Favorite Cons? - Page 2

C. J. Burke · 07-17-2007, 06:05 PM

MIB 9966, I actually used to do the filk at Lunacon, mostly drifting in and out and hanging around late at night. I kind of stopped when it got a little too ... I don't know, "organized"? ... for me. I also realized that it was starting to fill up with more in-jokes that I was never going to get.

I go try to play at least one game each year. The funny thing is that I usually wind up playing with the same guys I show up with. Maybe if I played with other folks, a 2-hour game might only run 2 hours instead of four. I usually feel like I'm missing out on stuff when I'm sitting in that room all day. (Now, nighttime, that's a different story!)

smgray1 · 07-18-2007, 08:28 AM

My favorite used to be GenCon, not just for the gaming and vendor areas, but also for the great humor that the gaming public provides for people watchers.

Since it moved to Indy I have had no interest in attending. Indy blows as a destination generally, and it's a really boring six hour car ride that really adds two days to the trip. I think Wisconsin was a much better venue.

I now try to attend local conventions that allow for minimal travel expenses. For us it is Little Wars in Lincolnshire, IL in April and RockCon in Rockford, IL in November.

FunkyBlue · 07-21-2007, 11:29 AM

Liked Origins this year, ended up doing a lot of stuff I don't normally do when I go. The worst part was I missed Evil Stevie's Pirate game becuase I came down with some kind of super-flu (I'm assuming from other con-goers). Lasted four days. At least I got to go on Thursday and Friday. Found a lot of great stuff at Z-man games (got half off from the teacher's hall pass).

Needed one more ribbon to complete my Mayfair ribbons... Wanted to buy Catan: Struggle For Rome for 50% off, too...

Looks like I'm going to try Gen Con on Saturday. Haven't been there, but a buddy of mine is coming in from out of town and he wants to go while he's here and doesn't want to do it alone. I'm game.

FunkyBlue · 07-21-2007, 11:32 AM

Oh, and I thought it was bad taste of Wizkids to have such a poor booth showing. Some people said it was the cost issue, but if they had a booth space, they paid for it. To just put a glass display case out there and a 3-d Clix map was a poor showing. A lot of people were ready to drop $200.00 each for a FinFangFoom and the other con exclusive and were upset when they got into the vendor hall at 10:00 and found the empty area with a sign.

FunkyBlue · 07-21-2007, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smgray1

My favorite used to be GenCon, not just for the gaming and vendor areas, but also for the great humor that the gaming public provides for people watchers.

Since it moved to Indy I have had no interest in attending. Indy blows as a destination generally, and it's a really boring six hour car ride that really adds two days to the trip. I think Wisconsin was a much better venue.

I now try to attend local conventions that allow for minimal travel expenses. For us it is Little Wars in Lincolnshire, IL in April and RockCon in Rockford, IL in November.

I was actually dissapointed that the cloud of armpits and ass wasn't lingering around the information booth like it has in years past at Origins. it was fun when my wife met us there for dinner one night last year. I was on the phone with her and she stopped in mid sentence coming down the escalator and said "Oh my god... What the hell IS that?"

A note we discovered for next year for food: The North Market. it's a half block from the front doors of the convention center, has a ton of good food and cheaper than the food court. Plus, a much cheaper parking garage is right there. Been to North Market a couple times, but always came up from the back. Had no idea it was that close to the convention center.

MIB 9966 · 07-23-2007, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C. J. Burke

I go try to play at least one game each year. The funny thing is that I usually wind up playing with the same guys I show up with. Maybe if I played with other folks, a 2-hour game might only run 2 hours instead of four. I usually feel like I'm missing out on stuff when I'm sitting in that room all day. (Now, nighttime, that's a different story!)

Well, there are also other factors that you can't expect. Such as finding out that 10 players for a Munchkin game have shown up on Friday evening and only having one prize to offer (I'll fix that next year!) should help cut down the 4 hour game that should have ended faster.....

Since you're at a con with people you don't know, why not game with them instead of the crew you likely already play with outside of it? You're paying to be at the con anyway, so take advantage of that instead of playing with the people you could do that for the other 51 weeks out of the year? :) I've also been helping to fill out the convention's game library, and most take about an hour or two to play, so if you are awake, midnight games can be fun and won't interfere with the major scheduled events.

FunkyBlue · 07-23-2007, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MIB 9966

Since you're at a con with people you don't know, why not game with them instead of the crew you likely already play with outside of it? You're paying to be at the con anyway, so take advantage of that instead of playing with the people you could do that for the other 51 weeks out of the year? :)

Well, depending on the game, I've played with some complete a-hole strangers but also met some really great people, so it's a crap shoot. At least with your friends, you an try out games and get good feedback about what to buy and play for the last 51 weeks of the year. And you can call them for being a dink if they get that way. :)

RevBob · 08-01-2007, 09:02 PM

Well, I mentioned LibertyCon earlier. Number 20 was this last weekend, and aside from my MIB duties in the game room, I had some other staff duties before and during the con. As it turned out, some of these wound up having an SJG connection. In the first two cases, I took photos of the authors with the book in question, with the intention of posting them, but the memory card got munged due to a battery issue. Anyway....

