Have you heard about this? Its called ConTessa (http://www.contessaonline.com/), and its a free online gaming convention, to be held June 21-24, that's open to everyone but is organized and run by women. And I think its an awesome idea.
I have long been a very strong advocate of women in gaming, in the sense that I think women should be gamers. In the sense too that women don't actually "need" anything to be gamers other than a place at the gaming table and for male gamers not to be assholes; they don't need special consideration, they don't need the hobby changed for them, they don't need endless discussions about patriarchy, they don't need studies done as to what's wrong about rpgs. How do I know this? Because I've consistently had women at my gaming table for years and years (in the last decade, its been far more unusual for there not to be at least one woman in a group of mine than the opposite); and they game exactly like everyone else does.
So here is Contessa which is saying the same thing: "let's just fucking game already, and celebrate women gaming" (note: the profanity included is mine, not theirs, at least as far as I know). They achieve this the following ways:
1. While its organized and run by women, its open to absolutely everyone. Its not about exclusivity or creating a "safe space" or any of that bullshit. Its about women organizing and running games and anyone who likes playing in them. Awesome.
2. Its "apolitical", to use their own terms. That means that its not a place where any actual gaming is going to be buried under a ton of bullshit about the evils of men, or 1st-year-college quality philosophical drivel, or "activism" about demanding that the RPG hobby essentially stop being the RPG hobby so that women who have no interest might look at it (but probably won't) even though women who do have an interest would probably stop. Instead, its about actually gaming, which again, is all women or anyone else needs to be a gamer.
3. What panels there are seem to be about things that are, you know, actually not meaningless (like the above bullshit); things that seem to me would be a far better use of everyone's time to talk about, like being a newb at D&D, and how to market your RPG. And yes, "collaborative world building"; if there's one criticism I can level at Contessa its that quite a few of their "RPG" events are actually Storygame events, though to balance that out it looks like there'll be some fairly awesome Lamentations of the Flame Princess stuff happening, and some Pathfinder too. Hopefully someone out there reading this blog who's an old-school (female) gamer might want to sign up to run some more OSR stuff (maybe even Arrows of Indra?) or more indie-type games that are actually RPGs (like, say, Lords of Olympus?).
Anyways, Contessa is one of the first bits of news about "women in gaming" that has left me feeling optimistic in a long time. Of course, the hate-brigade of Pseudo-activist Swine have already started poaching at them (accusing the organizers of being "uncle toms" or something... fucking idiots), but I hope that this is the start of a new trend of women gamers, in their own voice, standing up to the absurd pseudo-activists claiming that we have to radically redesign gaming, censor gamers, and establish controls over the hobby all "for the women" and saying to them "actually, you don't represent me".
RPGPundit
I agree. I donated a number of PDFs to them for use as "door prizes."
Yeah, i think that's brilliant.
I especially approve of the name Venus de Coy.
I will be supporting this.
Recognizing social issues is important, but it's nice to see that someone still thinks gaming is the most important part of the gaming industry
Thumbs up for this and respect to the organisers.
Clearly, there are reasons people consider it important to single out
women in gaming, and probably some of those are problems in the scene.
Quote from: Punditwomen don't actually "need" anything to be gamers other than a place at the gaming table and for male gamers not to be assholes
Which suggests that these needs are perhaps not getting met.
This kind of thing can be double edged, like the civil rights movement in the USA in the 1960s trying to make it not a big deal to be 'coloured' but along the way spawning movements invested in keeping it a big deal (albeit not in the same way).
Is this anything like MLB being worried about not having "enough black players"?
Seriously, who gives a fuck? If girls want to play rpgs, play rpgs...why do they need a special con?
It looks like a cool idea.
Then I realized it was an online con. The willingness of people to be assholes in an online environment increases dramatically, not to mention the sheer number of male gamers who will end up registering as females just for shits & giggles.
I wish the organizers all the best, they're going to need it.
Quote from: Brad;660194Is this anything like MLB being worried about not having "enough black players"?
No. Read the description.
Quote from: RPGPundit;660201No. Read the description.
Yeah, I read it. But, again, if women want to run games, run games. Women aren't oppressed in gaming; from my experience, most girls just never found the notion of playing rpgs (or wargames, whatever) that much fun.
Quote from: Brad;660194Is this anything like MLB being worried about not having "enough black players"?
Seriously, who gives a fuck? If girls want to play rpgs, play rpgs...why do they need a special con?
Come on now. Certainly you can admit that a whole lot of gamer guys have problems interacting with women, and have been known to say and act in ways totally inappropriate. The stereotype exists for a reason. You're essentially arguing that after the Civil War, why should blacks have special treatment because they were technically equal.
And that's just silly because it doesn't acknowledge the actual interaction that's going on.
I think it is a fine idea and hopefully it will bring more gamers into the hobby. There is a perception out there that gaming isn't really for women, so a con like this (particularly one that focuses on play and is apolitical) could draw more of them into rolelaying.
Don't know much about how online Cons work though. The last one I heard of didnt seem to go so well. It would be nice to see a succesful one because I would like to participate if these are viable events.
Quote from: Brad;660194Seriously, who gives a fuck? If girls want to play rpgs, play rpgs...why do they need a special con?
The con organisers would probably agree with you. I would view the prominent use of the word 'apolitical' in the con description as a clear indication that they are distancing themselves from the bubbling cauldron of crazy that actually does want segregated games and conventions in the name of feminism. What you're arguing against is the same thing they're moving away from.
This is an appeal to sanity and for people to just have fun playing games, and so should be supported, I feel.
Quote from: Brad;660205Yeah, I read it. But, again, if women want to run games, run games. Women aren't oppressed in gaming; from my experience, most girls just never found the notion of playing rpgs (or wargames, whatever) that much fun.
Neither do most guys. My experiences - since 1977 - have been much the same as Pundits. I have almost always had women in my groups, they love it as much as the guys, they play very much the same as men, and the ways they differ only add to the group's experiences. There appear to be a lot of assholes in the hobby who dislike and fear women gaming. The thing isn't to change gaming to appeal to women, but to welcome women gaming and kick out the assholes from our groups. Personally, I welcome any excuse to kick out assholes. :D
-clash
Huh, cool. I might see about running something for them. No clue what.
Quote from: Brad;660205Yeah, I read it. But, again, if women want to run games, run games. Women aren't oppressed in gaming; from my experience, most girls just never found the notion of playing rpgs (or wargames, whatever) that much fun.
Again, I'm pretty sure the women participating in ConTessa do not feel oppressed, and do find the notion of playing RPGs a lot of fun.
Quote from: RPGPundit;660260Again, I'm pretty sure the women participating in ConTessa do not feel oppressed, and do find the notion of playing RPGs a lot of fun.
The fact that they're promoting it as "run by women" means it's more political than they'd like to admit and implies they feel somewhat marginalized. It's ENTIRELY possible you are correct and none of them feel that way whatsoever, but sorry, you can't identify yourself as a minority group then wonder when someone questions your motives.
Quote from: Brad;660265The fact that they're promoting it as "run by women" means it's more political than they'd like to admit and implies they feel somewhat marginalized. It's ENTIRELY possible you are correct and none of them feel that way whatsoever, but sorry, you can't identify yourself as a minority group then wonder when someone questions your motives.
