How Can I Enjoy My First GenCon?

[Basil]

(Long time, no see.)

A friend and I are going to this year's GenCon. It will be our first, and hopefully not last.

Any tips on how to make it an enjoyable experience? Like, which activities to sign up for, what to check out, best place/people to play. Stuff like that.

Thanks.

-Basil hasn't been here in a while...

 

[LcKedovan]

Bring a blender, or have someone bring one and throw a Daquiri party in your room... worked for me last Origins

-Will

 

[Erik Mona]

Bring a cooler full of food (assuming you drive there). Sandwich stuff, pickles, chips, whatever strikes your fancy. Pack a lunch every day and hide it in your backpack. Don't forget bottled water or soda, too. This will end up saving you a GREAT DEAL of money, as most of the food at the Midwest Express Center is inedible and extremely expensive.

DO NOT schedule games for all four slots during the day. This is a sure way to ensure that you'll tire yourself out by the middle of the second day.

If you're a party person who will be going out to bars and stuff, you might want to avoid the 8:00 AM gaming slot. Sleep in a couple hours and spend 10-12 to explore the dealer's room.

Spend at least a couple hours in the dealer's room every day. It's incredibly huge, and if you're a gamer, it'll probably be the first time you've been surrounded by so much stuff you want to buy.

Visit Milwaukee's own Safe House, which has got to be one of the most unique bars in North America.

Bring a good set of walking shoes and wear them every day. You will be spending a tremendous amount of time on your feet.

Even though Milwaukee can be blisteringly hot and oppressively muggy in August, bring jeans or slacks of some kind, especially if you plan to play in the Arena (where all the RPGA games are held). It can get quite cold in there.

Always have a backpack or bag with you. All sorts of people will be giving you stuff all day long, and you'll need somewhere to put it (not to mention somewhere to keep your program book, which you will likely look at several times a day).

Bring a camera. You will see things you'll want to remember forever.

Get at least 6 hours of sleep a night. This is a LOT harder than it sounds.

There are lots of other things you can do to have fun, but these are a few things I've discovered after attending the show for nearly a decade.

--Erik

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

(Long time, no see.)

A friend and I are going to this year's GenCon. It will be our first, and hopefully not last.

Any tips on how to make it an enjoyable experience? Like, which activities to sign up for, what to check out, best place/people to play. Stuff like that.

Well, my first thought is to relax and go with the flow. Last year, my first 4-full-days year at GenCon, I had planned to go see all the speakers. But when it was time to head over to the speaking event, I would be too busy shopping, or playing a game, or going out to lunch....

Leave time for shopping. The vendor area is large--there is a lot to see. And if you're on a budget, you may want to 'comparison shop' or otherwise take your time.

Sign up for games! Just about all the major RPG games are played there. And bring a book to read while you wait in the mustering area.

My only regret last year--not signing up for a few events because I thought I wasn't "advanced" enough as a player for the particular game. Just sign up and have at it!

I would sign up for some of what you like, and a few things you haven't tried yet.

Last year, I signed up for Tracy Hickman's Killer Breakfast. It's a lot of goofy fun--seeing him "kill" 200 convention-goers in 90 minutes. I've never read any of his work, but the Killer Breakfast was a lot of fun.

Sneak your own food in--it's cheaper than what they sell and you get a cheap rogue-ish thrill to boot! I usually buy one bottle of water and then just refill it at the bubbler. (Note: 'bubbler' is the Milwaukee term for water fountain. I don't know why, I just live here.)

Don't forget to leave time to eat. You may not want to dine on the fine food at the Midwest Express Center, so you may decide to hoof it off-site for some grub. All that can take time, especially if you're dining at the same time as a 1000 other GenCon attendees.

Carry as little as possible, or have somewhere close by to stash stuff. Otherwise, if you buy a lot or play a lot of different games, you may be lugging a heavy load around for a looooooong time.

Don't forget to browse the art gallery (is that what it's called?). Lots of neat stuff to look at (or buy). Last year I bought a drawing from Matt Wilson. I thought it was just a drawing of a troll, but later I saw it in the FRCS book ("Arrk" on page 153).