David Weber (20th Anniversary Guest): Not only was he interested to find that he was mentioned four times in GURPS Space for Fourth Edition, but he related a rather amusing tale of the night he sat in as an NPC in a GURPS game involving Roger Zelazny and George R.R. Martin. Upon hearing that he used to game (and GM) and misses not having the chance to do so anymore, I made it a point to give him one of the partial Clerical Errors decks I received as prize support. As I explained when giving it to him, he might not be able to make time to play, but he should at least get some laughs just from looking through the cards. The same goes for the bookmarks I passed along when he signed some of my books later....

Timothy Zahn (Master of Ceremonies): He was a bit surprised to see his name in the GURPS Space index, and mentioned playing Ninja Burger with his college-age son. I made sure to pass along one of my partial Munchkin Fu decks and both of the Star Munchkin bookmarks, but I was out of Ninja Burger bookmarks. (Seriously, if anyone should have a Clowntrooper bookmark, it's Tim Zahn!) He did his part to surprise me by helping me break down the pegboard panels in the art show on Sunday, and in fact we had a nice conversation after the Dead Dog party later. If you ever get a chance to attend a con with him, I highly recommend it; he and his wife are both incredibly nice folks.

Eric Flint (Attending Pro): He had no idea that his 1632 series was mentioned in the GURPS Alternate Worlds bibliography, let alone as a key work in the field of alternate history, but he seemed pleased by the discovery.

Michael Z. Williamson (Attending Pro): Mike's a fun guy with a couple of young kids - about eight or nine, I guess - and a wickedly wrong sense of humor. As I was helping him unpack his many Sharp Pointy Things and his almost-as-many Big Shooty Things on Thursday, I asked if his kids were into dinosaurs. When he responded that they are, I gave him a Dino Hunt set - one of my spare "black border" starter decks with the requisite accessories, plus a second deck assembled from spares. He mentioned later that they'd gotten into the game and appeared to enjoy it.

Add about 22 hours of gaming, and it's still just the tip of the iceberg. Man, I love this con!

Skunk · 08-01-2007, 11:21 PM

Were his kids the ones playing Quake 3 in the lan room? If so they're really good. They talk a lot of trash too.

I liked Mike, but he couldn't help me find sharp pointy-hold on, something exploded in my house. Okay, I'm back-thing I was looking for which was a millato switchblade (illegal in most states) and a wood handle butterfly knife (which is hard to find).

I hardly met the other guests.

You sir were the highlight of Liberty for me. I can't wait for Hallowcon. Wish Evil Ted was released before then.

C. J. Burke · 08-02-2007, 06:26 AM

Playing with strangers can be a crap-shoot but it can be fun. Granted, the last two times that I played without anyone I knew was back when Frag was still being demo'd (or was it being playtested??). And I interested someone into playing Button Men once. Quick learner, he beat me the second game.

I'll try another midnight game next year. I do recall walking in a couple of years ago at Lunacon and helping someone shuffle massive amounts of cards for a massive Munchkin Blender game (I own Munchkin, but have actually never played), and by the time they were ready to start I realized that I'd never make it through. And once, with a different game, I started falling asleep during the setup and the explanation of the game and rules. Funny thing about that: it was my friends explaning the rules and it was about 2 in the afternoon. (must've been a good night before)

07-17-2007, 06:05 PM	#11
C. J. Burke Join Date: Aug 2004	Re: Favorite Cons? MIB 9966, I actually used to do the filk at Lunacon, mostly drifting in and out and hanging around late at night. I kind of stopped when it got a little too ... I don't know, "organized"? ... for me. I also realized that it was starting to fill up with more in-jokes that I was never going to get. I go try to play at least one game each year. The funny thing is that I usually wind up playing with the same guys I show up with. Maybe if I played with other folks, a 2-hour game might only run 2 hours instead of four. I usually feel like I'm missing out on stuff when I'm sitting in that room all day. (Now, nighttime, that's a different story!)

07-18-2007, 08:28 AM	#12
smgray1 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Lake Zurich, IL	Re: Favorite Cons? My favorite used to be GenCon, not just for the gaming and vendor areas, but also for the great humor that the gaming public provides for people watchers. Since it moved to Indy I have had no interest in attending. Indy blows as a destination generally, and it's a really boring six hour car ride that really adds two days to the trip. I think Wisconsin was a much better venue. I now try to attend local conventions that allow for minimal travel expenses. For us it is Little Wars in Lincolnshire, IL in April and RockCon in Rockford, IL in November. __________________ "If you are going to kick authority in the teeth, then you might as well use two feet." -Keith Richards

07-21-2007, 11:29 AM	#13
FunkyBlue Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Enon, OH	Re: Favorite Cons? Liked Origins this year, ended up doing a lot of stuff I don't normally do when I go. The worst part was I missed Evil Stevie's Pirate game becuase I came down with some kind of super-flu (I'm assuming from other con-goers). Lasted four days. At least I got to go on Thursday and Friday. Found a lot of great stuff at Z-man games (got half off from the teacher's hall pass). Needed one more ribbon to complete my Mayfair ribbons... Wanted to buy Catan: Struggle For Rome for 50% off, too... Looks like I'm going to try Gen Con on Saturday. Haven't been there, but a buddy of mine is coming in from out of town and he wants to go while he's here and doesn't want to do it alone. I'm game.

