AGP Gen Con Report

jamesmishler · Post by **jamesmishler** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 4:06 am

(Crossposted from my game blog)

I finally got back from Gen Con Indy today. The plan was that we'd be home last night, but we discovered about halfway home that we were just waaaay too tired to drive all the way through. Deciding discretion was the better part of valor, we stayed the night in Rockford (actually, at the Red Roof Inn where I usually stay during RockCon/DorkStock).

I will post more details about the show as I recall them, as everything is still quite a blur. It was for me the most unusual Gen Con ever, as it was the first time ever that I spent the vast majority of my time running games rather than either playing games or working in a booth.

I ran three three-hour sessions each day, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. 7 to 12, 1 to 4, and 4 to 7. Of the nine games, only two were less than full, IIRC (one session only two of the six pre-registered players showed up, and another had only five). One session went over on the count, the last on Saturday, and I ended up with a table of eight rather than six players.

Fun was had by all, some quite enthusiastically. Several folks I know only from the Web and subscriptions (Omote and Stormqueen, hello!) played in my games, and in one session I was honored with the presence of long-time game industry guru Scott Haring and his lovely (and fun) family.

The vast majority of the players had never played Castles & Crusades before, but most had played 3E, AD&D, or one of the earlier editions or variants, so start-up was quite easy really. No one ever got to the end-game of the adventure, and some only got one or two rooms in, depending on how careful they were and how much fun we were having.

I definitely learned that next year there is no way I'll run three per day. One four-hour session per day, maybe only on two days. And 9 am to 1 pm, which will give me time to work in the booth in the afternoon.

I had all of slightly less than two hours in the exhibit hall before Sunday; I blazed through once on Friday and once on Saturday, in between sessions. On Sunday I got to run around quickly, and discovered that the only two items I REALLY wanted, the Monsterpocalypse Starter Set and the Pathfinder Beta Rulebook, had both sold out earlier (the Beta on Thursday, so I hear). (I also heard that they only brought 300 copies of the Beta. WTF? A little sign saying "Sold Out: You can buy this online at Paizo.com" is NOT a substitute for alpha gamers bringing the book home from Gen Con and sharing it with their groups... but that's a rant for another time). Otherwise, I was rather uninterested in most things I saw, though that may well be due to the fact that I had less than four minutes to spare per booth. And when I was bumping into someone I hadn't seen in months or years every other aisle, that time-per-booth ratio declined dramatically...

End result was that I returned home with the least amount of stuff since the very first Gen Con I attended (1983: I returned home that year with a small sheaf of computer-generated character stats for D&D, $0.10 per sheet, and I bought 10 sheets. That year I was simply paralyzed with indecision, so many choices there were for someone who had never been at a con before). This year I bought myself a handful of dice from Lou Zocchi at Gamescience (it was his last show before retirement), a copy of GameNight by Jonny Nexus (I've heard really good things about it, and can't wait to read it), and Kobold Quarterly #6 (looks real good). I also scored a copy of Tales of the Chi-Town 'Burbs from the hands of Kevin Siembieda himself, and of course one of each new Troll Lord Games item (Crusader #11 (with an article from yours truly), Gord the Rogue: Saga of Old City, Castle Zagyg 2: The Upper Works, StarSiege: Event Horizon, and Towers of Adventure). I haven't had a chance to read anything yet, though; when I was not driving in the car I was sleeping, which shows how truly exhausted I was.

I also bought a Monsterpocalypse Monster Booster (no Godzilla-like fig, though, dammit, just two UltraDefenders, one with a missing arm no less!) and two T-shirts for Jodi: one with Captain Spaulding from House of 1,000 Corpses/Devil's Rejects and another with Godzilla.

I got to see all sorts of friends, old and new, and some of them I even got to talk with briefly in the rush! Jon Hershberger, Harley Stroh, Wolfgang Bauer, Joe Goodman, Breakdaddy, MacBain, Jeff Talanian, Kim Hartsfield, Robin Laws, Stormqueen, Terheyt, Phil Lacefield, Omote, Joyce and Mike Greenholdt, Chris Clark, Ken Hite, Calye Shovan (aka Amara Wintersword), Alan Lawson, and others who have been lost in the mists whirling about my brain. Frankly, it was quite friends and industry-light this year, as I missed the Diana Jones Awards this year, spent so little time in the exhibit hall, and no time in the gaming halls (save the RPG rooms at the Hyatt and Union Station).

It was a very good show, altogether, though it still does not feel like Gen Con, as I was so isolated in the Hyatt (except for that one session AAAAALLL the way down at Union Station. Sheesh).

The goals now are to get caught up on sleep, punch out another PDF for web sales by the end of the week, and finish up the Southern Reaches Gazetteer by the end of the month. Oh, and find that silly intern of mine, for putting everything on sale on DriveThruRPG and RPGNow. I wonder if he did something that caused their crash? Any which way, the sale will continue through the end of the month, so get those PDFs on the cheap while you can. I'm changing all the passwords so Woody can't cause trouble anymore...

