ffutures | Gamecamp, Who

Gamecamp turned out to be very interesting - it used something called the "unconvention" format which is basically a lot of 30-minute time slots and a lot of small conference rooms - anyone can take a slot and put on a program item.

So in the morning I went to a test of a card game about designing games, a discussion on sex in games (primarily computer games but also RPGs etc), structure versus free will, and gaming as astronomy (a thesis on ideas about games modelling the universe which I found very interesting) - in the afternoon I improvised an item on writing games based on fiction (which I thought up on the spur of the moment and don't feel went very well), and went to items on teaching game design, the ten best games ever, a discussion of the convention itself and what could be done to improve it, and the closing ceremony. There were also board games going on in another part of the building, but I didn't play.

It cost £15, but this included an excellent lunch - pizza plus a lot of extras, and free soft drinks.

This was the fourth - not sure how I previously missed them - and there will apparently be more at 6-month intervals, and I think that they're very worthwhile for anyone interested in game design. I'll post a heads-up when the next one is announced.

And Dr. Who was the Gaiman episode, and as amazing as everyone expected. I won't say more, except that it more than makes up for last week's mediocrity.