Are there avid gamers out there who hate cons?


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Arcane Runes Press said:
2) Most con rooms are poorly ventilated, and stuffed to the rafters with people all day long. The air gets stale, and there isn't a lot of chance for it to cycle through, because game cons run all day and all night.

My God .... poor ventilation .... the horror.

I was at a con one extended weekend many years ago that had, as one of it's featured events, a mammoth game of Diplomacy that was slated to play the whole weekend in one huge orgy of negotiation and empire building. They had mapped out the entire world on a table that was easily 10x20 (feet!!). It was amazing. I went in there on Friday evening and watched for a while, intrigued by the different play styles of the players present. And there were a -lot- of players (maybe 20 or so). It was pretty damn cool, actually.

...

On Sunday morning, I decided to head over to see how the game was going. I couldn't even make it into the room. The pong of sweaty geek was literally hanging in the air like some kind of invisible spider-web of stink. I gagged and made my way outside, desperate for fresh air. Luckily, I made it.

This is why I don't go to cons. I can still remember that unholy stench as clearly as if it had happened just yesterday.
 

"Chubby" people who don't bathe give those of us who DO bathe a bad name. Personally, I get a little tired of the stereoptypical "if you're a fat gamer, you must stink" adage. Let me tell ya, skinny people stink just as bad. The last time I was in a FLGS there were a bunch of high school kids playing D&D. The smell was so bad my eyes watered. And not a one of those guy was anywhere near overweight.

So, on behalf of nicely groomed and regularly bathing fatbeards everywhere, I urge EVERYONE TO TAKE A FARKIN' SHOWER!
 

DungeonmasterCal said:
"Chubby" people who don't bathe give those of us who DO bathe a bad name. Personally, I get a little tired of the stereoptypical "if you're a fat gamer, you must stink" adage.

To quote (and slightly paraphrase) Homer Simpson, "Why must we be cursed with such voluptuousness!"

;)
 

I attend one convention a year. That convention is CONvergence. It is not a gaming convention, but there is gaming that is done there, among many other things. I have found that I do not like to play RPGs at cons, but I am happy to play boardgames or card games.

This con has the advantage of being local, and being respectable in size without being too huge. This gives it many bonus points when it comes to selecting a con to attend.

I am leary of going to Gencon, or Origins, or other large conventions for a couple of reasons. First, I am a bit claustophobic. Tight crowds with no easy exit would easily set me off. It's no fun when the 40-year-old, 6'2', 230 lb guy freaks out and has a panic attack in the middle of a crowd. Someone is going to get hurt.

Secondly, I have some health issues that deal with my lungs. This is made worse by that nasty thing we all know as "gamer funk." I've been to some pretty big conventions in the middle of summer with people wearing upholstery fabric and/or latex. Those conventions are a walk in the flower garden compared to gaming cons.

Oh, and it's not just the large gamers who have this problem. Large, small, old, young, the "rank and vile" come in all shapes and sizes. I wonder if it has to do with obsessive compulsive behavior? I know that if I went to Gencon or Origins I would have to be blunt and hand out hygiene packets that include a map to a shower. I like the game company that was putting a d20 in a bar of soap. Now if I could get my hands on some cool limited edition figure to put in them I could sell a ton of soap!

So, if we disregard the expense and travel time, there are still things that would cause me to hesitate before going to gaming conventions.
 

For me, it's a cost/benefit analysis. I've been to local cons and the GenCon. Costs are time, money and effort. Benefits are gaming, viewing & shopping. For me, GenCon is too much of an investment. I'm glad I've been. I would go again if the circumstances were right. But, I prefer the con that I can drive to in about an hour, look around, partake a little, and then go home in the same day.
 

I've been to many, many cons.

I find that as I get older, I like them less and less.

A couple of years ago, my wife and I went to our first GenCon and were pretty underwhelmed. Still, it had it's good points, not the least of which was the massive dealers room.

But when it comes to actually gaming in a con-type setting (as opposed to a campaign at home), I enjoy the Boston Game Days a lot more than I do a big con.
 

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