Last year I had the opportunity to go to Queen of Hearts as the staff made the enormous shift in their mission statement from “the Olympics of the realms” to “let’s have fun.” For some of us wartorn fighter types, it was a concern, because we like to get beat up.
No really; we crash into each other at a high pace, trying to edge each other out in incredible feats of combat that require years of training, and a level of precision that we wouldn’t expect out of surgeons. Actually that might be a gross over statement, we aren’t surgeons out there. But it gets my point across.
The shift to let’s have fun gave concern, because I, and the other competitive assholes out there, were worried that we wouldn’t be able to access that feeling of immersion we achieve from competitive combat. We were wrong.
I went back to review my WYM from last year, and I don’t mind being the guy that quotes himself, but I was right then, if you missed it last year, you missed an event. Not in the classic usage of the gathering of our favorite hobby, but a change in the game.
If you have the option of going to Queen of Hearts this year, and you have any interest in playing our game, you should really make the effort. The Queen of Hearts team made a huge jump last year, trying to make the event inclusive to all skill sets. Queen of Hearts has always been the sort of competition that showcases every aspect of this beautiful game we play, in that it features every facet of our game, from crafting to casting, to combat. But I think the shift in theme set it a stride further, in that it now encompasses every attitude that might enjoy the game as well.
I can’t express that point enough. This event will truly offer something for everyone, and the aim is just to have fun. If you want to have fun in our game, go to this event.
I can be hard for me to express why I want to go to Queen of Hearts because there are too many reasons, often times when I write these things, I can latch onto a singular facet as to why I want to go. But for Queen of Hearts it’s different. I want to go for the fighting of course, the war tournaments, the singles tournaments. I mean they’re pretty great, teams put a lot of effort in putting their best foot forward. But there is more than that, I want to go for the craft tournaments too, it’s one event of the year where we artisans really throw out all the stops, and if you take the time to look, you can learn some new techniques, steal some ideas, or just appreciate the effort in general. There is so much to do, so much to focus on, and so many people there to play.
You might not know why you want to go. You might even have convinced yourself you don’t want to go, and you know it’s understandable if you have other plans, we all have to manage our time. But I think you should trust me, and if you’re free, give yourself the opportunity to have a good time.
I’ll see you on the field,
Keith “Saegan” Cronyn
