That's right, boys and girls, as thousands upon thousands of gamers descend upon Indianapolis to snag their convention badges, I am again bringing you the latest and greatest from the floor at Gen Con Indy!
I will also be doing some updates on my blog (http://www.rpgblog2.com) and Twitter (@rpgblog2 (http://twitter.com/rpgblog2)).
If you haven't seen the sort of coverage that's been done in years past, check out our 2008 thread (http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=11529)!
People have already covered my internet fees for the convention, but if you do end up finding this a useful service, please consider putting a coin in the hat (you can paypal to o_clever_odysseus(at)yahoo.com). It will defray the cost of meals and parking each day (although living on beef jerk and dried fruit for 4 days helps!).
Again, I know not everyone can go to Gen Con. Until I figure out a way to get everyone who wants to go plane tickets and a badge (working theory: the Lotto), I'll be doing my best to cover the convention.
Gen Con is huge. Like, really huge. Double my time, and I still wouldn't see everything out there. But I'll do my best to hit the highlights, as well as the stuff off the beaten path for you!
All set? Great! The Exhibit Hall doors open tomorrow at 10, but I plan to be there super-early, get in before the rush, and give you all the scoop.
Let's do this!
The Night Before
Tonight is the quietest night Gen Con will see for the rest of this week. But that doesn’t mean it’s silent by any means. At the convention center, thousands of gamers have already arrived. Some will sleep in hallways tomorrow, near the exhibit hall. This is the beginning of the gamer stink that will haunt us all soon enough. Most nearby restaurants are still filled, and there’s long registration lines winding around the hallways. Traffic in the skyways and corridors between the convention center and the hotels is brisk.
Inside the center's exhibit hall, companies still work to get their booths ready for the thousands of fans that will swarm it at 10 am tomorrow morning. Outside, hundreds of card, board, and tabletop games are going on, wherever people can find a space. Here and there, groups flip through their programs, planning out their activities or planning swag runs. Old friends run into each other, greet one another warmly. A general feeling of happiness is in the air; we’ve done it, we’ve survived another year, and we’re safely at Gen Con.
Tomorrow the real coverage will start, but the electricity is already in the air.
Nothing, nothing, nothing like it in the world.
Hey Zach, I'm stoked you're doing this again :D
If you get the chance, will you:
1. Check out the back of the Geist book and see what the next WoD game is going to be :D
2. Check out the new WHFRP. I'd like to hear your thoughts on it.
Will see what I can do, friend.
Ooh, first news from our friends at Paizo (http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/pathfinder/pathfinderRPG/general/reaperToProducePaizoMiniatures&page=1#0)--Reaper Minis will be producing a line of minis for Pathfinder! We're starting early this year!
Let me know if you see anything about Points of Light II
Thanks
Definitely check out what FFG is up to with Warhammer 3e and that new Chaos boardgame.
Also, if Rackham is there, check out their new Rush & Crush game.
Poke the dudes at WW and ask about Exalted 3rd. If they refuse, poke harder.
If they are doing the Tower of Gygax tribute dungeons, I'd love to hear about that one too!
Good suggestions, guys!
Enroute now (yes, we decided it couldn't wait).
At the Con! Going to the press room--they are only giving away a select amount of badges to get in the exhibit hall early. More later!
We're here!:
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8:36 I'll be trying to get into the dealer hall soon, but for now, we are checking out the Battletech Pods! There's already a crowd for the puppies, and I have to admit, they look awesome:
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Man, those pods are sweet!!!
Getting in the convention hall early, we passed WotC on our way to the Paizo booth. WotC had a pretty good line going, but the Paizo booth was insane:
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Mind you, this is a full hour before regular attendees get into the hall.
Jason Buhlman informed me that the display area the Pathfinder books were on is comprised of more Pathfinder books. Cubits, he said. He started to measure in cubits. He said they brought thousands. Talked to Erik Mona briefly, but he was slammed with requests:
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I couldn't get a look at the back of the Geist book, as they had it under pretty heavy guard (not out with the other books--too precious, I suppose!):
Here's the WotC line:
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I also stopped by Cubicle 7/Adamant Entertainment. Savage Worlds Mars is out--GM Skarka wasn't there yet, so I'll be stopping back by later.
Same with Fantasy Flight. I can tell you that it looks like they'll be playing up the 3e of Warhammer Fantasy!
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Fat Dragon's Ultimate GM Screen looks great:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3023.jpg)
Lines, lines all over the place. When things calm down I'll get some more shots.
Say hi to Tom from Fat Dragon from me. :-)
Thanks for doing this Zack!
When you get a chance, could you stop by the Green Ronin booth? I'd love to see how True20, Warriors and Warlocks, and Song of Ice and Fire are doing. I'd also be curious to see if the Dragon Age box set is out.
Hey, Zach, if you get the chance, could you ask the guys at Adamant Entertainment how Tales of Bas-Lag / the China Mieville game is coming along?
Hey, Zach, if you get a chance, will you eat a cheeseburger for lunch?
Seanchai
11:10: People have now been in the Paizo line for an hour, to purchase Pathfinder. One thing to remember is that while companies may have policies that folks disagree with, many of the game designers have worked together before. Saw a couple of WotC folks shaking hands with the Paizo folks, congratulating them. That's how it should be.
Spoke to Bruce Cordell at WotC. He confirmed really the only big thing they have for this year's show is the setting announcement for this next year. He said, "looks like it's all Pathfinder", with a laugh, nodding towards the huge line. Nice guy--said he had a lot of fun hanging out with ChattyDM and his game last night.
Paizo's line is not going down. There's a very good chance they could sell out, even with the thousands of copies.
Catalyst's Eclipse Phase:
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Zach, I'd be very interested to hear more about WFRP 3. Pics of the demo if possible.
Quote from: MountZionRyan;320354Zach, I'd be very interested to hear more about WFRP 3. Pics of the demo if possible.
Certainly. Some of these sorts of things need to wait a bit until they die down a bit.
Here's a pic of Savage Worlds' Weird War II. Nice line for it, and the Pinnacle Booth.
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Here's a pic for the end of the Paizo line. It wrapped all the way around the Paizo booth (you can see the sign--notice how far in the distance it is):
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Quote from: MountZionRyan;320354Zach, I'd be very interested to hear more about WFRP 3. Pics of the demo if possible.
I am interested to see how well it is received as well, especially with the $100 price tag.
Aweosme stuff Zack! Keep it going!
12:11: Holy cow, folks. My buddy was in line 1 hour, 10 minutes for Pathfinder. Cooling our heels for a minute.
