Things to do at Gencon Options

[lunavoco]

My wife bought us tickets for gencon this year. Based on previous year's experiences what kind of SR related events take place? Do they host games? How does that work? I've never been to a con this size.

[Doc Chase]

Catalyst will have a booth full of merch, and there will be games run all over the hotels. Registration for events should be opening soon.


Mmm, dealer's room. Mmmmm......

[Bull]

We're going to have something like 90 or so events running this year. Events include:

Shadowrun Missions -- The Official Shadowrun Living Campaign. We'll have 21 different adventures running.
Welcome to the 6th World -- Introductory games for Shadowrun. Learn the background, play a scenario to learn the rules, and make your own character that you can take to play the Missions events with.
Shadowrun Scramble -- A unique Shadowrun Missions event that is part tabletop and part LARP. Costumes are encouraged.
GM Bootcamp -- This year we're featuring Basic Training and Advanced Training. Got questions about the game, the rules, or how to deal with unruly players? Come talk to our panel of expert, experienced Shadowrun GMs!
Who's Run is it Anyway? -- A hilarious comedy event where a GM and a small group of players run through a short adventure dictated by audience participation.
Shadowrun Tournament -- A two night event where players play a team pregenerated characters, and each team runs through the same adventure. Teams are scored based on problem solving, rules knowledge, and roleplaying, with prizes awarded to the top teams. This years Tournament ill be "Legendary" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
What's Up With Shadowrun? -- A seminar where the we talk about the current state of affairs with Shadowrun, announce upcoming product, answer questions, and get to meet the fans. There's also a What's Up WIth Catalyst seminar for general CGL info, and WUW Battletech for those of you who like giant robots.

The Battletech team is also running a giant pile of events nearly nonstop all weekend as well, there will be some A Time of War RPG events (The new BT RPG), Leviathans games (CGLs upcoming Mini's game about flying Battleships in WW1), plus demos and events of CGLs board and card games.

When Event Reg goes live, sign up for events right away, as most sell out really fast. However, if you miss out on any games you want, bring Generic Tickets with you and we'll do our best to accommodate. There are usually games where Registered Tickets don't show up, and we try to have a floating GM on hand if get enough overflow (though Table Space can sometimes be an issue... We'll be running 12 tables nonstop most of the day, which will likely fill our event room).

Plus, be sure to say hello and introduce yourself (And mention your Dumpshock handle, or better yet, write it on your badge! Just don't clip your badge to your belt and expect anyone to know your name... I feel really weird staring at someones crotch trying to read their badge (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) )

Bull

[Doc Chase]

I know I'll be at Who's Run again, and I think the team is shooting for the Scramble this year, as well.

[Semerkhet]

I was at the GM bootcamp last year. Bootcamp is a good description, as it is aimed mostly at people new to GM'ing Shadowrun. Though I didn't get much out of it, I would imagine it to be a useful two hours for newbie GMs.

Also, I hope the Missions get either a different room or some partitions this year. If they don't, then woe to those who get stuck with eight players and a soft-spoken GM with an accent, like I did.

If you're new to Missions, do take the time to create a character beforehand. Believe me, you don't want to be running one of the archetypes out of the book when the rest of the table has characters min/maxed to within an inch of their lives.

[Doc Chase]

Heh, the EP game I was in was like that. Three guys in warforms and me with my space octopus.

[Xahn Borealis]

There's no UK version, is there? No way I can afford to fly to the States.

[Wesley Street]

There's no UK version, is there? No way I can afford to fly to the States.

What about a boat?

[DWC]

My list of things to do at Gencon involves 2 things.

1) Drink heavily with people I don't see very often.

2) Play stuff I can't play elsewhere, like Shadowrun Missions. And for the record, some of the characters are way past tweaked to within an inch of their lives. I'd say a spark plug gapping tool is just about right, though the wacky TR system of Season 3 really encouraged that arms race.

Oh, and the third thing that I almost forgot.

Minor league baseball. I try to get to an Indianapolis Indians game at some point during the weekend, just to get some sun and fresh air. Tickets are cheap (9 to 14 bucks for an adult), beer cups are big, and the park is right next to the convention center. This year, they've got a 4 game home stand that spans the convention.

[Xahn Borealis]

What about a boat?

Nope. Not happening. I remember looking GenCon up once and there was a UK version at some university. I guess RPGs aren't that big over here. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

[CanRay]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

I'm hoping I can get to GenCon next year or the year after.

[Bull]

I was at the GM bootcamp last year. Bootcamp is a good description, as it is aimed mostly at people new to GM'ing Shadowrun. Though I didn't get much out of it, I would imagine it to be a useful two hours for newbie GMs.

That's actually why we're doing 2 Bootcamps this year... The "Advanced Training" is for non-newbs. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Also, I hope the Missions get either a different room or some partitions this year. If they don't, then woe to those who get stuck with eight players and a soft-spoken GM with an accent, like I did.

Supposedly we'll have a room in the new JW Marriott hotel. It's directly connected to the convention center, so our games will be a good deal closer than the last couple years (yay!) However, I have no diea what the layout will be like.

