ICONS at Conventions

Back in the game
Hi, Everyone! It's been a while but it all started around the Christmas holiday season when I began reviewing old RPG notes for ICONS and Champions, my go-to superhero games for people who want something rules light (ICONS) and rules heavy (Champions). Reviewing became updating, and from updating came renewed interest. Granted, the more reasonable price in recent weeks for the digital and print-on-demand combo for ICONS: The Assembled Edition certainly helps me spread interest in others who may want to buy the system for themselves.

I've been doing some updating here and there and posting them on this forum and more importantly, am gearing up for what I hope will be the annual game convention here in Omaha (PretzCon) this upcoming April 2022, marking a return since April 2019 when I last ran ICONS at a convention and the first time I will run an ICONS game since finishing out a campaign in November 2019. My wife's 13-month cancer battle that began in January 2020 and ended with her passing in February 2021 in conjunction with COVID-19 and subsequent events significantly affected my interest and ability to run games.

So, please expect more updates with new/more heroes, foes, and supporting cast members and news of how ICONS went at the game convention this spring.

--Fdw3773 (talk) 19:05, 9 February 2022 (EST)

Hi Fdw3773! Glad to see you back in the swing! Also glad you'll be able to get to cons again soon.

Re: your updates here, looking forward to them, but I've been long remiss on making this request-- I would prefer when you add an Assembled version that we keep the old first edition version. Now of course we can make a new directory page for the old versions, or just label them both on the one directory.

This is both because there are some people (like me) who prefer the original rules in some ways, and for some (also like me) the HTML formatting on the old versions is way more readable on phones than having to scroll back and forth to see a whole PDF page.

Now when you are updating your own older writeups, and I wouldn't be surprised to hear you only update your own but I haven't really checked, I wouldn't blame you if you decide for whatever reason that you just don't want the old version still up, and that's fine, but for anyone else's first edition work I'd like to save it and have it easily findable.

It's of course great to have Assembled versions here, but both are worthwhile.

Blue Lightning (talk) 13:39, 14 February 2022 (EST)

Hello, Blue Lightning! Generally, I only update my own write-ups and conversions and do not edit other users' creations or conversions. If someone's original writeup is in first edition, it will stay in first edition. I'll also try to add a first edition writeup as well for download. While first and Assembled Edition are perfectly compatible with one another, I can understand why one version may be preferred over another. --Fdw3773 (talk) 17:46, 14 February 2022 (EST)

Fdw3773, all welcomes back to the game and the community. My, and our, deepest condolences - late as they may be - for your incredible loss.

Wonderful to see some activity back on these boards, and while I am certainly handicapped while dealing with the sort of IT specifics you and Blue Lightning have been mentioning, I can state that first/Assembled Edition conversions are mostly a matter, at least from my perspective, of selective editing. Our Gang has elected to go with AE, for the most part, as it offers a considerably wider range of options, but there are a few first edition points we've decided to stick with, mostly over issues of speeding up game progress.

A quick point that hasn't been left, as of yet, on the MeWe board, but The Gang did get together on Jan. 19 for the next game. It was a somewhat abbreviated affair - we find playing online to be a considerably more draining experience than taking the time and energy to get together; perhaps Zoom is employing some sort of vampiric sword power to drain our energy while online, I'll have to check with my friendly local cleric about that - and we're looking forward, very much, to actually meeting up in person this weekend for a somewhat more in-depth experience.

Hoping that your submissions to this site, Fdw3773, go very smoothly; looking forward to going over the work. Otherwise, Blue Lightning, very nice to see you on as well, and anticipating being able to look at some game-stories transcribed in near future.

All best till next time,

--Black Talon (talk) 11:01, 16 February 2022 (EST)

Hello, Black Talon! Great to hear from you and thank you again for the words of support. So far submissions for new characters and updating previous ones have gone smoothly for me. Indicators are in my part of the world (Omaha, NE) that the annual convention may not happen in April 2022 due to lack of venue availability that allows distancing/safety protocols in place (the one that could have, Ralston Arena, is under new management and dropped that organization for reserving space for their events, others in the local metro area are too small) and the increase of cases affecting area hospitals.

However, I may just run an ICONS demo at my local game store (they allow in-gaming based on reservations, people are masked, etc.) this spring. If anything, my friend wants to see me do my "Mumm-Ra, the Ever Living" voice one more time in full context as part of the scenario. --Fdw3773 (talk) 19:58, 20 February 2022 (EST)

DRAT! But, there's hope in the autumn!
To quote one of my favorite cartoon villains from my childhood (Crayvex from the series Visionaries), "Drat!" It does not appear the game convention will occur in April 2022 as hoped. The major event center where it's held (Ralston Arena) is under new management and cancelled on the Pretz family that plans, organizes, and executes the event. Unfortunately, there are no local venues that are big enough to support a three-day convention and meet social distancing and related safety protocols.

I'm still updating my ICONS materials in the meantime with the possibility that my local game store (Geek Room Hobbies) will host the one-day game event that supports Extra Life, an effort that's part of the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals (https://www.childrensomaha.org/event/extra-life-game-day/) this upcoming autumn on November 5, 2022. --Fdw3773 (talk) 22:18, 15 March 2022 (EDT)

Do you play online at all, FDW3773? I've been enjoying it all pandemic.

--Blue Lightning (talk) 23:26, 16 April 2022 (EDT)

Thanks for bringing up that possibility, but no, I don't. I prefer in-person play at the convention since I have all the maps, figures, character sheets, etc. for the players to review, select, and participate. I know some of my friends were able to enjoy playing their respective RPGs (D&D) online via Zoom or something comparable, but it's not for me. I was halfhearted at best playing online video games like Battle Forge, so playing it online via Zoom is probably not my cup of tea. --Fdw3773 (talk) 21:19, 17 April 2022 (EDT)

I have never been into video or computer games at all, I've found the Roll20 experience, if it's a game and people you like with a GM who has just a modicum of knowledge for the medium, it has worked out SO well. I love having the materials on screen and everyone can move their own token without anyone being at the far end of the "table". Your mileage may vary of course, and I think people over 35 are probably usually right when guessing whether they will like something or not, but this might be worth trying.

