What I Learned at GenCon

I went to GenCon this year, for the first time ever.

GenCon started in 1967 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, in the basement of Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax ("Gen Con" refers to Lake Gen-eva Convention, and is a joke referring to the Geneva Conventions regarding warfare).  I suspect that first GenCon was all about miniatures wargames.  Dungeons & Dragons started around 1975, and as Dungeons & Dragons exploded, GenCon required more space, moving to Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and currently is held in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Today, GenCon is like an amusement park for people who like games, including role-playing, tabletop, miniature, and video games.  Like Disney World, there are long lines, junk food, attractions, and people dressed up like cartoon characters.  Unlike Disney World, the target market is adults, and the attractions are not (usually) rides, but are instead opportunities to play games and visit exhibitor booths, authors, artists, watch movies, and other events.

This year, GenCon activities spanned from August 13th to August 17th. The weather was pleasantly but unseasonably cool for mid-August: in the mid-70s, with only a little rain.

GenCon was awesome, and I hope to go again.  And I learned a lot:

Health is my most valuable asset

I actually did all right in this department: I didn't get sick.  But I can imagine how much I would miss out if I DID get sick.  I took vitamins every day, and I didn't need the headache pills, Pepto, antihistamines, or anything else I carried.  I didn't fly, though; I often get sick when I fly to visit my folks, and I suspect I often get infected on the plane ride.

Don't drive for 10 hours to GenCon

I can't stay focused and perfectly alert for 10 hours of straight driving; I went through 60 oz. of energy drinks on the return trip.  I looked into Amtrak: the prices are high and the times are painful.  Wisconsin Governor Walker's opposition to high-speed rail puts a golden spike through the heart of a fast rail option.  So next time, I'm flying.

Hotels in town are worth it

I spent at least $20 per day on parking.  If I could walk to the convention, it would solve a lot of problems: I'd save some time, I'd get some exercise, and I wouldn't need a car.  There were free shuttles from some outlying hotels, but these hotels took about an hour of valuable morning time to get from my hotel to the convention; so I just drove to the convention every day.

Research parking ahead of time

If you do drive to the convention, resolve your parking needs ahead of time, because the parking fills up fast: http://www.indyparking.com/p/indiana-convention-center.html

Pack Light

You don't need a full sketchbook, or a full 100-page notebook, or more than 3 pencils; you won't fill or use them all up.  You probably won't need any RPG books or miniatures.  A single set of dice are good.  A Sharpie fine-tip marker and some index cards are helpful.

Get a good pack

Having said that, you will need to carry around SOME stuff, and you will need capacity to comfortably carry away swag and games you purchase.  I got a new padded nylon book bag with side pockets for water bottles and I am very glad I had it.

Food is problematic

My hotel had a cheap breakfast buffet which was uninspiring, but saved me a lot of valuable morning time; I had hot eggs and warm biscuits as soon as I walked in, and how much excitement do you really need out of your breakfast?

I expect other meals to be more interesting, and those other meals are not so easy to manage.  There were long lines for everything, including the tempting food trucks.  I am a vegetarian, and vegetarian options were hard to come by.

Downtown Indianapolis restaurants were disappointing, because they were almost all chains, and almost all of them exist in my hometown.

I really liked the Munchkin Tavern (sweet potato fries!), but my wife was not so fond of it, so we didn't get to eat there again.

If you are familiar with Indianapolis and you know of really great places in town that I need to experience, please don't (just) call me nasty names; please tell me about these great locations and how to get there.

GenCon will become your world for the duration

I'm spoiled by the cultural and economic diversity of my hometown metropolis.  I'm sure Indianapolis is way cooler than lots of small towns in America, but from what I can tell, there is only 1 co-op in Indianapolis and only 1 art supply store.  I told you about the restaurant situation.  The city didn't really have anything that competed with GenCon or my hometown, so when I wasn't sleeping I pretty much stayed at the Convention Center.

Again, if I'm missing something, please write.

Take more notes

Not at the gaming table; I'm talking about little notes on a pocket notepad.  I have easily forgotten half of what I saw and experienced.  One valuable note to write down: where, exactly, did I park in the parking garage?  And what's the address of that parking garage?

Gamers aren't as stinky as I'd heard

I've played RPGs in the hometown alongside players who needed showers and a fresh change of clothes; some of these people have issues and live in halfway houses.  As a tubby hirsute fellow, I am sensitive to the fact that I am not always daisy-fresh.  I therefore showered every day before bed and after waking.  I brought antiperspirant and a spare T-shirt every day in case my old one got stinky and/or gross, but either I didn't need them, or nobody felt confident enough to tell me I needed them.  And I didn't notice any other stinky players, either.  Really, everyone I met there was pretty laid-back and really nice.  Bear in mind that it was also a very cool weekend for August, and the Convention Center has excellent air conditioning.

It's time for me to get a smart phone

My old Nokia dumb phone is slowing my ability to text, and my sister was ONLY communicating in person or by text, making it difficult to meet up spontaneously.  If I want to take a photo, hauling out the Canon is cumbersome.  And then there's the bulk of carrying all these gadgets on my (already wide) midsection.  It's time for me to seriously look at getting a smart phone, hopefully one which can take photos of small objects.  GPS wouldn't hurt, either.  Maybe an app with some way to find dinner at a decent sit-down restaurant.

