As well as going to lots of games conventions, I keep my eye out for other "hobby" conventions. I like to take my "Choose Your Adventure" set-up of short (typically one hour) TTRPGS demonstration games. This is a wonderful hobby, but you need to try it out to see what it's really like.
A couple of weeks ago, I came across a Steampunk event called "The Town that Never Was'", due be held very shortly.
This piqued my interest for several reasons. Firstly, it's a Steampunk convention. Steampunk is a term whose definition is firmly equivocated by its advocates. More of a mood than a genre. Not quite a re-enactment society for a History that Never Was. It usually involves ornate dressing up and there are lots of pith helmets, goggles, bustles and the occasional feather. Personally I love the alt-history redolent of H G Wells and Jules Verne element of the hobby and have always found Steampunks to be entirely splendid people.
Then there was the fact that the event was organised by "The Ministry of Steampunk" who had organised the wonderful "Asylum" event I'd sampled in 2018 - and to which I'm returning in 2019. So I knew it was going to be well organised.
And it was being held at the reproduction Victorian village at Ironbridge Gorge. The perfect setting and somewhere I'd never visited. Apparently this was the third time the event had been held there.
Finally the theme was "The War of the Worlds" - specifically a world just after the Martian defeat.
This was all like catnip to me! So I dropped the organisers a line offering my games. Their initial response was that there was no space left. Hardly surprising! However, a day or two later they got back in touch to tell me they'd found an office for me - next to "The Martian Expeditionary Force".
A quick bit of research found that this was a Steampunk group whose conceit was that they were trying to recruit people for a free trip TO Mars (nothing being said about the return journey) and, failing that, to get people to donate their various germs and ailments. So I swapped a couple of emails with their leader and he agreed that my office could be called their Training Department. So I came up with a short scenario based upon their conceit which he approved of.
As with the Asylum event, there were the large daytime events with a separate, smaller, tightly ticketed, evening event for an additional charge. These are music/dancing type shows and didn't interest me, personally. The museum is in Telford, only about an hour's train journey from Birmingham, so I decided my most cost effective option was to travel to and from the event each day, coming home to rest on the Saturday night. Much cheaper than staying at a local hotel.
The doors opened to visitors at 10:00am, though I noted my games were on the programme due to start at 11:00am. Doors opened to exhibitors are 8:00am. I chose to arrive at 9:00am, catching a taxi from the station. I caught the waiting Black cab on the way but thereafter rang the local hire car firm which turned out to be literally half the price.
Entry was easy. I had advance directions sending me to the tradesmens' entrance. My name was on the list of exhibitors and I was escorted to my venue. This was in the the "Estate Office" a building which was partially 16th and partially 17th century. The Martian Expeditionary Force were set up in the main hallway - presumably where tenants would, in past times, have brought their grievances or come to settle rent. They had flyers and various artefacts - weaponry, retrofitted Martian technology, sinister specimens in cloudy jars etc.
As expected, they were a thoroughly splendid set of coves and took me through to my office. I must admit it, I had a bit of a shock. It was small and dominated by a large, antique, leather topped desk. Presumably where the actual Estate Manager hung out. There were two chairs, a tiny square table and a massive chest. I couldn't at first see how I could possibly play games in there.
However, the - luckily flat topped - chest could pulled away from the wall and made a perfect playing surface. There was a small bench in the main hallway the MEF weren't using which I commandeered. I brought and old school chair down from the loft and stowed the small table in a corner. My display of available games was set up on the desk and the chest lid left for playing on. (These are antiques I was messing with remember.)
Trade was slow at first. It always is at this sort of convention. There's so much for people to see and do, it's not until they've seen everything and want to rest their legs that they usually come back to sit down to play. As people came into the hall to hear the MEF's spiel, I'd explain what I was offering and bring them into my office for a chat and give them my business card.
