Protospiel West

Here are the details of Protospiel West.

We will be having some seminars - on Print-On-Demand, Submitting Game Designs to Publishers, and the Many Uses of Cards.

In addition to Blue Panther, representatives from Victory Point Games and Numbskull Games are expected to be in attendance.

Here is the full announcement......

Announcing Protospiel West – part of Strategicon’s Gateway 2011 Sept 2-5th at the Sheraton Gateway LAX Hotel

Let’s Playtest Dude!

Protospiel West is a con within a con, for game designers, playtesters, publishers and fans of the new. Running concurrently with Gateway 2011, Protospiel West features dedicated time and space to game designers of all types of board games. We are here to help each other improve their games and have some fun while doing it.

When & Where is it?
Protospiel West will run from 6 PM Friday Sept 2 thru 11 PM Sunday, Sept 3rd as part of Strategicon – at the Sheraton Gateway LA Hotel located near LAX airport.

How is the event organized?
Protospiel West is organized similar to its forbear – Protospiel (now in its 11 th year in Ann Arbor Michigan) It’s all about testing games – it’s organized fairly loosely. First come first served for playtesters – if you sign up early, your game will be one of the first that gets playtested. The only thing we’re going to organize is the order in which games get tested. We will use sophisticated technology - “the whiteboard of playtest scheduling” to help us. Sessions will be based on when you register. Open playtesting at other times based on the number of players available and how many your game can accommodate. When we start publishing the list closer to the event we will ask for the name of your game(s), a brief description and the number of players you would like to help you.. When your time comes up, you can use a game you listed or any design you have ready to try out.

What Will I get out of Protospiel West?
As a game designer…
You will be in a room with a lot of people that share your passion – designing games. You are going to get more great feedback and improvements in one play at Protospiel West than you would in a whole bunch of other playtest sessions. To get your own designs to the table you need to sign up for a Protospiel West ribbon

As a playtester…
Protospiel West is open to all attendees of Strategicon. As a playtester, you can wander in and play some new designs. All we ask is that you stay to finish the game you agree to playtest.

As a publisher…
You will be exposed to new game designs by people who are serious about their creations. Several games from the SoCal Playtesters have gone on to publication. You will also have the opportunity to sit down and blind playtest any game designs in your pipeline. We are working on a list of publishers attending that we will publish closer to the event date.

Who are the sponsors?
Protospiel West is sponsored by Strategicon, Blue Panther LLC and the SoCal Playtesters Group. Strategicon provides the space, Blue Panther provides the organization and the swag (more on that later) and the SoCal Playtesters supply the time and encouragement to everyone who stops by, as well as many of the designs that will be playtested.

What should a game designer expect from a playtest session?
The answer to this question and the ones below on the Protospiel website was so good that we blatantly copied it (with their permission)
Game designers generally love to playtest games. They also give insightful feedback.

Here are a few things to remember when testing your game:
• Mention your design goals from the start. It helps playtesters to keep things in perspective and have accurate expectations.
• Be respectful of everyone's time. Anything you can do ahead of time to sort components, have summary cards available or even plan out how you'll teach the game will be greatly appreciated.
• We will have "playtest sheets" available. They have room for notes and signatures of playtesters.
• If it's clear a game is not working well, or that additional play isn't going to reveal much additional information, the best thing to do is stop early. You'll still get plenty of feedback and playtesters will appreciate your consideration.
• After a playtest session, fellow designers will share their thoughts about the game. Be open to their feedback, but make it clear what you're looking for. For example, do you want suggestions for rule changes or are you just looking for their thoughts on card distributions?

If you're participating as a playtester:
• Be aware of what the designer is looking for from the session. Don't offer suggestions on graphic design, for example, if it's clear the mechanics are his or her main concern.
• Take notes about the things you'd like to address while you're playing. Most of the time these comments should wait until the game is over.

Does everyone who attends Protospiel West have to have a game to playtest?
No. We understand completely that some designers won't have time to get their latest prototype ready for the event. They'll still find much to enjoy during the three days of playtesting, discussion and sessions.

However, we do want to make it clear that attendees should have some experience with designing and testing of games. Protospiel is a special event, where many designers devote a lot of their time and money to make the trip. They do this because Protospiel is meant to offer a different experience beyond what is normally accomplished in a playtest session. We want each attendee to enjoy the benefits of playtesting their game with like-minded people who have worked through the design process and can give the type of feedback that results from that experience. Because of this we are allowing designers to bring trusted people with them that can assist with this process.

How many games should I bring?
Bring as many as you feel comfortable hauling around! However, you'll be lucky to get two or three games playtested during the scheduled hours of the event. We make every effort to ensure everyone gets to play their first game before we start trying to fit in everyone's second game. Likewise with a third.

While, at first consideration, this may not seem like much time, keep in mind designers offer great information making it far more helpful than many other playtest sessions. Also, you learn a lot from presenters and from discussing the games of other designers while you help playtest them.

What stage of development should my games be in?
It's suggested that you bring games that have already been tested to some degree. Also, only bring a prototype that you're interested in improving. As you can imagine, there isn't time to play a game you've already completed or that has been in it's current state for years, but you're just dying to show everyone anyway!

When it comes to the components of your game, the quality of the prototype is not nearly as important as its functionality. However, be aware that some designers have very attractive prototypes! Don't be intimidated by really good looking prototypes. We are all in this because we like the range of creative challenges that game design offers - each person favors and expresses those challenges differently.

Did You Mention SWAG, Free Stuff, etc. ??
Yes, we did. Blue Panther, as one of the sponsors of Protospiel, will be providing free prototyping services to up to five people (retail value of up to $60 each) before the event. So, the earlier you sign up, the better your chance to get a free copy of your game done professionally. Blue Panther will also be offering some items useful to playtesters at the event, as well as a limited edition “Protospiel West 2011” laser engraved badge for all preregistered attendees. Make sure you spell your name right when you register for Gateway!
Other Stuff?
Yes, there is other stuff to mention.
If you are a member of the SoCal Playtesters Group, any games you test at Protospiel West will be treated like they were at Playtesters Corner at Gamex. That is, you will receive credit for any time you spend playtesting other folks’s games, but will not have credits deducted for playtesting your own games.
Food and drink are often part of gaming, but if a game designer asks you to keep the table clear of food and drink, please respect their wishes. Some prototypes take a long time to make and we don’t want to get them damaged.
Announcements regarding Protospiel West will be made on both Strategicon’s site www.strategicon.net and a dedicated page at Blue Panther’s site www.bluepantherllc.com/ProtospielWest.htm

See you in September!