TheRPGSite

Part of my continuing efforts to overcome the insularity of game groups... On Monday evening we met up at PJ O'Briens in Southgate, Melbourne. I invited the GMs of four different game groups, along with their players, plus my own game group - and most importantly, several other gamers who didn't have groups. I invited 20 people in all, 9 of those came, but another 7 friends of theirs came, too. So in all there were 16 people from 5 game groups, plus a few strays. Lots of gamer contacts were made, some people got people for their campaigns, others decided to do some extra gaming with second or third groups, while still others formed a new group. So I think it was a pretty successful evening. I'll probably try for another one in about three months. It wasn't a lot of people, but it was fun, and people will be having more and better gaming because of it.

That's what GameCircle.org is about.

This is a very good idea. Glad you managed to pull it off. Over the years I've gamed with a few folks. They in turn have gamed with other people. Before, every couple of months we would all meet up and see how big the network had gotten.

Currently when we do have our meet ups there are about 20 -30 people coming (sometimes even more) and going at the specified meeting place. Nothing official just a get together of people who kind of know each through gaming. It's a very good mix of various ages.
 
We started doing this after secondary school and the tradition has endured. When I started gaming with my previous group, I kind of lost touch with the old guys/girls. Nothing to do with this group per se, just that when you game with friends, you kind of get caught up in the drama of everyday life and let things slack . Meeting up socialy with the network was one of them. I met those I knew - my old gaming friends - but didn't really have time to go for the long boozy sessions with strangers.

After we stopped playing  - for various reasons - I got a call from one of my friends from the "network" reminding me that the meet ups was still going strong. It had been a couple of years since I last attended, so I said what the hell, I went. It had been a couple of years since I gamed and was missing it, although me going to the gathering was not really to look for a group.

I just found one. One of my old friends suggested that I run a couple of games for some new folks who were in town. Although they only played d20, their GM was looking to take a break. That was two years ago. Now every Thursday night we game and yeah I make it a point to go for these kind of events. I still only game with friends (it always becomes a friendship) but make it a point to support this network of gamers.

Regards,
David R

This is just a note to bump up this thread so I remember to report on it after tomorrow. We're having another Geektogether Monday evening my time. I don't think we'll get as good attendance at this one as last time, since I've not been circulating gamers through my group as in the past, had the same people for some months, and also I've not gone to a con this year, so there are less for me to invite.

Still, I think we should get a dozen or so, and we'll see how it goes.

Good luck with that Jimbob.

 Other then at a game store that's as public as I am going to get with my part of the rpg hobby.  I can't imagine running a game in a bar or other public place.

We won't be gaming. It's just a drink and chat.

Of course we'll talk about gaming ;)

Quote from: JimBobOzWe won't be gaming. It's just a drink and chat.

Of course we'll talk about gaming ;)

That's cool.

Don't think I could do that though.  Found out I worked with a gamer but only after we were chatting and it slipped out.  Usually it's not something that I make known.

I do not feel any particular embarassment at my hobby, or shyness in talking about it. But it's not an issue in organising the Geektogethers. The way I do it is this.

• I have my own game group, and invite them. That's 4-5 people.
• I also have another two game groups I've gamed with in the last few years, and who I still keep in contact with. So I invite all of them, that's another 5-10 people invited already.
• Then I extend it to people who've gamed with my group in the past, but not now, and who I think everyone would be happy to see again, and who'd be happy to see us. That's another 4 or 5.
• Then I have GameCircle.org, and every couple of weeks some gamer pops up there saying they'd like a group. Usually I meet with them and try to hook them up with other groups I know, or know of. Sometimes it works, sometimes not - but either way, that's another 4 or 5 people I can invite.
• To all of the people who reply saying they'll come, I say that they should bring along anyone else they like and who's interested in gaming.

Okay, so that's up to 25, maybe even 35 if those invited bring others. In practice only 2/3 of the people reply to the invitation at all, and about 3/4 of them say yes. So we get, as before, about 18 people total, though only about 12 at any one time during the evening.

None of this involves telling any strangers that I game. Well, people on GameCircle.org begin as strangers, of course, but that's like coming here to therpgsite and saying you're a gamer, not really any reason to feel embarassed, you're in the company of fellow geeks ;)

It doesn't require telling strangers about your hobbies, except on hobby-oriented sites like this one. What it does require is that you keep in contact with old game groups and new. Lots of gamers when they leave a group they never bother speaking to the people again. And lots of gamers also don't bother speaking to other gamers unless they want a group right now, today. Whereas if you are more sociable, stay in touch, and are always willing to meet new gamers, then your circle of gamers you know will be a bit wider. Of course they won't all be your bosom buddies, but just like being on an amateur sports team, you can be friendly with more people than you are friends with. And of course, this means you need never be without a game group unless you want to.

Last night we met in the same place as before. There were less people than before, but I feel it was just as successful because we had just as many different game groups represented. We had

• me and my four players who play GURPS Postapocalyptic,
• an old player from my group we'd not seen since he went overseas for a bit six months ago, from the Second Tiwesdaeg days,
• one from the Fitzroy mob playing Delta Green,  
• one associated with them, previously had run Burning Wheel in a Romanesque setting
• one from the Blackburn mob playing D&D
• one from a pair of Melbourne groups playing Fudge Traveller and Tribe 8

and so it was ten people in all, but from five - or six - different roleplaying groups. The smaller numbers made it easier for everyone to be able to talk to everyone else at least for a little bit - in the larger gathering last time, a few people got missed. I was very pleased to see that normally quiet people were talkative, I think the booth and beer made things friendly. We got to hear about several very different campaigns, which was interesting. I'd gladly game with any of the people present, but found a couple I'd like to invite to my next campaign, and I think they'll be available and interested. A couple of people were able to hook up for some new gaming.

It wasn't a lot of people, but it was fun, and people will be having more and better gaming because of it.

That's what GameCircle.org is about.

Six months was probably too long between gatherings, had I had it earlier I'd have had more people. I think I'll try to make it a seasonal thing. This was the Winter Geektogether - the Spring Geektogether would then be Monday, September 3rd, the Summer Geektogether December 3rd, and so on.

I thought the real fizzer of the evening was the much anticipated cage match between JimBob and Droog.  It was all far too polite... unless things got unexpectedly heated after I left.

Anticipated by you, maybe, but not anyone else.

I already expected to get along alright with him, as I'd been told by the Fitzroy mob, "you have similar ideas about gaming to him, it's just that this is masked by your very different personas."

Actually, that's all a lie. Really I killed him with a d4 and threw his body in the Yarra.

Shoulda used the d20....

