Texicon

When I first moved to Denton, Texas, from neighboring Decatur in 1990, they’re were no less than six comic stores, with three, yes, THREE stand alone gaming stores in town. Consider the fact that Denton is a two college town, and its still quite a feat in itself.  Within three years, only one comic store, and one gaming store remained…Just in the last couple of years, a gaming store just blocks from my house came under new ownership and management and did a bang up job of bringing interest and working along side players and even coordinating with other stores in the area to promote its business. It closed almost a year to the day after its transistion. I asked the owner (former, now) what had become of the situation. To paraphrase, he said simply…”It wasn’t lack of players, or table space, it was lack of BUSINESS.” He further added that when people heard of his store’s demise, they remarked that they were fond of his store, and had meant to come in and buy their stuff from him, but forgot.

The problem is this kids…with the advent of the internet, the eBay and other such things….it becomes more and more difficult for game stores to stay in business. Why would the savvy gamer, pay more for a particular item at a local game store, when he can click the mouse a couple of times, and get it for nearly half the price? The previous question provides part of the answer: local game store…how many ‘local’ gamestores do we have? While it is true, things are getting better for the gaming industry, how many of us have to make a day trip to get to a gaming store? or even drive less than ten minutes to get there? The answer, in all likeliness is too many, and not a lot, respectively. At best, in an ideal world, we should have at least one hole in the wall store, every ten minutes away. That’s partially due to the fact that gamers, having their wares more widely available at bookstores, comic stores, etc…like any consumer will purchase their items at the best price from whomever. But at the same time, you are ultimately defeating your own craft by doing so. Unlike other so-called gamers, of the console variety…we NEED other people to play as opposed to sitting in front of the screen for hours on end. It is this personal contact that makes our hobby great.

IN closing…we all want a better deal, and in this economy everyone wants to save a buck, and while I will admit that another reason gaming stores don’t do so well, is the fact that it appeals to a niche market of consumers based solely on disposable income, I ask, most humbly that you consult your local ‘Game Lord’ before commiting to your next purchase…and as much as I hate fear-mongering, the fact remains resolute…if you don’t get your games from your friendly neighborhood hole in the wall, it might not be their the next time you remember to shop there…

-Geoffrey T. Barton

‘It is not the job of the Dungeon Master to tell you what you can or cannot do, it is only their job to tell you what happens WHEN you do.’ this is a phrase I was recently exposed to by a DM I was playing under, and regardless of the motto’s simplicity and directness, I’ve never heard a better description of the job of Dungeon Master. It is true, that while they officiate the action, and must be appraised of the various rules of the system, its setting, and the players themselves…they are also ultimately their to narrate the comings and goings of the actions, (or inactions) of both players and NPC’s. However, it must also be said that there is something lacking, somewhere, when you look around and see that all players at a table are not being actively engaged, the action is drawn out far too long, and, heaven forbid the player is bored!

Its a terrible trend that I’ve seen, not too often, but enough to leave me wondering…what has the art of DM’ing come to, when player characters, imbued with almost an infinite amount of action and possibility, who exists on another gaming world, aren’t enjoying their escapism?

I believe a part of it rests in the fact that far too many systems nowadays rely too heavily on tables, charts, graphs and grids for the system to function with any semblance of fluidity…and similarly there are too many Dungeon Masters who are afraid not to stray from those very same facts and figures, apparently in fear of the ever present enemy of games everywhere; the ‘rules lawyer’. As taxing as ‘RL’s’ can be, and a buzzkill to boot, those running the game have forgotten the cardinal rule that has been passed down from game to game, system to system, throughout genres since the time of Blackmoor….and if you’re canny enough, you’ll find that this rule, this law, this commandment exists in one turn of phrase from the next in every section of pen and paper rpg’s that regards the fine art of running the game: ‘The DM/GM/Storyteller’s word is final, in all things.’ That’s it. That’s all there is, and that’s all that needs to be known. Its your game, Dungeon Masters.

I understand that we all want to play, we all wish to share in the experience of the game, however, there comes a time, sometimes more than once, that the DM must put their foot down, and carry on. Not only does this deal with rules conflicts, but also behavior issues as well. We’ve all had them, the player hogging the spot light, angling for some sort of advantage, lawyering or min/maxing the hell out of a situation, playing the dice, like its Vegas craps. A Dungeon Master should not shy away from pulling someone aside and keeping their players in check, as opposed to letting them run the table. Its not fair to the players, and its not fair to the person, or persons running the game. In the same respect a DM should be able to use, or not use information provided by the various rulebooks, and mechanics provided by the system. One should think of them as guidelines, not laws…endless consultation of these tables, cards, etc…takes too much time in the heat of battle, and while they do effect various actions and events, and cannot underemphasize their importance, I’m also offering the notion that they should not be the exclusive reference for every situation.

