Activities for in-person meetings of Gods Unchained players

Why do Gods Unchained players meet in person? To go beyond its digital dimension, as is evident. I am JFA, architect of GU Masters, and my experience organizing El Cónclave, our meeting in Madrid, has shown me that a small group can become a formidable collective and that Face-to-face interaction plays a key role in building community (If this topic interests you, I recommend you read the article "Gods Unchained and the magic of the physical in a digital world" .

From the big conventions to the bar table

We all know the Major conventions that organize the collectible card games. These events are promoted by the companies that produce these games and are milestones for their community.

These events are a A great source of inspiration , but there are numerous activities that are only viable for large-scale events: cosplay contests with prizes for the most successful? Sessions of meet and greet with game designers, card art creators, or content creators? Stands with merchandising official? Official exhibitions? Musical performances or Deejaying ?¿Photocalls ? Or professionally produced videos, such as:

Gods Unchained isn't at that stage yet, that's for sure. Will it ever be? It's impossible to know, but that doesn't mean that we in the gaming community can't take the initiative to organize events on a smaller scale. In the end, the strength is in the human connection. Instead of trying to copy the big conventions, which is unfeasible, the key is to propose activities that encourage direct interaction and enjoyment in groups .

Let's start with identify the most important characteristics of these activities.

Essential characteristics of an activity ideal for a face-to-face Gods Unchained meeting

For an activity to be perfect for a small meeting, such as El Cónclave, it must meet some Requirements :

• Accessibility: It should be easy to understand and engage with, no matter the player's experience level.
• Flexibility: It is recommended that you do not require the participation of everyone present during the entire time because this makes it possible for people to join or leave without breaking the dynamics of the group.
• Value contribution: it must contribute something to the attendees, either by promoting socialization, healthy competitiveness, learning, etc.
• Preparation: A good balance between activities that don't need preparation and others that do, so that the effort of organizing the event is not overwhelming.

Now that we have this clear, here are some ideas of activities that could be part of the agenda of future meetings .

Activities for in-person Gods Unchained player encounters

I share with you a List of possible activities , classified by what they contribute. Some will seem more attractive to you and others less, depending on your personal interests, but all of them can be playful.

This section is divided into Four blocks :

1. To socialize and connect.
2. To compete and improve.
3. To delve deeper into the game.
4. To challenge our creativity.

Let's get into the matter .

To socialize and connect

These activities are ideal for Enhance interaction between the attendees and that social ties are created between them.

Icebreaker

[Difficulty: Org. Fácil / Part. Easy]

It is the perfect activity for the start of the event. Help attendees relax, get to know each other, and break the ice , especially if they don't know each other.

One Simple Way to do so is for each of the attendees to say their name, how they learned about the game, their favorite card and a memorable memory related to Gods Unchained. It's a simple way to get to know the person behind the avatar and find common ground.

Trivia on Gods Unchained

[Difficulty: Org. Media / Part. Easy]

A series of Questions about the game :his Lore , the mechanics and characteristics of its cards, its metagame or its story. It's a great way to test how much we know about the game and learn fun facts along the way.

¿ Example trivia? I leave you one right here, with participants both in person and remotely:

Interviews

[Difficulty: Org. Media / Part. Easy]

Interviews are a safe bet: the winner of the last tournament, a player who has moved from another city or someone who has just started? It is a way of Give the spotlight to the attendees and get to know them better.

To compete and improve

Healthy competition is a Essential Part of trading card games.

Tournaments with special rules

[Difficulty: Org. Media / Part. Medium]

How about betting on something different instead of pulling the main format at all times? There are many Alternative formats . How about a tournament Singleton (only one copy of each card )? Or a tournament Pauper (Common and Rare cards only)? Another format that gives a lot of play in these contexts is only even or odd cards. These alternative formats force us to be more creative with our decks and try new strategies.

Team competitions

[Difficulty: Org. Media / Part. Medium]

If the number of attendees is sufficient, team competition modalities can be considered. It is a different experience from individual competition, which generates Unique dynamics .

To dive deeper into the game

These activities help us Understanding the game on a deeper level .

Deck Design

[Difficulty: Org. Fácil / Part. Medium]

Collaboration is a great way to improve . We can organize collaborative building sessions, where we all contribute ideas to create a deck from scratch. Another very didactic option is the deck improvement session, where a player brings their deck (ideally one that is not super-optimized) to receive tips and suggestions, with an always constructive approach.

Preparation of tierlists

[Difficulty: Org. Media / Part. Medium]

Debating which are the most powerful cards or archetypes in the game is a Excellent way to learn and share knowledge . We can focus on the cards from a recent expansion or the archetypes that dominate the current meta. This generates very lively discussions and helps to better understand the competitive environment.

Talks

[Difficulty: Org. Medium to High / Part. Easy]

The conferences They are a classic at all types of conventions and an affordable option for small events as well. It is as simple as having an expert player give a short and didactic talk on a specific topic.

Some ideas are the analysis of a deck or archetype in vogue, the analysis Post-mortem of a competitive game (very useful to see mistakes and successes) or specific advice for advanced players looking to polish their technique. We can also explore the artistic side of the game and look for the artists who have designed cards for Gods Unchained on platforms like ArtStation to analyze their works. The options are many and varied.