Unfortunately things remained slow. There were a cheering number of people who remembered my games from the Asylum, and people both in and out of the hobby with whom, I had some great in depth nerdy chats. But there was just so much on at the event - a fun fair, displays, a mayoral election campaign, music, dancing, trade stall and all the usual features of the village - that no-one could spare the time for a game. The Village was still open to members of the public who were wandering about bemused at walking into the vibrant, colourful Steampunk event. I even explained TTPRGs to them.
Eventually a couple in their 70's said they wanted to try a Star Wars game. As soon as I sat down with them, a family walked in but I only had spaces for four of them. They left, and as soon as they did, the older couple changed their mind. Grrrr.
They day dragged even more because there was literally no mobile phone signal so I was unable to stay in touch with the world via Social Media in the quiet moments.
But eventually a teenage girl and her father came in. She'd heard about TTRPGs (well, D&D) and was intrigued but didn't know how to get started. I sat them down and we began my old standby - Matt Colville's The Delian Tomb run using The Black Hack (1st Ed). As always, as soon as you start playing, people come in. Another older couple joined. It seemed to me that several families came in and out. Suddenly the male in the couple said he had to leave. I think it was something to do with his blood sugar, but his wife assured me he'd be fine and they didn't need any extra help. This left the father and daughter playing two characters apiece but I was able to catch a passing mum with a slightly younger daughter to take over the characters for the final battle.
It was all a bit scrappy but absolutely worth it because it was just what the original teenage girl had been looking for. Everyone seemed to have a good time but she was especially pleased. I gave her some starting advice and suggested her dad get in touch with me (business card) for more help and advice.
Unfortunately, I didn't get any more games on Saturday. The out of the way location of the office, lack of pre-advertising and draw of many, many alternative activities all took their toll. But it had been worth it for just that one game. Anyway, I'm not going to moan because I want to stay in the good books of the Ministry of Steampunk.
After searching around for a signal,I called taxi to the station and headed home to Birmingham.
I was a bit later arriving Sunday morning due to the fact that the British Rail service doesn't start early on a Sunday. Sunday went pretty much the same as Saturday - even with me doing some promotion on FaceBook and putting my banner outside the estate office to attract passersby. But there were loads of in depth nerdy chats with people, again.
Eventually a young mother and her two - very active - primary aged sons came in. The boys were very interested in trying a game. She told them it was what their dad used to play. She told me she thought the younger boy, particularly, wouldn't have the concentration span to play a whole game, but I reassured her we could stop at any time of there was a problem.
Guess what? The Delian Tomb with The Black Hack again. (It's just so perfect.) Great fun with the boys suggesting that their mum's Halfling thief led the way and took the risks. ("You make a noise and run away. When they run after you, we'll jump out on them.") And whenever she had to make a decision, and asked the boys what to do, they insisted she decide for herself.
After about 20 minutes she said they had to go but both boys insisted they stayed, which surprised her. She couldn't believe how invested they were. We were joined by two teenagers and their dad. Not enough spare pregens (or chairs or space) so they dad said he'd watch. (He didn't. He was an ex-D&Der who couldn't resist back seat driving. It was so funny to watch.)
The adventure came to its usual conclusion with the evil Bugbear using the captured children as human shields and the characters refusing to let him go. Cue children rescued but one young boy crippled by a Bugbear mattock.
Everyone was happy, I was happy but the mum seems to have had a revelation seeing her two sons playing like that for an hour. So even though there were no other games that day and the rain started pouring down, I still thought it was worthwhile coming.
Not least because the loft area - which contained the kitchen and toilets for us - also contained an old typewriter of an ornate design I've never seen before - which should be on display in a museum - and massive my old book which turned out to be an 1832 bible. I felt as though I should've been wearing white gloves as I turned the pages.
The Town that Never Was will be back next year. Is it worth coming to play TTRPGs? No. It'll just be me again - though I'll arrange it more in advance now I know and WILL get myself a better spot. But it's worth coming for the event. You get all the usual draws of the Victorian Village plus the benefits of a lively and interactive Steampunk event. If you feel the slightest pull of the bustle or pith helmet, I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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