Gen Con: Finally Got An '18 On The 51st Try

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Traditional Games > Gen Con: Finally Got An '18 On The 51st Try

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

It is that time of year again!

What time?

The time within BASICALLY ANY NUMBER OF MONTHS OF

code:

                                                                                           
  ,ad8888ba,   88888888888  888b      88        ,ad8888ba,     ,ad8888ba,    888b      88  
 d8"'    `"8b  88           8888b     88       d8"'    `"8b   d8"'    `"8b   8888b     88  
d8'            88           88 `8b    88      d8'            d8'        `8b  88 `8b    88  
88             88aaaaa      88  `8b   88      88             88          88  88  `8b   88  
88      88888  88"""""      88   `8b  88      88             88          88  88   `8b  88  
Y8,        88  88           88    `8b 88      Y8,            Y8,        ,8P  88    `8b 88  
 Y8a.    .a88  88           88     `8888       Y8a.    .a8P   Y8a.    .a8P   88     `8888  
  `"Y88888P"   88888888888  88      `888        `"Y8888Y"'     `"Y8888Y"'    88      `888

Better known as
AUGUST ~2, 3, 4, AND 5, 2018
THE BEST ~~FOUR~~FIVE OR SIX DAYS IN ~~GAMING~~LITERALLY THE ENTIRE CALENDAR YEAR

Whether you are into boardgames, role-playing games, collectible trading card games, collectible deck-building games, uncollectable sorrow, the biggest room full of nerdy things to buy you will ever see, kosupure, vidja, terrible Apples to Apples knockoffs, foam weapon jousting, playing D&D in a football stadium, live-action dungeon-crawl-pretending, infinite food, tiny metal figurines, the animes, fursuits or whatever, human skulls, or just into THE BEST AUCTION IN THE UNIVERSE, you will have an amazing time at Gen-Con.

Whether you HATE THE IDEA OF TOUCHING OTHER PEOPLE or ARE LITERALLY EMPLOYED AS A PEOPLE-TOUCHER, you will have an amazing time at Gen-Con.

That right one is my favorite picture of Frank Mentzer ever

Gen Con Indy posted:

A consumer and trade experience dedicated to gaming culture and community. Gen Con Indy is the largest annual consumer fantasy, electronic, sci-fi, adventure and hobby game convention in North America. Each year gaming enthusiasts converge to share their love for all things gaming, from tournaments to guest appearances, exhibit hall booths to electronic games, workshops, seminars, anime, art shows, auctions and countless other activities.

Q. WHEN IS IT?
A. Officially, August 2 - 5, 2018.

Events formally start Wednesday night in a very small number (I believe they cannot be paid events and are mostly just formalized gatherings) and then Thursday morning at 8 A.M. ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE and events run constantly until Sunday afternoon at 6 P.M. Or maybe it is only 5, but I feel like some things start at 4 and go 2 hours. Whatever, you will have lost the will to live by Sunday morning anyway.

Fellis posted:

Feb ~~20th~~ is when you find out your spot in the housing line! Feb 21stELEVENTH, FELLIS, C'MON MAN is housing lottery day!

Let us give thanks that the event charts no longer look like this:

Android thing for maps and events and stuff: THE UNOFFICIAL GEN CON APP

Q. HOW DO I GET THERE?
A. Trains? Planes? Automobiles? Not the bus, though. Oh man. Never the bus. Well, O.K., bus if you must.

The Indianapolis airport is getting better every year (trust me, I have been watching this issue--particularly now that I am trying and thus far failing to move there), and the shuttle to downtown is (supposedly?) pretty good, if you wanted to stay at an airport hotel and roll that way, which would probably remain a viable choice up until right before the convention. Probably.

Also our official GroupMe room can sometimes help to find lodging or travel options:

Lawen posted:

Go here to download the app for your iOS/Android/Windows Phone.

Make an account.

Click here to join the GenGoons group!

I can put whatever the hell I want here lolol

Q. SHOULD I BRING ANYTHING?
A.

Cash! Some vendors, and of particular note the Auction/Auction Store, offer discounts for paying in cash, so even though it is not a necessity like it used to be before mobile card readers were everywhere, it is still a good idea
Dice
Chargers for what ails ya (phone, laptop, tablet, tableau, plateau, mesa)
Batteries, failing to remember your chargers
iGizmos/Cameras/Phones/Whatever
Googies (my Mom's aphasiac word for "snacks to eat on the go")
Hand sanitizer FOR EMERGENCIES
Notepads(tm) (hey, I take notes on my phone too, but sometimes paper comes up in gaming)
Pens/pencils
Black AND Silver(!) Sharpies for autographs on light or dark surfaces(!!!)
YOUR MEDICINE/PAINKILLERS/BANDAGES/INSULIN/TESTOSTERONE/GOLD-PRESSED LATINUM
Probably some insoles or gel inserts or foam blocks to walk on or whatever
Collapsible/lightweight water bottle with flavored beverage pouches
Gum!
Splenda, mayonnaise, and hot sauce packets: The Condiment Trifecta
TRAVEL CUTLERY KIT!!!!!
Suggested Road Food For Travellers On Facebook Page: Quest Nutrition Quest Bars(tm[tm])

