UKGE anyone else here?

GTanny · 3 Jun 2016 at 09:28

Just waiting at the hotel for everything to open at 11 but I'm wondering if any other OCUKers are at the expo?

Unfortunately I'm only here for today as I'm back at work tomorrow but plan to pick up a few games for the wife and I as well as something to play with our daughters.

shorttricky · 3 Jun 2016 at 12:02

I'll be there tomorrow with the offspring. Like a chump I didn't realise it would be during half-term or I'd have took the day off and done Friday as well.

My brother is there and keeps texting to mock me :mad:

Tunney · 3 Jun 2016 at 12:38

Sadly not. Plenty of friends are there and I'm jealous already!

dcsarge · 3 Jun 2016 at 18:36

Heading up on Sunday with my daughter and a friend (he is driving so I get relax too). Never been before so it should be a fun and interesting day.

PoD · 3 Jun 2016 at 19:42

I was there,

I met Tom Vasel and the guys from Shut Up and Sit Down.

as well as bought and played games. It was awesome, shame I am not available tomorrow else I would go again.

GTanny · 3 Jun 2016 at 22:27

PoD said:
I met Tom Vasel and the guys from Shut Up and Sit Down.

as well as bought and played games. It was awesome, shame I am not available tomorrow else I would go again.

Pretty much what we did, really enjoyed the gaming areas to try out games although it did mean we ended up purchasing 8 new games.

Tom seemed really nice and laid back about the whole thing willing to offer his experience for some games for the girls, both matt and quinns seemed to always be rushing to places when I saw them but at least were willing to have a quick chat.

Was hoping to go to the SUSD taping but the girls were getting tired so decided to call it a day instead of abondening the wife with them in the library.

AndyCr15 · 6 Jun 2016 at 09:50

I went with my brother and a few friends. Hadn't been before, only quite recently got into board gaming so really didn't know what to expect, especially from two days of it. From my Comic Con experiences, I enjoy looking around for a few hours, then happy to head off.

Surprisingly, we would have loved a longer stay. I didn't realise it would be so much about just playing the games. We played Splendor, Star Wars: X-Wing, Loony Quest, Runebound, Shadows Over Chamelot and Codenames.

Between us I think we spent about £500, with over £100 of that being on damn Star Wars X-Wing! (I know people have always said it's an expensive game). We also bought Steam Works, which my brother and friend were demo'd by the creator and they loved.

Probably my favourite game from the weekend was actually Splendor. Very simple and quick to pick up, quick to play, but great fun.

Photo's here and my video if you want to see if you're captured on it!

swillsy · 6 Jun 2016 at 18:09

Awesome vid - will defo put this in the calendar for next time.

GTanny · 7 Jun 2016 at 17:58

AndyCr15 said:
I went with my brother and a few friends. Hadn't been before, only quite recently got into board gaming so really didn't know what to expect, especially from two days of it. From my Comic Con experiences, I enjoy looking around for a few hours, then happy to head off.

Surprisingly, we would have loved a longer stay. I didn't realise it would be so much about just playing the games. We played Splendor, Star Wars: X-Wing, Loony Quest, Runebound, Shadows Over Chamelot and Codenames.

Between us I think we spent about £500, with over £100 of that being on damn Star Wars X-Wing! (I know people have always said it's an expensive game). We also bought Steam Works, which my brother and friend were demo'd by the creator and they loved.

Probably my favourite game from the weekend was actually Splendor. Very simple and quick to pick up, quick to play, but great fun.

Photo's here and my video if you want to see if you're captured on it!

I haven't watched the vid yet but as I only made the Friday I wont be starring.

this was also my first experience and it left me wanting more, the odd thing is I would love to do a comicon but after the actual gaming being such a big part of this is made me wonder is if I would want more then a day at a comicon, other then panels what would I do at a comicon once I had a look at everything?

I already plan to go next year but I am unable to guarantee the time off until October so I cant book anything just yet and I know if I don't get the time off I will be working all 3 days (bloody shifts :mad:

)

On the plus side I ended up with £100 in love2shop vouchers (that then got turned into amazon vouchers) and managed to treat myself to a few games I had wanted to pick up at the expo but I ran out of cash. So I have ordered Blood Rage and Camel Up which I wanted to pick up at the expo and also ordered the German Carcassonne big box as it works out the same price as the 2 expansion packs I was going to order but its neater (and a game that uses no language)

AndyCr15 · 7 Jun 2016 at 18:58

GTanny said:
also ordered the German Carcassonne big box as it works out the same price as the 2 expansion packs I was going to order but its neater (and a game that uses no language)

My friends had been looking for this for two days and finally spotted it on a stall with about 30 minutes to go before being kicked out!

I was impressed that some games were cheaper than you can buy on Amazon. Tbh, I would pay a little over to support 'the little guys' (I usually Amazon EVEYTHING) but Splendor was £20, £23 on Amazon and a few Star Wars miniatures were a little cheaper too.

suenstar · 7 Jun 2016 at 19:41

Usually go every year but I couldn't make it this year as I had other commitments for the weekend, I'll definitely be planning on going next year though.

From the looks of your video, they did really well this year with the move from the Hilton over to the NEC.

GTanny · 7 Jun 2016 at 22:49

AndyCr15 said:
My friends had been looking for this for two days and finally spotted it on a stall with about 30 minutes to go before being kicked out!

I was impressed that some games were cheaper than you can buy on Amazon. Tbh, I would pay a little over to support 'the little guys' (I usually Amazon EVEYTHING) but Splendor was £20, £23 on Amazon and a few Star Wars miniatures were a little cheaper too.

I try to get things locally if possible but my FLGS has a terrible selection of board games (aimed at 90% TCG and war gaming) and the things that I could get from them instead of amazon are sometimes nearly 50% more, I am all for supporting the little guy but I am more for supporting my family and that extra cash can go towards them, I don't mind something like a 20% mark-up as I get it there and then but anymore and they lose my business.

on this case though I was given £100 of love2shop vouchers as a bonus that wilko exchanged for 2x £50 amazon vouchers so the end result was 3 games worth £106 for a total charge of £6 to myself

JeditOjanen · 8 Jun 2016 at 12:51

GTanny said:
I already plan to go next year but I am unable to guarantee the time off until October

On the subject of "time off" and "October" - have you considered Spiel? It runs for four days in Essen every October, and is packed with hundreds of game launches, demos and stores where you can get almost anything you might want from the last year. It's the board gamer equivalent of the Hajj - everyone needs to make the pilgrimage at least once in their life.

GTanny · 11 Jun 2016 at 21:47

JeditOjanen said:
On the subject of "time off" and "October" - have you considered Spiel? It runs for four days in Essen every October, and is packed with hundreds of game launches, demos and stores where you can get almost anything you might want from the last year. It's the board gamer equivalent of the Hajj - everyone needs to make the pilgrimage at least once in their life.

I would love to do essen but by October I am unable to book any time off in 2017 until October as I work shifts so I need to book my holidays a year in advance.

It would make for a nice family trip and maybe a birthday trip for the eldest but I can't see it happening next year