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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TheLibrarian" data-source="post: 8520924" data-attributes="member: 7027009">If you've never been, I'd certainly say it’s something every gamer should experience at least one in their life. If you do go, go with a group. I’ve been solo on rare occasions and I always have a better time when I can hang w/ friends.The rest of this post is just an old grognard b!tching, complaining, and back-in-my-daying. Take it with a block of salt lick. I debated on whether or not to even post it. But it’s another perspective… which may or may not be helpful. <img class="smilie smilie--emoji" alt="😊" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f60a.png" title="Smiling face with smiling eyes    :blush:" data-shortname=":blush:" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" />I've been asking this question myself over the last couple of years and I'm slowly inching toward: No.With the exception of the most recent Plague Years and a few years here and there, I've been going to Gen Con since the 90s. I'm increasingly finding it not as enjoyable as I used to and just plain stressful. From the Hotel Hunger Games to Games Registration Hunger Games to finding parking/transportation Hunger Games if I didn’t get a downtown hotel to navigating the hallways and exhibit hall... It feels like: Work.The exhibit hall is more of a pain than a pleasure. Even if I want to talk to a manufacturer or designer or artist/author… It’s really hard. The crush of the crowd makes it difficult to stop and look at things, let alone get in close to talk w/ anyone or hear them.It’s also really expensive. I've spent less for flights and a boutique hotel in Vegas, for longer periods of time, than I spend on three or four days of just lodging for Gen Con.The last several years there also seems to be more socio-political drama around aspects of the show. The pronouns thing seems like it will be this year’s issue. (I truly don't care one way or the other.) Maybe this has always been present and I just haven’t noticed it. Whatever the case, I have less patience for it. There just seems to always be an “it” to contend.  (Which is not to say that the issues that are raised aren’t important or to be dismissive of them. They’re just not things I want to deal with around or on my vacation. I don’t involve myself with them, but for whatever reason I’m also not able to tune them out. I’ll fully admit that’s a Me Problem.)Lastly, and I guess this is the big one for me… Someone above mentioned that it doesn’t feel very friendly anymore. Its not exactly unfriendly. It used to feel like I was part of a family. Now I just kinda feel like I’m part of crowd. And I’m glad the show and the hobby has grown. There’s so much going on at the show (and they’re all truly wonderful) that I’m having a bit of a hard time finding my tribe these days. (Again, that’s a Me Problem as I get older.)I'll go back to my rocking chair on the porch now.</blockquote>

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