Q. WHY DO I WANT TO GO?
A. Because... well first off if none of what has already been said interests you then I LITERALLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY OR HOW, but furthermore, Gen-Con is somehow even more than the sum of its parts, and its parts are so amazing on their own that they are sufficient on their own to draw a crowd as well. But some sort of magical exponential joy-growth occurs within a 1-mile radius of downtown Indianapolis during Gen-Con, and it is like everyone everywhere has a good time no matter how hard they try to be unhappy (and we know some nerds do try very hard).

What I am saying is, even as someone who is pretty happy most of the time, I am never otherwise so excited for an extended period as when at Gen-Con.

Actually Indianapolis' Cat Caf� but you could go to this during Gen-Con if you like, though Captain Rat and I cheated and went on the Monday before last year

Q. WHAT IS FOOD
A. PLACES EVERYONE SEEMS TO SUGGEST YOU EAT IN THE AREA:

Firstly, a map showing all the places to eat close to the Convention center. The closest food to the convention itself is likely in the form of food trucks on Georgia Street (right outside the uhh East entrance I think). I have heard basically only good things about all of those trucks though I have not tried them myself yet.

The Ram (brewpub with gamer-themed menu, albeit one that has been slacking off in recent years due to...)
Scotty's Brewhouse (...the old manager at the Ram moving here and taking his gamer-enthusiasm with him)
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, though Lawen would kill me if I did not mention St. Elmo Steakhouse in the same breath
And speaking of St. Elmo, after 2015, Harry & Izzy's actually became my favorite place to eat in Indianapolis, because as Mudcrab Merchant points out, it is basically the food from St. Elmo (connected next door) but at a fraction of the price.
First Watch (I have not been there but apparently it has the FRESHEST INGREDIENTS despite being a chain)
Patachou (closes at like 3 P.M., but legitimately amazing quality breakfast/lunch)
STEAK 'N' SHAKE BECAUSE I AM FROM NORMAL, ILLINOIS AND I WILL BE PROUD OF OUR HOMETOWN CREATION UNTIL THE DAY I DIE
! ~~Haveli is the most commonly Goon-recommended Indian place. Certainly it is good, and they apparently have a lunch buffet, if you are some sort of "lunch-eater."~~MUTHAFUKKIN R.I.P.
Prime 47, if you want to go a little farther for some food you also cannot afford. I remember going here with my then-girlfriend once and it was very good, but we also felt strange eating somewhere so fancy while wearing Hawaiian shirts.
And Yard House is heartily recommended by RADIO FREE WALRUS
Thanks to CellBlock, we now know that
CellBlock posted:
there is a Primanti Bros. in Indianapolis now. If you like big sandwiches with french fries on them, that's a good place
, conveniently located in the Circle Centre Mall (also known as "the thing that you always walk past near the Convention Center but quite possibly have never gone into that has the movie theater")
PLUS apparently Caf� Patachou has opened a pizzeria called Napolese Pizzeria which is also seemingly in the Circle Center Mall so I need to eat there RIGHT NOW
AND WOW the Circle Center Mall hits just keep on coming!!!
Conan the Librarian posted:
Also, I'm not sure how this wasn't mentioned earlier in the food section but I've had a wonderful time at Pearings Cafe for great breakfast crepes and coffee each morning of the con.

If you are one of the 1% of attendees able to walk under her/his own power, here are some of the best Indianapolis restaurants that are still technically walkable but are probably like a mile away or so:

Milktooth, suggested by DJFooBoo as the "head chef is a James Beard award winner who focuses on breakfast/brunch. Holy poo poo you should eat there dumbass!" Thanks ;(
MacNivens for Great Scotch Eggs!
Mesh on Mass is "spectacular" THAT IS ALL I KNOW
Not gonna lie, I have wanted to go to The Rathskeller ever since Gen-Con first moved, as it somehow got talked up as the single place you absolutely must go that was not close to the convention. Needless to say I have therefore never gone, but I DO love me some good German food.
Bazbeaux for pizza
Bakersfield for tacos...!??
Bru Burger for ... burgers
Bluebeard sounds like a pretty amazing place with a constantly-changing menu
Union 50 sounds delicious though it has LIVE MUSIC so BEWARE
Shapiro's Delicatessen made a list of the best 25 restaurants in Indianapolis so just go there already
Long's Bakery for THE BEST DONUTS APPARENTLY
Maxine's Chicken and Waffles is, according to Elephant Ambush, the best breakfast.
Fogo De Chao to gorge on unlimited top-notch steak and other meaty gubbins
Lawen posted:
Punch Bowl Social - I stumbled (literally) across this place last year and it was a high point of the trip. It's a big, nice bar at the other end of Georgia St near the basketball arena. It had good food and very good cocktails and is the only place in Indy I've found where I can do shots of Fernet-Branca. It also has 8 bowling lanes, 3 dart boards, 2 ping-pong tables, 2 bocce ball courts, 3 private karaoke rooms, a retro arcade, corn hole, a giant Scrabble game, and plenty of table space for board gaming. Best of all, it was completely loving empty last year -- they'd only opened a few months earlier and no one seemed to know about it. I apparently got drunkenly, annoyingly effusive about it in GroupMe and people were mean to me but don't hold that against Punch Bowl. I'm definitely planning to go back this year and imo it'd be a great venue for Shot Wednesday assuming nerd trivia is still dead.

camoseven posted:

GENERAL INDY BEER INFO
I would like some more information about places to eat and drink in Indianapolis, please. Well, aren't you a needy little poo poo! Luckily for you I made a list of places I like (and some I avoid) in the downtown Indy area! CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THIS UGLY LIST THAT I SPENT WAY TOO MUCH TIME ON! I was going to make a map, too, but . I also killed two birds with one stone and threw some things in there for my family, so just ignore any references to my mom's place or whatever.

Here is VISIT INDY'S list of all its restaurants that have appeared on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (a show on the Food Network here in The America). Oh and looking at the list in 2017 it appears they added/I never noticed the places featured on Man vs. Food, Eat Street, Top 5 Restaurants, and The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Repeat offenders from Goon recommendations on these these lists: St. Elmo Steakhouse and Milktooth. Guess those two really are awesome.

And here we have VISIT INDY's list of its TOP 25 LOCAL RESTAURANTS! Several Gen-Con/this post favorites show up, including Caf� Patachou, Scotty's Brewhouse, Bazbeaux, and St. Elmo.

Q. DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER GENERIC TIPS FOR ME
A. YES AND YES I DID STEAL THE IDEA FOR THIS SECTION FROM 2016'S EXCELLENT COMIC CON THREAD

Oh but first LuiCypher wrote a GUIDE

LuiCypher posted:

Ugh. I don't know what compelled me to do this, but here's the quintessential GenCon Housing Guide based upon both my experiences and those of other goons in this thread for TYOOL 2017. Let me know if you think I missed anything major.

If you are not in good enough shape to be on your feet for hours a day and to walk about a dozen miles over the course of several days, you might want to get on that. For reasons entirely unrelated to the convention, generally, but in this case specifically for the convention.
The Comic Con thread suggests the 6/2/1 rule, though I prefer the 5/3/1 rule, but the idea is the same: Sleep at least 5/6 hours, eat 2/3 meals, and take 1 shower every day. Honestly, if you can handle going a long time without eating, I suggest taking advantage of your hotel's free breakfast buffet (you should stay at a hotel with a free breakfast buffet) and stuffing yourself silly and then trying to make it until dinner time, since nearby businesses are often packed during lunchtime and ending up missing two quality hours of the exhibit hall just to eat a sandwich seems like a bad deal to me. And yes, this is often called the "3/2/1" rule, but seriously, I have never seen anyone consistently sleep ~3 hours a night and not end up literally passing out AT THE GAMING TABLE by day three.
Favor messenger bags over backpacks, and even backpacks over rolling suitcases (from both usefulness and not-injuring-others perspectives). You could probably favor fanny packs over messenger bags if you were that comfortable looking ... ...... not much different than the others around you.
Due to the average level of social capability at any gaming convention, Goons have traditionally proven to be excellent choices for hangout-buddies here; I will reserve the second post for lists of Goon-run events (both formal and informal) and other such meeting-up-portunities (since last year I did a bad job helping coordinate that).
Oh if you are into this kind of thing here are the relevant links: Gen Con Official Twitterrrrrr, Gen Con Indy Official FAAaaAAaacebOoOOOK, Wizards of the Coast's Gen-Con Retrospective Page
Oh neat and they also have a Jon Peterson-authored timeline of important Dungeons & Dragons events; this is pretty Gen-Con-related
Slandible posted:
E>> One other thing I would suggest I didn't see in the OP, is dressing in layers. I know it's the middle of summer and you're going to be packed into the center like cattle, but by around 8 pm, a large amount of people start leaving. And by close to midnight, all the AC units in the place turn it into a giant meat locker. I froze my rear end off the first night.