Dungeon Masters, in the best case scenario, should feel free to change things up, try different rules and mechanics, and get players input on how things roll. Rules and mechanics, like everything else in the game, should be fluid and for the benefit of all parties involved. And while players are a most vital part of the system of gaming, it should be remembered, ‘The DM’s rule if final.’

(As a personal note, the art of DM’ing is a very complex, less than subtle, and highly rewarding experience. Having had the position for two decades now, I still find my self learning new and exciting things on a daily basis in regards to the craft. And players, be sure to cut your DM’s some slack…most of the better ones spend upwards of three to five hours of research, reading, and/or writing for every hour at the table!)

-Geoffrey T. Barton

With Texicon less than six months away, and a considerable amount of time and energy being commited to the event by staff and volunteers, now is a great time to reflect and reaffirm why Texicon ‘11 is so very important to all parties involved.

For sometime, it has been well known to those who know Karl and Kevin, that their primary focus is to bring as many members of the gaming community together, for a singular focus of participation and promotion of the hobby. Tabletop miniatures, board games, both collectable and non-collectable CCG’s and of course pen and paper games all have a place within the many card and kitchen tables, games and bookstores in the Dallas/Ft.Worth area, and now after many years of planning, their focus has become reality it the grandest of ways…a gaming convention for the greater DFW area, which started in earnest in May of 2010 and has great potential in becoming the premier gaming con for years to come, thanks to the dedication and hardwork of not only Karl and Kevin, but the great team of staff and volunteers that they have organized to bring this event together.

Anyone active in the hobby of ‘gaming’ (for lack of a better word), can see that the hobby has never been more active, and more promoted. With the release of Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition, Wizards of the Coast has made the classic game, which started most humbly with Chainmail in the ’70’s more accessable than ever to millions of players, bring interest to a game and genre which was once reserved for those on the fringes of the social strata. Pathfinder Gaming System by Paizo, has also taken many gamers who prefer the older editions and given them more options on how to run their games, without resorting to searching through drafted used bookstore shelves to play the games that they love. Games Workshop continues to produce some of the best minatures around and with the opening of several new hobby stores and independant stores carrying their product, the tabletops are screaming with the sounds of rolling dice, promoting the minatures community. And Fantasy Flight Games, has come a long way from producing not only the finest board games around, but they have also included the production of several pen and paper systems and non-collectable CCG’s.

Not only have the ‘Big Three’, contributed much over the last few years, but I’m quite pleased that many independent vendors, and companies have sprung to the forefront of the community. Reaper Miniatures, just down the road in Denton has grown by leaps and bounds with their dedication to quality products and their dedication to improving their games. Privateer Press, Wyrd Minatures, Alternative Armies and many many others have pushed the boundaries of the miniature genre, providing great variety not only in game play but style and genre. Companies such as Green Ronin, White Wolf, Mythmere Games,  just to name a few have also provided many players with considerable leeway in what games they play and how they are played.

The industry has grown not only by product selection and quantity, but where it is available. Many years ago, one had to travel many leagues, and venture into dark cave-like game stores to find a dust covered copy of a DM’s guide, or pray to the god of the d20 that something, ANYTHING, would be in a used book store. Now, not only are many systems available in your favorite book stores, but board games such as Settlers of Catan, Axis and Allies, Carcassonne and Killer Bunnies can be found there as well, not to mention many comic stores are now sporting respectable sections for not only board games but pen and paper systems too.

The industry has grown considerably over the last ten years, but the key to any game is of course the players…the internet has been an invaluable tool for contacting players, organizing groups, even maintaining the games we enjoy through play by post…social websites have allowed us to keep in touch with our favorite game publishers and keep apprised of their products, and upcoming releases…and who hasn’t gone from one game site to the next, and not found at least one interesting system, you’ve never heard of?

BUT, most importantly to the entire scheme of things, be it websites, game stores, writers, playtesters, etc., we all owe a debt to ourselves and each other as gamers. It doesn’t matter whether you roll a d20, flip a card, measure area of effect, tote your games on a luggage rack, or old shoe box…it doesn’t matter whether your game is from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s or now, we all game, we are all gamers…with Texicon sponsoring gaming in all forms, all editions and all genres…it as an event and as an organization act as a true testament to the gaming community of today and many years to come…

Game on.

-Geoffrey T. Barton