b3tThe Saturne PartytWhirly & RokDaZonetfpf2s3c01 THE SATURNE PARTY - THE BUBBLE BURSTED f1c02 by Whirly/Earthlore & RokDaZone c03Everything started just so nicely, when c04Whirly c03and his friends were starting off to the c04Saturne Partyc03. For them the third time. Until this year, the eventseries had quite a prominent reputation so they were in no worries to make their expenses back in entertainment and software. But this time everything went wrong. Having arrived at 12:30 on Friday and having payed the enterance fee of around 150;- French Francs (around 50,- DM), they decided to setle down in the mainhall - their first big mistake. Apart from attending. Everything was running smoothly, many known Sceners like c04Ghengisc03, c04Hedgehogc03, c04Pink c03and c04Bartman c03were present. Especially as lasts years phenomenal bigscreen - according to c04Pink/Abyss c03the best he ever saw - was set up again, expectation grew for a splendid competition. Only, however, until the first power breakdown, which occured around two hours later and which was almost immediately restored. This, however, was nothing more than the beginning. c04Pink c03comments: f4c02 "A female organiser told me that they expected 500 people, but 800 came." f1c03A dropdead miscalculation by the organising team lead to catastrophy. With each extra attender plugging his PC to the powersupplies, newly electricity was sucked off from the net, which must have been weak from the start. c04Pink c03continues: f1c03At around 20:30 the power disappeared fully for not less than 10 hours, c04Bartman/Abyss c03even claims that it were 12 hours in a row. The staff tried to find what was going wrong, sometimes they told people in french it was the fault of the numerous computer connected to the power switch and sometimes they put the responsibility on 'virtual people' connecting damaged material. f2c01 SCANDALOUS ORGANISERS BEHAVIOUR f1c03During friday night they also did not want to let people go in. c04Lowlifec03, who was on a weekendvacation with his girlfriend in Paris, attended the event for five hours and told c04Generation c03that there had been certain people travelling eleven hours just to be sent home. f4c02"That takes the piss" f1c03he puts it bluntly. At around 2:00 a.m. the man in charge of the electricity system decided to go home along with almost all the staff of the party. Meanwhile they attempted to distract people by showing "Seven". There was still no power, and nobody to answer the questions of the desperate guests who rather felt like victims. The only people who were more or less catchable were the members of the security staff. f4c02 "In fact it was fun to see that everything was under control." f1c04Whirly c03comments ironically. f4c02"The staff going to bed early leaving us with the security staff which looked like skinheads. Just imagine asking question to a skinhead and you get the picture." f1c03Even the most banal doings got problematic as there even was no light. f4c02"It was fucking hard to go to the toilet" f1c04Whirly c03continues laughing. The men from the security staff already proposed to some fed-up people to leave the party and with 100;- Ffr refunded. A fair gesture here althout this didn't seem the best choice for people like c04Whirly c03having driven 500 km or the Germans from c04Abyss c03and c04Interactive c03who even took 1000km to come to Paris. So they were able to watch some more movies like "The Rock" and "Aliens" instead. In french what didn't gain any amusement for non-french visitors. Even worse, the surrounding of the partyplace didn't offer much to do. Much like many visitors also c04Whirly c03and c04Bartman c03tried some hours for a nap in the hope that the powerproblems were solved afterwards. At 10:10 a.m. the organisers infact tried to reenter electricity but randomly the power failed again. So a lot of people looked at the second hall, since this hall was always powered since the beginning of the party. Not few tried to move their computer in the second hall, opposed by the security staff who tried to keep them out. At 11:00 a.m. the staff finally gave the long awaited statement to the situation: f4c02 "At this moment the main hall is powered, but since a lot of power failure occured the power system is very fragile. So if you want to leave we will give you 100;- Ffr if you leave before 14:00. In the contrary, if you stay here after 14:00 then c01stop complaining! c02Of course all competitions are cancelled." f1c03Of course? Why of course? Anyway, after this sad newsflash not less than 250 people left immediately according to c04Bartmanc03. Most astoundingly, even now no one of the crowed seemed to lose control, neither c04Lowlife c03nor any of the others who we asked reported about vandalism sides the visitors. Maybe a sign of dicipline which the organisers seemingly lacked, maybe just because of the skin-guards. f2c01 FINALLY COMPETITIONS f1c03Lateron the organisers redecided to have competitions, but without pricemoney. Only some Pizza and T-shirts would be given away. This announcement caused most potential participators like c04Hedgehog/Nah-Kolor c03to take their entries back home. Only a handful of people like c04Odin/Gods c03with his first PC-Demo or the c04Abyssc03-bunch and c04Modem/Darkage c03with both a 64k Intro delivered something. Some Amiga Demos in c04AMOS c03have been shown and c04Bartman c03describes the gfx-competition as "nice", also two further PC-Demos were able to catch the eyes of the audience. f2c01 SO WHERE IS THE MONEY? f1c03Many voices accused the organisers to have taken advance of the situation to make a major profit. On the first sight this sounds convincing. Taken that 300 people more than expected attended, this means extra amount of 45.000;- Ffr (15.000,- DM) above the regular calculation. So a major financial success for the organisers? Let's say 300 people got paid back 100;- Ffr that leaves 10.000;- (approx. 3000,- DM) extra gain. No reason to cancel pricemoney. As much as we know, the electricians had to be called apart from the norm so their pay was not included into the regular calculation. Have you ever tried to call a handyman on weekend? They make you pay at least double, so better wait until monday. It could very well be that they took away the rest of the extra gain. According to c04Pinkc03, who said that he got the information from the same feale organiser, the powerengine almost started to burn, further damage might have been caused, requiring even more expensive repairings. So in the end with all this in mind, it might well be possible that the organisers have made a major loss and then it is legitimate to cancel competitionprices - although this is annoying anyhow. These are just speculations, however, none of these figures has been released officially. f2c01 IS THERE A FUTURE FOR SATURNE? f1c03So far the responsible people behind c04Saturne c03did not react on any request from c04Generation c03to the ongoings. This article is therefore basing on information that we got from visitors, if certain passages shouldn't reflect the facts fully we are sorry, but they had their chance. Therefore we also ain't in the position to tell our readers if the team is considering to go on. Still, this seems more than doubtful as most attenders sounded more than disappointed and there seems little chance that many would favour to return for a sequel. What remains now is to wait for a clearification from the Saturnists maybe in some other publication. The Scene demands for an answer, so take your guts together and f2speak to us! f1As soon as possible.