Tell Me About GENCON...

[Dominic]

Make sure and check out the Forums on the GenCon website. Lots of good info on hotels, games, and other events.

Make time for the RAM, a local Brew Pub. I have never seen a restaraunt go all out for GenCon like these guys. Last year my friends and I ended up there at about 11 PM. The place was packed with games, and instead of the local sports channel on the bar TV's they were showing Monty Python! Awesome. They also have a room set aside for open gaming.

Make time for the Dealers room and the Art show, and only carry the minimum, number of books.

Have Fun.

 

[Desdichado]

Ah, GenCon. The four days a year when I'm not only not in the top one percentile of geekdom, I'm somewhere close to the bottom.

I got that feedback from some friends of mine who went to Origins last year; they've never felt so cool, so beautiful, or so thin in their lives.

 

[Rel]

I am one of the folks thinking about trying to go to GenCon this year with Old One. So far the advice in this thread has been VERY helpful and I hope it continues.

Just to drive home one point made by Old One, I've never been to GenCon and, until I became an ENWorlder, I never cared about going. Honestly seeing the vendor floor and the art galleries and so forth is probably pretty neat but it was never neat enough to draw me up there from here in North Carolina. But ever since I've been a member here and read all the cool stories about folks meeting up to game and socialize at GenCon I've been getting an ever-increasing desire to go. This has only been made more urgent by all the cool folks from here that I've met at the NC Game Days.

So I'm thinking that this might well be the year that I finally make it. But I find myself not really caring if I play in a single "official" game. I'm more of the mindset of Buttercup that I'd just as soon play almost exclusively in games run by other ENWorlders or to run games myself for other ENWorlders.

I doubt that this would radically change any of the advice given thus far in this thread but I figured that clarifying where I was coming from might help to guide that advice a bit.

 

[MrFilthyIke]

But I find myself not really caring if I play in a single "official" game. I'm more of the mindset of Buttercup that I'd just as soon play almost exclusively in games run by other ENWorlders or to run games myself for other ENWorlders.

A good mindset indeed. I liked joing the RPGA games, but lately I go mainly to shop, and just absorb dorkiness. BTW, will ENWorld have a booth w/ badges again??

 

[Buttercup]

I am one of the folks thinking about trying to go to GenCon this year with Old One.

:bounces up and down in her seat: Oh! Oh! Please go to GenCon! I've wanted to meet you for years now. It'll be fun, you'll see!

 

[The_Universe]

Embassy Suites has a free breakfast buffet and happy hour every day, which can save you a bundle if you're a big eater and not too picky. If you're a foodie though, skip it because the vittles are mediocre at best. I strongly recommend staying close by rather than miles away. There are more than enough hotel rooms in walking distance from the convention center that this should be no problem.

Which hotels (if anyone remembers) are connected to the convention center by skywalk?

 

[francisca]

Which hotels (if anyone remembers) are connected to the convention center by skywalk?

Westin, Marriot, Hyatt for sure. Dunno about the rest. Check out the forums at www.gencon.com for way more info that you need

 

[Buttercup]

Westin, Marriot, Hyatt for sure.

Embassy is, but you have to go through the mall. It's about twice as many steps to go through the skywalk as it is to go out on the street, but of course if it's raining that hardly matters.

 

[Rel]

:bounces up and down in her seat: Oh! Oh! Please go to GenCon! I've wanted to meet you for years now. It'll be fun, you'll see!

*blushes and looks behind him to see who Buttercup is REALLY talking about*

Uh, me?

 

[MrFilthyIke]

Which hotels (if anyone remembers) are connected to the convention center by skywalk?

Well, according to http://www.indy.org there is a map of downtown.

It appears that Marriott, Westin, Hyatt Regency, Canterbury, Omni Severin, Crowne Plaza, and Embassy Suites all are connected by Skywalks. Courtyard by Marriott is next to the Con center, but no skywalk. Both Hampton Inn, Hilton, and Radisson are within an EASY two-block walk.

Also, Circle Centre Mall is nice, with a good food court and decent shop (if you're into the "mall thing").