I claim this planet in the name of...

I drew this rooster head, and then I needed to attach a body to it.  I thought a space suit would be funny.  And what does someone in a spacesuit do?  They plant flags in alien planets!  And what does a chicken civilization have on its flag?  I don't know; eggs and corn are important to chickens, so I put them on the flag.  Maybe it's like a Norwegian flag with extra stuff added.  You can print it out and color the flag however you like.

I make so little time to draw, and this just came out of me.  It was great to express creativity so spontaneously.  But the more I look at it, the more problems I see. 

Extruded Pencil Showdown: WOPEX vs. BIC XTRA-FUN

First, a little history

The first extruded pencils were introduced by the Empire Pencil Company around 1969.  They produced a substantial number of them, so they must have been somewhat commercially successful.  I have since used other extruded pencils, featuring a barrel made of some kind of plastic mixed with diverse fibers such as shredded paper money, shredded blue jeans, and shredded newspaper.  All of the extruded pencils I have used in the past have been unpleasant to use.  Their leads are too hard, or the barrel has been too bendy, or both and the barrel snaps in your hand while you're trying to write with it.

BIC has had a strong foothold in the USA for many decades now, and their BIC Cristal ballpoint pens are ubiquitous and iconic--the pencil of pens.  BIC also manufactures and sells mechanical pencils in the USA, and they have had an extruded pencil for some time now: the Ecolutions Evolution pencil.  I haven't seen the Ecolutions Evolution pencil for sale in the USA, and I assume that this is because the Ecolutions Evolution pencil is as unpleasant to use as all those previous extruded pencils.

WOPEX vs. BIC XTRA-FUN

Both of these pencils came pre-sharpened, but I used them and ran them through a burr sharpener for testing purposes.  Here you can see them on 1/4" grid graph paper for scale.

If you're keeping up with pencil news these days, you're probably familiar with the Staedtler WOPEX.  If not, the WOPEX is an extruded pencil made of plastic impregnated with various materials; the lead is plastic mixed with some kind of pigment (possibly graphite), the barrel is plastic mixed with over 70% wood, and the "paint" is a thin layer of colored plastic.  The WOPEX packaging claims they are "eco pencils," but it doesn't specify how these pencils loaded with plastic are significantly eco-friendly, or more eco-friendly than another PEFC wood pencil (which gets turned into biodegradable sawdust as it is used); although the plasticky lead is more wear-resistant and therefore lasts longer than a traditional graphite pencil.  The ferrule is metal.  The package claims that these are made in Germany.

I had been tempted by BIC XTRA-FUN pencils in the past.  I finally bit the bullet and purchased a blister-sealed 8-pack of them.  The package claims that the pencils are fun because of their "two-toned color barrels," that they have "break-resistant leads," that they have "long-lasting leads and erasers," and: "Sharpens First Time, Every Time(TM)"--whatever that means.  Because the XTRA-FUN was introduced after the WOPEX, one might assume that the XTRA-FUN (with its all-caps name and prominent "X") is a response to the WOPEX.  One might also expect that the XTRA-FUN is an improvement over the BIC Ecolutions Evolution pencil.  The ferrule is plastic.  The package claims that these are made in France.

The WOPEX is significantly heavier than a wood pencil, but the weight has never felt onerous in my hand; I have not noticed the extra mass making it more difficult to manipulate.  If anything, maybe the extra weight drives the pencil lead against the paper harder as I write with it.  I mentioned the plastic "paint" on the barrel, which has kind of a gummy feel to it and actually makes it easier to grip the pencil.  The lead feels a little plasticky, but it glides across the paper and still writes a nice dark line.

Tragically, the XTRA-FUN is anything but fun to write with.  There are 3 major issues I have observed, which work together to make the pencil a trial: first, the barrel is really bendy--like writing with a wet noodle--so you need to grip the pencil extra tightly to get the tip of the lead where you want to write.  Second, the lead is too hard and slides off the paper without leaving a line, so you grip more tightly in order to press harder to leave a mark; but then the tip grabs the paper like rubber, and bends the bendy barrel instead of transferring your hand motion to the tip.  Thirdly, the paint on the pencil is very slippery, so you need to grip even more tightly in order to press harder to overcome the first 2 problems.  It's a compounding of pain which reminds me of the feedback loop of inflammation which creates an agonizing gout attack.

Here I used both pencils on thin recycled loose-leaf paper with significant tooth.  The XTRA-FUN grabbed this toothy paper a lot, the line is paler, and a careful examination shows that my loops are smaller and my writing is more angular with the XTRA-FUN.  In contrast, the WOPEX felt slippery on the paper, like a graphite pencil should.

