Gen Con UK 2004 Special Events

This year Gen Con UK sees lots of Several Events taking place: The Art Show, Medieval Craft demonstrations, Q&A sessions, discussion panels, the Games Meister Challenge, Room 101, parties and special competitions.

While full details will be available in the Convention Programme at Gen Con UK, there are a couple we want to make you aware of now so that you can prepare for some of them... The Quiz and Character Competition and the Sweetie Monster Creation Competition.

Parties

Opening night party

Come along and kick off your 2004 Gen Con UK in style! Let down your hair, kick off your shoes, but please cover-up your face (it is a masked ball after all!). There may even be a special surprise or two... The opening night party begins at 7pm Wednesday night, and finishes when the bar staff tell us to go away. Snacks and drinks will be available over the bar (as well as drinks!). Check at reception when you arrive for more details.

Cost: �2 on the door - unless you're wearing a mask, in which case admission is free.
Normal licensing restrictions apply.

Wizards D&D 30^th Anniversary Party

"Now one of the real reasons the Wizards crew love Gen Con UK is it's one of the events we get to do a bit of partying. And as we're celebrating D&D's 30th Anniversary we've decided to throw a party! The first 500 people who play any WotC or Hasbro game on Thursday, from a demonstration at our stand, to D&D roleplaying, or a Magic side event, you'll get a ticket to our 30th Anniverary party on Thursday night. It's that simple, you play our games, and we want to hang out with you. We'll have snacks and drinks for all, along with a sweet D&D 30th Anniversary gift. There'll also be prizes for the best fancy-dressed party-goers."

Wrap party

Join us as we wind down after four solid days of fun. Cast, crew and delegates alike get to sit back and chill as Norman Lovett spins his comedy thang. Music, mates and merriment - what more could you ask? Say goodbye to Gen Con UK 2004 in style!

Snacks and drinks will be available over the bar.
Normal licensing restrictions apply.
Cost: �2 on the door - unless you have won or been given one of the free tickets!

Live Celebrity Pictionary

Friday, 7:30pm till 9:30pm.

Hosted by Karen MacNeil and featuring the talents of some of the artists in attendance at Gen Con UK 2004, this popular game makes a return to Gen Con UK after a couple of year's absence - and if you were at it the last time it was run you'll certainly remember Larry Elmore and Matt Wilson's hilarious attempts to outdo each other in the melodrama stakes!

Gen Con UK 2004 Awards Ceremony

Sunday, 4pm.

Please do make sure you come along and help us celebrate the inaugural "Hectors", hosted by Norman Lovett. Cheer or jeer as you see fit, as each recipient tries to outdo the others with the longest list of abominations and hangers-on they are grateful to... Make your voice heard by voting in each of the categories - you will find voting slips at the information desk (Slips must be returned to the voting box by 12 noon on Sunday).

Our voting categories this year are:

• Funniest Event: Where did you laugh the most?
• Best Redcoat: That's Butlin's redcoat, not Horsemen redshirt!
• Best Trade Hall Display: Which stand made you say WOW?
• Best Main Arena Display: Which display made you smile?
• Best Demonstration Game: Which was most fun for you?
• Best Value Event: Which Event was cheap AND Good?
• Best Non-game Demonstration: Which event was great to watch?
• Best Volunteer: Which Horsemen redshirt impressed you most?
• Best GM: Which of the many GMs impressed you most this weekend?
• Most Entertaining Guest: Who made you smile?
• Most Interesting Guest: Who made you think?
• Most Hard-Working Guest: Who made you tired just watching them?!
• Best Demonstrator: Who was just brilliant at plying his/her craft?

Other "Hectors" will be presented to winners of various competitions running throughout the show.

Auction

This year's auction will take place on Saturday 16th, running from 8pm to 10pm and will be hosted by our special guest, Norman Lovett.

Selling
A seller may place a maximum of 2 Lots into the auction with a minimum price of �5 per Lot. A single Lot may contain more than one individual item.
The seller is responsible for writing a clear description of the Lot and for setting the minimum price (if above �5)
Horsemen Events Ltd will retain15% of the sale price, the majority of which will go to the ECHO charity. A small portion will be used to cover administration costs.
Any items that remain unsold must be collected by 3pm on Sunday 17th or become the property of Horsemen Events Ltd.
Items can be placed into the auction for sale on Saturday 16th, between 10am and 7pm.

