It’s almost that time of year, folks. It’s that time of year when the streets of our fair city are filled with strange people wearing weird costumes and t-shirts with ridiculous phrases. (It’s a Rat Flail!) They speak in code and carry strange polyhedrons on their person. They hold elaborate free form plays in crowded hotel suites and thousands converge on the Indianapolis Convention Center in search of swag, treasure, and the chance to find that issue of Dragon Magazine that had the chick with the chainmail bikini. That’s right…It’s almost time for Gen Con. 

I know what you’re thinking…”Oh no, not that again!” “What’s Gen Con?” “Whoa whoa whoa…you mentioned bikinis?”

The answer is Yes, I’m about to tell you, and shame on you. Google is your friend.

Gen Con is one of the largest gaming conventions in the United States. Dedicated to Role Playing Games (RPGs), Collectible Card Games (CCGs), and Wicked Tarrasque Fights (WTF), it’s a four day convention of epic nerd proportions. Attracting over 28,000 people from all walks of life it’s quite exciting. It can also be really overwhelming if you are not prepared for it.

That’s where I come in! For years I’ve posted entries on my other blog talking about Indianapolis and Gen Con and I decided to offer some friendly advice on what to do while you’re here. I’m here to give you the skinny on Gen Con, some info about downtown Indy, and some old fashioned common sense for while you’re visiting.

The Con Itself

Lets start with some history. Gen Con was originally held in Lake Geneva Wisconsin, home to the legendary Gary Gygax. It was small then, only having 100 attendees who were mainly members of the  International Federation of Wargamers. The name Gen Con comes from “Geneva Convention”, and the shortened version of the name has been used ever since.

The con has grown steadily over the years. It outgrew it’s home of Lake Geneva and was held in Milwaukee for many years. In 2003 Gen Con had outgrown it’s location yet again and moved to Indianapolis where it has been ever since. The con has changed greatly since it’s early days, where board games, wargames, and the first iterations of Dungeons and Dragons were it’s mainstay. Now you can find everything from video games to live action dungeons!

What’s the appeal? Gen Con certainly is a different sort of convention than what many people are used to. I had to attend a convention once for work where we spent the days attending panels on Group Management and Inspiring Our Peers; I would have given my left arm to have left and wandered a dealer’s room or played a round of Nuclear War instead of awkward meet and greets where you pretend to discuss what you “learned that day.”

Gen Con is a lot of fun though and has done it’s best to branch out. If you love board games, their are ready to play demos in the Exhibition Hall (Dealer’s Room) as well as tournaments you can take part in. (There’s even an Apple to Apples tournament if I remember correctly.)

Don’t like gaming as much? Perhaps you want to meet and greet with celebrities or attend workshops that deal with things you are interested in? How about these celebrities to hold you over!

Felicia Day, of The Guild and Doctor Horrible Fame. She’s hilarious and an amazing singer. Wil Wheaton, who plays the “Evil Wil Wheaton” on Big Bang Theory and a supporter of geeks everywhere.

 As for workshops, Gen Con has just about everything you can ask for. From workshops on making actual chainmail, art sessions where you can learn to improve your fantasy art, to writing workshops which touch upon the important skills and fun thrills of being a writer, Gen Con tries to offer something for every member of the family.

Would you like to know more? Click here for the Gen Con event catalog! 

In Ze Indy Indeed!

…I’ve got nothing on that title. I needed one, so I went with the first thing in my mind which was a stereotypical Frenchman. Sue me!

(Please don’t, I’m poor.)

 So many of you reading this have probably never been to Indy before. For those that have you might not realize all that our city has to offer. Let me tell you about Indianapolis.

Indianapolis has done it’s best to be as family friendly and fun as possible. With the largest zoo in the state you can stop by and see our White Rhinos and as of this summer the Cheetah exhibit! (Did you know they may technically be canines? Weird.)