Or
maybe, their message is, "hey, not all women are social justice warriors. Most of us just like to game and have fun."
It seems like you're being very uncharitable towards their motivations. Which ironically would reinforce the idea that social justice warriors are necessary.
Quote from: LibraryLass;660249Huh, cool. I might see about running something for them. No clue what.
Actual Play Thread! :D
Quote from: Brad;660265The fact that they're promoting it as "run by women" means it's more political than they'd like to admit and implies they feel somewhat marginalized. It's ENTIRELY possible you are correct and none of them feel that way whatsoever, but sorry, you can't identify yourself as a minority group then wonder when someone questions your motives.
Again that's not what they are about. Read: http://www.contessaonline.com/about-contessa/
Quote from: The Traveller;660270Again that's not what they are about. Read: http://www.contessaonline.com/about-contessa/
"The Free Online Gaming Convention By
Women For Everyone"
I'll say it again: why feel the need to point out the "women" part?
Quote from: Brad;660275"The Free Online Gaming Convention By Women For Everyone"
I'll say it again: why feel the need to point out the "women" part?
Or you could go one step further and read the whole message rather than just quoting one sentence. It's very much taking a stand against the rage brigade, and to be honest I'm starting to wonder hopefully if they have a donation point.
Quote from: The Traveller;660276Or you could go one step further and read the whole message rather than just quoting one sentence.
No way. I am simply going to react to the tagline and post furiously on internet messageboards. I don't have time to read anything.
Quote from: Brad;660277No way. I am simply going to react to the tagline and post furiously on internet messageboards. I don't have time to read anything.
Well since everyone knows the internet is fuelled by pure unrefined anger, keep up the good work.
I'm donating PDFs to this. I absolutely loathe the unrelenting politicization of every aspect of art that some people want to bring about, and I heartily support efforts to just play the damn games.
I'm not a publisher, so I have no PDFs to contribute, but I'm going to donate some RPGNow gift cards for prizes.
I agree wholeheartedly with the premise of this convention, and I really hope the organizers are able to keep the haters and sociopaths from ruining it. If I never have to see a social justice more-outraged-than-thou flame war again, it'll be too soon.
Yeah. Let's just play some damn games, hmm?
Quote from: SineNomine;660279I absolutely loathe the unrelenting politicization of every aspect of art that some people want to bring about, and I heartily support efforts to just play the damn games.
Indeed. Here, here! :)
Well, it's a convention, so good on them. I dislike that "online convention" format, but more conventions is always good, I suppose!
The only thing I disliked was actually that "apolitical" part, right on the top in first statement I was to read, because it just reeks of "I am not a crook" - if it's apolitical, why do you even point out the lack of politics in the literal first place?
Then again, I can understand it, because the political hounds in RPGs would like to hijack such an event. And if those "uncle toms" accusations are real, it explains things a bit more.
All in all, as far as I'm concerned, (http://somethingsensitive.com/Smileys/default/nixon.png)
Quote from: Rincewind1;660335if it's apolitical, why do you even point out the lack of politics in the literal first place?
To thumb their noses at the politicisers.
Quote from: Rincewind1;660335Then again, I can understand it, because the political hounds in RPGs would like to hijack such an event.
Oh, they'll try anyway. Maybe even succeed. But that doesn't matter, the mere existence of such an event makes a mockery of their richly mockable pogroms.
Ah the world is a bit brighter today.
Quote from: The Traveller;660338Ah the world is a bit brighter today.
My cynical side sees this less as a political statement, and more as a marketing...I don't want to say gimmick, let's say "tool". "What can we do to refresh this tired idea of convention, and bring new people into it with a newer form? Let's make it by women!"
And all in all, of that, I strongly approve - hells, I still have a plan* of convention that's based all around a gimmick, and I like to think it would be/it will be a blast :D.
*running a horror/RPG convention with a strong Lovecraftian overtone, in a place decorated to look like insane asylum slash Silent Hill Hospital.
Also someone should reply with a convention called ManQuise :p.
Quote from: Rincewind1;660340My cynical side sees this less as a political statement, and more as a marketing...I don't want to say gimmick, let's say "tool". "What can we do to refresh this tired idea of convention, and bring new people into it with a newer form? Let's make it by women!"
That's not the point. In fact that's the opposite of the point. It's not about 'being by women', it's about being by women
and apolitical. Important difference there. This is the ladies roundly rejecting the messages of misandric hate which have sadly so come to characterise the involvement of women in our hobby lately, at least in some very vocal circles.
Quote from: Rincewind1;660340*running a horror/RPG convention with a strong Lovecraftian overtone, in a place decorated to look like insane asylum slash Silent Hill Hospital.
Count me in! A little trick I learned to save money, if you can't afford a dry ice machine turn the heat on downstairs and leave the windows open upstairs, then set the smoke machine at the top of the stairs, it flows down like a waterfall. Of course this only works in cold seasons.
Quote from: The Traveller;660344That's not the point. In fact that's the opposite of the point. It's not about 'being by women', it's about being by women and apolitical. Important difference there. This is the ladies roundly rejecting the messages of misandric hate which have sadly so come to characterise the involvement of women in our hobby lately, at least in some very vocal circles.
[/qupte]
Fair enough, as I said, I'm a bitter cynic, so I prefer the marketing angle ;p. None the less, I wish them luck.
QuoteCount me in! A little trick I learned to save money, if you can't afford a dry ice machine turn the heat on downstairs and leave the windows open upstairs, then set the smoke machine at the top of the stairs, it flows down like a waterfall. Of course this only works in cold seasons.
Sure, if I ever get around to organising it in the next few years ;p. Since you live in a real country and not post - USSR nightmare, weekend in Polackland is peanuts anyway if you're paying in Euros :D.
Quote from: The Traveller;660338To thumb their noses at the politicisers.
.
Yeah, with the recent hubbub with Maladicta or WFT her name is, I can see why they would feel the need to point out that they're just regular gamer women without an agenda.
Quote from: The Traveller;660344This is the ladies roundly rejecting the messages of misandric hate which have sadly so come to characterise the involvement of women in our hobby lately, at least in some very vocal circles.
I think the stuff that has gone on is both misandric and misogynistic. It's a narrow, fucked-up worldview that's more about hate and exclusion than anything else.
Some years ago, I used to do the whole Internet ragefest/hateparty thing, and I've come to realize just what a fucking waste of time they are, at best, and how they can actually be much, much worse, for the participants as well as anyone they target. I'm not a big person for regrets about much of anything, but I actually do regret the energy and time I spent that way. I suspect a number of folks who've been fully embroiled in these gender/sexism flame wars over the past couple of years may one day wish they hadn't pissed away so much time on that stuff.
Quote from: Dana;660357I think the stuff that has gone on is both misandric and misogynistic. It's a narrow, fucked-up worldview that's more about hate and exclusion than anything else.
Some years ago, I used to do the whole Internet ragefest/hateparty thing, and I've come to realize just what a fucking waste of time they are, at best, and how they can actually be much, much worse, for the participants as well as anyone they target. I'm not a big person for regrets about much of anything, but I actually do regret the energy and time I spent that way. I suspect a number of folks who've been fully embroiled in these gender/sexism flame wars over the past couple of years may one day wish they hadn't pissed away so much time on that stuff.
