Every year, we go to the national convention to meet the gaming public, visit with the rest of the industry, and sell a few games. While we always manage to have a good time, some Origins are more successful than others. One of the big reasons is pre-show publicity. This year, we are making a more concerted effort to tell the wargamers that there is plenty for us to do, as well--it's not just Magic and Dragons.

Origins will be held from July 17-20, 1997, at the convention center in Columbus Ohio. As usual, there are literally hundreds of events and seminars, including a sizable wargaming field. This year we are staging a number of events, covering all of our series.

Thursday: Dean and I will be hosting OCS and CWB demonstration events, respectively. Dean will likely be using D.A.K.--one of our new releases at the con--for the OCS event, while I will be using Gaines' Mill to highlight the tips and tactics of the Civil War, Brigade series. These events will be hands-on, with players actually playing the games, but without the pressure to excel that sometimes intrudes on tourney play. Various scenarios of those titles will be selected to maximize action.

Thursday evening: Vernon Robinson will be presenting a historical seminar on the Battle of Austerlitz, using our NBS game on that subject to illustrate the finer points. This event is a precursor to the big show: a double-blind team play game of Austerlitz the next day. The Gamers will host one session of Austerlitz double-blind open to the first 7 interested players. The game will use the 2.0 NBS rules. This session will likely run most of the day on Saturday, though no set time exists yet. The exact time will be announced at our booth at Origins on Friday. Sign up at The Gamers booth in the exhibit hall, and come early to get your name in!

Friday: During the day, the aforementioned Austerlitz extravaganza will be played out. Teams of players will command each side, in a double-blind game refereed by me, Dave Powell. Vernon has staged similar events at previous Origins and at HomerCon, and they have always been well received. We hope to get a sizable group for each side at Origins, for a truly dramatic Napoleonic gaming experience. Due to the inability of the ref to handle more than one double-blind game at a time, participation for this event will be limited to no more than 4 people per side.

Saturday: No fewer than two groups are running SCS tournaments. Mike Lochtefeld will be running our own SCS tournament (see the article below), and the Strategy Gaming Society--a national wargame club--will be running an SCS tourney geared towards the new SCS release, Crusader. We expect a lot of interest and excitement in these events, as the SCS games are always some of our best sellers.

Saturday evening seems to be the day for seminars. The Gamers company bull session will be held late Saturday afternoon, and we will also attend the BROG ÒYear in ReviewÓ seminar, hosted by Rich Berg and John Kranz, with virtually all the wargame companies in attendance. Of course, Saturday always rounds out with the Charlies, this year to be held right before the Origins awards themselves. Come and see which wargame wins!

Perry Andrus will be running impromptu TCS teaching sessions, using the prototype of Lee Forester's Korea TCS title, Semper Fi, as a vehicle. He welcomes any and all interested parties. Perry has not pinned himself down to a specific time slot, but has instead offered to do pick-up sessions in the open gaming area as interest warrants.

Of course, we are not the only company running events at Origins: Columbia Games always makes a fine effort with their Block games, and other events are planned by GMT, Clash of Arms, Avalanche, GRD, Spearhead, and just about any other company you can think of. Of related interest are the War College seminars, events on selected historical topics and game design issues hosted by authorities in their fields. Especially notable this year should be the returning attendance of Col. David Glantz and Charles Sharp, whose combined expertise on the East Front in WW2 is simply amazing. The War College will be running all four days, so try to check out some of those seminars.

Finally, the above outline is still subject to some change, and possible late additions. As always, keep abreast of breaking developments at our booth in the Exhibit Hall. We'll look for you there.