Downtown is almost home to the Indiana State History Museum and the Eiteljorg Art Museum. Showcasing Indiana history and some of the best Native American art in my opinion, they’re great places to take the family and take in some culture. On the Circle you’ll find the Indiana War Memorial, cateloging Indiana’s involvement in every US conflict.

 Located just around the corner from the convention center is Circle Center Mall! Circle Center not only has great places for shopping but has a large food court, many restaurants for those looking for a bite to eat. The Circle Center Theater on the top floor of the mall usually has specials and shows geeky movies during the con. Last year I caught the midnight showing of Serenity while at the con.  How can you say no?

My favorite places to eat downtown during the con are as follows:

The Ram is a popular bar downtown that caters to the Gen Con crowd. They run a special menu during the convention which includes their incredibly tasty Ram Chips as well as their equally fantastic hamburgers. They are also a microbrewery and showcase new beers at the event. I remember when Privateer Press hosted the bar during the convention. I miss me some Khadoran Ale!

The Palomino. You want to take your princess out for a nice meal? Maybe your knight’s been especially patient during the con. The Palomino is a nice place to go and eat downtown. It’s menu is a mix of Italian and Continental but the food is great if you don’t mind the wait!

The Claddach Pub is my personal favorite while downtown. An Irish pub, I’ve lost many a braincell and flat out abused my liver while there. It does tend to get crowded but some of the best friends who I have no idea who they were at the time were found there. The beer is great and the Jameson Steak is 2d4. (2d4? Two die four? Get it? It’s a gaming article!) 

Asian Ciao.  Asian Ciao is Asian Ciao.  It has bourbon chicken.  Look, bitch all you want but if you’re in a hurry and need to stuff your face Asian Ciao has cheap bourbon chicken.

There are also plenty of CVS style stores and liquor stores downtown to cater to your needs. Make sure to check with your hotel concierge or search Google Maps for the closest one to you!

Now to end on a serious note but something really important…

 It’s Safety Centaur Time!

Hi folks! I’m the Safety Centaur! I’m here to give you helpful tips on how not to hurt yourself and enjoy your time at Gen Con!

What? You don’t want to be lectured to like you’re a kid and I’m not a licensed mascot? Touche, but with the fact that some people end up hurt every year while downtown  and the fact I’ve seen people been taken advantage of means I’m going to do it anyways. 

I’ll start with the touchy issue first: Indianapolis like many large cities has a homeless problem. At almost every street corner you can find war veterans, single mothers, and homeless men asking for money. In years past I have warned people away from providing money to them because of safety issues. I’ve also had a change of heart on the subject and have given money to them anyways. It’s a serious issue for which I have no real answer.

But what’s important to realize is that the people asking you for money aren’t some Random Encounter put in to make the adventure more interesting. They’re real people, which means like real people there’s a ton of things to  consider. Some of them really do need the money and without the help of telepathy it’s hard to tell who really needs the money to feed their kids and who is looking for their next fix.

If you are uncomfortable with the panhandlers I recommend walking with friends and ignore them. If they step in your path do your best to walk around them and if they get aggressive do not be afraid to seek assistance. If you wish to help them, remember that they can use more than just money and some really appreciate cool drinks on a hot day or food. If you do give them money, be careful about flashing any large amounts of money around on the street as that can attract the wrong attention.

(For the record despite working for United Way I want to reiterate I am not a trained social worker, so please treat that last paragraph as advice.)

DRINKING! Lots of people are going to do it. Hell, ther are going to be parties every night while at Gen Con. Depending on where you go you might find flavorful theme drink specials at some bars or if you are really lucky you might get into the White Wolf party where there is an Open Bar.

Now we’re adults here. I’m not telling you not to drink. But drink safely when you do. Seriously.

Cabs can be found on every street near the bars downtown, and while cabs can be expensive here is something you should consider: Indianapolis is struggling in this economy. While I respect our local police department I do know that they are in a pinch and are being extra vigilant in monitoring cars on the road. Most of the time this involves writing up tickets to people but they will crackdown on drunk drivers. Drunk driving is also a pet peeve of mine. 

