It'd be up to organizers to sort out how to "operate" while adhering to those guidelines. If they can't (and I can see where that may be very difficult, especially given some of the current guidelines anyway), then they wouldn't be able to operate. If they *can* operate, it would almost certainly come with capacity or spacing issues (you think will-call line is long before, wait til everyone needs a 6' gap between each other, and don't get started on trying to get _into_ the exhibitor hall.

And that's all still predicated on the stars aligning with the new-case numbers, which almost nobody believes will continue to go downward without ever slipping (which would cause Indiana to either "not move to the next phase as scheduled" or to "shift backward a phase" depending on in-situ analysis).

In short: Rumors of the impending normality are greatly exaggerated.

It's not new case numbers that need to decrease though, it's hospitalized case numbers.

People probably feel they shouldn't by out ANY money because it is no fault of their own.  But, you have to realize that these costs ARE going to be absorbed by someone somewhere.  The pandemic isn't Gen Con's fault either.

It's hard to know what Gen Con's insurance situation is for a thing like this.  No point speculating.  Even if they were able to get out of all contracts due to State of Indiana edicts, there would still be the matter of paying their staff for a whole year (to name just one cost) - and doing that with zero revenue.  How many companies do you know of that go a whole year without any revenue at all and are still around the next year?

Speaking just for myself, if there is any question about whether this would break Gen Con financially and impact future conventions... well, 'donating' $60+ is literally the least I could do.  The people running this convention have already given me decades worth of good times. 

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I wonder how many people with badges and rooms reserved are now out of work and suddenly reevaluating the value of $60.

Marion County, which includes Indy, is under stay at home orders through the 15th. It may or may not be modified after that based on what the city and state are seeing. 

As for insurance policies, it has already been pointed out that a pandemic clause is a rare thing. Maybe Gencon has one, maybe they don’t. We don’t know and they aren’t saying, nor do they need to.
I’m pretty sure that if one looks into the terms and conditions they agreed to when buying badges from Gencon LLC or booking from Q rooms, the $10.00 per badge fee and the $50.00 room fee aren’t refundable. As consumers, we agreed to those terms when we bought badges and/or booked rooms through Q Rooms. It may not seem fair at the moment, but it is what we all agreed to in the terms and conditions. 

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Will do what we need to keep the thread open.

Mike

Commercial insurance policies are very different from consumer insurance policies. There isn’t a “standard package” where you just click the boxes. I feel for the event organizers because it would seem they are in a tough spot where the government isn’t going to give them the out on their decision.

What a tough decision to make. Risk mass disease transmission and the health of the attendees and hope that you get enough attendees to make the balance sheet move from the red to the black or take the loss now, cut losses, and alienate the people who either don’t believe that COVID-19 is a big deal or don’t care. 

I’d cast raise dead, but the horse has been dead for too long. Reincarnate might work though.

<stupid picture won't post :( >

if we don't stop this and get back on topic, Mike will come along and 

<insert picture of monty python foot stomp>

1.  Command undead for the horse.

2.  Protection from Mike 10' Radius for myself because others continue to spam "Summon Mike" 

3.  Serious question here - will it be considered insensitive to cosplay as "plague doctor" and "diseased zombie" etc... those who have lost family/friends/loved ones to the virus?  There are already certain restrictions on the cosplay / costume contest - maybe something to consider?

Along those same lines, I've actually kind of wondered if post-apocalyptic fiction in general (whether video games, RPGs, movies, or whatever) has lost its appeal for some people in these times.

As for the bleaker games losing popularity, I think that you might be surprised.   There's a lot of therapeutic value in confronting issues through a narrative, and gaining at least the appearance of control.   It's just as possible that they will become more popular as people seek to "overcome" the problems that we're facing.