Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
True GenCon advice
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Dave Turner" data-source="post: 2307808" data-attributes="member: 12329"><p>I've been thinking a bit about the conventional GenCon wisdom. If you</p><p>cruise EN World or RPG.net and check for "GenCon advice threads", they seem</p><p>to have it all wrong. All of the advice seems too safe: eat sensible meals,</p><p>wear sensible shoes, be sure to get some sleep, don't blow all your money on</p><p>the first day.</p><p></p><p>That's all <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />ed. What GenCon needs is a more balls-out, gonzo approach.</p><p>This is four days of high-octane gaming. My advice would be the exact</p><p>opposite. First, get as little sleep as possible. Those among us who truly</p><p>exemplify the balls-out ethos would score some crystal meth or cocaine for</p><p>their fuel. The less-dedicated will settle for near-continuous caffeine</p><p>ingestion. I would recommend some ephedra-based supplements if you can find</p><p>them. Join every game that you can find, especially those you would never</p><p>normally play. Drop into the LAN party for some 2am Counter-Strike or Halo</p><p>2. Demo all the minis games. Hell, get into the Vampire LARP if you're</p><p>slowing down and need to "game up". Those who garner the most respect at</p><p>GenCon are those who, in a delirous fog of sleep-deprivation, direct their</p><p>2nd level wizards into hand-to-hand combat with the ogre barbarian. You</p><p>will never game with these people again and you don't get to take these</p><p>characters back to your home game. The balls-out gamer leaves no survivors.</p><p></p><p>Good food is the last of your worries. Eat when you must and don't waste</p><p>time with it. The true GenCon warriors just carry PowerBars with them and</p><p>never leave the table. If you eat like <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />, who cares? Four days of bad</p><p>eating is not going to kill you or seriously impact your diet. If you</p><p>normally eat sensibly, then this is a weekend of indulgence that your body</p><p>will absorb with little inconvenience. If you normally eat like <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />, then</p><p>GenCon is hardly the time to turn over a new leaf. Buy the Jumbo pack of</p><p>Little Debbie's snack cakes and have at it. Balls-out is not for the</p><p>faint-hearted.</p><p></p><p>Blow all your money on the first day on your first trip through the Dealers'</p><p>Hall. Borrow money from friends with only a vague intention of repaying</p><p>them. Nothing will change on the second, third, or fourth days in the Hall.</p><p>Any of the "hot" games that you missed in your first-day spending orgy will</p><p>be available in a few weeks on the Internet. You won't have time to read</p><p>any books anyway. You'll be balls-out gaming and will be sleeping on the</p><p>plane back. Purge the urge to spend money in the first few hours and you</p><p>can game with a clear conscience. If you do have a spare moment to read one</p><p>of the books you've purchased, you can score maximum points by trying to use</p><p>it in a game at the Con. So go ahead and buy the new "Complete Dominator"</p><p>book from WotC. When you arrive at your next D&D 3.5 game, ask the DM if</p><p>you can run the new "Turkish Reverser" core class you just bought. It's in</p><p>a WotC book, so it's gotta be balanced, right? Balls-out, my friend.</p><p>Balls-out.</p><p></p><p>This is the vision that we should be aspiring to. There is only one piece</p><p>of advice worth salvaging from those threads: personal hygiene. Balls-out</p><p>gaming does not mean we don't shower and periodically change our clothes.</p><p>The balls-out approach is all about style and there's no style in carrying</p><p>around the stale sweat from having your ass handed to you in Starcraft by a</p><p>13 year old kid at 4am last night. So shower early and shower often. With</p><p>cold water. Hot water is for pussies who eat sensibly and sleep.</p><p></p><p>The uninitiated and the unwashed look fearfully upon the balls-out gamer.</p><p>They read the Balls-Out Manifesto and worry about boorishness and obnoxious</p><p>behavior. But the obnoxious boor at the gaming table isn't the balls-out</p><p>gamer. Balls-out gamers are sharks, not chimpanzees. They drift through</p><p>GenCon and take huge bites of every game that catches their eye. Open their</p><p>stomachs and you'll find a D&D 3.5 PHB along with a platoon of Space Marine</p><p>minis with chainswords and a blue/white weenie deck. The balls-out gamer is</p><p>elegant and sleek, constantly on the move because if he stops swimming, he</p><p>dies. He doesn't scare the tastiest and juiciest games away by drawing</p><p>attention to himself. He bides his time, strikes when it is least expected,</p><p>and savors the tasty underbelly of every game. The balls-out gamer plays</p><p>hard, but he doesn't play stupid.