Thematic Roundtables

[Difficulty: Org. Media / Part. Medium]

Unlike talks, roundtables are Debates open with several participants and a moderator. We can talk about the future of Gods Unchained, the challenges facing the game or the role of teams in the competitive scene, for example. It is the perfect opportunity for each attendee to present their ideas and generate an enriching dialogue.

To challenge our creativity

These activities, which can be carried out individually or in groups, they seek to exploit our imagination to the fullest (and maybe something like that could be used for publication in GU Masters).

Select your favorite art from an expansion

[Difficulty: Org. Fácil / Part. Easy]

Can Brush up on the art of an expansion and choose our favorite illustration from all of us. This opens up a debate about the aesthetics of the game and the work of the artists.

Design of new cards or mechanics

[Difficulty: Org. Fácil / Part. Medium]

Attendees can be asked to design a new card for a god who needs it or to propose an innovative mechanic that fits with the Lore of the game. This activity encourages the creativity of the community and Encourages players to think like game developers .

By the way, if you want to delve into the subject, remember that we have a Specific Article about this on the GU Masters website: "Essential Questions for Designing a Gods Unchained card " .

Proposals for collaborations with third parties

[Difficulty: Org. Media / Part. Medium]

What brand or universe, outside or within the Immutable ecosystem, would we like Gods Unchained to collaborate with? There are precedents for it, such as the collaboration with Guilds of Guardians that took place in the Guardians of Elderym expansion. It's an entertaining exercise, which forces you to think about potential synergies, and the conclusions reached can always be transferred to the Gods Unchained team.

Exploration of the Lore

[Difficulty: Org. Fácil / Part. Easy]

We can review the Lore existing of the gods or expansions to better understand the game universe. We can also discuss what aspects we would like to see explored in the future, or even propose Lore alternative. This Foster players' connection to the game universe beyond the gameplay pure and simple.

Other original ideas

Games with printed version of the game

[Difficulty: Org. Alta / Part. Medium]

I included this activity because someone told me that it would be great to play Gods Unchained with printed cards. This would be Quite a challenge , as there are cards in Gods Unchaiend with mechanics that cannot be replicated in a physical environment; and, in addition, it would imply incurring printing costs. In any case, it would be an aunique activity that connects with the roots of collectible card games.

Mini-exhibitions and competitions based on works derived from or inspired by Gods Unchained

Any artists in the room? A card like the one below is a printed version of a card of Gods Unchained... but it is not designed to be played.

If any of the attendees were an artist, the possibility of organizing a mini-exhibition of creations inspired by Gods Unchained (painting, music, etc.). If not, nothing serious happens either... nowadays it is not essential to have artistic training to create, since generative Artificial Intelligence puts at our disposal specific tools for the generation of images, music, etc. Song contest based on the lore of Gods Unchained? Or adaptations of illustrations, such as those made by an outstanding artist like Bela?

Aethers 👼👼
Pick your favorite

Arius, Augur Paroxysm
Judge Envoy
Seraph pic.twitter.com/lETXqNfHE1

— Belartez (@Bela_CGartist) November 24, 2023

There's nothing like Want to enjoy a shared experience and let your imagination fly , don't you think?

Summary of activities

It is worth including a Summary of activities in table format to be able to review it at a glance whenever necessary.

Activity	Nature	Core Value
Icebreaker	Social	Connection and camaraderie
Trivial	Social	Fun and learning
Interviews	Social	Community Ownership
Tournament Special Rules	Competitive	Healthy competitiveness
Deck Design	Knowledge	Collaboration and improvement
Preparation of tierlists	Knowledge	Strategic debate
Talks / Round tables	Knowledge	Sharing knowledge
Favorite Art	Creative	Aesthetic appreciation
Card Design	Creative	Imagination and proposals
Collaborations	Creative	Strategic Thinking
Exploration of the Lore	Creative	Immersion in the game
Print version	Original	Unique experience

I would also like to make a point to mention, although without too much detail, the Parallel agenda . It is always pleasant to eat together (gastronomic experiences are an additional reason to attend) and, depending on the agenda of the attendees, the event may extend beyond its official schedule.

Conclusions: the spirit of the game

As you can see, the options are many and the The success of an event of this nature is not measured by the number of attendees, but by the quality of the time they spend together . Gods Unchained's Spanish-speaking community is a valuable asset to Gods Unchained, and events like El Cónclave are proof of that. They are meetings that allow us to go beyond the screen, put a face to our friends and rivals, and share in a deeper way the passion for this hobby.

Finally: this list of activities is just a starting point, so don't hesitate to tell me Activities you'd like to experience at future events that are not in this article.

Before I say goodbye, I want to take this opportunity to remind you that you can support GU Masters by purchasing your cards through the TokenTrove referral link (which has no cost for you) and invite you to join all the players who already receive the GU Masters newsletter to stay on top of what's new in the Gods Unchained universe: The Herald .

Images courtesy of Gods Unchained Pty Ltd.