What attracts you to Game Days?

[Jeph]

At various points in the three NC game days I've taken part in all of the above, and it's all been great fun. (Not that I actually won anything...) So, all of the above!

--Jeff

 

[buzz]

It'd be interesting if I could make this poll ask people to rank everything in order of importance.

One reason for the poll is that, in the wrap-up of the Chicago Game Day thread, someone mentioned that they showed up, but didn't end up participating, because there weren't games they were interested in with open slots, namely, not enough D&D games.

Leaving aside the socializing, does one type of event appeal more than others? I get the impression that people who have posted seek out new and different games, but at actual Game Days I feel like most people are looking for events that are more "comfortable," i.e., D&D.

 

[evileeyore]

I go to experiance games I have never seen before.

I found Warhammer 40k, Castle Falkenstein, and Fading Suns to name a few I like. Countless others that I can now avoid for having seen them without anyone I know wasting money on it.

 

[Rel]

Leaving aside the socializing, does one type of event appeal more than others? I get the impression that people who have posted seek out new and different games, but at actual Game Days I feel like most people are looking for events that are more "comfortable," i.e., D&D.

My experience runs counter to this, especially as the NC Game Days have gone into the latter iterations.

At the first NC Game Day, I'd say that at least half and maybe the majority of the games were fairly typical D&D games. At NC Game Day II, I'd say it was probably slightly under half. At NC Game Day III, there was not a single "standard" D&D game in sight (let me qualify this by saying that I'm talking strictly about the ENWorld events - we teamed up with a local con group who we shared space with but sort of did their own thing. They had several RPGA games going that were Living Greyhawk). Henry's Arcana Unearthed game was probably about as close as it got.

One conclusion that one might draw from this is that GM's prefer to RUN other types of games but players may or may not desire to play in them, preferring to stick with D&D. But the ENWorld players attending our last game day had that option and I don't thing many, if any, availed themselves of it. The Living Greyhawk games being run were open to them and I don't think the ENWorlders bit.

After the event, I talked with the guy who organizes things for Trinocon (the group we teamed up with) about how there was little crossover between the ENWorlders and Trinocon folks when it came to the RPG's. I noted to him that it seemed there was a tendency among the ENWorlders to want to "try something different" at Game Days and not to have much desire to play in a typical D&D game. We're going to try and mix things up a bit at the next one.

I, for one, wouldn't mind playing in a D&D game at Game Day. The ones I've seen run there have all looked fun and interesting and most of the games I've run (3 of 4 sessions that I've GMed) at the Game Days have been D&D (abeit with some twists). I'm probably going to start the "Official NCGDIV Thread" tomorrow so we'll see if the trend continues.