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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 1380119" data-attributes="member: 3285">I've been to a lot of cons -- it's been a tradition with my family to go to scifi conventions (yes, I was born and raised by a family of unashamed geeks), and most of the tactics are the same.  Gen Con's a special beast because it's so huge. A few things to remember:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Bring a water bottle.  Not the normal kind, the kind that can filter water.  Drinks will stop flowing, but you'll be covered -- there's water fountains always within a few hundred feet, but the water may taste gross.  Worst case -- you can refill from the bathroom sink.  It gets very warm at conventions, so staying hydrated is important.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Bring snacks.  If you're looking to save money, don't buy the food.  Gen Con's better than most conventions -- there's tons of fast food everywhere.  But carrying it with you ensures you're covered at all times.  And you can be the life of the party if you've got food when nobody else has it.  Nothing brings players together like food.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The restaurants are not your friend.  I tried, very hard, to warn every vendor I spoke to in Indianapolis that "a lot of people are coming just like me, only hungrier."  They didn't listen.  McDonald's ran out of food.  It was an hour wait to get a pizza.  So if you're looking to dine out, make a reservation and eat at times people don't normally eat at.  I'm hopeful that this year, Indianapolis will be ready.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The nearby mall actually "gets it" in a way Milwaukee's vendors never did.  They have specials that give you a discount if you flash your Gen Con badge. Don't be afraid to carry it with you (on the other hand, please feel free to not wear it when you're in the mall).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Think light.  If you can plan your day, you can plan when you need your books and when you don't.  I pity GMs who carry three hardcover books to sessions.  Heck, since I play a wizard, I've gotten rid of the Player's Handbook altogether and just bring Paradigm Concept's Spell Decks.  Everything else I need is in a binder.  And I don't carry the binder unless I'm about to game.  The weight of books will leave welts on your shoulders after awhile.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Bring a camera.  People wear some of the coolest -- and weirdest! -- outfits.  They usually don't mind posing. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Bring a game.  No, not your gamebooks.  A game.  Gameboy.  Palm Pilot.  Cellphone games.  Whatever.  Bring something.  Sometimes, Gen Con has VERY long lines.  My wife and I played several games of backgammon on her cellphone and it made the two hour long wait to get my event tickets easier.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Grab the bags early.  Gen Con doesn't even seem prepared for itself sometimes -- all the freebie stuff, including the bag with said freebie stuff in it, actually ran out.  My brother-in-law showed up a day later and there was nothing left. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Freebie stuff.  There's so much free stuff, you could go in with an empty bag and walk out with a pile of...stuff you probably won't use.  But you'll have lots of free cards.  In fact, in some cases (usually just when the dealer room opens or when it's about to close) you can get books for free.  I don't mean fliers, I mean free books.  I picked up three different games this way, two of which were d20 books. </li> </ul>Perhaps the best advice anyone can give is have plenty of patience and flexibility.  Gen Con's a wild, wacky place and things don't always go as planned.  Plan your day, but be flexible.  And of course, be sure to have fun whatever you do -- I've met too many gamers who game, half-unconscious from lack of sleep, trying to cram every last second into gaming.  This is not fun -- it's like a job, only you don't get paid for it.</blockquote>

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