(Want to skip to the photos? They are here.)

“A chance to share old memories and play our songs again” – Ricky Nelson

If you’re trying to find Richard Garriott’s house in Austin, and no one’s has directions, don’t bother. I think he likes his privacy, though he does have parties every so often, such as the IGDA event on Saturday, which could become the latest in his many excuses to have the lawn mowed.

The property’s within 5 miles of 90 percent of the game development studios in Austin, for good reason — the headquarters of Origin Systems used to be just north of the spot where Loop 360 (aka Capital of Texas Highway) crosses Lake Austin (really just a dammed-up wide spot of the Colorado River,) within sight of the Pennybacker Bridge. It pretty much all came from Origin, and many of the guests (like Damon Waldrip, whom Sara Jensen introduced me to) owed part of their careers to the master of the house.

Garriott’s house, or rather, castle, is at the top of a steep slope above the lake/river/whatever, with a winding private drive behind a big metal gate, opened for the evening. Many ancient and gnarled trees, a few with trunks bending to the ground, were a natural canopy allowing only a few small drops of rain through during the two brief showers of the night. The ground was somewhat damp from a heavier rain at about 10 a.m., but there was enough grass over most of the grounds for those who hadn’t brought their own chairs or tarps, and couldn’t find a space at the picnic tables.

About 400 people had registered for the event, I learned at the check-in table. There were many signs to mark up and place along the main path so people could find the beer/water tent (run by Opal Devine’s,) what would be the barbecue lines (The Salt Lick,) and the ice cream booth (by Amy’s.) There was a stage obviously meant to resemble the Shakespearean Globe in miniature, where a band calling themselves Captains of the Chess Team (fronted by George “Fatman” Sanger and featuring several other game-dev types) with a mostly-female opening-act band called “The Love Vandals.”) There was also to be a “warming fire,” with a pit dug and everything, but I’m not sure if it was ever lit.

Way over on the other end of the property was the more fascinating stuff. Right up to where an ominous, faded metal sign warned, “I wouldn’t keep going if I were you,” a little village someone described to me as “the town from Ultima 3″ was laid out. Real buildings, if small, decorated with signs to suggest shops, with a gallows and stocks along the main path, and a castle made of logs and a grounded three-mast ship at the far end. One could set up a mini-Renaissance festival there, and I got the strong impression that was the idea. We used it as the grounds for the water balloon fights, and lots of guests had brought children that got to run around wild-eyed. The thought had occurred to me to do the same, but I restrained myself.

As a volunteer, I got to wear a yellow shirt (though I misunderstood directions and came wearing a green shirt with a yellow FLCL logo, earning me good-natured heckling from Gordon Walton,) ride around in the bed of a John Deere Gator setting up and drawing arrows (and other things) on signs, set up the canopy over the check-in table and help fill water balloons. Mike McShaffry was in charge, with Amy Goldenburg and IGDA chapter officers Quoc Tran and Kain Shin (and a few others I don’t really know but ought to credit, like Taylor Brown and Matt Weigel) among the many able lieutenants. There was a lot to do, between directing car traffic to the correct field of green and filling balloons, but the volunteers were well organized and numerous, and the audience was chill.

The rest was just party. I had fun as did my two guests Jamye and Bob. Much love to Garriott for the use of his palatial estate, the IGDA chapter for providing the means for the local game developer/enthusiast sector to come together on neutral ground, and the sponsors for helping pay the bills.

I had a great time. See you all next time. Haven’t seen the photos yet? They are here.