Countdown to Origins 2017

Want to know where Heroes of Altamira is playing next or want to beg someone to bring HoA to your own local con? Look no further.

Re: Countdown to Origins 2017

Postby Black Jack Rackham » Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:08 am

So, my annual Good/Bad/Both post (now that I've had a little time to recover).

Good
Registration - This was, bar none, the best year for getting badges/event tickets. Did have a little snafu when it came to Ken's events but fortunately I got it solved in maybe 10 minutes. Big plus for being able to get other folks' badges this year!

You All - Every year I make it to Origins it feels more like a family reunion (complete with that cousin who gets crazier each year ;) ). It does make me miss you all more when I'm not there though. And, to be real honest, Roger and Connie's idea of having a second get-together half way is starting to sound not all that crazy...

The Weather
- Sunny all the way out and not even a hint of tornadoes during the con. Sure it was hot but we all expect that, and frankly, it's not like we have to go outside all that much anyway. (though I did get in one hell of a storm on the way back, the kind that makes you slow down to 35 because you can't see the road. And even that was good for keeping me wide awake).

The Drive - would have been real quiet if Black Jack Justice hadn't kept me company. 48 episodes to get there and back and it's rekindled my love of the show. Been listening to it on the various drives I've had to make since getting back.

And of course, Running HoA - I may not say it often enough, but I do love running this campaign. I love seeing the looks on players' faces when the other shoe drops, or when they realize what the horrible pun was that I based some adventure on, or even just when they make a clever remark or deduction that puts them back on track. I also love hearing feedback from players who've just run an adventure with Dave, Ken, Sam, Alexandra, Laura, or (now) Stephen, where they breathlessly tell me all about their heroic daring-do. And yes, I even love hearing about characters and seeing the looks on player's faces as they tell me about their backgrounds or where they see the characters going over the course of the campaign. And I ESPECIALLY love to see the looks on my fellow GMs faces when they obviously had a good time running (so yes Dave that means when you say you won Origins, I won too)

Bad
Played Game - Ok honestly, less BAD and more DISAPPOINTING. Happened to get into a game of Kuro (like I did last year, same folks too), and was really looking forward to it (after all I had a great time last year). BUT it was virtually the exact same game. Oh I don't mean I'd accidentally replayed last years. No it was a different adventure but the format was identical, summoned to a temple (really THE temple since it was the same place we'd gone before) told there was some missing person and to go find them, find monster, defeat it, voila. I was hoping for, well, I'm not really sure. Maybe some variety. It seems to me like the GM is just flipping through the book and picking a random monster for us to fight then building some story behind it.

Sleep - I was especially bad this year about getting enough sleep. That combined with my body's decision to wake up every single day at 6am meant that I very nearly nodded off a couple of times in game. That's not ok. I really need to get more sleep.

Tarot Deck - We have an honest-to-goodness Fate Witch player now (well she's actually the second but our first hasn't been back in a good 3-4 years). And somewhere in that time, I seem to have misplaced my Tarot Deck. So I was unable to show her the cards when she looked at folks' arcana.

Both
Game Attendance - Mixed bag, I think our numbers were down, and I worry (as I often do) about future events. BUT then I started thinking about how much fun I was having. And it turns out I really like having smaller tables. 5-6 people rather than the usual 8-9 makes for a heck of a lot better time, for all!

Origins Numbers - They reported over 17k in unique attendance this year. Didn't seem like they had lots more people, but apparently so. I'm glad they're going strong as I was worried about the future of the con a couple of years ago. BUT now that they've got it together I worry what larger numbers might mean for the con (having seen what a yearly increase in attendance has done to GenCon)

Highlights
Something new for this year, I thought I'd mention some of the things that'll stick with me over the course of the year.
1) Team Heretic drag-racing through the clues in Ep 14 because they've already got a handle on what's going on.
2) Katie's admirable defense of her fellows, even in the face of having to fight one of her comrades ;)
3) The look on Deb's face when she first met her intended (and the laughter that accompanied my pouring water into my snapple bottle).
4) Hearing all about our new folks and what fun Dave had running for them.
5) Our late (VERY LATE) night talks about, well, whatever.
6) Running Ep 1 again after a very long hiatus.
7) Watching our youngest player (who plays an actual child in-game) take on the shadow beast single-handedly (just for future reference, a fate-witch does not need to see you to follow your strands, and that's just as good a reference for aiming).
smafdi wrote:STOP BEING SO DARN POPULAR GUYZ SRSLY I NEEDZ MEH GAMEZ TIHS YAER!!!

kenderleech wrote:If the cows were not meant to be ridden, why would they be so close to the chase scenes?
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Re: Countdown to Origins 2017

Postby Eyeheartawk » Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:52 am

Black Jack Rackham wrote:And, to be real honest, Roger and Connie's idea of having a second get-together half way is starting to sound not all that crazy...


Tell me more...

Honestly, had a great time. Always great seeing the fam for our yearly reunion.
This is what happens when you mess with a stranger in the Alps.
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Re: Countdown to Origins 2017

Postby salamanca » Wed Jun 21, 2017 12:16 pm

Just for the record, I am the crazy cousin, right?
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Re: Countdown to Origins 2017

Postby CaitlinCallahan » Wed Jun 21, 2017 1:59 pm

CaitlinCallahan wrote:
Black Jack Rackham wrote:
CaitlinCallahan wrote:I'm not sure I can wait a whole year for another PA.....

