GenCon 2004 Memories

[jester47]

Highlights

• Psion's Traveller game. We played my favorite kind of Traveller; "Bums-in-space-"anything for a buck". We spaced our own captain. We bribed pirates to kidnap someone for us. the whole thing was so Firefly it hurt.

• 
  
  Even though it may look like my eyes were rolling into the back of my head, I was having a great time. Even when were were just moving stuff around. I have a habit of being really resposible. Damn me and my inability to say no to a game. I regret leaving early.
  
  

  [*]Meeting new friends. Stone Angel, Cthulu's Librarian and Jester 47 top this particular list.

  
  Feelings mutual man.
  
  

  [*]Little Canadia. I love the Parent/Robinson clan a little more every year.

  
  Consider me a now loyal gen con retainer of Clan Hound. I am sorry I missed the costume contest though.
  
  

  I shudder to think how much ass Jake and I are going to have to kick once Genevieve starts attracting boys at the Con.

  
  Can I help? (robbie robot voice) NEW DIRECTIVE: DEFEND ROBINSON FAMILY, DEFEND GELFLINGS.(/robbie robot voice)
  

I can safely say that this was not just my best Gen Con experience, but my best Con experience of any kind. I'm not sure what was clicking so well this year, but everything rocked

Even with my double booking idiocy on Saturday, I felt it too. Great Vibe.

Rule to add to GENCON rules: Don't double book. If you have commited to one thing, don't try to do both.

Aaron.

 

[Buttercup]

Even though it may look like my eyes were rolling into the back of my head, I was having a great time. Even when were were just moving stuff around. I have a habit of being really resposible. Damn me and my inability to say no to a game. I regret leaving early.

Well, but if you had stayed, my character wouldn't have been able to wail "You killed our dog!" Lupus Kennel, we hardly knew ye.

 

[FungiMuncher]

The Not So Good
- Little to no Enworlder contact. ...

Yeah, I'll have to put myself in that group, too. My girlfriend and I both agree that we just over booked ourselves. Our schedules were just packed, and were too tired at the end of each day. Last year (my first), my buddies and I had underprepared. There's got to be a happy balance...

I only met two ENworlders: Cthulhu's Librarian, as we each rushed off to our respective events, and Hellhound. I actually played a game of Risk 2210 with him. He gave me a good thrashing. I'd like to thank Jason for the class act he demonstrated as the the board groupings were decided.

Other highlights: Of the four RPGs I had scheduled, only one had the GM not show up. Furthermore, all three of the remaining games were a lot of fun. Much better percentage than I've had at other cons.

True Dungeon was awesome! The party rogue refused to enter the treasure cave, so our fighter went into it. Finding him later in the spider's web was hilarious! I played the paladin, and ended up getting the most loot by the end. We completed most of the puzzles pretty quickly, except for the last room. We were having too much fun fighting the lizardmen, we didn't have enough time to solve that one. Anyone care to spill the beans on how to solve that puzzle? Again, because of being so booked up, I couldn't make it to the final answer session on Sunday.

I found the booth where they were selling the Tact-Tiles on Thursday. Saw a few packages of them, and I figured I'd come back later. On Sunday, I made a couple circuits around the exhibit hall, getting totally frustrated and confused, thinking I simply forgot where they were. Finally broke down and asked, and found out that they were sold out.

I got into the final round of the Nuclear War tournament! That was quickly followed by my second thrashing of the con.

So many games, so little time.

FM

 

[Stone Angel]

Ahhh a great Con. Meeting all of you at the booth. Now on to the highlights.

The Highlights

Casing the joint with Teflon Billy.

Going through the true dungeon with Cthulu's Librarian

Hanging out with most of you at the booth.

Our little inside joke *puts head into hands* "Yeah I'm fine"

All the shrapnel swag I picked up as people decided to "throw" it at Teflon Billy

The Ram after party

The Canadiana suite ala poutine

X-Crawl the most fun gaming wise I had all Con

Calling an EN Worlder by there real name and everyone being like "Who?"

The Lowlights

The flop that was Lake Con

Having to pay a parking fee everyday

The warcraft RPG game that was no fun and started an hour late

Having to loan my "Con savings" to a friend in dire need so my "booty" from the Con was a lot less than I had planned. Oh well 1 Karma point.

The Seraph of Earth and Stone

 

[Hand of Evil]

Just rolled in, it was an adventure getting home, two flat tires!

Had a great GENCON this year and was glad to meet one and all, had a blast and would like to thank all for the memories, this one goes in the books!

Buttercup, you starting that threat on trouches?

