The very last game I was supposed to be in was a session of Dread: The Last Hurrah.  I’d been looking forward to Dread since the moment I had registered for it on the Warhorn site many weeks ago.  The problem was that it was in the last slot of the last day of the con.  A long slot.  A four hour slot.

Knowing I wasn’t going to be able to give it my best, I bowed out

I sat down with James and Josh, my Texas peeps, and chillaxed a bit.  Then Chris Hussey came over, “Hey, me and Pat found a box of Zombies!!!  Wanna play?”

That sounded great, but my brain was rapidly turning to mush.  “How long a game is that?”

“About an hour.”

“Done!”

James, Josh, and I all sat down with Chris and Pat (FtB hosts) for a rousing bout of the Zombies!!! board game.  I’d never played it before.  It’s pretty cool.  The players actually build the game board as each turn goes by, drawing a tile and placing it on the board.  With each tile comes a certain number of zombies and before long, you can really screw your fellow players.

Obviously, a game for me!

I’ve already written about how much I have enjoyed Chris Hussey, but Pat was a real surprise.  He’s often quiet on the Fear the Boot mics.  I found him to be delightful company.  He was a joy to share an evening with (and a hooker, but I probably shouldn’t write much about that).

My last event at FtC2 was spent in the company of my friends from Texas and these two terrific guys.

Leaving the con, Josh said – and we all agreed – playing Zombies!!! with Chris and Pat was icing on the cake.

I had an opportunity to spend quality time with Chad, Chris, and Pat at the con.  Never got a chance to really chat-up Dan.

Before wrapping up with heaps of praise, allow me to divert to the two areas I see where improvement can be made:

• The Hotel. The Best Western in St. Charles, MO. sucks ass.  They screwed up my reservation twice.  Once I got there, they didn’t have the rate correct.  Further, the peep hole in the room was reversed allowing folks in the hallway to look in.  And my favorite, every night my room key didn’t work mandating my return to the lobby to get a new key.  I had similar problems last year with this hotel and had communicated them to FtB.  This year, I thought long and hard about seeking lodging elsewhere.  My friends and all the other ‘Booters would be at the BW, tho.  So I toughed it out.  Next year I won’t.  The St. Charles BW is just too awful to endure a third time.
• The Schedule. The con schedule was too ambitious.  Some things were just too much to cram into the event (Dr. Manhattan’s Junk, I’m looking at you).  Watchmen, while a great idea, hurt the con on both the start of Day 2 and at the end.  One attendee bugged out at six o’clock Saturday night because he was so tired.  I’m not sure I care for the short slots either.  I’d almost rather see a parallel path offered.  For instance…
  • Path A: 3 slots of three-and-a-half hour games with breaks in between.
  • Path B: 1 three-and-a-half hour slot followed by two one-and-a half hour slots  followed by another three-and-a-half hour slot with breaks in between.

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I had deep concerns regarding the viability of FtC2.   A lot changed with FtB over the last year.  There were times when I wasn’t sure they could pull it off.  I am thankful that I had faith in the planners.  They didn’t just put on a good con.  They put on a GREAT con.

Can’t wait for FtC3.  I already know what I want to run.  In addition to This Empire Earth (which I had to cancel a week before FtC2), I also want to GM a Savage Worlds Flash Gordon game based on the New Adventures of Flash Gordon, the 1979-1980 rotoscoped animated series.  I got inspired on the plan ride home.  Gotta run DC Heroes game (gotta talk to Seneca about co-GMing that one).  And of  course “And a Little Child Shall Eat Them: Two Years Later.”

I should probably get to writing now.