It is because they are (I mean both SJWs and the ultraconservaties) bigots. And I mean as in the most ancient meaning of that word, namely the legendary Rollo, an old pagan and a man who either donated most of his money or ordered 100 Catholic priests hanged on his death (sources differ), refusing to bow down and kiss Charles the Fat foot, because, by God, he won't (after a few days of being baptised, none the less). They are using social causes as an excuse to justify their own spite, despite often not really believing in them, or being such neophytes it's a laughable endeavour.
I like reading such ragefests though. They are like empty calories you don't get fat on.
Quote from: Dana;660357I I'm not a big person for regrets about much of anything, but I actually do regret the energy and time I spent that way. I suspect a number of folks who've been fully embroiled in these gender/sexism flame wars over the past couple of years may one day wish they hadn't pissed away so much time on that stuff.
Well, there's not a one of us can claim any different in one way or another. The most important thing is that a line gets drawn under it, and I'm happy to support anyone working towards that end.
Quote from: Rincewind1;660351Sure, if I ever get around to organising it in the next few years ;p. Since you live in a real country and not post - USSR nightmare, weekend in Polackland is peanuts anyway if you're paying in Euros :D.
I'll bring the smoke machine but you're still buying the drinks ya bastard. :D :p
Quote from: The Traveller;660365I'll bring the smoke machine but you're still buying the drinks ya bastard. :D :p
Of course, being sober at RPG/Literature conventions is something I don't practice. We only need a Russian or a Scotsman more and we can be some kind of a bar joke.
Quote from: Brad;660194Seriously, who gives a fuck? If girls want to play rpgs, play rpgs...why do they need a special con?
Women do not
need a gaming convention. But the fact is, there are a lot of douchebag dudes out there who find great pleasure in doing everything they possibly can to eliminate women from the hobby.
And even if that weren't true, why are you so pissed off that there are women who want to have a convention?
Quote from: Brad;660265The fact that they're promoting it as "run by women" means it's more political than they'd like to admit and implies they feel somewhat marginalized. It's ENTIRELY possible you are correct and none of them feel that way whatsoever, but sorry, you can't identify yourself as a minority group then wonder when someone questions your motives.
Dude, you're really really coming across as someone who hasn't actually looked into this.
In other news, the organizer of the Con specifically singled out theRPGsite in thanking us for our interest and support; apparently my post got her a huge number of views and offers from publishers.
So, well done all!
RPGPundit
I've contributed some PDFs as well for prizes, as well as offered to supply coupon codes for virtual swag.
Seems like a cool thing to me. Some dudes just get pissed when the womenfolk get all uppity.
Quote from: RPGPundit;660460In other news, the organizer of the Con specifically singled out theRPGsite in thanking us for our interest and support; apparently my post got her a huge number of views and offers from publishers.
So, well done all!
RPGPundit
Where's all that happened?
I think is a great idea and I wish them a huge success :)
I think this is very awesome, especially since it seems geared towards actual gaming.
Awesome news! I wish them luck with this, especially being a big supporter of online gaming.
Quote from: RPGPundit;660460In other news, the organizer of the Con specifically singled out theRPGsite in thanking us for our interest and support; ..
RPGPundit
A convention organized by women gamers thanks the
RPGsite?
I can hear the head's exploding from SA and TBP now ;)
Hey guys!
I wanted to drop in and say hi as well as pass out a hearty thank you to everyone involved in this thread and on RPG Site who has shown up, donated, and supported ConTessa just in the last day. That's extraordinary!
Yesterday, we gained five new sponsors from this thread alone. That's thoroughly incredible. Due to the political nature of much of the original message, I wasn't going to come in and respond, but after that amazing turnout I decided it would be a travesty NOT to come in here and personally thank you all.
I'm willing to answer any questions anyone has either here, or at admin@contessaonline.com. I won't respond to anything of a political nature, but I am happy to respond to any other questions.
To address a few things I've seen...
No, this isn't a marketing gimmick. The convention is entirely free, and I've lost quite a bit of money in setting it all up, not to mention the time it took me to design, build, and code the website. There's no company or organization behind ConTessa, just one chick who got sick of only ever being asked to talk about what she thought about boobs or sex in games.
It has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I was seriously down in the dumps when I created the convention, sick and tired of never even so much as being asked what kind of games I like to play, much less my opinions on design, mechanics, or any other aspect of gaming that didn't include my response only being important because they needed a token woman to chime in on the subject.
Why do women NEED a convention? Why does anyone need a convention?
Why do we put women first in the title? Why do anime conventions put 'anime' in their titles?
Why not just have a con that is everything to everyone? Because that would be really boring.
Why make it online? See my note above about who's paying for this thing. I may be able and willing to put my money into an online convention, but there's no way I could afford a physical convention, not to mention doing that creates travel issues. To the pessimists worried that we'll be slaughtered by idiots online, don't worry ... we can take care of ourselves.
I really hope to see some of the women here submitting events! Event registration closes on June 17th, 11 days from now, so be sure to get your events in on time!
And guys, I hope to see you in the games and at the panels! I've got a MOUNTAIN of goodies to give away. You're likely going to come out of this with more swag than a face-to-face convention. :)
We're currently running a Microgame competition to design a game on a quarter-page card using 1d4, a contest to name our characters, and we'll have more contests coming up in the next few days, so be sure to come on by our community (https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/101296251924745545599/communities/103286257981841408007), website (http://www.contessaonline.com), twitter (http://twitter.com/contessaonline), you know the drill...
Again, a big, hearty thank-you. You guys are awesome!
Stacy D (Con Organizer)
Welcome Ms Tessa! :D
Glad the community could help out.
Hang around a bit and see if any threads appeal to you.
Quote from: Dana;660305I'm not a publisher, so I have no PDFs to contribute, but I'm going to donate some RPGNow gift cards for prizes.
I agree wholeheartedly with the premise of this convention, and I really hope the organizers are able to keep the haters and sociopaths from ruining it. If I never have to see a social justice more-outraged-than-thou flame war again, it'll be too soon.
Yeah. Let's just play some damn games, hmm?
Amen to that.
A whole lot of fail can be avoided by the simple words: don't be a jerk.
Quote from: RPGPundit;660460In other news, the organizer of the Con specifically singled out theRPGsite in thanking us for our interest and support; apparently my post got her a huge number of views and offers from publishers.
So, well done all!
RPGPundit
Heh. Now all you need is a like button so we can all agree without spamming the forums. ;-)
Welcome Contessa! FWIW, I think you're doing an outstanding job. Too bad you aren't a physical location convention (although I completely understand why), because I have a deal set up with my distributor to give away free games to conventions. I'm assuming you're not set up to handle physical products as give-aways.
Quote from: Sacrosanct;660545Welcome Contessa! FWIW, I think you're doing an outstanding job. Too bad you aren't a physical location convention (although I completely understand why), because I have a deal set up with my distributor to give away free games to conventions. I'm assuming you're not set up to handle physical products as give-aways.
I am shipping out some swag bags (really swag padded envelopes), and we have one sponsor who's donating a chainmail dice bag that will need to be shipped, but he's donating the shipping cost as well.
So we're sort of set up for it but not really. :) Maybe next year we'll have a physical mini-convention to go with the online one, or maybe we'll be better set up to handle shipping things out.