Here we have Dave Megarry, creator of Dungeon!, running his original copy on the table he designed it on: Dave Arneson's Ping-Pong Table. I single-handedly pushed this table through the entirety of the Convention Center, from the parking lot under the J.W. Marriott to the Lucas Oil Arena. It took like 30 minutes. YOU ARE WELCOME

-=`*~ FINAL NOTES ~*'=-
THEY SOLD OUT LAST YEAR SO YOU (PROBABLY) DO ACTUALLY NEED TO GET A BADGE SOONER THAN LATER

(Or get into the volunteering scene, lots of last-minute opportunities to attend that way)

As one last thing if you want to entertain yourself in a Gen-Con fashion, you can peruse Alan DeSmet's awesome page of last year's events to get an idea of what else you might find.

_{I cannot believe nobody questioned me claiming that Gary Gygax's gaming setup from Gary Con belonged in this post}

As always...

SEE. YOU. THERE.

(Thanks Nesbit37)

(Thanks Bottom Liner)

Dr. Quarex fucked around with this message at 16:55 on May 8, 2018

# ¿ Jan 25, 2018 02:04

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 10, 2024 17:04

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Reserved, as always, for a post that will probably never actually be made.

Nah who knows man, 2018 is a year full of nerdy possibilities

Edit: Greetings from 2019 thread research

Dr. Quarex fucked around with this message at 04:09 on Jan 25, 2019

# ¿ Jan 25, 2018 02:04

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

djfooboo posted:

Bonus points! If you go to the Cat Cafe there are some of the great food options nearby like Kuma's Corner.

We did go to Kumar's ... Kuma's Corner, possibly even for dinner after the Cat Caf� (not sure...Cap'n? MODS???). I could not believe how good my burger was. AS EXPECTED.

Fellis posted:

E:holy poo poo good title my man

Thank you kind Fellis! Every year when it is almost time to post the thread I quickly send TORRENT a message with a basic idea, then he sends me back a significant improvement on that idea, and then I say something else related in response and he says "oh, I like that!" and then we e-make out and voil�! the thread has a title.

In other news, I think I edited in all the important suggestions for the original post so far.

# ¿ Jan 26, 2018 01:36

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Done and done

And oh yeah, I knew I forgot something

GEN-CON!!!!!!!!

# ¿ Jan 26, 2018 02:00

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

RED ALERT

Edit: Most recent review is from November, no wonder we had not heard anything, THEY JUST DIED MAN

# ¿ Jan 26, 2018 05:35

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Their webpage is still up??? COULD IT BE A PRANK??? yeah probably not

# ¿ Jan 26, 2018 05:40

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Fellis posted:

I dont think we met at PAXUP!!

Oh wow, did Ilor and BlackIronHeart really only stop by the Goon area that one brief time you were not there?!? I swear all three of you were there briefly either during that uh ... that one game ... where you are tiny weird underground people gathering resources from mines, or when we were watching the currency-trading game in pure horror

Xotl posted:

Holy hell after 25 years of wanting to go to this thing I'm finally doing it. Is there any kind of goon meetup for this? I know everyone will often be doing their own thing (I'll probably be spending half the con at the Battletech booth), but there seems to be some sort of community approach here and I'm curious.

Wow I am pretty stoked on your behalf, my fellow Goonerd.

And, oh, are there ever Goon meetups. Back like six years ago it was virtually impossible to actually get Goons together there, but thanks to the rise of GroupMe I would say not a single day goes by without at least one big coordinated something-or-other. Even Wednesday thanks to ... "SHOT WEDNESDAY"

It seems like most of the people in these threads are primarily into boardgaming (and drinking) but I also imagine Battletech has a strong following. Me personally, I am generally either auctioneering or otherwise hanging out at the Auction and like to flit in and out of other group gatherings to remind myself that I can talk to other hu-mans

# ¿ Jan 27, 2018 18:05

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

nesbit37 posted:

I wish Gen Con's event registration went as smoothly as Gary Con's did today. I mean, the convention is 1/60th the size but still.

I believe part of why Gary Con's registration goes so well is because people feel bad about being mean to Caroline.

O.K. I guess I have no idea if she is involved in event registration but I remember her being all over the place on the Facebook group when I still paid attention

# ¿ Jan 27, 2018 20:11

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

I am rarely impressed by anything anymore, but that does it. :confuoot:

What hotel did you find that will go that far in advance? Or is it just a matter of calling and being convincing enough? Haha. OR IS THIS A TRADE SECRET

The only way I have amped up my fandom for this 2018 cycle is by beginning to apply for jobs in Indianapolis, but that is a nice side effect of other things happening rather than being just for The G-C.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2018 02:20

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Thread gets even better when viewed through that stickied "what the hell is this and why does it turn the Forums sexy" stickied GBS thread link

# ¿ Feb 8, 2018 05:51

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Toshimo posted:

In related news, what's the optimal min-max hotel?