One benefit of either extruded pencil is that their plastic-infused lead leaves a line that is very smudge resistant.  It you've ever noticed the words in your carry notepad getting smeared around by the motion of being carried everywhere you go, or mashed into adjacent pages by the "carbon paper effect" when you use both sides of the page, then I recommend you give extruded pencils a try.  Either extruded pencil has a flexible, wear-resistant lead, so it should require fewer sharpenings in the field and snap less often.  Unfortunately, the nature of these leads makes these pencils poor choices for subtle lines or shading effects which limits their use for artistic drawing.

With this smooth copier-friendly heavy letterhead paper, the XTRA-FUN leaves a darker line, but my loops are still smaller with the more grabby XTRA-FUN lead.  At the right side, I deliberately tried to smudge the word "aid" with my finger, and both pencils fare better than a standard graphite pencil (not shown).

Each of these pencils sound pretty rough going through my burr pencil sharpener; the plastic barrel materials do not shred easily nor quietly.  In contrast, I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that each of these pencils sharpens easily with a blade sharpener; the blade carves either pencil's waxy plastic barrel smoothly and easily.  The shavings have a lot of static cling and stick to my brass wedge pencil sharpener, as you might expect from handling plastic materials.  The blade sharpener reveals that there are tiny tiny bubbles in the XTRA-FUN's plastic barrel material; I don't know if these contribute to the bendiness of the barrel.

Each of these pencils have decent white rubber erasers on the end.  They erase the lines of their respective pencils quite well, perhaps even better than a typical pink eraser does.

You might think that the XTRA-FUN could at least compete with the WOPEX in terms of fun.  After all, according to the XTRA-FUN packaging, the color of the XTRA-FUN makes writing fun; however, the WOPEX is also available in rainbow-like packages of "neon" colors which are even more vibrant than the XTRA-FUN, as this photo indicates:

I gave a pack of these neon WOPEX to my dad and my sister stole the purple ones.  

Conclusion

There was a lot of hype about the WOPEX pencil when it came out, and about the fact that it is an extruded pencil.  Gosh!  An extruded pencil!  Amazing!  But as I mentioned earlier, extruded pencils have been available in America for over 45 years--since the year Nixon became President.  What all the hype doesn't report explicitly is that the WOPEX may be the first extruded pencil that isn't lousy.  The WOPEX is a tolerable pencil.  It isn't as nice as a cedar woodcase pencil with a soft graphite lead, but it is serviceable and should work well in rough and/or wet environments which would be harmful to a wood pencil.  At $0.33/each ($3.99 per neon dozen), they are a little more expensive than the XTRA-FUN, but only a little more.

Unfortunately, with the XTRA-FUN, BIC has not really shown a need to compete with the WOPEX on quality.  The XTRA-FUN seems to have all the problems that extruded pencils have ever had.  Please avoid these, even if they only cost $0.25/each ($2.00 per 8-pack).

One last thing about extruded eco pencils

I have seen many "eco pencils" introduced with recycled materials and so many of them have been so bad that I have to wonder why pencils are given the onerous task of being the dumping ground for recycled materials.  It's as if the pencil user must suffer for all the other ecologically unfriendly manufacturing processes in the world.  Consider how infrequently we have seen other products touted as made with recycled materials; I've never seen a car, a house, a cell phone, or a computer advertised for its recycled content; and these products represent a significant disposal problem.  There are some forms of artificial lumber made of recycled materials, used in public park benches and in maintenance-free decking; and recycled paper is everywhere; but recycled pens are few and far between.  Why must manufacturers extrude out so many terrible recycled pencils?  I don't understand the logic connecting the problem: "we have lots of trash" to the conclusion: "let's put it in pencils."

I understand that pencils are ultimately disposable, and that using them means slowly throwing them out by sharpening them, but a pencil is a creative tool held in the bare hand, and should be pleasant to the touch.  It should ideally convey the user's thoughts to paper transparently and with so much ease that one need not think about it nor be burdened with its shortcomings.  In an era of personal data recorders and handheld computing devices, it should be expected to compete with these alternative ways of recording information.  Because pencils are so important for schoolchildren, a pencil should be a joy to use and encourage the child to write rather than add to the toil and distraction suffered by a healthy energetic child.

The Lair of Cuddles

I painted some miniatures for my sister and her husband's D&D characters.  I decided to throw in some monsters, so I chose some classics: 3 skeletons and a Large Spider.  But then I realized that those monsters wouldn't get used unless they were part of an adventure, so I added this simple 1-page adventure.