Anyway, good finally to meet the notorious JB in the flesh. Now for the Pundido!

And we're having another one tonight, the Spring Geektogether. It's looking to be have about as many people as last time, with the usual thing of a couple of new people while a couple of the old ones don't show.

I don't know if droog is coming, perhaps his curiosity was satisfied by the last one :haw:

I was going to come, but I seem to have contracted some noxious illness in the last 24 hours, and I'm sitting at home with cold tablets and tissues. Have one for me.

But beer is the best thing for colds, everyone knows that!

You will just miss the Fitzroy Mob trying to recruit you to join their Burning Wheel game they've started... RC now says, "I done got bit by the indie gaming bug!" as he GMs the thing, and asks if they want to try others. They're said they're hoping droog'll pop by!

Get well soon!

Cheers. Tell the boys I'll be in touch.

Another good night. I thought it'd be interesting to show you how since the last one we've had a bit of gamers circulating (as they should with Game Circles!)

June:

• me and my four players who play GURPS Postapocalyptic (Kyle, Aron, Emil, Nick, Graeme)
• an old player from my group we'd not seen since he went overseas for a bit six months ago, from the Second Tiwesdaeg days (Chris),
• one from the Fitzroy mob playing Delta Green (John),  
• one associated with them, previously had run Burning Wheel in a Romanesque setting (our own droog)
• one from the Blackburn mob playing D&D (Matt)
• one from a pair of Melbourne groups playing Fudge Traveller and Tribe 8 (Phil)

September

• me and my three players who play CIVIS ROMANVS SVM (Kyle, Chris, Matt, Nick)
• An old player from the GURPS Postapocalyptic game (Graeme)
• Two from the Fitzroy mob, now playing Burning Wheel (Russ and Richie - John is in Peru or somewhere)
  
• three from the GURPS Banestorm group (GM Wilfrid, Aron, Shane and the same Chris as above - their fourth, Emil skived off, the lazy sod)
• one from a pair of Melbourne groups playing Fudge Traveller and Tribe 8 (Phil)

So here you can see the Geektogether in action. The last one had helped us get together with people and recommend them to groups; the GURPS Banestorm group and my own formed out of it. We didn't actually arrange the games on that night, but reconnecting with people and meeting new ones, this helped when it did come time to form the group.

Basically, for those of us there, the people we game with are limited not by how many gamers we know of, but how much time we have. Russ wants to run HeroQuest and invited me to play when he does - but he and Rich have their Burning Wheel game at the moment, and that takes up their time. Phil's a great bloke and lots of people would like to game with him, but he already has two games a week and that's about as much as he can regularly handle. But if his groups ever have vacancies, he knows he can fill them - they're fairly tight and steady groups, though.

Soon I'll be starting a new campaign, and I'll begin by asking among those guys, since even if they're busy, they have groups with people in them who might want another game, if they hear of one they like. Behind the twelve gamers there are another twenty.

I still intend to have the Summer Geektogether, three months from now, first monday in summer, 3rd December 2007. What I might do is head to the nearby uni group and game and socialise a bit with them. I've previously been in contact with them and invited them, but with them as with others what I've found is that people don't come unless they get a personal invitation. If I say to a whole group, "you guys should come!" none do. If I say, "Anna, I'd love it if you could come and tell us about your homebrew. Bob, would you come and tell us about your fighter? Charlie, we want to hear about your new job at Sofitel," and do that individually, not in some group email, then a couple of them will come. People like the personal touch!

It's funny how easy it is to do, and yet how people don't do it. The June one came about because a couple of people emailed and asked me when the next one was. I thought, "mate, you have everyone's emails... all you do is choose a time and place and ask them to come." Beats me why it doesn't happen more often.

And now we've had the Summer Geektogether for 2007

A good turnout last night! 17 in all, as I remember it, though after 6 Guinesses and 3 other beers of provenance unknown I could be forgetting or hallucinating someone or getting names wrong. My apologies if that's so.

Those in game groups,

• Kyle, KiwiNick
• Mark M
• Matt, Mike
• Phill, Dave
• Elizabeth, Ben, Jeff
• Aron, Chris P

Groupless (as far as I know) gamers,

• Graeme, Ian, Martin (mate of KiwiNick), DarwinNick, Tom

Apologies given by,

• Dave DG (of Matt's group), Shane (of Wilfrid's group)

Name and shame! - those who said they'd come, but then bailed without bothering to tell anyone. I don't include the "maybe" people, since we all know with gamers that means "no", nor do I include those who after two weeks hadn't even the courtesy to reply either way (a single email with two or three letters "no" or "yes" is a big ask, I know).

• Dominik, Mark P.

So while a couple didn't show, we had some new ones brought in (thanks Elizabeth, Phill and KiwiNick!) so it came out alright.

Normally we find that a game group or two forms from these nights, and some loose players join existing groups. But it seems like everyone was too busy socialising to manage this. So I'll remind people that

• DarwinNick is looking to run a game in the new year, either fantasy or cowboy bebop. He is a good GM in the short campaigns I've seen him do so far.
• Aron is wanting to dip his toe gently into the waters of GMing for the first time, and has a crazy idea of roleplaying dodgy backpackers in a seedy backpacking joint. As a Hungarian he is of course crazy, but he is a fun guy with interesting ideas.
• Ian is looking for a game group, he said he doesn't care what system or how far he has to travel as long as the people are good, but that could have just been the drink talking, I don't know. He is a good guy with a great love of gaming, he even ran a game store once.
• Martin is gameless out in Seddon or somewhere near Woop Woop.
• Graeme is up for a game, too, and is new to gaming so isn't too fussed what he plays so long as gets to blow things up.

The next one will be the Autumn Geektogether, Monday March 3rd 2008, at PJ O'Briens as usual. There'd been some talk of changing the location due to the music which starts at about 9pm, but to be honest even at 7pm I could barely hear the person speaking across the table to me because of the other loud conversation going on - the music really doesn't matter.

Err, sorry about that. It completely slipped my mind.

Quote from: droogErr, sorry about that. It completely slipped my mind.

I figured you just didn't like any of us :)

That's the beaty of the Geektogether, like other kinds of parties, you don't have to like everyone there to enjoy yourself. You're unlikely to hate everyone. There was in fact in the past one person who asked why I was inviting them when they'd done nothing but insult me online for years, I explained that,

• "Just because you hate me doesn't mean I hate you."
• "It's not Kyle And His Mates Have Some Beers, it's a Geektogether - it's for everyone, even people who don't like the person organising it - much like a con."
• "Maybe if you see me having a few drinks with some gamers it'll either confirm your bad opinion of me, or change it."
• "In any case, no gamer should be without other gamers."

