GenCon Roundup, 2014
One of the things I've given up over the past eight years or so is my involvement in the gaming industry, both as a participant and industry worker. Oh, I've dabbled around with some games here and there, but overall, I've not done much. In the past two years or so, I've really been missing the conventions, the people, the play. I've missed the ebb and flow of the industry. It was something I truly loved participating in, but there were quite a few strings and memories- good and bad- attached to it, so I've not been too serious about trying to get involved again, really. Last year, I considered going to GenCon, but couldn't afford it on my own, and no one seemed interested in really trying. It was a half-hearted attempt at best.
This year, my friends Julie and Travis invited me to attend with them and their family. All I had to worry about paying for was my entry, food, and spending money. Honestly, with the way my year has been on a financial level, it wasn't the best decision, but I chose to go anyway. I needed the break on pretty much every level. Plus, I've never gone to GenCon as an attendee. I have always worked the event, pulling long days taking tickets for TCG events. I usually would get a couple hours off to hit the dealer's hall on Sunday, and would do dinner and drinks with the team members, but never really just enjoyed the event. So getting to take four days to just play was a novel concept to me.
Of course, me being me, I couldn't do that. An RPG that I've gotten rather interested in over the last year, thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
tek2way, called Shadows of Esteren (SoE) put out a call for booth volunteers for the weekend. I offered up my Thursday and Sunday, which they eagerly accepted. I had already purchased my ticket, so that helped them out, and was told I'd receive a small gift for assisting. Nice, but I wasn't expecting much, given they are small press and all. I volunteered because I wanted to do so. I am more comfortable at large, crowded events when I have a "homebase," a role to play, and I am a salesperson at heart. Volunteering helped me out as much as it helped them.
Aside the first: One of the main reasons I was willing to help out, is that SoE is a French import, and I would get the chance to work with the developers of the game. SoE is a low-fantasy, medieval, gothic horror setting- think Game of Thrones meets Ravenloft, and I was eager to talk with them. I wanted the chance to pick the brains of the people who created such a rich setting, and to give back to them a bit. SoE is the first RPG I've gotten truly excited about since Deliria. The SoE books have won numerous awards for game design, art, and development, and just getting to chat with the guys at my leisure was going to be a treat.
( Once more, into the fray )
This year, my friends Julie and Travis invited me to attend with them and their family. All I had to worry about paying for was my entry, food, and spending money. Honestly, with the way my year has been on a financial level, it wasn't the best decision, but I chose to go anyway. I needed the break on pretty much every level. Plus, I've never gone to GenCon as an attendee. I have always worked the event, pulling long days taking tickets for TCG events. I usually would get a couple hours off to hit the dealer's hall on Sunday, and would do dinner and drinks with the team members, but never really just enjoyed the event. So getting to take four days to just play was a novel concept to me.
Of course, me being me, I couldn't do that. An RPG that I've gotten rather interested in over the last year, thanks to
tek2way, called Shadows of Esteren (SoE) put out a call for booth volunteers for the weekend. I offered up my Thursday and Sunday, which they eagerly accepted. I had already purchased my ticket, so that helped them out, and was told I'd receive a small gift for assisting. Nice, but I wasn't expecting much, given they are small press and all. I volunteered because I wanted to do so. I am more comfortable at large, crowded events when I have a "homebase," a role to play, and I am a salesperson at heart. Volunteering helped me out as much as it helped them.Aside the first: One of the main reasons I was willing to help out, is that SoE is a French import, and I would get the chance to work with the developers of the game. SoE is a low-fantasy, medieval, gothic horror setting- think Game of Thrones meets Ravenloft, and I was eager to talk with them. I wanted the chance to pick the brains of the people who created such a rich setting, and to give back to them a bit. SoE is the first RPG I've gotten truly excited about since Deliria. The SoE books have won numerous awards for game design, art, and development, and just getting to chat with the guys at my leisure was going to be a treat.
( Once more, into the fray )