Quote from: One Horse Town;660535Welcome Ms Tessa! :D
Glad the community could help out.
Hang around a bit and see if any threads appeal to you.
This! :D
Quote from: One Horse Town;660477Where's all that happened?
On Google+
Quote from: Sacrosanct;660529A convention organized by women gamers thanks the RPGsite?
I can hear the head's exploding from SA and TBP now ;)
Well yeah, the various Swine (all the usual suspects) came out on ConTessa's post to make sure to try to run my name and this site through the mud; but I hope that the organizer knows who her real "friends" are; the self-styled (fashionable) pseudo-activist feminists who have done nothing but criticize her project because it (gasp!) dares to suggest that women might just like gaming as it is and want to game rather than have panel discussions about the patriarchy, or the regular gamers who have been waiting ages to hear some women stand up and say that those people don't represent them.
RPGPundit
Quote from: ConTessa;660530No, this isn't a marketing gimmick. The convention is entirely free, and I've lost quite a bit of money in setting it all up, not to mention the time it took me to design, build, and code the website. There's no company or organization behind ConTessa, just one chick who got sick of only ever being asked to talk about what she thought about boobs or sex in games.
Nobody ever asks me that :(. Anyway, good luck with the convention. I may swing by to play.
Conventions (physical ones) are hard to organise, at least in the beginning. But in my history of going to ones in Poland, and in helping with quite a few (about 10), I've only came across one that lost money. All the others turned up profit. Don't know about US and convention finances there, though I expect sponsors are much easier to find.
Then again, we're admittedly used to a lower standard, less commercialised one, but one that's also taking place in a school rather than a convention hall - though that's changing.
Quote from: ConTessa;660530Hey guys!
Hi! Welcome to theRPGsite! I hope you'll stick around after this and maybe take a look around, and post. We're very low-moderation so we're not an "emotionally safe environment" but you don't seem from your posts on G+ to be the sort of person who would really need that. And theRPGsite could certainly benefit from more women gamers writing here, about gaming.
QuoteTo address a few things I've seen...
No, this isn't a marketing gimmick. The convention is entirely free, and I've lost quite a bit of money in setting it all up, not to mention the time it took me to design, build, and code the website.
Regarding that, some people on the thread have expressed desire to help financially too, so if you've figured out how you want to do that, please let us know here!
QuoteIt has been an incredibly rewarding experience. I was seriously down in the dumps when I created the convention, sick and tired of never even so much as being asked what kind of games I like to play, much less my opinions on design, mechanics, or any other aspect of gaming that didn't include my response only being important because they needed a token woman to chime in on the subject.
Yes. Round here, we believe tokenism sucks. Gamers are gamers.
QuoteWhy not just have a con that is everything to everyone? Because that would be really boring.
Beyond that, I do think it makes sense that you can have an event that is set up like yours (in a way that is not in any way exclusive to participation at the play level) which is meant to bring women together to celebrate their love of gaming, and this can be a great thing to hopefully encourage more women to be active in gaming in a way that doesn't insist that they're Fragile Little Flowers that have to be given all kinds of special treatment. And if you look at the spectrum of the games people are running at ConTessa, it pretty well proves the lie about women needing some kind of special RPGs just for them, or that RPGs need to be fundamentally changed in order to get women to play.
QuoteI really hope to see some of the women here submitting events! Event registration closes on June 17th, 11 days from now, so be sure to get your events in on time!
I hope so too.
QuoteAnd guys, I hope to see you in the games and at the panels! I've got a MOUNTAIN of goodies to give away. You're likely going to come out of this with more swag than a face-to-face convention. :)
You know, I don't game online (I really don't much care for it), and ConTessa happens to be on the busiest Masonic weekend of the year for me (the solstice, and installation of the lodge, where I will be receiving a fairly high office), plus my regular gaming, plus the fact that I'd have to wear a bag over my head in the video chat or something in order to maintain my secret identity (or wear a balaclava, I guess, with a space for the pipe, like Commandante Marcos). But you never know, I might just try to make an appearance.
RPGPundit
Quote from: RPGPundit;660577Well yeah, the various Swine (all the usual suspects) came out on ConTessa's post to make sure to try to run my name and this site through the mud; but I hope that the organizer knows who her real "friends" are; the self-styled (fashionable) pseudo-activist feminists who have done nothing but criticize her project because it (gasp!) dares to suggest that women might just like gaming as it is and want to game rather than have panel discussions about the patriarchy, or the regular gamers who have been waiting ages to hear some women stand up and say that those people don't represent them.
RPGPundit
The impression I get from reading the various posts by the women involved in organizing this are:
* recognize the important roles women have had in traditional male occupations (wars, adventurers, etc) that often get overlooked for the purpose of drawing inspiration to the gaming table
* stress that a lot of women just want to game, and have no desire to get wrapped up in political discussion.
And those seem like mighty fine goals to me. Finally, someone is using common sense and middle ground. You don't have to be an ultra-social justice WARRIOR in order to not be a bigot, and you can recognize and support the differences, highlights, and positives about women without having some ulterior motive against men. Both groups espousing that crap need to die in fire.
ConTessa sounds awesome. :)
Also if this thread doesn't prove the greatness of this site...well this thread proves the greatness of this site.
Quote from: RPGPundit;660457Dude, you're really really coming across as someone who hasn't actually looked into this.
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/9a38d3e2ad6140232d68005eaa93409f/tumblr_mnzpw91PHf1s2wo8oo1_500.gif)
I read the whole site; just not entirely convinced...
Quote from: RPGPundit;660584Regarding that, some people on the thread have expressed desire to help financially too, so if you've figured out how you want to do that, please let us know here!
Ya, I keep throwing fifty euros at the screen but nothing happens. Set up a paypal account that can take credit cards or something and I'll do my bit for the un-cause. And I'd hope other people will follow suit.
Sending a couple of female gamers I know to check this out. ConTessa has organized what sounds like a pretty awesome event.
I think this is a nice idea... but then i read "NO MALE GMs!"(paraphrased) and was like... "Uhm, ok..."
Their call, but IMO it's a weird signal to send to people...
Quote from: Phantom Black;660729I think this is a nice idea... but then i read "NO MALE GMs!"(paraphrased) and was like... "Uhm, ok..."
Their call, but IMO it's a weird signal to send to people...
eh. I interpret this whole convention as "Here, let us women show everyone else that we're not super sensitive and just like every other gamer."
In that context, I view we men as guests that they are hosting, so I'm not too worried about that rule.
Quote from: Sacrosanct;660734eh. I interpret this whole convention as "Here, let us women show everyone else that we're not super sensitive and just like every other gamer."
In that context, I view we men as guests that they are hosting, so I'm not too worried about that rule.
That's my view too.
I think its fine.
As an advertising gimick it worked really well.
If it wasn't run by women, unlike gen Con where loads of the admins are women or TSR when Lorraine Williams was in charge then we might just treat it like any other online Game Con and ignore it entirely so Kudo to them for comming up with an angle.
Quote from: jibbajibba;660830As an advertising gimick it worked really well.
If it wasn't run by women, unlike gen Con where loads of the admins are women or TSR when Lorraine Williams was in charge then we might just treat it like any other online Game Con and ignore it entirely so Kudo to them for comming up with an angle.
