| Saturday
Registration
| Sampler Showcase | Meetings | Juniors
| Exhibits
| Auction
| Badges | New Vendors
| Program
| Event Previews | Game
Show | GM 101 Seminars
| Pre-Cons | Team Tournament | Hotel
Info | Logistics | More
Convention Details | Subscribe
Its
time to game! WBC 2006 is almost upon
us. You’ll soon be hip deep
in more gaming than most of us do in a year, so before
your senses
become dulled by sleep deprivation, listen up. If
you’re new to WBC, I
suggest you read our greeting to newcomers at http://www.boardgamers.org/first.htm.
SATURDAY
REGISTRATION: Upon arrival, report to
New Holland for
registration. Yes, even all you Pre-Conners—whether
pre-registered or
not—will now be getting official
with badges and
programs before
reporting to your event locations—just like the
folks who attend the
regular WBC. And while you’re there
grab a free copy
of Knucklebones magazine courtesy of Jones Publishing.
Knucklebones is
a slick new
gaming magazine with a wide assortment
of coverage on
boardgames.
SAMPLER
SHOWCASE: New
to WBC is this 10-game
Demonstration Pre-Con
running from 11 a.m. Monday to 5 p.m. Tuesday.
It starts
with a two-player
Attika tournament and then continues
with 10 demos of
new games in
Open Gaming format with boardgames for prizes.
A two-round Die Macher tournament on
Tuesday is also
included.
Participation in the Sampler Showcase
requires a
separate Pre-Con
admission or Tribune level membership.
See http://www.boardgamers.org/wbc/sampler.htm for
details.
MEETINGS: The
BPA’s Annual Meeting will be held following the auction
on Tuesday, Aug. 1, at 5 p.m. in the
Lancaster Showroom of Lancaster Host
in Lancaster, PA, where we will present the new Board
of Directors for your questions. At 8
a.m. on Sunday morning, Aug. 6, the same
location will be the site of our Annual
Armistice Meeting with the presentation
of Awards and Door Prizes. All BPA members are encouraged to
attend.
JUNIORS: This
year before you unleash the kids, be
advised that those
12 and under who wish to play in the
Juniors events or
open game in the
Juniors room must be accompanied by
a parent or
guardian to sign a
consent form before being allowed to
use the room. We
have upgraded the
Juniors program thanks in large part
to generous
donations by sponsors
Brian Sutton and David des Jardins
with a fulltime
monitor, more events
and space, and a games library for
Open Gaming…so
bring the kids.
And make time on your schedule Saturday
afternoon for
a parent/child
team event—crokinole which is a form
of shuffleboard
for finger
flickers. See our Juniors schedule at http://www.boardgamers.org/yearbkex/jnrpge.htm#schedule.
EXHIBITS: Exhibit
tables—not to be confused with
Vendors & Sales—are tables reserved
for publishers to demonstrate
their products, both
old and new, and distribute their literature.
They may
playtest
upcoming games or just invite you to
Open Game with
their products.
These tables will be marked as reserved
and not used
for Open Gaming or
events without the permission of that
exhibitor.
Exhibit tables occupy
all of the Ballroom Foyer and the first
row of
Lampeter.
AUCTION: WBC
is now six full days of boardgaming
and opens at 9 AM
Tuesday, August 1st with Open Gaming
scheduled
throughout Ballroom A
and B. The key to this expansion is
at 10 AM, when our
expanded
Boardgame Auction begins. It will conclude
prior to
the start of
official tournaments at 6 PM thus allowing
us to keep
our competitive
focus while expanding to offer the
auction many have
requested. Check
out the updated list of cool stuff
being auctioned at http://www.boardgamers.org/wbc/auction.htm.
Advance pre-registration of
items for sale is now closed. No further
items will be
accepted barring
non-receipt of pre-registered Lots
on time. However,
you may bring
items for the Store with a set sales
price up to $30.
See
http://www.boardgamers.org/wbc/auctionstore.htm.
Auction
sales
are
strictly
cash-only
affairs so bring
your wallet.
While there is an ATM on the premises
outside the
Wheatland room, it
may be doing a landslide business so
we suggest
bringing the cash
you’ll need.