I stayed at the Hyatt Regency last year, which I've been in a few times and like, and breakfast is fairly cheap and actually pretty decent from the attached shops. Though, the parking costs made me have to pick a garage a few blocks away (which was fine, all things considered).

But, I know Goons wound up camping out a lot in the JW Marriot bar and open gaming rooms, so I'm strongly considering that.

Any strong feelings on any of the nearby hotels?

The Hyatt is pretty solid, I have to say, and is probably the connected hotel I would choose if I did not have Hilton brand loyalty to consider. The J.W. Marriott seems like the right choice for people who do not mind being a little farther away than everyone else--the hotel IS still technically attached by a skywalk, after all, and otherwise it is hella fancy and has lots of amenities from what I have seen.

But the Embassy Suites finally last year started the renovations that everyone has been clamoring for for several years, and the renovated rooms were much nicer, and the two-room structure is always a good thing for segregating your loudest snoring friend(s) and/or having some people stay up while others go to bed like pathetic "reasonable people" who "want to feel good in the morning." And I think it has the most reliably versatile free breakfast, though I do remember the Hyatt having a decent spread too.

Really all the connected hotels are great from what I have gathered, best to just live in Harry 'n' Izzy's instead of a hotel

# ¿ Feb 10, 2018 20:18

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

OB_Juan posted:

This was my only real complaint about last year. Best con I've ever been to, but drat, even the salsa was bland and a little buttery.

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT SALSA MAN WITH A SPANISH NAME wait oh it is a Star Wars pun now I am torn about your comment

There are absolutely places in the Con Zone where you should not eat if you actually enjoy the taste of flavors. But Patachou is aces, and there are plenty of other solid choices too (I can only vouch for about 1/4 of the places in the original post though), even with everyone's beloved Haveli being shut down for the crime of being too interesting.

Mods please change every other poster's nickname to Buttery Salsa

# ¿ Feb 12, 2018 16:47

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Philthy no

Philthy why would you do that to yourself

O.K. granted if you just go to Gen Con to play board games and/or wargames then I totally get it, they are functionally interchangeable for certain types of people (other than Gen Con being way more difficult to get good accommodations for, naturally).

But otherwise... GROUP HUG

# ¿ Feb 12, 2018 23:48

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Clanpot Shake posted:

I guess I did gencon wrong because that describes me and my approach to gencon last time

Gasp

I suppose that is a way to do it. I feel the ambiance is so utterly fantastic that doing anything there is automatically more fun.

Ilor posted:

No, doing GenCon wrong involves spending all of your time in the Auction rather than, you know, actually playing games.

Right, Doc?

GASP

I admit I have gone overboard with the Auction in the past. I felt like I owed it to them to actually bust my rear end when I first started volunteering. And, well, before that I sat there all the time buying things. But since I now hate material possessions and my auctioneering spot seems safe clearly I am free to do more things now!

# ¿ Feb 13, 2018 03:47

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Slandible posted:

Wait, you guys were serious about Havali. Why did it close?

I am now more upset about the tapas place closing, particularly since I probably recommended it in my original post too and now I have to sadly strike through ANOTHER amazing place

Oh apparently I did not recommend BARcelona this year for whatever reason. Maybe I somehow knew it closed.

Philthy posted:

Anyways, WotC has thrown their full support behind Origins now, and all the more wargamey tabletop stuff that I prefer is there as well. Ie. You wont find Panzer Grenadier games at Gencon and such.

This year we've decided to not focus on RPGs and will be more casual impromtu boardgames and learning new games sessions so maybe we will have a blast and just decide to keep going. But holy poo poo the popularity for cons has exploded over the past few years and even the smaller cons are getting quite big. There is just too many to go to, and Gencon is a huge fund. I think I'll have been to almost 4 cons by the end of March already. It's insane.

I suppose I had not thought about how Wizards of the Coast has abandoned Gen-Con entirely, that is definitely relevant for D&D people (the D&D swag bags from Origins were highlights of 2016 and 2017 visits, certainly).

# ¿ Feb 16, 2018 03:42

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Badge $0
Room $0
~~Flight~~
Events $0
Some 1980s MS-DOS Game At The Auction $2
Meals $4,000

# ¿ Feb 17, 2018 18:41

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

I Googled a couple of times until I got a link back to a picture I posted in the 2014 thread and thought "OOOH MAYBE IT IS THERE" and so it is.

Thanks, RocknRollaAyatollah, for posting it in 2014, so I do not need to post one of the loving copies with FAIL LOL MEANWHILE IN AMERICA scrawled on it

# ¿ Mar 7, 2018 01:42

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Parking actually seems fairly adequate from all the reports I have heard, particularly if you plan ahead and pre-buy it. It is even affordable, I think! ! !! !#$*!$

Meanwhile my dream to move to Indianapolis has died so I cannot preemptively offer my apartment to Goonz, alas. Then again I also secretly hated the idea of my annual pilgrimage becoming an annual 5 minute drive the other direction

# ¿ Mar 17, 2018 20:37

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Slandible posted:

Last year Uber rides were dirt cheap. We had a crew of 4 in a 2 mile ride was like 2 dollars.