Of course, Lorraine Williams isn't exactly the sort of person you want to bring up as being "involved in the gaming scene". Her opinion of gamers was about the same as the Dotts' opinion of boardgamers when they ran Avalon Hill.
And the "loads of admins are women" at Gen Con, are there any stats on that? For all I know it's an unknown.
Quote from: The Traveller;660724Ya, I keep throwing fifty euros at the screen but nothing happens. Set up a paypal account that can take credit cards or something and I'll do my bit for the un-cause. And I'd hope other people will follow suit.
Done! I set up a GoFundMe campaign (http://www.gofundme.com/36tqgk) just for that purpose. :)
Quote from: ConTessa;660945Done! I set up a GoFundMe campaign (http://www.gofundme.com/36tqgk) just for that purpose. :)
And, donated. Hope you enjoy the convention!
Quote from: Phantom Black;660729I think this is a nice idea... but then i read "NO MALE GMs!"(paraphrased) and was like... "Uhm, ok..."
Their call, but IMO it's a weird signal to send to people...
It might, but I read that and immediately thought, "Hell yeah! I get to be a Player instead of a GM for a change!" :D
As a follow-up to my earlier post I registered not one (http://www.contessaonline.com/basic-fantasy-rpg-kaylee-thumanns-the-girly-girl-dungeon/) but two (http://www.contessaonline.com/star-trek-the-devil-in-the-stars/) games, and AP reports will probably go up both here and at TBP when all is said and done. In the meantime feel free to sign up, or just drop in and have a laugh at my hideously masculine speaking voice.
Quote from: LibraryLass;661020As a follow-up to my earlier post I registered not one (http://www.contessaonline.com/basic-fantasy-rpg-kaylee-thumanns-the-girly-girl-dungeon/) but two (http://www.contessaonline.com/star-trek-the-devil-in-the-stars/) games, and AP reports will probably go up both here and at TBP when all is said and done. In the meantime feel free to sign up, or just drop in and have a laugh at my hideously masculine speaking voice.
Good luck!
Quote from: LibraryLass;661020As a follow-up to my earlier post I registered not one (http://www.contessaonline.com/basic-fantasy-rpg-kaylee-thumanns-the-girly-girl-dungeon/) but two (http://www.contessaonline.com/star-trek-the-devil-in-the-stars/) games, and AP reports will probably go up both here and at TBP when all is said and done. In the meantime feel free to sign up, or just drop in and have a laugh at my hideously masculine speaking voice.
Awesome! Looking forward to the reports!
It's an interesting political gimmick. Well designed website and making the event free was smart. It should do well if it avoids tech glitches that have plagued other online conventions.
Quote from: jeff37923;660999It might, but I read that and immediately thought, "Hell yeah! I get to be a Player instead of a GM for a change!" :D
Because clearly, if male GMs had been allowed you would have been forced to GM and not allowed to be a player.
Quote from: Killfuck Soulshitter;661116Because clearly, if male GMs had been allowed you would have been forced to GM and not allowed to be a player.
Maybe he's just a compulsive GM like me?
Quote from: LibraryLass;661140Maybe he's just a compulsive GM like me?
Ding! Winner!
Quote from: jeff37923;661141Ding! Winner!
A compulsive Traveller DM? Wow.
I'm a pretty compulsive GM myself.
Quote from: RPGPundit;661401I'm a pretty compulsive GM myself.
Me too.
Closing in fast on $500 now Stacy, well done! Get your hustle on and spread the good word.
Quote from: LibraryLass;661140Maybe he's just a compulsive GM like me?
Indeed! :cheerleader:
Quote from: The Traveller;661763Closing in fast on $500 now Stacy, well done! Get your hustle on and spread the good word.
Awesome!
Is there any word about this on the bulging pendulous? I can't find any threads about it all all. Seems like the kind of place that could do with hearing about this con.
Quote from: The Traveller;662244Is there any word about this on the bulging pendulous? I can't find any threads about it all all. Seems like the kind of place that could do with hearing about this con.
Not a word about it on that other place, no.
Quote from: The Ent;662313Not a word about it on that other place, no.
Yeah, that is sort of eyebrowraising. We know several people from both places read this forum religiously. It's a bit telling that for people who are self-proclaimed champions of female inclusion, they haven't bothered to even mention Contessa.
Or maybe they really aren't "woman inclusive", if those women aren't as fundamental as them. Ironic, that. Our hobby needs less people like them, less people like BT and Brad, and more people like Contessa.
Note I said "people" and not "men" or "women". I give a fuck what gender you are. The game is what's important.
Quote from: Sacrosanct;662316Yeah, that is sort of eyebrowraising. We know several people from both places read this forum religiously. It's a bit telling that for people who are self-proclaimed champions of female inclusion, they haven't bothered to even mention Contessa.
Or maybe they really aren't "woman inclusive", if those women aren't as fundamental as them. Ironic, that. Our hobby needs less people like them, less people like BT and Brad, and more people like Contessa.
Note I said "people" and not "men" or "women". I give a fuck what gender you are. The game is what's important.
Well said. I agree 100%.
And yeah it's pretty damn ironic.
Quote from: The Ent;662319Well said. I agree 100%.
And yeah it's pretty damn ironic.
While true, i notice that since the money started rolling in, we've seen no sign of ConTessa here.
Quote from: One Horse Town;662325While true, i notice that since the money started rolling in, we've seen no sign of ConTessa here.
This isn't the hobby OHT, it's a discussion forum about the hobby. Also I'm not sure what you're implying, can you clarify that a bit.
Quote from: The Traveller;662376This isn't the hobby OHT, it's a discussion forum about the hobby. Also I'm not sure what you're implying, can you clarify that a bit.
yeah, that threw me off too. I wasn't talking about contessa herself posting here or there, but on the observation that the social justice crowd seems to be willfully ignoring a convention put on by women gamers because apparently Contessa folks aren't outragy enough.
I mean, here is a convention, hosted by women, to highlight games and women gamers who don't care about politics. If you truly are wanting to be inclusive of women gamers in the hobby, why wouldn't you support that?
Personally, I think it's because the SJWs really don't care about bringing more women gamers into the hobby unless they are just as outragy as them. And I'm sure it doesn't help their argument of "OMG, he looked at me! I've been RAPED!" if a whole lot of other women react to that as, "WFT are you talking about? Sexual assault is a very real, and horrible thing. Someone who glanced at you and your "Natural 20s" boob t-shirt is not sexual assault. And while you're at it, stop telling me what I should be offended at. I just want to play the damn game."
Quote from: Sacrosanct;662468I wasn't talking about contessa herself posting here or there, but on the observation that the social justice crowd seems to be willfully ignoring a convention put on by women gamers because apparently Contessa folks aren't outragy enough.
I'm not terribly surprised that Contessa was put into conventry by the losers on rpgnet, if that is what happened, but I was referring rather to OHT's crack about her not posting since the funding link went up. It is particularly strange since it was myself who mentioned the idea in the first place as far as I know, so it's hardly as if she showed up with the hand out then took off with the princely sum of $650 as of this posting.
I await OHT's explanation for his comment.
Quote from: The Traveller;662244Is there any word about this on the bulging pendulous?
