My first con was Origins '79. That was my first and only encounter with the TSR competitive-style play. Not my cup of tea, although I'm proud to say my character did survive. We were just kids then, so everything was amazing. We bought Traveller and spent all that night just rolling characters. Most of the events were board games and mini games, but it was also a rare opportunity to learn how other people approached role playing games. The play styles we encountered were often quite different from what we were doing. Some other people were actually speaking to each other in-character! I saw my first SCA people wearing armor and fighting with padded swords. It was cool to see just how many fantasy-adjacent hobbies there were.

I have not been to any of the big cons in decades but I went to Gary Con twice in recent years. That was fun, but most gaming spaces were so loud that I couldn't hear the GM. I still recommend it to anyone with an OSR interest. Everyone should have an opportunity to roll dice on Dave Arneson's ping-pong table and do some jousting from Chainmail.

Last year I went to a small con in Lexington, KY. That was nice, too. The big difference, to me, is that now we have the internet and fora like this. You don't have to drive five hours to discover what is happening in the hobby. Back in the day, walking into a con was like kicking open a dungeon door. You had no idea what you'd discover, but it would be something amazing that you didn't know existed.

Quote from: Jam The MF on February 07, 2022, 10:24:00 PM
I long for what the Cons must have been like, in the old days.....

They were cool until people started showing up with phones.

Quote from: SHARK on February 08, 2022, 01:37:09 AM

Quote from: Trinculoisdead on February 08, 2022, 01:19:39 AM
What is it about modern conventions that is so despicable? I can think of some answers, but I am curious as to what it is that you refer.

Greetings!

Well, like in the other thread about conventions, Gary Con discussing their new requirements and procedures--hand sanitizer everywhere, vaccines required, and everyone required to wear masks. And of course, all gaming spaces are suitably "socially distanced" and reduced in gamer attendance for extra special safety precautions.

Why don't I just fucking wear my NBC gear from the military, and be sure to wear my military-issue gas mask?

Just cancel the fucking game conventions and have them again when these morons are replaced by people that want to be normal and not act like a bunch of pussy tyrant sheep.

That's what is disgusting about modern conventions, for starters.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

In the late 80s and early 90s I used to attend a convention which - no joke - had a sign on the wargamers room that said participants must bath at least once a day, and must wear deodorant.

It was a good con. The policy was wise and necessary.

Quote from: Mistwell on February 08, 2022, 10:01:20 PM

Quote from: SHARK on February 08, 2022, 01:37:09 AM

Quote from: Trinculoisdead on February 08, 2022, 01:19:39 AM
What is it about modern conventions that is so despicable? I can think of some answers, but I am curious as to what it is that you refer.

Greetings!

Well, like in the other thread about conventions, Gary Con discussing their new requirements and procedures--hand sanitizer everywhere, vaccines required, and everyone required to wear masks. And of course, all gaming spaces are suitably "socially distanced" and reduced in gamer attendance for extra special safety precautions.

Why don't I just fucking wear my NBC gear from the military, and be sure to wear my military-issue gas mask?

Just cancel the fucking game conventions and have them again when these morons are replaced by people that want to be normal and not act like a bunch of pussy tyrant sheep.

That's what is disgusting about modern conventions, for starters.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

In the late 80s and early 90s I used to attend a convention which - no joke - had a sign on the wargamers room that said participants must bath at least once a day, and must wear deodorant.

It was a good con. The policy was wise and necessary.

Did they have to show their bathing papers at the door? 

Quote from: Trinculoisdead on February 08, 2022, 01:19:39 AM
What is it about modern conventions that is so despicable? I can think of some answers, but I am curious as to what it is that you refer.

Huge crowds of snowflakes, who scream and cry if you aren't wearing a mask. 

Vaccination card requirements, in order to attend.

If some libtard decides that you are guilty of some perceived "micro-aggression", and starts a fight that they can't win; it's your fault for being an evil anti-snowflake. 

If you try to fly, instead of drive to the con; you basically get treated like a prisoner in Siberia.

A lot of the vendors now either are themselves, or else represent companies that hate you for not being a snowflake.

Many, many products on display, for systems or rulesets that I don't want to play.

The people who own, operate, and represent the companies driving the majority of the hobby now; want to ruin and destroy what I like about D&D.

Quote from: Jam The MF on February 08, 2022, 11:26:57 PM

Many, many products on display, for systems or rulesets that I don't want to play.

This one is a strange complaint. Variety isn't a bad thing. Take the good parts of what you don't want to play and put it into the games you do.

Pre-Shamdemic, going to cons was one of my favorite activities. Here's my take:

1) Small local / regional cons are more fun than big cons.

2) Cons that are specifically about XYZ are more fun than general game cons. AKA, Palladium's Open House was amazeballs because all 300 of us were there ONLY because we were PB fans.

