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Gen Con 2014

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19 Aug 2014 13:56 #185368 by dream spawn
Replied by dream spawn on topic Re: Gen Con 2014

bryce0lynch wrote:

Shellhead wrote: The NRA had a big event at the same convention center earlier this year, with approximately 70,000 in attendance. That might be the upper limit for a convention in Indianapolis, in terms of available hotel capacity in the area. The Indy 500 has even higher attendance, but that's a one-day event and also not at the convention center.


"In the Area" being the operative phrase. There's lots of hotel room but not all of it is connected to the ICC, obviously. There was a big thread about this on the GenCon forums. The results were that Indy is the best place if you want the con "tight" with hotel space and still leverage the midwest people density.

GenCon has had a shuttle bus program the last couple of years. I think they had one in Milwaukee as well for a few years? It looks like they are thinking ahead and trying to work out the growth kinks before they hit hard.


The shuttle program is a good idea, but from the threads on BGG and the Gen Con forums, it was not well executed this year. Lots of people left stranded on the curb because the bus filled up, or the one that was supposed to be there broke down and there was no replacement.

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19 Aug 2014 14:00 #185370 by Legomancer
Replied by Legomancer on topic Re: Gen Con 2014
My GC report (copied from my blog):

This weekend I went to Gen Con, the hugenormous gaming convention in Indianapolis. I flew into Champaign and rode there with Dave T., who was a veteran.

It was…it was somewhat overwhelming. Crowded, noisy, confusing (I’m not sure how they were able to compress the 8-dimensional structure that is the Indianapolis Convention Center on to a 2-dimensional surface for the map of it), it was often more than I could handle and I frequently migrated out into the hallways to find some semblance of quiet. It’s all relative, though, since the hallways were where “wacky” shenanigans were usually taking place.

Not having been before, I imagined it as Unity Games writ large, with a dealer’s room attached. That was not completely accurate, as playing games (other than in paid-for sessions) wasn’t easy to do. I had bought tickets for the pick-up-and-play room, but that seemed more like folks just playing the games they’d bought with their friends instead of a social thing. Even so, the amount of noise and crowd and chaos had me in full-on new person panic mode for most of the time.

This isn’t to say I didn’t have a good time. I liked wandering through the vendor’s hall, looking at stuff, demoing games, buying some, and often just watching people demoing games. I met up with some friends from online there, and even saw local pal TJ, who I hadn’t seen in ages but got to say hey to in a different time zone. I played some social games that normally I don’t really do too much of and had a good time.

Here’s a comprehensive list of what I played (P), demoed (D), bought (B), and otherwise there.

Imperial Settlers (B/P) – This was the game I was most eagerly awaiting. Designed by Ignacy Trzewiczek, it’s a sort of stripped-down and streamlined version of 51st State/The New Era, which I love. I had pre-ordered it and picked up my copy there. Played a two-player version with a guy I met there and we both really liked it. I especially liked that I had an engine going early and it looked like it would be a runaway victory for me, but then his kicked in and he zoomed past me. It’s got some great art design and is a lot of fun. It plays quicker than New Era, the theme is lighter and more readily graspable, and it’s far easier to teach and learn, so even though I prefer the more complex game this is a good one to have at hand.

The Battle at Kemble’s Cascade (B/P) – I grabbed this one first thing because I was afraid it would quickly sell out (I don’t think it did). It’s a board game based on a (nonexistent) shoot-em-up arcade game and looked completely new and different. It wasn’t on a lot of folks’ watch lists for the con, and I didn’t see it being demoed or played too much. Dave and I both bought it and we played his copy Sunday night after we got back. It’s good, and it’s neat, but I’m kind of on the fence. It just didn’t get as exciting as I hoped it would, and as I think it should have been for its theme. I’ll need to give it more plays.

Star Realms (B/P) – I’d heard a lot about this little deckbuilder game, but it’s been sold out everywhere. They had a booth at the con, so I bought it from them. It’s a lot of fun and packs a lot of play into a small box. The iOS app has finally been approved, and even though it’s kind of sketchy, I think this will get a lot of play.