BADGES: WBC
uses a deluxe badge holder which
comfortably loops around
your neck and has pockets for extras
like keys, cash
or pen. They
ain’t cheap tho and we can’t
afford to give them away
every year, so
please either bring your badge holder
back from last
year AND HAVE IT
WITH YOU at Registration, or be prepared
to cough up a
token $2 fee for
a replacement. So remember when leaving
this year to
tuck that badge
holder inside your favorite game to
ensure a return
trip to WBC next
year and save $2.
Unlike some years, there will be no
pre-reg lists
available for GMs to
check those who have lost their badge
or left it
behind. You must wear
your badge in order to play. There
will be a $5 fee
for replacement
badges.
NEW VENDORS: The
Venders Area at WBC has expanded
again, and we are
pleased to welcome back all of last
year’s dealers
plus five new (to
WBC) vendors to our usual assortment
of favorite game
publishers.
Please extend a warm WBC welcome to
Troll and Toad,
Northstar Games, L2
Design, Tiger Publications, and Belle & Blade
Studios at their first
WBC. Remember to save time for a visit
to their
displays in Ballroom A
Friday thru Sunday sometime between
10 AM and 6 PM.
Thank these folks
for taking the time to attend WBC by
checking out
their products. Links to their websites are
available at http://www.boardgamers.org/bpalinks.htm.
PROGRAM: The
2006 program was mailed to all current
members residing in
the USA on June 1. All others get
theirs upon
arrival. If you
received one in the mail, please bring
it as we don’t
have enough to
give everyone two copies! Last year
late arrivals had
to go without
because of the number of people who
took multiple
copies. If you do
have a program, note the following
corrections:
- Battle
Cry was omitted from the alphabetical listing
of events. This Single Elimination
trial event begins Saturday morning
at 9 a.m. in Paradise as listed
in the Chronological section of your program on page
20.
- The
Rio Grande release of Antike has been
delayed and therefore that
Trial tournament is being cancelled.
The good news is
that it will be
replaced by another Rio Grande recent
release Thum &
Taxis in the same
time slot which has just won won the
prestigious
German Game of the
year Award. See http://www.boardgamers.org/yearbkex/t&tpge.htm for
details.
- An
unofficial “ghost” tournament
for Wizard’s Quest which didn’t make
the official cut this year will be held in Open Gaming
on Sunday
morning at 9 a.m.
EVENT
PREVIEWS: A number of event previews have posted minor changes
since their initial appearance in May. You may want to
revisit them at
http://www.boardgamers.org/yearbkex/index.htm.
GAME
SHOW WITH PRIZES: Northstar Games is sponsoring a Wits
and Wagers game show with prizes for teams that will be run
three nights. Get all the details at http://www.boardgamers.org/wbc/seminars.htm.
GM
101 SEMINARS: There are a pair of GM meetings at 3 and 4
PM Tuesday before tournaments begin led
by recent GMs of the Year John Coussis and Vince Meconi. If you
are running an event or have ever thought about doing so, drop
in for the discussion. Get all the details at http://www.boardgamers.org/wbc/seminars.htm.
| GM
101 Seminar Leaders |
 |
 |
John
Coussis |
Vince
Meconi |
PRE-CONS: Lest
there
be
any
confusion,
note that while
walk-ons are
allowed at the six various pre-cons
being held July
29th-August 1st,
doing so will cost an extra $10 since
BPA membership
discounts do not
apply at the door. Separate admission
fees are
required for
Note
that this year Tribune level members
may attend any and all
Pre-Cons free of charge. All others
must pay a
separate pre-con
admission.
TEAM
TOURNAMENT: Although there is no event
pre-registration (except
for the Pre-Cons), pre-registration IS required for
the Team Tournament
and time is FAST running out. Check out the field this
year and your
team’s status at http://www.boardgamers.org/wbc/teamtour.htm and
remember
to post your own score on our self-scoring Team
Tournament display in
the Ballroom Foyer.
Hotel
Information
RESERVATIONS: The Lancaster Host
and our
overflow hotels are
soldout. Fortunately, there are many
nearby hotels. If
you have not
booked a room, call the Lancaster reservation
center
toll free at
1-866-729-5132. See our Hotel and Transportation
page at http://www.boardgamers.org/hotellan.htm.
FOREIGN CURRENCY: Exchange of foreign
currency is not
available
locally. Be sure to visit the Foreign
Exchange Office
at your airport.
While the hotel accepts major credit
cards, BPA does
not, so convention
registration and souvenirs must be
paid for in
American currency or
checks drawn on US banks. There is
a $25 charge for
any returned check.
