Day 19 of #RPGaDay2024 and we move from a Memorable Moment to "Sensational Session"
I know if I dig through 35 years of gaming, I'll find that one perfect four hour timeslot, but why do that when I've already mentioned my favorite two-hour time slot... and a convention.
I know I've repeatedly sung the praises of River Horse Press' licensed My Little Pony: Tails of Equestria Storytelling game. It's beautiful in it's simplicity and is far superior to the overproduced and overpriced Renegade Studios attempt. For years I actively ran multiple sessions of Tails of Equestria at a local convention, MEPACON.
I would run games in two hour time slots. I always placed the games in children's track, although everyone was welcome to play. Better yet, I allowed the kids to keep the pony they made at the table, and "level them up" each time they played at my table, be it that con, or a future one.
While most of my players were kids, their parents, and the occasional tolerable Brony, things didn't escalate into awesomeness until the BRO-nies showed up.
Brandon and Anthony were two college-age guys who had two open hours and signed up for the game, partly for fun, partly for a challenge.
Everyone was having a good time, but as the game progressed, it was obvious the young girl playing the pony Harmony was heading for direct show-down with the captain of the gnome legion threatening Ponyville. When that showdown took place, I expected her father on his feet, cheering his own , I expected the other kids hopping up and down, but the Bros were the first ones on their feet, standing on chairs, tossing Tokens of Friendship (think Savage World super-bennies) to improve her rolls every time she faltered, cheering raucously with each success until the gnome legion was vanquished.
It was like Barstool: The RPG.
Kids get excited when they can play a game with their parents.
Parents are excited to play with their kids.
These two guys took that energy, and the developing drama, and ran with it.
It also helps that gnomes were involved in my favorite convention game, even if they were the bad guys.
That is the reason I run kids events as RPG and wargaming conventions.... and sometimes, if you lucky, and big kids show up in the right way.
No comments:
Post a Comment