If you plan on drinking, either walk from your room to the bar or drink locally. Arrange for a ride to pick you up or see if a friend can give you crash space. Call a cab if you’re drunk. Anything is better than the alternative and I know people who get pulled over by the police or crash their car and regret it.

Health! I know people who burn out pretty quickly at the con. They tend to not sleep or don’t drink enough water and they end up crashing hard with no energy after two days. You’re going to be around thousands of other people who will be carrying germs from their hometowns to the convention. In other words…take care of yourself dummy!

Drink water regularly and try to get some rest. While it might seem lame taking a break while at Gen Con you should listen to your body. Make sure you pack snacks if you’re going to events that take place during times you regularly eat, and bath regularly.  Like, seriously? Bath regularly. I hate smelling like ass at the con so I shower every morning and change clothes a lot.

I hope I was helpful to you in some way! Remember, Gen Con can be one of the best events of the year. I know I’m going to have fun so I really hope you all have as much fun as me!

SHAMELESS PLUGS

“Buy My Book!  Buy My Book!  Buy My Book!” - Jay Sherman from the Critic

….seriously, buy my book (that I worked on)

Maschine Zeit is going to be on sale at the con!  It’s a Science Fiction/Horror RPG set in abandoned space stations. It will be at the Indie Press Revolution booth! We will have flash drives, copies of the book, and other swag. While there I also recommend games like 3:16 or SHOCK! Try something different, gamers!

WoD: Mirrors will be at the White Wolf booth. I’ve heard so many great things about this book that I am crazy mad that I can’t find it locally. Chuck Wendig pretty much convinced me if I don’t buy this book my head will explode and ever since then I’ve had migraines. Would it satiate you Chuck if I say the magic phrase, “My beard is so fat I wanna do laser?”

Want to buy some great art? Check out Chris Dunn’s art booth in the Artist Gallery! He’s amazing and has done great pieces featuring famous movie monsters as well as character portraits. Make sure to stop by and see what he’s got!

Have something at Gen Con and want to share it with the world? Leave a comment and I’ll make sure to post it here! I’m a giving sort of person.

See you in Indy! 

 Boston.  Wow.  Boston.  You are a hell of a city and you know how to have a great convention!  The title of thispost is just an amusing line I kept repeating while there, since my Boston accent is terrible and that’s all I can say.

This year was the first year for PAX East 2010.

WIL WHEATON
The man is a class act, and he gave one hell of an opening speech that I personally related to in a lot of ways.  Here is a video someone posted on Youtube of the keynote address he gave.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSLDfAgbOh4

His speech was centered around how gaming in all its forms has been helpful to so many people and that gamers are not the antisocial outcasts that people believe we are. He told us about the time he received Dungeons and Dragons for Christmas one year, and how reading the books helped him develop his imagination.  He spoke about how some of the closest friendships he’s had in his life were created through gaming with others, and how it’s possible for someone to have a successful career and still log 72 hours into Dragon Age: Origins.

At one point he even used the phrase while speaking to my friend Ana “I’m going to have the DM rule on this one, and in the meantime I shift one segment away.”  He is just that awesome, especially with all the geeky quotes he’d utter during his opening address.

I plan on going into this in more detail at some other point, but I want to make this abundantly clear:  As much as people might mock me for who I am and how I like to spend my free time, it’s no weirder than your hobbies.

He was nice, full of energy, and I never saw him be rude to a fan.  He would pose with people in their pictures and he signed a book I bought from him.  You rule, dude.  You’ll never see this but you rule.

SUBWAYS

This confused a lot of people, but I have never been on a subway in my life.  Yes, it is possible to go that long without stepping foot on a subway.  No, there aren’t subways in Indianapolis.  Yes, I was born to do the hand jive (but that’s another story.)

