What was your first gaming convention and what stood out about it?

[EricNoah]

My first was a GenCon in Milwaukee just before Baldur's Gate came out. I had been following its development pretty religiously, and getting to play a demo was very rewarding. I don't remember much else about it, except I think seeing the guy who played Q sitting at a table, waiting for people to pay his handler for an autograph. Except there was no one in line. I wasn't there, really, for D&D or roleplaying purposes.

The next one I went to was in 2000, the year 3rd Edition came out. I think the first two "Eric Noah's Unofficial Blah Blah Blah" fans I met there were Joel Flank and Henry. I met Piratecat the next day.

I also got to go to the DM's boot camp (that's where I met PC) and got my PHB a day early.

 

[der_kluge]

The first one I ever attended was in Fayetteville, Arkansas called Razorbattles. I don't think Razorbattles is in operation anymore, but they used to run a fairly decent, albeit small convention.

It was right after I moved to NW Arkansas. I went to it the first year I was there mostly as just a spectator; i.e., I didn't register or anything like that. The two things that stick out the most were wakling into the hotel, and seeing a TINATH (teen in a top hat) with a walking cane in full gothic splendor engaged in some sort of LARP game. I thought he looked ridiculous. Then I made my way into the staging area for said LARP game, and some guy next to me said, in all seriousness, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning." I'm like "that's great!" and left.

It was '98, I believe.

Next year, I actually registered (lords know why), and had a great time. I ended up meeting some really great guys there who I gamed with, and what turned into one of the best gaming groups I ever had. I still try to keep in contact with a few of them, but we've all since scattered to the four winds. I recall running a most excellent Al-Qadim game there the following year.

Eventually one of the organizers was arrested on pedophilia charges, and I think that pretty much ended Razorbattles.

 

[Umbran]

Dependsupon what you call a "gaming convention". For "pure" gaming conventions, the only one's I've ever been to are Intercons - larp gaming conventions. If you include sci-fi conventions that also have quite a bit of gaming, there's more candidates...

 

[Infernal Teddy]

Mine was the twice a year gaming night at the local university, back in oh, 1991 I think. What was special? It was the only con for at least 100 Kilometers...

These days, it's fusioned with the gaming club founded in 2002, it's a 48 hours spectacular (fri 7 pm till sunday 7 pm), and I help run it...

 

[brehobit]

My first con was Gen Con back in, I think, 1983. We went down for one day, managed to get tickets for the Fez tournament (lines were long back then), and had a blast. It was one of the last couple times Gen Con was at UW-Parkside.

Wow. Very similar. My first Con was GenCon in '82. I was 11 and only went for one day. Played the Fez tourney. Did it poorly, but had a lot of fun. Still can't believe my father was willing to drive me there (2+ hour drive each way). People mostly put up with playing with a 11 year-old.

Interesting side note, when I was around 14 was the first (and only) time an older guy hit on me (I didn't figure it out until years later and I'm still not sure, but when sex creeps into a conversation between a 20 year-old and a 14-year old who have only known each other for 10 minutes....)

Mark

 

[Animus]

Good thread.

My first con was MichiCon in July 2005 held at a local community college. I was there strictly for RPGA gaming. It was fun, but not that memorable. The next local con I went to in October, Pandemonium Fury at a local game store, I had a blast playing, DM'ing, and meeting new people. That convinced me that cons have a great potential for fun.

 

[Infernal Teddy]

Interesting side note, when I was around 14 was the first (and only) time an older guy hit on me (I didn't figure it out until years later and I'm still not sure, but when sex creeps into a conversation between a 20 year-old and a 14-year old who have only known each other for 10 minutes....)

That counts as spooky as hell...

 

[S. Baldrick]

Conduit 1992 in Salt Lake City. A friend of mine was running security at the time and his girlfriend (now wife) was running ops. I worked on the security staff but I still had a great time.

 

[Steel_Wind]

I think the first would have been Halcon IV in Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1981. Held at St, Mary's University.

It was really not a gaming convention so much as it was a Sci Fi convention. It had a dealer room and that's where I bought Arm's Law, on the large thick parchment-style tables that came with the first edition of it. I still have them and used them for 20 years.

First "Gaming convention", would have been Pandemonium, 1984 or 1985 in Toronto. Held in the Ryerson Cafeteria/ Student Union Building.

The AD&D open that year was a lot of fun. Very shared experience thing going on with 30 other tables or so playing it in the same room.

They've pushed Pandemonium around all over the place since those years, mostly in a lot of area hotels recently. Despite the overcrowding, I preferred Panda when it was held at Ryerson.

I was at Gencon in 1997, last year for it at Mecca as it turns out I think. It almost didn't happen at all as TSR was going under that year. WotC came in and saved the day that summer and there was a cool gig by the Violent Femmes in the street outside Mecca the first night.

We all remember drinking and watching the Violent Femmes sing their "one good song" (they have five - I like the band) and thinking warm thoughts of WotC and Peter Adkinson.

We enjoyed ourselves and drank a lot - but one guy in our group was so absolutely BLOTTOED and was so hungover that missed all of his gaming sessions the next day.

Only Gencon I've been to. I got married again, as it were, and that stopped that. I do need to go again. 2007 is looking very good for me and Gencon and I'll bring the wife .

 

[brehobit]

That counts as spooky as hell...

Yeah. It took me a while to realize what had probably been happening there. I think the guy was trolling for boys. Just a little note that at Cons you _do_ need to keep track of your young teens. Or at least trust them (and tell them) to not get into cars etc. with folks they just met.

Mark