MACE 25 ran from November 12 to 14, 2021 at the Hilton Charlotte University Place in Charlotte, North Carolina. As the 25th anniversary show for this regional tabletop gaming convention, it marked a milestone in its history, a major milestone for one of the better known gaming couples in attendance at the con, and a return from the 2020 Covid hiatus. I attended the show as a publisher offering copies of my RPG zines and other books from my RPG library. As I do with mostconventionsI attend, I asked some of the attendees what they thought of the show. In this article, I talk to Jeff Smith, the convention’s owner, Jodi and Clint Black of Pinnacle Entertainment Group and Carolina Game Tables, and Christina Stiles of Christina Stiles Presents and Misfit Studios about MACE 25, how the convention felt after a year off, and why they keep returning to this show.
Egg Embry and Jodi Black (Right) at MACE 25
Jodi Black, COO for Pinnacle Entertainment Group and President of Carolina Game Tables, attended along with Clint Black, Savage Worlds Core Rules Brand Manager for Pinnacle Entertainment Group and co-owner of Carolina Game Tables. She shared her thoughts on the show and its meaning to them.
“Clint and I attended MACE as attendees so we could simply play games and celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary (it was also MACE’s 25th anniversary). There’s always a heavy emphasis on RPGs, and player slots fill up quickly. GMs get free or reduced price badges depending on the number of games they run, but there was a shortage of GMs this year due to Covid. Plenty of players, though! I think people are ready to game again.
“MACE has been our FAVORITE game convention for years now and here’s why:
“It’s local. You don’t need to make epic journeys to find people to play games with. Find a local con and build your gamer relationships. You’ll have a greater pool of gamers to build your home groups with, and they are your support network in bad times.
“They have a great selection of diverse RPGs and board games. We’ve seen a few ‘monoculture’ gaming cons. Having the chance to try new games is part of the fun. But if you only want Organized Play you can scratch that itch, too. We won’t judge.
“It’s ONLY for face-to-face games. No costume contest, karaoke, anime screenings, etc. We love those things too but there are plenty of conventions who try to do everything to cover everyone. By focusing on tabletop for card, board, LARP (usually one but not this year that we saw), and RPG you know you’re going to meet people who are really into the same things you are!
Egg Embry Publishing’s MACE 25 Dealer Table
“It’s the best organized gaming convention we’ve ever seen. I don’t want to throw shade at other systems out there, but MACE has their own tabletop game registration system AND your schedule is printed on the back of your badge. You never forget when you’re playing and where! You can still find a pickup game (in a normal year) or waitlist for a full game, but people show up for these games. The busiest gaming room we were in this year was at 9am on Sunday. SUNDAY, people!
“Built-in meal breaks. They don’t schedule games around lunch and dinner. You don’t have to choose to skip a game session just to eat a real meal. And in a normal year the Grinning Goblin will take your dinner order ahead of time, have it ready for pickup at the start of the dinner slot, and have even been known to deliver to the game table if there are enough helpers. Now that’s what I call service, and it’s not just for VIPS, it’s what they do for everyone. I recommend tipping.
“No badge required for the Vendor Hall. As a vendor, that’s amazing. Word gets around, locally. Even if you don’t have time to game, gamers will still come to the con to shop the vendors. Why don’t more cons do that? Why buy a badge just to be able to spend money? That was the con philosophy way back when, and I wish more cons adopted it.
“It’s not too big. By doing all the above they probably have never gone above 1000 badged attendees (not including those who show up just to shop). GMs are required to check that everyone has a badge before beginning the game, that’s it. It’s cozy but you aren’t seeing the same 20-50 people either.
“It’s very family friendly. Over the years we’ve brought our daughters to lots of game conventions and let them run free as they grew older. The big cons are where they have to keep their guard up. As one of our girls said, “No one messes with me. I walk as though I’m an unpaid intern on my way to pick up 5 coffees, STAT, and I need to keep remembering the orders.” LOL! (That fast walker-slightly pissed off countenance does wonders). At MACE, they’ve been GMs, goofed off with friends, led their middle school game club friends and now college friends around, and relaxed. They made lasting friendships. Part of the safety net is our fellow attendees have watched our girls grow up and feel like aunts and uncles. But it’s also purpose-driven by the staff. There are few, if any, “after dark” activities, the online game system notes age suitability, and even then the LARPS falling on the gray side of that line are fully clothed, stick to the designated areas, and aren’t screaming obscenities. No one organizes room parties that I’m aware of, and you can get a quiet night’s rest.
Egg Embry and Clint Black (Right) at MACE 25
“It’s also very game designer friendly. While MACE doesn’t typically have any game design panels, they very much support designers coming to run and showcase their games. There are games we wouldn’t have known about if it wasn’t for MACE (like the awesome party game, I Drank What?), and on a personal note, they’ve been super supportive of our games. Besides the usual Savage Worlds games offered, MACE has hosted a Savage Saturday Night (a room with homebrew, third party, and official setting games) every year since the tradition began. This year was no different with one game of players facing pirates in Oz to another where all the heroes were incarnations of iconic Kurt Russell characters!
“Is that enough to convince you to join us for MACE West in Asheville, North Carolina in March 2022? I hope so! [AUTHOR’S NOTE: MACE West is also put on by Just Us Productions as is MACE.]
“As game publishers and game table manufacturers we’ve been to so many conventions, large and small, from ChupacabraCon in Austin, TX (also a great tabletop-focused con) to gamer-meccas Gen Con and Origins and PAXes South/East/Unplugged. We love cons, full stop, and always seriously consider every invite we get. But we keep returning to MACE for the above reasons. These are our people. Come meet them and game with us.”