Buying
Buyers may only bid for a Lot if they have a bidder's card, which are available from the auctioneers for a cost of �1, on Saturday 16th between 10am and 9pm.
Purchased Lots must be paid for upon collection of the item, which must be no later than 3pm on Sunday 17th.
All bids must be in minimum increments of �1.

Horsemen Events Ltd accept no responsibility for the condition of any item purchased nor do they accept responsibility if the item fails to meet the description provided by the seller.

Sweetie Monster Creation

Can you visualise the scariest monster ever? Can you see it in your minds eye?
Can you create it too? Can we eat it afterwards?

Enter the Sweetie Monster Creation competition and create your very own abomination to terrify the masses, made of course from edible materials.

Entry to this event costs 1 Special Events ticket per person per round.
Each entrant will have 15 minutes, using the materials provided, to create a monster which must be no more than 6 inches tall, 3 inches wide and 6 inches long.
Entries will be judged on a daily basis on two categories, which are Taste and Appearance. Each entry will be automatically entered into both categories.

The winner of each daily category will receive a ticket to the Wrap Party as a prize. An overall winner from the daily victors will be announced at the Awards Ceremony, the winner receiving a Hector for their efforts.

Games Meister Challenge

Think you know how to play games? Think again. Our Special Guests are willing to take on all comers in the 'Gaming Challenge' series of events, with an invite to the Wrap Party going to those that manage to defeat our doughty Games Meister�

Entry to this event will cost 1 Special Event ticket per person.
Entrants can challenge our Special Guests in one game of their choosing from our selection.
The games will be from the fun and silly end of the shelf...
The rules of each game may differ slightly from the published version, but will be made clear to each entrant before play commences.
The Games Meister Challenge will be run every day; please see the special event schedule for full information regarding playing times and guest spots.

The winner of each game will receive a ticket to the Wrap Party, maximum 1 per person.

Medieval Life

So much of the hobby we enjoy has a connection with medieval times, be it via the world setting, the technology level or most commonly (but often subconsciously) the style of dress.This is all widely evident in the games we play and the books we read; the authors and designers go to great lengths to ensure that the reader of the book, or player of the game, is immersed into a world of not just fantasy, but also one that has authenticity, usually achieved by using a firm root in our own world's history.

So why do we have this interest in medieval life? Is it simply because of our hobby and the close links it has, or do we perhaps have a more romanticised view of the medieval world than the one we live in? Although the answer will undoubtedly vary from person to person, one thing is for sure - we're stuck in the modern world...or are we?

Well, for the four days of Gen Con UK 2004, you have a golden opportunity to explore aspects of medieval life with our group of experts, who will happily lead you through participation experiences with such diverse things as fletching, rope turning and chain mail crafting.

As well as this, they'll be holding talks on all manner of subjects relating to medieval life throughout the course of the weekend - all you have to do is go along to our demonstration area (situated between the Wizards of the Coast and Upper Deck Entertainment sponsors stands in the main portion of the arena) and join in. The emphasis being on joining in; we want as many of you to participate as possible!

For instance, Gerry Burrows will happily help you to turn rope, weave baskets (which were also used as backpacks too) and perhaps show you some of the skills that have made his work vital to such places as the Mary Rose, the Globe Theatre and for the National Trust. In fact, Gerry has worked all over Europe, demonstrating his medieval crafts and increasing his knowledge of the historical side of things, so much so that he regularly turns down appearances on Time Team to concentrate on restoring works for various museums and educational authorities.

Neil Eddiford, another of the experts on hand, will guide you through the fletching process, helping you to make arrows before demonstrating how effective a weapon they were (and still are!).

Neil is the chairman of the Wolfshead Bowmen group, England's largest club of medieval archers, and his expertise has been sought after by the makers of Time Team and The Last Buildings of Britain (both Channel 4). As well as this, he has worked with the Henley in Arden museum, and the Museum of Exeter and has just started teaching at the University of Bristol (experimental archaeology)

Here's an ideal chance to put some things in perspective - like how many people drank beer with every meal (not a bad thing some might say!!) because the water wasn't clean enough to drink on its own or the fact that if you wanted to talk to someone from the next town or village it might take a few days to get a reply or travel there, unlike today's world where communication is instant thanks to the telephone and internet.