--Blue Lightning (talk) 19:40, 24 April 2022 (EDT)

Been way, way too long since I left a post here, but the conversation that's been brought up has really sparked my interest and attention. From my standpoint, it's pretty much a case of three from column Fdw3773, and one from column Blue Lightning. I, as well, have never been able to uptake the the online get-togethers as full, operable replacements for in-person gaming (the COVID misery forming an exception to this; for almost two years, we used both Zoom and Roll20, and used them well, in order to get something going), and will - as every person in our group is triple-vaccinated - have considerably more confidence in putting the in-person meetings together for the foreseeable future. However, I will still hold out full support for Roll20 and Zoom for those who either choose not to meet up personally, or are separated by logistically impassable distances. Also, I fully applaud Roll20's map-making features, as this is a gaming resource that far too many DMs/GMs/referees have had to leave to the imagination over the years, or scratch out on school-paper as lines, circles and Xs.

We are set for this Saturday, I've got a fairly (I think) interesting game involving Diamond to start filling out, and have all hopes to be able to pass this over to the gang here for review. Otherwise, wonderful to see some people chiming in here, and hope to see more (and gaming summaries of your own!) soon. Best as always,

--Black Talon (talk) 13:30, 25 April 2022 (EDT)

A funny thing happened over lunch recently...
So I was having lunch with a friend recently who was interested in participating in one of the RPG sessions I was planning to run. At this point, it's going to be at the charity event Extra Life that I mentioned in an earlier post. She had never played a RPG before, but liked the superhero genre. After showing her the ICONS rulebook with a quick overview and some of the ICONS character write-ups I made, she got a pretty good idea of how it worked fairly quickly.

I then told her about Champions made by Hero Games, having played and collected it for over 30 years and how overly detailed it seemed to become, complete with a 300+ page core rule book (Fifth Edition) and source books on the various genres like superhero, fantasy, sci-fi, and so on. The Champions source book was over 200 pages, the Fantasy Hero source book was around 500. I briefly showed her online how Sixth Edition was like a series of college textbook-like game manuals and only in the past decade did Hero Games release stand-alone RPGs like Champions Complete, Fantasy Hero Complete, and so on, which is almost like how it was in the 1980s when Hero Games published individual stand-alone RPGs that used a common system (e.g. Champions for superhero, Fantasy Hero for fantasy, Justice Inc. for pulp, Danger International for modern spy, etc.)

She looked at me with a half-dazed/half-laughing expression and said, "We're playing ICONS, right?" My response, "Absolutely..." --Fdw3773 (talk) 21:56, 26 April 2022 (EDT)

Fdw3773: Thank you for having put this in, and I just wish there was some way to ensure that a more widespread audience was able to take a look at it. Your friend's reaction is, I think, an encapsulation of the changes that RPGs as a whole have been through over the past twenty-plus years - moving, whole-heartedly and lemming-like, over to the d20 system, which was called, by an individual I expected a far more considered opinion from, the "lingua franca" of the RPG world. Big head-shake at that one back then, and even more so now. With a third-generation move over to systems that place far more importance on GM/player negotiation and cooperation (of which ICONS is a torch-carrying example), my hope is that far more people like your friend are going to get a look at what's possible with these kinds of game engines, and leave the Champions-type stuff to those who truly dedicate themselves to the ideal of "More complicated equals better." We're set for this Saturday, and I've got - as indicated earlier - a hopefully gripping game concept in mind. Please let us know how things go with your friend and the others in the gaming group, and hope to be able to fill in the gang here as to what our own group pulled off this Saturday.

Sincerely, and all best for your next ICONS game,

--Black Talon (talk) 23:49, 27 April 2022 (EDT)

"It's time to be a hero!" (Game convention is back on)
Great news! PretzCon, the annual game convention traditionally held during the spring time frame here in Omaha is back on from Friday, July 29th to Sunday, July 31st. Although at a smaller venue than previous ones, the fact that it's back on again is wonderful news. I've purchased event badges for my friend and me and signed up to host two superhero themed games. First, I'll be running an ICONS adventure (2:00 to 4:00 PM) followed by a Champions adventure (4:00 to 6:00 PM) on Friday, July 29th. Since this is her first time playing an RPG, my friend will be using Luna Lynx for the ICONS adventure as featured on this website and probably DC's Batgirl for the Champions adventure.

Will let you know how it goes...in the meantime, wish us luck!!! --Fdw3773 (talk) 18:33, 12 June 2022 (EDT)

Good luck Fdw3773! And if you get a chance, fill out Miraheze's annual survey if you haven't already. https://meta.miraheze.org/wiki/Special:MirahezeSurvey --Blue Lightning (talk) 09:06, 21 June 2022 (EDT)

Thanks Blue Lightning, and here's an update from my original post: I'm now running two different ICONS adventures that day. I got fed up with all of the number crunching and rules-heavy nature of Hero System. While Champions will remain a sentimental enjoyment and I'll still create submissions every so often, am playing ICONS. --Fdw3773 (talk) 16:29, 22 June 2022 (EDT)

Major Updates
In preparation for the upcoming game convention next month, I'm reviewing just about everything in my database, updating them as needed, along with converting my Champions materials to ICONS in earnest. As you see in the change log, many updates have been completed so far, and there are many more to come! --Fdw3773 (talk) 14:23, 27 June 2022 (EDT)