Gaming Paper (http://www.gamingpaper.com/) seems to be getting some notice. Cool idea. 30 square feet of nice-quality gaming paper for $4. Nice when you want to save that awesome dungeon design from last night. The gentlemen selling it actually makes paper for a living, and is also a gamer. This is how these sorts of things come about.
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Here's a pic of Geist, and White Wolf staff:
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Great stuff! It's nice to see the actual covers of the new game titles. Thanks.
Gaming Paper looks very interesting. I hope they do well with it!
Quote from: Fifth Element;320368Gaming Paper looks very interesting. I hope they do well with it!
Is it just yellowed paper with one-inch squares on it, or am I missing something?
Quote from: jcfiala;320369Is it just yellowed paper with one-inch squares on it, or am I missing something?
It's supposed to be reusable, though I'm not sure if that means it's erasable or not.
Quote from: jcfiala;320369Is it just yellowed paper with one-inch squares on it, or am I missing something?
It has some sort of coating, making it more durable. Apparently you can use either dry-erase or permanent markers.
Gaming Paper looks cool. I heard about it first from Bruce Cordell's facebook page.
Quote from: Fifth Element;320375It has some sort of coating, making it more durable. Apparently you can use either dry-erase or permanent markers.
They don't mention that on their website, but on the other hand, it's not that expensive... interesting idea.
Quote from: jcfiala;320383They don't mention that on their website, but on the other hand, it's not that expensive... interesting idea.
They mention the coating in one of the FAQs. The price does make it rather interesting.
Looks like grease-proof paper. :idunno:
3:33pm: A lot of the first day is taken up with scouting and meeting old friends.
Just played in a 15-minute Pathfinder demo. Great fun!
The Kenzer booth doesn't have demos in booth this year, which is a bummer. Talked to Mark Plemmons, until a man in a kilt interrupted like I wasn't standing there.
The Dragon Age game and Green Ronin booths are right next to one another. Interesting bit of cross-marketing. I took plenty of photos, which I will post up in a bit. Honestly, maybe it's just when I hit them, but the GR booth seemed a bit slow.
Stopped by Mongoose! Earthdawn and FantasyCraft are both up! They had a nice flow of traffic when I was around.
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The Forge and IPR booths are split this year, so both are much smaller. Ron Edwards challenged Pundit to an iron-cage rhetoric match (not really).
Went back to the FFG booth, but no one was running the 3e demo. Was told the same bit on the Warhammer 3e, so nothing else to report. Honestly, the amount of attention Fantasy Flight gives to RPGs here is underwhelming. All you really see are board games, board games, board games.
Hirst Model Arts does a great job of presenting their molds:
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I have a panel starting shortly--I'll be doing a big update tonight, though, so stay tuned!
Those pathfinder books, speaking purely from an aesthetic point of view, look awesome.
RPGPundit
Quote from: Zachary The First;320412Ron Edwards challenged Pundit to an iron-cage rhetoric match (not really).
Challenge accepted.
Thanks for keeping this blog!
This thread is really making me pine for GenCon. :(
Zach, you need to post pics of the FFG guys getting gang-raped with broomhandles and then chain-dragged with golf-carts for the atrocity that is WFRP 3e.
RPGPundit
Zach, stop around the West End Games booth tomorrow afternoon. Bill Coffin will be there signing copies of Septimus. I will be there again too, so stop by and say hi.
Quote from: RPGPundit;320425Those pathfinder books, speaking purely from an aesthetic point of view, look awesome.
RPGPundit
I picked it up, its 500 plus pages of pure joy. I am finally getting around to reading it
Quote from: The Game Guy;320478Zach, stop around the West End Games booth tomorrow afternoon. Bill Coffin will be there signing copies of Septimus. I will be there again too, so stop by and say hi.
Happily. It's on the list. I just don't know when I'm going to get to what at Gen Con--it's sort of unpredictable.
As for the FFG guys, I'm not a big Warhammer FRP fan, but what little I've heard on it has been split about down the middle between interest and horror. Honestly, at the convention, there's not been a lot of scuttlebutt readily available on it.
Evening
There were a lot of booths that were just briefly scouted today, with all intentions of hitting them tomorrow. I'll also be playing in one of the "Return to the Tower of Gygax", something my circle and I have really been looking forward to.
Col. Lou Zocchi no longer runs Gamescience, but he is still here. He's a Gen Con Guest of Honor, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather have in that spot. Phil Vecchione from Gnome Stew said his entire group has converted to Gamescience dice. Soooo many Gamescience dice, glowing from a flashing LED display!
Lou is still doing his bit, and the Gamescience both has easily quadrupled in size from last year. I make sure to tell the Colonel every year how much seeing him at Gen Con means.
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Recap:
OK, so clearly, today belonged to Pathfinder. There were a few copies left in the Paizo booth when I left. I'm sure they'll restock, but I'm not sure how long they'll last. Obviously, one day does not make a product a success, but the enthusiasm is definitely there.
I think there's definitely a bit of grumbling over the Forge/Indie Press Revolution booth split. Ron Edwards was at one, the IPR guys at the other, and it seemed kinda standoffish. I know there was the whole earlier in the year with Professor Edwards and his disagreement with IPR's business model or what have you, but it made both booths seem tiny compared to previous years.
Luke Crane's Burning Wheel booth did not get the latest Burning Wheel product. I heard that he will have 50 copies at most, but they were still enroute. This is not uncommon for publishers in the first day or so of Gen Con.
Crystal Caste had an inflatable d20. Something useless, most likely, but I still desired it. They're always a fun booth to visit:
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Good panel with the RPG Bloggers Network. Got to meet folks like Purple Pawn and Newbie DM. Jeff from the Bone Scroll also hung out with us for part of the day.
You don't realize what a wide selection Goodman Games has until you see their booth. I saw Rob Conley's Points of Light II. I think they could do with a layout that has things not just laid out, but more vertical and featured.
Just my 2 cents:
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Gareth Skarka at the C7/Adamant Booth said that in just a few short hours, he had sold 56 pdf copies of his Pathfinder accessory, Tome of Secrets,through RPGNow. Here's a shot of that and Savage Mars:
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C7 and Adamant have print deal now, which means you'll see both their logos on Adamant print titles. John Wick is also supposed to be at the booth, but I haven't seen him yet.
