Gotta Write About GenCon ...
... before I can write anything else, including the many projects I brainstormed with various publishers at GenCon. Among them, my first Savage Worlds setting book, another Trail of Cthulhu sourcebook, two more GUMSHOE games, a third "Mini Mythos" book to follow the already-written second "Mini Mythos" book to follow Where the Deep Ones Are, and maybe a Traveller supplement if the licensing issues work out. Plus Casey Jones Is Dead, which I have now described to enough fellow game designers that I kind of have to finish it this fall. Plus other stuff, To Be Named Later.
* So, GenCon. Trail of Cthulhu won two Silver ENnies! Hobby Games: The 100 Best won one Silver ENnie! And it's all thanks to you good people! All those map links must have worked, eh?
* In other grand news, I'm going to be a guest at Dragonmeet in London on the Saturday right after Thanksgiving (Saturday, November 29 to non-Americans). I shall hope to see everyone there!
* Or, if you can't make that, how about GenCon France? I'll be GoH-ing it up in Paris in spring 2009; more details when I know them.
* Moving down the Excitement List, Where the Deep Ones Are sold over 200 copies at the show, emptying the tables at Atlas Games! This pretty much ensures that my next one is greenlit; details when I'm allowed to announce titles.
* Also, Tour de Lovecraft: the Tales dropped in print at the show! I knew it would look fabulous, as ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
righteousfist had kept me apprised of things via PDF, but holding it in my hand was a thrill all its own. It looks so good, and so professional. (Our design document: "Make it look like a real book by grownups.") Toren Atkinson's spot art is perfect, too. One only hopes the words don't let the team down.
* And "Out of the Box" is (imminently) back! Sooner than any of us can believe it, my much-beloved review column will return in the virtual pages of Indie Press Revolution, in an Exciting New Format. I can hardly wait.
* I got interviewed for three podcasts and was a guest on the Friday 5pm installment of This Just In From GenCon, hosted by Master Plan podcaster macklinr and podcaster emeritus ptevis. I'll post links to the other podcasts when I get them, but you can hear breaking news from the floor of GenCon as if it were last Friday today.
* Speaking of ptevis, he and I were the fortunate beneficiaries of Jim Cambias' wrath at the pathetic restaurant offerings in downtown Indianapolis. Insisting that he could, and more importantly, would eat "an exquisite meal" in Indianapolis, he took the lead in finding, and driving the hellangone out to, Huachinango, a Mexican seafood place. We had the whole red snapper stuffed with shrimp, octopus, peppers, cheese, and maybe achiote among other things; the orange roughy "al ajillo," meaning in a reduction of guajillo chiles, garlic, orange juice, and brandy; and three ceviche tostadas. And bottomless glasses of sangria, all for a ludicrously small $27 each, including tax and tip. Some would call it exquisite.
* The rest of the show is a haze of walking the floor when I could, talking with friends and colleagues and friendly colleagues, parties and bars (including Ike & Jonesey's, the gayest straight bar in Indiana), and just glorying in perfect summer weather and full-immersion game fun with 40,000 members of My Tribe.
* I also talked with Diana-Jones-Award-winner the_monkey_king and Greg Stolze about alternative ways to finance game design (though sadly, my plan to be a fly on the wall during a convo with both of them failed of execution, just like half of all GenCon schedule plans do). Maybe we'll all talk about that question here in a bit.