ConTessa Online: An Online Gaming Con by Women for Everyone (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?692243-ConTessa-Online-An-Online-Gaming-Con-by-Women-for-Everyone&p=16880535#post16880535)
Quote from: Black Vulmea;662473ConTessa Online: An Online Gaming Con by Women for Everyone (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?692243-ConTessa-Online-An-Online-Gaming-Con-by-Women-for-Everyone&p=16880535#post16880535)
Admittedly Libertad put it up last night, but it's been crickets ever since.
Quote from: flyerfan1991;662474Admittedly Libertad put it up last night, but it's been crickets ever since.
Probably because the social justice crowd thinks that it is a secret Patriarchy plot. Really, I doubt a lot of them can even concieve of something that was not specifically designed to be apolitical.
Quote from: flyerfan1991;662474Admittedly Libertad put it up last night, but it's been crickets ever since.
As I said, they read this site religiously ;)
It's not typical to post replies in advertisement threads, and it's got 99 views as of today.
Also, the folks at Intangibility (comprised of rpg.net social justice advocate gamers) expressed support for the Con as well and are okay with its policies.
ConTessa is rather obscure; I haven't seen it mentioned on any other message boards I didn't advertise it on, not even Paizo who's supporting them. All it needed was some more exposure.:)
Quote from: The Traveller;662376This isn't the hobby OHT, it's a discussion forum about the hobby. Also I'm not sure what you're implying, can you clarify that a bit.
That it would be nice if they'd swung by a bit more. I'm not suggesting it was a take the money and run kind of deal, otherwise the con wouldn't have been started up in the first place without a funding option, would it?
Quote from: Libertad;662490Also, the folks at Intangibility (comprised of rpg.net social justice advocate gamers) expressed support for the Con as well and are okay with its policies.
Well, there goes my nerdrage. What will I do for the rest of the day?
Quote from: Sacrosanct;662499Well, there goes my nerdrage. What will I do for the rest of the day?
There's beers in the fridge, man. And Free RPG Day tomorrow. Sounds like a good upcoming weekend to me.
Quote from: flyerfan1991;662505There's beers in the fridge, man. And Free RPG Day tomorrow. Sounds like a good upcoming weekend to me.
Preach it, bro. :)
I ended up posting about it on TBP too. I would have sooner but I was trying to think of something eloquent to say about it.
Quote from: Sacrosanct;662499Well, there goes my nerdrage. What will I do for the rest of the day?
Quote from: flyerfan1991;662505There's beers in the fridge, man. And Free RPG Day tomorrow. Sounds like a good upcoming weekend to me.
Quote from: Drohem;662507Preach it, bro. :)
Don't worry, be happy. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU)
Quote from: Sacrosanct;662316Yeah, that is sort of eyebrowraising. We know several people from both places read this forum religiously. It's a bit telling that for people who are self-proclaimed champions of female inclusion, they haven't bothered to even mention Contessa.
Or maybe they really aren't "woman inclusive", if those women aren't as fundamental as them.
Of course not. They don't actually give a shit about women gamers. They give a shit about appearing hip to whatever pseudo-activist causes they can be pretentious about. Actually DOING something productive is completely outside of their interests. And if more women actually did start gaming, gaming as-is, without radically censoring or deconstructing the entire hobby, it would prove the lie to all their bullshit. Contessa is a threat to them.
RPGPundit
Quote from: One Horse Town;662494That it would be nice if they'd swung by a bit more. I'm not suggesting it was a take the money and run kind of deal, otherwise the con wouldn't have been started up in the first place without a funding option, would it?
I'm sorry, was there something said here that needed a response from me? I've been a bit busy planning a convention, not really a lot of time for chit chat. :)
Quote from: ConTessa;662579I'm sorry, was there something said here that needed a response from me? I've been a bit busy planning a convention, not really a lot of time for chit chat. :)
Some people just need attention, I guess. I'm more interested in who's been GIVING you attention, or notably hasn't.
RPGPundit
Quote from: flyerfan1991;662505There's beers in the fridge, man.
Beer in the fridge you say?:hmm:
Quote from: RPGPundit;662684Some people just need attention, I guess. I'm more interested in who's been GIVING you attention, or notably hasn't.
RPGPundit
Well, i was thinking about your site, but if you want to be a cunt about it, i'll leave you to it.
Closing in on a cool grand, come on!
Quote from: One Horse Town;662778Well, i was thinking about your site, but if you want to be a cunt about it, i'll leave you to it.
I'd be really glad if Contessa posts here regularly, and keeps being a regular poster long after the (first?) Con, but I don't think putting pressure on her while she's organizing a Con is the way to do that, is all. And this thread, after all, was about supporting the Con and its organizer, not about us, as such. That's all I'm saying.
RPGPundit
Quote from: flyerfan1991;661159A compulsive Traveller DM? Wow.
You mean maybe a complulsive TRAVELLER GM?
That used to be 'me' years ago. TRAVELLER was the only thing I would run for people.
- Ed C.
Quote from: One Horse Town;662325While true, i notice that since the money started rolling in, we've seen no sign of ConTessa here.
Quote from: One Horse Town;662494That it would be nice if they'd swung by a bit more. I'm not suggesting it was a take the money and run kind of deal, otherwise the con wouldn't have been started up in the first place without a funding option, would it?
Quote from: One Horse Town;662778Well, i was thinking about your site, but if you want to be a cunt about it, i'll leave you to it.
First, you do this site no favors with these comments. It was less than a week, and this site is just not that important.
Second, out of
all the possible contexts, you found it appropriate to accuse Pundit of acting like a 'cunt'
here? Really, out of the entire English language, there wasn't another word you could have used which might not have been as directly depreciative of women, in a thread about a convention run by/for women? Seriously?
As a mod you represent this site, and managed to enforce every negative stereotype its known for. I think you should explain yourself, or at the very least apologize.
Quote from: Anon Adderlan;663337Second, out of all the possible contexts, you found it appropriate to accuse Pundit of acting like a 'cunt' here? Really, out of the entire English language, there wasn't another word you could have used which might not have been as directly depreciative of women, in a thread about a convention run by/for women? Seriously?
OHT is english, and in old blighty cunt doesn't have nearly the negative overtones it does for americans. It would be like someone calling someone else motherfucker.
If on the other hand I was to say 'anon adderlan or chaos voyager or whatever you're calling yourself these days, the best part of you ran down your mother's leg when your father kicked her in the gee after yanking the chimp off himself over a photo of justin bieber and spilling the results on his boots in a drunken rage', that would be considerably more insulting.
The more you know.
He should've called him a berk, obviously.
Anglo Saxons and their grading of insults, am I right or am I right?
Quote from: The Traveller;663343OHT is english, and in old blighty means cunt doesn't have nearly the negative overtones it does for americans. It would be like someone calling someone else motherfucker.
I thought it kind of originated in England, what with the flipped victory sign being the fighting words and all.
Quote from: Rincewind1;663344He should've called him a berk, obviously.
Anglo Saxons and their grading of insults, am I right or am I right?
Eh try pouring a Russian's drink over your wrist and see how far you get. They say it's unlucky, which is accurate, it's quite unlucky to be beaten up by a bunch of Russians. Not to mention telling a French woman to close her mouth, we nearly had an international incident over that last time I visited Bretagne.
Nuances, nuances.
Quote from: The Traveller;663343OHT is english, and in old blighty cunt doesn't have nearly the negative overtones it does for americans. It would be like someone calling someone else motherfucker.
