The trade stands were dominated by Fantasy/SciFi start-ups flogging myriad ranges and rules, and big box shifters reflecting the commodification of the hobby.
I found a couple of games of particular personal interest: Simon Miller's Lust for Glory (in development) and an excellent and amusing presentation of the Two Fat Lardies' Chain of Command.
But as long as the show is at ExCel and on its current trajectory, I will probably never go again.
This is also the first year that I didn't notice anybody that I used to know when I was a member of the South London Warlords back in the Seventies...
I thought the lighting was better this year? Unfortunately the Sci-Fi/Fantasy looks like its here to stay, not my bag at all, but it horses for courses I suppose?
ReplyDeleteHi Ray, It might not have been as gloomy as before but it's still trying and I've become acutely prone to migraines since last November.
ReplyDeleteI do play Dragon Rampant and Xenos Rampant but they are fun extensions of historical rules, albeit cinematic ones. You also create your own armies and don't have to buy into someone else's fantasy.
Years ago there was mainly just Lord of the Rings. Now new fantasy worlds seem to appear every month. I can't keep up with it!
Richard
Tell me about it, I can't and certainly won't keep up.
DeleteIt seems every historical period is being reprocessed as a fantasy...
DeleteMy impression from photos is that the 3x3 or 4x4 "boutique" games outweighed the traditional historical and a lot of the former were fantasy / sci-fi or just "other" than those or historical. I saw much the same at Hammerhead.
ReplyDeletePros - it appears to appeal to a broader demographic than middle aged white men!
Con- it increasingly feels linked to a new start-up / Kickstarter / go fund me company - will they last?
I haven't been to Salute since the move from Olympia and can't say I've been tempted....
Neil
"Boutique games" is a good way to describe them. All demographics have their preferences. Let everyone enjoy their own however insular...
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