3) The bigger the con, the more bullshit.

4) We need more segregation in the hobby. Everybody has chosen their stand, now we just need to go our own ways.

Quote from: HappyDaze on February 08, 2022, 11:02:04 PM

Quote from: Mistwell on February 08, 2022, 10:01:20 PM

Quote from: SHARK on February 08, 2022, 01:37:09 AM

Quote from: Trinculoisdead on February 08, 2022, 01:19:39 AM
What is it about modern conventions that is so despicable? I can think of some answers, but I am curious as to what it is that you refer.

Greetings!

Well, like in the other thread about conventions, Gary Con discussing their new requirements and procedures--hand sanitizer everywhere, vaccines required, and everyone required to wear masks. And of course, all gaming spaces are suitably "socially distanced" and reduced in gamer attendance for extra special safety precautions.

Why don't I just fucking wear my NBC gear from the military, and be sure to wear my military-issue gas mask?

Just cancel the fucking game conventions and have them again when these morons are replaced by people that want to be normal and not act like a bunch of pussy tyrant sheep.

That's what is disgusting about modern conventions, for starters.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

In the late 80s and early 90s I used to attend a convention which - no joke - had a sign on the wargamers room that said participants must bath at least once a day, and must wear deodorant.

It was a good con. The policy was wise and necessary.

Did they have to show their bathing papers at the door? 

Ha, no. I think they did shame people though.

Once they were cool. Getting a chance to go to one wasn't like finding the pot of gold in Ireland, but it was FUN.

But then the damned 92% let the 8% get it's foot in the door more and more until cons is just another woke brainwash. The 92% ALWAYS caves in, because when the 8% tells them "be reasonable" it'll never EVER figure out that the 8% will take it ALL. No matter how bad the 92% gets screwed over they just keep doing the same damn thing- cower.

Try to start a real fun con and it'll surely happen again, as surely as it rains in Ireland. I wouldn't even try because I know I'll get no backing.

The only "con" I'll go to is the gaming night we got around here where we got no woke crap no x-cards and the 92% better not whine.

Quote from: Spinachcat on February 09, 2022, 12:53:46 AM
Pre-Shamdemic, going to cons was one of my favorite activities. Here's my take:

1) Small local / regional cons are more fun than big cons.

2) Cons that are specifically about XYZ are more fun than general game cons. AKA, Palladium's Open House was amazeballs because all 300 of us were there ONLY because we were PB fans.

3) The bigger the con, the more bullshit.

4) We need more segregation in the hobby. Everybody has chosen their stand, now we just need to go our own ways.

And get banned and shamed and maybe blacklisted for discrimination? HAH! The 8% can do that all they want but Lord forbid anyone else tries to do that. Oh, it could work but the 92% would have to try some courage and unity and- hey, look- I'm not drunk no more so there's the moon rising in the west!

Quote from: Redwanderer on February 16, 2022, 04:21:51 PM
Once they were cool. Getting a chance to go to one wasn't like finding the pot of gold in Ireland, but it was FUN.

But then the damned 92% let the 8% get it's foot in the door more and more until cons is just another woke brainwash.

What cons did you used to go to, Redwanderer?

I went to GaryCon and NTRPG Con most years from 2010-2019. NTRPG was good *every year* because they kept it small and focused. Gary Con was good for the same reason until they switched locations to juice the growth, then it got worse and worse every year.

RIP Doug Rhea - your con brought a lot of joy and good times into the world!

Quote from: Redwanderer on February 16, 2022, 04:26:20 PM
And get banned and shamed and maybe blacklisted for discrimination? HAH! The 8% can do that all they want but Lord forbid anyone else tries to do that. Oh, it could work but the 92% would have to try some courage and unity and- hey, look- I'm not drunk no more so there's the moon rising in the west!

You're right, but courage is contagious.

Cons that don't bow to woke shit will draw crowds.

I'm hopefully going to NTRPG Con this year. I don't see a list of con rules on their site. Unless I am missing something that someone else has caught, it appears to be a pretty regular con filled with gamers and not the crowd I don't really care to associate with so much that calls themselves gamers. I'll be avoiding any 5E stuff like the plague, and hoping to hit up a Hyperborea 3E game and see if Jim Sampler's running anything.

This once-a-year thing will likely be the only chances I ever get to actually play a game of Hyperborea, lol. I'm already set to GM it when the books arrive.

I've never had the opportunity to go to any cons in the past and I'm 51 now. Better late than never, and this is the only one I've read about that doesn't seem super restrictive or gate-keeping, and old-school they way I'd like.

Andcon was probably one of the first gaming cons I ever went to. Andon ran some of the best cons and apparently for a time was managing Gencon.