Month: September 2012

People often think the HAWKs are a much larger group than we are.  There are really about 12-15 regulars.  What makes us appear bigger than we are is the large percentage of folks who run games.  Just about all the HAWKs are active GMs in HAWKs meetings, in local gaming events, and in large HMGS East conventions.  What makes the HAWKs work is a dearth of hierarchy and bureaucracy.  Barrage is not an event run by a “convention team.”  It is a group effort in which everyone contributes to they extend they are able and comfortable.  Whether its organizing the event schedule (me), organizing the dealer area (Duncan), handling the back end logistics (Geoff), running games, setting up, tearing down, making sure non-HAWKs games are filled, donating food and supplies, working the registration desk, or whatever needs to be done, HAWKs manage Barrage in a decentralized manner with a minimum of fuss, angst, control, or organization.

We are checking with the Recreation Center now to see when it is available for next year, but we’d like to do it a week later in September to avoid potential conflicts with Antietem and Defenders’ Day.  We’ll publish next year’s date as soon as we confirm it.  We hope to see each of you next year.

Two nights before Barrage, I still had people signing up to run games.  In fact, I was worried about not having enough tables.  This GASLIGHT War of the Worlds game was one of those last-minute additions.  I think this was the first time these guys had run GASLIGHT at a convention, but by all accounts it was hugely successful.

This was a really interesting game.  When the game began, the players’s force were on these big tiles.  Because of the fog, the players didn’t know who was on their left or right.  As the game progressed, tiles were moved, and the table was finally filled in with additional tiles.  It’s a very interesting concept from some of the nicest people in the hobby.

Aerodrome is popular with both kids and adults.  My kids go to conventions largely just to play this game.

Tank debuted this game at Historicon 2012.  He built a representation of a cowboy train that is large enough to move figures around inside it.  The game is a cowboy Blood and Swash game.  People can run along the roof of the train, fight inside, and even gamble.  This has become a crowd favorite.

We want to maintain the friendly, low-stress feel of Barrage, but the new venue provides room for growth.  In this picture you get a feel for the size of the main room.  There is a second room about half this size.  With enough growth we have flexibility to move tournament play into that room or put large, mega games in there.   We will grow slowly so as not to sacrifice the local nature of Barrage.  We need to add about 20 more games next year.

From left to right:  Geoff, Eric, Steve, Duncan, me (seated), Dave, Kurt (Charlie Brown shirt), Don, Chris (seated), Mike, Greg, and Tank (kneeling).  Missing from the picture are Rob, Ken, Norman, William, Don S., Bruce, and Jennifer.  My wife, who worked the food service with Jennifer most of the day, took the picture.  You’ll be hard pressed to find a more active, friendly, or productive gaming group anywhere in the world.