Recon 2015 - Some Things Never Change

This weekend was the Recon game convention here in Orlando. I was scheduled for the entire weekend, whereas Jeremy got a day ticket for Friday since he was leaving (left) for Peru today. We hadn't attended Recon or Hurricon in about seven years, so we were interested to see if anything had changed. Overall, it seemed smaller than we remembered, but that could just be our imagination. I had pr-registered up a Sword in Africa game at 2pm. Jeremy signed up for the battle of Ligny using Commit the Garde! rules taking place at the same time.

The Sword in Africa (aka "Bored in Africa")
The Sword and the Flame happens to be one of the few miniature game rules that I actually enjoy playing, but it has not hit my table in years. As a result, I was looking forward to playing the African variant. I even wished I could have brought along some of my explorers, who have been cooped up in their boxes far too long!

I'm Waiting...I'm Waiting...I'm Waiting...
Below are some photos of the large table, along with some closer detail shots. I got a lot of inspiration from that table, which has gotten my Colonial itch going. Unfortunately, I never really got to play the game! Even though I was one of the first people at the table, I basically became the 13th wheel among the typical gathering of buddies that this conventions seem to be. It's always nice to be ignored by the game runner for 15 minutes, while I just sat there staring at the table. Sigh.

You Can't See Me!
Then we "got our assignments" after the crew discussed what they were doing. I had no idea what I was to do other than play two native units "in hiding". This meant I sat there for multiple turns waiting to "surprise" the explorers, who pretty much knew I was sitting there waiting to surprise them. At least I got to sit for a while. Sigh.

Enough is Enough
Anyway, I got tired of doing nothing at all and bailed from the "game," which as I mentioned was meant more for all the buddies to get together and play. Some things never change.

All Boring on the Ligny Front
I popped over to my son's Ligny game. He had been given the "southern' French flank, where literally nothing had been happening turn after turn. His opponent, a gentlemen my age along with his teenage son, commanded the "southern" Prussian flank, where likewise nothing had been happening. (In real life,the soldiers would have been loving it!)

I "took over" for his son's command, while his son went swimming. Basically, I sat down and opened my tablet to play several games of "Hey! That's My Fish!", which was far more fun than anything else going on. The fellow decided to open his laptop and get some work done, while the guys playing the center and northern flank got their battle on, pretty much oblivious to us. My total lack of knowing the rules appeared not to be a hindrance at all! Sigh.

We Are Outta Here!
That's when we called it quits, having had enough. My arthritis was flaring big time, causing me to take one step a second and lots of pain. I was not going to hang around for the flea market. I was really excited to play the Black Cross / Blue Sky game that evening, which would have been fun. But I never would have made it. Instead, I fought 5 o'clock rush-hour traffic home. I didn't bother going Saturday, choosing to sleep most of the day instead.

Some More Photos From the Con
Here are some more photos from the con.

Well, I officially am done with game conventions. Over the years, I have given them my best shot, and they just do not appear to be for me. While I might have some fun here and there, such as playing Black Cross last summer, game cons down here feel more like an excuse for a bunch of buddies to get together and play games with their buddies.

HMGS-South - You All Need Some Serious Therapy!
From what I read in the Rebel Yell, the HMGS-South cons will be experiencing a big cost increase in the coming years. They want people to get the word out about the cons in order to increase attendance. Personally, the regulars going to the con and running the con need to change their perception of why they are holding the con. My son is an MBA student at Rollins and has created a number of successful growth and marketing plans for small businesses here in Central Florida as part of his studies.His main specialty is high-end fund raising events. He just shakes his head. Everything an organization can do wrong, he feels, HMGS-South is doing wrong, and could care less.

We really do not care anymore. Both of us are done with the gaming scene here in Central Florida, not that we were ever really a part of it. I'm committing myself to solo gaming, or gaming with my son, or maybe a non-gaming fellow or two from church. And that is it.