Our team of experts are on hand to help you take an closer look at the medieval world; so why not make a point of stopping off at the demonstration area and seeing what life was really like back in the olden days�

Check out the armour demonstrations, try on a couple of bits to see just how heavy it was. Hold and assess accurate replica weaponry. Techniques and methods of medieval combat will be explained and displayed. Have a look at essential medieval crafts in action, like just where did people buy a wooden spoon? They didn't, they whittled them! Unlike today when craft skills are a luxury or leisure activity, in medieval times they were necessary.

Medieval musical instruments will be available to look at, and if you're curious about the political niceties of medieval society, just ask! There's much more than meets the eye about the clothing, the activities, even the food that was eaten, and our experts are passionate about the period, so will relish your questions.

Demonstrations will be running at various times each day between 10am and 4pm. Please check the Special Events area for more details. It is absolutely free to spectate, if you would like to participate and perhaps take home a souvenir, costs will be clearly displayed (typically one or two Special Event tickets per activity).

Quiz and Character Competition

Saturday, 3pm till 6pm, with our special guest Norman Lovett hosting.

This year (for additional fun and at no extra cost!) the quiz is being run in conjunction with the all new Character Competition where supplicants strut their stuff before a panel of judges to bring their favourite character to life through a combination of roleplay, costume, Q&A and a brief written background; for the delight and edification of all present. So how is this all going to work? Well, it's a simple matter of alternation... while a round of the quiz is being administered (answers collected and marked, and other such thrilling activities...), a section of the Character Competition will perform; and while the next section of the Character Competition is preparing (cueing up soundtracks, last minute adjustments to costume and so forth...), a round of the quiz will happen. Thus the audience and participants get constant entertainment with very little lull and fluster...

The Quiz

Do you know your gluteus maximus from your ulna? Is a digital disk versatile enough for video? Who works in space but is from Iowa? And When is a duck not?

Know the answers to these questions? Then you *might* be capable of taking part in the... mindnumbingbraindamagingthoughtprovokingteethgnashingheartthumpingeyeball spinningearringingpulsepoundingcoolfizzing� Gen Con UK 2004 Quiz Session!

• Quiz teams are to be made up of between four and six players.
  If you don't have a team beforehand - don't worry! Come along anyway, there are always people looking for team members.
• The Quiz is made up of 7 rounds;
  • Food for thought
  • I Say, I Say, I Say
  • Play it again Sam
  • Cover to Cover
  • Another cutting edge
  • Makes the world go round
  • Un-Real Estate
• Each team has a Joker that they can play on one round where they will double their points scored.
• Each team must come up with a team name; with the best team name earning its owners Wrap Party tickets. (note: team names must be of a nature suitable for daytime broadcast on BBC Radio 4)
• Points are scored for each correctly answered question - the winning team being the one to score the most points.
• The winning team will be presented with the Quiz Hector at the Awards Ceremony on Sunday.in addition to each team member getting Wrap Party tickets, as well as the pleasure of lording it as the Gen Con UK Quiz Meisters of 2004 for a year!
• Cost: zero! Entry to the quiz is free!

The Character Competition

While our entrants amaze us with their spellbinding performances and awesome attire, spare a thought for the hours of work it took them to achieve the effect, and the following rules they had to obey:

• Entrants must provide their own costumes and a written background for their character, no longer than 250 words.
• Each entrant will parade in front of our panel of judges whilst their character background is read to the assembled crowd
• Entrants are allowed to parade to (soft) theme music, which they must supply themselves in CD format.
• Entrants will then answer a few questions posed by our judges. They must answer as their character.
• The character created by the entrant can be from any genre of fantasy or science fiction.
• Each presentation must take no longer than two minutes.
• The characters presented will be judged on three categories: Presentation, Creativity, and Costume.
• The winner will be announced at the Awards Ceremony and will receive a Hector and a ticket to the wrap party. The 2nd and 3rd placed runners up will receive a ticket to the wrap party.
• Cost: zero! Entry to the character competition is free!

Great White Hunter

Each Hunter's shot must be submitted by the start of each gaming slot.

It has been a quiet time on the African hunt. Not a sniff of a trophy. Then, one night your friend H.G.Wells offered you the chance of a lifetime; go back to the time of the Dinosaurs and bag some of them!