The Cubicle 7 folks also told me the Qin Game Master's screen is somewhere over the Pacific, but they had a copy there. Looks to be of a sturdy construction:
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Why yes, the Battletech Pods are awesome:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3112.jpg)
Here's a shot of Green Ronin's Dragon Age promo and a shot of their proximity to the Dragon Age booth itself, if that tells you anything about their priorities going forward re: Dragon Age:
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OK, for buzz, I have to be honest. I try to talk to folks about what they're buying this year. Aside from Pathfinder, most people were at best undecided. The Battletech Pods were pretty busy, but my main focus at the convention is gaming stuff. There were some minor waves for Savage Worlds products, and Gaming Paper, and dice are always popular, but I think this is a crowd this year that's very undecided about where to put their money. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
I'll tell you one thing: I am already tired of eating nothing but frickin' Slim Jims.
P.S. to the post right before this one:
Belly dancers, singing (rival?) pirates, and a Ghostbuster. I love Gen Con:
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Zach, a photo of Septimus, if you could. This is now a d6 game after all, right?
Any serious grognard activity? I understand somebody was going to run Sturmgeschuetz & Sorcery... somewhere.
Odd that WOTC has no special GenCon release.
Quote from: Pierce Inverarity;320504Zach, a photo of Septimus, if you could. This is now a d6 game after all, right?
Any serious grognard activity? I understand somebody was going to run Sturmgeschuetz & Sorcery... somewhere.
Odd that WOTC has no special GenCon release.
Ah yes. I will be checking out Septimus tomorrow, you can be rest assured.
I have seen a fair number of old, well-loved boxed sets out and about. But it's still only glimpses of the whole. I'm running Microlite74 Saturday, and Chgowiz is doing a Swords & Wizardry game, I believe.
There were a couple of Traveller grognards ranting outside the Mongoose booth earlier.
I'm surprised too, for WotC. Bear in mind they will be announcing their 2010 setting for D&D tomorrow around noon, so perhaps they thought that was enough specialness for one Gen Con.
To everyone else: I am going through this thread, noting requests, etc., so don't think I've forgotten! I promise I will do my utmost to get as many answers as I can.
You rock, Zach.
Any news on the new WoD game?
Quote from: Highmoon;320508You rock, Zach.
Any news on the new WoD game?
From what I'm told (I can't vouch personally), the ad in the back says something about "All Things Are Born Of Darkness", with the lettering fading towards a darker shade. So it isn't a direct plug or reveal for anything yet. Some opinions seemed to be centered on Demon, but I don't think anyone is sure at this point.
Demon would be my guess from that as well.
Good night.
Quote from: Zachary The First;320346Talked to Erik Mona briefly, but he was slammed with requests:
I talked to Erik for a good while today. Other than recounting the monster line to get Pathfinder this morning, I talked with him about, of all things, Fantasycraft.
Great job Zach, keep it up. Really made my day today, checking in and seeing pics of all the action. Thanks.
Here's a link to a shot of Zach hard at work delivering the latest and greatest from GenCon:
http://www.bonescroll.net/node/327
I have always wondered what he looked like, and had wanted to know in case I ran into him at the show, or while visiting gamestores in Indy!
In other news, I dropped off Koltar on Wednesday. This year he'll be in full Klingon Regalia for most of the show as the Klingon Jail'n'Bail has returned to GenCon.
Thanks Zach, for the great pix and commentary! I'll be in tomorrow as my work schedule allows for a few rounds of gaming!
Quote from: RPGPundit;320436Zach, you need to post pics of the FFG guys getting gang-raped with broomhandles and then chain-dragged with golf-carts for the atrocity that is WFRP 3e.
You've played it? What can you tell us about it beyond what's been in the previews?
Zach, any word on that cheeseburger?
Seanchai
Quote from: Seanchai;320595Zach, any word on that cheeseburger?
Seanchai
Sadly, no. May not get to that. Man has been living on Slim Jims alone, until this morning.
Hello, and Greetings from Gen Con Indy! We'll be updating with news and pics through the day! You're welcome to comment and request coverage of various products and booths--after all, this is for you! If you missed our Day 1 coverage of the convention, check out all the news and pics right here! (http://www.rpgblog2.com/2009/08/gencon-running-liveblog-day-1.html)
Check back throughout the day as this article is updated. You can also follow RPG Blog 2's updates on theRPGsite (http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=14969) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/rpgblog2). Enjoy!
(Follow links for photos)
The first day of Gen Con is in many ways the toughest. People are jetlagged, they're still setting up, scouting around, and they haven't quite got the knack of convention life down yet. By Day 2, people are more settled, know their way around a bit better, and get into that rhythm. Of course, plenty of people didn't sleep due to gaming and/or have hangovers, so it all sort of balances out.
I had a great time with Jeff over at The Bone Scroll yesterday, hanging out for a while. With any luck, some of us are meeting up for a quiet, light breakfast, to discuss gaming, geek stuff, and the convention thus far. I'm hoping the cafe I'm thinking of is still off the beaten path!
This afternoon will see "the Friday Rush", as people get off work and flood in for the weekend. Also, the D&D new setting announcement is at noon. I'm sure we'll all know soon after just what it's going to be.
More from the floor in a bit!
10:33 Great, great breakfast at Cafe Patachou. Organic--after so many Slim Jims the past 24 hours, my body didn't quite know what to do.
Took some pics of costumes on my way in.
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Luke Crane ran into me, or vice-versa. He did get copies of the newest Burning Empires book in this morning, so I'll be checking that out in a bit.
For West End Games, Eric Gibson told me they should have Septimus in by the end of today! So we'll finally get to see this puppy. Talked author to Bill Coffin, told him how much I admired his Palladium Fantasy work. Forgot to charge my camera last night, so those I'll have to be careful with photo updates until I get home tonight. I should still be able to get some more for you.
Q-Workshop is busy this morning. Those dice are gorgeous, but they aren't cheap.
And...there's the TARDIS, at the Who North America booth.
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On the Who crowd, I'm still being told October for the Dr. Who RPG. We'll see if I can get more in a bit!
For some reason, Blackmoor doesn't feel right with that logo. Probably just me, being a crappy neo-grognard.
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Strong crowd for the second day. I'm going to try to hit the next setting D&D announcement, but we'll see. There's a lot of booths still to hit!
Scottish stormtrooper FTW!
Hey, Zach, when is WotC supposed to announce their announced announcement?
Seanchai
THanks for the Points of Light II pick. On table wide shot I see copies of the first one as well. Hopefully it does well.
First off, thanks for the thread Zach, very cool.
On another note, when you get back I'd be very interested in a thread on your thoughts on running/playing Microlite, it's caught my attention slightly of late.
Just in--the next setting for D&D 4e will be Dark Sun for 2010. This was just announced at the D&D Extravaganza.
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Back in a bit.
Enh.
Man, Luke Crane makes a pretty book. The new Burning Empires book does exist:
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Quote from: Fifth Element;320583You've played it? What can you tell us about it beyond what's been in the previews?
