[Excalibur] OurCon Update: All Kinds of Goodness!

[Jeff Lawrence]

In this OurCon Update:
** Prizes, Contests and More! **
** Pick Our Movies **
** GM Registration Closed **
** Vendor Room Full **

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OurCon 13: The Five College Area's Only Fan-Run, All-Gaming Convention
April 16-18 2004
Murray D. Lincoln Campus Center, Floors 8 & 9
University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Amherst, Massachusetts
www.ourcon.com / www.ourcon.org / www.ourcon.net
(413) 665-3717
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PRIZES! CONTESTS! MORE!
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OurCon 13 will feature heaps of prizes, contests and giveaways, which may include goodies like these:

* WHEN YOU RECEIVE YOUR CON BADGE... You will have a chance to roll a d20. You'll get some special 'circumstantial modifiers' (for example let's say, +1 for a being a student, +2 for wearing a "Trogdor the Burninator" T-shirt, +3 for coming in a Klingon costume, +4 for being able to recite verse and scripture from the Necronomicon and summon a Hound of Tindalos to devour a pound of kibble left on the floor, etc...); and if you manage to score a 'hit' against the Registration Ghoul on hand at the desk, you'll win nifty paintable miniature, donated by SSDC games!

* WHEN YOU'RE HANGING OUT IN THE CON SUITE BETWEEN GAMES... We'll collect folks' con badges and put them in a hat. We'll draw some names out, and those lucky winners will get a $5 gift certificate, funded by the UMass GHL and OurCon, to spend in the Vendors' Room, at the vendor of your choice! 

* WHEN YOU "WIN" A GAME... OurCon has been working hard to provide the GM-selected 'winner' of each game with a special prize; usually relevant to the game. Say, for example, you win a D&D tournament... Do you think we've been able to score a D&D related prize? It's a pretty good bet... Additionally, a number of GMs, including Alec Baclawski, Jen Eastman, Karyn Rammer and Jared Kelly have also sweetened the pots in their games, and have indicated to the con staff that they'll be providing their additional prizes for their games, out of their own pockets! Where else will you be able to get a "Chipper-Shredders for a Better Tomorrow" t-shirt?

* WHEN WE CONVINCE YOU TO DO SOMETHING AMUSING... How many d20s can you stuff into your mouth? Can you balance a copy of "Unknown Armies" on your forehead while dashing down the hallway begging for a Tilt from the Godwalker of Irreverent Silliness? We'll probably try to find out! OurCon will run a number of interesting little contests between game sessions to entertain and amuse the con-goers. You'll get more than a laugh for embarrassing yourself in front of your fellow con-goers, of course... you'll also win a prize from OurCon's cache of gaming goodness!

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PICK OUR MOVIES
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Movies at OurCon picked seemingly randomly by the con staff: Old and Busted.
Movies at OurCon picked by the various and sundry mailing lists and special interest groups: The New Hotness.

OurCon realizes that not every game is for everyone; and also that every now and then, folks might just want to kick back and relax, maybe pull a nice couch potato routine to a flick or TV show that they haven't seen in a long while- or at all. To that end, OurCon's 2004 staff is gathering their resources and assembling a master list of all the funky, weird, strange and abby-normal sci fi, fantasy and anime movies we can get our grubby little paws onto; and post polls to some mailing lists- one at a time, thank you- giving you, the con goers and movie viewers, your choice in what you'd like to have playing for your viewing pleasure on the theater side of the con suite.

Always wanted to see Lexx 1.0 "I Worship His Shadow" but your mom wouldn't let you?
Haven't seen "Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" since you were knee high to a grasshopper?
Can you never get enough "Cowboy Bebop"?\
Vote for your favorites, and we'll place each groups' winner in the movie rotation at OurCon.

We're currently planning on offering polls to: AmherstGaming, UMassGHL (UMass Game Hobbyists League), UMSFS (UMass Science Fiction Society), Excalibur at Hampshire, the LIONE Rampant staff at OurCon, and- last but certainly not least- the OurCon vendors. 

Who did we forget? Drop me a note at conchair AT sdf-1.org, and I'll add 'em in, as long as at least two people from the list or group is a registered attendee.
Polls to be arriving at a mailing list near you sometime next week...


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GM REGISTRATION FOR OURCON CLOSED
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Uncle! We cry uncle!
As of Tuesday, March 2, OurCon has filled up each and every private gaming room in the house with a outstanding and unique gaming experience; and we even have a few stand-bys waiting in the wings. Expect a webpage update by Friday, March 5 to include the newly scheduled games and the complete OurCon 13 schedule. The conbook should follow soon thereafter.

Standby game fans- Fear not! The standby games will happen whether or not they get a private room. The Free Gaming Room will house them with reserved tables; and in the event of unforeseen circumstances, should a slot open up in a private room, they will be moved in there as appropriate.

Do you have a game or demo you'd still like to run? Feel free to use the GM Registration form still up on the website, and space permitting, we'll schedule you for a spot in the Free Gaming room, and put you on the formal schedule.


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VENDOR REGISTRATION CLOSED
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It's at capacity. 100% full. No more room. None at all. Get out your shoehorns, ladies and gents... this puppy is done! OurCon has secured vendors for every possible facet of gaming and game-related fandom goodness. 

Do you need gaming books for that great game you just tried at the con? Got 'em! 
How about collectible card games? Signed, sealed and delivered, last week! 
Are miniatures your bag? We'll fill it! 
Comics? A super assortment.
Leather armor and other like goodies for your LARP needs? You betcha.
Anime, sci-fi and fantasy movies? Secured.
One vendor is even bringing fantasy greeting cards!

OurCon is no longer accepting applications or checks for vendors- our room is packed full with reserved tables. When the last checks clear- probably in time for the Friday update- we'll release the full list of vendors and websites, for your perusal and shopping enjoyment.

The Vendor Room's hours will also be released in days to come...




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Jeff Lawrence
email: quixote at sdf-1.org
efax: (408)538-8972
hex: 12413AEB2ED4FA5E6F7D78E78BEDE8209450920F923A40EE10E510CC98D444AA08E1324
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