Background

The local SPCA (Society for the Protection of Cute Arachnids) was delighted when someone decided to provide a forever home for Cuddles, the Large Spider; even if that someone was Morgeau the Necromancer.

Morgeau provided a nice shelter for Cuddles in the form of an underground lair.  Cuddles' needs should have been provided for by skeletons animated by Morgeau's magic.

Unfortunately, Morgeau has not been seen for some time.  Livestock has gone missing.  The local Sherriff and his Deputy (Griffith and Fife) decided to investigate, but they have not returned.

The SPCA is concerned that people will forget that spiders are beneficial and kill many household pests.  They offer a big bag of gold commensurate with the challenge this adventure provides for your party (go look it up on a table).

Adventure

C1  1 Skeleton

C2  2 Skeletons

C3  3!  3 Skeletons!  Ha ha ha!  Players can now hear Griffith and Fife yelling and cursing angrily.

C4  1 Large Spider.  Griffith and Fife are also in the room, bound in spiderweb coccoons, yelling at the spider.  The web is too tough to cut easily.

Once the spider is defeated and Griffith and Fife are cut out of their coccoons, Griffith tears the head off the spider to reveal it was a big mask concealing the face of Morgeau the whole time.  With Morgeau's dying breath, he bitterly croaks out: "I would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for you darned kids."

There is no treasure in the dungeon, but Griffith and Fife get you your reward from the SPCA.

Sample Characters

Phredd, human paladin

Daphni, elven rogue

Vellma, dwarven wizard

Shaggi, half-elf druid

Scoobi, Shaggi's wolf animal companion (awakened)

Saints 8, RailCats 7

You missed some fine baseball if you didn't see the Saint Paul Saints edge out the Gary Southshore RailCats Friday night at CHS Field.

The black metal ballpark felt like a roaster when the game opened; I could feel the sweat rolling off of me, and I wish you all could have joined me with a tall, cool, orange-colored can of ShockTop, which is only lightly hoppy for a refreshing summer drink which goes down smooth and easy, available ice-cold from friendly folks walking through the aisles.  It paired nicely with the welcome breeze which gradually made itself known as the game wore on.  And now back to the game.

The game started out with a bang: the RailCats scored 2 runs, the Saints scored 3.  In the second inning, the RailCats scored another 2 runs, and from then on, it was a desperate game of (ahem) cat and mouse as both teams ground through 4 innings with only a single run, earned by the RailCats.

By inning 7, the RailCats clawed their way to another run.  Would this cement the RailCats victory, with a 6-3 score?

No!  Nothing was set in stone as the Saints redeemed another 2 runs for the home team at the bottom of the 7th inning!  We suddenly had a game again, and in the 8th inning both teams scored a run.

At the opening of the 9th inning, the RailCats were still ahead 7-6.  The Saints defended their turf, not giving a single run to the RailCats.  And at the bottom of the 9th inning, the Saints tied it up with 1 run, then with 1 out on the board and bases loaded, they scored an 8th run, pulling this game firmly out of the ash can.

It was the kind of game that you'd expect to see in a Hollywood movie, with the dramatic tension kept tight all the way to the 9th inning climax.  I can imagine the credits rolling as the Saints celebrated on the field in slow motion.

It was the perfect end to a hard, sweltering workweek.  I encourage you to enjoy the down-to-earth charm and excitement that only minor league baseball can provide.

Note:

I first assumed a rail cat was a railworker who maintained the railways, replacing ties and rails and so forth.  However, I have heard that a rail cat is a cat who lives in a rail yard, no doubt eating mice who feed on grain brought in by cargo trains.  Of course, the rail yard is a hazardous place, so a rail cat must be agile, vigilant, and fearless.  Don't play in railyards, kids!  Trains can be dangerous!

"Draughting" Pencils Compared

The Eagle Pencil Company (originally founded in New York City in the 1850s) has produced a "Draughting" pencil since at least the 1930s.  But in the 1980s and 1990s, there were a lot of pencil company mergers, and the company wound up in the hands of Sanford, which continued to produce the beloved "Draughting" pencil.  Another round of mergers, and the company wound up in the hands of Newell Rubbermaid, which did not keep the "Draughting" alive.

Prismacolor is an operating subsidiary of Newell Rubbermaid, and they might be an ideal company to continue (or revive) manufacture of the "Draughting," but they probably don't see how the "Draughting" fits in or contrasts significantly with their many other graphite art pencils, including the similarly-beloved Ebony, Design, and Turquoise pencil lines.