Mark, aka Monk, did you get that pic of that 'fantasy' for me?

Hope all of you had as great a time as I.

 

[Buttercup]

Buttercup, you starting that threat on trouches?

You mean the thread on torches? I can tell you're tired.

No, I thought I'd let you start it, since it was really your idea. And a good one at that!

 

[RodneyThompson]

Highlights
Making a total ass of myself in front of Steve Kenson, one of the few designers I was actually interested in meeting and talking to. Seems I was missing a pretty crucial piece of information. Aw well, not a Con-wrecker. I've done dumber things for more oblique reasons.

If it makes you feel any better, I was also missing that crucial piece of information and had a little faux pas at Origins this year....only he was in my hotel room and Robin Laws, Mike Mearls, Kenneth Hite, and Matt Forbeck were all there to see me do it.

Yeah.

I tried to come up and introduce myself to you a couple of times (and wrangle you into a Space Western conversation) but every time I did I got distracted or stopped for some reason.

Highlights of the show for me include:

• Meeting and hanging out with my site staff. Even though we work together all the time, it's surprising to me every year how much fun we have together.
• Star Wars minis prerelease tourney. 'nuff said.
• d20 Future selling out at the show by midday on Friday.
• Making an ass of myself at the ENnies. Apparently not everyone thought my little speech was as funny as it sounded in my head. I'm sure Hellhound will be around any minute now to point out that me + the ENnies is a bad combination.
• Running a Mutants and Masterminds game for JD Wiker, Mark Schmalz, and Christopher West. I was worried about demoing something for guys who own their own publishing company, but the game went off like a charm. Next year, though, I'm planning an adventure further in advance.
• Being recognized by people. It sounds dumb, but when people remember my face it makes GenCon feel a hell of a lot friendlier.

Glad to be home, but man it was a blast.

 

[John Crichton]

and the lowlights...

• True Hero the superhero version of True Dungeon. Stupid and aggravating almost beyond belief. Due to a combination of poor design on their part, bad luck on my part, and total non-enthusiasm on the part of our "Watcher" (GM) I spent 20 bucks to take leisurly walk through some tents.

It's too bad that you didn't enjoy True Heroes. What day did you play it? My group was there ~4 on Thursday and it was great. Maybe it was because we ended up beating the final room with 9 seconds to go. Maybe it was because one of the City of Heroes designers played with us. But we had a blast. I was bummed that I didn't get to play True Dungeon because it was sold out. I can see how the experience could easily be soured because of a bad Watcher.

I'd also like to take this chance to say that I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to introduce myself to you at Hellhound's gathering. I was a little off that night for a few reasons. Same goes to all others at that night.

I did get to meet Buttercup, Psion, Brooklyn Knight (who roomed with me), Ranger Wicket (who also roomed with me), Truth Seeker, jgbrowning, Suzi Yee, Hellhound, Dextra, Maldur, Jester47, Spoony Bard, JoeGKushner and Brown Jenkin (at the vending machines of all places). I'm sure I'm missing a few people - jet lag and all that. I did miss the ENnies, however. I was finishing a round of my newest addiction (Upper Deck's VS Marvel/DC system - a CCG).

I wasn't all that surprised by this but the most common response upon introducing myself or being "recognized" (props to the people responsible for making the EN World badges!) was, "you look nothing like your avatar. You are supposed to be bigger and fatter." That's what I get for being 5'6" and 120 lbs as opposed to actually looking like Silend Bob.

All in all, GREAT CON! Twas my first GenCon and it blew me away. I didn't get nearly enough time to meet people, attend seminars, demo games or do any RPGing (!!). I had so much fun that I'm considering going to GenCon SoCal if the price is right.

My only scheduling regrets were not making it into the Star Wars minis tourney, sleeping in and missing a booster draft tourney and sleeping in and missing the Firefly RPG session. I blame the beer.

Anywho, Indy was beautiful. A friend and I spend most of Thursday evening just wondering the streets and seeing the sights. I am so there next year.

 

[Buttercup]

"you look nothing like your avatar. You are supposed to be bigger and fatter."

Um, sorry. I don't think I put my foot in my mouth too many times during the con, but that was one of 'em. Ranger Wickett can tell you about the other.

 

[Archon]

Rodney Thompson rocks.

[*]Being recognized by people. It sounds dumb, but when people remember my face it makes GenCon feel a hell of a lot friendlier.

thanks again man for signing my Future book. one of the coolest things about Gencon is getting to meet all the designers and artists of your favorite games. i just wish a would have brought my Star Wars Hero's Guide.
mik (the tall, thin guy with a shaved head)
aka "Archon"