Quote from: Bradford C. Walker;944655This. The convention, as it is now, is an obsolete technology. Whatever isn't better done with proper stores or clubs, the Internet curbstomps like something out of One-Punch Man. Until they bring value superior to all alternatives, they are worthless and people should stop wasting time or money on them.

Okay - figure out a way to make something with higher costs & lower prices work... and booze without any behavioral issues... and volunteers who are both competent and attractive enough that cosplay isn't a very bad idea...

We'll wait.

Cons are still fun if you go in with the right mindset.  Don't wander - pick your games and go play.  And obviously the hyper-competitive people like being hyper-competitive and hanging out with other competitive people.  If you don't want to deal with them - just avoid the tournaments, especially those with significant prizes.

Cons are fun to try out new games with people who actually know what they're doing, and it's fun to marathon game from time to time.

Quote from: Charon's Little Helper;944658Okay - figure out a way to make something with higher costs & lower prices work... and booze without any behavioral issues... and volunteers who are both competent and attractive enough that cosplay isn't a very bad idea...

We'll wait.

Cons are still fun if you go in with the right mindset.  Don't wander - pick your games and go play.  And obviously the hyper-competitive people like being hyper-competitive and hanging out with other competitive people.  If you don't want to deal with them - just avoid the tournaments, especially those with significant prizes.

Cons are fun to try out new games with people who actually know what they're doing, and it's fun to marathon game from time to time.

Livestreams handle all gaming. Go see the D&D section at Twitch. You can drink at home, participate in chat, and if you're participating you're isolated from would-be hecklers and other disruptors. No need for Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, etc. though they are commonly used.

Panels: FFS, again, livestreams. Hell, with apps like Periscope any retarded rhesus monkey can host a solo panel (it has chat functionality); you want a group, then grab the Curse App (integral group video calls as well as audio) and livestream that shit wherever. (Twitch has a Talk Show section, and Google Hangouts are in the "so easy a caveman could do it" category as it uses YouTube for broadcast and immediate indefinite archving.)

Merch: Set up a storefront at Ebay, Amazon, Teespring, etc. and whatever payment method you choose.

Dump the booze and food; folks can eat and drink what they want from home, and if you honestly think this isn't a viable competitor then you're not paying attention to the rise of podcasting and livestreaming to the entertainment industry in general and gaming in particular. (Why in the hell do you think Blizzard always maintains relationships to even 3rd tier videomakers and livestreamers?) The only reason to throw a convention now is if it's either a massive PR stunt (e.g. BlizzCon) or a trade show (e.g. SHOT Show); everything else is better handled either virtually or in decentralized realspace groups.

So the future of gaming is emotional invalids afraid to leave their home?

Holy shit. Even the gender identity button brigade could leave their safe space for the weekend!!

Farrakhan!!! Call down the plasma barrage!

Quote from: Bradford C. Walker;944659Livestreams handle all gaming. Go see the D&D section at Twitch. You can drink at home, participate in chat, and if you're participating you're isolated from would-be hecklers and other disruptors. No need for Roll20, Fantasy Grounds, etc. though they are commonly used.

Panels: FFS, again, livestreams. Hell, with apps like Periscope any retarded rhesus monkey can host a solo panel (it has chat functionality); you want a group, then grab the Curse App (integral group video calls as well as audio) and livestream that shit wherever. (Twitch has a Talk Show section, and Google Hangouts are in the "so easy a caveman could do it" category as it uses YouTube for broadcast and immediate indefinite archving.)

Merch: Set up a storefront at Ebay, Amazon, Teespring, etc. and whatever payment method you choose.

Dump the booze and food; folks can eat and drink what they want from home, and if you honestly think this isn't a viable competitor then you're not paying attention to the rise of podcasting and livestreaming to the entertainment industry in general and gaming in particular. (Why in the hell do you think Blizzard always maintains relationships to even 3rd tier videomakers and livestreamers?) The only reason to throw a convention now is if it's either a massive PR stunt (e.g. BlizzCon) or a trade show (e.g. SHOT Show); everything else is better handled either virtually or in decentralized realspace groups.

That's not a Con.  That's the internet.  Thanks Al Gore - you invented the internet.

Quote from: Bradford C. Walker;944655This. The convention, as it is now, is an obsolete technology.

That must be why they're growing at such a rapid pace. Stooopid huooomans.

On the other hand, perhaps it's just not a product which appeals to you, and you lack the insight into why it would appeal to others.

Quote from: Spinachcat;944663So the future of gaming is emotional invalids afraid to leave their home?

[considers last 4 months of existence]

My friend, I'm afraid that might be the future for everything.

I'll admit I don't understand the appeal. But then I also don't get Supers rpgs. (But then I can't understand camping without my luxurious flushing toilet and hot water shower, either.)

There's little in the way of romance for me, especially for the overhead cost.

The whole point is to socialize, (and I can get that regularly at a FLGS). Now ideally the draw is fresh blood socializing, often from far distances, which requires big draw of either big tourneys or rare panel guests. Only one of those things a really a draw for me, and as much as I may like a panel, it does seem rather time costly to sit and listen than game with new blood.

Cost-wise it's really not my thing. For $50+ I expect a killer party, plus "sustenance." To tack on hotel costs for a weekend affair? Well... I'd rather have an actual weekend affair.

More power to you all who enjoy it. But I haven't the foggiest on how to make it more appealing. Even if I ran a game to get in free, the whole hotel cost and closed market inflated food & drink costs really dampens my desire completely. I'm glad I had the experience several times in my life -- and for free -- but I can't imagine myself paying for it now. My experiences felt unappealing big events, disposable one-shots, clinical lighting, and overall desperate.

