Back from Gencon

[ffutures]

Gencon was big but a bit frustrating; they don't allow non-dealers to sell stuff, so I wasn't able to raise any money for charity that way (though someone did give me £20 for Cancer Research UK out of the blue), and my seminar (on copyright and other problems when you base games on books etc.) had an audience of three. I gather some other seminars had similarly low numbers. I tried to run a game without going through the system (which costs players money) and had my advert taken down by the organizers.

Having said that, I enjoyed most of it, met a few friends, had a fairly nice meal on the con committee, and played in a fun GURPS scenario. If the timing of my panel etc. had been a bit different I might have been able to play more; as it was, I did a lot less than usual, but spent much more time just talking to people, and hopefully made some new friends. Not 100% sure I'll go again next year - there's a chance that we'll be rebuilding our labs then, and if so I will have just completed the equivalent of moving several house-fulls of stuff from one building to another, and may be just a little exhausted.

Comments

[pengshui-master.livejournal.com]

I tried to run a game without going through the system (which costs players money) and had my advert taken down by the organizers.

That's a serious change in stance to DOGs at gencon.

Previously they have at least claimed they were supported DOGs, (although there was little evidence of it on the ground. This though is effectively saying that DOGs are now banned at Gencon. Have you asked the organiser about this?

I didn't go this year - but primarily because there wasn't space for in my schedule.

If this is the policy for future Gencon I certianily wont be attending again.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

There didn't seem to be any recognised channel for advertising them this year - all of the announcement boards were for games that seemed to have gone through the system; I did see some other unofficial adverts up at various times, not all of them disappeared so I may have just been unlucky. Part of the problem was that there seemed to be no spaces set aside for DOGs, and that the RPG side of things was spread through several buildings.

From what I heard they plan to have more space for RPGs next time around, and hopefully this will include some areas reserved for DOGs and a board for advertising them etc.

[w00hoo.livejournal.com]

Seems like a pretty rotten way to treat their advertised "guest of honour" if you ask me.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

I think that there were simply some fumbles with it being a new site etc., and lack of forethought on the part of the committee, which combined to create the problems with delegate-organised games. I didn't ask for special treatment, I didn't get it, I hope that next year this side of things will work a lot better.

[darransims.livejournal.com]

That does seem a very poor way of treating any attendee, never mind one of their Guests of Honour!

Not allowing you to sell your wares, especially as it is for charity, seems very mean-spirited if you ask me.

And Delegate Organised Games are a big part of any convention, I would be very happy to have these spontaneous games springing up at any of the convention I help organise. I am pretty sure that I and my fellow committee members would assist anyone wanting to run a game 'on the day'.
Space can be a premium at any venue sometimes but there is always a way of finding somewhere for someone to have a game.

Seems poorly organised to me, in my humble opinion.

I am glad you still had a good time Marcus, meeting and making friends.