My father recently lamented that the "Draughting" was his favorite drawing pencil, and that it is now extinct.  Technically, the problem is that the company that made them no longer exists.

This distinction is relevant because a different company has decided to manufacture their own "Draughting."  The General Pencil Company (in Jersey City, New Jersey) is almost as old as the Eagle Pencil Company, but General is still making pencils, now including a "Draughting" pencil.  But is it a suitable replacement for the original Eagle "Draughting?"  Is it worthy of the "Draughting" name?  Fortunately, I have an Eagle "Draughting" stub, probably from the 1970s or 1980s, and I purchased some new General's "Draughting" pencils, so I can (ahem) draw comparisons.

I placed these pencils on a 1/4" grid for scale.  I needed a granule of Turbinado (brown) sugar to keep the very round pencils from rolling off my desk.  

The pencils are similar in shape, with 5/16" (7.5mm) thick round wooden barrels and 1/8" thick leads.  I used precision calipers; the Eagle has a 0.295" barrel, whereas the General's barrel is 0.298".  The General's also clearly has a darker paint job, though my photo may not properly indicate how similarly warm the color of the General's lacquer is to the Eagle.  General claims the barrel is incense cedar, and the Eagle's barrel wood appears similar.

With each pencil I have drawn a picture of a draft (draught) horse enjoying a mug of draft (draught) beer over a game of English draughts (checkers), sitting next to a shiny icosahedron and a shiny ball.  With the shiny icosahedron, I held the pencils at an angle to generate varying flat shades of gray.  With the shiny ball, I used the pencils with a blending stump to smear the graphite into the tooth of the paper.  The paper is 65-lb. Canson Universal Recycled Sketch.

I used the Eagle pencil first.  As the drawing shows, the Eagle performs very well with sketching, doodling, writing, and both pale and dark shading.

I used the General's pencil next.  The General's is simlarly capable of sketching, doodling, writing, and mild and dark shading.

The Eagle felt a little smoother and softer.  The lead felt like it glided on the paper more smoothly than the General's did.  On the right side of the icosahedron, the shading somehow looks a little darker.  I assume that the Eagle has a higher graphite content than the General's.

In contrast, the General's felt a little firmer.  Not painfully hard, not really scratchy, but a little scrubby or charcoaly, so that it grabbed the paper just a little more.  Again, going back to the icosahedron, I had to press a little harder to achieve that darkness on the right side with the General's.  The pencil might be as much as a grade harder.

Although it may be a noticeably different pencil, I consider the General's "Draughting" a capable and worthy inheritor of the "Draughting" name.

Also bear in mind that even the same brand and model of a pencil can vary from year to year, so it could be that my General's "Draughting" more closely matches a different year of the Eagle (or Sanford) "Draughting" model.  This variance in quality has been noted when comparing the Eberhard-Faber Blackwing 602 and the Palomino Blackwing 602.  As a result, duplicating a historical pencil means hitting a moving target.

I plan to update this posting with my father's reflections on the General's "Draughting" pencil, as soon as he can review the pair I send him.

What I Learned at GenCon 2015

I just got back from GenCon 2015, and it was a learning experience; like many learning experiences, a painful learning experience.  I am fairly certain that this will be my last trip to GenCon.

If you are flying, get a hotel close to the convention center

I decided to fly to GenCon this year, after the painful experience of driving for 12 hours there and back.  Seriously, the drive last year was agonizing, and no amount of caffeine was able to keep me awake and alert for the entire trip.  Unfortunately, nonstop round trip airfare from my town to Indianapolis for 2 people cost about $1000; when I drove, it only cost me a couple tanks of gas.

Renting a cheap hotel outside of town AND a car is false economy.  Better to get a hotel within walking distance of the convention center, and skip the car.  If you run the numbers beforehand, you may discover that there are hotels in town for $200 per night, and hotels outside town for $100 per night.  At 5 days, you are faced with a choice of $1000 with no car, versus $500 plus the cost of a car.  Then you check the car rental rates, and you are quoted a cost of far less than $500, and you are confident that you will save money by renting the car.

Unfortunately, that $500 auto rental quote does not include the extra taxes and fees, which may easily bring your auto rental bill to more than $1000.

And then there is parking; parking in town will cost over $20 per day, for a total of about $100, and you are not guaranteed to find a parking space.

