I went to Melbourne on Saturday to have a meeting with a great bunch of guys in an old pub in Abbortsford. The pub was where they used to film scenes from The Sullivans, a very popular soap set during the Second World War – very nice inside and decent food.
We sat and drank and talked for seven hours until everyone was exhausted (and unfit to drive) and so called it a night. I had a great time – meeting some of these people for the first time and catching up with a few good friends too, planning out our future for the next 12 months and beyond. For most people in the room, gaming was a business (most of the staff of Eureka Miniatures were there, a sculptor, a marketing expert, a rules designer, and a published author), but I am just an enthusiastic hobbyist that doesn’t actually play games much.
So why was I there? Well, it’s because I can take someone’s writing and make it look pretty good. I may not be too original myself, but I know how to edit a document and present it well. Or at least I like to think I do – the true test is yet to come.
“And what did we talk about?” you may ask. Mostly it revolved around two of Eureka’s exiting lines – Pax Limpopo and Warrior Frogs – together with an exciting new contract they have signed with Michael Moorcock to produce figures based on his Jerry Cornelius and Hawkmoon novels. We all agreed that each of these mini ranges are in need of a rulebook to give gamers a reason for purchasing them. Warrior Frogs are a very popular range at the moment, but only with collectors and painters. The Pax range is one of the most original miniature figure concepts around, but once again, there are no rules to use them with. And the Hawkmoon figures are going to blow you away hopefully.
So, the upshot of the meeting (for me at least) was that I am going to help develop rulebooks for Pax, Frogs, and possibly Hawkmoon (depending on licence arrangements). I also agreed to help build some terrain for a major Frog battle, write some articles for each of the three games systems, and generally help out wherever I can. I’m not exactly on the Eureka payroll, but I do feel like I can help contribute to the company.
I came back from the meeting fired up, full of a sense of conviction that I can actually help to achieve something noteworthy in the gaming industry.
Sounds like an awesome trip Alan, I hope that they see your talents as an asset and bring you into the Eureka fold and get you some well deserved money for all the excellent terrain and gaming ideas you have. Wishing you all the best!
Your bud,
David