GZG ECC7 AAR

Back safe from ECC. Mileage for the round trip was slightly over 665.9 miles,
which seems all too appropriate.

Friday night was Mike Hudak's Pod Racing, on a huge 8x16 foot
layout--mostly a figure eight, but the top of the eight was flattened,
so you had to make a 90 degree turn... at a speed of at least 44mu, if you
wanted to survive the jump immediately afterwards (there was another, longer
route for less daring drivers, but we weren't there to
survive -- we were there to race).  Through brilliant strategy (ie
"follow JP and Jim Bell and do what they do") and tactics ("roll for
seven successive emergency maneuvers -- total 13 dice -- without ever
getting a 5 or 6"), I limped in with one Hull box remaining. Astonishingly
enough, I turn out to have been in first place. Special thanks to the Tusken
Raiders for shooting my competitors!

Saturday morning was the Mysterious Island of Dr Carter. My Prussians marched
back and forth and made lots of noise, hoping to attract British

attention, while the Brits, natives and Americans tangled with each other and
a few rampaging dinosaurs. Dinosaurs ate scientists, a Great White Hunter shot
Dr.Challenger, the Native Chief kidnapped Victoria Challenger and offered her
to the God of the Volcano (no, he didn't
throw her in, unfortunately--the god was a Charming American Colonel in
a white suit, who arrrived in a submarine). Eventually the Brits sent a

Special Aether Service flyer in to capture German technology, but superior
German marksmanship quickly turned the tables and we captured the Aether
Flyer. Meanwhile the American Colonel (who was not played by

Adrian) was inveigled into proposing to Victoria Challenger (who was in no way
affiliated with me), after which he took her, her parents, the submarine, and
a giant ruby, and escaped. Hm... I see I've simplified things a lot.

Saturday afternoon was Carnage con Queso, ably run by Tony Finan and John
Crimmins. Just about the first thing I did resulted in my getting hit by a
stream of molten Limburger from the heavens. After that I wandered around
pickig up points and instigating chaos for the others while trying to avoid it
myself. Adrian won and thus will enjoy the privilege of hosting next year's
"con Queso" game.

Saturday evening would have been FMA Sheep 2. I was prepared to admit the
existence of this event, and I felt confident about being able to explain
about Delilah Fulton wearing a Giant Bug disguise and some of the other
silliness that I was expecting. I did not, however, anticipate that JonT would
bring an "Anime Japanese Schoolgirl" figure for Eddie ("Edie"?) Kochte. I did
not anticipate that Miskatony Finan would buy a copy of the Necronomicon from
Honest Abudul ("for everything

I have, plus a red candle and a guitar string"), and then read it
(although I did have a figure for Sponge-Bob Squidlips, who did appear
when invoked). After that, things got really silly.... I should point out that
Tom Barclay was NOT involved in this event but was nonetheless a casualty (he
came over to look, made a pun, and
JonT played "Narn Baa Squad"--all players surround the offender and
"baa" menancingly). As Tom remarked, he wasn't in the game and still took a
bleating. And Adrian sold his (TomB's) soul to Honest Abdul (in exchange for a
nuke), who swapped it to Nick Cauldwell (who offered Cr2 for it but I got him
up to Cr 225), who gave it to David Raynes in exchange for Microsheeps (and
Extra RAM) to upgrade the computer so Adrian and JonT could set off the
aforementioned nuke. At least two people have claimed to be psychologically
scarred for life, so from my point of view, the event was a success. There is
probably absolutely no truth to the rumor that next year's event will be

run by me and Adrian as "Zombie Sheep con Queso".

Sunday morning was a Narn vs Centauri game run by Aaron Newman. I think

the most telling quote to come from that game was from Lorenzo, who was at his
first ECC, something to the effect of "I've heard a lot about you

and had a lot of respect for you, but now that I've read our briefing sheet, I
realize you're just sadistic." A good game, which the Centauri

managed to win by way of a boarding action in hyperspace...

Good seeing all the regulars, and some new faces, including St Jon!