Open Complaint to Peter Adkison

[Ds Da Man]

Well, this was my first Gencon, and I'll have to say it wasn't all that great. I don't know what I was expecting, but that wasn't it. Maybe it would've been more interesting if 3.0 had just come out, but other then that, whoopee!!! Spend 23 bucks for one day, unless prereg, to look at thw same stuff as on the internet, and play some games? Then add that horrible line! All I can say is....................................................................................
........................................................... SIGN ME UP FOR NEXT YEAR!

By the way, I signed at the EN World booth, and didn't see many others. I did get to see Morris and RangerWickett. Cool felons...er...fellows i mean!

edited for clarity - Henry

 

[daTim]

I have to agree with the previous people about writting things down. I worked in retail (walmart) for awhile, and when the system goes down we just pull out paper and write it all down, taking people with cash , then checks, then writting down CC#'s with dates. Just seperate people with the different tenders into different lines to speed things up. Later just call in the credit card numbers, or do it right there if you are that stingey. The credit card companies want the money as badly as you do, so they were always eager to help. Thinking on your feet like that gets you recognition. People did it for thousands of years and it worked great, now people think its impossible to work without computers.

 

[woodelf]

Wow! ...and to think that my wife and I were going to try and save enough money to attend sometime over the next 2-3 years, ...if GenCon is still around.

Actually, we most likely will, but we will pre-register as foreseen here, bring folding stools and lots of water, hopefully the washroom issue will have been resolved by then

Or go to Origins. It also has new management (as of last year?), and is definitely on the way up. And the whole thing was a universally-wonderful experience. (Even when i got chewed out for breaking a rule, they were professional and courteous and listened to my side.) After more than a decade fo GenCons, and not truly enjoying it since TSR folded, i was pleasantly suprised at how fun Origins was. I just plain enjoyed it, and had no complaints. It's been at least 6 years since i had no complaints about Gen Con.

 

[woodelf]

c) sneak in with stealth skills (I would have tried this - there are always lots of opportunities to do sneak into a large venue with lots of crowds)

Actually, it wouldn't have taken much in the way of "stealth" skills. They weren't checking badges anywhere i went except the dealer's room. A couple of times, i realized i'd been on site for several hours, running games usually, and forgotten to put my badge on. While, in theory, you're only supposed to let people with badges play in games, it never even occurred to me to check that those handing me valid tickets also had valid badges--other than our Dread games, i don't even remember whether or not anybody had a badge on in any of our games. And there was certanily no staff making even cursory checks of game events. Ditto for admission to seminars and the art show. Getting into the dealer room would've been fairly tricky (it *was* well-watched, with vigilant people who actually stopped you if they couldn't see your badge), but probably doable.

 

[Pielorinho]

Getting into the dealer room would've been fairly tricky (it *was* well-watched, with vigilant people who actually stopped you if they couldn't see your badge), but probably doable.

Not too hard with an accomplice -- there were doors to workers' corridors (i.e., nonpublic corridors) that only opened outward, but which weren't being watched by anyone, as I discovered by mistake.

Er, was that my out-loud voice?

Daniel

 

[reapersaurus]

Just a convenient link over to PA's official response thread:
http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58754

 

[Vanye]

I can understand that it's a small core staff. However, and this is something I'll keep harping on until I'm corrected, WE, the fans, we told that because Milwaukee is so small, crowded, etc.. that it was going to a bigger and BETTER place.

The place was. The event staff and registration, wasn't. Don't get them confused.

IMO, this was the best GenCon, from a location point of view, that I've been to. I've been to the last six, including this one. The convention center itself was better, the organization was better, the sheer amount of room was better....just the registration (event and badge) was not.

 

[dorin]

I didn't get to preregister, but turned up on Friday night just before closing and got my and two friends' badges in half and hour. I had considered just going to my hotel and queuing the following morning, which would have been a terrible decision.

 

[Stone Angel]

Yeah after waiting in line for about two hours I finally got to the front presented my money, and they said "Uh it's locked up go to him." So I went to him and he said his was locked up also so he got some tech support guy. He said "You just have to wait, no don't do that. Trust me I know computers I built 'em." To which I replied " Heh not very ****in well huh." He then muttered something about this computer and walked off. Then I waited another five minutes and I told them I wasn't giving them any money (cash) 'till I saw my badge with my name on it.

Hopefully..Surely they will do much better multiple lines, more printers more servers, and more man power just to get in past that it was one of the best times I ever had.

The Seraph of Earth and Stone