What brings you to Con?

[Jeff Wilder]

Off the top of my head:

(1) I'm a geek and I (generally) enjoy being around other geeks.

(2) I like playing games I can't play at home, due to time or interest level.

(3) I actually enjoy playing RPGs with strangers. When it sucks, it sucks, but when you get a table of good, fun players and a good, fun GM, it's four or five hours of awesome. It's nice to not know what to expect from a player.

(4) I love seeing the newest of the new, when it comes to gaming merch.

(5) I have friends that I met at GenCon -- one literally 25 years ago -- that I still see every year at GenCon and only very occasionally see otherwise, due to geography.

(6) When I was into DDM, and (long ago) Magic, I enjoyed the much larger pool of competition.

(7) By the end of GenCon, I'm completely out of my "work-work-work-work-work-weekend" rut, which is nice.

All that said, I wish GenCon specifically would move to Las Vegas. (Seriously.)

 

[Oryan77]

I don't like the sort of ugliness these types of games tend to induce in other people.

I've never been to a Con before and I don't know if I will ever go; but what kind of ugly things do people do in these games? I would imagine that people would be respectful and a bit reserved when playing with strangers. But then again, I've met a lot of gamers in my area and I guess I wouldn't be surprised if they acted bad at a Con game. I'm curious to know how people act in these games, and is it a common occurrence?

Maybe I should start going just to watch these people acting like idiots

 

[Steel_Wind]

I've never been to a Con before and I don't know if I will ever go; but what kind of ugly things do people do in these games? I would imagine that people would be respectful and a bit reserved when playing with strangers. But then again, I've met a lot of gamers in my area and I guess I wouldn't be surprised if they acted bad at a Con game. I'm curious to know how people act in these games, and is it a common occurrence?

Maybe I should start going just to watch these people acting like idiots

Ryan - it's hit and miss because of the very large number of people and widely divergent age groups. I have not had many bad experiences - but ask me after this coming Gencon. I'm running 8 slots of Pathfinder.

You really should make some time and set aside some money to go to Gencon. It's quite an experience and I am SURE you would enjoy it.

 

[grodog]

With this being said what brings you out to a con to play? Do you come out for the prizes? Want to play somewhere other than with your local group? To meet new people?

I've been attending gaming cons since ~1980 and have attended very small ones (North TX Gaming Con and GaryCon among others), medium ones (DunDraCon and many of the old East Coast regional cons in the NE), and big ones (GenCon, Origins, DragonCon). In general, I look for several things from a con I'm attending:

• a wide variety of games to play: one of the primary reasons I attend cons is to sample new games, either in dealer demos or actual play sessions
• to see people I know, meet people in person I've only known online, and otherwise network
• in particular at larger cons, I try to play games I don't get to play much at home: our crew is pretty much 1e AD&D only, so if I want to play some Ars Magica, Paranoia, Blue Planet, Fading Suns, Kult, and other such stuff, a con's my best chance
• compete in tournaments: generally RPGs aren't about "winning" but in tourneys they are, so I enjoy that, in particular when there are fun prizes coupled with good, multi-round scenarios
• buying game stuff, whether via a dealers hall with both new vendors and OOP vendors, or in auctions/auction stores/flea markets: cons are often great places to pick up games I've been looking for a long time, or to get that new game that your FLGS have never heard of and will never order for you
• meet and greet with game designers/publishers/authors, get books/games signed, etc.: it's always nice to be able to shake the hand of someone who's brought you so many hours of enjoyment and to thank them for that

 

[Oryan77]

Ryan - it's hit and miss because of the very large number of people and widely divergent age groups. I have not had many bad experiences - but ask me after this coming Gencon. I'm running 8 slots of Pathfinder.

You really should make some time and set aside some money to go to Gencon. It's quite an experience and I am SURE you would enjoy it.

Now that I think about it, I am entertained just by watching people play D&D. Even if I didn't play in any games, just watching might be enough fun for me. I could probably learn a lot just being at a Con. I'd rather go with some friends though. I'm not sure if that's possible. But my wife does want to go to a Con just to check it out. Who knows.

Is a Con anything like going to a concert...I need to get drunk to make the experience that much better?
I'm kidding.

 

[Herschel]

I go just to go and remind myself I'm not that big of a geek.

I do really feel geek-light at Gen Con, which is the one I go to. I like the Dealer Room, I used to do DDM and am going to try out Con RPGA this year. I hate long lines and unwashed freaks like many, but otherwise really like people and meeting persons from as many places as there are on the planet. So I guess:

+ See stuff, new and old (and some of it MUST BE MINE!)
+ Meet new people, see ones from before and eat at different places (yes, I spend fairly freely at area restaurants. I'm on vacation, dangit, I'm not living on granola bars and fast food! Show me steaks and sushi!)
+Play games I might not otherwise and possibly aquire them too.

 

[Greg K]

Honestly, nothing brings me to con to play. I have a gaming group and see no reason to pay to play at a con.

What brings me to my local con is the dealer room and flea market area. Shopping pass was $5 for the day to access the dealer room, but no play priveledges. Lately, the shopper's badge has been free which benefits the dealers (One reason I despised Gen Con So. Cal before it shut down was that there was no discounted admission for shopper's badge. You had to pay full admission).

 

[TheYeti1775]

I think the Dealer room is the biggiest draw for me.
Followed closely by Intro games, especially for systems I'm not familar with and not willing to take the big $$ drop for something I'm not sure I'll like or not.

The RPGA games don't mean anything for me as a non-member, but as was said competitive gaming isn't my thing.
I have participated in a few of the live action rp's with my group all signing up together.

Besides where else are ya going to find hot gamer chicks:
DragonCon in Atlanta (think these were 2003):