One of the Named & Shamed in fact is currently without a group, and would had they come have met 14 gamers they didn't know. Surely at least a couple of them would have been right for them to game with. And several of those who never deigned to reply are either without game groups, or else want an extra one or two reliable gamers for their current group, as they keep having to cancel games for lack of people.

It's a pity, really. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. I drank deep last night, and not only beer. I drank deep friendly gamer company. I wax poetic!

[/I]

'E goes on a bit, don't 'e?

When you show up to things, you get to go on as much as you like :p

Incidentally, if you decide to arrange your own Geektogether, make sure that it's at least 72 hours before your game session, otherwise one of your players might still be hung over and bail on you.

:raise:

That man needs better drugs!

And we'll have the fifth, the Autumn 2008 Geektogether, coming up on March 3rd. Attendance has been 16, 10, 11, and 17 - let's hope it breaks 20 this time! :)

Good luck with that.

RPGPundit

And now we've had the Autumn Geektogether for 2008

First up, a big mazeltov to Ben & Elizabeth, who are expecting a baby.

We had a good attendance last night. We didn't crack 20 as I'd hoped since two of the people who were likely to bring some of their group couldn't make it. But still we got up to 17 people in all, from six different game groups, with 3 groupless gamers seeking a group, and 2 groupless not seeking, just socialising. Everyone was able to meet at least a couple of people they'd never met before - including me, who was delayed by crappy public transport and was rung up and asked "where are you?" by someone he'd never met before...

Nobody got drunk this time, I think some are still recovering from the last Geektogether. I s'pose they need a couple more before they forget the suffering of last time and let loose again.

Those in game groups,

• From Oakleigh's weekly Fourth Tiwesdaeg (http://www.gamecircle.org/modules/wiwimod/index.php?page=Tiwesd%E6g+Cl%EDewen+4):- Kyle (GM), Aron, Matt
  
• From Blackburn's fortnightly AfterWorld (http://www.gamecircle.org/modules/wiwimod/index.php?page=After+World):- Dave DG. This group is GMed by Matt, and also played in by Kyle and Mike (leave)
  
• Northcote's weekly Tuesday Knights (http://www.gamecircle.org/modules/wiwimod/index.php?page=Tuesday+Knights):- Phill, Dave, Peter
  
• In Carlton, an unknown weekly campaign (I was too distracted by their real life news to ask them about gaming!):- Ben, Elizabeth, and Jeff.
• In the inner city, a fortnightly GURPS Banestorm (no webpage, slack of the GM, eh?): Graeme. This group is GMed by Wilfrid (absent), and also played in by Aron and Chris (AWL).
  
• Fitzroy's Burning Esgaroth (http://wiki.shieldmonkey.com/index.php?title=Main_Page):- John. This group is GMed by Russ (AWL) and also has Richie in it.

Groupless gamers,

• Aidan - coming to us via GameCircle.org, fresh out of school and ready to do some "real gaming", he says.
[/I]

• Colin - also from GameCircle.org, hoping to run an A|State campaign.
  
• Dominik - generally keen to game, things a bit in suspense while he waits to see if his Aussie contract is renewed, if he goes overseas or what.
  
• Emil - formerly of me and Wilfrid's groups, on a break from gaming
  
• Martin - mate of KiwiNick, works odd hours (4 days on, 4 off) so misses out on gaming.

Leave granted to,

• Darwinik, KiwiNick (of Kyle's group), Ian, Jeff Z., Mark M, Mike (of Matt's group), Shane (of Wilfrid's group)

AWL

• Chris P, Damian M, Russ, Wilfrid

And so we met again last night for the seventh Geektogether, Monday 18th May 2009, there was good attendance and it seems everyone got to chat to someone they'd never met before, as well as catch up with old gamer friends.
 
There were,
 
Chris and his Dark Heresy group meeting at RMIT, Wilfrid (Banestorm GM of same group plus Aron away in the savage lands of the Hun), Graeme, and Shane. They shared the adventures and coming doom of their party.
 
Colin blithely strolled in with the victims of his TPK in Khara Tel, Kyle and Phill, who all looked forlorn and in need of a new campaign.
 
Melissa came with her "Fly the Black" group, Aaron, Tara and Tom, actually two campaigns but I'm not sure who was in which group.
 
John came as the representative of the Fitzroy Mob, now the Inner City Mob, and told us something of the thespy communist game of being small mice with swords, and their new campaign, The Mask of NyarlotheDoomOfPCs.
 
Ben & Skiz came along, but since they're moving out to help establish a colony in the wilderness in the orclands near Bacchus Marsh, we may not see them again for some time.
 
Darwin Nick emerged from hibernation to grunt and roll over and go back to gameless sleep, offering an enthusiastic "definitely maybe" to offers to game.
 
Ian, fleeing from the conflict-ridden Western suburbs appeared to tell us more than we wanted to know about his lovelife, and traded many a drunken thrust, parry and riposte on subjects gaming and not with Colin.
 
And so, 16 people in all, with four different active game groups represented, at least 6 of whom have less gaming than they'd like to and so should be nagged by those who want to give it to them
 
Thanks all for coming, it was good to see you all, those I didn't catch up with on the night I hope to soon!
 
The game must go on!

How do you sign up to hear about the next one?

Why, are you on your way down to Melbourne?

Just send me an email. Each time one's coming up, I go through my email address book and email everyone who I know is a gamer and who's in Melbourne. I also cruise gamecircle.org, meetup.com and so on to find half a dozen new people to invite.

If you just want to hear about it but not attend, then I'll keep on posting these reports up :)

I actually live in Melbourne. My email is news at apolitical dot info , if you want to add me to your mailout list.

We have another one coming up tomorrow, it looks like it'll be quite popular. You should come too, James. It's the usual place, 6pm onwards.

This will be the ninth Geektogether. The eighth was a bit of a fizzle, just my game group of the time and one or two others, I forget.

For a while I'd not made any real efforts to expand my game circle, so any Geektogethers were rather "people Kyle has gamed with." And my invites were a bit minimalist.

I'd been talking online to another gamer, Julian, who was new in Melbourne and wanted to game. He'd put out pitches for games but got no responses. I said, "you have to personalise it, generic pitches don't do much, but if you see someone asking for a game, message them directly, like that guy Karel who just popped up on the mailing list."

He did and Karel wanted to meet up. Julian and I had been planning to meet up anyway, he asked if he could bring Karel along. I thought, if I'm meeting a couple of new gamers maybe I should bring my current group along, hey, maybe it's time for another Geektogether then.