Oh, also, I know there are copies of the 2008 Wilderlands Jam left, but as I had my hands full when leaving the show, I was unable to take those with me (there wasn't any room left in the car, either). The Trolls will ship those to me in the next week or so, and once I determine what is left, subscribers will be able to buy copies. After subscribers have had a chance to buy them, then whatever is left, if anything, will be offered to the general public.
_________________
James Mishler

Main Man, Adventure Games Publishing
jamesagp1@gmail.com
http://adventuregamespublishing.blogspot.com/
http://jamesmishler.blogspot.com

Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 10:17 pm

I seriously doubt it was only 300, Lisa Stevens said they sold way more of Beta then they have of anything before, by 200% (IE twice as much as anything ever before). So you being an ex industry insider would likely have a pretty good guess as to how many sold. IF you have a good guess let me know what it is.

Wish I had been there to play in your games. Hopefully next year.

Glad you made it home safely, now get a few hours of sleep and get back to work!
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Tadhg · Post by **Tadhg** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 6:42 pm

Almost missed this. Thanks for that report, James. Heh, it sounds like you had a FULL and complete weekend. I hope to get the chance to go someday.

_________________
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"Enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!" ~ Gary Gygax

"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:" - Macbeth

Deogolf · Post by **Deogolf** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:52 pm

Sounds like fun! I'm hoping to be there next year. If all goes well, Jim Holloway and I will be manning a booth - all depends on how things progress over the next 9 months or so. Eeeeek!
Thanks for the report, James! Guess I'll have to get in on some of the games at LGGC V this next summer!
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jamesmishler · Post by **jamesmishler** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 11:49 pm

Well, ideally I'll be attending RockCon in Rockford, Illinois at the end of October. Anyone who is able to attend and wants to play in a Wilderlands C&C game let me know. Generally it is a very relaxing show where I just hang out with friends and play board games, but if anyone wants to play C&C, I'll be happy to run.

I should note that Jim Ward and Tom Wham will also be there as guests of the show...

I'll know if a few weeks whether or not I'll be there...
_________________
James Mishler

Main Man, Adventure Games Publishing
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http://adventuregamespublishing.blogspot.com/
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Tadhg · Post by **Tadhg** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:13 am

jamesmishler wrote:
Well, ideally I'll be attending RockCon in Rockford, Illinois at the end of October. Anyone who is able to attend and wants to play in a Wilderlands C&C game let me know. Generally it is a very relaxing show where I just hang out with friends and play board games, but if anyone wants to play C&C, I'll be happy to run.

I should note that Jim Ward and Tom Wham will also be there as guests of the show...

I'll know if a few weeks whether or not I'll be there...

Hmmm, very interesting. About 2 hours from me.

Since there won't be a Winter Dark CON in LG, I might be able to budget this CON.

We'll see how it goes this fall.

And, heck yeah, I'd love to play in your C&C game, James.

_________________
Count Rhuveinus - Lejendary Keeper of Castle Franqueforte

"Enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!" ~ Gary Gygax

"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:" - Macbeth

seskis281 · Post by **seskis281** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:58 am

Damn! Not only close by but my wife's brother and family just moved there! But...

Damn... I am directing and opening The Rocky Horror Show at the end of October. Ah well...

Mayhaps James will make it to Fire & Ice in Manitowoc next spring -

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jamesmishler · Post by **jamesmishler** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 3:24 am

seskis281 wrote:
Mayhaps James will make it to Fire & Ice in Manitowoc next spring.

That's the plan... though as noted above, even RockCon is kind of iffy right now. They are closing Jodi's plant in September, so we've both been scrambling to find jobs. If something doesn't turn up soon, we'll have to look further afield, even out of Wisconsin... and then all bets are off as to where I'll be for "local" conventions!
_________________
James Mishler

Main Man, Adventure Games Publishing
jamesagp1@gmail.com
http://adventuregamespublishing.blogspot.com/
http://jamesmishler.blogspot.com

Tadhg · Post by **Tadhg** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 12:51 am

Guys . . a thought for RockCON next year . . I posted a while ago in the other conventions forum and no-one responded . . Deogolf or Jeffery St. Clair or anyone else in our area. Probably because they don't look in that forum, heh I hardly do.

Anyway, I know Jim Ward said it was great this year as he and Tom Wham went.

And now . . . Frank Mentzer has moved to Rockford and told me he would most likely attend the next one.

Anyway, if James is still interested in trying to make the next RockCON, I could contact everyone to see if we can get a good group of players.

And hopefully most of us will have a chance to talk about this in March at the GaryCON or at the LGGC V

_________________
Count Rhuveinus - Lejendary Keeper of Castle Franqueforte

"Enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!" ~ Gary Gygax

"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:" - Macbeth

Tadhg · Post by **Tadhg** » Fri Dec 05, 2008 12:53 am

jamesmishler wrote:
That's the plan... though as noted above, even RockCon is kind of iffy right now. They are closing Jodi's plant in September, so we've both been scrambling to find jobs. If something doesn't turn up soon, we'll have to look further afield, even out of Wisconsin... and then all bets are off as to where I'll be for "local" conventions!

Btw, how are things going (if you don't mind my asking)? Gas prices are down, but jobs and the economy and on shaky ground. I hope you guys are hanging in there!!!

_________________
Count Rhuveinus - Lejendary Keeper of Castle Franqueforte

"Enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!" ~ Gary Gygax

"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:" - Macbeth