Who Goes to Cons These Days?

[Stormonu]

Back about 89', I attended my first gaming convention at Coastcon on the Mississippi Coast. At the time, I literally only had enough money to get into the door of the con. It was a fabulous, mind-blowing thing that lasted three days (Fri/Sat/Sun) and, it turns out, was the peak year for the Con.

As the years have drifted on, that yearly convention has been dying off, though I still find myself drawn to it every year (until this year; last year was REALLY disappointing). I've only attended two other cons - the glad-it-died SAGA in New Orleans and Dragoncon in Atlanta.

My brother and I have been discussing going to another con other than Coastcon this year - possibly Mobicon or back to Dragoncon, and I was curious how many other folks these days were going to gaming conventions - and what they thought of those cons.

 

[Chainsaw]

I've never been to a convention before, but will be headed to NTRPG Con in Texas this June for some OD&D and 1E action. I don't get to play those games much anymore (the Charlotte old school community is almost non-existent) and there will be a few special guests as well. Should be fun.

 

[Wicht]

The wife and I went to Gen-Con about seven years ago and enjoyed it.

We took the kids to Origins last year and had a good time. Origins is very family friendly and has a nice variety of gaming options, including board games. We did Pathfinder Society games but also learned Song of Blades and Heroes (easy to learn, small skirmish miniature game) and got turned onto Ticket To Ride. Finances permitting, we are planning on going as a family to Origins again this year.

 

[Dedekind]

I've done GenCon twice and I have two conflicting views on it.

1) The scale is unimaginable. Everything to buy, everything to play, and everyone to see is there. 4 days seems like a long time, but it is not enough.

2) A budget conscience person would go nuts. The con registration and stuff isn't crazy, but everything else can get expensive (hotel, food, beer, RPG materials).* The best approach is to treat it like a vacation. It was cheaper than the cruise I went on

It is the RPG thing to do in a given year and I would recommend anyone do it at least once. But you will spend as much as you spent on vacation.

* Caveat: There are low cost options, but the typical/most awesome experience is staying in the Westin, eating at the downtown restaurants, and doing pick-up games in the middle of everything.

 

[Crothian]

I go to Origins and Gen Con every year. The more times you go the less you need to see. There are things that were great to do one year but once I've done them they are not something I want to do again like True Dungeon. After years of doing both it has become more about seeing friends that also go to the cons and gaming with them then about the actual cons themselves.

 

[Ebonyr]

I went to Gencon in 2007, which was my first con ever. It was mind-blowing as the previous poster said. I hoping to go back this year.

 

[Chrono22]

I go to GenCon every year. Since I live in Indianapolis, it's far far less expensive than getting a hotel room. I can just take the bus to get there and home each day if I want to avoid the 20$ event parking too.

And yeah, all the events, games, and merchandise is enough to make a budget-conscious person go crazy.

 

[ForceUser]

San Diego ComicCon. Mindblowingly large. RPG stuff happens there too.

 

[Vegepygmy]

In the 80's I lived in L.A. and went to OrcCon every year. It was always a great experience, though I noticed a definite decline as time went on.

For the last 4-5 years, I've attended KublaCon. Frankly, it sucks. They use some kind of "shuffler" system that's supposed to ensure everyone gets into at least one event (or at least has a decent chance of getting into one); in 4-5 years, I've never gotten into a single event. Instead, I wind up playing RPGA games, which are okay, but a steady diet of them blows.

The last year or two I've seriously considered not going, but I like getting away from the wife and kids once a year for a weekend of male bonding and alcohol abuse, even if the gaming disappoints me.

 

[Mark]

I first went to Gencon in the mid-seventies and there weren't many to go to back then. I hit about four cons a year now, Gencon, GaryCon, Conception, and Little Wars, plus a handful of local gamedays, the Chicago EN World Gameday being the most regular one at three times per year for the last eight years. I'd like to be able to make time for about one convention or gameday a month. I've never been to an Origins and would love to add that to the yearly roster.