Gen Con Community

My first Gencon, two years ago, I was told not to overdo my schedule. I did anyway and had a great time. IMO, why hang out at a bar with your friends when you can hang out and roleplay? So much better imo...

Having said that, I've booked time in the dealerhall and also checking out costumes on Saturday, so everything isn't 100% scheduled with games.

And two years ago, I stayed up too late one night playing "Are you a Werewolf" (oops), so I had to miss a game in the afternoon... I was exhausted.

That's the thing, if you overbook you can always cancel something, if you book nothing, there is always something to do (you could probably spend a week doing demos in the dealer hall) but it may not be exactly what you want. 

 I have one game scheduled for Wednesday night, three on Thursday, two RPGs and one seminar on Friday,and one RPG & seminar on Saturday....'scheduled' time for shopping, too

I don't schedule anything.  For me, Gencon is about seeing old gaming friends, since I don't live in Indy anymore... 

Don't get me wrong, I am in a game of some sort usually 80% of the con, just not scheduled.  My friends and I will enter pick up games, start our own somewhere, or, just whip out a few packs of Magic cards and play that for a while.  For me, it's all about seeing people I only get to see once per year...

S.

As others have said, I completely overscheduled my first GenCon. I game myself time for meals but, by Saturday, I was burned out. This time, I'm at a 50-50 mix between scheduled events and free time. I'm even keeping Thursday morning open so I can try the exhibition hall on the first day. Madness, but in a good way.

My Gencons tend to be pretty heavily scheduled as I am generally running a lot of games for the Dead Games Society--about 7 this year, along with trying to make sure our annual Old School Wednesday events go off without a hitch, then there is making sure all the DGS GMs gets their GM badge, know the routine for tickets to their event and have their swag to hand out. Otherwise, I try to take things easy. Save time in the morning for some coffee, and some time on Saturday to relax with a cigar after finishing my GMing marathon. And somewhere in there, still make it through the dealers hall and meet friends I have not seen since last Gencon.

 Very, very scheduled.

 

Thursday, I've got 3 RPGA LFR games. Running for 10 hours, playing for 5. 

Friday and Saturday , I've once again got 3 RPGA LFR games, Running for 10 hours, playing for five - then True Dungeon for 2 hours after that - ending at 2am. (Whole day is 7.30am-2am - both days)

Sunday, I've only got 1 RPGA LFR game, Running for 5 hours, then going to have a quick walk around the  dealer hall before I have to head to the airport and fly back to Australia.

 

 

For me, it's about doing as much as I can in the short time I've got and make the most of the airfare. 

 

I've got the Monday for Six Flags, Tuesday and Wednesday for seeing the GCUN and KFG and doing somegaming with the later. I've also got those days for the sleeping~ So Friday-Saturday will be pretty big days :P

Fully

I am not scheduled for anything at all. Normally I do but I haven't been able to Attend GenCon since 2008 because of financial reasons and I thought it wasn't going to happen again this year but after doing some checking I figured out I can pull it off and found a good deal room on priceline last minute. So I just decided about a week ago I would be going so I didn't even have time to pre register or anything.

 Although even when I did know I'm going I never planned anything. In my experience the events I do plan for usually get cancelled or moved and then it's conflicting with something else I want to do. So I usually just load up on Generic tickets. Hit games I want to play in because there is usually an open spot or two and then refund whatever tickets I don't use at the end. I'm usually in the exhibition hall running around getting stamps from vendors. :-D

Since I don't have alot of spending money this year, I book more events and less dealer hall time. My Wednesday is just the Stink and dinner at Fogo. Thursday is opening ceremonies, TD 101, and Carnival of the Damned. Friday is all day Star Wars mini's event that Blade Runner is running. Saturday is some dealer hall, wench lunch, TD, and costume contest. Sunday is last minute shopping and winding down.

Kyaria:

Since I don't have alot of spending money this year, I book more events and less dealer hall time. My Wednesday is just the Stink and dinner at Fogo. Thursday is opening ceremonies, TD 101, and Carnival of the Damned. Friday is all day Star Wars mini's event that Blade Runner is running. Saturday is some dealer hall, wench lunch, TD, and costume contest. Sunday is last minute shopping and winding down.

At least you have good taste in your scheduling Kyaria!

 Very lightly for me.  I found in past years when I scheduled heavily I ended up going to almost none of the events, and I kind of felt bad about that.  So now I only register for those few "must have" events.  I find I can't schedule when I run into a friend randomly and we go off to have lunch together.  If I'm bored, I'll go to the paint and take or wander the hall.  I almost inevitably run into someone I know, and that's what GenCon has become for me, one big party.  Also, there are a lot of parties. It's more about socializing than gaming to me at this point.

VERY!!!

Thurs - Sat 8am - 10pm everday day is full, any random events that may happen afterwards, meals/parties. Hopefully some Wed KFG games, and most of Sunday in the dealer hall as well.

I would say I'm moderately booked, but have something I can do at any time.  I try to book things that I can't possibly get at home - in this case, several miniature painting classes and one chainmail class.  The late night chainmail classes are always a blast.  After that, I pick some times that I can hit the dealer hall, The RAM, and Scotty's.  Afterwards, backfill all remaining time with Privateer's Iron Arena.

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 In the past, we only scheduled lunch - making certain to hit the Spaghetti Factory, PF Chang's, Alcatraz and the Ram before they got overrun.

This year, averaging three events a day.   Frankly, it was the ease of the new registration system that caused the change.

I'm seeing fewer of the free spirits who just wander the con looking for a game, confident that one will appear.  That's always kind of been something Nascrag counted on, with our "We Love Generics!" philosophy.  The point is to build our player base and keep infusing fresh blood.  Sometimes I think we should just go to a pre-reg only footing.  Then at least we'd know exactly how many judges we need.

 Of course, maybe those wanderers just aren't on the Forums.

 Not at all.

 

I never schedule, I just look and see what I might want to do, and the end up either playing in games that take generics or wandering the dealer's hall and sampling games while seeing friends all weekend.

 

I used to wander and try to find things to do. most of the time I ended up in the Dealer Hall looking at things and buying random things I didn't need and kicking myself after GC for missing that one "awesome event everyone went to" This year I have booked a bunch of fun events to test out. I would like to do more rpg's, larps, and minis games but i'm very inexperienced and don't know where to start first.

Kyaria:

I would like to do more rpg's, larps, and minis games but i'm very inexperienced and don't know where to start first.

:-) Well, Nascrag is your logical starting point, of course.

NascragMan:

Kyaria:

I would like to do more rpg's, larps, and minis games but i'm very inexperienced and don't know where to start first.

:-) Well, Nascrag is your logical starting point, of course.

 

DEpending on the times, availability, and my funds I may stop by. I'm broke until GC so will have to purchase on site.

 If i am running(gming) i try to schedule as much as poss.  If just playing (like 2 yrs ago), i leave myself 1-2 slots open to just wander.