How Does Indianapolis Feel About Gen Con?
You know, I lived in Indianapolis for a couple of years. I loved the city. There were plenty of resources for gamers, and the folks were, on average, just nice folks. My in-laws live in Indy, so when Gen Con moved to Indy I was stoked. It meant that, if we planned things right, I’d never have to miss another Gen Con.
You can imagine my chagrin when the infamous anti-Gen Con article appeared in the Indianapolis Monthly several years ago. What gamers failed to realize is that no one actually reads the Indianapolis Monthly except for bored, rich housewives in Carmel, IN. Still, it left the impression among many gamers that Indy hated them. (Strangely enough, that article isn’t available on the Indianapolis Monthly website any longer. Go figure.)
So, I thought it’d be interesting to see some of the news reports from Indy on Gen Con this year.
A couple things of note: 1)one article mentions that Gen Con is Indy’s biggest convention, now. 2) Several articles mention 85,000 attendees. If that’s true… HOLY CRAP. I know Gen Con was 35,000 the first year I went, when it was still in Milwaukee. That’s another 50,000 people in the last six years.
The one negative I could find was in the article from Anderson, I think, and it only talked about a conversation with one attendee who talked about gamer funk and the floor being “ripe” by the 4th day. Other than that, the article (and the rest) seemed pretty positive.
Indianapolis radio and TV coverage:
http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8852885
http://www.wibc.com/News/Story.aspx?ID=97710
From the Star News, Indy’s newspaper:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080816/LOCAL/808160486
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080814/BUSINESS/808140430/1003/BUSINESS
A blogger from the Star News had several Gen Con reports. Here’s one cool one about dice:
http://blogs.indystar.com/geek/2008/08/rolling_bones.html
From indy.com, a feature of the Star News:
http://www.indy.com/posts/10627
From the paper in Muncie, about 30 minutes north of Indy:
http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080821/ENTERTAINMENT/808210336
From the paper in Anderson, about 20 minutes north of Indy:
http://www.theheraldbulletin.com/peopleandplaces/local_story_225223410.html?keyword=topstory
What’s my point here? Well, simply that Indianapolis doesn’t hate Gen Con attendees, by any means. They might thing we’re a bit odd (lots of folks do) but they like having us, and they’re treating us fairly in their media coverage.
Are there some jerks in Indy that treat con attendees poorly? Sure. There were in Milwaukee, and there would be in Chicago or anywhere else Gen Con might go. But as a city, Indy recognizes that it’s lucky to have us.
Gearing Up for Gencon
Hi all,
Just a quick post today to let you all know I’m still alive!
I’m getting totally geeked for GenCon. We’re less than 40 days, and this year could be awesome. Out of curiosity, who all is going? Also, if you’re going, did you sign up for one of my games? Let me know in the comments on either or both of these questions.
I’m thinking about some slight changes to the catalog description, and wondering if any of you are reading the blog these days. I’m curious if it’d be worth discussing those changes here.
Look for more posts soon!
Why I am getting DnD Insider
Just now I was able to make it through The Game’s amazingly thorough play-by-play account of the 4E seminar at DDXP.
I was skimming along, trying to get the bird’s eye view, when something caught my eye.
I did a spit take.
Then, I did a double take.
After cleaning off my laptop, I read it again:
“Rules Database. Searchable online content database with realtime information- includes new books, Dragon/Dungeon content. Access all content without having all books there. D&D Insider subscription gives access to all books, not just the ones you’ve bought. ”
That can’t be right.
All of the rules from all of the books in one spot?!?
You mean I don’t need to bring every supplement with every feat on my character sheet?
I don’t have to go to Barnes & Noble and copy down monster data on the one good monster from MM IV?
Holy crap.
This is huge, folks. This will completely change the way that this game is played, and in a good way. How? Let me give you an example. The following is a conversation I had with one of my players (we will call him “Teddy” - but that’s not his name) several months back:
Teddy: Hey! I was thinking. Do you care if I take Vow of Poverty for my monk?