There's a limited amount we can do about the overcrowding, unfortunately. We scheduled more events this year, so hopefully that will help a little, but... We're going to end up having 12 tables running for the majority of the day. If we can get enough GMs, I'm hoping we can find ways to avoid overfilling the tables beyond 6 players (Like having a couple Standby GMs who can take a group off somewhere to run a game for them, if we can find room anywhere), I don;t want to turn anyone away, but... Yeah, there were more than a couple complaints last year about having 8+ people at a table and having trouble hearing or even getting involved much.

If you're new to Missions, do take the time to create a character beforehand. Believe me, you don't want to be running one of the archetypes out of the book when the rest of the table has characters min/maxed to within an inch of their lives.

I encourage not min/maxing, just because I think it's usually more fun and interesting, but... <shrug> I also say this as someone with an Missions Ork Street Sammy who was a bit of a gun twink, so... Heh. The best characters I've ever played or GMed for were often characters who were poorly built to start (You should have seen how useless Bull the Ork Decker was when he was originally created! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ).

But either way, you'll have more fun if you bring your own character. That's actually one reason we'll be doing the "Welcome to the 6th World" games too, to allow people a place to sit downa nd create a character. The GMs will be using the Toolkit and PACKS, but still, it will allow you to customize a character to play.

(And if anyone's interested in GMing, see my thread in the convention forum! Free Badge, partial hotel comp, T-shirts, free product, all kinds of good rewards for GMs (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) )

Bull

[CanRay]

Here's a better idea, run the character by Bull online before the game. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) That way if he doesn't like it, he can take it and rip it to pieces in front of your eyes and burn it in a pile while dancing around it.

Then hand you one he made himself for someone who did such a thing. You'll probably have a kevlar-lined pink tu-tu with combat boots that have lime green laces and a Ares Slivergun with barely any ammo, and be happy you got that much. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/vegm.gif)

Well... That's what I would do. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) I'd probably get kicked out a few minutes later for the fire hazard, however.

Now I'm wishing I could go this year, and see how The Accountant From Hell performs... Either him or the Borderline-Sociopathic Troll that names all his guns and sleeps with them in rotation like his own personal harem that I still have to make.

[Belvidere]

Awwe, you won't be making it CanRay? I've heard so much about The Account From Hell, I wanted to see him in action. Maybe at the Scramble. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[Method]

One of these years...

[CanRay]

Awwe, you won't be making it CanRay? I've heard so much about The Account From Hell, I wanted to see him in action. Maybe at the Scramble. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

Maybe in a few years. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

[scarius]

you can be like most australian and hope that it ends up happening this year (even though its been cancelled) but because your not, i would just try to have fun

[Semerkhet]

Nope. Not happening. I remember looking GenCon up once and there was a UK version at some university. I guess RPGs aren't that big over here. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

I attended a "Euro GenCon" in 1993 while I was stationed in Europe. The actual convention was at a resort in Sussex somewhere. Sadly Google tells me that GenCon UK stopped after 2003.

[Semerkhet]

Heh, the EP game I was in was like that. Three guys in warforms and me with my space octopus.

Makes me glad that the EP game I was in had pre-gen characters. That game was a lot of fun, and Posthuman has just released that particular scenario as a pdf adventure.


Speaking of pre-generated characters. Last year's GenCon convinced me that pre-gen is almost always the way to go at conventions. I've been to about twenty GenCons since 1984 and I finally realized that *every single one* of my favorite con games over the years was run with characters provided by the person(s) running the event. My all-time favorite has been the long-running Call of Cthulhu Novus Ordo Seclorum tournament, which would simply not work if players were allowed to bring their own characters.

I realize that Missions is not configured to run with pre-gens but I hope that Catalyst takes the time to run some scenarios with characters provided that actually matter to the plot.

As a corollary, I've noticed that people tend to do better role-playing when they are handed a character with a short bullet list of goals, personality traits, and perhaps a dark secret. Not universally true, of course, but a definite anecdotal trend I've noticed in nearly three decades of gaming.

[DireRadiant]

Then hand you one he made himself for someone who did such a thing. You'll probably have a kevlar-lined pink tu-tu with combat boots that have lime green laces and a Ares Slivergun with barely any ammo, and be happy you got that much. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/vegm.gif)

That's how Bull dresses for GenCon. Pointy ears and Mohawks too.

[Belvidere]

That's how Bull dresses for GenCon. Pointy ears and Mohawks too.

No way Chummer. Bull ain't no Dandelion Eater! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[Semerkhet]

No way Chummer. Bull ain't no Dandelion Eater! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

Umm, orks and trolls have pointed ears as well. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/spin.gif)

[Belvidere]

Umm, orks and trolls have pointed ears as well. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/spin.gif)

Yeah, but no self respectin Ork is going to wear a tutu! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif)

[Semerkhet]

Yeah, but no self respectin Ork is going to wear a tutu! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif)

But if you see an eight foot tall troll with cyberarms wearing a tutu, what exactly are you going to say?

[CanRay]

But if you see an eight foot tall troll with cyberarms wearing a tutu, what exactly are you going to say?

"Shall I validate your parking?"