F:AT CAMP (aka This Convention Of Ours)

Barnes - the BA Barracus of Ameritrash.

Ha ha! "I ain't playin' no board games!"

You so need to post a pic of yourself wearing a "MR. T starter kit" array of gold jewelry!

I think Uba makes a great point, too, about the uneasiness of people meeting others they know only on the internet, especially at their home. It can be dangerous as well; Uba told me someone had some violence done to them at a meetup, and that could be bad juju to have the cops show up and have to explain that someone got shot at your house while playing Ravenloft...

It will be hard for me to get away unless school isn't in session. As a teacher/professor, we can't just take vacation time for these things (unless it corresponds with a conference where I'm giving a paper like Trashfest South with Steve). So chances are I wouldn't be able to make it.

As far as having people that you don't know other than over the boards...it is a bit scary. My wife thought I was INSANE that I was staying at Steve's house with people I didn't know at all...which did make me hesitant. But, I gotta say, Steve was as perfect a host as you could ask for...don't listen to his self-deprecating tone on food...he did great when it came to food! Seriously, Steve Avery is as good a man as you'll find on this earth.

(On the alcohol...he had a great Green Goblin mixture...but we can all buy more beer next time!) I don't think I could have done it without Steve putting me up for the night with airfare, travel to airport, etc. It might not work every time--but I think all of us that showed up from afar were already known on this site for almost 3 years by that point, so it eased some of the nervousness along those lines.

Atlanta was a pretty great place for gaming (other than the traffic and travel) with Launius and the Mercer meet up (no alcohol there, though), it was different. I think the night at Launius' house and at the clubhouse the next day provided the best gaming of all.

Since I toured full time in a hardcore band for years and booked shows for even longer, I'm totally down with staying with/having over total rando weirdos. No gamer could compare to some of the totally insane stuff I've dealt with just trying to get some sleep. I suppose it helps being a relatively big dude who likes to fight so the idea of having to toss someone out doesn't really bother me either.

It's not a hotel, but I'm pretty sure I could be able to somehow finagle a bunch of space at the college for a weekend. I bet some other people could make that kind of thing work too.

No probs here either with staying with strangers - I left home when I was 17 and my life (very) regularly involved crashing somewhere with people I hadn't known for long or at all. Just another adventure to look back on and smile over when you're summing up your time on this planet.

I was a bike messenger for close to a decade (unfortunately!) and did a lot of traveling in quite a few countries and all over the states, always crashing with other messengers in their various hometowns. I never toured extensively, but I have traveled with bands and crashed on the floors of promoters houses or folks in the punk scene. The thing about these examples is that you share either a lifestyle, a job, a scene, and/or many common interests with these people. There's more there than just a common interest in gaming and perhaps pie.

When I told my lady that I was going to Connecticut for a day of gaming and that I might be staying over at someones house whom I had never met before in the event of things going late she was incredulous. First she thought it might be some kind of elaborate ruse. Then she thought I was crazy. Finally she just ribbed me mercilessly. I thought nothing of it until I got to New Haven and called Matt Loter to pick me up. That's when I started to get nervous. "What the hell was I thinking?" I said to myself. If things went awry I had no exit strategy.

As it turned out I was worrying needlessly. After a quick spot of lunch at Matt's house where I met his wife, I started to relax. We hit the road, and within a few minutes we realized that we had a few good friends in common. I started to relax some more. We arrived at Uba's and everyone was as friendly as could be. I seetled into a game of Scorched Earth within 15 minutes, and after that it was like we all knew each other. Which I guess everyone else did, now that I think about it, but either way, things weren't awkward at all. For me at any rate. And I got to play three games that I would never have had a chance to try otherwise.

Of course thiis might not be the experience that everyone will have, so there might be some well deserved trepidation. I completely understand folks being hesitant to let people they only know from the web into their homes as well. That's why I think the Conn Con idea is a great one. That being said, the people posting on this site really seem to be a lot more together and cool than on some other game sites, and I'd be much more hesitant to get together with strangers from there. If this thing get's off the ground, I'll be there for sure. And thanks again Uba, for putting on such a fun day, and making me feel so welcome. Matt too. Great bunch of folks here, I look forward to doing it again.

I might be around Atlanta in one or two years.

I've done my fair share of "crashing" on the floor, couch, sharing beds etc...While it's Ok I'm pretty much done with that if I can avoid it. Meeting new people can cause a little nervous trepidation in a lot of people. If this is to be an open event then it should be held somewhere public where we can have private/shared rooms whatever. Open gaming area where no one is put out. I think this is a great idea and has some legs. BA Barnes is on a leash, someone can try to spring 'em.

Just my two bits. Besides, I'm too squeaky clean and quiet...

All the years tree planting and living like a hippie has me a ok with sleeping at strangers houses, showering with strangers, and even sexing them up on occasion.

If this were in Vancouver I'd let people stay over at my place (assuming my wife is ok with it), but Atlanta is not going to happen any time soon, although I'd love to check out that city, it's just too far away. If it is further north then I might be down.

If it is during the winter months I would prefer Atlanta, but if it is in the summer months the NE would be better. Spring and fall area draw between the two.

Dan

I just realized if Barnes is BA then Avery must be Murdock.

I'll definately pull together a game event in 2011 and put up people who want to make the trek. If it gets big, I'll check into rates for local hotels for any overflow that I can't handle.

If we are planning on an 'official' F:Attie Con then Gamedays might be a good choice. It is close to Baltimore airport, the con was decent and the liquor store is very close. It was a little uptight (do you really need three seperate laptops to check me in...?) which made me rock the boat but the ATers took over one corner of the room and had a great time.

I will probably have to register under an alias because of my antics....

Steve"he who pokes hornets nests"Avery

Bulwyf wrote:

If F:AT CAMP is wargamer friendly, I could be interested. I like the ATL idea for loaction.

-Will

The fact that I'd be there would make it wargamer friendly. I'd even haul down this footlocker worth of ASL stuff just so you could slap me around in person.

I normally drive to Atlanta every year for New Years Eve, but Widespread Panic ain't playing this year, so I'm gonna need my Mary Mac's Tea Room fix from some other source this year....

Amtrak also runs down the East coast on the cheap and stops at the airport and in downtown Baltimore. That would work for Game Days as well.

The cheap trains have dining cars with tables about 3 feet by 5 feet -- I used to get in on Pinochle games when I was commuting into NYC on them. It takes longer, but if a couple of people get on the same train they could play the whole way down and back.

Or just drink, one of the two.

S.