Me: (Not yet having Exalted Deeds) I dunno. What’s it do?
Teddy: Oh, you give up all your worldly posessions and get a couple of feats in return.
Me: Hmm. Can you read the description to me? I’d like to see it, I think.
Teddy: Sorry, I’m in the car right now. I can scan the pages in and email them to you later, if you want.
Me: Nah, that’s a lot of trouble. Don’t worry about it. Besides, this let’s me screw you on magic items, so I’m all good.
Teddy: Ha ha. (to himself, “sucker.”)
So, here’s how that conversation will go after DnD Insider:
Teddy: Hey! I was thinking. Do you care if I take Vow of Poverty for my monk?
Me: I dunno. Hang on, let me check the specs.
-waiting-
Me: Crap. My Wi-Fi’s down. What’s Vow of Poverty do?
OK, so maybe it won’t be all that. But still, it is a definite selling point for me.
4E at DDXP - SEE IT NOW
Just because I’m off messing with a new blog and haven’t had much time for D&D this week doesn’t mean you can’t get your DDXP 4E info right from the source.
Get over to Critical Hits and check it out!
4E at DDXP - Get the Down-low.
Just a quick entry this morning.
Get your asses over to critical hits NOW and tell the boys what you’d like to have them talk to the WotC designers about this weekend. Bartoneous and The Game have scored press passes for the event, and have promised to be eyes and ears for those of us stuck somewhere else.
Thank you, drive through.
Monday Morning in Iceland
Hey all!
Dang, it’s cold here. And icy.
I will admit it. I was a bit cranky last Wednesday. Maybe it was the weather. Maybe it was the vodka. Either way, I’m over it. I think I’m ready to take this gamer contract thing seriously. The Philippine Gamer has done some excellent legwork on the question, looking at the social contract from the player perspective. While I’m going to take a day or to and work up my version of the DM’s commitments, why don’t you visit Philie G. and give him your thoughts on the social contract.
On another note, I don’t know what it is, but Yax seems to send his best stuff out on Sunday and Monday. This Sunday’s quiz was on gnomes “rarrr, I’m a monster” and hobbits halflings. I scored 60% - see if you can do better.
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At any rate, I’ve spent some time thinking this weekend about the whole GenCon situation. Something occurred to me: I’ve only been going to GenCon for six years. Yeah, I’ve been DMing for more than 20, but the Con is a fairly recent thing for me. So, why am I bothered by the hint that there might be trouble with GenCon? I feel like the experience has really enhanced my gaming, and my love for the game. It also broadened my horizons. For example:
- Prior to attending GenCon, I barely noticed the release of a new edition of D&D; I was a full year late to that dance. This time around, I was aware of the new edition announcement within hours, and have spent months researching it and planning for it.
- Prior to attending GenCon, I only ever played D&D with friends. Since then, I’ve found people to play D&D with that are, essentially, acquaintances that share a love of the game. To be sure, they almost always become friends, but this is a reversal - I used to have to introduce my friends to D&D, not be introduced to friends via D&D.
- GenCon provided me with the opportunity to explore other games. The short list of games I tried at GenCon that I never would have otherwise tried includes Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer, Heroscape, Axis & Allies, Vampire (tabletop and LARP), and even Are You a Werewolf.
- I’ve met people at GenCon who seemed larger than life in the past. Gary Gygax, for example. He’s just a regular dude. I’ve had a cigarette with him. Ed Greenwood. He’s a dirty old man. Not really. But he is funny as hell.
- I’ve learned a lot about my fellow gamers. Not all of it has been good; hygiene, for example. But overall, its been a positive experience, and I believe today that gamers are, on average, more polite than the common populace. They are also more annoying, on average.
So, what’s my point here? GenCon has been a fabulous experience for me. If you can wing it, you should go at least once. Your game will never be the same.
OOH! Before I forget. I put up an article with some ideas for traps to use in your D&D game. It’ll get buried soon with the GenCon posts, so check it out before you miss it!
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Updates