I hear there are a few tickets left at GenCon...


Tempting......Might be persuaded to drive down for a day. :-)


So, the PA starts at 7 pm on Saturday night - not sure I'm up for driving home at midnight.....
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Re: Countdown to Origins 2017

Postby Sister Sonya » Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:21 pm

So, Mark, were you able to talk to Christian?
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Re: Countdown to Origins 2017

Postby salamanca » Wed Jun 21, 2017 8:24 pm

As Christian only attends GenCon... Nope.
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Re: Countdown to Origins 2017

Postby Sister Sonya » Thu Jun 22, 2017 1:05 am

Hmmm. A memory lapse. :oops:
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Re: Countdown to Origins 2017

Postby Black Jack Rackham » Sat Jun 24, 2017 12:23 am

salamanca wrote:Just for the record, I am the crazy cousin, right?

Actually my thought was, each of us has one of the players/GMs they think of as "that cousin." So yes, you are MY crazy cousin. But that could be someone else for others ;)

Eyeheartawk wrote:
Black Jack Rackham wrote:And, to be real honest, Roger and Connie's idea of having a second get-together half way is starting to sound not all that crazy...


Tell me more...

Honestly, had a great time. Always great seeing the fam for our yearly reunion.

We had a discussion about creating a smaller get together on some weekend for us to just play/run without the hassles of official start/stop times where we could just play whatever the heck we decided at any given moment.

For example Dave keeps suggesting "It Came from the Late Late Show" (which btw I am chomping at the bit to try. Heck I even went and got myself a copy of both the original rules, the revised rules and some add on I can't remember the name of just so I'd have some idea how to play.) This would give us a chance to do so!
smafdi wrote:STOP BEING SO DARN POPULAR GUYZ SRSLY I NEEDZ MEH GAMEZ TIHS YAER!!!

kenderleech wrote:If the cows were not meant to be ridden, why would they be so close to the chase scenes?
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Re: Countdown to Origins 2017

Postby Eyeheartawk » Sat Jun 24, 2017 11:32 am

That does sound pretty fun. It came from the late late show is on my rpg bucket list along with over the edge.
This is what happens when you mess with a stranger in the Alps.
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Re: Countdown to Origins 2017

Postby CaitlinCallahan » Sun Jun 25, 2017 4:32 pm

kenderleech wrote:free parking at my house.


I may need to take you up on that, Ken. Just bought my one day badge, and ticket for the PA. I wouldn't be getting to Indy till around 4 pm or so (basically, I'm spending a ridiculous amount of money just to play in the PA). :-)
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Re: Countdown to Origins 2017

Postby Dekelia » Tue Jun 27, 2017 10:51 am

I'm a new player here (Kevin). I had a great time at Origins. Dave did a great job setting the tone early in our first game (ep 2) when by brother, looking down from a rooftop on the bad guys, asks, "Is there a conveniently placed rope nearby?", which Dave responds, "Of *course* there's a conveniently placed rope...there is *always* a conveniently placed rope", lol.

We had such a great time we came back Saturday night nearly begging for another game, which Sam (assisted by Alexandra?) thankfully volunteered to run for us...thanks so much. This seems like such a great group. Exactly what I'm looking for out of RPGs.

I wish I could do more but we'll most likely be coming back to Origins next year for a heavy level of HoA. If anyone is running anything near Orlando, FL, let me know and I'll pull a group to play.
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Re: Countdown to Origins 2017

Postby Lady Grace » Tue Jun 27, 2017 1:00 pm

I never knew how cute an African wild dog could be in plush form until this Origins. Thanks again to Mark's daughter for letting me have some much needed cuddling time with him. I think Muffin's finally forgiven me.

Episode 13 spoke to my primal lizard brain and need for glorious retribution. :twisted: However, Episode 14 spoke to me as a roleplayer. That Annie zigging while everyone else zagged made sense for her in character and wasn't just me showing off my interest in a certain topic.

I highly recommend doing a LARP with Kettle of Fish Productions if you ever have the chance. They did a Deadlands Noir LARP set during the assassination of Huey Long that was a blast to play. And I was awarded MVP of the LARP, which had me getting this sweet 20th anniversary Deadlands boxset.

As always, loved going to Lan Viet in North Market for noshes. Hot Chicken Takeover, on the other hand, was disappointing.
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And here's where I try to be a writer...
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Re: Countdown to Origins 2017

Postby daundelyon » Wed Jun 28, 2017 5:41 pm

Hi Kevin! You are so very welcome! Thanks for putting up with the impromptu puppet show, and for helping create one of the most memorable runs of that episode for me and Sam.

I love the guys of Kettle of Fish. I played in their Doctor Who LARP and then proceeded to empty my brain of everything I have ever learned about genetics, cellular reproduction, epidemiology, and pathology, all while telling various aliens to sit down and keep quiet, the grown ups are talking. :)

As has become the norm, I remembered how much I miss living in walking distance of the North Market.

Overall, I had a really good time. *starts writing for next year*
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