What Makes a Convention Game Great?

[Vigilance]

I think one thing that makes Con games great is adventures by guys named Chuck. At least I always thought so

Chuck

 

[Matchstick]

This is a little tangential to the topic, so I hope you'll forgive me. But I've never been to a gaming con. I've always thought that playing a game with a bunch of total strangers would be, well, not much fun. I don't like the idea of having no control over who I'm playing with. But from the descriptions of most games at Gen Con, it sounds like my assumptions may be way off. Is it the element of surprise that makes these games so much fun?

I'm also wondering: does Gen Con offer 'adults only' games? I don't mean in the sense of sexuality or profanity allowed; I mean games during daytime hours that only allow adults to play, even if the game itself is perfectly innocuous. I'd be more comfortable sitting at a table full of tarantulas than a table full of kids, so the concern about having to share my time with children is a big deterrent to me in trying out con gaming experiences. Do there tend to be a lot of kids at the game tables?

For the most part I don't do any of the paid games. They seem much more variable in quality than the EN games that I sign up for (and I think most of the really positive comments you read on this board about games are about EN games). I'm also wary of gaming with strangers, but comfortable gaming with ENWorlders despite them being "strangers". There's at least some connection there. Someone like you might find ENWorld games as being a good alternative to the regular con games for similar reasons.

Another option might be to attend a "Game Day" like the one in NC. You would be around a much more limited number of folks and in a much less harried atmosphere. Getting to know those folks might in turn help out at something like GenCon, as you would know some people there already.

Hope that helps!

 

[Matchstick]

One thing I've found: The more complex the system, aim for lower-level characters. If you have lots of sub-systems to try, aim for a one-shot with, say, 1st to 4th level characters, rather than 6th to 12th. If the game is pretty familiar to people, then you can think about higher level.

In general, I try not to build a character with more than five or six abilities that are non-standard or complicated, and use that as my guide to what level they should be. If it were something like Grim Tales, anyone familiar with d20 modern is familiar with 75% of the rules there. For Mutants and Masterminds, my PL 10 pre-gens would have three or four powers, not an array of ten different ones necessarily.

On the other hand, my Spycraft demo had the characters at 5th level, just outside of the 6th level feats, for a total of about six or 8 things they could do, and one or two of those intentionally pretty straight-laced, like lightning reflexes or similar. A good game should ideally be attractive at any level of play, from 1st to whatever, from green characters to experienced ones, so lower level shouldn't be a burden.

That's a great extension of the "Less is More" parameter Henry, thanks! I hadn't really thought about it in that light, but most likely this wouldn't effect the game in any huge way, but the players would have less to worry about. Great points.

 

[fett527]

Well, this thread has inspired me. Next year at GenCon I'm going to run four games.

Two will be Feng Shui, high calibre action movie blowing-the-crap-out-of-things for people who want glorious cinematic destruction.

The other two will be run by KidCthulhu and I acting as co-DMs, and I think will be something I've never tried before: the whole D&D party as highly competent and experienced con-men who actually have a chance to put one over on the NPCs. Could be glorious, could be an unmitigated disaster, and with the right group we expect to be scrambling as they totally out-maneuver us... I can't wait!

Can I sign up now? I'm not missing playing in a game you run next year damnit.

 

[Piratecat]

I've never been to a gaming con. I've always thought that playing a game with a bunch of total strangers would be, well, not much fun.

For me, it's definitely the opposite. New players bring new ways of playing and new jokes to the table, and it's rare that I don't walk away from a con table thinking "wow! I can;t believe that happened!" (For this year's easiest example, I point towards Xath et al in Crothian's Paranoia game. The game play was brilliant, and I learned that EN Worlders are sneakier and more treacherous than I am!) This is also the best chance to try new game systems that you'd never play in your home campaign.

Sure, there will be one or two players at any given table who are less active than the rest, but many of my best friends (both at EN world and without) are people I met over a gaming table at cons. I can't recommend it enough; just get contact info for folks who you really get along well with, so you can hang out with them again in the future.

I'm also wondering: does Gen Con offer 'adults only' games?

I've had a lot of fun in games with younger players (I've also had some disasters), but I've never been in an EN World game with a player of younger than college age. Most folks are in their 20's-40's.

 

[Kheti sa-Menik]

I think one thing that makes Con games great is adventures by guys named Chuck. At least I always thought so

Chuck

Charles, you were at Gencon? And I didn't know? Man, after all the props I sent out to Blood and Vigilance, I didn't even get a heads up.... *grumble*
hehehe

(I'm the guy that heckled for more B&V support and was hounding you on the RPGobjects board bout questions relating to B&V)

Did you run a B&V game? Anything D20 Modern-ish?

 

[Bubbalicious]

Well, this thread has inspired me. Next year at GenCon I'm going to run four games.

Two will be Feng Shui, high calibre action movie blowing-the-crap-out-of-things for people who want glorious cinematic destruction.

The other two will be run by KidCthulhu and I acting as co-DMs, and I think will be something I've never tried before: the whole D&D party as highly competent and experienced con-men who actually have a chance to put one over on the NPCs. Could be glorious, could be an unmitigated disaster, and with the right group we expect to be scrambling as they totally out-maneuver us... I can't wait!

I'm so there for the Con man game!! Is it too early to sign up now???

 

[sniffles]

This is also the best chance to try new game systems that you'd never play in your home campaign.

That's a good point. There are a lot of things I want to try that my gaming group aren't interested in.

I've had a lot of fun in games with younger players (I've also had some disasters), but I've never been in an EN World game with a player of younger than college age. Most folks are in their 20's-40's.

It's almost a phobia thing with me - I am extremely uncomfortable around children. Well, children in the chronological sense. Most of the people I know are just big kids in 40-year-old bodies.

 

[Piratecat]

Bumped for great justice! And for Digital M@ and Nellisir. But mostly for great justice.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Well, this thread has inspired me. Next year at GenCon I'm going to run four games. Two will be Feng Shui. The other two will be run by KidCthulhu and I acting as co-DMs.

Harrumph.

-Hyp.