If someone told me "we're going to redo Star Wars but its going to feature a hip-hop soundtrack and Han Solo will be played by Miley Cyrus", I don't need to go watch it to know it will be an atrocity.
RPGPundit
Quote from: boulet;320599Scottish stormtrooper FTW!
That was awesome. :D
Quote from: RPGPundit;320650If someone told me "we're going to redo Star Wars but its going to feature a hip-hop soundtrack and Han Solo will be played by Miley Cyrus", I don't need to go watch it to know it will be an atrocity.
But you're suggesting people should be "getting gang-raped with broomhandles and then chain-dragged with golf-carts" because of a fucking
game? Get some perspective.
Quote from: Fifth Element;320685But you're suggesting people should be "getting gang-raped with broomhandles and then chain-dragged with golf-carts" because of a fucking game? Get some perspective.
Spare the abuse, spoil the company.
17:30: Sorry for the delay, but I've been in Return to the Tower of Gygax! Tim Kask himself was our first DM, and then we had a replacement take over--Mr. Frank Mentzer! (But only after Tim Kask killed about a dozen adventurers). Both gentlemen were gracious, funny, and definitely old-school. My buddy Schuyler actually got a "white ribbon"--basically showing to the world that he rocked the Tower! He dipped arrow in green slime to defeat some rampaging trolls--brilliant. This is a wonderful, wonderful event, and I encourage anyone going to Gen Con to partake if they have a love of legacy in this hobby. Mr. Mentzer also chatted us up about the history of D&D. It was just a fantastic afternoon.
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Septimus is FINALLY here (http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3139.jpg)--I got a picture with Bill Coffin holding his baby. A hardcover is on the way, but it's a pretty nice, black-and-white layout.
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It still doesn't touch the RPGA, but Pathfinder Society is looking pretty good!
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I met Andy Hopp today, of Low-Life fame! Super-great guy, and very unique artist.
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Considering the daggers being glared at times from the ENnies booth this year, and to keep everything sedate, I won't be covering the ENnies tonight. Apologies, but I'm sure you'll be able to find alternate coverage.
I'll be posting a larger recap tonight, as per usual.
I don't get the appeal of Septimus at all.
God, Bill Coffin looks like a shockingly nice guy.
Nice guys shouldn't ever make the mistake of working for KS, but I guess he knows that by now...
Quote from: Ghost Whistler;320722I don't get the appeal of Septimus at all.
There's so many games I don't get, I don't worry about it much.
Quote from: Pierce Inverarity;320736God, Bill Coffin looks like a shockingly nice guy.
Nice guys shouldn't ever make the mistake of working for KS, but I guess he knows that by now...
Yes he was a nice guy when I saw him earlier today at the TORG/West End Games Booth.
I was in my full Klingon Magistrate/Clergy outfit at the time.
- Ed C.
Oh, Bill Coffin was amazingly nice. We actually talked a little about Palladium Fantasy. I kept it complimentary--I didn't want to get into the nastiness between him and KS. Bill Coffin is a great game writer, and I'm happy his game finally came out.
Evening:
Pathfinder remains easily in the lead for convention buzz, but Wizards of the Coast’s announcement today about Dark Sun definitely got some folks talking. The really interesting thing is that there isn’t a huge legacy fan base for Dark Sun—a lot of the younger players I spoke to didn’t really have much of an idea about what it was—so they’ll be defining it for a new generation of fans. For me, my precious Greyhawk is safe, and my mad, hopeless plot to have it licensed to certain legacy-keepers remains alive.
I was really happy to see Troll Lord Games getting some attention. When I went by earlier, it was fairly quiet, but it picked up in the afternoon.
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3053-1.jpg)
The Margaret Weis booth cracked me up. You have a 20' end table, and like 14 people in the booth working:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3122-1.jpg)
Talked to Jeremy Keller, who was doing some really interesting demos of Chronica Feudalis. It’s nice to see a new presentation that seems inherently playable.
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3126-1.jpg)
The Indianapolis Colts are playing the Minnesota Vikings tonight in the adjacent Lucas Oil Stadium, so we again see the hilarious juxtaposition of true-blue Indy sports fans mixing with 98-pound social misfits dressed as some obscure anime character. They didn’t seem to mind the wench outfits on the ladies, though.
The Reaper Minis booth has aisles of minis. It’s one of the most sublime gaming shopping experiences I can think of. And if you’re looking for something in particular (“yes, I need a gnome suitable for use as a pirate character”), their booth staff is spot-on with the help:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3088-1.jpg)
I say it every year: Dwarven Forge makes beautiful, beautiful displays:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3089.jpg)
The Mindstorm Labs guys released their creature supplement for the Alpha Omega RPG. They don’t seem to make many waves online, but observing them at the convention, they have a pretty dedicated following of fans. And their books are some of the most beautiful in the business.
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3129.jpg)
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3127-1.jpg)
The RPGA remains massive:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3101.jpg)
Ran into David and company from GOLD: The Web Series. It was great catching up with him, and I’m hoping he’ll have good news soon on the sponsorship from the next season.
Tomorrow will be busy: I’m running a Microlite74 game in the morning, and doing my GM’s Jam in the afternoon. But there should still be plenty of room for some good coverage.
Jeff and I saw Michael (Chgowiz) (http://oldguyrpg.blogspot.com/) right before the exhibit hall closed. It’s so great to see him here, and I can’t wait to catch up with him tomorrow.
WotC has some really cool promo statues. Oh, speaking of WotC, this next year will see the D&D edition of Heroscape. That should go over pretty well, I think.
I was happy we got the scoop on the new WotC setting today. OK, we tied Critical Hits on Twitter, but we were up with the news on theRPGsite immediately (and here just a few minutes after).
Today was a great day, and I talked to a lot of gamers who were still playing 1e or older versions of D&D (considering I was in games DM’d by Kask and Mentzer, that may not be a surprise). There’s tons of quality gaming, but outside of Pathfinder, I don’t see any single gaming product that’s really catching fire. This is a strange year, in a lot of ways—it’s almost like everyone’s taken a deep breath. There’s tons of events, and plenty of interesting accessories, but most folks I talk to see it as a down year for RPG releases, fair or not. That’s ok—Gen Con isn’t dependent on shiny new releases to be awesome. There’s dice and catching up with old and new friends and meeting your favorite designers. Obviously, companies need to make money, but the buzz or lack thereof I report on here isn’t indicative of their financial experience at the convention. I only report what I hear on the floor, and try to give you a sense of feeling for the convention overall. I hope I accomplish that, at least.
I’ll catch up with everyone tomorrow!