When I came to do the invites I thought I'd take my own advice and personalise them a bit. So I sent out a group email, but said, "I'd particularly like to see Ben & Skiz, Ian, since I've not seen them in a while and would like to know how they're going. And Col and Nick have apparently given up gaming, perhaps meeting with a bunch of gamers will reawaken their love for it, or make them realise they really don't want to do it again." And so on. All my genuine thoughts and feelings, I just actually took the trouble to express them.

This seemed to work well. I dunno, it may be obvious to you guys, or at least obvious once someone says it - but personalised invitations get more responses than impersonal general ones.

The YES answers so far are,

• Tuck, Kat & Andrew with baby, from Phill's Sunday Gamers - I've never met them before
• Ben & Skiz also with baby, from old campaigns of mine, now living out in the sticks and not gaming because of that
• Aron, Graeme from my current group
• Damien, Mike from a Dark Heresy group
• Luke who commutes every weekday from a country town and is having a trial separation from his current game group
• Wilfrid, Chris, from Wilfrid's GURPS Banestorm group (Aron and Graeme are also in this one)
• Colin, one who has recently lost the buzz for gaming, probably he's only coming out of friendship, I last saw him at my wedding in December
• Julian, Karel, Roy, Djoran and a friend of his, all of whom I've not met before and got in contact with online

The MAYBES are,

• Amber, Dave and Patricia from Phill's Sunday Gamers
• Phill himself
• Ian who've I've known for years but not often gamed with, he's always travelling and starting new careers and living in inconveniently distant places

Thus we're looking at 19 definites (counting me, but not counting the infants!) and 5 maybes, not counting anyone extra who might get dragged along from those people's groups. What's best is that 8 of the definites and 2 of the maybes are people I've never met before. That is, about half the people attending are not "everyone Kyle's ever gamed with." And everyone will have around 10 people there they've never met before - most of Phill's Sunday group haven't met my circle of gamers, Roy will know nobody, and so on.

And that's what a game circle should be all about, not just one dickhead and his mates, but a real circle of gamers. I hope lots of gaming will be had by people as a result of the introductions and chats tomorrow night.

Those who want to continue receiving emails about Geektogethers in Melbourne should join the mailing list (http://groups.google.com/group/geektogether?lnk=gcimv).

We had a very successful Geektogether last night. Thanks to all!

Present

• Tuck*, Kat* & Andrew* with baby, Amber* and Dave, from Phill's Sunday Gamers, plus Phill himself
• Ben & Elizabeth also with baby, from old campaigns of mine, now living out in the sticks and not gaming because of that
• Aron, Graeme from my current group
• Damien, Mike from a Dark Heresy group
• Luke who commutes every weekday from a country town and is having a trial separation from his current game group
• Wilfrid, Chris, from Wilfrid's GURPS Banestorm group (Aron and Graeme are also in this one)
• Colin, who recently lost the buzz for gaming
• Julian*, Karel*, Roy*, new to us all and looking for a group
• Gia*, from Norway

Leave
Ian from out western suburbs

Absent without leave
Djoran and his friend didn't show

Comments
And so we had 21 people in all, including me. I consider this the most successful Geektogether so far.

The previous best attendance was around 24 people, however they came and went at different times in the evening, so there were at most 14 there at any one time; this time almost everyone came by 1830. So this was better in that everyone had the chance to meet everyone else. The 8 people marked I'd never met before.

I saw a lot of people exchanging contact details, which is good.

Tuck held forth forcefully on many gaming topics, but demonstrated the most wisdom when he scorned game balance.

Kat & Andrew had never met Phill, despite being on his Sunday Gamers mailing list for two years – the one he keeps for his fortnightly boardgames – it was a bit weird when I had to introduce him to them!

Amber walked from distant places to get there, and departed after chatting to many people, walking to a distant place again (she's involved in some charity fundraiser, I think she said).

Ben & Elizabeth I saw exchanging details with some people, so perhaps they will manage gaming despite living out on the mountain. Their daughter was very interested in crawling around having a look at things, and started to cry if held - I think she'll grow up to be a rules-light gamer.

Aron and Graeme, like the true friends they are, joined with Phill etc in mocking me. I guess gaming's not the only hobby they have!

Damien and Mike were busily recruiting for their game group, and Damien expressed an interest in taking over the gamecircle.org site, before heading off without paying the bill – I passed the hat around and it got paid, later Damien messaged and emailed to say, “woops”. I'm sure we'll forgive but never forget, and remind him of it in years to come. “You better pay for that pizza, Damien, after all that time...” “Alright, alright, damnit!”

Luke chatted to lots of people, especially Roy, but then had to take his train out to the wilds.

Wilfrid I didn't talk to at all, but he was holding forth enthusiastically on some subject or other, probably GURPS. I'll talk to him when we have our regular lunch on Thursday.

Chris said, “sorry, I'm sure I'd replied to at least some of your emails... yes I am still alive.”

Colin was exchanging details, so perhaps meeting gamers has reawakened his passion for gaming? He expressed regret that Ian was not there for him to trounce in political debates as on previous occasions (in Ian's defence, he was drunk at the time, he could perhaps be more coherent sober).

Julian pitched out for his Dragon Age game, and Karel seemed interested. I am too, but I have a month-long honeymoon coming up... He also wants to play his old Advanced HeroQuest.  

Roy displayed great spirit by saying, “Right, I'm going to be here next Wednesday at this pub in this stall to run a Cthulhu game, whoever shows up can play, who's in?” People signed up, thus showing the excellence of the Viking Hat GM approach. Gamers need someone to take the lead and make things happen! Will PJ O'Briens become a Gaming Pub?

Gia is new to us all, only two weeks off the boat from Norway and here to study. She'd got in touch with Ben & Elizabeth on the nearbygamers.com website, and they forwarded her the Geektogether details. She got along well with everyone, and I saw that Dave was especially friendly. Gia runs D&D games, and though she did not bring her books to Australia, did bring her dice – a true gamer!

Conclusion
Geektogethers have the best attendance when I personalise the invitations, and when they are arranged with only a few days' notice. They are most successful when lots of new people come and get to know each-other. I hope lots of good gaming will come out of the event.

Those who want to continue receiving emails about Geektogethers should join the mailing list (http://groups.google.com/group/geektogether?lnk=gcimv)

The "personalized invitation" advice seems both obvious and useful. I should try that soon through penandpapergames.

And did I read right? A month long honeymoon? That's fantastic news! Congratulations Kyle!

