Guide my GenCon
Say I was going to GenCon in a day or two (because I am). My current plan it to wander aimlessly through the mighty sea of gamers, but this shows a certain lack of strategy.
Where should I go? What should I do? What are the things I absolutely should not miss?
Gimme the scoop.
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“Hopefully you were not present for the D&D 4.0 unveiling…”
I missed it, though rumor spread pretty fast afterwards.
Lots of good stuff, but the biggest thanks go to:
Major Wesely, who we trapped in the lobby for hours and pestered until he told us the secret origins of roleplaying games (you’ve heard of Braunstein, right?)
Lenny Balsera for enduring the pig-pile of Spirit of the Century feedback, because we take tough love to whole new levels
Ron Edwards for stepping in and giving us a Reign demo and having an excellent attitude towards gaming that literally made my day.
What can I say? The indie gamers rock.
Hopefully you were not present for the D&D 4.0 unveiling… the footage on youtube.com is a JOKE.
Um. Sign up for a couple of games? You said wander aimlessly, but I usually can’t do game conventions without some kind of directed activity. It really exposes you to alot of different play styles, too. One of my most interesting moments I had last years was finding a guy who was gaming with his 8 year old daugter. She was sharp, and well behaved.
If you’re into DND (I have your blog on RSS, I should know that, right?) drop by the wizards booth. Play the demos, play the “win free stuff game,” check out their promos. I like swag! Do all that early, probably over a couple of days, otherwise its not fun, it’s a slot. Othe company’s have good promos, too.
It’s a great place to sell DND minis.
Talk to strangers at lunch. Really, just strike up a conversation. I met some chick who was, if I remember correctly, a park ranger and published really niche games. It’s just fun to talk to people.
The party’s aren’t much fun, although I suspect some of the receptions are. I don’t find the “what’s new” industry panels to be that interesting. The writing/publishing panels are the same as everywhere.
Do get sleep and drink lots of water.
Watch the costumes.