We’re in the home stretch now for Go Play NW 2011. We’ve had  a real rush of people signing up the last two weeks. So many that we’ve added another room to the convention! A lot of the people signing up are new to Go Play NW. Welcome!
By now a lot of people, new and old, are starting to wonder “what do I do next”?
First, I strongly advise you to sign up for the forums. That’s where a lot of the talking and planning happens leading up to Go Play.
Second, visit the game scheduling forum and see what interests you.
But don’t think that the scheduled games are the whole thing. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Expect to see lots of pickup gaming as well. Visit the Brainstorming Forum and see what some people are talking about playing to get an early taste.
Finally, come to the con ready to play and have fun! See you there!

We’re in the home stretch now, I promise. We’ve had a big surge in sign-ups this week as the fence sitters make up their minds. We’ve now broken 90 registered attendees for Go Play NW 2011!
Also, if you’re looking to share accommodation or transportation for Go Play NW 2011, be sure to visit the forums. There are plenty of good folks on there who are willing to help out.

Hey, just a reminder that today is the last day to order the sweet cosmo-monkey-king-sasquatch T-shirt for this year’s Go Play NW! We do not ship the shirts, you must register for Go Play NW 2011 and attend to pick your shirt up.
You’ve forgotten what the design looks like? Check out the Go Play NW 2011 T-Shirt post. No, wait, I’ll just remind you:

See? You totally want to be rocking that.

I was talking to the Sasquatch yesterday over beers and he suggested that “someone” should write a post about game scheduling.
If you’ve visited the forums, you’ve probably already seen that there’s a brainstorming forum and a scheduling forum, and you may be wondering “do I need to schedule my games now? Am I missing out if I don’t?”
Rest assured that many (in fact most) of the games at Go Play NW are put together on the spot. It’s quite easy to have a fun con without singing up to run or play in any games ahead of time. That said, if you happen to see a game you just know you’re going to enjoy, or if you have something you’re itching to run, go ahead and get on the schedule. It’s nice to have some things decided ahead of time.
On the other hand, maybe you don’t want to be tied down. Throughout the weekend, GMs and facilitators will be putting games up on the schedule board looking for people to play. Leaving some slots open means you’ll be able to join these games when the fancy takes you. Even better, bring your favorite game along and offer to run it whenever you want.
Finally, there’s the Pickup Donut. The donut is a way for people who are looking for a pickup game or who haven’t decided what they want to do to get together in a group and do some gaming. We’ll be running this every round of the con.
But really, the best way to have fun at Go Play NW is to come with an open mind prepared to make friends and have fun. With that attitude, you’ll never fail.

When the prototype for this year’s t-shirt arrived from designer extraordinare John Harper, the Sasquatch took one look at it and howled “RrroooAUGHrrraughrooogrUH!”, before snatching it out of the delivery gnome’s hands and bounding off. In the excitement we at first mistakenly translated his cry as “Death to the Servants of the Spider God!”, and so we went off looking in the usual places to no avail. Eventually we figured out he’d actually said “Hot damn! Dressed in that cool shirt with its totally sweet design, I’m sure to attract a mate!” With the correct lead, we finally caught up with him in the deep forests around Lake Okanagan, and persuaded him to come back to the office because mating season isn’t until September anyhow. So without further ado, we can proudly present the design for the 2011 Go Play NW t-shirt:

Pretty sweet indeed, huh? The Sasquatch knows his stuff. Now here’s the important bit: to ensure delivery for Go Play NW 2011, t-shirt orders must be placed by June 13. That’s only three weeks away! So now’s the time to order one. Oh and while you’re at it, the t-shirts will only be available for pick up at Go Play NW 2011, so you should also register to attend. (Note that if you’ve already registered but did not order a t-shirt, you can still go back to the registration page and order one now.)

Hi everyone!
The Game Scheduling Posts are now open. Please go and check it out. People are already setting up some cool games. Huzzah!

Last year we tried a new game sign-up strategy for Go Play NW, one that ended up working pretty well indeed! So this year we’re going to follow a similar style.
Pick-up games and freeform scheduling have always been a part of Go Play NW and that’s not changing this year. In the past, as many as half the games going on at the Con were organized at the event, or announced only a short time beforehand. We like that kind of flexibility, and we’re keeping it alive.
That said,  sometimes you want to organize things ahead of time, find players who want to commit, or just know what game you’re playing at a particular time. We’re providing a space to do this as well.
So here’s the plan:
First of all, we invite everyone to head over to the brainstorming forum and start talking about the games they want to run and play. The discussion has already started with more coming every day.
Second, in the days to come, we’ll open up a forum space where people who want to run or facilitate games can pick a slot and announce their game for people to respond, ask questions, or say they want to play.
We’ll also have plenty of room for pickup gaming and organizing games at the con as the spirit takes you. We’ll post more about this too as we closer to the event.

Go Play NW 2011 begins on Friday, July 8, 2011. A mere eight weeks away. Have you registered yet?
Oh, the eyes above? We’ll reveal the whole image soon enough…

If you’re a Go Play NW veteran, you probably already know about the Friday Night Feast, but some newcomers have had questions about it.
The Friday Night Feast is a Go Play tradition that started as an informal pub night the evening before Go Play and has evolved into a fully-fledged dinner and game event. On Friday night, we’ll be meeting at the Go Play venue for a catered meal, with plenty of time to hang out, reconnect with old friends, and make new ones. After that, we’ll have a few hours for people to run and play in games. The atmosphere is cool and laid-back so as to provide a chance to hang out and a good way to ease into the spirit of Go Play.
Hope to see you there!

I know it’s been fairly quiet around here, but things are bubbling behind the scenes. We’re getting the catering lined up for the Friday Night Feast, and John just gave us a peek at this year’s t-shirt design—and I have to say, I can’t wait to reveal it to all of you, it’s sweet as always.
Here in Seattle, spring has been slow in coming; it’s been cloudy and rainy for months, and although we’ve had a few surprisingly sunny days, a chill has persisted in the air. July may seem a long way off, but it’s almost May, really! You know how fast May goes; you turn around a couple times and hey, Memorial Day Weekend, summer’s here. And then June’s just a few short weeks. Go Play NW 2011 will be here before you know it; now’s a good time to register. Don’t miss out!