EDIT: As a little bonus, here's our group, post-dungeon death, with Tim Kask:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3136.jpg)
Quote from: Koltar;320747Yes he was a nice guy when I saw him earlier today at the TORG/West End Games Booth.
I was in my full Klingon Magistrate/Clergy outfit at the time.
- Ed C.
By the way, it was nice meeting and talking to you. Sorry if I surprised you at first when I called you by your screen name
Quote from: The Game Guy;320752By the way, it was nice meeting and talking to you. Sorry if I surprised you at first when I called you by your screen name
You didn't surprise me - I was practically exhausted because I had already been on my feet all day and something about the boots was starting to hurt my feet. Sorry if my facial expression made it seem that way.
I didn't mention - because you seemed all 'hush-hush' about Rpgsite.
By-the-way, saw the Forge booth & Ron Edwards. Didn't talk to him he was in mid-conversation with someone and they had sign-up sheets for demos of SORCERER on torn sheets of yellow legal pad.
Their booth (FORGE) seemed really tiny compared to past years.
The guy working the IPR booth had a map on how to find the Forge booth in relation to theirs. It was interesting putting faces with names and finally seeming the covers of some of these RPGs that I'm nevr likely to see at the store I work at.
Oh yeah , bumped into Joe Wolz at a booth
- Ed C.
Quote from: Koltar;320758You didn't surprise me - I was practically exhausted because I had already been on my feet all day and something about the boots was starting to hurt my feet. Sorry if my facial expression made it seem that way.
You did look tired, but you were friendly and I enjoyed our talk
Quote from: Koltar;320758I didn't mention - because you seemed all 'hush-hush' about Rpgsite.
Nope, I said nothing to you that I haven't already said here
Quote from: Koltar;320758By-the-way, saw the Forge booth & Ron Edwards. Didn't talk to him he was in mid-conversation with someone and they had sign-up sheets for demos of SORCERER on torn sheets of yellow legal pad.
Yep, saw Ron Edwards one day while I was walking by The Forge Booth. Even from 100 feet away I wanted to walk over and punch him in the face.
He is an ass
Quote from: Koltar;320758Their booth (FORGE) seemed really tiny compared to past years.
It didnt seem small to me, however it looked very empty. I guy tried to pull me in as I was walking by and I was like, er no thanks.
Oh, and very disturbing is the booth with guys dressed and women selling clothing so other men can dress like women.
That booth needs to be banned from Gencon
A few more pics for everyone:
WotC has some awesome statues for their games:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3100-1.jpg)
Just for you, Pundy! They refuse to quit!
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3095.jpg)
Jedi, Jedi everywhere:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3116.jpg)
This girl had tons of pictures taken of her. What's really creepy is when girls aren't dressed up and guys still take pictures--especially without permission. Gen Con isn't always a bastion of social etiquette:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3115.jpg)
Does my heart good to see Space: 1889 still represented out there!:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3075-1.jpg)
I'll have my daughter with me in the late afternoon for a while tomorrow. I'm not sure which one of us is more excited! She's a (very old) nearly 5, and is 50% Princess, 50% Batgirl. She will LOVE the costumes.
Isn't Space 1889 supposed to see some action in the near future?
Quote from: Benoist;320787Isn't Space 1889 supposed to see some action in the near future?
Through Pinnacle and Savage Worlds, yes. Seems like a good fit.
EDIT: @The Game Guy--yeah, The Forge booth seemed pretty sad. Wonder if they got the short end of that split. I saw a couple of demos, but nothing like years previous. I'll try to get a pic.
Quote from: Balbinus;320743There's so many games I don't get, I don't worry about it much.
There aren't too many games that have had the experience that one did.
Up and going. Might be a weird day for updates, but I should be able to get plenty in by the end of it all.
Quote from: Zachary The First;320865Up and going. Might be a weird day for updates, but I should be able to get plenty in by the end of it all.
Can you swing by the Kenzer & Company booth?
I ate a cheeseburger yesterday - how about you?
Seanchai
Quote from: GoOrange;320873Can you swing by the Kenzer & Company booth?
Happily!
12:20: Just finished up a great Microlite74 game. I had wonderful players, and we had a lot of fun trying to get as much loot as they could out of the dungeon.
We had breakfast with the good folks of GOLD: The Series (http://www.goblinsandgold.com/csp/gold/). We had a great time and some great discussion. That's half the fun of Gen Con, is just talking to folks who get the hobby.
Michael S (Chgowiz), Jeff (Bonemaster), and I wil be part of the 2009 GM's Jam in about an hour, but I wanted to get a quick update in.
Met RPG Diehard (http://rpgdiehard.blogspot.com/) today--great to put the name to the face (or vice versa).
By request, here's a shot of the IPR booth.
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3147.jpg)
Here's another shot of the Cubicle 7 booth. It's near-impossible to get a shot of the whole group at once.
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3148.jpg)
Ever wonder where the Black Gamer T-Shirt comes from?
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3150.jpg)
Life-Size Magic:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3151.jpg)
Saturday is the best day for costumes:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3144.jpg)
Quote from: Zachary The First;320935Saturday is the best day for costumes:
Those are no costumes, those are cosplays... so Gen Con is being invaded by anime fans?
Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;320948Those are no costumes, those are cosplays...
PotAYto, PotAHto?
Seriously, what's the difference? Color me ignorant on the matter! :hmm:
Quote from: Seanchai;320915I ate a cheeseburger yesterday - how about you?
Seanchai
Food?
I was lucky to remember to eat. Between adrenalin, high restaurant prices and other things - I was lucky to have/afford what meals I did. Think I've had breakfast buffet at the hotel and a yogurt bar.
Tonight I'm going to that wedding that is happening at Gen Con. Calye * and Phil are getting married here.
- Ed C.
* = Some of you know her better as "Chainmail Girl" or Amara Wintersword
Quote from: Zachary The First;320935Here's another shot of the Cubicle 7 booth. It's near-impossible to get a shot of the whole group at once.
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3148.jpg)
You can't see it in this shot, but Cubicle 7 had a really gorgeous GM screen (preview sample, not for sale) for Starblazer Adventures.
15:24: We had a great GM's seminar! Here is a picture of (left to right) Josh Dalcher of Stupid Ranger, myself, Jeff U. of The Bone Scroll, Michael Shorten of Chgowiz's Blog, and Tony Law of RPGCentric. I think we all agreed we want to do this again in 2010.
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3152.jpg)
I thought we got a lot of great advice out of the attendees. I hope some of them turn their efforts online, because they'd be a welcome addition to our community.
The Privateer Booth was busy (http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3176.jpg), but perhaps not quite as manic as last year.