The sad sack is on a holiday from RPGnet, and he likes to try to lord it over us here - holier than thou and all that.
I didn't have him down as one of the outrage brigade though.
Anyway, in the spirit of reconciliation, i'm sorry Pundit. ;)
Quote from: Rincewind1;663344He should've called him a berk, obviously.
Nicely played Sir!
Berkely Hunt! Cockney rhyming slang.
Quote from: The Traveller;663343OHT is english, and in old blighty cunt doesn't have nearly the negative overtones it does for americans. It would be like someone calling someone else motherfucker.
Oh,
regional excuses. I love those.
Seriously, if your cultural awareness only extends to the borders of your own country, then you shouldn't be posting on the internet.
I just found it quite amusing that his choice of words, after insinuating that ConTessa was only in it for the money (which seriously, WTF?), was 'cunt' instead of 'dick' or 'ass' or other various anatomy :)
Quote from: One Horse Town;663382Nicely played Sir!
Berkely Hunt! Cockney rhyming slang.
Glad to be of service, now where's my honey?
Alright, that's pretty much my knowledge of it.
Quote from: Anon Adderlan;663384Oh, regional excuses. I love those.
Seriously, if your cultural awareness only extends to the borders of your own country, then you shouldn't be posting on the internet.
I just found it quite amusing that his choice of words, after insinuating that ConTessa was only in it for the money (which seriously, WTF?), was 'cunt' instead of 'dick' or 'ass' or other various anatomy :)
Kind of highlighting your own lack of cultural awareness here AA.
Did you get banned from rpgnet again?
Quote from: Anon Adderlan;663384I just found it quite amusing that his choice of words, after insinuating that ConTessa was only in it for the money (which seriously, WTF?), was 'cunt' instead of 'dick' or 'ass' or other various anatomy :)
Stop stirring shit - unless of course, you chose to ignore my clarification to Traveller. In which case, you're still stirring shit.
It looks like they have a really full slate of events!
Aaaand ConTessa has passed the thousand dollars milestone! Well done Stacy!
Quote from: The Traveller;663387Kind of highlighting your own lack of cultural awareness here AA.
Did you get banned from rpgnet again?
I dunno, I sort of think he has a point-- given the situation it's a pretty low blow.
Quote from: LibraryLass;664328I dunno, I sort of think he has a point-- given the situation it's a pretty low blow.
A killing insult in one culture is simple camaraderie in another, and the UK does have quite a different culture to the US. I wouldn't consider it a big deal to be honest, OHT probably never even gave it a thought. This is particularly salient given AA's proclivities towards trolling this site and kicking up trouble wherever he can. I don't honestly think any harm was intended.
Quote from: The Traveller;664333A killing insult in one culture is simple camaraderie in another, and the UK does have quite a different culture to the US. I wouldn't consider it a big deal to be honest, OHT probably never even gave it a thought. This is particularly salient given AA's proclivities towards trolling this site and kicking up trouble wherever he can. I don't honestly think any harm was intended.
Yeah, I don't
think it was malice, just a spectacularly unfortunate choice of phrasing.
If everyone apologized for saying something careless on this site, we'd have about 3 posts on each thread.
I'm not going to treat this thread as any different from any other - in the spirit of the ConTessa convention itself.
It's the first day of the Con.
They've got their first game up on YouTube. It's using Feng Shui RPG. (http://www.contessaonline.com/category/events/games/)
Be on the lookout for more events!
Quote from: Libertad;664618It's the first day of the Con.
They've got their first game up on YouTube. It's using Feng Shui RPG. (http://www.contessaonline.com/category/events/games/)
Be on the lookout for more events!
I'm impressed with the list of events. d6 Star Wars, LotFP, Pathfinder, old school stuff.....
Videos of people playing RPGs online might just be the saddest thing ever.
RPGs at the table just look painful on video, but the headset elves are agony on the eyes and can't be good PR.
Unfortunately I ran into technical difficulties and had to cancel my games. :(
Quote from: LibraryLass;664753Unfortunately I ran into technical difficulties and had to cancel my games. :(
No!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry to hear that. I hope the rest of the con runs more smoothly.
That sucks, LL. Which ones were yours on the sched?
I'm on the panel Monday for "Kids & RPGs" - should be fun.
So how's it all been going? I've been crazy-busy this weekend as predicted.
As an observer, it looks like it's going pretty well. Some of the games only had three players, but others were chock-full. I'm sure Stacy will do a wrap-up when it's all over.
Looks like plenty of buzz, though, so if there's a ConTessa next year, I imagine it will be quite a bit larger.
A couple more GMs would've been sweet, though - several GMs were pulling double or triple duty hosting various games throughout the weekend.
Quote from: VectorSigma;665185As an observer, it looks like it's going pretty well. Some of the games only had three players, but others were chock-full. I'm sure Stacy will do a wrap-up when it's all over.
Looks like plenty of buzz, though, so if there's a ConTessa next year, I imagine it will be quite a bit larger.
A couple more GMs would've been sweet, though - several GMs were pulling double or triple duty hosting various games throughout the weekend.
We had the best turnout of any online convention that I've seen yet (certainly any Google+ convention). The convention that ran the weekend before us had about 25 games and they didn't have any restrictions on who could run their games.
We had 24 GMs and Panel Mods and 40 events total. A couple of games got run off air, something I'll make an option next year to start with, but only three games were actually canceled. Two to technical difficulty, one to the GM not showing up. I took a lot away from it in the form of things to do differently next year, and hopefully next year it won't be one woman spending six months of her life putting the whole thing together. I think I managed to single out a couple of people who would make great partners for next year, which means it will indeed be bigger. I'm thinking of starting work on it in November for a springtime convention.
The games that only had three people in them were from GMs who didn't promote their events and didn't check in regularly to contact the people that were playing. All of the games were full, save I think for the last straggling couple of them today, but I think some people forgot and without the GMs following through with reminders and promotions, they didn't have alternates to fill in for no shows. For the games that I saw run where the GMs followed through, there were plenty of players and alternates for those who didn't show up.
I am exhausted and happy and am going to be taking time to decompress and let it all sink in. The two major panels that I did 'WTF is the OSR?', and the 'I Hit It With My Axe' Reunion panel were incredibly fun and had upwards of 40 viewers each (Axe was close to 50). Blonde Frog's Marketing Panel also had a really big following, though I don't know the total since Rachel was running that panel. It was nice to see panels on G+ that actually had some substance to them and weren't about the same three or four topics that get batted around and talked about NPR-style. I'm hoping that trend will continue for next year's convention. :)
I also got to run two playtests of my game, Precious Dark, which turned out utterly fantastic. I was too busy putting out fires and keeping track of everything for ConTessa (and generating the random dungeon for the LotFP random dungeon challenge), and didn't get to put as much prep into my PD games as I wanted to, but character creation was a breeze, and gameplay went smoothly. The feel I wanted to elicit form the game came through spectacularly, and everyone played with a very 'Old School' creative mentality that made both of the games unique and very fun, and I got some great feedback that I'm still processing along with everything else I learned during the convention. :)
Anyway, I talked to Pundit about making a secondary account here to post as myself rather than as the con, which must steer clear of specific subjects, and I'm going to just as soon as I've finished decompressing after the last three days of stress.