But don't let that stop you all from sharing your fabulous conventions from home! Share and share alike!

I haven't been to many "big" conventions. The few I attended in the early to mid 80s were impressive affairs on college campuses or in nice hotels with rooms for lots of events both boardgames and rpg. While the Internet is making a lot of the attractions obsolescent, I recall an event that might still be hard to do online--a game of the Battle of Trafalgar with each player controlling just 1-2 ships. Otoh, we only managed to play a few turns and maybe with a specialized interface/backend we *could* do it online.

Somewhat later circa 1989 attended one of the Bay Area cons and it was still impressive, at a nice hotel in Oakland I believe. More recently I attended Dundracon, which was now out in the boonies and really seemed much diminished.

The one-day "mini-cons" at Endgame were better--very play-focused, not expensive, easy for locals to attend. Only problem is the store itself has increased ties to the FATE company over the last few years which I don't particularly care for given the consultant-gate and related issues.  But it's a format other stores should look into.

Quote from: Arminius;944753The one-day "mini-cons" at Endgame were better--very play-focused, not expensive, easy for locals to attend. Only problem is the store itself has increased ties to the FATE company over the last few years which I don't particularly care for given the consultant-gate and related issues.  But it's a format other stores should look into.

What is consultant-gate? Could you enlighten me? Links appreciated, as would be pointers to other discussions, no derailment needed.

Quote from: Settembrini;944758What is consultant-gate? Could you enlighten me? Links appreciated, as would be pointers to other discussions, no derailment needed.

Basically the self-styled SJW RPG Elite went batshit fucking loco when they discovered that Pundit and Zak were paid consultants for 5e D&D.  So an organized social media campaign to paint them as every form of -ist was instituted, but since no one sent Mike Mearls a single shred of evidence despite him asking for it, the whole thing went nowhere.

OK, I was privy to that, but what does Evil Hat, the FATE company have to do with it?

Quote from: trechriron;9443965) The events are not run differently. [OrcaCon] did have a fantastic "looking for players" stand thing someone hand-crafted that helped games find more players or pick-up games to recruit players. There were also facilitators who wandered about helping people find games to get into. Certainly a different focus on putting games together than I normally see, which is usually "post it, hope for sign-ups, or wander about like a town crier...." .

What was so fantastic about this hand-crafted "thing"? What did it look like, how did it work?
(Many years ago I organized the GM/player prereg and on-site info desk at a con. I am not in the convention circuit anymore but I'm always willing to learn a few new tricks.)

What exactly did the facilitators do to "find games"? Did they look for empty seats at tables and sent players their way?

Quote from: Opaopajr;944569What would make for a better Con experience?

A convention that does not have SJW gatekeeper bullshit associated with it.

Quote from: Settembrini;944764OK, I was privy to that, but what does Evil Hat, the FATE company have to do with it?

http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?32721-Awards-are-stupid-but&highlight=Fred+hicks

http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?30000-Wait-What-Controversy-about-Pundit-and-Zak&p=773705&viewfull=1#post773705

The second is a weird example but the overall story is alignment with the character assassination campaign against Zak S.

I am a big fan of conventions, but I find the smaller cons are often better.

In California, PolyCon is my first choice. PolyCon is a college con in the Central Coast at the California Polytechnic at San Luis Obispo campus.
http://www.polycon.org/

It's not a very diverse con. It's 99% nice people who want to have fun. Very homogeneous in attitude. About 250-300 people with a mix of students, alumni, locals and those of us who have tasted the nectar of the gods and return from afar.  

In addition to the "Big PolyCon", they also host 3-4 mini-cons (1-2 day events) throughout the year, which help students and volunteers hone their hosting skills and its why their "big event" runs so smoothly decade after decade. They've been rocking 35 years now.

Quote from: Opaopajr;944735But I haven't the foggiest on how to make it more appealing.

You are 100% right there are attendant costs (travel, food, hotel, etc), and its gonna be personal if the money is worth the experience.

But that's the same for any festival.

As for more appealing, its all about the convention making sure they have good GMs. Kinda like a music festival making sure they book good bands.  

Quote from: Arminius;944753The one-day "mini-cons" at Endgame were better--very play-focused, not expensive, easy for locals to attend.

Endgame does a great job.

In LA, we have Game Empire which does a great job with boardgame and minis events, but hit and miss for RPGs. Great owner and staff who take care of customers.

Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;944765What exactly did the facilitators do to "find games"? Did they look for empty seats at tables and sent players their way?

PolyCon does this.

They have student volunteers who keep track of openings at tables and keep track of stragglers looking for games. Its a nice courtesy service, especially for convention noobs who may not be aware its okay to jump in 5 minutes late to a game, or be young and nervous around older adults.

At the LA conventions, I know the RPGA / Living Campaign crew has done a good job with "mustering tables" - aka if you are there to play 5e or Crapfinder, they will sit your ass at a table every time. The Crapfinder guys have even taken it a step further by making sure they have lots of iconic photocopies sitting around so they can sit your ass at any open event and you're ready to go.

I understand this is the general practice promoted by Paizo's public play teams.

Quote from: Arminius;944808http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?32721-Awards-are-stupid-but&highlight=Fred+hicks

http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?30000-Wait-What-Controversy-about-Pundit-and-Zak&p=773705&viewfull=1#post773705

The second is a weird example but the overall story is alignment with the character assassination campaign against Zak S.

Oh boy, there are some very sad things behind those links.
I will never understand why supposed fellow nerds have it in their hearts to hate so much. Hicks indeed comes of as very slimey-hatey. The wet noodle of hate.