Indianapolis is trying to help by running shuttle buses, but these shuttle buses will probably not run straight from your hotel to the convention center for a 20-minute commute; they will likely take a complicated route chaining from hotel to hotel until they finally wind up at the convention center, for a 1-hour commute.  If you have an 8:00 AM event scheduled, the shuttle bus will not get you to the convention center in time, or if they do, you will be very early, and probably unable to find someone who can sell you breakfast.  Even worse, the shuttle bus to my hotel was cancelled, so it's a good thing I didn't expect it to be there for me.

If you do decide to drive, I should warn you that the streets in Indianapolis are unpleasantly confusing, and named after states in the USA in no discernable order.  My father hypothesized that Indianapolis streets were named in the order that states joined the Union, but this does not seem to match the reality, nor would it be helpful even if it were true.

Driving in Indianapolis provides no appreciable benefit; Indianapolis has few attractions outside walking distance, and the Con will become your world for the duration.

Take an extra day or two

I flew in on Wednesday and flew out on Monday.  The extra time to pack, catch up on lost sleep, unpack, and decompress was very therapeutic.

Pack a sweater if you or your companion tend to get chilly

July and August are hardly what we would consider sweater weather, but you will spend many hours inside the air-conditioned Indiana Convention Center.  Personally, I sweltered for much of the Convention, but my wife complained that sometimes she could not feel her fingers.  I wish I had packed a sweater for her.

On the other hand, if you have the money, GenCon will happily sell you a stylish official GenCon sweatshirt for about $50.  Get it early, so you won't suffer the chill a moment longer than you need to.

Similarly, my wife regretted not bringing her dice cup, but it was a simple matter to buy her a lovely one from Q Workshop in the Exhibition Hall, and I have no regrets.

Health is your most valuable asset

I managed to avoid the Con Crud again!

My flight to Indianapolis was short, but several people coughing up phlegm made it seem longer.  I took a dose of Airborne-like supplements before my flights, and on every day of the Con, in addition to my usual vitamins.  I got a good night's rest each night.  I also packed Pepto-Bismol, Imodium, Naproxen (my favorite headache remedy), and Benadryl just in case.

There was one morning when my GI tract registered its dissatisfaction with the gooey food truck quesadilla I ate the day before, but I only needed one trip to the commode to resolve the concern.  I am very fortunate that it was just a short-term inconvenience; it easily could have ruined my trip.

I yelled myself hoarse to be heard above the din in Hall D/Hall E.  Lozenges helped a little.

Wash your hands frequently, eat balanced meals, snack healthy (I bought trail mix), get lots of sleep, and remember to stay hydrated with bottles of water.

Make a good first impression

You will meet people you don't know, and may never meet again.  On the other hand, you might meet them several times, and they might be running the next game you play.  Remember to do these things:

• Get that haircut you've been putting off.
• Men, pack a razor and use it.
• Brush your teeth.
• Deodorant/antiperspirant.
• Smile to everyone you meet!

These are kind of just reminders for myself.  Really, everyone I met at GenCon was wonderful.  I can only hope I was as friendly, charming, and clean as all the other people were.

Make extra certain you don't leave your tickets behind

Due to a miscommunication, my wife and I accidentally left her tickets behind in the hotel room on Saturday.  We were able to get through the day on generic tickets, but we were kicking ourselves because of this SNAFU.

Of course, if we had a hotel in town, this would be less of a concern.  But our hotel was a substantial commute away.

Play games you have never played before

One advantage of attending GenCon is that you can play games without buying them, often while getting coached by experts, or even coached by the person who designed the game.

I played through two sessions of Dominion.  A friend of mine already has a copy of Dominion, so I could probably just call him up and play it at home if I wanted to.  Dominion is a deck-building game.  I have never won a game of Dominion.  I don't really enjoy it.  If I never play Dominion again, I will consider myself fortunate.

Similarly, my wife wanted to play Settlers of Catan at GenCon; I enjoy the game, but this is a game we have in our own house.

On the other hand, I played numerous games which were refreshingly new to me, some of which are not yet sold in stores.  Even though I have no great desire to play many of these games again, I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to try them out.

Prepare to be flexible

Order some generic tickets, and leave openings in your schedule, just in case you discover something you really want to do.  My wife and I had a swell time playing D&D 5E.  She really wanted to play again, so we squeezed in another early morning D&D game with generic tickets.  We even got the same DM, a person who we really like.  Generic tickets cost me $2 each; I got 10 of them, expecting most would go to waste, but instead we wound up using all of them.

