So Qt3ers, how many of y’all are thinking of hitting up GenCon 2018 in Indianapolis this year?
The three buddies I went with last year are going again, and maybe bringing a fifth, so looks like I’m in and probably driving again. We’re hoping to snag a downtown hotel room, but no idea how that’ll go till February. If so, I hope it’ll be easier to meet and hang out with folks–last year I was in such a panicked rush the whole time!
Like last year, I’m planning to run several sessions using Fate Core. My understanding is that I can possibly hold seats/spots for people I’m friends with on the GenCon website, so as we get closer to event-choosing day, if you’re interested in playing with me, let me know.
Possible sessions this year include (I’ll probably choose 3-4 of these so that I have time to play in 3-4 other sessions, as well):
The Final Performance of the Hellknights of the Underdark (feat. Deathrone Ascendancy) - A heavy metal action-comedy game in the vein of Metalocalypse wherein the titular Hellknights, the biggest metal band in the world, prepare for their climactic concert and last chance to ascend to godhood. . . but something’s fishy with their opening act. Oh, and they all kind of want to kill each other.
Minor League Evil - A medium-power super"hero" session wherein players take on the role of enrollees at Infamy Incorporated, the largest supervillain training program in the world. The infamous Council of Hate has disappeared, so it’s up to these third-string nobodies to ensure that evil gets done. There’s banks to rob, citizens to terrorize, and gems to steal! @Vesper played this with me last year :-D
Legend of Eternal Fantasia - FInal Tale: Chapter Zero “She Fell From the Sky” - A JRPG pastiche comedy-action game featuring the downtrodden conquered Holy City of Revalia, lorded over by the cruel steampunk Anarxos Empire, whose massive aerofortress, Zereg, hovers grimly over the city. The players take on the role of revolutionaries roped into helping a mysterious girl who fell from the sky. . .
The Haunting of Sturmfell Manor - Sort of a reverse Betrayal at House on the Hill, players take on the role of the ghosts of a family murdered there decades ago. A new family have just moved in, but they do not realize the manor is cursed by a terrible demonic presence. It’s up to the ghosts, barely able to remember who they are, to scare the new tenants out before the manor claims them, too.
LOADPROG CONSCIOUSNESS_COMPUTATION.BAT - A brilliant computer scientist believes she’s cracked the secret of true AI aboard the next-generation supercarrier USS Gates. Fearful of being shut down, she seeds the components of consciousness into five subsystems of the TACCOM-X supercomputer. Players band together and seek sapience while evading virus scans, previous failed AIs, and more!
The Watertown Horror Book Club’s Very Bad Night - The young members of the Watertown Horror Book Club love the Bone Chillers series and are eagerly awaiting their big Bone Chillers-themed Halloween bash leading straight into the annual Scholarly Book Fair at school. But when horrific accidents and bizarre creatures straight out of their beloved books start showing up in real life, it’s up to them to investigate. . .
TBH, I could use some help narrowing down the selections for this year, if anyone’s interested!
But moreover, who the heck is going? What are you most excited about? Do we wanna try to schedule a Qt3 meetup for dinner or something, maybe Wednesday night?
Since 2003, yeah! I do wish I could have made it out when it was still a TSR/WotC show, but I guess they’ve got Origins now. That generally leaves Paizo as the big title sponsor these days, and if we’re being honest, I am just completely burnt out on Pathfinder/Starfinder :(
Nice! It was great to get to meet you and your brother alike, man. I did feel bad about making him run all the way across the con to turn in that ticket, though :(
My older son and I went last year for the first time in seven years (our last GenCon was 2010) and had a lot of fun. We only did Saturday, and felt a little overwhelmed at points. This year he plans to return with his gaming group buddies (yes, I did my duty to nerdkind and raised a nice video game loving, PnP gaming, geek culture immersed IT Pro kid) for the full 4-day experience. That leaves me solo. I do have a friend who goes every year, so I may team up with him and do a single day badge again. I had a lot of fun, saw and played some cool games, and realized how much I missed the old days of 4-day stints roaming the dealer hall, playing games, collecting swag and looking for bargains in the auction store.
On the other hand, I didn’t miss the $300 hotel bill (and that’s after splitting the room), $100 badge cost, paying for meals for 4 days and CON FUNK. ;-)
I live here, so my fiancee and I go every year. I’m game to meet up and do some boardgaming at some point. I don’t really do any events I just browse around the dealer hall then check out gaming tables and play what I’ve bought. I have a stupid amount of games from the last two years that haven’t really been played though that I need to whip out.
Pshaw! We got it down to $150 last year by splitting the room four ways and staying 7 miles away from downtown! And mandatory showers from our group at least. EASY!
Nah, I feel ya. It seems like the kinda pace I can’t keep up forever, but for now, while I can, I wanna make up for lost time and hit it up as much as possible!
Leave at least 1-hour gaps in your schedule for meals every few hours. The food at the convention center restaurants is awful, so you’ll wanna make it out to the big blocked off area on the street outside they’ll have the food trucks setup in. . . except so will a couple thousand other people, so it’ll take time.
Definitely bring snacks along, too. The machines are stupid overpriced.
And yeah, breaks are good. Very good. Says the guy with a jam-packed schedule all con long.
Use GenCon to do stuff you normally wouldn’t get to do at home! I try to play in funkier RPGs that aren’t as favored in the community I hang out with in Raleigh for the most part, for instance. The selection IS huge, but there’s so much variety. . .
Workshops and seminars can be super cool. There was a group doing sushi making lessons last year! How neat is that? You even got to keep/eat what you made.
My schedule, for those who might want to try to pop into some of the games (bold is stuff I’m GMing):
Thursday 10AM - (RPG - Fate Core) Minor League Evil (RPG18130219)
02PM - Food Break @ Food Trucks
03PM - (RPG - Savage Wworlds ) The Night the Lights Went Out in NOLA (RPG18135376)
07PM - Food Break @ Food Trucks
08PM - (RPG - AGE) A Muse-ical Adventure (RPG18135423)
Friday 10AM - (RPG - Fate Core) The Final Performance of the Hellknights of the Underdark (feat Deathrone Ascendancy) (RPG18130239)
02PM - (RPG - Mutants & Masterminds) Chaos in Promise City (RPG18130866)
06PM - Food Break @ Food Trucks
07PM - 5-Minute Dungeon (BGM18131245)
08PM - (RPG - Daedalus) A Hunting We Will Go (RPG18130593)
Saturday
08AM - (RPG - Luchador: Way of the Mask) They Stole Grandma’s Brain (RPG18129581)
12PM - Food Break @ Food Trucks
02PM - (RPG - DCC) Throttle Down Death Match (RPG18128656)
06PM - Food Break @ Food Trucks 08PM - (RPG - Fate) The Watertown Horror Book Club’s Very Bad Night (RPG18130934)
I’m not going to Gencon but my Spidey sense tingled and I sensed that someone dropped a Tom Waits mention in the forum, so I was drawn in as if gazing at Isildur’s Bane.
I’ve never gotten an opportunity to play D&D 5th edition (or any edition). I’ve been DMing a campaign for a year and a half now - I’d love to try at least one session on the other side of the table.
As for how to keep your voice healthy… good luck, mine’s completely shot after DMing one game :)
