Peter Struijf
Netherlands
Zoetermeer
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This is part 8 of the series, describing the adventures of a small independent designer/publisher (yours truly) at SPIEL 08 in Essen.
On Saturday morning, traffic is light as I drive into town. This time, I have even had some breakfast at my friend's place, which was nice. I have more or less stopped eating completely during the past two days, as I am high on adrenalin most of the time, drink coffee the rest of the time and my jet lag still messes with my appetite all day. I have high expectations of this day, because Saturday is "The Busiest Day" of the entire event. Several other stand holders have added ominously "But The Public Is Quite Different".
One thing is obvious when I reach the stand around 0915, meet up with Jack, his team and another nearby stand holder: we are starting to dig into our reserves, running on low batteries and spare tyres. The guy from the other stand tries to speak, but has no voice left to speak with. Finally he manages to croak "I lost my voice..." with a desperate look: how to do your thing without a voice in Essen? Jack, Mal, Duncan and Lucy also look pretty beat up....and my own throat is sore and my voice hoarse. This is going to be a Long Day.
I have a real problem, as well as an advantage today. The problem is that Chris will only be here to help me out in the morning (one demo game), after which he has to leave. From about 1200, I will be totally alone at the Geode Games table, until we close up shop at 1900. That's seven hours of demo games, Frequently Asked Questions, visits from Special Representatives and game summaries (a common request from passers-by who lack enough time to watch the game for a while). My big advantage (although I am still unaware of it) is that the demo games (5 in a row) are almost fully booked for the day. This means I will have an audience who want to play Kraków, not just any game to while away some time. That will prove to be good, especially on Saturday.
Towards 11 am, when the first four players are safely into their demo game with Chris in attendance, I go for a walk around the place. It does not take many observational skills to notice the huge difference between today and either of the first two days. Firstly, the place is now really overcrowded: there are queues in the men's toilets....a very long slow moving one for the men who would like to sit down and think for a while, a shorter and fast moving one for those who just want to stare at a blank wall for a minute.
All seats in the entire complex are continuously occupied, people stand or walk eating their curry wursts, it is really difficult to move through the crowd. There are far, far more children and far, far fewer bags than the previous days. In other words: Saturday is the day when the Essen fair fulfills its role as the destination of the Family Outing. Lovely for the Families, lovely for the purveyors of Fast Foods, but far less exciting for the publishers of board games. Sales today (at least for Jack and myself) will turn out much lower than on each of the past days - simply because this is not a game-buying public.
One superb example of the "different dynamics" on Saturday is something that happened at the Reiver Games stand (and gave all of us a good time after 1900): a German family (father, mother, two youngish children) sit down at their demo table. Duncan welcomes them and launches into his well-practised explanation: "It is the 19th century and all of you are mad scientists, competing to build a Frankenstein monster using body parts and the power of alchemy..." "It's Alive!" is an auction & collection game using body parts and money, basically. After the explanation, the game can start: Duncan and the entire family are raring to go and build themselves a few Frankensteins. However, the first card turned over shows a cut-off head in a glass bowl. The First Lady of this household has one good look at the picture, pulls a face like she has just swallowed a spoonful of raw Sauerkraut, and says "Yugh - that is gross and awful! Come on, we are leaving!" She stands up quickly, hauls her spawn out of their seats by pulling the nearest available body parts, then marches off down the corridor with them. Duncan sits utterly perplexed at the now empty table, staring at the offensive head. "It's a good head, only 7 gold pieces" he mutters to himself. He decides to buy it, since auctioning it across the empty table will not work too well.....it's a good start towards his (24th) Frankenstein monster.
At noon, there is an excellent demo game at my stand, when the famous Krakovians come to town. Although they have not read much of the rules before, we go through the explanation of the game very quickly. These guys are clearly experienced boardgamers and play games together regularly, which makes the demo a lot more fun. Within 15 minutes (half a hand of cards), they switch to Polish, as they no longer need anything from me. I take a few steps back and watch the game from the corridor, stretch my legs a bit and talk to some of the passer-by watching the game. I can see from the way these guys play their cards, look at the mapboard situation before they decide what to play, remember which cards are out of the game, that they really know what they are doing. They did not know the rules, the goals or the card values an hour ago, which makes it an impressive achievement. It is a real pity these demo games have to be limited to one game year...