Notepad and Pencil

If you have hundreds of dollars to spend on a smart phone, this won't apply to you, but I don't have a smart phone.  My notepad and pencil came in handy to note my parking spot in the multilevel parking garage.  It was also good for writing down events/games/books/movies/etc. which people raved about.  I pre-filled it with flight info, car reservation numbers, hotel reservation data, etc., so I could find them easily when I needed these things.

Get your DCI number ahead of time

The wife and I played a D&D 5E game just so we could enjoy the game.  But Wizards of the Coast demands MORE; you MUST submit your DCI NUMBER!  At GenCon 2014, Wizards of the Coast gave out free cards with DCI numbers on them.  This year, they did NOT; now you need to register on the Wizards of the Coast website.

Unfortunately, this website is only occasionally operational, and for me it refuses to function at all.  For example, when I submit my email address, it informs me that my email address is already registered, therefore they cannot create a new account for me; however, when I ask the website to email my user data to me, it informs me that my email address is NOT registered, therefore they can't email any data to me.  That's some catch, that Catch-22!

Fortunately, I saved my old card from GenCon 2014, with a preset DCI number!  I only wished I had brought this to GenCon 2015, and that I did not waste any time on the nonfunctional Wizards website when I was at the Con.

Logically, you would assume that Wizards of the Coast would want people to play their games, but this bureaucratic requirement for DCI numbers, combined with an inability to distribute DCI numbers, can only drive people away.

There was a concern in the RPG industry that young people today only play online video games, and are therefore not playing tabletop roleplaying games.  As a result, the current (older) generation of gamers would therefore be the last generation to play tabletop RPGs, and the RPG hobby would therefore die out.  Wizards of the Coast is now making itself part of the problem.

Get your shoulder bag and coupon book early

I went through my coupon book ahead of time and I got all kinds of cool swag in the exhibition hall, such as a free GenCon 2015 d6 from Crystal Caste, a free dungeon geomorph d6 from Inkwell Ideas, a free toy whistle from R&R Games, and a free button from Paizo.  Fortunately, I didn't need to enter the Paizo booth, because the Paizo booth always had such an insanely long line that I didn't even bother to try to get in.

Coffee

If you keep a busy schedule, you will lose sleep over the course of the Con.  If you're sleepy, you will nod off while someone is reading lots of game rules to you.

Drink some coffee if you must, but buffer it with food.  I didn't buffer my caffeine one morning, and I was a jittery mess; I couldn't even tally up my score at the end of a game.

I highly recommend the swell beverages purveyed by Bee Coffee Roasters, near Georgia Street across the street from the Con.  As in 2014, this year they had the "Coffee To Die For" 'game' cards; you buy an expensive beverage there, they mark up your card, and after 4 marks, they give you a custom-made Bee Coffee 6-sided die (hence, "To Die For").  The coffee is good, but I really kept going there so I could get that d6, so I guess it was a Die to Coffee for.

Thursday and Friday are the quiet days

It's hard to believe when you're in the middle of GenCon, but Thursday and Friday are the quiet days of the Con.  GenCon spans 4 days of the weekend: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; Thursday and Friday are workdays for most people, and Sunday ends around 4:00 PM.  As a result, many Con guests decide to only attend on Saturday, and Saturday is therefore extra busy.

If there's a booth you want to visit, or an event you want to squeeze into, make sure you do it on Thursday or Friday.

Take the Exhibition Hall in many small doses

Last year, I tried to push through the Exhibition Hall in one long push, and I was rapidly jaded by the many vendors who wanted my money.

As a result of my stupor, when I saw my webcomics hero Scott Kurtz idly lounging in a booth, my central nervous system was not able to process the possibility that I could actually meet the man.  I have been kicking myself ever since.

This year, I visited the Exhibition Hall several times in short forays, and it was much more enjoyable.  In fact...

I got to meet Scott Kurtz

I was fortunate enough to spot Mr. Kurtz drawing in a booth, and this time, my brain was fully functional!

I greeted Mr. Kurtz, and thanked him for his decades of awesome comics.  This must have made Mr. Kurtz feel old, because he insisted that he had only been making comics for one decade.  I mentioned that I had been enjoying his work since Tales by Tavernlight (a comic strip set in the fantasy world of Ultima Online, featuring a bard and Skull the Troll), and Mr. Kurtz either relented or reconsidered.

Seriously, Scott Kurtz was very gracious; he sat through my story about seeing him and NOT talking with him last year.  So I feel doubly lucky to both see Mr. Kurtz a second time, but more importantly to correct my error from last year with a second chance; we so rarely get second chances in life.

I hope I didn't geek out too hard over Mr. Kurtz, but if it gives him material for a comic, then it was worthwhile for both of us.