</p><p></p><p>A final word: there are some who will sigh wistfully and call balls-out gaming "a young man's pursuit". They will lament that their decrepit, mid-30s physiques and minds cannot withstand the grueling balls-out crucible. Balls-out gaming is without apologies. Pity those who wax nostalgic about glorious GenCons past where they once touched the hard-steel edge of balls-out gaming. There's no going back and victory points have a shelf-life of one day.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dave Turner, post: 2307808, member: 12329"] I've been thinking a bit about the conventional GenCon wisdom. If you cruise EN World or RPG.net and check for "GenCon advice threads", they seem to have it all wrong. All of the advice seems too safe: eat sensible meals, wear sensible shoes, be sure to get some sleep, don't blow all your money on the first day. That's all :):):):)ed. What GenCon needs is a more balls-out, gonzo approach. This is four days of high-octane gaming. My advice would be the exact opposite. First, get as little sleep as possible. Those among us who truly exemplify the balls-out ethos would score some crystal meth or cocaine for their fuel. The less-dedicated will settle for near-continuous caffeine ingestion. I would recommend some ephedra-based supplements if you can find them. Join every game that you can find, especially those you would never normally play. Drop into the LAN party for some 2am Counter-Strike or Halo 2. Demo all the minis games. Hell, get into the Vampire LARP if you're slowing down and need to "game up". Those who garner the most respect at GenCon are those who, in a delirous fog of sleep-deprivation, direct their 2nd level wizards into hand-to-hand combat with the ogre barbarian. You will never game with these people again and you don't get to take these characters back to your home game. The balls-out gamer leaves no survivors. Good food is the last of your worries. Eat when you must and don't waste time with it. The true GenCon warriors just carry PowerBars with them and never leave the table. If you eat like :):):):), who cares? Four days of bad eating is not going to kill you or seriously impact your diet. If you normally eat sensibly, then this is a weekend of indulgence that your body will absorb with little inconvenience. If you normally eat like :):):):), then GenCon is hardly the time to turn over a new leaf. Buy the Jumbo pack of Little Debbie's snack cakes and have at it. Balls-out is not for the faint-hearted. Blow all your money on the first day on your first trip through the Dealers' Hall. Borrow money from friends with only a vague intention of repaying them. Nothing will change on the second, third, or fourth days in the Hall. Any of the "hot" games that you missed in your first-day spending orgy will be available in a few weeks on the Internet. You won't have time to read any books anyway. You'll be balls-out gaming and will be sleeping on the plane back. Purge the urge to spend money in the first few hours and you can game with a clear conscience. If you do have a spare moment to read one of the books you've purchased, you can score maximum points by trying to use it in a game at the Con. So go ahead and buy the new "Complete Dominator" book from WotC. When you arrive at your next D&D 3.5 game, ask the DM if you can run the new "Turkish Reverser" core class you just bought. It's in a WotC book, so it's gotta be balanced, right? Balls-out, my friend. Balls-out. This is the vision that we should be aspiring to. There is only one piece of advice worth salvaging from those threads: personal hygiene. Balls-out gaming does not mean we don't shower and periodically change our clothes. The balls-out approach is all about style and there's no style in carrying around the stale sweat from having your ass handed to you in Starcraft by a 13 year old kid at 4am last night. So shower early and shower often. With cold water. Hot water is for pussies who eat sensibly and sleep. The uninitiated and the unwashed look fearfully upon the balls-out gamer. They read the Balls-Out Manifesto and worry about boorishness and obnoxious behavior. But the obnoxious boor at the gaming table isn't the balls-out gamer. Balls-out gamers are sharks, not chimpanzees. They drift through GenCon and take huge bites of every game that catches their eye. Open their stomachs and you'll find a D&D 3.5 PHB along with a platoon of Space Marine minis with chainswords and a blue/white weenie deck. The balls-out gamer is elegant and sleek, constantly on the move because if he stops swimming, he dies. He doesn't scare the tastiest and juiciest games away by drawing attention to himself. He bides his time, strikes when it is least expected, and savors the tasty underbelly of every game. The balls-out gamer plays hard, but he doesn't play stupid. A final word: there are some who will sigh wistfully and call balls-out gaming "a young man's pursuit". They will lament that their decrepit, mid-30s physiques and minds cannot withstand the grueling balls-out crucible. Balls-out gaming is without apologies. Pity those who wax nostalgic about glorious GenCons past where they once touched the hard-steel edge of balls-out gaming. There's no going back and victory points have a shelf-life of one day. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
True GenCon advice
Top