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3176.jpg)
I love the Expeditious Retreat Press booth (http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3156.jpg)! They're one of the best small-press publishers out there. Good to see Joseph and Suzie staying busy.
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3156.jpg)
Some of the WotC staff are getting in trouble for staying in the press room too much while waiting for interviews. Perhaps they're trying to intimidate us! Get out of our room, WotC!
I don't quite agree the Exile Game Studio booth design. It was recessed, with sort of a dark interior. Not an eye-grabber:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3166.jpg)
This has to be one of my favorite pics (http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3178.jpg) I've taken thus far:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3178.jpg)
I took lots more photos today, but I'm getting ready to spend some time here with my daughter. I'll be doing a big ole update tonight.
Quote from: Zachary The First;320750The RPGA remains massive:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3101.jpg)
Intentional or not, the double meaning made me giggle.
I would have loved to be there with you guys for the GM seminar. I so want to put faces on the names. It's good to know what Michael Shorten looks like, and Expeditious Retreat man, this is one sweet publisher. Love these guys.
As for the last pic... just plain cute awesomeness. :)
I always miss GenCon until I see the shots of how the gaming areas are a giant cattle call (complete with cows and methane) combined with an intolerable wall of sound and then I stop missing GenCon. It is a fun experience, but not a great gaming experience.
Quote from: Seanchai;320915I ate a cheeseburger yesterday - how about you?
Did mine encrusted with fresh peppercorns grilled with crushed kalamata olives instead of the usual amino acids. It added a sour/balsamic flavor to the spicy peppered meat which was interesting, but I am unsure if I'd do it again. However, the sourdough onion roll was perfect.
Quote from: Benoist;320964PotAYto, PotAHto?
Seriously, what's the difference? Color me ignorant on the matter! :hmm:
Sorry, my remark was not meant as a lecture. I wanted to show my surprise about the display of costumed anime fans at a role playing game convention.
Last time I attended Gen Con (in 2001) I didn't see any cosplayers. Although there was already a part of the program called "anime circuit" (and Gen Con having an anime room for long time before, and having hosted one of the first sceenings of Akira in the US), it still seemed to be a half-hearted attempt to cater to the anime community.
All attempts to bring both communities together here in Germany failed so far, despite the efforts of our largest RPG convention (RPC).
Speaking of the RPC ...
Quote from: Zachary The First;320988This has to be one of my favorite pics (http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3178.jpg) I've taken thus far:
This mirrors nicely my son's close encounter with a R2 unit at this year's RPC in Cologne:
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xfOyBn2ninU/Socf-MB0aWI/AAAAAAAAAJA/mhPKBbvo_T4/s400/090404.jpg)
Quote from: Dirk Remmecke;321051Sorry, my remark was not meant as a lecture.
No offense taken. I was genuinely in the dark there! :)
Evening
There was an evacuation over a burning smell from Gen Con this evening, but thankfully it was after the exhibit hall closed. By then, I had taken my daughter home for the evening, so I can't say much more on that.
My daughter and I had a wonderful time. She helped me pick out some new uninked dice at the Gamescience Booth, and Lou Zocchi engaged her in some back-and-forth banter. She thought he was hilarious. The Colonel and I discussed inking dice for a bit (he said put clear nail polish over the number when done inking). We also saw the dEverything, which is daunting, but oh so very cool:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3170.jpg)
The boffer area always cracks me up. There are some hilarious photos to be had. It seems like a lot of fun. You need a waiver, though!
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3173.jpg)
That's right, it wouldn't be Gen Con without a giant booth full of hentai! Please identify the culprits in this picture, and ban them from future Gen Cons:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3168.jpg)
That's right, it wouldn't be Gen Con without the Forge booth! Please identify the culprits in this picture and...(kidding, kidding!):
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3167.jpg)
As you can see, Saturday is PACKED at Gen Con.
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3164.jpg)
Good to see Giant in the Playground here!
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3165.jpg)
Another fun day, with lots of great friends and great events. This has been a strange year, but the more folks I hang out with, the more fun I have. And this year has been great for meeting people I really esteem.
It's been nice to have a couple of people tell me they picked up this game or that due to something I wrote. I know there are a lot of blogs dialed in to a single game or pretty much in the pocket of a single company, and I certainly think there's room for all of them out there. But there are just too many great games for me to only blog about just a single one. Yeah, I've got my favorites. But I hope you can count on me to continue to provide you with a pretty diverse range of RPGs you might wish to check out.
Day 4 is tomorrow. Even if it's all ending, don't be too sad. We've got enough to talk about for a long time, and plenty to look forward to next year. I'll be doing a little update at some point tomorrow, to be followed by some closing notes.
The dEverything is AWESOME! How can we get one of those outside GenCon?
Quote from: Benoist;321094The dEverything is AWESOME! How can we get one of those outside GenCon?
It's actually called the D-Total. DEverything is just what we were calling it.
Try here (http://www.gamestation.net/Amazing-DTotal-Dice/M/B001LGDEQ4.htm)!
Quote from: Zachary The First;321095It's actually called the D-Total. DEverything is just what we were calling it.
Try here (http://www.gamestation.net/Amazing-DTotal-Dice/M/B001LGDEQ4.htm)!
Excellent! Thanks for the tip!
Quote from: Zachary The First;321090(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3167.jpg)
If you would, identify the girl in the flight cap...
yeah, I said it!
Quote from: KrakaJak;321134If you would, identify the girl in the flight cap...
yeah, I said it!
LOL You never know... :D
Forgot to post this yesterday, but here's a shot of Rick Loomis at Flying Buffalo, still doing his thing. Definitely part of the Old Guard.
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3158.jpg)
Also, Q-Workshop was totally slammed on Saturday! They make some of the most eye-catching dice out there, even if they are insanely expensive. Their Pathfinder and Earthdawn sets were fantastic, but I couldn't get a good shot.
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3163.jpg)
Lots of folks packing up and heading out or getting ready to today, but there's still time for a bit more gaming. There are a lot of tourneys finishing up or announcing winners today. I really, really wish I'd had the time to do the Castles & Crusades tourney--I'm interested to hear how it went.
QuoteMy daughter and I had a wonderful time. She helped me pick out some new uninked dice at the Gamescience Booth, and Lou Zocchi engaged her in some back-and-forth banter. She thought he was hilarious. The Colonel and I discussed inking dice for a bit (he said put clear nail polish over the number when done inking).
I'd been wondering about using some clear fixative ove the inked surface.
Someone steal me a copy of Rogue Trader!
Quote from: jrients;321157I'd been wondering about using some clear fixative ove the inked surface.