That... is too cheap. I think now I see why the average person earns less than minimum wage driving for those companies, ha. BUT HEY, GOOD DEAL THOUGH!

Have any of you considered walking to Gen-Con from your home states

# ¿ Mar 18, 2018 02:17

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Has Gary Con threatened to overwhelm the confines of Lake Geneva forcing history to unironically repeat itself?

# ¿ Mar 28, 2018 00:22

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

nesbit37 posted:

It has. Attendance was at like 3000 this year and the hotel rooms for next year sold out in under 2 hours.

Yeah that sounds about as I figured. MAN I REMEMBER BACK WHEN GARY CON WAS oh whatever everyone knew this was going to happen, you cannot keep a cool event down

I am glad I went to Gary Con back when it was still new enough that I was assumed to be with the press solely because I was nicely-dressed and carrying a fancy camera.

# ¿ Mar 29, 2018 02:33

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

GENCONOMGGGGGGGG

# ¿ Apr 5, 2018 20:57

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

The Gen-Con update e-mail has me wondering, what do we call Pathfinder 2nd Edition? 3.875th edition?

Zeno's Paradox is going to come into play at some point if they iterate enough

# ¿ Apr 6, 2018 20:17

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

How about Gen-Con Friday

# ¿ Apr 18, 2018 01:06

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Holy poo poo they did it

Those madmen did it

They cut event listings from the physical book

Literally every single wargamer or gamer over 50 is now going to boycott

# ¿ Apr 19, 2018 01:04

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Admiral Joeslop posted:

As a second time goer, what does everyone budget for food? The hotel my girlfriend and I have this year doesn't offer free breakfast but does have room service.

I'm going with a rough estimate of:

Breakfast x5: $20~ each
Lunch x5: $20~ each
Dinner x4: $40~ each, to account for drinks and such.
Total $360~

The obvious correct answer is to stay at a hotel with free breakfast, no matter how sparse; even bagels and cream cheese and orange juice in sufficient quantity can get you a long way!

I always suggest that nobody waste their time on lunch when at Gen-Con, given that you will likely miss at least an hour of Precious Precious Afternoon Time if you do so. Which means obviously carrying a handful of granola bars and/or mixed nuts and/or the Blood of the Host or whatever you consume on "hikes"

Then be like Toshimo and spend all your saved money on Harry & Izzy's for dinner. Pricier than many things but way cheaper than St. Elmo Steakhouse which it is basically the same thing as.

nesbit37 posted:

This makes me sad, but for different reasons than those wargamers. I hope they still let me download a CSV of the entire catalog for future updates to https://www.best50yearsingaming.com

I thought of you for all the right reasons when I saw that, but yeah, I would be shocked if they did not allow that. I bet it will be better than before, even, as they will be exclusively working with a digital version. Maybe.

Trustworthy posted:

Last year, due to a weird/busy schedule, I managed to not see a single goon for the entire duration of Gen Con. I was pretty bummed. May tYoOL 2018 offer me a reversal of fortune. That is all.

YES IT WILL HAPPEN

AND WE CAN CONFIRM YOU ARE WHO I THINK YOU ARE

Clanpot Shake posted:

Is there anything for a teetotaler goon to do with goons? I went in 2016 and also didn't see any goons and most of what I saw discussed was barhopping with some games involved. Either way I'll be there. You will know me by my No Fun shirt.

I have never drank and I still have fun with these morons 9 times out of 10! Apologies for missing 2016, I thought my streak would live forever, but babies. I will be there this year though, unless I use a Limited Wish to produce a fast pregnancy or something

# ¿ Apr 20, 2018 00:07

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

No need for me to endlessly yammer about the Auction, but, yes. Yes. Oh, I love it so. Plus I get to find out this year how much behind-the-scenes politicking goes into auctioneer selection; apparently someone was upset last year when they put me and Josh on for most of the Charity Auction (and needless to say, nobody could be mad about Josh being on stage, so it had to be about me), but hey, results speak for themselves (also whatever, if I get to be on stage during T.O.V.A. I am pretty much happy no matter what else happens)

As always I will be sure to post the schedules here and on the GroupMe as soon as I know them; they threatened last year to actually have the schedules finalized before the show begins, so that would be nice.

# ¿ Apr 20, 2018 17:10

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Ah, finally, back to a non-50th-Gen-Con, and me looking at the event list and being like "...mehhhhhhhhh" (not that Dungeons & Dragons & Diners & Drive-Ins & Dives will not be amazing, it is just that like most events it will overlap too much with something I want to see at the Auction)

nesbit37 posted:

Do you know if Frank is coming back to the auction this year, Quarex? He hasn't had much luck with cons since his major social media and suave old man fail last year.

