This is probably the latest I’ve ever released even a draft of a schedule for public consumption. This is also marks the most revisions I’ve made to a schedule since 2005. (“What do you mean Robert Jordan needs to eat and sleep?”) However, I think this is one of our strongest in quite awhile. We’ve got many great panels lined up this year. The trivia contests seem particularly intriguing. We’ve really moved away from the “Crown the biggest nerd imaginable!” mindset that ruled our mindset in the early years. These contests should be fun for even the most casual reader of the series.

New to the track this year is the “Are You A Darkfriend?” games on Saturday and Sunday. This is based on the popular “Mafia” game that’s played at parties. Someone showed me how to play on a message board just before last year’s con and we started playing at Dragonmount. One thing lead to another, and well, here we are today. Seriously, this is a great game to play. Just don’t cry when you get lynched, okay? It’s a game of mob mentality, not detective work.

Also new, is the “Eye of the World Interpretive Dance”. This is one of those ideas that sounds fabulous late at night, at Dragon*Con, when you’ve been drinking. And after it gets cut short, because the Marriott locked down the Tenth Floor after the Pirate Party got out of control… Well, you sort of feel sorry for those poor, brave, hungover souls. Also, I have no judgment the Monday morning of Dragon*Con. I will literally say yes to anything so that I can go back to wishing I was asleep.

In all seriousness, it’s supposed to be incredibly funny and original and they deserve a chance to actually finish the show.

A returning favorite, the Winespring Inn party has been moved to a new day and time to accommodate our move to a larger room. I think this will meet with everyone’s approval, as there wasn’t much space available for the kind of party we wanted to throw the last few years.

We’re also bringing back the sword form demonstration, just so more people can walk up to my husband at Thrasher games and say “Hey! You’re the Sword Form Guy!” I should put that on his badge. They’ll be running through a few of the iconic fights from the series and will give demonstrations of specific forms in isolation. They’ll also talk about Robert Jordan’s influences in creating this style of fighting.

Well, that’s all I have to say on the subject of the schedule tonight. If you have questions, that’s what the forums are for.

Enjoy.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pxcLYQxiWbLycs19ybPtbCA