At the time I post this, the Gen Con counter to the left reads 60 days. We're just 2 months away from Gen Con 50!
Gen Con is different things to different people, so what are YOU most looking forward to?
Let me start off:
I’m looking forward to seeing my gaming buddies that I only see at Gen Con. They’re great people and it’s always fun to catch up and spend time with them. I was even lucky enough to reconnect with someone here on the forums that I met at The Stink a while back. It’ll be nice to all be at the same table again.
I’m looking forward to spending time with my daughter at Gen Con. I admit that her favorite part is the dealer hall, but we’re also signed up for a few events so it’s not all shopping and demos, HA! None-the-less, some father/daughter time will be great.
At the moment I don’t have any “must haves” from the dealer hall (well, besides the usual Gen Con dice tin). We’re flying in and traveling light so that limits spending. There are a couple booths that I want to visit, but more to meet a designer or two than anything.
There were a couple events that I had to pass on for scheduling or other reasons, but there’s SO much going on at Gen Con that I’m sure I’ll have a great time regardless.
So, what’s your most anticipated…event…meeting…purchase…game…whatever…?
Edit: Typo
I'm looking forward to spending time with my husband, this is our yearly vacation together. We have quite a selection of table top games at home but it's nice to get out together, check out new games, etc.. We've just mainly checked out the exhibit hall in the past but are trying some events together (and apart) this year so I hope that goes well. I'm also looking forward to whatever Flying Frog Productions is planning for their 10 year anniversary of 'Last Night on Earth'. It should be a good weekend!
Seeing our "Con Family" again. We have friends from all over the US and around the world that we only get to hang out with during Gen Con. Part gaming vacation, part family reunion (without the drunk racist uncle that always picks a fight).
Playing Dungeon Crawl Classics and Mutant Crawl Classics (and getting a copy of this book!) event wise. Branching out a little this year and trying one of the Bridge Simulators with friends and checking out the play "She Kills Monsters".
Looking forward to seeing you all there :)
The general atmosphere and the dealer hall!
The dealer hall. The Shadowrun Missions games I've signed up for. The Star Wars: Armada tournament. The consignment store. Getting to actually play in the Circle Center Mall arcade since I'll be in Indy a day earlier than usual.
This year was my 50th birthday and with GenCon's 50th anniversary I could not miss this event. This will be the first time in 9 years that we have been able to get back to GenCon. We went from 2004-2008 until I got laidoff and are just now being able to get back. So i guess I am looking forward to the whole Convention! but there is one particular item I am also looking to get is the Starfinder RPG.
First ever GenCon (or any convention), so I'm looking forward to just seeing what it's all about. I've loaded my schedule with RPG games I've either never had the chance to play or haven't played in a long time, and I'm probably looking forward to the You Too Can Cthulhu game hosted by Novus Ordo Seculorum the most. I've read some good things about that gaming group.
I'm looking forward to actual tabletop RPGs.
Last time I got to play was last Gen Con, so I'm trying to walk that fine line between "play all the games!" and "get so sleep deprived that I start hallucinating, decide that the JW Marriott is the enemy fortress, and attempt to lead an assault".
Aside from that; Seeing friends I've not seen since last Gen Con. That'll be good.
I'm looking forward to seeing all the friends I only get to see at Gen Con, as well as meeting new friends. I'm also excited/nervous to be showing games in the Playtest Hall for the first time.
As for games, I'm most looking forward to playing Wasteland Express. It's not a game I see my gaming group at home being interested in, so I'm glad I have a chance to play it.
The thing that I'm looking forward to the most isn't a particular game or event. It's knowing that I can walk around a building as large as the ICC and geek out for four days straight in front of complete strangers. It's hard to explain the feeling that I get, but it's almost like going back to school after summer vacation - the "vacation" in this case being the 361 days that I've had to spend around completely normal (i.e. boring) people!
I know what you mean, though. Gen Con seems like the only place where you could get away with wearing:
a) A kilt. b) A fez. c) A sword. d) All of the above.
Oh, and props to you for breaking out the "Rick & Morty" t-shirt. I'm getting one that's a crossover between old-school D&D and "Adventure Time"...which absolutely no one outside of Gen Con will get: https://www.riptapparel.com/collections/adventures-chronology
My favorite things to do at Gencon have more to do with just getting away from the grind of real life for a few days than almost attending the event itself. To get a chance to not have to deal with work and school just for a blip of the year is so worth looking forward to. I understand that you can do this with almost any vacation you take, but this event in particular is the only one completely engulfed in gaming from beginning to end.
Most excited to see: Friends that I only get to see at the CON!! Downtown Indy and the gaming festivities outside of the convention like "The Ram"! Expanded video gaming areas in Lucas Oil Stadium (Retro Japanese Console area!!)
Most excited to participate in: Playtesting unfinished/beta board/card/ccgs OrcStomp 5K Auction room/store (always a blast!) Cardhalla Gencon dance at the train station!
GenCon is like "The Gathering of the Tribes" for gamers.
It's a great experience!
So last year was our first Gen Con & the one thing I said I would do this year was play in a Giant game. Well I was able to get into two of them. Oh Gnome You Don't & Mammoth Catan. Pretty excited about playing both, but yelling Gnome Fight with a Gnome hat & beard on will be a lot of fun.
Beyond just "being there again," particularly after my first absence since 2001, I suppose taking my first steps into the Indianapolis Convention Center... walking into the Exhibition Hall for the first time... and, of course, my favorite of all, looking through vast swaths of rare goods in the Auction Store while also keeping an ear open for what is being auctioned off on the main stage!
General Geeking out, as someone said. Only time I get to wear my nerdy stuff and people actually get/appreciate it. Got into Too Many Bones and looking forward to that. :) plus.... It's GenCon!!
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