Yes, lots of things are obvious once we say them out loud :)

Just informal, "I would like A to come because... and B I haven't see for ages... and C I've never met but heard..." etc. It's all my genuine thoughts and feelings, but the sort you usually don't bother to actually express. "Well I invited them didn't I? Surely they know..." No, they don't :)

We were married in December, but honeymoon delayed to the right time when we could get the best combination of forced leave for Easter and our own holiday leave. Plus you need at least a month to go to a new country. My wife has been learning Spanish, I will get the gist of the conversation with my Italian.

A month without gaming, how will I cope? :p

At least one game group has formed as a result of the recent Geektogether. Gia, Luke and Colin will be playing Cthulhu with Roy as their GM at a venue in the city, and Roy apparently has a couple of other gamers who'll join in. They're going to play some one-offs and see how they go before committing to a longer campaign.

Julian is in the process of forming a group for Dragon Age, too.

As for forming game groups, I actually had a call a while back from Ian.

"I'd like to thank you for organising the Geektogether, I got two game groups out of it."
"But you didn't even come!"
"Yes but all those emails about it, and the way it fired up people's enthusiasm, it made things happen."

That's why I'm organising the next Geektogether for Tuesday 1st June. Any Melbourne & surrounds gamers ought to join the google group (http://groups.google.com.au/group/geektogether) for it.

Quote from: Kyle Aaron;383451As for forming game groups, I actually had a call a while back from Ian.

"I'd like to thank you for organising the Geektogether, I got two game groups out of it."
"But you didn't even come!"
"Yes but all those emails about it, and the way it fired up people's enthusiasm, it made things happen."

That's why I'm organising the next Geektogether for Tuesday 1st June. Any Melbourne & surrounds gamers ought to join the google group (http://groups.google.com.au/group/geektogether) for it.

Awesome.

Have you got something going right now, Kyle? Gaming-wise, I mean.

Alas, no current group for me, no gaming since before my honeymoon.

With my game circle, there are four people I rely on to be the core of the group. One is Freeloading Phill (http://freeloadingphill.blogspot.com/), and the pseudonyms he gives to the others are Exploding Ninja Pony, the Mad Magyar and the Blithe Bogan. I usually get one or two of those guys and then build a group around them. All four are unavailable at the moment.

This kind of took the wind out of my sails, and I've been busy with my career change since returning from Peru, not had the mental energy to chase gamers and herd them into a game group.

So for once the Geektogether is for me, too ;)

Winter 2010 Geektogether

The tenth was another successful Geektogether last night, as I counted it there was 17 people besides myself from 5 different game groups, and everyone got to meet someone new.

Present (1 and 16)

• Amber doing less walking nowadays, perhaps free for gaming? She was in and out too briefly for me to find out.
• James and Karel, gamers free of groups for the moment. James has become funnier.
• Joe is American, but we forgive him. His email name is "modernpreacher", which is interesting considering that he likes to swear loudly in churches. I guess that's just modern.
• Bastien from Switzerland, new to Australia but old to gaming. Another crazy European, the more of them we have the better. Bastien has no known profession, probably he is a ninja.
• Beau from interstate, he also brought a friend, forgive me I don't recall her name, after I bought him a drink Beau went and talked to other people instead. Beau is doing a PhD in trees and rooftop gardens. Apparently his friend "just likes to watch", I never thought of gaming as a spectator sport but there you go
• D&D Reservoir group, Andrew & Kat looking to run and play some D&D4e, they even had a brochure for their campaign, very organised
  
• Various Games Essendon, Mike and Damo. Damo had left without paying the bill last time, I had to pass the hat around. He made up for it this time by buying everyone snacks. Since snacks are the most important part of gaming after the people, I think he's a fine fellow
  
• GURPS Banestom/Dark Heresy CBD, Wilfrid and Aron. Though Wilfrid is just back from visiting his homeland France, and has his third and fourth children due in October, and Aron the Mad Magyar fell down a 10 foot pit called "PhD", so perhaps we won't see them at the gaming table for some time.
  
• Tuesday Knights Northcote kindly set aside their gaming for a third straight week of doing something else, and sent us Phill, his quiet but friendly brother Pete, and Dave, who amazed us all by not complaining about the service.
  
• Dragon Age played somewhere I forget sent us Julian.
  

Leave (6)

• Ben & Elizabeth didn't say why they couldn't come, but gave us plenty of notice, we missed them.
• Graeme got busy at work
• Roy was interstate for work
• Gitte was busy with exams
• Colin was on sick leave, he has injured himself in some way, let's send him wishes to get well soon

Absent without leave (9)

• Ian, who between directing an educational institute, looking after his daughter while his wife's away, studying, playing poker and just generally arsing about, probably didn't even see the email inviting him
• Mark, who never shows but I used to see him all the time so I keep inviting him
• Emil, who scorns our company as beneath his dignity
• Kiwi Chris, who is stunningly slack with his emails and usually responds a month later, "d'oh!"
• Luke, of whose fate I know nothing
• Brad, who never comes to anything he's invited to but keeps trying to add me as his friend on Facebook
• Djoran, who probably doesn't like mockery
• and two other guys who signed up to the email list, said they'd come, but never gave their actual names

Comments
After the last Geektogether, we had some high standards. Still, I consider it a successful one. As before, many people exchanged contact details. Kat & Andrew were passing out intros to their campaign, James is already on the mailing list organising an OD&D one-off with Karel and Beau (which is good since two of them don't seem to have had gaming recently, and one is new to town).

I expect the eleventh Geektogether, the Spring 2010 one, to be Monday the 6th of September. I'll confirm closer to the date, there are one or two interstate or international visitors we may shift the event for.

Those interested in coming to the next one should join the Geektogether mailing list (http://groups.google.com/group/geektogether?lnk=gcimv)

Okay, it's going to be on next Thursday, the 30th September. PJ's is doing $7 a pint Guiness, how can you go wrong.

Join the mailing list (http://groups.google.com/group/geektogether?lnk=gcimv) and/or email me if interested.

Last night's was the eleventh Geektogether, there were 15 people besides myself, from 4 different game groups (or 7, depending how you count it), plus the usual assortment of gameless gamers (including me!)

Present (16)

• Elizabeth and Ben, with Imagen their toddler daughter, sans gaming living in their keep on the borderlands in Kalorama. They're having a second child next month, let's wish them well and hope that the children don't keep them from getting enough time to prepare brilliant campaigns.
• Bastien the Swissman with his disturbingly French accent, popping out for a cigarette every few minutes and lamenting that it's been ages since he killed anyone and took their stuff.
• Aron, who now that he has escaped from the ravenous maws of his PhD thesis is free to live his life with dice once more
• Winston and Daniel, whose experience of gaming thus far has been limited to the stupidity of computers and online pwnage, and wish to broaden it to include more dice and snacks. Daniel is a card-carrying Greens party member, which all right-thinking people will approve. I guess he'll play the dual-classed druid-ranger.
• Dark Heresy CBD Thursdays Fortnightly - Wilfrid, Shane, Kiwi Chris and Pommy Chris. As his third and fourth children emerge into the world soon, Wilfrid has set aside his GURPS Banestorm game, and they are settled on the vagaries of the Warhammer system, with Shane expressing disappointment that the system allows less rules-raping munchkining than did GURPS4e.
  
