The Emerald City
by Dan Repperger

As I write this article, I’m flying back to St. Louis from Seattle.  I’m also having my first experience flying first class.  I’ve flown quite a bit for business and pleasure, but I’ve always done so in coach or third class (or whatever inoffensive name they’re using for it now).  When I went to check in for this flight, they offered to upgrade me from a middle seat in coach to a window seat in first class.  The fee was quite reasonable, so this was a no-brainer.

Nothing about the experience screams, “luxury,” to me.  Instead, you get the basic dignities I think every passenger should have: leg room, food, drink, ample space for baggage, and attentive stewards.  I understand the reasons that necessitate cheaper seats on the airplane, but I raise this gin and tonic (in a real glass!) to a day when $400 gets you more than a cramped seat and honey peanuts.

I had a great time in Seattle.  It was my second time there, and my first on pleasure.  I didn’t get out to see much of the city, but I’m not a touristy guy to begin with.  Instead, I spent most of my time visiting with Tex and his girlfriend.  We did dinner in several spots around the city, and we also played through the entirety of Gears of War 2.  The story was a bit flimsy, but the cooperative play through the campaign is a fantastic experience.

Friday night, we went to a party at the home of Wolfgang Baur.  People from several gaming companies were there, including Kobold, Paizo, and Wizards of the Coast.  It was quite a bit of fun.  We were joined for the evening by Keith Curtis, who I’ve known for about two years but never met until now.  His artistry and beard precede him.  No interesting news came out of the party, but it was a social mixer rather than a professional networking opportunity, so I expected no different.

On Saturday, Tex and I attended the Emerald City Game Fest, which is a local game day.  If you live in the Seattle area, you should check this group out.  In addition to the game days, they also have gatherings every week.  While pick-up games have some serious suck potential — as we’ve mentioned on the show many times — there’s charm in their variety and non-committal atmosphere.  It’s also a great way to meet new gamers for your gaming group (or meet new gaming groups if you don’t have one).

While at the Fest, we played a GURPS game for several hours before we had to leave for a recording.  It was my first time using the GURPS Psionic rules, but I didn’t use them thoroughly enough to develop an opinion.  They seemed sufficient, but that’s really all I can say.  I also purchased a copy of Descent.  As a fan of cooperative games, I can’t wait to take this one for a spin!  I’ve been told Descent is to D&D what Arkham Horror is to Call of Cthulu.  Though unlike Arkham Horror, one player is a DM, making him the sole opponent player.

The episode for this week was recorded by me, Tex, and Ed Healy.  We talk about the game day and also get some insight from Ed on RPG marketing.  Given how little most most gamers (myself included) see the business side of gaming, I find conversations like this absolutely fascinating.