Over the Fourth of July weekend this summer, Baltimore did more than just explode fireworks; it also played host to a pair of wargaming conventions near and dear to the hearts of Europa players: Origins and Europafest. These not quite separate nor equal gatherings emptied many pocketbooks and satisfied many gaming urges.

Attendance was high at both: Origins had over 6600 attendees, while Europafest registered 123 official participants. The Baltimore location was accessible to much of the Eastern seaboard, while Origins was a powerful lure to those who also enjoy Europa games. The result was a crowded convention hall and numerous crowded hotels.

Europa luminaries were in abundance. Among the major figures were, of course, Winston Hamilton and John Astell. Winston was a seldom-seen, furtive figure, engrossed as he was with other convention business, but John availed himself to the Europa multitudes, patiently sitting through arguments as to why Me110 defensive strengths should be higher, requests that Second Front be finished before the end of the century, and explanations of brand-new homebrewed combat and air systems.

Also attending the event were Europa editor Rick Gayler, and notables such as Shelby Stanton, Louis Rotundo, Michael Parker, David Hughes, Gary Stagliano, John Gee, and many, many others. In addition, Tom Johnson, and the redoubtable Task Force Johnson were there, along with their unlikely conveyance.

The Europa seminars were generally long, and often interesting. I was unable to sit in on all of them, but among those I did attend, I most enjoyed the presentation given by David Hughes. Shelby Stanton also gave a well received talk on his research procedures, but the seminar most enjoyed was probably the one that was interrupted by the arrival of the First to Fight maps and counters, unloaded with promptness despite unwilling Origins personnel. These items were greeted with enthusiasm, especially the new countersheets, which seem eminently practical.

The gaming scene was less vibrant than I had expected it would be, despite the existence of a twenty-four hour reserved gaming room. Few people, it seems, brought their games. There were no games of Fire in the East/Scorched Earth set up, although I saw people playing both Their Finest Hour and The Fall of France. I also saw gamers playing Balkan Front and what appeared to be a very atypical game of Western Desert. To my dismay, there were no playtest copies of Second Front, Czech 38, or For Whom the Bell Tolls available for inspection and comment. Gary Stagliano, however, did exhibit a copy of his very interesting A Winter War game.

Of the games I saw played, the best was a hard-fought Kasserine Crisis contest with Axis player Rick Gayler slugging it out with Allied players Gary Dickson and David Stokes. I spent time at the games auction, hoping to buy some inexpensive Europa title to play at the convention, but discovered that every single Europa game on the block went for a rather hefty sum. My urge to play was satisfied the last day of the convention, when Rick Gayler and I teamed up on John Astell in a playtest of First to Fight. I won't say who took which side, just that Rick and I won handily.

Perhaps one reason there was less gaming than there might have been was due to the haphazard treatment that Europafest received at the hands of hotel and Origins personnel, culminating in the crashing of the gaming room by the Charles Roberts Awards crowds, who had been booted out of their own room. The Europa players, led by Gary Stagliano, put up a spirited defense before grudgingly acquiescing, which was just as well, since Europa writer Frank Watson won an award for best historical article.

Outside the gaming rooms, Task Force Johnson processed over a hundred participants in their 1943 Scorched Earth scenario, and created a number of new Europa enthusiasts, many of whom strode downstairs to buy their first Europa game from the GRD booth, which did spirited business. All Europa players owe thanks to the valiant Stephanie, who manned the booth for hours on end. Balkan Front sold well, and so did advance orders for First to Fight, which wasn't ready in time for the convention.

Present at the booth and drawing large crowds was a well done Europa video, created by Mark van Roekel. My only gripe with it is that it was done on a Macintosh, and not an Amiga.

All in all, the convention was very gratifying. It would have probably been even more enjoyable had First to Fight (or, dare I say it, Second Front) premiered at the convention, but Europa players have long had to settle for what they can get. I was personally very satisfied, since I met people who previously were only voices on the phone, or names in a magazine, or unknown to me, and found them uniformly open and friendly. I also got to do a little gaming. In fact, had I but known the future, I would never have left the convention, since my car broke down on the way back, stranding me for a week in a godforsaken hamlet. Just think: I could have set up Second Front, had it been available.