How do I love GenCon? Let me count the ways!

[Psion]

I've been going to GenCon for about ten years now and I have to say that this is one of the best ones. I guess it was a combination of meeting people (Michael Morris, Ranger Wickett, Truth Seeker, Psion, Teflon Billy, Pirate Cat)

Likewise.

or the first time and getting back to see old friends (Boz, Buttercup, etc.) as well as a combination of good hotel location (Westin)

My feet envy yours right now.

Edit:
I forgot:

• Buttercup's t-shirt. Considered getting one myself. (Content is grandma unfriendly, but to sum it up, the shirt has a picture of a guy holding up a book with the caption "Not only are you wrong, the rules say you're a ." )
• I am now a design goal. Joe Browning told me that for a project that he is working on, he aims to make me say "wow."

 

[Hand of Evil]

Sound like a fantastic GENCON!

 

[Sidereal Knight]

My third GenCon, and definitly the best so far.

Some highlights:

• A Call of Cthulhu game ("Crimson Regret") that started out in a southern Indiana cave I explored in college
• The gaymer's mailing list dinner
• Finally being able to put names with faces: Hellhound, Dextra, Teflon Billy, Fusangite, Buttercup, Rel, PirateCat, RangerWicket, Matchstick, Raevynn, Xath, Cthulhu's Librarian, Crothian, Psion, der_kluge... I know there were more, but it's starting to blur
• Playing in PirateCat's Adventure! game on Saturday: mobsters, zepplins, pygmy monkey-men, and the Fountain of Youth! (What more could you want... except a sequel?)
• PirateCat & Rel kindly tolerating my unlovely fanboy moment (TM)
• Hanging out in Canadiana. I'll never be able to watch "Grease" again (thanks guys )

My only regrets were missing the ENnies, and not being able to meet more ENWorlders.

 

[GlassJaw]

Wow. That about sums it up. This was my first GenCon and it was even better than I anticpated. Some of my show highlights:

• The sense of community from all the EN Worlders I met was awesome. Having that common thread (no pun intended) right off the bat made things a lot more fun. Putting the screen names to the real names to the faces was great. I'll admit that I got a little crazy signing up for events so I did miss out on some of the pickup games but I plan to remedy that next year!

• 12 hours of straight gaming - I played from 8:00-8:00 (Thieves' World, Conan, and then Arcana Evolved with Varianor) on Thurs and didn't even make it into the exhibit hall the first day!

• Gaming with Rob Schwalb from Green Ronin - I was lucky to be able to play in 2 games with Rob: Thieves' World and Freeport. Rob is an amazing DM who has extensive knowledge of human anatomy and bodily fluids. Both games were a blast and we had the pleasure of gracing him with his ever first con TPK in our Freeport game (I was the last one standing). I was also able to have Lynn Abbey sign my copy of Thieves' World.

• The ENnies - The ENnies were awesome. Everyone involved did an amazing job and seeing so many people from the industry was very cool.

• True Dungeon - Carl and I played the tower and even though I didn't make it to the last room, I managed to get the treasure out of the well under the grating. I ended up with a necklace of fireballs that I promptly sold for 900gp, bringing my total to an even 1000gp. I defintely want to do TD again next year with some fellow EN Worlders.

• Privateer Press/Warmachine - I loved the Privateer booth and the new Warmachine products were unbelievable. I was in complete fanboy mode at the booth. I got to talk to Ali McVey (who paints all the models in the books) about painting (I need to start over!) and Matt Wilson signed the prints I bought (which were gorgeous).

Other random thoughts:

- I got to check out the Shadowrun 4ed demo but I couldn't get my hands on a copy. SR4 was probably one of the hottest items at the con.
- I now understand why more than 2 people said they take the day off from work the day after a con. Very sleepy today.

 

[Buttercup]

Rob is an amazing DM who has extensive knowledge of human anatomy and bodily fluids.

In spite of the fact that the above comment is making me giggle uncontrollably, I can only hope that my players will some day say it whilst refering to me.

 

[Buttercup]

The sense of community from all the EN Worlders I met was awesome. Having that common thread (no pun intended) right off the bat made things a lot more fun. Putting the screen names to the real names to the faces was great.

Isn't it grand? It's the single best thing about going to GenCon. We get to spend time with all of our ready-made friends. Other people go to a con. We go to a reunion.

 

[Pielorinho]

I'm back, and I had an absolute blast! Some highlights:
-Piratecat's game, in which we discovered that Butler ought to be a core class. Buttle ftw!
-Working the booth and getting to meet all y'all wonderful people, and catch up with folks whom I've met at the couple of previous cons I've gone to.
-The Round Robin game. It started off in a brothel and went downhill from there, but was tremendous fun. Helpful hint: if you're trying to steer the game back away from off-color jokes, do NOT name the MacGuffin the "crystal blood shaft."
-Rel's Sky Galleons game. This game is officially freakin' sweet; afterwards I was so jazzed up that I got my first solid campaign idea in several years, and am well on my way to setting it up.

Again, meeting you folks was tremendous fun, and I hope to be able to make it next year!
Daniel

 

[Psion]

Isn't it grand? It's the single best thing about going to GenCon.

Yes, indeed, it is.

 

[Psion]

- I now understand why more than 2 people said they take the day off from work the day after a con. Very sleepy today.

Yep. I guess you and Crothian were right. I am going in after lunch today, tho.

As Haley put it in my recently aquired Origin of the Stick Prequel, "I'm so Exhausted. Or maybe I'm Fatigued, I can never keep straight which one is worse."

BTW, it was nice chatting with you at the airport. Great way to spend the time waiting for your flight.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Anyone see Hal? How is he doing?