UPDATE! GenCon 2015 Planning Thread - We're good to go, see you in a month

I looked at the Games on Demand, and it said that they were just taking generic tickets. I'm guessing that you can start buying genetic tickets too on Sunday?

News to me, that must be a new policy for this year.

Yeah, generic tickets you can buy any time and they never run out. Just keep in mind you lose 10% of the value when putting them back on your account if you buy too many and end up with extras.

The Bear Clan can't make it this year. Someone PLEASE play some Cards Against Humanity for me. The Memorial Service for hubby's dad is that weekend.

Didn't play any Games on Demand last year, but the previous two years I used generic tickets multiple times to get in game no issue. We'd show up, see what was being played and go. I think last year however the event was much more popular so it was harder to get in with generics.

And the event list certainly gets more overwhelming each year.

Yeah, but if you ignore known systems it's much smaller. Pages upon pages of D&D or Pathfinder games I can ignore.

Edit: Hah, hit the "submit" wishlist button as soon as I could. Number 1257 in queue.

So did I, and...

GenCon wrote:

Your Wish List has been submitted. You are number 5628 in line for processing.

There were apparently a lot of people hovering over that button...

Edit: If you hit refresh you can see the games you wanted filling up.

Yeah, and you were probably a second behind me, if that.

Nothing in my queue has sold out so far and I'm up to 800. Maybe Kitten Lasers and Costume Fairy Adventure aren't that popular.

So far six of mine are gone, including my number 2 priority. Numenera and Delta Green are apparently very popular.

Yeah, both the wife and I hit the button as soon as it turned green. She was given 4800, I was at 5300.

Looks like my Friday night just free'd up though.

Welp, I'm through. FYI, once you "have" your tickets you still have to go through the purchase process so you'll want to keep an eye on it.

Nothing I had was sold out, but then I was set to only 1 ticket on all of them and I picked stuff like Toon Titans Go! and No Country for Old Kobolds (which is a great game btw), so I expect my tastes are just odd.

Half my list is sold out and I'm still in position 3300.

An hour in I'm at position 1031. Only a Sentinels RPG demo is sold out so far.

Edit: That last 1000 went super fast. Got in the MERCS World Championship, a Krosmaster tournament, the Game of Thrones Kingslayer tournament and the Fantasy Flight In-Flight Report.

I think the last 1k went quick because of how many people had much of their list already sold out.

We got into both burlesque shows, and the Doubleclicks on Saturday. The only game that we got into was We Didn't Playtest This Resistance Movement At All! on Friday night.

I plan on diving back into the events queue again over the week to see what opens up.

Hmm, I have never been to a gencon and Indy isn't too far of a drive away. What's it like? If I went on a budget, any recommendation on what days are best?

RooksGambit wrote:

Hmm, I have never been to a gencon and Indy isn't too far of a drive away. What's it like? If I went on a budget, any recommendation on what days are best?

Friday or Saturday are the busiest days with the most events. Thursday's nice and low-key if you can swing it, Sunday's short, ends at like 4pm.

As far as what it's like, it depends on what you go in for. The expo hall is giant so if you're looking for board games, pen and paper systems, dice, etc. it's wonderful. If you're into pen and paper games you can fill up a day with those very easily. Same with board games, you can either sign up or just wander around with some generic tickets and see what's up. There's also seminars on writing, author talks, and so forth if that's more your thing, or you could spend the whole time playing Magic: The Gathering and other CCGs.

None of the games are too expensive to try out, they range from free to around two bucks an hour (if there's a DM/host and materials are being provided) usually. You'll pay more for the badge and parking than you will for probably every event you sign up for combined, daily badges are $45 and parking will run you ~$20 if I remember right.

Only wound up getting three events; one Chill and two Eclipse Phase (which somehow wound up back-to-back). Guess I'll go invest in some generics.

Crazy system, I clicked and was 5500 or so. I had a shower, came back, was about 4300, went a did a few other things, 2200, then hit refresh and got a 'hey, you're done' result...where basically we got nothing.

Frantic clicking around and watching spaces open and close meant I finally got 2 tickets for both Truedungeon events, and that's all I really wanted so, yay!

Sometimes it helps to live in this crap state. Clicked the button and was #116 in line. Got everything I wanted including a 6 hr game of Twilight Imperium which I have never played.

For those that did not get the events you wanted. Please be aware that LOTS of events are added almost daily to the site. So if you are hunting for stuff to play, make sure to visit their site now and again.

Yeah, I guess I payed a karmic penalty for getting into the housing queue almost immediately...

Well, things have a way of balancing out. I started talking to one of the Delta Green folks through the Delta Green Mailing List and it looks like I'm going to be running a couple of scenarios for them! So apparently the best way to be sure to get into a game is to volunteer as a GM.

