Major Event: First Contact
Join us for a daylong event and take on the roles of leaders of powerful nations as they either work with or against each other during alien arrival.
This is the ultimate crisis simulation where you and your team will lead your nation through the global politics, high stakes negotiations, and many crises.
ABOUT THE GAME
When: Saturday, March 8th, 11am - 7pm
Where: 521 East Avenue N, La Crosse, WI 54601
UWL Student Union, Bluffs Room (Second Floor)
Cost to Participate: Free
Set against the backdrop of world politics, "First Contact" invites you to navigate the complexities of international relations, global conflict, and economics. This game will allow you to play as influence leaders from the President of the United States, UN Secretary General, or the CEO of a Corporation. The game unfolds in real-time, with each turn representing a crucial windows of opportunity. Engage in epic battles, negotiate alliances, and uncover hidden plots as you strive for victory. Every decision you make has a ripple effect on the game world, ensuring an ever-evolving narrative.
First Contact is a dynamic experience with around 50 teams. These teams are broken up into a number of categories including: Nations, Corporations, Science Institutes, and other.
✦ Nations - There are 27 nations in the game. Most nations will be four person teams and will have a Head of State, Interior Minister, Foreign Minister, and Military Commander. P5 nations like the US, Russia and China will have larger teams given their expanded influence.
✦ Corporations - There are 8 mega-corporations in this game that manufacture everything from arms to electronics. Each team will be responsible to their shareholders and will consist of of three people" a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operations Office and Chief Technology Officer.
✦ Scientific Institutes - There are 5 scientific institutes who are responsible for making sense of alien tech and coming up with new technologies for corporations to produce and sell to nations. Each Scientific Institute team will have a Director, Investor Relations and Lead Researcher.
✦ Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) - There are a handful on NGOs including a press team, the United Nations, and depending on how many players there are a couple of secret organizations . . .
Signing up to participate in First Contact can be done by filling out the Ticket Tailor form below. If you are signing up as a group you can either put your group name/names of the people you want to play with or you can increase the quanity up to four.
ABOUT THE EVENT
First Contact is a day long experience. Doors to the event will open at 10:00 am giving time for everyone to get settled and meet their teammates. This will be followed by a brief introduction and rules overview. The goal will be to start the game at 11:00am.
10:00 am - Doors Open
11:00 am - Game Starts
11:50 am - Turn 1
12:40 pm - Turn 2
1:30 pm - Turn 3
2:20 pm - Turn 4
3:10 pm - Turn 5
4:00 pm - Turn 6
4:50 pm - Turn 7
5:40 pm - Turn 8
6:30 pm - Turn 9
7:20 pm - Game Debrief
8:00 pm - Clean Up
*Note that this is a rough estimate and not hard time markers
Q: What are Megagames?
A: Megagames are like very large board-games, with elements of role-playing games and wargames rolled in. Megagames involve anything from 30 players to three or four hundred players.
A: Participants are encouraged to wear dress up for the the game (like business casual). Some people find it more fun to go to the UN in a tie. However, we ask that you be culturally conscious when dressing from a different nation; we're playing characters, not caricatures.
A: Bring your laptop, phone, a note book and a pen. Please also consider bringing water and snacks it will be a long game and it is important to stay hydrated at the minimum. As we stated above, costumes are welcomed but not required.
A: If you are driving to this event we highly recommend car pooling if possible. A permit is required to park on campus. Those without permits may use the Passport Parking mobile app to pay for parking. The going rate is $1 per hour. Alternatively if you are fine with a little walk you can park off campus in Myrick Park or you can park on the south side of campus on parts of State St., Main St., or King St.
DISCLAIMERS
1. There are a limited number of slots and will filled on a first come first serve basis. In the event that all spots are filled and you still are interested in playing contact the organizers at uwlhistoryclub@gmail.com
2. We reserve the right to revoke issued tickets to non-UW La Crosse students. Due to venue and funding requirements our target to stay in compliance is 60%-70% UWL Student attendance. Your .edu email will be used to verify that you are indeed a student.
3. Please be aware that the the hosts of this event will be taking photos and/or video at this event. The hosts may use the photograph/video in publications or other media material produced, used or contracted by the hosts including but not limited to: brochures, monthly publications, magazines, newsletters, invitations, television, website, social media, etc. If a person does not with to have their image recorded for marketing purposes, please make your wishes known to the photographer, and/or the event organizers.
4. We are so proud to bring you this event, and we want to make sure every player gets an engaging and fulfilling experience. This requires the cooperation of all players to make this fun for everyone. If you are found to be disrupting the event by harassing other players, including racist, sexist or otherwise bigoted remarks, you will be reprimanded as the game control sees fit, up to and including expulsion from the game.
CREDITS
First Contact was designed by Matthew Bambridge, Chris Brown, Zane Gunton, and Tom Mendelsohn. A full list of credits can be read here.
