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Friday 7 July 2017

COW2017 ... starts today!

With a bit of luck by 5.00pm this afternoon I will be sitting in the sun on the terrace of Knuston Hall, ...


... drinking a cool drink, and waiting for COW2017 (this year's annual Conference of Wargamers that is organised by Wargame Developments) to start in earnest.

For the first time in many years I am not putting on a session, and as a result I hope to be able to spend time watching and taking part in many of the activities that other attendees have organised. Quite a few bloggers will be there, as will a number of well-known wargamer designers and writers, and if the last thirty six years are anything to go by, it will be a thought-provoking and inspiring conference.

I will certainly be writing a blog entry about what I see and take part in at COW2017 ... but probably not until the middle of next week, by which time I might just have recovered from two late nights and an overdose of wargaming!

11 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Tradgardmastare (Alan),

      Cheers! I hope to you there one day.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  2. Ross Mac,

    If only you were able to join us; it would make a good weekend great!

    All the best,

    Bob

    ReplyDelete
  3. Replies
    1. Stephen Briddon,

      I'll try to do justice to the wargames that I see in action or have the opportunity to take part in.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  4. Robert, this looks like an interesting event for wargamers. Could you explain more about this group, its members, and mission statement?

    I look forward to your reports too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jonathan Freitag,

      Wargame Developments came into existence as a result of a conference organised by the late Dr Paddy Griffith in response to the demise of the old Wargamers Newsletter. The conference was held at Moor Park College in 1980, and it was agreed that the new organisation would act as a means by which active wargame designers could exchange ideas, talk about the philosophy of wargame design, and develop different wargaming styles and techniques. It has held an annual conference at Knuston Hall, Northamptonshire, every year from 1981 onwards, and people attend with games they have designed or developed. Other attendees then try the games out, and give critical and constructive feedback.

      Over the years members of WD have been responsible for a large number of innovative games designs, many of which are now in use across the hobby.

      WD also publishes a journal - The Nugget - nine times each year, and reports on the sessions at COW feature heavily on its pages, as do other game designs.

      I hope that this explains what WD is and why COW is so important to the members of the group.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
    2. Very much appreciated, Bob. Enjoy your conference.

      Delete
    3. Jonathan Freitag,

      I am pleased to read that you found my explanation helpful. When I look back over the years, it's amaźing to realise how much members of the group have actually achieved.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete
  5. Replies
    1. Geordie an Exiled FoG,

      I certainly did ... and I hope to publish a blog entry about my weekend sometime tomorrow.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete

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