TEMPERATURE: Lancaster is hot and humid in
the summer. Dress
accordingly and don’t
forget your swimsuit for a refreshing
dip in the pool
or jacuzzi. But
also remember to pack a sweater should
the air
conditioning be too
cool. While we expect the air conditioning
situation
to be improved
over that of our previous site, it
pays to be
prepared. Check the weather here: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=lancaster,%2Bpa.
Logistics
REGISTERED?
NEED A RIDE/ROOMMATE?: Check
out the pre-reg list at http://www.boardgamers.org/wbc/prereg.htm. Car
pooling
to/from airports
is an easy way to save money. Pre-registration
is
officially over but
procrastinators rejoice…our busy
CD will still
accept email
pre-registrations for those with Paypal
accounts until
Thursday.
Thereafter, walk-on rates apply. Paypal payments
are
subject to a 10%
surcharge but that is still less than walk-on
rates.
Inquire at doncon99@toad.net for
details.
TRANSPORTATION: Amtrak will be the
best option for
many unable to
drive. See the details on our site at
http://www.boardgamers.org/hotellan.htm.
REGISTRATION
DESK: Convention registration is on the
lower level in New
Holland from Tuesday thru Sunday. The desk
will be
open Tuesday from 8
a.m. to 9 p.m. Be sure to stop by before departing
to
pick up any prizes
won.
More
Convention Details
SHOW
YOUR COLORS: Sat., Aug. 5, is
the official
Game Club
T-Shirt Day. Promote your local gaming group
and
promote camaraderie by
showing everyone which gaming group you are
with. You
just might gain a
few members. Help grow the hobby by wearing
your
colors.
POSTERS NA: Attendees are reminded that
absolutely no
flyers, posters,
or charts of any kind are to be taped, glued,
stapled,
or adhered in
any fashion to any surface at Lancaster Host.
Any such
materials will
be immediately removed. You are welcome to
hand out
flyers for gaming
activities and may leave same at Rregistration
for
distribution but
absolutely no signage of any kind is to be
adhered to
a wall, furniture
or other surface.
FLEA MARKETS NA: Attendees are reminded
that all
tables at WBC are
reserved for the PLAY of games by those with
a current
WBC badge. No
unauthorized selling, trading, or solicitation
is
allowed on the
premises. Items left stacked on tables will
be
removed.
SMOKING NA: There is no smoking in public
areas
throughout WBC. If you
need to smoke, please step outside. Do NOT
open
windows…it only
aggravates the air conditioning situation.
OUTSIDE
FOOD NA: Attendees
are reminded NOT to bring outside food
and drink onto the premises.
Lancaster Host does
not allow it.
DRINK RESPONSIBLY: Every year the BPA Board
wrestles
with the problem
of alcohol consumption at WBC. While we do
not wish to
restrict any
one’s civil liberties, we must protect
the majority
(especially the
children present) from the irresponsible
behavior of a
few who imbibe
too much. Please restrict your social drinking
to
acceptable levels,
and if you have had problems of this
sort in the past,
we urge you to
abstain altogether. Please report any unacceptable
behavior to the
registration desk. Those responsible for
unruly
behavior will be
removed from the premises and banned from
future
attendance.
PRIZES: Players
are reminded to check the event kiosks
in Paradise
Terrace to see advancement priority for later
rounds.
It is not
uncommon in multi-player games for non-winners
to
advance, so if you
want to play, always check to see if there
are
openings in the later
rounds. It is not the GM’s responsibility
to find you.
You must check
the kiosk to determine your standing
or show up at the
next round to
check for vacancies. If you do win a prize,
remember
to pick it up
before leaving. Although we hold prizes for
pickup
next year, we must
charge a shipping and handling fee if you
want them
delivered in the
interim. Also, remember to check the back
of any
Plaques you win for
GMT or MMP events for merchandise credits
offered by
the publisher.
KIOSKS: When
you first arrive, check the Kiosks
display in Paradise
Terrace. Each is adorned with a pictorial
history of
the event that
furthers the traditions of WBC. Do NOT sign
the
entrant lists on the
Kiosks—those are strictly for the use
of the GMs.
