by Dave Rogerson
Well, it wasn't a promising start, but Arcanacon XIII lived up to its name as Melbourne's Premier Roleplaying Convention - Capricon aside of course. With a cast array of tournaments to choose from, your correspondent decided to experiment with as many as possible. Unfortunately many of them were full, so we wound up playing the ones everyone else thought would be crap. For those people who actually entered early and played the games they wanted to (ie: not the ones we played), all I have to say to you is: "You was wrong!"
Where to begin... I know, at the start. Thursday afternoon saw convention registration kick off with a few not insignificant hiccups - but then again when has there ever been a convention free of registration dramas? A few short hours later and things were organised. The gaming began - for us - at about seven o'clock Thursday afternoon, when we played Butch Force Five - a light hearted look at war movies. If you always dreamt of "...popping over to give Jerry a good hiding, before settling down for a nice cup of tea..." then you should've played Butch. Anyway, it was organised by some genuinely good blokes (ie: we've seen them at Wangcon before), and was - all in all - a wonderous game.
Ok, next up came Thursday night before a nine o'clock kick-off on Friday morning. Anyway, Thursday at the pub was grand, and I reached the pool hall in Carnegie at about 12.45. By two o'clock or so, the pleasures of pool had been thoroughly exhausted, so I was off home. Unfortunately for the concept of getting up EARLY in the morning, a number of my fellow pub/pool devotees decided to follow me home, and then proceeded to drink the fridge dry! About six or so, I decided to check the answering machine - if anyone calls me up, don't automatically assume that just cos you left an intelligible message on my machine, that's how it will sound when I hear it! Anyhow, not much of interest - reminders to go the pub, a wrong number, the Sherriff's Office calling for the guy who used to live here, and a joyous message from Andy Smith - bless his soul - reminding me that I had to front at nine in the morning. My mind lept into overdrive... Nine o'clock, and it's just after six, that leaves me with five... four... seven... three. ...not many hours of sleep. I rapidly organised places for my guests to sleep, then went to bed myself - under strict instructions that one friend had to be woken early - she had to go to work - but if I left the others there when I departed in the morning, that was fine by them.
Friday morning came around and - after just an hour's sleep - I shuffled my way into the shower, where I promptly fell asleep again. This time I was rudely awakened from my slumber and accosted by one of the sleepers who should not have yet been awake. Before I could enquire of her why she was up at this hour of the morning, I was subjected to a lengthy verbal barrage about telling people to be more considerate regarding what time they call me on the phone. I mumbled something about being very sorry and it not happening again, and shuffled through to the phone, leaving great pools of water everywhere I went. Ah yes, Mr Shankly was on the other end. The conversation went something like this:
I left for the 'con around eleven - having been unable to return to sleep in the preceeding hours - and encountered nightmarish traffic at the end of the Eastern Freeway. Bloody roadworks... I wonder what we're playing anyway....I hope I'm under the legal driving limit by now... These were the thoughts milling around in my head as I took the only course open to me - I turned right onto Hoddle St and headed for Clifton Hill. After meandering around the inner Eastern suburbs for a while I found myself at the Con. We were due to play the first session of Trial by Ordeal, an AD&D tournament by Laura and Rodney - more Wangcon veterans. So I haven't played AD&D in years, who cares. This tournament goes for three sessions - Oh shit! Well, by seven or so we'd played two sessions of Trial and I had a genuine balls. I loved every minute of it.
Friday night it was off to Taco Bills in Clifton Hill with an assortment of other people from the convention. After a couple of the world-famous frozen margaritas and some fajitas, I was more than receptive when a game of pool was suggested, so next stop was Johnny's Green Room in Carlton. Four hours later it was time to drive Geoff back to Brunswick before going home, and what was it Ken had said about needing a forth player at nine o'clock Saturday morning?
Saturday and time to head for the Con. I arrived at nine-fifteen or so and no sign of Ken. SHIT! they've found another player, and I'm here for no reason. Coffee time! Nine-thirty: Oh, there's Ken just arriving now. Time to play Tintin and the Problem of the Phoenix. This was one we wanted to play but missed out on; but now I got to play the second session. Its not what you know, but who... Absolutely sensational! I feel I was the consumate Thomson (without a "P", as in "Afghanistan"), and played alongside the consumate Thompson (with a "P", as in "Psychiatry"), Calculus and the rest. Obviously the judges agreed, we won!!!
Next up, time to finish off Trial by Ordeal. Not too shabby. Then it was off to be septugenaric in The Invisible Four. Although I have a suspicion that I was working on a slightly different level to everyone else - ie: their characters seemed to have some idea about what was going on - it was - once again - magnificent. After her Winnie the Pooh scenario last year, it should now be considered a must to play anything that Amanda Collins is responsible for writing.
Saturday night and Arcanacon Trivia Night! OK, so the food left a little to be desired, but it was pretty good (let's face it, when you're comparing it to Friday night's Taco Bills meal, and Thursday night's hot dog, anything would taste alright). As for the questions, well let's just say that there was cause for celebration when I got an answer right! Nevertheless, we won! Thanks to all those people who decided not to vandalise the phone box on the corner of Smith and Johnston St's. Armed with loose change, a serviette and a pen, the intact phone box prove a worthy source of answers.
Now, I didn't actually spend much of Sunday at the Con... I went to the football! But I did come back in time to ensure I had all the top scores on the Shaq pinball machine and to announce WangCon at the prizegiving ceremony - thanks for being on hand to remind me of the dates Andy - and oh yeah, to collect a veritable mountain of prizes (even if one trophy is on a time-share arrangement with the guy who played the first session of the Tintin).
Arcanacon XIII - if you missed it, you're the loser. Don't miss next year's Arc XIV.