Some time during the day I have another demo experience, which is a lot less enjoyable. One of the players starts the game full of enthusiasm, but within 10 minutes his mood changes dramatically after he looses a few card plays. He starts complaining bitterly about his every hand of cards, how little he can do with them, how he has no chance to play for himself and so on. I observe this for a bit and can see his behaviour affects the other demo players, who spend more energy "managing" the tantrums of the six-year old (in the body of a grown up man) than enjoying the game. I realise the person desperately, passionately wants and needs to win any game he plays, as if he must prove his value and protect his status within the entire tribe in that way. Of course, after the demo game (which several others guite enjoyed) is over, he needs to tell me how this game is all just luck, therefore quite boring, and why several rules make no sense and are unfair. I try to explain the reasons for some rules, point out some errors made by him and his teammate, but it does not make much of an impression. After they have left, I feel a bit sad. I am sure my game has its flaws, I am sure it is not Puerto Rico or Agricola, I am sure some people will not like its mechanics, especially the fact that the mechanics are fully cards-based. But I don't think it's ok for one person to spoil the fun of others, just because they can't stand loosing a boardgame at the age of 55.
My testosterone also wants to say something. It says: "Wanna play a game without luck? Wanna be a tough guy? Wanna sit down for 9 hours straight for a single game against just one opponent? Wanna push your brain to the very limits of its mathematical and analytical capacity? Why don't you step into my world then: there's Grenadier, the German open ASL tournament, in two weeks time. I'll be waiting...."
Testosterone is a really silly thing, isn't it ? It just makes a lot of noise, beats its chest and turns water to steam for no real purpose. All it really wants is a hug and to be told "you don't have to eat your Brussels sprouts" and "yes you can play with your Playmobil even though it is already late"....and it's right as rain.
I should go hug the man who hates loosing. But he is already gone. I hug Jack instead. And Duncan. When I hug Duncan, something falls from his hand onto the floor. It is a small colourful card from "It's Alive!" with a severed head in a glass jar on it.
Saturday is a tough day at Essen. But tomorrow is Sunday - our marathon enters the final stretch....
Take care now, hug each other often.
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Christopher DeFrisco
United States
Ashland
Oregon
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I just wanted to finally chime in to tell you what a joy it is to read your daily log!
Your self-deprecating style and witty humor is wonderful.
After you are fully recovered from your Essen marathon, please think seriously of regaling us with your continued publishing stories! :-)
( and congrats on the game )
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Tom Rosen
United States
Arlington
Virginia
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Check this GeekList to see all of the articles in this series:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/36248
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Doug Richardson
United States
Gresham
Oregon
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Quote: I should go hug the man who hates loosing.
Actually, anyone of an adult age who can't stand losing deserves a slap, not a hug. Life is much more about losing than winning.
Speaking as a 55-year-old, let me say I apologize for anyone my age who doesn't understand that the goal of life is to collect more hugs than slaps...
Thanks for your honest and truthful account of a first time Essen vendor.
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Peter Struijf
Netherlands
Zoetermeer
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Quote: Speaking as a 55-year-old, let me say I apologize for anyone my age who doesn't understand that the goal of life is to collect more hugs than slaps...
DISCLAIMER:
The age, nationality or dress of any character in the story may have been altered for the sake of privacy....
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peterstruijf wrote: Quote: Speaking as a 55-year-old, let me say I apologize for anyone my age who doesn't understand that the goal of life is to collect more hugs than slaps... DISCLAIMER: The age, nationality or dress of any character in the story may have been altered for the sake of privacy....
Good to know. I was just wondering what kind of life has got a man that can´t take a lose at 55. I mean, this is normal at young age, as the hability to lose is something you don´t born with, you have to learn it while losing once and again through life. If you can´t stand losing at 55, either you have been living in your own world where you got all you wanted, or you learn veeery veeeery slowly.
