Convention Season 2004
Another summer has ended, and with it the busy convention season grows quiet once again. I had fun at GenCon Indy 2004, particularly in watching (and running) rounds of this year's D&D Open. It was really gratifying to see so many players pushing their skills to the limit to triumph over the challenges that James Wyatt and I placed in their paths. While both the rounds that I adjudicated ended in total party kills--sorry, guys!--everyone seemed to have lots of fun regardless. For many, this was their first foray into the world of Eberron, but I have a feeling it won't be their last. For those who weren't able to play in the event, don't feel left out--you never know when an unexpected opportunity may arise...
I even managed to get a little actual gaming in at the show, thanks to Colin Suleiman (author of many products for White Wolf's World of Darkness, including the new Vampire: The Requiem). Colin ran a late-night D&D game for a group of entirely too goofy folks, including Stephen Schubert, James Wyatt, Ari & George Marmell, my wife Gwendolyn, and me. Colin boldly weathered our off-the-wall antics (OK, mostly from me. And James, too.), putting together an ad hoc adventure that provided a welcome few hours of dice rolling to some gaming junkies needing a fix.
Convention season isn't over, however, until we've invited several dozen of our friends (and our friends' friends...) into our home for a little shindig we call GwenCon. This year's attendance numbers shattered last year's record, with approximately 70 different people visiting over the course of the three-day event, with an average of 40-50 people per day coming through the site.
This year featured not only the ubiquitous board games, party games, minis tournament, puzzle hunt, media room, and homebrew RPGs (such as my own Homestarrunnerball Rally 2000), but also offered visitors both console and online gaming opportunities (including a 5-computer LAN). Jennifer Clarke Wilkes ran a life-size D&D minis game in the backyard (thanks to the weather gods for parting the rain showers for the afternoon). Sunday's guests also got to partake in a chili tasting, where Charles Ryan's concoction narrowly escaped with victory over fellow chefs Chris Galvin and Gwendolyn Kestrel. And did I mention Saturday night's special comedy improv performance by the Dead Gentlemen (stars of The Gamers)? Truly, this year's show set a new bar in household-based conventions. I don't know how we'll top it next year.
So what is it about gamers that drives us to congregate in mass quantities? I reckon it's a basic need to socialize, particularly with those who share our passions. It's easy for me to forget that most people don't work in an office surrounded by other gamers, and that among "normals," our hobby is still a bit strange for water-cooler conversations: "Hey, Bob, did I tell you about this crit I rolled last weekend?"
At a convention, we can let down our guard and revel in our shared love for gaming, whatever flavors we prefer. Despite any rivalries between dice-chuckers and card-floppers, or feuds between grizzled industry veterans and wet-behind-the-ears newcomers, deep down we know that nobody "gets" us better than other gamers. People who wouldn't even consider wearing an odd hat into the office get dressed up like Stormtroopers or half-elf rangers, stay up all night with friends old and new, and go home with a lighter wallet but heavier suitcases.
It's also a great way to reunite with former comrades-in-arms. In a way, a convention is like a high school reunion, but including only the folks you liked hanging out with. I saw people at GenCon I hadn't seen in months or years. It's easy to lose track of folks once they're not in your immediate area any more, and gatherings like these help remind us how many friends we really have.
If you've never attended a gaming convention before, I highly recommend you give one a chance. You don't have to pack up and fly to GenCon for your first show, of course--try out a local convention within easy driving distance, something you can sample without a big commitment. Play a game you've never heard of, strike up a conversation with the stranger selling his self-published campaign setting, or just hang out and take in the spectacle. It may be different from the gaming you're used to, but it's a welcome change of pace.