MidgardCon and RegnCon 2023

This year I attended two gaming conventions, one in Horten (MidgardCon) and one in Bergen (RegnCon). Right away I'll say these are fantastic arenas for socializing, games, and fun. I warmly recommend anyone interested in roleplaying games, board games, or other analog games to visit a gaming festival.

MidgardCon

This atmospheric gaming convention took place from September 1 to 3 in the Gildehallen of Midgard Viking Center in Horten. Gildehallen is a beautiful building inspired by the Viking Age. In the middle of the hall a fire crackles, creating a very special atmosphere (plus the smell of campfire in your clothes).

On Friday evening I played Ars Magica for the first time, together with a group of great players. The setting is historical medieval times, where the supernatural exists. In this scenario we played adventurers on a quest to find St. Olaf's stolen axe in the Tønsberg area of Norway. The role I was assigned was a magical dog, which was a fun challenge. After five hours of investigation and conflict in an exciting environment, we finally found the axe. I received the MVP (most valuable player) award for good immersion as a dog. Surprising and fun. The magic system in the game seemed especially interesting, and it was a fine start to the weekend.

Saturday morning it was time for Silverheart and the convention module Dypets Kall (The Call of the Deep). I had seven pre-registered players and said yes to two more who asked to join. In the end, the table had nine players ranging in age from early teens to mid-50s. Despite the large group, I decided everyone should get to create their own individual characters from the start. But as characters died in play, the players merged into character groups where several people ran one character together. I noticed some skepticism toward this at first, but it turned out to work very well! Otherwise, there was consensus that people learned a bit about Kongsberg at the end of the 1700s, and there was plenty of positive feedback from the player group. I left this game tired and satisfied.

Between the first and second play sessions on Saturday, there were two other features. Vertshuset recorded a live podcast where they answered submitted questions, and a fencing competition was held. In this competition, two people at a time fight with sword and shield, and if you are hit three times you are «dead». Win and you advance to the next round, until there is a final and eventually a winner. The first time I took part, I won the competition; this time I was knocked out in the first round.

On Saturday evening I played Dragepust, which is Spillforlaget's upcoming Norwegian fantasy roleplaying game. Dragepust has a nice twist on classic fantasy and its own game system. The system is easy to understand while offering some exciting extra mechanics. We played adventurers who started out in prison but would be pardoned if we retrieved some crates with seemingly important contents for a rich man. It became a very fun journey, led by a varied cast of characters with amusing interpretations from the players behind them. I look forward to the release of what looks like a rock-solid game. I also picked up the MVP from this round, by dice roll.

Saturday evening I drove home, after two wonderfully eventful days.

RegnCon

This was my first time attending the gaming convention in Bergen, which ran from October 6 to 8. RegnCon has a completely different profile, as the event takes place at the Scandic Flesland Airport hotel. Despite the fantastic atmosphere at MidgardCon, I have to admit that hotel rooms, hotel breakfast, a bar, gym facilities, and free coffee really appeal to a father of small children in his mid-30s.

The program was ready a week before the convention started. That's when I learned Silverheart would run on Sunday morning. That also meant I could submit wishes to join various games on Friday evening, Saturday morning, and Saturday evening. You would then find out which game you were assigned to when showing up before each block started.

A good crowd of us showed up at 1800, but since the games and players are assigned manually, there were some delays. After roll call I learned I got a seat at Brindlewood Bay, which I had hoped for. In this roleplaying game you are old ladies in the style of Miss Marple, solving mysteries in the local community. This time it was about a murder at a Halloween party. During the mystery we met suspicious guests, explored the villa where the party took place, and found various clues. All these elements eventually formed the basis of a theory about who the murderer was. Whether we were right or not was decided by a dice roll at the very end. We succeeded on the roll, and were therefore right in our theory about who the murderers were. Brindlewood Bay comes across as a genre-faithful game in a refreshing setting. A great play experience!

Friday evening there were a few beers in the bar following the games. Here the hotel convention showed its best side! Namely that everything is gathered in one place, with the chance to socialize in the evening. 10 out of 10.

On Saturday morning the convention participants showed up for the 10 o'clock block, but there were delays again due to last-minute changes in the blocks. When the clock passed 11, the roleplaying groups had been assigned, but this time I hadn't been given a seat in any of the games I wanted. That was a rather dull message to receive after waiting over an hour. At the same time, I understand that seats are limited and the organizers must make sure everyone gets to play a bit during the weekend. As a consolation for those who didn't get a seat, other activities ran throughout the day. You could just join in, and many enjoyed these. Personally I wasn't that interested, so I used the time to work on Silverheart and got a workout in while waiting for the next block. All in all, it became a fine and productive break from playing.

Saturday afternoon the blocks began at 1600. I got a seat in a game called Vaesen, set in Scandinavia at the end of the 1800s - where the supernatural exists. Here the main characters have «the sight», which lets them see the hidden folk. I found this to be yet another exciting mystery game, and the story was about a missing bridal party in a valley in Voss. We eventually solved the mystery, and came into conflict with the supernatural along the way. Great fun.

There was another round in the bar on Saturday, which again - was just incredibly pleasant! I have deeply appreciated having both the time and a place to socialize with old and new acquaintances.

On Sunday it was my turn to run Silverheart. Throughout the convention there had been plenty of questions and interest around the project. That is great fun. Sunday morning a message arrived on Discord that the block would start at 11, not at 10 as previously communicated. I was among several who hadn't caught this, so there was some waiting. But around 11 o'clock I took a group of four people back to Kongsberg at the end of the 1700s. They were a wonderful group to play with, and I have to say they at times showed remarkable immersion in the setting. The game shifted between deep seriousness and situations where laughter came easily. At the end we had a small feedback round where I picked up many good tips and comments for the further development work. The players also learned a bit about the mining era, so I consider this session a success.

Summary, Stars, and Wishes

That wraps up this year's convention tour for my part. Two very different conventions, each with their own qualities.

• MidgardCon I experience as a small, well-oiled machine with great atmosphere. Afterwards, I do feel a gathering spot with the chance to socialize in the evening would have been welcome.

• RegnCon has an enormous advantage in having everything in one place (sleeping, eating, playing, and socializing). This was new to me, and it may be the best way to run a convention in my eyes. At the same time, there were unfortunately some administrative challenges along the way that dampened the overall experience a bit for me. Still a good con!

All in all, I have gathered many good play experiences, fine conversations with old and new acquaintances, and valuable playtesting of Silverheart.

A big thank you to the organizers and volunteers at these events who make this possible!

Already looking forward to next season's conventions.

Hope to see you there!

-KO