Adrian Benson and Jonathan chew the fat about TotalCon 2017 in the first ever Wargaming Recon live show at the con. As a side note from the show note monkey, I’m jealous!

The longest-running tabletop wargaming podcast on the planet

The Hotel

Just to clarify it wasn’t the Bates Motel, it was the Best Western Royal Plaza in Marlborough, their convention rate = $129 for a standard room and $159 for a deluxe room which has a microwave and a fridge, nicer decor, the standard room doesn’t.  Lets face it, if you’re there for the con, you’re there to game and not sleep!

Hotel Pros

• Larger venue so can fit many more games
• Located near a variety of places to eat.  Loved the Indian restaurant we went to.
• Lots of smaller rooms for more intimate games or specialized programs.
• Parking lot is HUUUUUGE.  Plenty of space for everyone.

Hotel Cons (Not gaming cons or comic ones)

• We had bugs in the room when I arrived.  Only ladybugs but still.  Hotel promptly resolved.
• Got stuck in the elevator once.  Was told it a common occurrence.
• There’s 4 elevators but they’re in a central bank.  So many people queuing up & most elevators full.
• Took more than 30 min to bring stuff in to the hotel.  All carts were in use or hidden. We had to park far.
• Layout is bit of a maze at first. Con ran out of books so we couldn’t our find way around.
• New location is much further away than old for me.  Had to drive on 495 (Aussie thinks your slang for highway is weird) to get here…that’s a pain.
• Weird experience at hotel restaurant last night (May have been hit on by a big bearded biker named Pam). Ended up getting dinner elsewhere.

Frostgrave

Michael Johns ran this fantastic fantasy game.  It was Johns first time playing and had a blast. Michael modified the game for a con setting where each player has a wizard and a warband they control. They venture into the ruins of Frostgrave, killing monsters, completing missions, earning points. to add a bit of flare, the player with most points at end of round 8 wins. It reminds Jonathan of Mordheim or Stratholme in WoW. He is totally head over heels for this game.

And Now a Word From a Gamer

Tabletop gaming documentary being done by Steve Wollett of Nerd Rage News.  Adrian & Jonathan were both interviewed because of Wargaming Recon. The film should release to film festivals later in 2017.  It will hopefully be shown at TotalCon 2018. Here are some familiar faces we should expect to see!

Tim Kask
Frank Mentzer
Nik Palmer
Jay Libby
Peter Bryant
James Carpio
Jeffrey Talanian

Final Thoughts

There were a few things we picked up on during the occasion. Things such as having the tables numbered in the gaming hall and better navigation of the hotel would have made the experience a tad more enjoyable. All round though, anytime you get to be with other gamers in a great atmosphere always magnifies the positive!

Mailbag

Via our Facebook page:

• Listener Alyssa said of Episode 175: Cigar Box Battle Mat Review “I do like their mats.”
• Listener Chris said of Episode 175: Cigar Box Battle Mat Review “Hotz mats does the same but the patch isn’t as garish.”

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