07-21-2007, 11:32 AM	#14
FunkyBlue Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Enon, OH	Re: Favorite Cons? Oh, and I thought it was bad taste of Wizkids to have such a poor booth showing. Some people said it was the cost issue, but if they had a booth space, they paid for it. To just put a glass display case out there and a 3-d Clix map was a poor showing. A lot of people were ready to drop $200.00 each for a FinFangFoom and the other con exclusive and were upset when they got into the vendor hall at 10:00 and found the empty area with a sign.

08-01-2007, 09:02 PM	#18
RevBob Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Here on the perimeter, there are no stars	Re: Favorite Cons? Well, I mentioned LibertyCon earlier. Number 20 was this last weekend, and aside from my MIB duties in the game room, I had some other staff duties before and during the con. As it turned out, some of these wound up having an SJG connection. In the first two cases, I took photos of the authors with the book in question, with the intention of posting them, but the memory card got munged due to a battery issue. Anyway.... David Weber (20th Anniversary Guest): Not only was he interested to find that he was mentioned four times in *GURPS Space* for Fourth Edition, but he related a rather amusing tale of the night he sat in as an NPC in a GURPS game involving Roger Zelazny and George R.R. Martin. Upon hearing that he used to game (and GM) and misses not having the chance to do so anymore, I made it a point to give him one of the partial *Clerical Errors* decks I received as prize support. As I explained when giving it to him, he might not be able to make time to play, but he should at least get some laughs just from looking through the cards. The same goes for the bookmarks I passed along when he signed some of my books later.... Timothy Zahn (Master of Ceremonies): He was a bit surprised to see his name in the *GURPS Space* index, and mentioned playing *Ninja Burger* with his college-age son. I made sure to pass along one of my partial *Munchkin Fu* decks and both of the *Star Munchkin* bookmarks, but I was out of *Ninja Burger* bookmarks. (Seriously, if anyone should have a Clowntrooper bookmark, it's Tim Zahn!) He did his part to surprise me by helping me break down the pegboard panels in the art show on Sunday, and in fact we had a nice conversation after the Dead Dog party later. If you ever get a chance to attend a con with him, I highly recommend it; he and his wife are both incredibly nice folks. Eric Flint (Attending Pro): He had no idea that his *1632* series was mentioned in the *GURPS Alternate Worlds* bibliography, let alone as a key work in the field of alternate history, but he seemed pleased by the discovery. Michael Z. Williamson (Attending Pro): Mike's a fun guy with a couple of young kids - about eight or nine, I guess - and a wickedly wrong sense of humor. As I was helping him unpack his many Sharp Pointy Things and his almost-as-many Big Shooty Things on Thursday, I asked if his kids were into dinosaurs. When he responded that they are, I gave him a Dino Hunt set - one of my spare "black border" starter decks with the requisite accessories, plus a second deck assembled from spares. He mentioned later that they'd gotten into the game and appeared to enjoy it. Add about 22 hours of gaming, and it's still just the tip of the iceberg. *Man,* I love this con! __________________ Find me at @RevBobTnJ * Goodreads Looking for a St. Aosbczkcs medal.

08-01-2007, 11:21 PM	#19
Skunk Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Well if I told you, it wouldn't be a secret would it?	Re: Favorite Cons? Were his kids the ones playing Quake 3 in the lan room? If so they're really good. They talk a lot of trash too. I liked Mike, but he couldn't help me find sharp pointy-hold on, something exploded in my house. Okay, I'm back-thing I was looking for which was a millato switchblade (illegal in most states) and a wood handle butterfly knife (which is hard to find). I hardly met the other guests. You sir were the highlight of Liberty for me. I can't wait for Hallowcon. Wish Evil Ted was released before then.

08-02-2007, 06:26 AM	#20
C. J. Burke Join Date: Aug 2004	Re: Favorite Cons? Playing with strangers can be a crap-shoot but it can be fun. Granted, the last two times that I played without anyone I knew was back when Frag was still being demo'd (or was it being playtested??). And I interested someone into playing Button Men once. Quick learner, he beat me the second game. I'll try another midnight game next year. I do recall walking in a couple of years ago at Lunacon and helping someone shuffle massive amounts of cards for a massive Munchkin Blender game (I own Munchkin, but have actually never played), and by the time they were ready to start I realized that I'd never make it through. And once, with a different game, I started falling asleep during the setup and the explanation of the game and rules. Funny thing about that: it was my friends explaning the rules and it was about 2 in the afternoon. (must've been a good night before)