Oh huh, I forgot about that whole debacle since I mostly left social media right around the time it was going down.

He did say he was not retiring like Tim, but that he was not planning on being quite as active as he had been. Probably will still do the Cr�me de la Cr�me Auction and maybe some of the Charity Auction.

I also find it funny that Frank Mentzer may be the one person who ever tried to get a big tabletop supplement going whose problem was that he planned it out too well. Too well other than knowing how much people would donate anyway.

Also I love the spreadsheet but GroupMe IN THEORY should be just as good if everyone actually uses it.

# ¿ Apr 26, 2018 03:12

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Pollyanna posted:

Oh well, I hadn�t signed up for any interesting events and I don�t really have a plan for it this year. Maybe next year I�ll bum off of my friend�s apartment in exchange for food and car

Good, you are going!!!

Let this be a reminder that THEY ARE NOT SOLD OUT and PROBABLY WILL NOT UNTIL JULY LIKE LAST YEAR! WOOO! Though you should still all get your badges now.

I say, having as usual not had a badge in time for event registration. But that is different, I have to wait for my volunteer badge to be thrown at me, and I cannot possibly be bothered to buy a fake badge and then return it later just to get in the event queue madness

In other news, GEN-CONNNNNNNNNNNnnnnnnnnn

# ¿ May 8, 2018 03:18

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Conan the Librarian posted:

Hi fellow goons, I'm not sure how I missed this thread until now as I've been going to Gencon for 4-5 years now, flying out from California each time.

Also, I'm not sure how this wasn't mentioned earlier in the food section but I've had a wonderful time at Pearings Cafe for great breakfast crepes and coffee each morning of the con.

It looks like I'll need to seek out the goon gathering on Wednesday night as I usually go with a party of teetotalers and responsible drinkers.

WELCOME TO THE THREAD, PAL

Also thank you for the Pearings Cafe recommendation; considering how close it is I am shocked I have never heard anyone else talk about it.

Oh and as one of our official Goon Teetotalers clearly I should switch places with you for your party

Helpful re-posting of our Official GroupMe instructions if you dare:

Lawen posted:

Go here to download the app for your iOS/Android/Windows Phone.

Make an account.

Click here to join the GenGoons group!

# ¿ May 8, 2018 16:51

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Fellis posted:

I mean if I had the charisma, brand awareness, and willingness to whore myself AND my family�s interactions for money, I would milk that cow dry also.

I�m more surprised at the staying power, they�ve been doing it for like 5 years or something right? And afaik they don�t have any disgusting personal or political opinions/actions on the record, pretty impressive.

Although I assume that last bit will be corrected shortly.

Thank you for helping me remember to look up Milkshake Duck

I have a work buddy (who is a Goon and I apologize if he sees this) who never shuts up about these dudes and goes to their convention every year... though ... yeah now that I think about it he is just like me in every way except replace Gygax with McElroy

# ¿ May 9, 2018 18:58

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

I just read about Critical Role for the first time in this thread and then suddenly I get the message about Pillars of Eternity II getting day-one Critical Role-themed voice packs and portraits and I wonder why I have been so accursed this day

# ¿ May 10, 2018 03:12

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Slimy Hog posted:

You should be making shoes not games. HARD PASS.

Nesbit37 last name be like

# ¿ May 14, 2018 18:05

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

SirPhoebos posted:

What's the site for registering stuff for the auction?

http://livegameauctions.com/PreRegSite/ though the main site seems to still be reading like last year. But the dates in the pre-registration section are right.

nesbit37 posted:

My last name did that the first time someone asked me to make them a pair of shoes in kindergarten.

Ah yes, when you learned you had the power to mystically turn people into socks, in a cruel twist of fate.

# ¿ May 14, 2018 20:53

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

OgreNoah posted:

I know it's a bit over 2 months out, but I'm so loving excited already. And I have Origins to go to before this!

YESSSSSSS

We should organize monthly Gen-Con re-enactments like those Civil War people

Which basically means we rent out a giant space and walk around acting star-struck and then get drunk and/or pass out face-down from the mere exertion of walking

nesbit37 posted:

Who else is going to Origins? I'll be there showing off Bee Lives and giving interviews. I have like 4 or 5 booked now and just want to do MORE!

For the third year in a row I am going to say I cannot possibly imagine how I would end up there and hope that Life Finds A Way once more to get me there despite not thinking I am able to go and not even really wanting to go

# ¿ May 24, 2018 14:39

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Yeah I basically could not be happier about this, guaranteed to produce at least a modest drop in attendance from the kinds of gamers that kept women from being comfortable being gamers in the first place.

