Photos from Friday

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Use the QR code on the game's info sheet to report issues with games. That's the fastest way to get a tech's or the owner's attention.

They are unlikely to check the event thread here very often during the course of the event.

I've played mando a few times before this show, and yes, ball times can be quite long on it if you're a half way decent player. I still liked it for the most part, though.

Yep, there was one in the extra ball lounge.

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I knew it--the bouncy castles are on!

Thanks for the reminder--I managed to grab one too. Unfortunately, it sounds like the hotel is now sold out for the weekend, according to the person I spoke with on the phone. I'm not sure if that was just the pintastic block, and/or if there are still rooms available on individual days or not.

Looking forward to seeing ya'll there

Heads up...traffic on i90 south is stopped 60 miles before exit 78 at mile marker 17. A big truck is engulfed in flames.

A fire truck and ambulance just arrived on-scene.

If you can avoid this section of i90, I would highly recommend bypassing it. I'm guessing traffic may be stopped for a good while while the fire truck works on putting out the huge fire.

It looks like if you get off i90 before Lee, you can bypass the accident.

Looks like the fire trucks have the fire pretty much under control now. The 25ft flames are gone and the billowing black smoke cloud has petered out to small wisps of campfire smoke.

Traffic is moving again

Southeast then

Thursday night Freeplay!

I really enjoyed the bally cross country...I've never seen that one before. Really interesting concept.

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Vendor spaces on Friday!

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Friday freeplay!

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Friday tournament

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Thanks to everyone who brought games!

There's a lot of good titles and a few unsual ones to play this year

I caught a large spider in my room. If you want, I could bring it over to take care of your bug problem

There's a club room across from the seminar room.

There's also the extra ball room at the back of the hotel lobby.

Saturday photos, including free play, vendors, and extra ball lounge.

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Does anyone know what time the freeplay drawing is on Sunday? I didn't see it listed on the website.

Sorry to hear that. As a possible suggestion for fragile games, maybe drape them in cloth after a certain time, so the late night crowd doesn't mess with them?

I'm not sure if you recall the advertising materials that were released pre-covid, but another hotel was explored in Boxboro MA for what would've been the 2020 show. It was a larger venue, but somewhat geographically isolated.

After limited options in past years, I brought most of my own snacks and food, and supplimented with (ugh) burger king, since it was within walking distance. The food there tastes like a salt lick block on a bun, though.

Once I park when towing a trailer, I don't usually like to move it if I don't have to. Plus it's harder to find a decent parking spot once the doors for the show open.

Yeah, I was expecting freshly renovated rooms...not the same old musty room from years past. That was a let down. At least the ancient AC unit in the room worked, so keeping that running 24/7 seemed to combat the smells.

While I really like the convenience of staying on-site, the condition of the room was certainly a sore spot in the overall show experience.

As for the show itself, I liked having a chance to play some of the newer titles. There were plenty of copies of rush and Godzilla. I don't like waiting on lines for games (standing still for too long after being on my feet all weekend tends to hurt a bit), so I didn't get a chance to play toy story. Maybe I'll get a chance at the next show.

Thanks to everyone who brought games to the show. I had a chance to enjoy playing many of them.

Housekeeping staff didn't visit my room once during the entire stay. I had to call the front desk for toilet paper.

The registration desk outside the freeplay room entrance, or the repair area in the back corner?

The best way to report malfunctioning games was to scan the QR code and select the appropriate option.

However, I did notice that when someone reported my game as malfunctioning, I didn't get any notifications about it. I just happened to walk by and see that someone had turned it off, then I signed in to the website and saw the trouble report.

All the for sale signs I saw had prices. They were just in smaller print than the "for sale" text.

Sometimes there are overlapping interests with collectibles and whatnot. And the general public may be interested in those things too. Personally, I don't mind seeing a few of those booths, as long as it doesn't turn into the main focus. But most of the time, if a vendor does well, they return for another year, but if not, they usually don't.

On one hand, I can agree with that sentiment. On the other, it's nice to have a separate space that isn't completely mobbed, and where you actually have a small chance at hearing the audio on the game that you're playing. It's impossible to hear anything on the freeplay floor. Well, aside from the screaming crypt keeper. You could hear that from clear across the room.

I saw plenty of people walking around with beer cups. I saw one of the workers in the concession stand pouring a bottled beer into a cup at one point.

Apparently, it was some prankster messing around with fart sprays.

Someone said they found empty spray bottles.

Pinfest.

I think it might be a better option to give the game bringer a choice on how/when they're notified. Personally, I would've liked to have been notified immediately. However, I understand if other people might prefer the option of letting a tech do a preliminary evaluation first, especially if they're not roaming around at the show 100% of the time.

Play count on my T2 for Thurs through Sunday

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Yeah, I thought it might be a bit higher too, but it's still roughly what I usually see for play counts on the games I bring to shows.

Two other big factors to consider are the electrical system, and ease of loading for a stream of dozens of people bringing in games and stuff for vending.

There were venues I had to cross off the list when starting the Saratoga show because of each of those items.

Can you rent out the state of Rhode Island?

Pfft, I just bring my own sandwiches. That's basically what I survived on for 4 days. That, and a meal at burger king that basically tasted like a salt lick.