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Thijs Lauwbierkoffie
Netherlands
Nijmegen
Gelderland
Advertise here!
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I don't know why, but this is the first article in the series that did not only make me laugh, but really had an impact on me.
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Peter Struijf
Netherlands
Zoetermeer
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Mr Thijs wrote: I don't know why, but this is the first article in the series that did not only make me laugh, but really had an impact on me.
Hi Mr Thijs,
thanks very much, that is great to hear....but does leave me wanting to know more.
Would you care to share some of this impact with us ?
Or you want to save it for Groups ?
Take care,
Peter
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Greig
Canada
Peterborough
Ontario
www.castlecon.net
I went out there in search of experience, to taste and to touch as a man can, before he repents...
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First of all, thank you Peter for sharing your Essen story with all of us. I have really enjoyed, not only the articles you have posted, but the banter between you and the respondents. I have even added Krakow to my wishlist and look forward to it's North American release.
As for the impact Mr Thijs talks about, I felt it as well. I won't speak for him, but this article had a very different tone to it. I did chuckle a couple of times as your writing style is very enjoyable, however the series of events that took place seemed a little heavier than most days.
Duncan's demo of It's Alive and the family leaving after seeing the less than pleasing card.
The Poles not needing your assistance after fifteen minutes.
Your passion for hoping that everyone enjoys their demo and having one patron not only not enjoy himself, but create a disturbance to those playing with him.
My feeling of "impact" comes from the idea I have that you are a very positive and uplifting person, looking for the good in others, raising everyones spirits around you and having a passion about what you have created. To go through the day you went through makes me want to give you a hug.
Thanks again for the wonderful articles.
Greig.
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Peter Struijf
Netherlands
Zoetermeer
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Belash wrote: First of all, thank you Peter for sharing your Essen story with all of us. I have really enjoyed, not only the articles you have posted, but the banter between you and the respondents. I have even added Krakow to my wishlist and look forward to it's North American release.
As for the impact Mr Thijs talks about, I felt it as well. I won't speak for him, but this article had a very different tone to it. I did chuckle a couple of times as your writing style is very enjoyable, however the series of events that took place seemed a little heavier than most days.
Duncan's demo of It's Alive and the family leaving after seeing the less than pleasing card.
The Poles not needing your assistance after fifteen minutes.
Your passion for hoping that everyone enjoys their demo and having one patron not only not enjoy himself, but create a disturbance to those playing with him.
My feeling of "impact" comes from the idea I have that you are a very positive and uplifting person, looking for the good in others, raising everyones spirits around you and having a passion about what you have created. To go through the day you went through makes me want to give you a hug.
Thanks again for the wonderful articles.
Greig.
Hi Greig,
many thanks for your kind comments and I happily receive and reciprocate a (very long-distance) hug !
Best regards,
Peter
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Thomas Taylor
United States
Pleasanton
California
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Having professionally worked at conventions for over 7 years, I can attest to the abhorrent behavior of people at Cons.
I once had models handing out demo discs when I worked at Sony and I literally had people throw the discs back at me. And I don't mean a nice Here's-your-Crap-I-dont-want-back-toss. I mean an I'm-going-to-injure-you-with-CD-ROM-shrapnel-throw.
I wasn't pimping Amway or Scientology, I was just giving away free PC demos.
By and large, people suck. 
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Thijs Lauwbierkoffie
Netherlands
Nijmegen
Gelderland
Advertise here!
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Thank you Greig for helping me to answer Peters question. I think much of what you (Greig) wrote is true about the "impact"
I think it had an impact on me because it was so recognizable: an open positive person proud of his creation. But then there is a very inflexible negative person ripping of that creaction. And because the positive person is so open and had no shield to protect him self, he is so vurnable. The only thing he thinks he can do is to attack back, but he can not do that, because of the fact he is so positive. Leaving him alone with only frustation, while the only thing he wanted to do was to do something good in this hard world. But I never came further than that.
But now I realize that the inflexible person is frustrated all the time, and maybe he is not the bad guy, but the victim. SO the positive person can use his positive quality and help him out by just giving that victim a hug. Giving him something that he did not feel for a long time.
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