Who's going to GenCon

[Esau Cairn]

I wonder though... Does that full-body tiger outfit in the second row qualify as a "mask" for covid prevention purposes?

Um... Does it work as a mask? Let's ask Tony: "It's greeeeeeeat!"

(I'll show myself to the door.)

 

[Umbran]

I know that I'll be anxious about going into the dealer hall any time near when the doors open, because there historically has always been a huge crowd like this there. But I imagine with proper masking and avoidance of large groups, it should be safe.

Given that the entire thing is happening indoors, I don't think "avoidance of large groups" is really an option.

When they talk about risk from exposure, that "exposure" is from one person, for under 15 minutes. A convention is spending the entire day, indoors, with hundreds or thousands of people sharing the space. With Delta, such that even a vaccinated person who feels okay can transmit it? No, I don't expect that can be called safe. It sounds like a super-spreader event, to me.

Everyone gets to make their own risk assessment. This is mine. It includes not only risk to myself, but to anyone I might pass the disease to, like say, my wife.

 

[CubicsRube]

Touche.

Anyway, I'm up for running a 4-hour slot, if I can find four players who can agree on a time.

What are you going to run?

 

[RangerWickett]

What are you going to run?

I've got a quick D&D 5e adventure where the four PCs are paladins of different gods who stumble upon the same call to adventure at the same time, and have to navigate how to smite evil when their gods disagree on what the meaning of evil is.

SMITE EVIL (Thur 4pm, D&D 5E, pregens provided, 0/4 players). GM - RangerWickett. Four paladins of different gods stumble across the same call to adventure and have to work together while working out their differences in how their gods want them to smite evil.

 

[Retreater]

Given that the entire thing is happening indoors, I don't think "avoidance of large groups" is really an option.

When they talk about risk from exposure, that "exposure" is from one person, for under 15 minutes. A convention is spending the entire day, indoors, with hundreds or thousands of people sharing the space. With Delta, such that even a vaccinated person who feels okay can transmit it? No, I don't expect that can be called safe. It sounds like a super-spreader event, to me.

Everyone gets to make their own risk assessment. This is mine. It includes not only risk to myself, but to anyone I might pass the disease to, like say, my wife.

I'm basing my willingness to go to GaryCon off how GenCon goes. If GenCon ends up being a super-spreader event of the worst magnitude, I'll cancel my GaryCon plans.

 

[RangerWickett]

I might be getting overly ambitious, but I'm using the first post in this thread to try to encourage people to run games for their fellow EN Worlders who are in attendance.

 

[ART!]

For the record, the current Gen Con 2021 COVID safety precautions are:

• Mask wearing at Gen Con will be required at all times while indoors or in crowded outdoor areas for all Gen Con attendees, exhibitors, event organizers, and staff.
• Reduced capacity to approximately 60% of normal size
• Increased spacing for all gaming tables in event areas
• Nightly closure of the convention center from midnight to 7 am for cleaning and sanitizing
• New hospital-grade air filtration systems at the convention center
• Contactless doors, faucets, and restrooms at the convention center
• Increased hand sanitizing stations
• More outdoor activations*
  
  * (I don't know what this means)

I live just an hour away, and the cost of my badge and accommodations are not coming out of my pocket, so if i decide I don't feel good about the safety, I can cancel at any time. I am very, very grateful for this, and I genuinely feel for the anyone who lives further away and/or has already forked out a bunch of $$ to attend, and may yet have to change their plans.

 

[Esau Cairn]

New hospital-grade air filtration systems at the convention center

Due to the cost of such systems, I am both curious and a little skeptical about how much public information is available concerning this. It is a simple thing to claim, but equally simple to back up if it's true.

A player and long-time friend works at a trauma center where they had medical HEPA/Germ-filters installed to the tune of more than $60k for about 10-12k sqft.

 

[dragoner]

No, living here, I can say we are handling the epidemic poorly, our hospitals are almost full.

 

[RangerWickett]

I'm in Atlanta, and Dragon*Con is happening right now. I will definitely be paying attention to the outcome.