Been a LOOOONG time podcast listener, seldom site visitor. This will be my first GenCon and I'd love to at least swing by the GWJ playspace.

Yay, I get to attend again!
This time I'll be volunteering for Monte Cook Games as Game Master for either The Strange or Numenera. Its for the first three days and shifts come in four hour time blocks.
I was thinking, would any group of fellow Gooodjers want to in to record a tryout session? Maybe it would work as material to give a report back to our lovely site? The chance to laud or gutter my GM skills and my Goodjer standing?

I'll know more in a couple of days here as to the specific time blocks to find me and exactly how long are the sessions. Recording is totally optional as I wanted to try my hand at it, including editing the audio in post.

I tried to get in on either of those and didn't get anything I tried to sign up for, so I'd love to try.

And who do I need to bribe to GM for Monte Cook Games? I got approved as a gamemaster for Arc Dream publishing (Delta Green) but was late getting in and my sessions are still sitting in "waiting for review" limbo.

tanstaafl wrote:

I tried to get in on either of those and didn't get anything I tried to sign up for, so I'd love to try.

And who do I need to bribe to GM for Monte Cook Games? I got approved as a gamemaster for Arc Dream publishing (Delta Green) but was late getting in and my sessions are still sitting in "waiting for review" limbo. :(

PM sent!

Good lord, is this going to be a game made up of GMs?

I haven't tried either of those so I'd be up, schedule permitting. Put me as a maybe since I have a few tickets purchased already.

Tekman wrote:
tanstaafl wrote:

I tried to get in on either of those and didn't get anything I tried to sign up for, so I'd love to try.

And who do I need to bribe to GM for Monte Cook Games? I got approved as a gamemaster for Arc Dream publishing (Delta Green) but was late getting in and my sessions are still sitting in "waiting for review" limbo. :(

PM sent!

Thanks! Looks like I got one of the last slots for running The Strange.

Edit: And now I'm running a Numenera game too. It looks like all the slots were full but they had a couple open up. Neither of them would have been my first choice (both are evening slots and one is late Saturday) but at least I'll get some swag and hopefully will get good enough feedback that they'll consider me for next time.

So I got my badges in the mail, but I realized that any future event tickets will have to be picked up at will call. I assume this also means generic tickets (which I don't have). Any good strategies about the best time to pick them up? I've heard horror stories.

Yep, got my badge too.

As far as Will Call, my experience is Wednesday is the easiest day if you're there, Thursday only moderately long lines. If you don't need to do something immediately avoid the start of the day, if you do you're just stuck. Avoid Saturday's Will Call like the plague, Sunday is kinda pointless for buying but is very open if you need to return generics.

tanstaafl wrote:
Tekman wrote:
tanstaafl wrote:

I tried to get in on either of those and didn't get anything I tried to sign up for, so I'd love to try.

And who do I need to bribe to GM for Monte Cook Games? I got approved as a gamemaster for Arc Dream publishing (Delta Green) but was late getting in and my sessions are still sitting in "waiting for review" limbo. :(

PM sent!

Thanks! Looks like I got one of the last slots for running The Strange.

Edit: And now I'm running a Numenera game too. It looks like all the slots were full but they had a couple open up. Neither of them would have been my first choice (both are evening slots and one is late Saturday) but at least I'll get some swag and hopefully will get good enough feedback that they'll consider me for next time.

Here's my schedule:
07/30/2015 Thursday
2:00PM - 4:00PM MCG Booth; Exhibitor 1737
4:00PM - 8:00PM Numenera Game; Marriott : Indiana Blrm F : 5

07/31/2015 Friday
12:00PM - 2:00PM MCG Booth; Exhibitor 1737
5:00PM - 9:00PM Numenera Game; Marriott : Indiana Blrm F : 7

08/01/2015 Saturday
12:00PM - 2:00PM MCG Booth; Exhibitor 1737
6:00PM - 10:00PM Numenera Game; Marriott : Indiana Blrm F : 1

Well, my two Delta Green game submissions just got advanced to "Accepted for Consideration", which is something. Now to see if a space becomes available.

Here's what my GM schedule is now:

Thursday
5:00pm - 9:00pm - The Strange - Mastadon

Saturday
8:00am - Noon - Delta Green - Heart of Stone
1:00pm - 5:00pm - Delta Green - Midnight at the Garden of Order and Chaos
8:00pm - Midnight - Numenera - The Hideous Game

Edit: My two Delta Green scenarios just got locations assigned to them so I'm hoping that means they'll show up on the schedule soon. Already playtested one with my local group and they really liked it and we're running the other one next week. Looking forward to running them at the con.