After Jodi and Clint’s ringing endorsement, I spoke to Jeff Smith, owner of Just Us Productions, MACE, and MACE West(you can see their Facebook group here). We talked the attendance figures for the convention and how he felt MACE 25 went after the 2020 break due to the pandemic.
“We are still doing the paper work, but I think 425-450 is a good estimate for now. We might have been a little higher, maybe 475, but I do not have all the data yet. In 2019, we had around 710. I was very happy with it. In my mind, 300 would have been a great number. So getting more than that was fantastic. Plus there seemed to be some great energy going on. People were ready to get together, see old friends, and do some gaming.
“In some ways it exceeded some of the prior events. As I mentioned there was an energy that was being released after two years of staying inside. While we did not meet the previous numbers, as long as people are having fun nothing else really matters. But, in general, it was a typical MACE. Except for the 25th anniversary thing.
“I look at MACE as a family event. I have known many of these guys and gals for 25 years. Some even longer since they attended some of the earlier events I was involved with. I have grown up with them and their children. It is like a homecoming or a reunion when we get together. We also work to keep it relaxed. I do not want MACE to become one of these megacons where a person can get lost. By staying mid-sized, I think we can offer each gamer a more enjoyable weekend.”
Beyond the convention, I asked Jeff about the charity drives that occurred at MACE 25.
“We have done a charity auction since the beginning. I currently raise money for the NC Zoo. In the past, we have helped with a wide variety of non-profits from the American Heart Association to a local literacy group. This year will be a little smaller than previous years, but not drastically. We also have another group who comes in and does a raffle for charity. They raised $3,000 this year which is phenomenal. They work with a variety of veteran organizations.”
“I’ve attended many MACE conventions in Charlotte, NC, over the years, and the 25th anniversary con proved smaller than pre-Covid days, but it was no less fun by any means. Jeff Smith and Ron McClung [MACE’s organizers] have always put a great deal of effort into their events, and it shows! I enjoy MACE so much because it is dedicated to gaming, is relatively close to home for me (I’m in upper South Carolina), and the hotel (University Hilton) is always clean and has friendly staff. The con boasts a lot of regulars, so I’ve gotten to know many people over the years who attend. It’s like gaming with a great many friends – new and old. Additionally, Jodi and Clint Black of Pinnacle Entertainment Group are usually present, as are the occasional small publishers like myself and a few freelancers.
“All in all, it was a wonderful gaming weekend, and I had a blast playing Savage Worlds and Hero sessions! I participated in the charity auction this year and won Descent 2nd Edition.
“MACE is worth attending because Just Us Productions knows how to host a gaming convention. These guys (Jeff Smith and Ron McClung) have 25 years experience with this con, and they have worked gaming in many others, including the spinoff con, MACE West. They are gamers and GMs themselves! In fact, I’m a player in Ron’s Savage Worlds game of Star Frontiers, and got to playtest two of the games he ran at the con with him and his family and our other friends. Basically, these are down-to-earth, knowledgeable gamers and great people to get to know. I hope others will come out and become a part of the MACE family at the upcoming MACE West in Asheville, NC, in March of 2022. I’ve met so many great friends over a cool game at a convention gaming table, and I plan to meet many more the same way.”
Egg Embry participates in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, Noble Knight Games’ Affiliate Program, and is an Amazon Associate. These programs provide advertising fees by linking to DriveThruRPG, Noble Knight Games, and Amazon.
In Our Dreams Awake #1: A Cyberpunk/Fantasy Adventure
By Egg Embry, John McGuire, Edgar Salazar, and Rolands Kalniņš with a variant cover by Sean Hill
"Jason Byron can't wake up. Each moment feels real, yet each moment feels like a dream. Issue #1 of a dreampunk comic book series coming to Kickstarter."
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I’m a freelance RPG journalist that writes RPG crowdfunding news columns for EN World, the Open Gaming Network, and the Tessera Guild, as well as reviews for Knights of the Dinner Table and, now, d20 Radio. I've successfully crowdfunded the RPG zines POWERED by the DREAMR and Love’s Labour’s Liberated.
NOTE: Articles may includes affiliate links. As a DriveThruRPG Affiliate/Amazon Associate/Humble Partner I earn from qualifying purchases.
After Jodi and Clint’s ringing endorsement, I spoke to Jeff Smith, owner of Just Us Productions, MACE, and MACE West (you can see their Facebook group here). We talked the attendance figures for the convention and how he felt MACE 25 went after the 2020 break due to the pandemic.
To round out the conversation, I talked to Christina Stiles of Christina Stiles Presents and Misfit Studios, who I interviewed for the JordanCon 2020 that never happened. She shared her perspective on why MACE and MACE West are worth seeking out.“MACE is worth attending because Just Us Productions knows how to host a gaming convention. These guys (Jeff Smith and Ron McClung) have 25 years experience with this con, and they have worked gaming in many others, including the spinoff con, MACE West. They are gamers and GMs themselves! In fact, I’m a player in Ron’s Savage Worlds game of Star Frontiers, and got to playtest two of the games he ran at the con with him and his family and our other friends. Basically, these are down-to-earth, knowledgeable gamers and great people to get to know. I hope others will come out and become a part of the MACE family at the upcoming MACE West in Asheville, NC, in March of 2022. I’ve met so many great friends over a cool game at a convention gaming table, and I plan to meet many more the same way.”