I have some that I inked the way you describe in your blog back in '89, and the numbers haven't worn off there yet. When I realized I was wearing the shields and skulls off my Heroscape dice, I immediately sprayed them with clear polyurethane, and they're fine. They will probably be fine when evolved cockroach archaeologists discover them in the fossilized remains of my game room, and reintroduce Mercenaries, Spies, and Private Eyes to a new generation of gamers.
Just a few more photos:
Imperial Troops have entered the base! Imperial Troops have--(static)
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3180.jpg)
Alderac had a much larger booth this year, and was really cranking out the demos. Good to see:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3159.jpg)
That Arcana game looked/sounded pretty cool.
The Steve Jackson/Atlas Games booth is perpetually busy, and perpetually cluttered:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3160.jpg)
My daughter was pleased to see Wonder Woman:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3141.jpg)
Hey! Kobold Quarterly was was making the rounds, kissing babies, shaking hands, and pimping the mag!
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3142.jpg)
It isn't Gen Con without weapons dealers:
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3145.jpg)
Number of low-quality katanas shipped home from Indy, non-Gen Con calendar year: 3
Number of low-quality katanas shipped home from Indy, Gen Con calendar dates: 682
Well, for me and many others, another Gen Con is again in the books. A strange year, as far as product releases go, but honestly, it was still a blast in just about every way. Quality gaming, entertaining seminars, meeting folks from our online communities, making new friends, and doing my best to ensure that folks who aren't here see a glimpse of the awesomeness make Gen Con for me.
In a lot of ways, I feel that the advent and popularization of Twitter has made this type of coverage somewhat of a dinosaur. People can get their Gen Con news much faster on Twitter than I can on this blog. I use Twitter as well, but I'm going to have to really look at how I cover Gen Con next year. If there's one sour note for me from Gen Con, it's a sense of not really knowing how this coverage fits in, or how much it is needed any more. In any case, thanks to those of you who've commented and read the past few days. It's all for you, after all.
Our Gen Con coverage isn't quite over, however. Check back tomorrow as I hand out some Gen Con Grades for some of the various company booths.
Oh weird. I know the guy looking away from the camera in the Privateer Press Booth photo IRL. I hope he's having a good time there.
What the Cliff are AEG flogging these days?
Nice to see the usual selection of SJG non-roleplaying tat :D Munchkin has to be the worst card game i've ever played.
Great coverage, very much appreciated. Particularly all the cool photos.
Quote from: Ghost Whistler;321189What the Cliff are AEG flogging these days?
Nice to see the usual selection of SJG non-roleplaying tat :D Munchkin has to be the worst card game i've ever played.
L5R 3E, possibly also Legend of the Burning Sands (which is L5R compatible, and technically part of the same world).
Quote from: Zachary The First;321184In a lot of ways, I feel that the advent and popularization of Twitter has made this type of coverage somewhat of a dinosaur. People can get their Gen Con news much faster on Twitter than I can on this blog. I use Twitter as well, but I'm going to have to really look at how I cover Gen Con next year. If there's one sour note for me from Gen Con, it's a sense of not really knowing how this coverage fits in, or how much it is needed any more. In any case, thanks to those of you who've commented and read the past few days. It's all for you, after all.
You've been my main source of coverage for GenCon, Zach. Twitter's nice for an instant snapshot, like in the case of the fire alarm, but it doesn't replace your words and pictures which convey a much more comprehensive picture of what the con felt like.
I think you should keep this up. Maybe we could find ways to incorporate new media into the existing coverage, but in the end, I think all sources are complementary. One shouldn't replace the other, if you see what I mean.
Thank you for the coverage, in any case. It was much, much appreciated. :)
Well, thanks for that! I'm honored you were following it all. I definitely will see what I can do to improve. Honestly, I just want to make sure it's relevant and useful, and that's the sort of feedback that helps.
Late to the party but as with each yeah your coverage is first class Zach.
Well done !
Rog.
For me also, you have been THE source of info about GenCon. I've never been and probably never will, but via this forum post, I have a much better idea of what it's all about and like. Thanks greatly for you effort.
Zach,
I just registered on the site so I could post and chime in with the others.
This is the first year I have followed your coverage of Gen Con, and I loved it. I have never been to Gen Con, but the pictures (and detailed messages) gave me a sense of being there.
Please continue this in the future! It is GREATLY appreciated!!
Thanks for unlurking, Steve! :)
Thank you for the GenCon coverage. I could not attend this year but at least I caught some of the action.
Another year of great coverage. Since I don't go anymore, I like seeing the pictures and hearing about what's going on. Thanks!
Your combination of news and photographs is a great window into the fun that is GenCon - I hope you continue to do this next year!
Quote from: Benoist;321094The dEverything is AWESOME! How can we get one of those outside GenCon?
Oh, dude! Bill Walton talked about this in the Origins Report I ran! ;)
And great reporting Zach, always good to catch the highlights when you can't go in person. Hopefully, I will have that rectified next year; I will help you with the reporting. :)
Another lurker who registered to express my appreciation for the coverage here.
Twitter is NOT the same. I can see incorporating it more into next year's plans - but it will not replace what you've done with the news and photographs.
I found you by Googling GenCon 2009 - and this was the best coverage by far. Next year, I will make my own requests, since you missed Savage Worlds Realms of Cthulhu this year!
It's nice to see someone just documenting the experience, rather than trying to do just interviews or running around trying to cover everything. Your approach is sound, whatever tools you use to do it.
Yeah, seriously. This kicks Twitter's ass.
RPGPundit
Hey, thank you all for that affirmation. I just want to make sure my coverage is actually useful. I love Gen Con, I love the "idea" and ideal of Gen Con, and if I can bring that to folks and they find it entertaining, then I'll keep doing it. Again, thanks very much--those sentiments make it all worthwhile. I did have some camera issues this year, but I think next year I can be back with even more coverage--there's always lessons learned, after all.
Of course, my ultimate goal is to get as many people to Gen Con as possible. We should start the Gen Con Fund, giving scholarships of tickets and gas money to aspiring and deserving attendees. I'll come up with the digs. :)
EDIT: Just for that, here's a bonus pic, of beautiful, beautiful Gamescience. :)
(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff102/zacharythefirst/IMGP3081.jpg)
That's a spectacular photo, like your coverage, Zach.
I think we had a good coverage with a variety of sources here. Zach's thread here of course. GameDaddy's posts on the alarm, me and the screenshots, YouTube vids etc, all the rumors and discussions spawning from it all. Maybe we should discuss more and try to see how we could build on this to have more synergy later on?
Zach, while I keep meaning to, I've never been to Gen Con, however this year I felt that a little bit of GenCon came to me, and that's all because of you man. So put me down as someone who appreciates all the hard work you have done.