Paizo booth needs to be an event

I wanted to visit the Paizo booth in the exhibitor hall.  Unfortunately, the Paizo booth in the exhibitor hall always had a long line, and I always had lots of other things to do with my time.  I would gladly pay a small amount of money to get a ticket guaranteeing me access to the Paizo booth at a specified time.  If customers balk at the price of admission, the ticket could be used as a coupon to get a discount on purchased merchandise.

Take the Exhibitor hall in small doses

The Exhibitor hall is a kaleidoscopic bazaar of brightly-colored objects and fascinating concepts and people who want your hard-earned money; I immediately became stressed, then jaded by the booths presented.  Fortunately, the aisles in the hall are clearly numbered; take in the Exhibitor hall a small number of aisles at a time, write down the aisle number, then come back hours later.  If you're a little tired of the place, don't say: 'just a few more aisles,' because it all becomes an unmemorable blur and you could miss out on something good.

I have a big example of this effect; please bear with me for some setup: I have been a big fan of Scott Kurtz and his wonderful comics and stories for over a decade.  Lisa asked me about the people wearing fezzes, and I explained that Mr. Kurtz popularized the gaming fez through his daily webcomic, PVP.  An hour later, I'm trudging through the sensory maelstrom that is the Exhibitor Hall, and I'm jaded and low on sleep.  I see Mr. Kurtz sitting in a booth, amicably chatting with his associates in the booth.  I immediately recognize Mr. Kurtz, I point him out to my wife as the man who popularized the gaming fez, but I do not have the presence of mind to greet the man and thank him for all the awesome comics over the years.  I totally blew it!  I hope Mr. Kurtz comes to future GenCons, and that I have another chance to see him and find out what he will be up to.  Scott Kurtz has complained about catching colds at these conventions, so it is entirely possible that he might decide to skip future GenCons, and this would compound the loss of this missed opportunity.

If Scott Kurtz is reading this, thanks for all the great comics, sorry I missed you, and relax: I DON'T want to physically touch you or get germs on you or stalk you or anything.

Get the free GenCon program, coupon book, and shoulder bag early

I had already looked at a map of the Exhibition Hall, with booths I wanted to visit circled.  I visited those booths, and then I got the coupon book; a lot of the coupons were for free stuff in the exhibition hall,  My wife and I love free stuff!  I suddenly realized I would need to re-tour the entire Exhibition Hall.  That didn't happen.

I found Carmen Sandiego

I saw a lovely woman in a matching scarlet trenchcoat and fedora walking by, and I joked with my wife: "THERE in the world is Carmen Sandiego!"  The lovely woman in scarlet stopped and quizzed me and the wife on geography; we answered her questions correctly and we each won a swell Carmen Sandiego sticker.  She was very charming!  I have never played a Carmen Sandiego game, not counting that impromptu experience.

Schedule for more sleep and more travel time in between events

I had scheduled events from 8AM to Midnight, at which point I'd somehow avoid getting lost, pile into the car, drive to the hotel, shower, crash around 1AM, roll out of bed at 6AM(ish), shower, shovel breakfast into my maw, drive into and navigate downtown, park, dash to the convention center, and show up late and cranky for the first event.  There was virtually no downtime to process or plan my day.  Repeat this 3 days in a row, and I was a coffee-fueled jerk.  If I'd had more sleep, I'd be calmer, I'd enjoy myself more, and I'd live in the moment more.

If that were not enough, GenCon is so huge that events have spilled out of the Convention Center and into nearby hotels.  If your next event is in one of those hotels, you might become the biggest jerk at GenCon when you show up late and in a foul mood, like I did (sorry about that!).  If I'd scheduled an hour in between each event, I could finish up my previous game and still have plenty of time to walk the 2 blocks to the hotel for the next event, and I'd be in good spirits.

Take an extra day or two

I arrived late on Wednesday, exhausted after the drive in and skipped Sunday so I could drive out.  I wish I could have spent those days participating in GenCon activities, and skipped 2 days of work.

I experienced a lot

Neither my wife nor I had ever played a miniatures wargame, but the small cost of a GenCon event ticket allowed us to quickly play a miniatures wargame that would easily cost hundreds of dollars for metal miniatures and cost hours and hours of painting, rule preparation, and so forth.  We played lots of swell games which were not yet avaiable in stores, like Grow Garden Grow, D&D Next, and other RPG systems.  We also played lots of swell games which we really liked and we now play at home, like Flapjacks and Sasquatches and Ascension.  These were great experiences that expanded our lives, and I am so glad I was able to share these with my wonderful wife.

I missed a lot

I also missed out on many cool GenCon-only activities, like the film festival, music events, and True Dungeon.  I've played Pathfinder Society at my friendly local gaming store, but it might have been nice to experience Pathfinder Society in the big room they set up.

There's always next year

My wife wants to go again.  I initially wanted to do this as a "bucket list" item, but it might turn into an annual event.