Dexcon 2011 - Thursday

The convention has started off extremely well. My first playtest session was scheduled for 3:00pm Most games in this block started at either 2 or 4, so I was worried that mostplayers would be in the middle of a game. However, the flip was also true, players who has missed the 2pm starts had fewer choices. One group that was looking for something to play at 3:15 saw Titans of Industry set up and liked my elevator pitch. So I met my primary goal for this convention: get a playtest of Titans of Industry with a full five new players.

It took about 10 rounds for the game to finally click and there were a few rules questions. Nonetheless, the players were extremely positive about the game, even before they found out it is only a prototype and I am the designer. That is a good sign, they liked it even when they thought I was merely a random GM.

They gave good feedback; some of which I incorporated mid-game. Here are my notes from the test.

black - Matthew Seiller - 1114
green - Alex Weintraub - 1115
purple - Alex Daigle - 958
red - John Ovalle - 957
blue - Rafael Ovalle - 956
3:24 - round 1
players centering around $10 as a price, some undercutting
cube versus pricing marker confusing
can you choose the bank over a player?
after four rounds, no one has yet bought an advancement
3:59 - round 6 - first real estate
round 7
blue - likes that game takes 5 players
red - likes that turns are short
round 8
players prefer producing their on to paying high prices, but players not yet lowering prices
round 9
round 10 - 4:33
second real estate bought
pink only one to realize power of double-point advancement
round 11 - 4:40
other players finally catch on and start buying advancements
round 12
one player confused as to where the game buys from, another player explains
third real estate bought
round 13
fourth real estate bought
4:58 - age ends
round 14 - 5:02
round 15 - 5:08
suggestion to just put money directly on real estate at start of round
switch octagons and cubes
all players praise game, say they would buy, ask when coming out
fifth real estate bought
round 16 - 5:15
sixth real estate bought
seventh real estate bought
round 17 - 5:24
silver babies
delay turn order piece movement to end of round for real estate purchase
round 18 - 5:35
round 19 - 5:46
if every single real estate space is bought, game ends that round no matter what
age 2 ends - 5:58

round 20 - 6:02
blue suggests age 3 start with automatic draws if less than 3 real estate spaces open to buy
round 21
round 22 - 6:15
round 23 - 6:19
round 24 - 6:24
round 25 - 6:29
players pricing things for free to get market share
round 26 - 6:36
round 27 - 6:39
eleventh and twelfth real estate built
round 28 - 6:45
thirteenth real estate built
round 29 - 6:50
age 3 end - 6:55
spell out real estate types on spaces
game end 7:15

Player (Titan/Money/Advancements/Cubes) Total
John (37/5/26/86) 154
Alex W (25/20/3/60) 108
Rafael (25/10/0/80) 115
Matthew (20/0/0/85) 105
Alex D (20/0/3/56) 79

After the session, I had originally planned on playing in Fresco at 8, but I was a tad mentally fatigued (as well as hoarse from explaining rules in a loud room), so I decided to just relax until my Municipality playtest at 10pm.

When the ten o'clock session rolled around, no one showed up for Municipality. While not a perfect way to end the day, I am okay with it. I got a great playtest earlier for my most important game, so I'll go to bed happy.