• Tuesday Knights, aka, Tuesday, Thursday, and Sundays when I can arrange it, plus Kyle will probably conscript me into his Wednesday game, damnit - Freeloading Phill's group, which had only himself tonight. How someone with around a dozen gamers in his various groups can manage to bring only himself is beyond me, maybe he's ashamed of us.
  
• D&D4e Realmworlds Reservoir put in an excellent showing with DM Wade, game hosts Andrew and Kat and their little wriggling child, and Beau  Wade has put together a campaign of disturbing oddness and complexity which so far as I can tell has neither dungeons nor dragons, false advertising I say.
• Beau stepped out with Bastien to smoke, but I believe he may have had his own herbal cigarettes, for medicinal purposes I'm sure. He didn't offer me any, but that's alright, I'm going to be absent-minded and impotent when I'm old anyway, no need to hurry it along.
• Boronia Crew playing Battlelords of the 23rd Century on Saturday afternoons and Dark Heresy on Mondays, led by yet another Chris, I shall dub him Afrikaaner Chris. It would be Evil Villain Moustache Chris but he might have shaved it off by next time we see him.
  
• and of course your humble organiser, Kyle

Leave (6)

• Emil, gameless but I think he just doesn't like hanging out with geeks if they don't have dice in their hands
• Graeme, apparently being in Europe on holiday means you can't come for a few drinks, ridiculous
• Julian from the alternate Thursdays Dragon Age St Kilda group, his guys would rather game than discuss gaming, a bit odd but there you go.
  
• Roy, back from the UK again, but not freshly back and still jet-lagged
• Damien from the Dark Heresy Essendon Tuesdays group, caring for sick wife and child, let's hope they get well soon.
  
• Dave from Phill's Tuesday Knights group, also from the D&D4e Realmworlds Reservoir group, his personal trainer told him not to go out drinking. Since I'm a personal trainer too, I can say that she is completely irresponsible and silly, of course he should drink, he should just work a lot harder in his workouts to make up for it, squat 100kg for 20 reps, that'll do it.

Absent without leave (heaps, but that's gamers for you)

• Amber, probably still walking, maybe she got lost along the way
• Ian, most likely busy as ever, probably not gaming as none of us are good enough for him, I assume he's still alive
• American Joe, stuck down in Mornington I think
• Mark, he sticks to just sending amusing emails
• James, I think busy starting an anarchist revolution
• Mike from Damien's group, did he even know we were having the Geektogether?
• Gitte, Luke and Colin from Roy's Roythulhu Good Games CBD Thursdays group... if it's still going?
  
• everyone from Phill's group
• Karel from the D&D4e Realmworlds Reservoir group, after two years of coming to Geektogethers and finally now getting a group, I suppose he no longer has an interest in coming, we are tossed away carelessly like a fourteen year old boy's tissues.
  
• all the Usual Suspects who join the mailing list, post passionately about gaming, then retreat fearfully when confronted with the idea of actually meeting other people.

Comments
From my point of view, a successful Geektogether in that we had lots of new people who didn't know each-other, and we also had a couple of people who'd never gamed. Afrikaaner Chris has already tossed out a line to hook some gamers for his two games, and I'm sure Winston and Daniel will get something happening soon. The attendance was overall good, as with the tenth one, under a week's notice seems to work best for responses, give geeks too long to think about a social occasion and they stay home and play computer games instead.

Thanks to all who came and by good conversation and tall gaming stories made it fun. Those who bought me Guiness get +10% XP for the session, well done.

I expect the TWELFTH Geektogether, the Summer 2010 one, to be in early December, I'll confirm closer to the date.

A review of the Geektogethers so far,

The first was December 2006, but they've not been every season since then. Most are reported on this thread.

• Summer 2006 (16, 5 groups, strays 3)
• Winter 2007 (10, 5 groups, strays 2)
• Spring 2007 (11, 4 groups, strays 2)
• Summer 2007 (17, 6 groups, strays 5)
• Autumn 2008 (17, 6 groups, strays 5)
• Autumn 2009 (8, 2 groups, strays 2)
• Winter 2009 (16, 4 groups, strays 2)
• Summer 2009 (6, 1 group, strays 2)
• Autumn 2010 (21, 4 groups, strays 8)
• Winter 2010 (17, 5 groups, strays 7)
• Spring 2010 (16, 4 groups, strays 6)

On average 1 or 2 new game groups have formed out of each Geektogether, not counting my own gaming. I can't say more accurately than that because quite often the gamers don't bother telling me what happened.

For example, as I said Karel has been coming for a couple of years, I didn't know until last night he'd joined the Reservoir D&D4e group. I know Roy formed a Cthulhu group from the Autumn 2010 Geektogether, but whether it's still going on I don't know.

But anyway if 1-2 game groups can form out of each event, or 1-2 groupless gamers find a group, that's an evening well-spent, I say. It's helping overcome gamer insularity.

I think what you are spearheading is totaly cool and I enjoy reading your reports!

Wondering how something like this would go over in my area...:hmm:!

Give it a go, skofflox. Just invite everyone in your game group, anyone you know in other groups, tell them to bring their whole group along. Pitch it out to the local gamer mailing list, first geektogether or two they'll be too shy to come, after a few with your reports they'll be encouraged and come.

Make sure to be inclusive. A bloke in Sydney started one up, but it was all "if you like D&D..." so his attendance wasn't awesome. And stick with it - a bloke in Brisbane gave it one or two tries and it wasn't an immediate smashing success, so he gave up. Sure, you might get only 8 people there, but that's 8 people more than you'll get if you don't do it. And those 8 can grow into 18.

At the least your own group will come, so the worst thing that can happen is that you and your game group spend a night at the pub. Not so bad.

• invite everyone in your game group
• invite people from other game groups you know of, and get them to bring their friends
• put up invites on local mailing lists and message boards about gaming
• make it inclusive, any game, any gamer
• send out the invite in less than a week from the day, give geeks too long to think about it and they won't come
• you're the host, anyone new walks in, introduce yourself and them to everyone else, get conversation started, where do you live, what do you do, what games do you like, etc.
• note down who comes, any current campaigns and members, where and when they're being run, and who's free to game, get contact details
• after the Geektogether, send out a report something like I did, keeps people interested, and any geeks who had doubts about this time might be encouraged to come next time
• about once every three months is the right frequency, that's enough time to allow a few game groups to implode or campaigns end, and/or for people doing without gaming due to life changes to sort themselves out

Thank you for the effort of posting these reports. I really like to see a thriving community.