Thank you very much!
Quote from: Benoist;321286I think we had a good coverage with a variety of sources here. Zach's thread here of course. GameDaddy's posts on the alarm, me and the screenshots, YouTube vids etc, all the rumors and discussions spawning from it all. Maybe we should discuss more and try to see how we could build on this to have more synergy later on?
I'd be pleased to! We can always look at how better to incorporate more Gen Con coverage in a centralized location.
Quote from: Zachary The First;321295I'd be pleased to! We can always look at how better to incorporate more Gen Con coverage in a centralized location.
Alright. Shall we create a new thread for that, somewhere?
Quote from: Benoist;321300Alright. Shall we create a new thread for that, somewhere?
If you'd like! I think I may need a day to regroup. :)
Alright. We'll all think about it for a little while, and I'll create a thread later on. :)
Zach, the photo and narrative coverage presented here of GenCon was simply awesome! The folks that benefit the most from this, are the people that can't attend the show. There's many more people that don't attend, than do attend, and this thread let them be a part of the biggest gaming show of the year. Thank You, and well done!
Just a few notes here on my twitter post, I hadn't intended to post anything except a few comments for the show. It was a bit surprising though when pix of massive numbers of fire trucks and thousands of gamers out on the Indy streets started showing up on my desktop... Couldn't really let that go by, without a news post since the "pizza fire" event was unfolding live, It was a total disruption of the largest gaming venue at the show, and it was during the busiest gaming session of the show, The Saturday evening gaming slot.
Overall during GenCon there were over 3,500 unique tweets by well over 1,200 individuals, and more than a hundred game and media companies. The Enny award winners were broadcast live, as well as many, many other events. Game invitations, party invitations, meeting invitations, discounts, Swag giveaways, and GenCon specials were advertised live. There were links to press releases, podcasts, blog updates, other video, and photo archive uploads. Twitter coverage should definitely be included with traditional media coverage of the show.
A few more interesting events that are noteworthy:
Paizo didn't totally sell out of Pathfinder, so you can still order and receive the Pathfinder RPG. I wouldn't count on it to remain in stock for long though.
Some girl tried using twitter to hunt down her boyfriend during the course of the show. She wanted him to come home. She was still tweeting away this afternoon when I shutdown my event tracking. You can file that under #comedy.
A number of game companies and individuals setup twitter accounts during the show and started tweeting. Scott Rouse at WOTC actually setup a new twitter account yesterday and is now a tweeter.
Most of the vendors that were on Twitter reported better than average sales, even though attendance was down slightly from 2008. Some Vendors sold out completely. Green Ronin sold out of their Fire & Ice RPG, SJG Sold out of all of their newest games, including Revolution! Kenzer & Co. had a good time at the show as well!
My vote for favorite costume was the Norrath girl! Woo!
No pics of 8 foot tall Chewbacca?
He actually ducked his head under the frame and posed for people in our jail.
- Ed C.
Quote from: Koltar;321312No pics of 8 foot tall Chewbacca?
He actually ducked his head under the frame and posed for people in our jail.
- Ed C.
Uh, yeah... I saw a couple snaps of him... He had black & brown fur...
http://img39.yfrog.com/i/k3v.jpg/
Any shots of the Jail & Bail?
Quote from: GrayPumpkin;321290Zach, while I keep meaning to, I've never been to Gen Con, however this year I felt that a little bit of GenCon came to me, and that's all because of you man. So put me down as someone who appreciates all the hard work you have done.
My sentiments exactly. :) Much appreciated Zach.
+1 on the praise. Zach is THE Source.
Im kind of anti Gencon due to how it seems to be treated as the center of the hobby games universe and all, but your liveblog was cool dude.
It almost makes me not anti GC. Almost.
(And to go back to my comment about sparing the company snark will spoil them, it does not mean that one should be genuinely rude, harassing, or hateful to the company or its employees. However kissing their keisters and praising anything they do even if its stupid is not good mojo.)
Good job Zack!
I hope with all the coverage you actually got to do some gaming.
Great thread! Love yr work, Zach!
Thank's so much Zach!!! It made the pain of missing Gen Con a bit easier.
It also made me reaffirm that I will definitely be there in 2010.
Love the photos. It's like a whole nother world.
Just wanted to thank you for all the coverage.
It beats the hell out of Twitter. Also makes me pine to be able to go back to GenCon someday.
Quote from: Captain Rufus;321344Im kind of anti Gencon due to how it seems to be treated as the center of the hobby games universe and all, but your liveblog was cool dude.
Dude, I think its kind of stupid to be Anti-Gencon just because Gencon is the center of the gaming universe; its like being Anti-Sun because the sun is the center of the solar system. What the fuck? It doesn't mean other celestial bodies are cool too, you know, its just a statement of fact.
RPGPundit
Thanks for stopping by the Mind Storm Labs booth.
From our perspective it was a fantastic show. We sold out of the Alpha Omega core rulebook and our creature manual, "The Encountered: Volume 1". People even bought our demo copies!
On the gaming side we also sold out all of our gaming events, which means we had hundreds of people playing Alpha Omega at Gen Con this year!
See you next year at Gen Con 2010!
Quote from: RPGPundit;321631Dude, I think its kind of stupid to be Anti-Gencon just because Gencon is the center of the gaming universe; its like being Anti-Sun because the sun is the center of the solar system. What the fuck?
Taking somebody to task for saying something stumpfuckingly stupid on the internet is, in itself, stumpfuckingly stupid, and hence results in a critical mass of stumpfuckingosity -- leading one into a never-ending spiral of madness, cold sweats and a total lack of available free time.
Quote from: tom3mc;321723Thanks for stopping by the Mind Storm Labs booth.
From our perspective it was a fantastic show. We sold out of the Alpha Omega core rulebook and our creature manual, "The Encountered: Volume 1". People even bought our demo copies!
On the gaming side we also sold out all of our gaming events, which means we had hundreds of people playing Alpha Omega at Gen Con this year!
See you next year at Gen Con 2010!
Awesome. You guys always put on a great show! Congrats!
@GMSkarka: It was great to see you there as well! Congrats on the C7 partnership!
Quote from: Zachary The First;321898@GMSkarka: It was great to see you there as well! Congrats on the C7 partnership!
Thank you!
Thank you, Zach, for this awesome thread.
More comments later.
Thanks for the thread Zach.
I would love to get to Gencon one day, not quite a drive away from us in the UK though.
also have to throw in my "Thanks", Zach. It's not like being there, but it's pretty damn close. ;) I sure appreciate the time you put into it.
Yes, Many thanks, Zach. Great Coverage.