Dice

I love dice.  Every visit to GenCon is an excuse to acquire more dice.  In the photo, you can see the dice I picked up at GenCon this year, placed on 1/4-inch graph paper for scale.

At left, in black with green markings, are the Q Workshop Call of Chthulhu 7th Edition dice.  The pentagram or elder sign is a protective symbol, and appears on the highest numbered face (except the d4).  I also got a set for my wife with violet markings in a different style; and it's about time Q Workshop started working with violet.  I asked the Q Workshop staff about violet, and they explained that (strangely) violet and some other colors are very unpopular in some European countries; presumably because those colors carry negative connotations or are otherwise considered unlucky.  Note that these are "Call of Chthulhu 7th Edition dice"; I compared them, and previous editions have differently-styled markings, and are (in my opinion) harder to read.

At the top, in orange with gold markings, is a "GenCon 15" d6 from Crystal Caste, which was free with a coupon.

Below that, in black and gold with silver markings, is the Bee Coffee "To Die For" d6 (probably made by Chessex).

To the right of that is a large white die with black markings: an Inkwell Ideas dungeon geomorph d6, free with a coupon.  It's a neat way to generate a random dungeon, but you would also need large playmats corresponding to each side of the d6, because you can't place miniatures in the tiny rooms on the faces of the die.

At the bottom right, in pearly green with gold markings, are a set of 7 Crystal Caste dice.  Of course I also got a pearly violet set for my wife.

In this photo, you can see the dice I purchased for my wife at GenCon this year, placed on 1/4-inch graph paper for scale.

At left, in black with violet markings, are the Q Workshop Call of Chthulhu 7th Edition dice.  The elder sign  is present.  The markings indicate an "Orient Express" theme.  

At the top, in orange with gold markings, is the "GenCon 15" d6 from Crystal Caste, which was free with a coupon.  

Below that, in black and gold with silver markings, is the Bee Coffee "To Die For" d6 (probably made by Chessex).

At the top right and far right, you can see the Q Workshop dice cup with lid, both made of black leather with an embossed silver dragon (the dragon is curled up into a crescent shape), stitched with leather laces.  The lid closes tightly enough to serve as a carrying container for the dice.  It holds plenty of dice, but it is lighter and more compact than the other dice cups we have.

At the bottom right, in pearly violet with gold markings, are a set of 7 Crystal Caste dice.  

Little games can be lots of fun

It has been observed that the familiar poker-style deck of cards can be cheaply and easily found all over (gas stations, convenience stores, remote gift shops, etc.), fits in your pocket, and can be used to play hundreds of different popular games.

Similarly, just because a game is simple and inexpensive does not mean it is inferior or less enjoyable.  Also, you can take a chance on 3 $15 games for less money than 1 big $50 game.

Conclusion

Insofar as I can determine, I did not make any of the mistakes I made last year.  I made entirely new mistakes!  But such is the nature of progress.

I spent too much money on this trip, and it really brought me down.  If I ever decide to go again, I might try driving again (with a different route, and that extra day to catch up on sleep), or look for lower (possibly less convenient) airfares.

I wasted too much time playing games which I can play at home.  If I ever go again, I will plan for more unique and interesting events.

I didn't get into a vendor's booth to get something I really wanted to get, which was ONLY available at GenCon.  In retrospect, I should have waited in the really long line.

There was that SNAFU with the tickets on Saturday.

I should have brought a sweater for my wife.

I should have gotten that haircut I had been putting off.

Painting Miniatures 5: Washing and Dipping

a. Advantages and Disadvantages

In general, a wash is a layer of transparent color painted over a base color scheme.  The wash tends to accumulate in deep areas, creases, and pits; and so the transparent color accumulates and therefore looks darker in these dark areas.  This effect simulates shadows, or body hair, or dirt, and can effectively highlight protruding areas.

You can simulate the effect of a wash using pre-colored varnish from the hardware store; this is referred to as "The Minwax Dip Method" because of Minwax's very convenient line of "Polyshades" colored varnishes available.  Expert miniature painters consider this to be cheating, and you will not win awards with the Minwax treatment; but if you're just trying to make something look nice on the table for game night, then who cares?  Minwax polyurethane varnish provides the added benefit that it is an extremely durable finish, and will protect your paint job (and miniature) better than spray lacquer alone.

b. Washes

In theory, you can create a wash by taking some dark paint, then adding a paint additive known as a 'flow reducer' to it (try this on the palette, not in a bottle), which should cause the paint particles to drop out of their suspension, and therefore settle in creases on the model.

