Do you play RPGs at conventions?

[lrsach01]

I like to play RPGs I don't get a chance to play with my regular gaming group. Sometimes that means settings and other times it means rule sets. I run a Dragonlance game for our group, but the only chance I've had to PLAY in the setting is at GenCon. Same for Battlestar Galactica. I will only run systems I know and am familiar with.. like Pathfinder.

 

[UniversalMonster]

I currently DM Living Realms constantly and rarely get a chance to play; even at big conventions I usually DM 7 slots now. (I did 8 at GenCon09) but whenever I have a free slot I always try to jump into an LFR game. I finally reached 5th level with the character I started at Gencon 08!

My first experience with convention games was completely sketchy (some good, some awful, none of them very focused on actually gaming) until I tried Living Greyhawk in 2005, after which when I realized I could continue to level up my gnome sorcerer.. I basically canceled all my other slots and just did LG after that.

LG wasn't perfect, but it was a reliable game experience and even in the worst slot ever, I got my XP and moved on to the next one. Some of the games I was in were absolutely brilliant. What mattered to me was my character, really. I did learn to avoid certain DMs. Eventually I became a DM myself for Xendrik Expeditions when it started up (because I think I can provide a reliable and competent game experience) and I am doing my part now with LFR.

 

[JediSoth]

Thus far, I've ONLY played RPGs at conventions. I try to play in games that I wouldn't normally get to play with my home group, but largely, it seems I've stuck to D&D 3.X/4E (though I do manage to get in a game or two of Arcana Evolved each con). I run some games I don't normally get to run for my home group as well, like Paranoia and Star Wars D6.

I've played in some of the organized play games, like the D&D Open and the DCC Tournament, but 2/3 times I've done it, I've come away with a sour taste in my mouth, so I won't be doing those in the future.

Each year, I tell myself I want to branch out and try new games. Thus far, the only non-D&D game I've ever played at Gen Con is Aces & Eights. Some day, I plan to add Mutants & Masterminds, Savage Worlds, Shadowrun, and Dark Heresy (as well as some of the older, nostalgic games) to my repertoire.

Maybe at GaryCon II....

 

[Phaezen]

I love playing RPGs at conventions, especialy systems I don't get to play very often or that are new to me, and with people I don't normally game with.

I find by playing unfamiliar games with unfamliar people helps me expand my gming skills

 

[Wombat]

I rarely go to cons in general, but when I do, I play rpgs. Those rpgs, however, are usually the ones that I have wanted to play but have been unable to find a group for -- I don't play mainstream games, usually, at the cons. I look at it as a chance to branch out.

 

[Mr. Wilson]

IMHO, Call of Cthulu is made for convention play. I try to play in a CoC game at every Con, though I missed it at Gen Con this year due to scheduling conflicts.

The Living Campaigns are hit or miss. For instance, I've played in the Sparks Star Wars d6 campaign twice now. The first time we had a bunch of newcomers playing, so we were on equal footing and it was a blast. The second time we had 3 longtime players who averaged 6D-7D in most useful skills and 3 newcomers which was less fun.

I've only played in the RPGA once, this year, at the DnD Open. We were first alts for the second round (not bad for an entire melee party), but couldn't see if we would squeeze in due to scheduling conflicts. It seemed ok, but there was a decided lack of RP.

 

[Treebore]

Heck yeah! Playing RPG's is the whole reason I go!

I do my RPGA time with "Game Days" at my LGS, so I certainly don't waste my time with such things at a Convention. Like others who have already posted I go to play games I like but don't get to play at home, or to play in Convention games with friends I have made around the country who are also at the Convention.

Like Con on the Cob in October is going to have nearly a dozen across the country friends at it, and I'll be gaming with them for sure!

So Cons allow me to play things like Aces and Eights, Savage Worlds, Traveller, Swords and Wizardry, 1E AD&D, and other games I do not get to play while at home, or at least don't get to play nearly often enough.

 

[nerfherder]

Yes, I managed to squeeze in some games in between the socialising

The two Gencons I've been to so far I played almost exclusively in games run by fellow Circvs Maximvs board members. All were one-shot, and I just picked games that sounded fun because of the description, the person running it, or the people who would be in the game. Gaming system never really entered into it.

 

[Aramax]

When I was in my mid 20s I used to be into winning con tournaments ,and was quite sucsessfull.In my thirties I realized I had proved everything to myself that I wanted to and started just playing for fun.Now as I get ready to hit hit 50 I think the con rpgs are calling.......

 

[BlightCrawler]

I love convention games. I enjoy running or playing them. I generally use it to play games I haven't played before or haven't played very much. Signing up for systems that I'm already playing regularly is not my idea of fun.

I mostly play indie games, and many work well as one shots, some are even designed for it.

How common is this attitude?

Very very uncommon. D&D is still the most popular game by far, and even the runners up (White Wolf, Palladium, GURPS, HERO, etc) are all systems that have you start off at one level and gain in power and ability.

I could care less though. It works for 4E since it's all about heroic adventure and that's the heroic story, usually. People who start off small and things build and build. But that's not the only type of story.

I'm solely interested in character change. Whether that means improvement or something else. Most of the games I play allow this to be reflected in a very short period, so you can get a lot of character change in a 4-6 hour session.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good campaign though. Except for a few indie games that are really well designed to allow for quick character connections (Dogs in the Vineyard, In A Wicked Age, Spirit of the Century) it often takes a few sessions for things to really start humming. And even with those games I mentioned, building upon things from session to session produces a more reward experience over all.

But the time and effort it takes to get people together to play regularly makes convention games a really satisfying alternative.