(Btw, what does "strays" mean? That you lost those from the last Geektogether? That you lost them after that particular Geektogether? That they were new, walk-ins?)

Quote from: Kyle Aaron;407632

• James, I think busy starting an anarchist revolution

Sorry I didn't come. I've been giving more time to writing lately.

Kyle, practical question if you don't mind. I saw upthread you said the activity is a drink & chat, not gaming. I beg your pardon if I skipped over where you addressed this, but what kind of location, physical setup, and eats do you have?

At one minicon, a bunch of attendees went out, between events, to a nearby restaurant. It wasn't bad, but I wouldn't want to schedule a get-together there. It was too noisy in general and both the seating and the type of food made mixing difficult. It was a long rectangular dinner table. A round table might have been better but those get unwieldy after a dozen people, not to mention it's hard for sub-conversations to break off.

Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;407705(Btw, what does "strays" mean? That you lost those from the last Geektogether? That you lost them after that particular Geektogether? That they were new, walk-ins?)

By "strays" I mean, not attached to a particular game group. Like a stray dog rather than a pack dog ;) Ideally the strays hook up with each-other or an existing game group at the Geektogether, and next time they're part of a group, no longer stray.

Quote from: Elliot WilenKyle, practical question if you don't mind. I saw upthread you said the activity is a drink & chat, not gaming. I beg your pardon if I skipped over where you addressed this, but what kind of location, physical setup, and eats do you have?

I keep forgetting to take my camera... It's a pub, an Irish pub (http://www.pjobriens.com.au/pj_main.htm). It has cubicles, the space we go to is semi-enclosed (walls to waist/chest height) and can fit about 12 people. Another few people can fit around the outside standing and leaning, or in small groups chatting.

The booth consists of a long couch along three-quarters of an oval shape, and a few small tables in between, and some low stools. So in the beginning, a person can be heard by at least half the group.

This booth is the far side of the pub to where the bands play, but the bands usually don't start until 9pm. By that stage a few people have gone home (eg the two couples with children), and everyone left has a few pints in them and they're loud anyway even without the music playing.

Usually at 6-7pm the conversation is mostly me or someone else talking and the whole group listening, but by 9pm when the band starts the ice is broken, the 12 or so people around are in groups of 2-4 having chats. So it doesn't matter if the people in the next group can't hear them.

People are always up and down getting drinks and so on, this breaks up the little groups as the person will tend to talk to someone else on the way back with their drinks. Most people keep circulating around that way.

Food is just whatever's on the menu. Usually about half the people order a proper dinner, others get dips or hot chips, etc. Drink is, well, Guinness :)

In terms of mixing, I have found that the limit is how outgoing and interested the person is, not the circumstances. Some people will barely say a word the whole evening, others will talk to everyone for at least a few minutes. Some stick to talking to those they know already. Obviously, those who are less willing to branch out tend to find that they come to many Geektogethers and yet still don't have a game group, or new members for their own group. Those who talk to everyone end up conscripted into several games ;)

We have had several people who don't drink alcohol, those don't seem to hook up for gaming. This is why I emphasise the importance of snacks in gaming, sharing food and drink binds people together, "I don't drink, and no I won't have a coke," tends to put a little wedge between people.

Thank you for the pointers. When I give it a go I will post my results! :)
  cheers all!

I didn't run one at all last year, but that's what having your first child does to your gaming life!

Next one will be January 25th.

Promotional trailer here (http://youtu.be/e1qk1zDd9Q0).

2012 JANUARY 25

We had a good turnout last night, 20 people in all.

PRESENT
Ben the Rugged Indoorsman and his wife the onetime MUD Mistress Elizabeth came along, and Elizabeth was kind enough to lie about how much fun she had in my Tiwesdaeg campaign some years ago. They then announced they were leaving to attend to their plague-ridden children, but were still seen conversing happily half the pass of a glass later. Rumours that their children were being babysat by Bargle the Wizard could not be dismissed out of hand.

Chris the Bruce showed up and spruiked his D&D4e campaign a bit, but we like him anyway. I was disappointed not to hear once more his rendition of a Scottish dwarf. Since dwarves live in holes underground, constantly dig for mineral riches, enjoy copious amounts of lager and their women are rare, hidden and bearded, I'd always imagined them as coming from Coober Pedy, but there you go.

Daniel the Luckless, who if I recall correctly used the last Geektogether to enter into the lofty realms of tabletop gaming, showed up to share stories of all his characters who'd been killed in various games he'd played. He'll be playing in Chris the Bruce's game group, which since it's D&D4e, we all hope he enjoys boardgames.

Gavin, the ad hoc webmaster of the rpg dungeon, went looking for geeks and found them, introduced himself, and then showed a flattering interest in my profession of personal trainer, perhaps he's considering a career change, though when I confirmed that not all personal training clients are hot chicks in lycra he seemed to lose interest.

Graeme showed up and looked tired, apparently unlike people like Freeloading Phill he is burdened with working for a living.

JMW the Kiwi gatecrashed and was welcome, and we shared memories of the fizzled game club Renaissance Gaming, which morphed into Zone One Gamers, and was later distilled into the thespy liquor of the Fitzroy Mob, still going strong despite the exile to Wellington of its charismatic leader Russ.

Julian strolled casually in and began regaling us with tales of his Dragon Age game, which apparently requires detailed descriptions of blood, gore and viscera spilled like a burst lot of Heinz's tinned spaghetti. He brought with him the extremely outgoing and geeky Candice, whose favourite game is D&D3.5, which is to say, her favourite game sucks. But if we can forgive Chris the Bruce we can forgive anybody.

Karel, who like Daniel the Luckless was first introduced to gaming by way of the Geektogethers, came along, and had much to say, but little of Julian's GMing.
Kiwi Nick, who it seems only yesterday returned from the humid urban jungles of southeast Asia, attended all too briefly, and so far as anyone could tell bought absolutely no-one but himself a drink.

The appearance of Kiwi Chris brought the number of Kiwis to at least 3, prompting me to remember the words of Macbeth, "What, will the line stretch out to the crack of doom?"

Rob the devotee of Old School retro stupid play, former primary schoolteacher now turned corporate monkey, brought along his childhood friend Shane.
Roy the vegan Briton came along to inform us that his busy cosmopolitan jetsetting lifestyle was taking him to England's rainy climes once more, but he still wanted to roll up a character for Kiwi Chris' Dark Heresy game, so that when he was once again sentenced to transportation to the colonies, he'll be ready to rock and roll.

