Price Disparity between AL and PFS at Origins.

[Enevhar Aldarion]

I think the Baldman folks would disagree with this assessment -- they've been running the D&D Organized Play events at both Winter Fantasy and GenCon since 2005 (well before Pathfinder was released).

If you say so. I had never heard of them before all the complaints on here about their GenCon fiasco from a couple years ago.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

Were the tables full for AL? If so then Baldman is charging what the market can bear.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

There was quite a bit of swag at the AL events. Heck, everyone at least some of the tables at the D&D Open got a free copy of the new Character Sheets release.

That being said, PFS has long had raffles at their events, with some free stuff and gift certificates given away.

Baldman, gave out custom buttons, patches, stickers, dice bags and tote bags. Maybe to pay for that as well.

 

[ccs]

Here's a thought....

Why doesn't someone just contact Badman & ask them how they determined thier pricing?

 

[Pauper]

If you say so. I had never heard of them before all the complaints on here about their GenCon fiasco from a couple years ago.

Well, I got the info from Baldman's web site; basically Dave Christ (a.k.a. the Baldman) ran the RPGA from 2002-2004, then moved to organizing RPGA events (a.k.a.: Living Greyhawk, Living Forgotten Realms, etc.).

The "fiasco" you refer to was solely a reaction to the introduction of a 'VIP' track (the "D&D Experience") to the regular Organized Play offerings, which a lot of people whined about because they didn't get the 'phat lewts' they expected from a VIP event (which, arguably, derives from a lot of people not being able to distinguish between Baldman Games and WotC, which is a whole different and ongoing issue). This is not to say that Baldman's VIP tracks are above criticism -- just that the specific criticism that put them on everyone's radar was pretty much overblown petulance, IMO.

 

[Pauper]

Were the tables full for AL? If so then Baldman is charging what the market can bear.

Not only were the tables largely full, but the AL events moved out of Hall D last year and into the Hyatt, and they're moving again into an even larger space in the JW Marriott this year. Safe to say that the price point is not hurting the popularity of AL events at GenCon.

--
Pauper

 

[skerritthegreen]

I think Baldman is trying to determine the right price. Last year they sold out every spot at Origins they had in under 15 minutes. This year it took almost 1 day. (Of course some people return tickets or don't show so some people still get in on generics). I do know Gen Con continues to ask them to raise their prices since they sell out so fast. Gen Con won't give them more space but gets salty when all the D&D events are sold out so people stop buying badges.

 

[darjr]

At Origins I've heard they needed more DMs even after many stepped up and ran more than their scheduled slots. I know it was the case last year at GENCON. Demand is high and they ran a great gig at GENCON.

 

[Inconnunom]

Afaik, wotc supplied all the swag at origin. As soneone who has been on the vip track several times before, the experience after wf 2016 went downhill. Swag is nice and all and i dont care if its gone. the forgettable adventures just were too expensive for the exact same experience other pkayers were getting. They contended it was better but was it $40 a game better? But like others said, market dictates price, not quality.

 

[Pauper]

Afaik, wotc supplied all the swag at origin. As soneone who has been on the vip track several times before, the experience after wf 2016 went downhill.

That was pretty much exactly the scenario at GenCon -- the first GenCon with the 'D&D Experience' was also, IIRC, the last one WotC attended, and WotC provided lots of swag for the VIP tracks. When WotC wasn't at the next GenCon, there was outcry over the lack of swag, though WotC ponied up after-the-fact to try to mollify the complainers.

A lot of people took the complaining as criticism of the way Baldman was running OP, when it was really about the lack of swag.

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Pauper