What do you like to see at conventions?
Whoa. How **large** is this con? What gaming programming has it done in the past? I'll be at Silicon ( www.siliconventions.org ), and even with 1000 expected people, this sf convention's gaming room will only have one game room, with mostly "beer and pretzel" games, oriented towards non-gamers. (Apples to Apples did very well at Fanime.) The amount of work you plan to do far exceeds any I've seen for a non-gaming convention.
#1. Your favorite RPG's (besides D&D)
RPGs are an inefficient use of GM time (1 GM / 1 game / 8 players / 4 hours / scheduling). "Beer and pretzel" games are far better (1 GM / 1+ games / 8 players / 1-2 hours / unscheduled).
#8. Do you know anyone in the Long Island area that would be interested in helping us coordinate LARPs?
I think an introductory LARP would be a **good** idea. At least around here, LARP Storytellers are used to handling large numbers of people, and can "do all the work on their own".
#9. Any other comments or suggestions.
Solicit game companies for support and demo volunteers. I can put you in touch with Steve Jackson Games, Cheapass Games, and possibly Dork Tower games.
#10. Have you ever GMed at a con? If so, what did you get for doing it?
Free entry for 6-8 hours of work is ideal, since most game conventions offer this. However, I understand most non-game conventions have stricter requirements.
Feel free to email me at ced1106(at)aol(dot)com with your questions, and I can get you in touch with the gaming staff at SF Bay conventions.
Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^
#1. Your favorite RPG's (besides D&D)
RPGs are an inefficient use of GM time (1 GM / 1 game / 8 players / 4 hours / scheduling). "Beer and pretzel" games are far better (1 GM / 1+ games / 8 players / 1-2 hours / unscheduled).
#8. Do you know anyone in the Long Island area that would be interested in helping us coordinate LARPs?
I think an introductory LARP would be a **good** idea. At least around here, LARP Storytellers are used to handling large numbers of people, and can "do all the work on their own".
#9. Any other comments or suggestions.
Solicit game companies for support and demo volunteers. I can put you in touch with Steve Jackson Games, Cheapass Games, and possibly Dork Tower games.
#10. Have you ever GMed at a con? If so, what did you get for doing it?
Free entry for 6-8 hours of work is ideal, since most game conventions offer this. However, I understand most non-game conventions have stricter requirements.
Feel free to email me at ced1106(at)aol(dot)com with your questions, and I can get you in touch with the gaming staff at SF Bay conventions.
Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^
More details
I-CON gets about 6,000 people each year. Not all of them are gamers but a good percentage of them are. So much so that gaming is actually broken down into: RPG's, CCG's, LARPs (which is very popular), Wargaming / Minature Gaming, E-Gaming (computer games), console games, gaming art and gaming guests.
We have a solid gamer audience with a lot of support from the local gaming stores but after a few years of leadership that didn't like the mainstream games like D&D and tended to focus more on small press or special interest games, as well as logistically challenged staff, we have been getting some grumbling from the community.
Besides needed staff for it, LARP is doing wonderfully. One of the most popular things we offer, it runs the gambit from beginner to advance. We have combat / non combat and a range of genres, including medieval fantasy, Star Trek and expecially Vampire the Masquerade. I am basically just looking for someone to coordinate it all so we can maintain the level we have been at but unfortunately all the staff retired at the same time. E-Gaming / Console gaming is also doing just fine. They both have more people than they have machines and since E-Gaming started bringing in guests (Last year we had Larry Holland) it has gotten even more popular. Both tracks have their staff in tack so I am not worried there. I am not particularly worried about Wargamming either.
But what does has me worried is CCG's, RPG's (somewhat) and the non-games gaming programming. CCG's hasn't had anyone really running it in years and besides Magic and Pokemon, the only other CCG-like game I can name is Lunch Money. As for RPGs, we usually bring in the RPGA and then whatever games people sign up to run is what we schedule but we have been thinking that we might have to go after certain games specifically, rather than hoping we get someone who is inspired to run it. D&D (and multiple editions at that) is a given, but I was hoping to find out, what games should we be making SURE are offered to the point of going out and looking for people to run them?
As for contacting companies, any suggestions (and especially contact information) that you may have would be welcomed. I can research on the web if I need to but a warm lead is usually better and more productive. You can be sure that I will email you cedric!
Don't get me wrong guys. We have a lot of ideas and some of us have been around forever, just not running gaming. But after so many years of the gaming staff tailoring the programming to what THEY were interested in rather than in what the audience wanted to see, I didn't want to fall into the trap of just planning what I like and overlooking stuff that I dislike or don't know all that much about. Any comments you give me will help me gauge whether we are on the right track or if we are just swinging to another extreme in reaction to our predecessors.
I-CON gets about 6,000 people each year. Not all of them are gamers but a good percentage of them are. So much so that gaming is actually broken down into: RPG's, CCG's, LARPs (which is very popular), Wargaming / Minature Gaming, E-Gaming (computer games), console games, gaming art and gaming guests.
We have a solid gamer audience with a lot of support from the local gaming stores but after a few years of leadership that didn't like the mainstream games like D&D and tended to focus more on small press or special interest games, as well as logistically challenged staff, we have been getting some grumbling from the community.