Wade showed up again after a couple of years, and I still didn't talk to him, but Chris the Bruce talked to him a lot, perhaps he knows him well enough to make fun of him now.

Wilfrid appeared and told us a little of his extraordinarily long-running GURPS Banestorm campaign, which has now moved onto the blistering pace of one game month per real year.

ABSENT
Amy, the companion of Kiwi Chris, thought better of spending the evening with a bunch of geeks, and so didn't show up.

Beau the Mad Scientist penned an electronic mail at a quarter to six to inform us that an unfortunate lab accident prevented his attendance. His exposure to the accidental detonation of a gamma bomb cannot be confirmed, but a large green man resembling Lou Ferrigno was seen leaving the university grounds later that night. Don't make him angry.

Damian, having the more pressing business of losing hands of poker to attend to, did not appear, leading Julian to comment, "it's not a real Geektogether unless Damo's here to leave us with his dinner and drinks bill."

Freeloading Phill feared there might be a duel between some of us representing Old School and the apparently thespy Paul, and so fled to the cosy confines of his dusty hovel in Westgarth.

Jon, a man unknown to all and sundry, who had proudly announced he was now in the country, was not seen. But there was a mysterious cloaked stranger sitting in the corner of the tavern with his cowl pulled over his eyes. None dared speak to him, and a distant DM's voice was heard to curse, "that's the adventure hook, you fools!"

Paul emailed to tell us all about his games of InSpectres, Capes, Polaris, and so on, he then simply failed to show up and thus gave us no fun at all. We were unsurprised by this since unfulfilled promise is a common feature of thespy New School play. His nonattendance is a pity since I'd got a spare copy of the AD&D1e DMG to give him to tell him the Right And Proper way to play.

The mysterious Tom, game tablemate of Julian and Candice, could not be seen, perhaps he was Hiding In Shadows.

CONCLUSION
All seemed to have a good time, and I saw a lot of contact details being exchanged, if only so people could complete their old sets of AD&D1e figurines. Only two people bought me a Guiness this year (thanks Jules and Rob!), the third I had to buy myself. This was a disappointing tally, dwarfed by the 8 Guinesses I had one time, the same year Damo's friend Matt had to take three days off work afterwards. Only 2 pints? Ridiculous! Why do you fools think I organise these things?!

But still, there was much talk of gaming and more gaming to come. I suppose you might say we met in a tavern and decided to adventure together.
Thankyou all for coming and helping make it an excellent night.

2013 JANUARY 31st

The first Geektogether was December 2006, this was the 13th since then.

When I showed up, we were not in the Poet's Corner. Julian and Dave had protested but been fobbed off for the better part of an hour, I spoke to the staff and they explained nothing had been written in the book, perhaps the manager who took the booking partakes of too much of the pub's product. Five minutes later we were in the right place.

We had 14 people attend representing 6 different game groups - with some overlap - and 6 people who as far as I know have no game group.

PRESENT
Roy Taylor CBD Caltrops
Julian Dellar CBD Caltrops Glenroy Dragon Age
Graeme Wilson RMIT ejectees
Phill Webb GROUPLESS
Wade scifi easterly
Daniel Kinsman GROUPLESS
Amber & friend GROUPLESS
Bastien Burkart GROUPLESS
Mark Moncrieff Reservoir Dogs
Shane Harvey RMIT ejectees Caltrops
Chris Pritchard CBD Caltrops
Luke GROUPLESS
Dave Tuesday Knights

LEAVE
Ibrahim Peasell CBD Caltrops
Emil Zanettin GROUPLESS
Damien Wilman Western Orcs
Mike Dwyer Western Orcs
Nick Melchior Brunswick Bashers
Robert Stephens CBD Caltrops Glenroy Dragon Age

ABSENT
Ben & Skiz unknown
Wilfrid Legoussouart RMIT ejectees

Dave was the first to show up but was still the last one to order his food. He lamented that in 6 years they hadn't changed how they made their wedges, though how many ways one can cut up and fry a bit of spud is surely limited. Mark reiterated his previous opinion that potatoes are so good, they should be an honourary meat.

Roy came along and told people about his vegan fasting lifestyle which caused bewilderment among the gamers since cheesey snacks are as essential to gaming as dice and ham acting. His players sternly rebuked him for the sin of not reading the module. Roy has committed to a more professional approach in future, staying up past midnight to calculate xp, though the treasure still hasn't come through to his players so he obviously has some work to do.
Shane shared his continuing glee at munchkining the fuck out of GURPS in Wilfrid's campaign, which is apparently on hiatus while they play Dresden Files. I asked if you could play a flying bear with laser beam eyes and was told, "probably not," at which I declared that the game was obviously inferior to World of Synnibar.

Daniel told us of going for a long drive with some friends and introducing them to roleplaying, using the license plates of passing cars as his resolution mechanic. It is unclear whether his group managed to kill everyone and take their stuff, however.

Amber brought a friend who she did not introduce, so he shall have to remain anonymous, perhaps he was just her valet.

Luke appeared for the first time some years after joining the mailing list and told us about the Hulk going on trial in a comic, or some such story. At this point I informed him that a Geektogether tradition is that since Kyle organises the things, everyone has to buy him a drink. It's not really a tradition but I keep trying to make it one. He said, "I thought you were going to say, the tradition is the new guy buys everyone a drink?" I replied that this would be an excellent tradition to establish, luckily for Luke's wallet there were only a few of us left at this stage. Cheers for the brew, Luke, may all your dice roll criticals.

Phill told us about politics on the Traveller Mailing List, and said of Marc Miller's Kickstarter, "I'd pay him $100 for 600 pages of shit just to thank him for Traveller."
"Couldn't you just send him a small thankyou card and perhaps a box of chocolates?"

Bastien lamented that in the wilds of Healesville there were few or no gamers, Mark directed him to the Nunawading Wargamer's Association, which no longer meets in Nunawading.

Kiwi Chris said something but everyone else talked over him.

Julian took some photos but everyone has evil eyes, we probably shouldn't publish our possession.

Thankyou to one and all for coming.

Quote from: Kyle Aaron;628621Yes, we've had Geektogethers since I was here last. I didn't know anyone would be interested, I'll post them.

Great. Thanks a lot.

There is not much that I can add to your reports. I asked one or two questions in the past but normally I am quite content to just read how local communities organise themselves.
(I also follow the NerdNYC Recess mini-cons and some of the OSR gatherings, like SoCal Minicon and the Red Box meetings.)