spongebob1138
Explorer
Now that I've gotten over the nasty Con Plague I contracted at Gen Con this year, I wanted to briefly share my experience of playing D&D and get some other perspectives...
I thought the sound level was horrible. It was very hard to hear all but the loudest DM's and players over the din. The level of noise was acceptable for games like ST:AW or MTG, but for a game that is essentially an exercise in storytelling, I had a really hard time hearing clearly. It was a constant frustration that didn't really allow me to relax and let myself be immersed in the game, due to straining all the time to hear eachother and asking the person next to me, "What did he say?" I knew I would be playing D&D in a large hall and there would be noise, but wow.
It didn't help the noise situation that one of my DM's was particularly soft-spoken. Of course, we all have different speaking volumes, I get it. But it added to the frustration about the base noise level, as did the fact that this DM was not especially demonstrative or enthusiastic. The DM sets the tone, and his seeming disinterest was a downer. To top it all off, he was chowing down on a huge Philly cheesesteak sandwich as he tried to narrate the adventure to us. I know DM's have to eat, but couldn't they work things out so this guy got a 15 minute break to eat a sandwich without having to multitask? Cheetos and Mountain Dew, or even a pizza slice, is one thing...
When I was on the second floor and saw the CARPETED Pathfinder hall, I was really jealous, as the sound level was so much more reasonable there. I asked myself, how come the D&D play area couldn't be in a room like this? Or couldn't they at least have closed off some of the wall partitions around the D&D area to reduce the amount of external noise? But a carpeted floor would have really helped soak up some sound and prevent it from bouncing around the room so much.
So, on the whole my experience of D&D at Gen Con was a letdown. I knew not to expect a play experience akin to sitting around my dining room table, but this was honestly the only time so far this year I had the chance to be a player and not a DM, so I was hoping for a fun experience. The adventures I participated were pretty solid in and of themselves, but the play environment really reduced my enjoyment.
Not trying to be bitchy here, just wanted to share my experience and see what other peoples' reactions/experiences/perspectives were. Maybe I am being too critical and/or expecting too much of play in a setting like Gen Con.
I thought the sound level was horrible. It was very hard to hear all but the loudest DM's and players over the din. The level of noise was acceptable for games like ST:AW or MTG, but for a game that is essentially an exercise in storytelling, I had a really hard time hearing clearly. It was a constant frustration that didn't really allow me to relax and let myself be immersed in the game, due to straining all the time to hear eachother and asking the person next to me, "What did he say?" I knew I would be playing D&D in a large hall and there would be noise, but wow.
It didn't help the noise situation that one of my DM's was particularly soft-spoken. Of course, we all have different speaking volumes, I get it. But it added to the frustration about the base noise level, as did the fact that this DM was not especially demonstrative or enthusiastic. The DM sets the tone, and his seeming disinterest was a downer. To top it all off, he was chowing down on a huge Philly cheesesteak sandwich as he tried to narrate the adventure to us. I know DM's have to eat, but couldn't they work things out so this guy got a 15 minute break to eat a sandwich without having to multitask? Cheetos and Mountain Dew, or even a pizza slice, is one thing...
When I was on the second floor and saw the CARPETED Pathfinder hall, I was really jealous, as the sound level was so much more reasonable there. I asked myself, how come the D&D play area couldn't be in a room like this? Or couldn't they at least have closed off some of the wall partitions around the D&D area to reduce the amount of external noise? But a carpeted floor would have really helped soak up some sound and prevent it from bouncing around the room so much.
So, on the whole my experience of D&D at Gen Con was a letdown. I knew not to expect a play experience akin to sitting around my dining room table, but this was honestly the only time so far this year I had the chance to be a player and not a DM, so I was hoping for a fun experience. The adventures I participated were pretty solid in and of themselves, but the play environment really reduced my enjoyment.
Not trying to be bitchy here, just wanted to share my experience and see what other peoples' reactions/experiences/perspectives were. Maybe I am being too critical and/or expecting too much of play in a setting like Gen Con.