There is no event
registration at WBC (except for the
Team Tournament
and Pre-Cons) which
is now closed. Later, when you want to see
if you’ve
done well enough
to advance to a subsequent round after
a preliminary
heat, check out
the Alternate & Qualifying lists on these
kiosks which
should be
returned to Paradise Terrace
when not in use. Do NOT
write on these
kiosks! They are expensive—and in some
cases the
original lidwraps
that adorn them are not replaceable.
By vandalizing
them with your
messages you make it that much harder for
us to keep
prices low and
appearances up. If you MUST write on them,
use the
paper that is taped
to them, not the boards themselves.
EXPERIENCE LEVELS: You
are reminded to honor the
experience
requirements of all events. Class A (red)
events are
for experienced
players only. Class B (yellow) events allow
beginners
only if you have
read the rules or attended the mandatory
demonstration
in Paradise
Assembly. Do NOT expect to be taught the
game during
the event. Class C
(green) events have GMs who have agreed to
coach
players during play.
Please respect these requirements for everyone’s
enjoyment.
PLAYING TIMES: Please be considerate
of others and
play promptly,
keeping within the duration of the event’s
listed
playing time. Failure
to do so not only causes problems
when the space you
occupy is needed
for a later scheduled event, it can distress
those you
play with by
making them miss the pportunity to play
in another
scheduled event.
And, of course, it can slow down the entire
tournament
while others
wait for you to finish before they can start
another
round. Failure to
adhere to the scheduled playing times force
GMs to
make adjudications
which neither they nor you will enjoy—especially
since we advise
heavy bias against those who play too slow.
Most event
playing times
are already on the long side but if you cannot
keep up
with even that
pace, you should probably restrict your activities
to
Open Gaming.
OPEN GAMING: Open Gaming is restricted
to Ballroom A
on Tuesday until 5
PM when Wheatland also becomes available.
Ballroom A
will be closed at
5 PM on Thursday for vendor setup. Do not
attempt Open
Gaming elsewhere
without staff permission. You will be moved.
Games may
be left setup
overnight for continuation the next morning
at the
owner’s risk.
However, any game abandoned for more than
an hour
during prime game
time will be removed to Lost & Found. “Saving” of
tables is not
allowed. Sales soliicitations are likewise
limited to
authorized
vendors.
BEHAVIOR: We expect everyone to treat
others with the
same respect they
would like to receive in return. The vast
majority of
gamers at WBC are
exceedingly well behaved. Unfortunately,
we can
usually count on a few
bad apples in every crop and those are the
ones that
get all the ink
afterwards. We’d like your help in
weeding out problem
players. If you
encounter someone who is having a
bad day or just
being an overall
jerk, don’t suffer in silence. Report
it to your GM so
that the GM can
take steps to correct the problem.
And if you are one
of those people
who demands absolute silence while you take
your turn,
don’t bother
coming. Gaming is about having fun and
those around
you are going to
have theirs whether you are in a Final or
not so
lighten up and go with
the flow.
WEREWOLF: And if you are a late night
Were Wolf—pleeease
return the rooms to
the same state you found them. Every year
we consider
banning such late
night play because of the mess they leave
behind. If
you like your all
night gaming, don’t abuse it. You'll
have only
yourselves to blame if
in the future the meeting rooms are
locked at
midnight.
BRING GAMES!: Lastly, remember
to bring the games you want to play!
When WBC turns
players away it is only due to a lack of
enough games.
Pre-registration
at WBC is now closed but we welcome gamers
of all
kinds to register at
the door.
……… whew! That's done—ok … now you're ready
to have fun at
WBC. See ya soon.
Don Greenwood
WBC Convention Director
========================================================
SUBSCRIBE: If
you have not yet
subscribed to our new mailing list,
please do so as we are
unable to add you ourselves. To
receive our free monthly
newsletters you MUST rejoin
the BPA mailing list by
visiting http://lists.boardgamers.org/mailman/listinfo/bpamail to
confirm your address
and your desire to be on this
list. Subscribing takes
only a moment, ensures your privacy,
and increases likelihood
of receipt. The
newsletter will continue
to be posted in the WBC
folder in the
Conventions section
of Consimworld and on the BPA web site
but will otherwise be unavailable
to those who do not join
the list in this fashion.
Here are previous newsletters: Nov.
2005, Dec.
2005, Jan.
2006, Feb.
2006, April
2006, May
2006, June
2006, July
2006.
Visit the BPA website at http://www.boardgamers.org