Relic (P) – This was one of the game sessions I bought a ticket for in advance. It’s essentially a Warhammer 40k version of Talisman, an old 80s game I love. It’s very much like its predecessor except with some nice twists. I like Talisman, but it isn’t one that gets any play anymore, so this was a chance to revisit it and I was glad to do so. Unfortunately there isn’t much point in me buying Relic, as I already own Talisman and it never leaves the shelf.

Space Cadets Dice Duel (D) – I was hoping to demo something else at this booth (I don’t remember what) but ended up trying this instead. It’s one of those frenetic dice games with everyone rolling dice and yelling simultaneously and it didn’t do anything for me.

Pandemic: Contagion (P) – Z-Man is turning Pandemic into a big franchise and this is one of the spinoffs, a non-cooperative game in which you play the part of viruses. IT wasn’t bad, and I’d play again, but I didn’t see a need to own it. (Also, it came in a clear plastic bag that said “Biohazard” and come on, guys, most of us were going to fly home.)

Galactic Strike Force (P) – This game, by the guys who made Sentinels of the Multiverse, was kind of a hot mess, and it didn’t help that the representative teaching it to us was just kind of winging rules at us, so none of us knew what we were doing or what was going on.

The Witcher Adventure Game (D) – This almost counts as a play, since even though it was truncated, the rest of the game would have just been more of the same. The other game I registered for in advance, it was also by Ignacy Trzewiczek. Unfortunately it fell completely flat for me (and, I think, the other guys playing). Just a big, dull snoozer of a game, with very little going on that was interesting and most conflict being provided by a deck of “foul fate” cards spitting out garbage on all the players. It was still in beta, so maybe they’re going to pump it up, so the final version might be better. For instance, in the final version, players may not be attacked, as I was, by a “Rouge”.

Funemployed! (P) – this is a social/party game, of the Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity type. One person is hiring for a job (Pirate, Psychic, Game Show Host) and the others have cards they have to incorporate into their interview. My shining moment involved a simultaneous play of the cards “moist” and “cougars”. It was a lot of fun and hilarious, but not the sort of game I look to play too often, so no buy for me.

Cypher (B, P) – AEG had a huge hit with Love Letter, so now “microgames” are all the rage. This is a new one from them, with a cyberpunk theme. I bought it not knowing anything about it because it was cheap and small (I was concerned about luggage space at this point). Dave and I played it and it’s not bad, but would probably work better with more people. Still, not sure I’d play it over other games of its type.

Equinox (D) – I wanted to demo Impulse by Asmadi, but to do so you had to pay to go to their demo area, which was bullshit. Instead, at their booth, they were demoing Equinox, which didn’t seem too interesting, and every time I saw people trying it out, no one was saying a word during it, which didn’t bode well for me. I eventually gave it a try and yeah, it’s just dull.

BraveRats/R (P, sort of B) – Speaking of Love Letter, its designer has funneled its success into getting pretty much everything else he’s ever done published. R is a two-player microgame of the same bent which is being published as BraveRats in the US. At their booth you could play BraveRats against them and, if you won, win a copy of R. I won, got a copy of R, and didn’t see the need to supplement it with the American version. It’s not too bad.

Draco Magi (D) – I’ve backed this on Kickstarter and should be getting my copy soon, but one booth had it for demos. I tried it out and while I was again not sure what I was accomplishing (once more, not a great teacher), I saw enough that I’m looking forward to getting my copy.

Battle Merchants (P) – Gil Hova is a designer I follow on Twitter, and Battle Merchants is a game he just got published through Minion Games and Kickstarter. He was a great guy and I was eager to try out his game. Guys, it’s really good, and I regret not getting a copy there (I was out of luggage space at this point) but I will be picking it up soon. It’s a game in which fantasy races are battling but you don’t care who beats who because you’re an arms merchant selling them all weapons. You can even arm both sides of the same battle with no problem. Dave and I played against Gil and both liked it (Dave bought a copy.) Check this one out. We also playtested another design of his, Prime Time. It’s still in progress and needs work, but there’s a lot of potential there.

But Wait, There’s More! (P) – Another social/party game, this time you’re pitching products with spurious features. In our game we were in teams, and one person would start the pitch and then say, “but wait! there’s more!” and the other would take over. Neither one knew what the other was going to do. Again, a ton of fun, but I just don’t get the occasion to play these sorts of games. It is currently available for backing on Kickstarter.

