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What The World Needs Now Is More Gaming Conventions
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<blockquote data-quote="MNblockhead" data-source="post: 7717953" data-attributes="member: 6796661"><p>I enjoy smaller, local Conventions. Con of the North is great, because it is in town, I can go for two of the three days without taking time off for work. I can even work around family events by registering for evening events and still get a lot of gaming time. The merchant sections are pretty lame, but some of the local game stores use the convention to get rid of slow-moving stock, so you can get some good discounts. </p><p></p><p>Mainly I go to play new games and, as someone who is always the DM, it is nice to play some 5e as a player. </p><p></p><p>I do find the desire for (1) more local conventions and (2) better GMs to be at odds. Not because local GMs are going to be bad. All GenCon GMs are local GMs in their home towns. But if you raise the bar too high, you are not going to have enough GMs. Without GMs running games, you don't have a gaming convention. </p><p></p><p>I've thought of getting some friends together and GMing enough games that we can get our own side room at Con of the North. But it is already difficult to make the commitment with so many other responsibilities, that I've not taken the jump yet. If I had to go through the kind of vetting process discussed in this thread, I wouldn't even think of trying. </p><p></p><p>It seems we want professional GMs without having to pay the extra cost that would be necessary to offer perks or pay to attract them. At the same time, while I strongly believe that the paid GM model would work great for on-line VTT games and some in-person events, I'm not sure how well it would work at a convention. I worry that the heightened expectations of players that have to pay the extra registration or event-ticket fees would lead to an insufferable level of entitlement at the table. </p><p></p><p>I go to my local Con to meet other hobbyists and have a good time. It is rare that a GM is so bad that I can't have a good time. I can't think of a single time that I had a GM so bad that I would rather not have played. It is like teachers—part of the secret of finding a good instructor is to be a good student. </p><p></p><p>I argue that we should be using local Cons to support fledgling game masters, which in turn will grow and deepen the local gaming community. Instead of trying to get the most experienced GMs to run games, give incentives to new GMs and have your experienced GMs join as players and give feedback. The experienced GMs will likely appreciate the opportunity to be players for once.</p><p></p><p>I would go so far as to say that the local Con should have a program where they give free admission to any GM running at least one game, who has never GM'd at a Con before. Perhaps have a program pairing new GMs with experience co-GMs. Have the newbie GM do most of the work with the co-GM there to help make rulings so that the new GM doesn't have to waste time looking up rules when he or she is stuck. The co-GM could also play the NPCs (see, e.g., the Dragon Friends podcast). </p><p></p><p>Giving GMs experience, constructive feedback, and support will go much further towards increasing the number of quality GMs than a credentialing bureaucracy.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="MNblockhead, post: 7717953, member: 6796661"] I enjoy smaller, local Conventions. Con of the North is great, because it is in town, I can go for two of the three days without taking time off for work. I can even work around family events by registering for evening events and still get a lot of gaming time. The merchant sections are pretty lame, but some of the local game stores use the convention to get rid of slow-moving stock, so you can get some good discounts. Mainly I go to play new games and, as someone who is always the DM, it is nice to play some 5e as a player. I do find the desire for (1) more local conventions and (2) better GMs to be at odds. Not because local GMs are going to be bad. All GenCon GMs are local GMs in their home towns. But if you raise the bar too high, you are not going to have enough GMs. Without GMs running games, you don't have a gaming convention. I've thought of getting some friends together and GMing enough games that we can get our own side room at Con of the North. But it is already difficult to make the commitment with so many other responsibilities, that I've not taken the jump yet. If I had to go through the kind of vetting process discussed in this thread, I wouldn't even think of trying. It seems we want professional GMs without having to pay the extra cost that would be necessary to offer perks or pay to attract them. At the same time, while I strongly believe that the paid GM model would work great for on-line VTT games and some in-person events, I'm not sure how well it would work at a convention. I worry that the heightened expectations of players that have to pay the extra registration or event-ticket fees would lead to an insufferable level of entitlement at the table. I go to my local Con to meet other hobbyists and have a good time. It is rare that a GM is so bad that I can't have a good time. I can't think of a single time that I had a GM so bad that I would rather not have played. It is like teachers—part of the secret of finding a good instructor is to be a good student. I argue that we should be using local Cons to support fledgling game masters, which in turn will grow and deepen the local gaming community. Instead of trying to get the most experienced GMs to run games, give incentives to new GMs and have your experienced GMs join as players and give feedback. The experienced GMs will likely appreciate the opportunity to be players for once. I would go so far as to say that the local Con should have a program where they give free admission to any GM running at least one game, who has never GM'd at a Con before. Perhaps have a program pairing new GMs with experience co-GMs. Have the newbie GM do most of the work with the co-GM there to help make rulings so that the new GM doesn't have to waste time looking up rules when he or she is stuck. The co-GM could also play the NPCs (see, e.g., the Dragon Friends podcast). Giving GMs experience, constructive feedback, and support will go much further towards increasing the number of quality GMs than a credentialing bureaucracy. [/QUOTE]
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