Gen Con Primer---Call for volunteers

[Onacara]

Hey gang...I had mentioned in another thread today something to the effect of putting together some sort of GenCon Primer for new attendees and even return attendees who may not have gotten the full GenCon Experience. I am far from a veteran which is why I am asking those seasoned Gen Con goers...and even those who may have only been there once or twice if you can help out with putting this together. Any advice you can offer would be great...places to eat/not eat...other events to check out...what to pack...pretty much anything. I will then compile it all and put it into one thread here as well as provide a printable PDF version of the guide for folks to print and take with them if they choose.

(for example purposes only)

So with that being said...please email any contributions to this project to me at racnrollgaming@gmail.com ...please make the subject GenConPrimer...also be sure to include your Scaper handle in the email so I know who you are and can put you in the contributors list.

I would like to get this compiled and up by the first week in March if not sooner.

Thanks

[lefton4ya]

Great idea. I know although I went last year, I could do it better.

My contribution: Don't leave stuff unattended for even a minute - it WILL get taken.

[Tornado]

Spoiler Alert!

Get your badge early. It stinks to shell out $80 when you get there. At this point I would have your badge shipped to you. Last year the Will-Call for badge pick-up was epic. People waited for hours to get a badge they already paid for and many missed games. Someone in your group needs to get their badge before housing registration so you have a chance to get a hotel room. Do your research on what hotels you prefer. Rooms go fast!! Embassy has sold out in 3-5 minutes the last two years. If you are interested in experiencing downtown Indy then the Omni is a great choice. Located 2 blocks from the Con and right next to Meridian St. where all the action happens. If your focus is just the convention then try to get a room as close as possible to the convention center, there are quite a few choices but the W is really nice.
I would not recommend staying outside of downtown. You may save money on the room but commuting can be a real pain. I have to mention to shower, the funk gets bad sometimes at the Con. If you do not get a room before hand, do not fret. You have a decent chance to get a room still but you might be spending a lot of time on the phone/net and end up paying a higher rate but you might get a deal also.

Register early for any games you want to play or they may sell out. Just be careful not to fill all your schedule with games as you want to have time to explore the convention, mainly the Exhibition Hall which is huge. You can demo games for free in the Hall and could easily spend the whole convention in there and not try everything. Reference your game's locations on the site map. You want to avoid having two games back to back that are located a good distance away from each other (most of the non-RPGA role-playing games are in the hotels and not the convention center). If a game you really want to play in is sold out, buy a generic ticket and show up early. Someone may not show or maybe the Game Master will be willing to squeeze you in.

What to bring? If you are on a budget, bring a cooler with sandwiches or whatever. Bring water and snacks and check the weather forecast for clothes, usually it is warm - hot. Refer to the games you are signed up for and bring any appropriate gaming materials. At the convention, keep an eye on your stuff and never leave possessions unattended.

Make contacts before you go so you can meet up with internet friends. This can lead to some late night gaming or maybe a night on the town. If you are of age and looking for cheap drinks, then Thursday is the night to go out. The Slippery Noodle has half-off all drinks and is the oldest bar in Indy (and maybe even Indiana). There will most likely will be a small cover charge for they almost always have an incredible blues band playing. If you are not a huge fan of the music there is a side bar that is fairly quiet. Also The Pub (across from the Canseco Fieldhouse) also had half off drinks on Thursday last year. This is a cool little bar where a lot of local bartenders and servers go to hang out. The Claddaugh is my favorite place to eat. Killer Irish grub, they did an 80s party last year on Thursday that was fun to pop into. I could go on and on about local bars, maybe I will post more later. If anyone knows where you can get a great Bloody Mary let me know.

I will give someone else a chance. I believe SuperflyTNT wrote a great account of his experiences last year. Some good info in there if I am remembering correctly.

[Onacara]

Good stuff there Tornado..but I would like to add that reading and following directions are good too..like when someone asks you to email your contributions so it can be compiled.

[MegaSilver]

I think he put it here for reference to Scapers here too.

Alas, I would add something but I think Tornado pretty much covered it.

[Tornado]

Originally Posted by Onacara

Good stuff there Tornado..but I would like to add that reading and following directions are good too..like when someone asks you to email your contributions so it can be compiled.

Remember when I said you make it really hard not to like you, problem solved.
Sorry, that is twice now I jumped the gun on a Gen Con post. Can you tell I am over excited? I will make the proper adjustments.

E-mail sent, previous post now in a spoiler, unless you want it deleted Onacara, just let me know.

I would like to read what you have to say MegaSilver (my first opponent at Gen Con).

[Onacara]

Originally Posted by MegaSilver

I think he put it here for reference to Scapers here too.

Alas, I would add something but I think Tornado pretty much covered it.

The compiled primer will be for Scapers...but will be organized based on subject so its easy to reference on the go...ie some of the info will only be useful once you are there

[MegaSilver]

Originally Posted by Tornado

I would like to read what you have to say MegaSilver (my first opponent at Gen Con).

Use the Warriors of Ashra and Q9 to beat Zombies.

Really, the main thing would to make sure your armies are organized well in advance of the tournament, and be able to pick up and move your figures quickly from the map to your container so that you can keep the tourney moving (and get in line to watch the next postings and talk to fellow Scapers.)

[Tornado]

How is this coming along Onacara? I was considering sending you some more info if this is still going to happen.

[Onacara]

Send away....its in progress

[akden]

I hate to sound like I'm being pushy, but I haven't seen any recent posts in this thread, and I'm wondering how the primer is coming along. I'm heading to Gencon with my son this year for our first time, and I'm concerned that it will be pretty overwhelming for us.

I know there's still plenty of time until the convention, but we're pretty eager, and I thought having a primer might help our decisions in May when the events open up for registration. If a primer isn't available by then, any advice is welcome (not an attempt to hijack the thread )