Don't get bummed if your game gets cancelled. I had two cancelled on my last year. It happens--just relax and take a breather.

Meet people!

Crash industry parties!

Get autographs!

Revel is things that are uniquely Milwaukee, since GenCon is moving. Walk by Laverne and Shirley's apartment. Cruise Arnold's or shop at the Cunningham's Hardware Store. Tour the Schotz brewery! If you have car trouble, push your wheels into Fonzie's Garage for repairs.

Play games in the vendor area--try before you buy!

Get thrown in the Klingon jail.

Find me and I'll buy you a drink!

 

[Fiery James]

Also, take a moment to talk to some visiting Canadians.

That's always nice.

- James

 

[James McMurray]

The most assured way of ensuring that you have a great time is to mail me a ticket and hang out with me. Email me for my address.

 

[Mark]

Basil- Good to see you posting again! (I had a character I named "Basil" one time, long ago, so I remembered your name from back when you used to post.)

All of the advice above is coming from some real vets, so take it to heart. Also, visit the pages of "The Keeper of Ancient GenCon Lore"

http://php.iupui.edu/~wrporter/

There's some interesting ideas and advice there, as well...

 

[adndgamer]

Hm. Okay. Let's see....

1. Bring an empty backpack. Scratch that. Bring a NEARLY-empty backpack. Put in a sack lunch, and maybe a copy of the PHB (to get it signed at the art gallery). This leaves lots of room for free stuff and stuff that you buy.

2. I would leave at least one full day to walk around the dealer's room. It's HUGE and has just tons of stuff. Which leads to #3.

3. Bring lots of cash Save up for a while and bring as much as you can spare. There'll be way too many cool things that you'll wanna buy.

4. Maybe bring a camera (real or disposable). You can document your trip, and have your picture taken with the cute fantasy chicks

5. Just take it easy, don't plan everything out. Try to make it to the lectures and seminars, but don't worry if you miss some (or all for that matter). Visit the art show, get autographs, take pictures, have fun...

6. HAVE FUN. That's it.

Hope you enjoy it! I plan to.

 

[WanderingMonster]

1. Ibuprofen/Tylenol -- There's an aura about the convention center, that always gives me a headache. Maybe it's a summer/need-food-badly thing, but really it's a wise precaution.. You'd hate to feel crappy when there's so much to do.

2. Booth Babes -- Pretty women who want to talk with you about gaming. And the downside is...? (I mean, who cares what they really think about you?)

3. Network -- The best thing about the con? People! Tons of people with interests that match your own! Arrange to meet some EN worlders!

4. Chainmail Bikinis -- Blessing? Curse? You Decide!

5. Don't pack your backpack/bookbag to heavy -- You'll carry this thing around for hours and it will get heavier. Chances are, unless you're GMing, you won't actually need any of your own game books.

6. Try/Buy Something New -- Get something that you just happen to fancy for some reason. Buy a game you've never seen anywhere else. Buy vintage Playboys from that one comic book vendor...

7. Sleep -- Get some. See #1 above for reasons why.

8. Shower -- Put several thousand people in a building and a funk will definitely start to develop. Be part of the solution, not the problem. The Booth Babes will like you better.

9. Brats -- The vendors outside the con actually sell some decent brats & dogs. I don't think they're as pricey as the MWEC food.

Have Fun! See you there!

 

[d20Dwarf]

I'm still trying to figure the thing out after a couple of years. This year I'll be working, so I'm sure it will be a completely different experience, but this is what I learned:

Make Friends- Try to get to the EN World get togethers or hook up with some people at a different time if you can't make those. Meeting new friends is one of the greatest things you can do at Gencon, for me it was a really great experience and made me feel closer to the "gamer community." The WotC community area is another great place to hang out and meet new people.

Just talk to people, most people at the show are gamers like you and like to meet new people

Leave plenty of open slots, because you'll most likely find something you'd rather do than the game you signed up for anyway. Especially if you find a good group early in the con, you'll probably have more fun gaming and hanging with them.

Missing a seminar is not the end of the world, so don't sweat it.

Visit the FFG booth and say hi!