Subways were interesting!  I couldn’t help but stare at everything.  I was doing the logistics in my head on how they carved the tunnels underneath Boston and how many people the subways could hold.  I also liked the odd things about the subway, like how graffiti would make it to the ceilings of the terminals or how they posted posters and ads on the inside of the tunnels for you to look at as the cars ran along.

FOOD
So while in Boston you would have thought I had traditional Boston cuisine, right?  I mean, I stopped by one place on Thursday night with Ana and Ari and had some sandwiches there, but certainly I tried other food while in Boston, right?  WRONG!

There was just no time to leave the convention center for anything other than mall food.  I would have loved to have had seafood or visited one of the old style taverns that Dereke and Bethany visited, but in order to maximize my enjoyment of the con I had to stay close to the Providence Center.  :/

I did get free food however, at Panda Express.  When we arrived on Thursday the manager of Panda Express talked to me at length while I waited in line for food.  He asked me how many people were going to show up and when gamers liked to eat.  I mentioned how we liked to show up late and would probably be looking for food late at night.  When I was hunting for food Friday night around 10 I ended up at the food court where every place was closed…but Panda Express!  The manager apparently based his decision to stay open late on my response and gave me my drink and eggrolls for free! :D  Woo!  He was really cheery and the entire food court was gorging themselves on orange chicken.

Side note:  I have diverticulitis, and I ate a sesame seed bagel because it was the only thing I could find Saturday night to eat.  The Au Bon Pain was closing and it was the only thing left that didn’t look like it was made with eggs and had sat out for the day.  Unfortunately, the sesame seed bagel nearly killed me and I’m still in pain from it!

PANELS

I was not fond of the lines.  Have I said that enough?  I know, this is me bitching and complaining about something that was bound to happen.  I’m just not fond of waiting in line for three hours only to be turned away at the door because it got too full.  This happened to me once for a panel and I showed up late to David and Filamena’s “Design an RPG in an Hour” panel and it was already full.  Sadness. :/

Course, there were 50,000 attendess at the con so that was to be expected. :P  Like I said, I’m whiney.

My favorite panel had to be the Friday night panel where I sat in line for an hour just to be told that the filmmakers didn’t bother to show up to the con and that the DVD they sent ahead of them wouldn’t play on the projector.  Sensing that there would be disappointed people, Gabe from Penny Arcade made a surprise appearance and talked about his campaign for over an hour.  It was awesome, since he’s new to running a campaign and yet he’s come up with several ingenius ways to keep his players involved, such as making laser puzzle traps in real life for them to figure out.

This comic actually is inspired by some things he said at the panel:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/3/29/

My second favorite panel was the PVP panel with Scott Kurtz.  He showed up drunk and was absolutely hilarious.  He went for an extra hour and had the audience rolling.  I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe!  I salute you Mr. Kurtz! *salutes*

PEOPLE

Besides traveling out there with my totally awesome roommates Dereke and Bethany, who were great and we had lots of fun traveling around the city and were amusing with our weird antics, I also got to meet up with David, Filamena, Ana, and Ari while out there.  It was great seeing all of you!  It was embarrassing spilling Indian food in my lap while with David and Filamena but we laughed it off. Seriously though, that food was brown when it hit my lap but dried bright yellow.

Ana and Ari showed us around parts of Boston and warned us about the Fairy store.  Thanks for the help!

MASCHINE ZEIT

Are you all familiar with David and Filamena Hill?  You should be!  It’s not just because I’m putting the finishing touches on something for them, but they came up with a pretty nifty RPG that you should all play.  Maschine Zeit, a game of scifi horror, was thrilling everyone who came by to play in the demos they ran.  I played in two games myself, and I think it’s simple yet pretty satisfying game system.  I don’t think there was a single person who walked away from the table going “Hmm, yeah, that sucked.”  Instead, I saw a couple of people who were getting excited about their character’s actions and really got into the spirit of the game!  I will let you know when it’s ready to be purchased!

David and Filamena also ended up on some blogs that you may read, so check them out!

