Good Things
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 - The gameworld was very developed and interesting, with each group/'race' of characters being distinctly different in style as well as in statline. The nanolords were particularly alien and roleplayed well as such, and despite being a smaller playerbase than many fests I've been to the large number of chracter groups worked.
 - Everyone stuck around after time out to socialise and made us feel really welcome.
 - The refs and plot were really responsive to the players, varying Time Out by player mood/aims, and constantly checking we were enjoying ourselves and trying to help if we felt out of our depth. The one thing we said we were unhappy about was addressed in an IC manner.
 - I liked the way they kept a tight check on how much stuff you had at the end of the event, down to the last bullet, so you could use it next time. It made the ic tight resources more real.
 - Special effects and props were brilliant. Very detailed and well made.
 - Despite the difference in character 'level', it never felt that any characters were overpowering or overdominating things. This may have been coincedence, but I think it was more likely good statting and monstering. Older characters were identified by the fact they kept frothing about previous encounters, rather than by their uber statline. 
 - The plot was easy to follow and to get involved with, and designed so that everyone had something they were able to do in order to help it move forward. It felt like it was the first in a series with some foreshadowing of doom that we have doubtless failed to pick up on properly.
 - Wide variety of bad guys meant that everyone had their own particular person to hate. Which is nice 
 - There was always a ref or event writer around if you needed them.
 - All the monster characters were well briefed and able to stay in character and answer questions no matter how long you talked to them.

Bad Things
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 - There wasn't much thinky plot, metaphysics or stuff to do when not being attacked, so there were quite a few times of sitting around chatting IC but not really feeling we were doing anything. This may have been because there were so many newbies to integrate into the world, but I'd rather see more stuff to think about or do that don't involve getting attacked.
 - I'm not totally sold on the XP for scavaging system. As some people kept discussing during time in, you could steal guns off the crew then swop them for RP (used to get skills and items) to get new character skills. I can see why, but there were some issues with people looting from monsters - guns which worked perfectly a moment ago when they blew your arm off were suddenly broken when the monster died, otherwise the monster crew would have no phys reps by saturday - and there was a feeling sometimes that people were reluctant to pass round things their charcter couldn't use to those who could, because they were giving away XP.
 - We arrived late (10pm), but were basically pointed up a hill and told to get ourselves sorted, and someone intimated that we were unlikely to get IC that evening. Not the best of welcomes.
 - The refs as invisible monsters plot caused ooc confusion as we didn't realise for a long time that they were meant to be there ic. While there is something cathartic about stalking and killing refs, it was also difficult to attack something you could see ooc but not ic, particularly when sometimes they were just a ref and not an invisible thing. It was sorted out later on when some 'rules' were announced as to how to tell if a ref was ic or ooc, but I'm not certain it worked.

Things I Wish I'd Known
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 - The site is so dreadful to reach by road - my poor wee fiesta really suffered.
 - There is a regular crew member with the same name as my character. I would have changed name if I'd known in advance, to avoid confusion.
 - Pens are essential, not optional, and all go missing some time on Saturday. Bring many. And some pencils.
 - Memorise the stats of all weapons in your weapons class, not just the one you use, as you may be called on it ic (especially if you play a techie or weapons specialist). Don't rely on being able to borrow a rulebook onsite.

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LT - Captain Iolanthe Swan

Riftworld - Jenna Neraid, Clan Sceptre

Brighton Below - Drizzle

Serenity: Broken Ann / Pvt. Cooper / Reavers #7, #12, etc.. {Crew}
Riftworld: Jen Carver, Cyberate Medic
Maelstrom: Dia, Wahotep Freedom Fighters
LT: Countess Anya Von Trugelhof-McTaff, half-fiend and collector of all things blue, including Jackal ritualists

Riftworld has always had the problem with crew kit that works perfectly until it falls out of the hand of the crew person carrying it. I dont know how they can overcome this.

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The Whispering God is your friend... trust the Whispering God...

Ruins of Empire

1st - 3rd Feb, 2008, Gladstone scout centre, Chester