Let's catch up!
August 7, 2022
I've been a bit busy since May, so I haven't had time to post. I have still been working on games, but the sudden turmoil of modern life has thrown a wrench into my plans to keep you updated.
New job
To start things off, in May I was able to move from a front-line position in the company to a scheduling one. While the pay per hour's a bit less than I was getting before, it's also a full-time position, meaning benefits! Unfortunately, it also means less free time to fully devote to game projects.
Starfest 2022
I was also able to go with Charles of The Fire Thieves Studio↗ to Starfest in Denver this year!
As is the time-honored tradition for someone who likes conventions but dislikes crowds, I mostly hung out in the gaming room.
The tabletop gaming room at Starfest, chock full of my kind of people: nerds.
I set up a few of my own games and invited people to play!
Me at a table at Starfest, all set up to play some Flanxiety!
Boxed copies of Asterism and Gordian Maps are also visible in the background.
Despite the apparent hustle and bustle of the gaming room, my table was pretty quiet, so I found a different open spot.
My new table after relocating to someplace a little more visible.
After a couple games I forgot to take photos of and another shift, I remembered my phone has a camera!
Two adventurous players (one pictured, the other off-screen to the left) learning how to play Asterism!
The white squares are corrections I'd made to my demo copy, due to my own error in uploading the files. This has since been rectified.
A close-up of some of the interlocking game tiles. Nearly every attempt we made to bring this shape closer to connecting just made it more difficult.
Charles even joined me for a few games of Gordian Maps!
Charles of The Fire Thieves Studio smiling for the camera as we await more players.
On Saturday, as we geared up to run and record Anyone's Game (link to the video below), I discovered that Warehouse 13 star Eddie McClintock was one of the guests! So I grabbed a ticket for an autograph and a selfie.
Myself and Eddie McClintock (Warehouse 13) at Starfest.
Interestingly, he was the only celebrity guest sitting in front of the autograph table, rather than behind it.
Later that day, it was literally and metaphorically showtime. Here's how Anyone's Game went:
Our first Anyone's Game live show!
As you can see, it was a blast! Everyone seemed very engaged, I'm proud of my hosting here, and I learned quite a bit about how to prepare and run these things for next time — and there will be a next time!
For example, I learned that drinks should not be placed on a table that you have to step around constantly. It's out of view behind the wheel on the other end, but early on I ran into the table (edited out by my good friend TJ Pownall↗), and the cup fell over. I didn't notice this until after the show and caffeinated strawberry lemonade had already soaked through a notebook and a folder.
I also learned that batteries just up and die, even when you're not using them. I was supposed to have a handheld mic here, which would have improved sound quality and consistency drastically, but I'd neglected to check all of my equipment beforehand. …I may have been running on insufficient sleep, hence the caffeinated lemonade.
And I learned in watching this back after the fact that 1080p is not a good resolution to record a whole room in. It'll have to be 2160p next time, so it doesn't look grainier than a wheat field when TJ zooms in.
At the end of the video, you can hear someone say they wanted to take a picture of the final board from the game, and, y'know what? That's a good idea:
The final tournament bracket, complete with the contests along the way.
Drag the white handle to the left to view it, or keep scrolling to remain unspoiled.
No job
A little over a month later, I received notice from the company I worked for that I was being laid off, probably as part of the merger.
They'd already revoked my system credentials, and I wasn't to come in for work that day. But at least they'd still pay me for the two weeks' notice I didn't get to give, plus five weeks of severance, since I'd been there for five years.
Five years.
That's the longest I'd worked for anyone, and I had every intention of continuing for the foreseeable future. I'd just changed over to a position I felt more at home in, and I guess in doing so I'd forfeited any seniority I might have had.
So now I'm back to job searching. I'm trying to keep it consistent, filing at least one application every day in order to prevent burnout. Especially important since last time I was unemployed and searching, I stayed that way for over a year.
TactiCon and B-Con
In the meantime, I'm still looking forward to two more conventions this year.
TactiCon↗ is a tabletop gaming convention in Aurora, Colorado, and I'm already set to have a vendor table (and a lot of merch to put on it!), as well as a two-hour slot for Anyone's Game↗ so we're not rushed at the end like at Starfest.
And B-Con↗ is another tabletop gaming convention, but with more of an emphasis on game designers, prototyping, and connecting with publishers.
Creating games is really what I want to do with my life, so if I can somehow make even a modest living at this, I'll be living the dream.
Here's hoping!
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