Thanks for all your support everyone, and I'm so sorry you had technical difficulties, LL, that bummed me out, especially since you DID all the things I asked the GMs to do ahead of time. That doesn't seem fair.
Take care all!
Stacy
Great summary, Stacy, thanks!
24 GMs? How did I miss that there were that many? Sounds like a lesson learned about GMs promoting their stuff and getting players.
The panels I've watched so far (Marketing, WTFOSR) were quite worthwhile.
I should also note that ConTessa has done a great job of _branding_ - something you don't usually see with online cons (or even meatspace cons much of the time). Kudos!
Thank you very much for the recap. I was on a road trip and was unable to attend the Con, but it sounds like it was a big success.
And while I can't speak for Pundit in regards to his rule of no sock accounts, I don't think it's unreasonable for you to have an account that you post on as a user, and the one for solely Contessa updates. That's my opinion anyway. I for one would value your input because the more users who are reasonable people, the better.
Happy it was successful! :)
Agree with Sacro, it sounds reasonable that you're allowed a personal account as well.
Great to hear it all went well. I couldn't participate or watch anything live as I had a really busy weekend followed by night shifts at work, but I hope I'll get to watch Youtube recordings some time later.
Quote from: ConTessa;665222I took a lot away from it in the form of things to do differently next year, and hopefully next year it won't be one woman spending six months of her life putting the whole thing together.
40 Events / 25 GMs? That's a success.
I've done marketing for several cons and I always tell the founders that they have to build a strong team of smart volunteers who can be trusted to do their jobs. Without that team, the con can become a nightmare, financially, mentally and physically.
I am a fan of post-con marketing. I find that successful cons do a good job communicating with their attendees in the week or two after the event before the buzz of the event wears off. Getting feedback and marketing quotes for next year is always good.
Quote from: ConTessa;665222We had the best turnout of any online convention that I've seen yet (certainly any Google+ convention). The convention that ran the weekend before us had about 25 games and they didn't have any restrictions on who could run their games.
<...snip...>
Take care all!
Stacy
A personal account seems fine although might set a board wide precedent that he guys will want to set a process for, I would imagine.
The Event sounds very sucessful so congratulations.
I wonder if there is mileage in a open chat room where people can hang out in downtime and GMs can drop into to pull additional players if games are shorthanded. No experience of online Cons but its a place where online woudl trump face to face cons and with face to face cons you get people hanging round popular games looking for spaces from no shows but the physical limits mean that you can't dip into a pool of would be gamers. Also the forum is a nice place for folks to hang and just chat about games and stuff. (appologies if you totally have this and I am teaching grandma to suck eggs)
Quote from: Spinachcat;66539140 Events / 25 GMs? That's a success.
I've done marketing for several cons and I always tell the founders that they have to build a strong team of smart volunteers who can be trusted to do their jobs. Without that team, the con can become a nightmare, financially, mentally and physically.
I am a fan of post-con marketing. I find that successful cons do a good job communicating with their attendees in the week or two after the event before the buzz of the event wears off. Getting feedback and marketing quotes for next year is always good.
Jealous?
Quote from: Sacrosanct;665231Thank you very much for the recap. I was on a road trip and was unable to attend the Con, but it sounds like it was a big success.
Same here. :-( My SO and I were both called out of town unexpectedly for a family trip this past week, so we weren't able to make it to ConTessa this year.
I'm so glad to hear it was well attended!
I posted some of the rest of the stats in the ConTessa community today. I've brought on three new assistant organizers, and one is a graphic designer who's volunteered to build us an infographic on all of the stats we're generating.
Now that I've got a baseline, I've got a target to beat for next year's convention, which we're tentatively planning on starting planning for in October/November and running in late winter / early spring. There's just too many things going on at the beginning of the summer, so I'm hoping this will make it easier for more to attend. Plus, now more people know that we exist!
Anyways, here's the stats:
4 Days of Gaming, June 21st - 24th
Total GMs / Panel Mods: 24
Total Events Successfully Run: 39
Total Events Registered: 43
Total Number of Panels: 14
Total Number of Games: 25
Total Prizes Given Away: 96 (and we're still processing)
Total Sponsors: 18
Event Breakdown by day:
Friday: 8
Saturday: 12
Sunday: 13
Monday: 3
Here's where the numbers get a little squirrely as tracking unique attendees is rather difficult given our limited tools. This is as close as we've gotten with the information we have so far:
People in Hangouts: 173
People in Comments: 280
Views on YouTube: 2307 (and I don't have info from all event runners yet)
+1s: 161
The top three grossing events as far as YouTube views go are two panels and one AP video from the LotFP competition:
'I Hit It With My Axe Reunion' - 597
'WTF is the OSR?' - 323
'LotFP Random Dungeon Challenge - Green Team' - 232
We've been soliciting feedback, and despite my insisting to myself that I'll take a break before diving into next year, I've already started post-mortem note taking and planning for next year that includes things like training event runners so there are fewer 'how does this work?' moments, and building up more tools for the event runners to report who's playing their games for even more accurate statistics next year.
Love the breakdown. Next con will be a lot better. You've put a lot of work into this. Great job!
Quote from: ConTessa;665928'I Hit It With My Axe Reunion' - 597
'WTF is the OSR?' - 323
'LotFP Random Dungeon Challenge - Green Team' - 232
I can take a guess why IHITWMA was double everything else ;)
Quote from: jeff37923;665485Jealous?
Of what?
Quote from: ConTessa;665928I posted some of the rest of the stats in the ConTessa community today. I've brought on three new assistant organizers, and one is a graphic designer who's volunteered to build us an infographic on all of the stats we're generating.
Now that I've got a baseline, I've got a target to beat for next year's convention, which we're tentatively planning on starting planning for in October/November and running in late winter / early spring. There's just too many things going on at the beginning of the summer, so I'm hoping this will make it easier for more to attend. Plus, now more people know that we exist!
Anyways, here's the stats:
4 Days of Gaming, June 21st - 24th
Total GMs / Panel Mods: 24
Total Events Successfully Run: 39
Total Events Registered: 43
Total Number of Panels: 14
Total Number of Games: 25
Total Prizes Given Away: 96 (and we're still processing)
Total Sponsors: 18
Event Breakdown by day:
Friday: 8
Saturday: 12
Sunday: 13
Monday: 3
Here's where the numbers get a little squirrely as tracking unique attendees is rather difficult given our limited tools. This is as close as we've gotten with the information we have so far:
People in Hangouts: 173
People in Comments: 280
Views on YouTube: 2307 (and I don't have info from all event runners yet)
+1s: 161
The top three grossing events as far as YouTube views go are two panels and one AP video from the LotFP competition:
'I Hit It With My Axe Reunion' - 597
'WTF is the OSR?' - 323
'LotFP Random Dungeon Challenge - Green Team' - 232
We've been soliciting feedback, and despite my insisting to myself that I'll take a break before diving into next year, I've already started post-mortem note taking and planning for next year that includes things like training event runners so there are fewer 'how does this work?' moments, and building up more tools for the event runners to report who's playing their games for even more accurate statistics next year.
Congratulations on an awesome job! Take a well-deserved rest, but make sure you've compiled as big a contact list as possible, to give you a head start on the next year.
I hope we'll keep seeing you posting here under your other other account!
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