I really wish I could understand how the same people can hold the "lol u triggered snowflake get over it" and "how dare you acknowledge feminism I am so offended I am skipping the world's best event as a result" viewpoints simultaneously. Yes I know, cognitive dissonance, but it is still sad.

# ¿ Jun 1, 2018 01:23

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

RocknRollaAyatollah posted:

This is true. Wasn't there an uproar from these types over cosplay is not consent?

Yes, which pretty much says it all

But considering that self-evident statement led to a brief argument with my Only Conservative Friend(tm), I also want to share the story of how I actually made a difference in the world

I dropped "but OCF, cosplay is not consent" into a discussion loosely about cosplay, and he instantly bristled at it and started into a rant about how it is bullshit that women wear outfits like that if they do not want men to look at them and I was like "no, I need to stop you right there--believe it or not, you are not really the problem, as it is the guys who take upskirt shots and grab women and/or proposition them and stuff that we are talking about" and he was genuinely taken aback to learn that his own lascivious behavior basically did not even register on the scale of the issue being addressed.

So for the first time in recorded history I intentionally had a politicized discussion with someone with very different views, and it went well! Wow!

# ¿ Jun 2, 2018 04:59

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Well literally just looking is not the problem, and I have been around him long enough to know that he really does just look, and/or if he wants a picture he asks to take one. But yes leering at women does always directly accompany the kinds of problems we are seeking to prevent.

I mean this is really why I said something, because I wanted him to think more about the infinite spectrum of harassment even if his first instinct was to side with them.

Hey there is a reason I only have one conservative friend, it takes a lot of my mental energy just figuring out how I can have conversations with him about things like this

Edit: I apologize as this is now two posts in a row where I did not get excited about Gen-Con

JNKNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dr. Quarex fucked around with this message at 18:15 on Jun 2, 2018

# ¿ Jun 2, 2018 18:00

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

enigmahfc posted:

Why invite Big Bird?
I have been puzzling over the decision to invite Big Bird as a guest of honor. Do they have a hand in designing a game that I am unaware of? Do they have industry experience with tabletop gaming? Right now all I can think of is they have "star power" but I would hope the reason for making her the guest of honor goes beyond that. Could someone with more experience with her work than me please explain why Big Bird is the Guest of honor?

This is so loving good that I want everyone to see it

Anyone who is opposed to her who does not understand how utterly this puts them in their place w-- ...all of them, right, true, why do we bother

Elephant Ambush posted:

LOL I'm going to the Anita Sarkeesian thing when it's announced. gently caress yeah. I hope there are smelly chuds "protesting" so I can make fun of them.

Same, it will probably be the only thing I actually bother to get a ticket for

And since Gen-Con sells out now, just think: anyone who angrily cancels their badge in protest will literally be replaced at the convention by someone who is not awful

# ¿ Jun 5, 2018 18:23

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ May 10, 2024 17:04

Dr. Quarex: Apr 18, 2003; I'M A BIG DORK WHO POSTS TOO MUCH ABOUT CONVENTIONS LOOK AT THIS

TOVA TOVA TOVA

Funzo posted:

Some friends and I are looking at going to Origins next year instead of Gen Con just because it's much cheaper to go. It's just on the edge of driving range though, to the point where it might be easier to just fly in.

This is a mistake

It is also cheaper and easier to get a cheeseburger at McDonald's than to grill one yourself in just the style you like, but you should not do that if you can only eat one burger a year.

I even sort of kind of enjoy going to Origins, but I would never recommend anyone for any reason attend it INSTEAD of Gen-Con.

Uroboros posted:

I am curious if any other goons have advice on their experience hauling their families to GenCon, and how we can better prepare in the future.

I ain't dun broughten no babbys yet, but my wife and I have discussed the logistics of the inevitable day when Neo-Quarex wants to attend, and I mean, maybe this is too obvious an advice piece, but try to make everything as manageably-long as possible. My buddy who did bring his uh I think 6-and-10-year-olds made the mistake of going to town early so they could do some Indianapolis sightseeing stuff before the convention started, but that just meant by day two of Gen-Con they were ready to go home.

It also helps generally of course if you assume each of you will watch l'child alone at least once a day so the other one can have an event sans childe. Though if you want to do events with Tiny Thing then that does get trickier.

Haystack posted:

🚧 GENCON FREEWAY CLOSURE WARNING! 🚧

CHICAGO: If you are driving down from Chicago, or staying on the north west side of town there will most likely be big detours and probably delays.

For the record, this is actually what broke the tie of whether Captain Rat and I were getting to town Monday night or Tuesday afternoon; we imagined whatever traffic would be, it would be better at like 9 P.M. than 1 P.M. Probably. I hope.

# ¿ Jul 26, 2018 17:09

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Traditional Games > Gen Con: Finally Got An '18 On The 51st Try

«‹›2 »