Quote from: TonyLBSide-note:  If we're qualifying GMs for whether they're good enough to run a game at a con, can we also qualify players on whether they're good enough to play in one?  The players make just as big an impact on how the game turns out, IME.

Interesting point.  I was at a con this past weekend playing a ridiculously fun CoC dark ages game with a group of strangers who were what I've come to think of as the vast majority of gamers at cons: interested, ready to contribute and fun.  The game and GM were good, and the players were turning it into something special, except for the one guy who seemed very interested in torpedoeing the group consensus, pulling focus out of the game, wandering off, and the like.

We (the players and GM) collectively managed him, and the game was just fine, but a buddy and I got genuinely wistful about the lost possibilities on the way home.

I'd say that as a percentage, I've met many more players at cons that I wouldn't want to game with than GMs, and played in many more con games that have suffered from intentional or unintentional player sabotage than GM incompetence.

That said, I still unrepentantly love and seek after the charmed con game that happens every once in a while where all cylinders fire.  

Advice for beginning gamemasters can be found in books if they are willing to do the reading. Listen Up You Primitive Screwheads, Robin's Laws of Good Gamemastering, GURPS for Dummies, and D&D for Dummies all have sections that deal with this.

Instead of making sure the gamemasters know what they are doing, have the description of their con-game include an indication of the mastery level of the GM like they do for the difficulty of the scenario.

Hello Everyone:

This is an interesting debate given the subjective nature of what makes a good convention game in practice. Too many restrictions, especially if imposed by the convention, discourage folks from running games. Assuming a convention has plenty of games to offer, bad gamemasters might get the hint when people slowly stop playing their games; those with packed tables every session are obviously doing something right and pleasing players most of the time.

I have a little experience running convention games, though I wouldn't dare call myself anything close to an expert. Although what constitutes a "good" and "bad" game varies for each player (and the gamemaster), I can at least speak from my personal experiences running games at several area conventions.

The best advice I know is "Be Prepared." Know the game rules in and out to avoid stopping the action to reference the rulebook. Know the setting so you can improvise as needed. Know the scenario, i.e., create one yourself and have contingencies in mind to handle course changes from the characters. Use pregenerated characters so you know their capabilities, personalities, secrets, equipment, and backgrounds, and can play these up in the game. Make sure you have extras to make the game go well: tent cards so you can easily remember character/player names; plenty of dice; pencils; all the required maps and player handouts; a small travel clock on the table to pace the game to fit the convention's sessions.

Aside from "Be Prepared," I'd also suggest being friendly and professional. Smile. Bathe. Make everyone feel welcome at first, and then make sure they feel involved, even if their characters go off on a not-terribly-exciting tangent.

If you're open to criticism and mindful of people's behaviors, a gamemaster knows when he's doing a good or bad job. When you have to turn away people from a game because it's already filled, people want to play your games. When you see the same folks come back for more games, especially at other conventions, you're doing a good job. When you have a crowd staying after the game to talk shop, retell exciting incidents from the scenario, or simply hang out, you're doing fine.

One of these days I'll get around to writing an article or two (either for my website or a convention program) with tips on convention gaming for both gamemasters and players. Someday....

Best regards,

Peter Schweighofer
Griffon Publishing Studio
//www.destinyrealms.com/griffon/

Quote from: Griffon86One of these days I'll get around to writing an article or two (either for my website or a convention program) with tips on convention gaming for both gamemasters and players. Someday....

I'd read it.

Hello Everyone:

Thanks cnath.rm. If I ever get around to it, I'll make sure to post a link here for reference.

I just checked the site for a convention I'm doing in March, and perused the GM "requirements" with this thread in mind. They're pretty broad, but give some basics -- know the rules, be prepared with pre-gens and handouts, all participants need a con badge -- and a few specifics to make games more accessible to newcomers at this sci-fi/media/gaming con, including "all beginners must be allowed to play" and that GMs must teach the rules to beginners. Not that this is enforced strictly at the convention, but for a con attracting non-gamers and many young people, it's not a bad strategy.

Some folks here have mentioned a very real balance between imposing stringent requirements on GMs and enticing GMs to run games at conventions. Most cons I've seen have no problem attracting GMs to run events; however, these cons also have loose guidelines for games that are more suggestions than enforced rules. I don't mind a con offering guidelines -- in many cases they help me better prepare for the convention's typical attendees -- but if they expected me to meet certain, subjective benchmarks or jump through more hoops than I usually do, I wouldn't go. Thankfully I've never encountered such difficulties, since most conventions would rather have a full slate of game offerings, even with a few less-than-stellar GMs, than no gaming at all.

Best regards,
Peter Schweighofer
Griffon Publishing Studio
//www.destinyrealms.com/griffon/