A turn based game of jungle-hunter-battleships set in the time of the thunder lizards. Running throughout the whole convention, each turn deadline is at the beginning of a slot. The Great White Hunter's base camp is situated in the demonstration area (found between the two co- sponsor stands). Registration slips can be picked up at the base camp and all round entries must be submitted there. Spot prizes awarded daily for the best hunters.
Cost: One Special Events ticket.

Life Size Kill Dr Lucky

Friday 8pm till finish,
Saturday 8pm till finish.
Running time - 2 hours max.

Dr Lucky invites you to an evening soiree at his palatial mansion. But, you really want to bump him off to get his fortune... Are you crafty enough to get Dr Lucky alone in his house and do the dirty deed... whilst foiling the dastardly plans of the other murderous guests? The Biggest Board Game at Gen Con UK... Come along and join the fun. This game takes place in the Special Events Area.

Cost: One Special Events ticket.

House of Cards

Running daily from 9:30am till 5:30pm in the Special Events Area.

How bored are you with deck building, shuffling, cutting and considering your card moves? Would you like to do something more constructive with those thrice damned rectangles of cardboard? Don't build a deck, build a tower!

Take part in the ultimate House of Cards challenge... build the highest tower you can in five minutes. The winner from each day gets a ticket to the Wrap Party.

Seminars

This year at Gen Con UK, in a departure from the accepted way of presenting seminars, we are instead giving you the opportunity to take part in a number of discussion panels with a variety of our special guests.

Of course this doesn't mean that we're not holding any seminars at all; we have a Q&A with the reknowned Phil Masters, as well as an opportunity to sit down with the prolific and highly thought of Shane Lacy Hensley (and guests) of Pinnacle Entertainment Games.

The discussion panels cover a wide range of topics - some serious and some not quite so serious - but all of them will give us food for thought. Check in at the Special Events area to find out more.

Fad games or Instant Classics?

Which is which and what do you prefer? Can you spot the classics from the current set of new games?
Thursday 1pm till 3pm.

Best Sci Fi/Fantasy pin-up?

A no brainer. For sure you're going to say 'Vasquez' from Aliens... oh? You're not? So, obviously you're gonna pick Tir from Andromeda, right? No? Well, you'd better come along and put us straight then!
Thursday 4pm till 6pm.

We're sticking with the big questions here... From any genre of fantasy or science fiction - who is just the MOST impressive in the world of the (in)famous?
Friday 10am till 12 noon.

Evil: Good or Bad?

Is evil actually evil or is it doing some good? Do we need evil to define good, making it by definition good, or is it just plain old evil? What earthly use is evil anyway? Discuss.
Friday 2pm till 4pm.

Happy Endings or Sad decline?

What is the best way to end things (in a game that is)? Do you prefer the rose-tinted sunset or the bleak, grey mushroom cloud of oblivion?
Saturday 1pm till 3pm.

Corporations or Independents?

Steaming right in there with the inevitable controversy... Which one is better for the games industry?
Saturday 4pm till 6pm.

And finally we finish up with our very own...

Rough Guide to Gaming

Far too late to be useful at Gen Con UK 2004 but we figured gamers are a resourseful bunch, and there's always next year!
Sunday from 2pm till 4pm.

GUEST RUN GAMES

Running throughout the four days of Gen Con are a series of limited access rpgs, game-mastered by our wonderful industry guests. Places are extremely limited, so to be part of the lucky draw, put your name down at the Special Events Area, along with a mobile telephone number or other method of reaching you. Each Special Guest GM will select six players randomly from the pool - the six lucky winners will be contacted in plenty of time.
Should you be selected, the cost will be 1 Generic Ticket.

In particular, you may be interested in:

Phil Masters

Discworld Thu 2 till 6pm
Fri GURPS 9am till 1pm
Saturday Discworld 9am till 1pm

Shane Lacy Hensley

Pinnacle entertainment games catalogue rpg
Fri 2pm till 6pm
Sat - 2pm till 6pm
Sun 12noon till 4pm.

Dave Blewer and Paul Wade Williams (Wiggy) will also be running a couple of sessions, check in at the Special Events area for more information.

Peter Adkison

Magic: the Gathering gunslinging - Sunday 10am till pm.
Using pre-constructed decks from the new Wizards' release, Peter will attempt to whup your ass!