Livingston Skirmish

[manic _miner]

 Not sure how big this show is but I have a table booked.

 Might be of interest to some forum members as they have a few tournaments on.More info can be found on the link below.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Livingston-Battlegrounds-Skirmish-2011/163237507085920?sk=wall

[Captain Black]

How did you get on at this show.I was going to go along ,but end up working on that Saturday.

[manic _miner]

 The show was small with four traders and lots of games going on.Some very good flames of war armies being used in the tournament.A show that has lots of potential and I will be there for the next one too.Warmachine and Hordes tourney looked good too.
 The Malifaux demo game board was pretty good.Very tempted to buy into this game.

[dadlamassu]

I went as a visitor.  I found the venue though the website seemed determined to hide where it was and when it started.  I think when I got there about 10 I was about of about 3 members of the public there.  I saw lots of competitions with absolutely nothing to attract the public.  The players were so intent on the Flames of war (nicely painted toys) that nobody took any notice in a young lad who was interested.  In another room were rows of figures lined up facing each other and a couple of chaps moving some about on a table.  Again nothing to explain to the public what was going on.

There were other games going on - a big game with some very basic ships made from cardboard or something similar.  It looked a bit like the old "Sea Strike" game without the visual appeal of the old game. 

I played in a "zombie" game set in a sci-fi planet.  I liked the simple rules and playing aids but got fed up when I realised that no matter what I did tactically or how many zombies I killed I could not win.  I had to give it up when my time ran out and I was not disappointed to leave.

The highlight of the whole show was the absolutely incredible 15mm Chinese set up by the Independent Wargames Brigade with scratch built terrain items and hundreds of converted models in 15mm.  This game had handouts and the players were real enthusiasts who spent a lot of time chatting to anyone who cared to ask about the game.  They had handouts and information available.




Will I go next year - maybe because it supports charity.  But if it continues on the competition line I do not see it attracting the public or new players.  It looked like a big club meeting.

[manic _miner]

 The young lad might have been my son.He had a green hoodie top on.I took him to see the flames of war games to get an idea about how to play.We have both been getting a few miniatures for it.He got some help from one or two people there.

 The zombie game did look good.I had seen it at Claymore.Shame you did not like it.Might have been better if you had the chance to win though.Probably one of those games which you need more players to get a better result.

 The chinese game set up was great.I had a chat with the guy who did it.Really interesting stuff.The buildings were all scratch built too.Lots of little pieces to catch the eye.

 I think the competitions help bring in people too.It might be that they just need a few demo games going on to show people how to get into them.

 The show gave me the chance to talk with a few people that I have met at other show's throughout the year.It is great getting feedback about the miniatures.Also some new idea's.

[dadlamassu]

I've been there in previous years and this one was certainly better than before.  The unfortunate thing is that there are almost no visitors.  We put on a participation game last year and nobody came to play other than the clubs and traders who were attending anyway and were occupied for the day.  This year was much the same in the 4 hours I was there.  Hardly anyone came in other than the competitors, the club and the traders. 

Our club offered to attend and put on a demo or participation game when we found out about it but did not get a reply.

Maybe it needs more publicity?  And some sort of system for replying to the e-mails sent to the address on the website. 

The venue is good and has room for expansion. 

Maybe the zombie game needed more players but all the organisers had to do was leave an escape route - no matter how difficult getting there might be.  All exits were blocked by zombie hordes.  Not one way out.  We achieved our mission and killed scores of zombies.  Unfortunately we had to buy ammo to stay alive and this meant we could never get enough cash to buy evacuation.  The game was just unbalanced - the human players had all the restrictions and no chance of escape while the zombie players had no restrictions and limitless numbers.  The folks running it said that the loss rate for players was 65% in the first 4 moves, 85% by 6 moves.  We lasted about 20 moves and were really just rolling dice.  A pity as I quite liked the rules and the set up.  Maybe better game design would help.

[Captain Black]

To be honest.I think this show is at the wrong time of year.It's 2 weeks after Skelp and 3 weeks before Targe.So we have 3 shows in the space of 5 weeks.How many clubs and traders are able or willing to attend all 3 show?If this show was say in February or March,it may get better supported on the day.The club i'm in would run a game at this time of year.Also i agree the publicity was poor for this show

[dadlamassu]

Also i agree the publicity was poor for this show

I live within a mile of the show and saw no publicity in our area except in one model shop.  I did see some cards at Claymore and Carronade - that was all.  They also need to have someone answer e-mails.  We were willing to support it but did not get any answers and so assumed that nobody wanted us.  However, having attended as a visitor I do not think that running a public participation game is worthwhile as the public do not attend.  The competitors were time bound and would not play. 

Last year we spent Friday evening setting up a game and half our club attended on the Saturday.  Only a couple of people showed any interest.

Not sure what they can do to improve it until there is at least some public interest. 

[Captain Black]

dadlamassu.Do you know how punters turned up at this event in the time you spent there?

[dadlamassu]

I arrived about 1030 and left to pick up my grandson at 1320.  I'm not sure how many others paid to enter - only one other chap played the zombie game while I was there and I saw a couple of others who were not competing at the time.  I think one of them was your son.  My brother had a stall at the bring and buy and was there all day.  He says that the total number of paying public was less than 10.  The other one seemed to have one local club member playing against another.  Of the people I knew and recognised all were club members, competitors or traders. 

[manic _miner]

 I have been talking to your brother and nephews quite a bit at the recent show's dadlamassu.I am sure they are going to the Targe show too.They have started to get into Warmachine and Hordes.Had a good chat with him about re-enactors.

[dadlamassu]

They make a lot of their costumes, weapons etc themselves.  Very talented.

I would like to be at Targe as well but since it clashes with my fund raising for Poppy Scotland I cannot be there.  All they need do is move Targe a week later. 

I do think that Skelp, Livingston Skirmish and Targe all in afew weeks is too much of the same sort of thing.

I'd be interested to see how well Targe does.

The 6 shows in Scotland this year were - Carronade in May, Wappinshaw in June, Claymore in August, Skelp & Skirmish in October and Targe in November.  Maybe the "organisers" of the last three could spread out a bit.  Say one in March or April, another in September and one in October.  Or some other reasonable approach?