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/99471-Scoop-An-Investigative-Reporter-RPG-With-Dinosaurs

http://kotaku.com/5503107/pax-east-creates-a-game-of-cold+blooded-journalism

PROS

1. Boston had so much history!  Bunker Hill and the USS Constitution were great!  I loved seeing the different architectural styles throughout the city, and everything was great to absorb. :)  I even got to ride on a Subway, which is a big deal for someone from the Midwest.
2. The every nice Enforcers who found my phone after I lost it and returned it to me.  I even wrote a nice email to the Penny Arcade guys talking about how great the Red Shirts were.  Seriously, they answered my questions and were never rude to me.
3. PAX was just without a doubt one of the funnest conventions I’ve been to in a while.  There was so much to do, and even though it didn’t seem like there were that many panels to attend there was something going at almost all hours.
4. Tycho and Gabe were class acts the entire way!  I saw them in the hall and they were pleasant to their fans.  You guys rule!
5. Jump In The Line Games were a great way to pass (and waste!) time while waiting in the God forsaken lines that made up the con.  I loved the Messy Board!

CONS (Not conventions this time)

1. BOSTON BEING NAMBY PAMBY AND GOING TO BED AT 10!!!  The entire city shuts down by 10 PM, so if you want to find food you are boned.  Dereke and I couldn’t find an all night diner to save our life and with the exception of a seedy bowling alley nearby, every place seemed to close early.  Not impressed, Boston.  Guess we party harder in the Midwest!
2. Drunk chick at bar who kept humping me and broke her martini glass on the table.  When she went to the bar to get more booze, the waiter came by with her credit card and gave it to me thinking I was her husband.  I then had to find her to give her back her card, which wasted more of my time. “Why didn’t you just tell the waiter to keep the card?”  Because he could not understand me and just nodded his head and walked off.
3. The heel of my shoe broke and cut up the back of my right ankle to a bloody pulp.  Owch.
4. Lines.  Lines.  LINES!!!  I am so not a fan of lines!  I understand they are necessary and the PA Enforcers did their best to make it pleasant as possible, but the lines sucked ass.
5. Taxi drivers act like they are reinacting the Pod Races while in Boston.  Holy crap I thought I was going to die as he barreled down a one-way street from the wrong direction.

The WYRD
1.  Scott Kurtz and Kris Straub singing “Wild Wild West.”  They were singing Wild Wild West perfectly and in harmony.  Clearly, they’ve practiced it before.  They were also doing this at their booth when no one was around, but it was still amazing!
2.  The Spy from Team Fortress 2 was there and I think he was on a mission to kill Wil Wheaton!  He even assumed his face!
3.  Dereke was totally a fan girl for the Penny Arcade staff.  He knew who EVERYONE was!  He even knew their business manager’s name!
4.  Dereke totally looked cooler than me in his hat and got several compliments on it.  Even a homeless guy wanted to steal it! (There, don’t slit my throat when I sleep Dereke!)
5.  I was able to function after 38 hours with no sleep. o_o

SWAG
I couldn’t take that much with me this year since I flew to Boston but I had a respectable haul.  Spent about a hundred bucks or so and mainly at the indie RPG booth.

1. 3:16, a RPG about playing a group of Space Marines on a mission to kill everything in the universe.  It seems hilarious!
2. Shock: Human Contact, a game about traveling to alien planets and trying to influence societies and change them throughout the course of the campaign.  It’s interstellar colonialism and it appeals to the scifi nut inside of me.
3. PVP Vol. 7, signed by Scott Kurtz.  It has a picture of Scratch Fury drawn on the inside cover!
4. I got one of the PAX 2010 scarves and shrit before they sold out!  I also bought the “John Gabriel’s Internet Dickwad Theory” shirt!
5. Souvenirs for the family!  Jack got a lobster toy, Ben got a pen, Caroline got chocolates, Tina got a Harvard shirt, and Mom got a funny lobster shirt!