Besides needed staff for it, LARP is doing wonderfully. One of the most popular things we offer, it runs the gambit from beginner to advance. We have combat / non combat and a range of genres, including medieval fantasy, Star Trek and expecially Vampire the Masquerade. I am basically just looking for someone to coordinate it all so we can maintain the level we have been at but unfortunately all the staff retired at the same time. E-Gaming / Console gaming is also doing just fine. They both have more people than they have machines and since E-Gaming started bringing in guests (Last year we had Larry Holland) it has gotten even more popular. Both tracks have their staff in tack so I am not worried there. I am not particularly worried about Wargamming either.
But what does has me worried is CCG's, RPG's (somewhat) and the non-games gaming programming. CCG's hasn't had anyone really running it in years and besides Magic and Pokemon, the only other CCG-like game I can name is Lunch Money. As for RPGs, we usually bring in the RPGA and then whatever games people sign up to run is what we schedule but we have been thinking that we might have to go after certain games specifically, rather than hoping we get someone who is inspired to run it. D&D (and multiple editions at that) is a given, but I was hoping to find out, what games should we be making SURE are offered to the point of going out and looking for people to run them?
As for contacting companies, any suggestions (and especially contact information) that you may have would be welcomed. I can research on the web if I need to but a warm lead is usually better and more productive. You can be sure that I will email you cedric!
Don't get me wrong guys. We have a lot of ideas and some of us have been around forever, just not running gaming. But after so many years of the gaming staff tailoring the programming to what THEY were interested in rather than in what the audience wanted to see, I didn't want to fall into the trap of just planning what I like and overlooking stuff that I dislike or don't know all that much about. Any comments you give me will help me gauge whether we are on the right track or if we are just swinging to another extreme in reaction to our predecessors.
Undead Pete
First Post
Lucius Foxhound said:
Wow.... I was just about to type that
Azure Trance
First Post
Curiously ... do you frequent the sci-fi forum in Harriman?
Gospog
First Post
#1. Your favorite RPG's
I really like all of the Polyhedron D20 games like Omega World. I also enjoy Deadlands and Marvel Super Heroes .
#2. Your favorite CCG's
Sorry. I hate card games, so I don't really have a favorite.
#3. Your favorite minature / wargames
VOR, VOID, Warzone and Chronopia.
#4. What kinds of programming do you attend at cons?
Games
Guests Speech / Signing
Workshop / Demonstration
#5. What topics would you be interested in?
To be honest, all of your topics sound interesting. Be sure to make these events easily shcedule-able to improve attendance. They may differ in length from a standard RPG session.
#6. What kind of guests would you be interested in seeing?
Game designers and developers
Minature / Terrain artists (sculptors, painters, etc)
#7. Do you have any specific guests that you would like to see? If so, who?
Jared Sorenson was a great guest at the last Con I was at. I'd love to meet Kevin White (sculptor).
#8. Do you know anyone in the Long Island area that would be interested in helping us coordinate LARPs?
NO, sorry.
#9. Any other comments or suggestions.
Not really, your questions are comprehensive. You may want to enquire as to what people like to see in a dealers' room.
#10. Have you ever GMed at a con? If so, what did you get for doing it?
Free Entry to the convention
Discounted Entry to the convention
Chicks (ok, ok, just kidding)
Good questions, I hope our feedback helps. Good luck!
I really like all of the Polyhedron D20 games like Omega World. I also enjoy Deadlands and Marvel Super Heroes .
#2. Your favorite CCG's
Sorry. I hate card games, so I don't really have a favorite.
#3. Your favorite minature / wargames
VOR, VOID, Warzone and Chronopia.
#4. What kinds of programming do you attend at cons?
Games
Guests Speech / Signing
Workshop / Demonstration
#5. What topics would you be interested in?
To be honest, all of your topics sound interesting. Be sure to make these events easily shcedule-able to improve attendance. They may differ in length from a standard RPG session.
#6. What kind of guests would you be interested in seeing?
Game designers and developers
Minature / Terrain artists (sculptors, painters, etc)
#7. Do you have any specific guests that you would like to see? If so, who?
Jared Sorenson was a great guest at the last Con I was at. I'd love to meet Kevin White (sculptor).
#8. Do you know anyone in the Long Island area that would be interested in helping us coordinate LARPs?
NO, sorry.
#9. Any other comments or suggestions.
Not really, your questions are comprehensive. You may want to enquire as to what people like to see in a dealers' room.
#10. Have you ever GMed at a con? If so, what did you get for doing it?
Free Entry to the convention
Discounted Entry to the convention
Chicks (ok, ok, just kidding)
Good questions, I hope our feedback helps. Good luck!
Re: More details
You're talking a con at least as large as the San Francisco Bay Area cons of 1500 gamers. Contact local game conventions in your area for advice and assistance. I did a quick search for "gaming conventions New York" and found this link:
Rochester Area Gaming:
http://www.frontiernet.net/~quixote/R3_Area.htm
I checked out the I-CON site. Wow! Definitely mention the number of people attending the con, summary of event programming, and list of GoH's in your initial emails. One random thought is if they can do all the work, and you become the I-CON liason.
Good luck!
Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^
Ciarrai said:
You're talking a con at least as large as the San Francisco Bay Area cons of 1500 gamers. Contact local game conventions in your area for advice and assistance. I did a quick search for "gaming conventions New York" and found this link:
Rochester Area Gaming:
http://www.frontiernet.net/~quixote/R3_Area.htm
I checked out the I-CON site. Wow!
Definitely mention the number of people attending the con, summary of event programming, and list of GoH's in your initial emails. One random thought is if they can do all the work, and you become the I-CON liason.Good luck!
Cedric.
aka. Washu! ^O^
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