In practice, I have never gotten this to work well with paint.  I used a dark dark red to create a wash for a monster, but the wash didn't settle too well, and it just looked like the monster was covered with rivulets of dark gore.  It's an interesting look (creepy as heck!), and I just decided to go with it rather than repaint the whole thing, but it isn't really what I was hoping for.  Adding a bad wash at the end could mean that you need to repaint the whole model all over again.

You can also buy ready-made washes, but they're hard to find.  I don't have experience with these.

Many experts do something similar 'by hand' and without flow reducer; they dilute some dark paint tremendously with water (again, on the palette) and only paint a very light amount (almost dry-brush it) into the creased areas which they want to darken.  Then they let that dry, and repeat the process several times.  Each individual application is nearly invisible, but the color slowly accumulates.  This can be very effective, but it is also very time-consuming, painting those areas over and over and over again.

c. Dipping

Once your players defeat the giant spider, they are not going to be so thrilled fighting an identical giant spider; you will want refreshing new monsters for the next session, and that means more miniatures.  I admire the talented artists who create stunningly realistic color and shade effects on the tiny models we have; but I also run the game, and I have lots of jobs to do in order to prepare for game day.  I use the Minwax dip method a lot, and it helps me finish lots and lots of miniatures in my very limited spare time.  I realize it's a cheap shortcut, but it's a sacrifice in quality and craftsmanship I'm willing to make at this point in my life.

I mentioned before that the popular choice for this is the Minwax Polyshades line.  Polyshades is especially convenient because it is available in small half-pint cans (no need to buy the big quart can).  I will eventually want the surface of the miniature to have a completely flat non-shiny surface, so I use Satin finish varnish rather than Gloss; with the thin layer I paint on, it usually winds up shiny anyway.  The color recommended most often for this is "Antique Walnut," which adds a brown color that works very well with skin tones.  But for robots, subterranean monsters, and numerous undead creatures, I use the dark gray color provided by "Tudor;" be forewarned that Tudor can drain a lot of vividness from your paint scheme.  Do not use "Black," because it's like dipping your miniature in tar; no light nor color will escape.

I put my miniatures on little wooden disc bases; the disc is sized to the character's "personal space" for combat purposes, and I think the wood material looks a little classier than a black plastic base.  I used to get these laser-cut discs from Gale Force Nine, but Gale Foce Nine stopped selling them, and now I have to get them from craft suppliers.  Fortunately, 1-inch, 2-inch, 3-inch, and 1/2-inch laser-cut plywood discs are not too difficult to find from craft suppliers.  I bring this up now because it makes sense to attach the wooden disc before you varnish the miniature; the varnish enhances the appearance of the wood, as you might expect (the varnish is intended for wooden surfaces, after all).  I gently but firmly pop the miniature off the pedestal.  I attach the miniature to the wooden disc base using cyanoacrylate glue (I discussed cyanoacrylate glue in "Assembling" above).  Then I glue the miniature's new wooden disc base back onto the pedestal with the Duco cement (also discussed in "Assembling").

Dipping is where that working pedestal really comes in handy, because you do not want to touch the wet varnish, even if you're wearing painting gloves.  The pedestal also eliminates the concern of where to put your miniature while the varnish dries: on the pedestal, the varnish will not stick the miniature to another surface, nor will the varnish pool and leave a "wafer" of dry varnish attached to your base; the pedestal keeps the miniature suspended, so the miniature dries virtually in mid-air.

Although they call it "dipping," most people who do the "Minwax dip" do not actually submerge their miniature in varnish.  Instead, they brush the varnish on.  Me, I usually submerge the miniature and brush the excess varnish off.  Again, it's all about the time savings.

Minwax polyurethane varnish is oil-based, and very difficult to clean out of brushes, even if you use the toxic and volatile solvents required.  I use another shortcut with the brushes when dipping: I don't even try to clean it out of the brush.  For the dip stage, I use extremely cheap kids' watercolor-style synthetic-bristle plasic-handle paintbrushes, and when I'm done putting the Minwax on a batch of miniatures, I throw the cheap brush away rather than trying to clean it.  Yes, it's wasteful, but comparing the time required to clean out the brush, considering the toxic and flammable solvents, and the limited benefits of cleaning out the brush (that brush is never going to be as good as when you pulled it out of the box), I don't feel so bad tossing out a twenty-five-cent plastic brush; if I use that brush to varnish 12 miniatures in a batch, the cost of that brush amortizes down to about two cents per miniature.