1st Time Gen Con Questions

[Panthanas]

So, I've been playing D&D since 1989 and have wanted to attend Gen Con ever since first learning about it, but this year I finally have the time and means to attend.

I will be bringing my oldest son with me as well. He is 10 and will be 11 in September. He has played some D&D with my group, board games, and plenty of video games, plus he likes to play Yu Gi Oh as well. He really wants to play in a tournament and he is looking forward to the convention as much as I am. Additionally we are meeting a friend of mine at the convention as well, also a first time attendee.

Any advice for a first time Gen Con attendee who is bringing his 10 year old son along?

I'm also interested in meeting other ENWorlders and playing a few games. Anyone willing to allow a few Gen Con newbies in on some pick up games, RPG or otherwise?

Thanks!

 

[Hand of Evil]

Plan your down time, dealer hall is huge and has a lot of items to see, take the time to see it.

Do not bring every thing you own, just what you need.

Good walking shoes, that are broke in.

If you get there on Wednesday, take the time to look around and find out where your events are. Also, zone your map, so you know where you are and set up a meeting place.

 

[Pandatheist]

The first thing I'd say is make sure you have time to wander around. There is an insane amount of things to do and half the fun is getting lost and discovering new things. Thats particularly true of the dealers hall. You can spend hours just trying out new games.

I cant remember what its called, but theres a indie rpg game room that does games by designers every 2-4 hours all weekend.

for when most things start to close down, there is a boardgame library room. I think its $5 a day, has literally hundreds of games.

For your 10 year old, if hes a fan of catan, id check out mayfairs area. They do giant catan and catan jr all weekend long. Theyre kid friendly and usually pull a large crowd of families.

i dont think im doing too many pickup games this year:my schedule is kinda tight, but feel free to pm me if u have any other questions. Hope this helps!

 

[Psikosis]

1st Gencon

I'd be a bit cautious about RPGs. Some groups can be quite adult (and power-gamer) centered, which might not be fun for your son. The CCG tourneys seem friendly enough and I've had a few kids ages 10 or 12 in pick-up True Dungeon runs that worked fine. Most players seem pretty kid-friendly.

Someone already mentioned the exhibitor hall and Catan games. I'd add the making a foam weapon activity and Artemis games to your list of kid-friendly possibilities. My 10 year-old likes whacking others with foam weapons, especially his brother. Artemis is the Star Trek-style ship simulator games (Google it if you haven't had the pleasure yet). It's a little pricey but loads of fun with the big, touch-enabled screens on the systems at Gencon.

Pack your own snacks. I usually bring some fruit, breakfast bars, and at least sort of healthy snacks. You'll likely be eating plenty of junk and eating at least a decent breakfast sort of softens the guilt (at least a little).

The suggestion (from another post) you not bring every last thing is also sage advice, but do bring your a few faves. I'm bringing my X-Wing stuff, some card games, my dice bag, and maybe an RPG book or two. You never know when a good gaming opportunity will present itself

Drop me a note or post here, I'll be there, too!

Psikosis (aka Chris)

So, I've been playing D&D since 1989 and have wanted to attend Gen Con ever since first learning about it, but this year I finally have the time and means to attend.

I will be bringing my oldest son with me as well. He is 10 and will be 11 in September. He has played some D&D with my group, board games, and plenty of video games, plus he likes to play Yu Gi Oh as well. He really wants to play in a tournament and he is looking forward to the convention as much as I am. Additionally we are meeting a friend of mine at the convention as well, also a first time attendee.

Any advice for a first time Gen Con attendee who is bringing his 10 year old son along?

I'm also interested in meeting other ENWorlders and playing a few games. Anyone willing to allow a few Gen Con newbies in on some pick up games, RPG or otherwise?

Thanks!

 

[Cyberia]

All great suggestions here, I'd add the following...

Start a walking plan now. GenCon is crazy large and you will be doing A LOT of walking. You don't want to have sore feet and be cranky after a few hours.

If you don't have one, get portable cell phone charger. If you're in an area with spotty coverage, constantly reconnecting to a network will eat your battery fast.

Don't bring your favorite dice/dice bag. I lost a bunch of favs a few years ago, now I only travel with dice I don't care about.

Don't expect to see everything. It's impossible. Pick what you like the best and plan accordingly. For example, if the costume parade isn't a big deal, don't worry, someone will record and post a video. Same for some of the seminars.

... and lastly, plan to have plenty of fun with your friend and son (i can't wait till my son is old enough to come along).

Cheers

 

[CSwizzy]

Everyone else is spot on but I'd like to add, make sure you bring money. It's gets expensive quick. It's like being a kid in a candy store x100!

 

[skotothalamos]

Eat! (at the food trucks)

Hydrate! (it's easy to forget you've been hiking all day when it's around a convention hall)

Rest! (either back in your room or just collapse along the wall somewhere quietish)

 

[Saint&Sinner]

I cant remember what its called, but theres a indie rpg game room that does games by designers every 2-4 hours all weekend.

Games on Demand

https://www.facebook.com/GoD.RPG
http://www.indiegamesexplosion.org/events/gen-con/

 

[MrsFickleGM]

Be sure to attend the ENNIES, Friday night! and stop by the Ennies booth to say 'hi'.

 

[Panthanas]

Wow! I really appreciate all of the advice! Thank you all for the responses!

I only scheduled us for a handful of specific events, one of which is the ENNIES. I figured we would make our way to the booth as well. It would be cool to meet people from here.

I think my son would love the foam weapons, so we'll have to check that out. We play board games fairly regularly, so I did get us tickets for the games library/pick up and play for Saturday evening. Since my son does like Catan (and other board games), checking out some games we haven't played before is one of the things I was expecting do. As for the vendor hall and purchases, I've budgeted out to make purchases, but sticking to the budget, I think, is going to be the challenge....