Well, I ran Red Dawn at Canyonside for GameDay this past weekend. While there were only four players (rather than the normal 6 to 16 like I am used to) it was still a blast.
The primary takeaways:
1. The Phase (and all of the other Correspondent Aspects, for that matter) are going to have a flat STUN cost that is paid each round the are used. Though well balanced, the die roll annoyed me and slowed the action down.
2. The Phase aspect needs to be better clarified, and some of the concepts from the Brih'ja Dunian Time Exempt Construct need to be added to give the players some shape as to the way the aspect works. This clarification is also going to force me to classify the outline and classify Equilibrium/Levitiate aspect once and for all (is it telekinesis or is it adjusting one's phase or density with reality?)
3. The mentalics were brutal on the players. While definitely out of genre, they also served to really make the bad guys especially alien to the players and kept them on their toes. I really need to make them a bit more an integrated part of the campaign. This probably means making them a bit more accessible to all the players by lowering the aspect point costs.
4. There were a LOT of players playing one or more forms of D and D. Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro, in their bid for the whole profit salami, really seem to have fragmented the community. Idiots. The most interesting thing was the number of people I found still playing first or second edition! I wouldn't be surprised if we see a resurgence of the old versions at GenCon in 2013.
5. Small cons are so much more personal and down to earth than GenCon! I really liked the way all the guys and girls I met there brought into "the fold". I felt so relaxed and had such a great laid back time, that I've decided on my off GenCon years I'll be hitting two or three of these little "cons" just because it was so much fun!!!. While I missed Gary Con this year, I will be hitting that one next year as well as a few more GameDays...