Star Wars: Empire Vs. Rebellion (P) – Dave bought this one and neither of us had heard of it. Turns out it’s a re-do of CIA Vs. KGB, which is a game I already own and like. The rules are a touch different, but it’s still essentially the same game and looks nice. I’m happy with the version I already have, though.

Zeppelin Attack (P) – This is another one Dave bought. It’s a small deckbuilder with a sort of steampunk theme. It does some different stuff with the mechanism and the art was gorgeous. We had already left by the time I played this, but if we hadn’t I would have probably bought a copy myself.

Other transactions I made: Bought Boss Monster and Coup, neither of which I’ve played, because both were cheap and small. There was a good price on Eight-Minute Empires: Legends, which I have played, so I got a copy of that. In the math trade I picked up Thunderstone: Numenara, Ground Floor, and Lost Valley: The Yukon Gold Rush (I gave up Manhattan Project, Invaders, and Firefly). I also had bought Arctic Scavengers off someone in an auction.

I had a lot of fun at GenCon, but it was a bit too much for me in a lot of ways. I’m not sure I’m up for another trip, but I’m glad I tried it out.
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19 Aug 2014 14:34 #185374 by charlest
Replied by charlest on topic Re: Gen Con 2014
Paying for the game library just to sit and play games is a huge waste of money. I played a ton at Gen Con (probably around 12 full games) and did so in the board game room without paying a dime. It was very easy to snag a table.
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19 Aug 2014 15:57 #185386 by Gary Sax
Replied by Gary Sax on topic Re: Gen Con 2014
Nice report!

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19 Aug 2014 16:10 #185390 by Legomancer
Replied by Legomancer on topic Re: Gen Con 2014
"huge waste of money" is probably the summation of my time. I had a good time and some fun, but it was totally not worth what I spent.

Also, I can now go for the rest of my life without seeing another fucking nerd costume. Here were the top cosplay things:

1) gears glued to a hat
2) probably some anime nonsense
3) minimal effort deadpool
4) yet another goddam harley quinn

Honestly, though, I'd describe most of the cosplayers as dressing up like cosplayers, which is understandable, since nerdery itself is defined as "being a fan of being a fan of things". And apparently no costume is complete until it at least triples the amount of space this person needs to take up as he shuffles around.

That was maddening for me: being in an aisle and wanting to walk, while everyone else had other plans. Lopey-assed foot-draggers, people just stopping in the middle of an aisle, luggage carts and giant backpacks, people wanting to hold up an entire aisle to take a photo of some woman's tits, and such.

Christ, I'm thinking of all the fucking Deadpools again and getting all het up.
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19 Aug 2014 16:39 #185394 by Shellhead
Replied by Shellhead on topic Re: Gen Con 2014
I had forgotten about the challenge of simply walking around at GenCon. It wasn't an issue at my first GenCon, when it was still a relatively small gathering and the only cosplayer was the guy playing the bagpipes each morning. But by the time GenCon was in Milwaukee, cosplaying had become a big thing, and the general crowd levels were almost overwhelming by Saturday each year. Lots of standing and waiting, elbowing, dodging, and even holding your breath by day 3 due to poor hygiene. It was like a slow-motion mosh pit in the Great Hall of Shopping. The last couple of years in Milwaukee were also plagued by long lines for the escalators, which would also sometimes break down and become substandard staircases.

The worst year was around 2000 or so, when Legend of the Five Rings was super-popular and staged massive tournaments with participants wearing small clan flags mounted on posts on their backs. Collectively, the L5R players added an extra and substantial degree of misery to navigating crowded public spaces.

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19 Aug 2014 17:03 #185400 by wadenels
Replied by wadenels on topic Re: Gen Con 2014

Legomancer wrote: Bought Boss Monster and Coup, neither of which I’ve played, because both were cheap and small. There was a good price on Eight-Minute Empires: Legends, which I have played, so I got a copy of that. In the math trade I picked up Thunderstone: Numenara, Ground Floor, and Lost Valley: The Yukon Gold Rush (I gave up Manhattan Project, Invaders, and Firefly). I also had bought Arctic Scavengers off someone in an auction.


As far as I've noticed I'm the only person around here who plays Ground Floor and suggests it as a worker-placement Euro that both doesn't suck and has a theme that works.

It's a game where things start to click about halfway through, so the 2nd game is better than the first and so on after that.

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