPG players who turned up to play and one of them made a very competent Ship’s Pilot. The adventure was an absolute hoot, though keeping play balanced across the players was a GMing challenge. There were many great moments, but for me the standout was when Arnold Rimmer caught the NPC gang boss and Space Monkey using two of the few Escape  Pods to run away. The characters’ unarmed freighter was under assault from a fully armed alien cutter. Rimmer didn’t try to stop the escape. He simply called up the bridge and suggested the Captain roll the ship so that the Escape Pods could be used as missiles against the aliens. Ace!

A brilliant two hour lunchtime with loads of Networking. Then the afternoon was my second Manifold superhero scenario.  The table included another two mates – Jess and Gary Winter-Riley who organise the  ConQuord convention in Bristol. Gary created a Superhero called “Infinity over Null” who had……. Time bending powers. (The theme of the convention?) He (it?) was joined by “Dr Smith”, Photon, Packrat, “The Aussie”, and Bat Bing (“Wings of Steel!”) in their attempt to escape from under the heel of the fascistic “Parliament of Heroes” who had taken over the world. Much fun with standout moments being “Infinity over Null” dropping all the characters into Null Space. And, Dr Smith being knocked out but Pack-rat using his nanites to infiltrate her cybernetic limbs to keep her fighting as some kind of drone.
Tea was the only meal not provided as a reward for GMing, but I grabbed some toasties from the superb artisan booths right outside the event. More networking and “hi’s and goodbyes”.

The evening game was my mysterious occult Manifold one set on a Jumbo Jet. It was great to have Steve at the table. He seems to play in one of my games at every convention we’re at together. Great guy. I can’t give any details of this game. I’m really proud of the set-up. But it ran as well as ever and it was lovely to see the moment when the penny dropped and a player worked out what was going on. There was also, as always, some extremely deep debate about the nature of Freedom and Sin which came dangerously close to blasphemous at times. Thing were well oiled by me enjoying a few sneaky beers – possibly not from the bar.

Sunday morning I was able to manage a full five course breakfast and snaffled a banana for later. Didn’t bump into any mates, alas.
Then it was my Manifold Firefly scenario where the villains from the series get together to hunt down the crew. Though it was fully booked, the rigours of Expo had taken their toll. Three players failed to turn up – when players book as a couple and drop out as a couple, it leaves a big hole. And two of the remaining three players were exhausted from playing in “the Dark Room” until 2am that morning. They chose to play Saffron, Badger and Patience – not the toughest group to take on Mal and his mates. After much fun and searching, and thinking up and discarding various plans, they basically ended up with a typical double cross like Patience tried to pull way back in episode 1 of the series. TPK. Fun but TPK.

Remember my game was up for an award? I didn’t hold out much hope – it wasn’t being played at the convention – apart from my two games – and both other contenders had stalls in the trade hall.  But I was asked to delay my afternoon game to go over to the main stage for the award ceremony. I used the 2 hour lunchtime to browse the trade hall. It was bloody fantastic. Bright, lively, easy to navigate, loads going on. The cosplay was magnificent. I’ve been to a ComiCon recently and was struck by the contrast. I found the ComiCon to be drab and commercial and aimed at taking money from the punters and expecting them make their own fun. Expo is about giving punters a fun experience first and selling them stuff second. There are ComiCons virtually every month across the country. Can’t we do the same with Game Expo’s?

I went to the award ceremony and – as expected – didn’t win anything. ((I rushed back to my game only to find that neither the players or RPG team had been informed I’d been asked to delay my game and lost half the table of players.)) I had three players for my Dr Who game, a couple and a young man who wanted to play but who said his parents would be along to collect him before the end of the game. All three agreed to start. Because of the late start, they used pregens. (A shame. The male half of the couple had been planning to make and play William Hartnell. Not the first Doctor - the actor. I would have LOVED that!) So we had an Ice Warrior, a student timelord and a 1960’s hippy confidence trickster. The younger player told me he’d stepped in to run a game of The Code of Warriors and Wizardry as part of Games on Demand when Lloyd was short of GM’s. When his parents came to collect him, his dad thanked me for Golden Heroes and Squadron UK and the fun they’d brought HIM. Wow! Two generations of fans.

After they left, the couple continued alone. They were totally outpowered by the “big bad”, but out-foxed it and came up with a clever solution to the scenario I’d never seen before – and I’ve run it countless times. Obviously with only two players the game wrapped up two hours early and I offered to take the couple down for request a partial refund but they said they’d enjoyed it and it wasn’t necessary.

So I packed up and set off home a bit early.

Two last things:

1) I’ve put in double brackets above things that didn’t work perfectly at Expo. This is for full disclosure and honesty and not to criticise anyone or the event. In an event this size there are bound to be glitches and you’ll see that these were all fairly minor and easily resolved.

2) I’d been asked to be “Room Captain” for my room. It turned out I was down to be “Iron Room Captain” and do it for the whole weekend. Though the role is a minor (but useful) one, I found it stressful. I was so busy playing my game that I missed a group of players without a GM in my room. I felt bad about that. Then there was one group – against the run of play – that over-ran by almost three quarters of an hour, which meant, theoretically,  I couldn’t leave the room. (Of course I found a way around it.) I may not volunteer for the role next year. If I do, it will be for a limited number of sessions.

Final thoughts? Expo has always been good but this year felt brighter, happier and even better organised. I need to think seriously about what I want out of 2019. Is there any point in putting a game in for an award if you’re not trading in the main hall to promote and support it? Do I REALLY need to run 8 (9 if you count Thursday night) RPG games? I probably need some time off to enjoy (eg.) The Dark Room or maybe run some Games on Demand. ((The price of beer at the event and especially in the Hilton remains immorally high.))

But despite all the stress in the run-up and disruption to my plans at the event, Games Expo 2018 made me HAPPY.