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We have a new idea for what I think would be an awesome tournament/con/hobby weekend and we wanted community feedback.

As you all know, we here at Frontline Gaming are really big on the social aspect of gaming. We believe that tournaments are really just an excuse to come and play fun games with friends and maybe scratch that competitive itch a bit! We also like to have a lot of fun outside of the game, too. As a result, we have gotten involved with or thrown multiple events of GT size in and around California and the West Coast. The Bay Area Open, Comikaze, KingdomCon and the upcoming DuelCon are some examples of the events we’ve put on/are putting on. The feedback we’ve gotten has been pretty much universally positive as well, and a lot of folks come to our events based on the fact we’re running them alone.

In other words, people have fun at our events! That is the goal.

So, we’ve been brainstorming some ideas on ways to take these Tournaments/Hobby Weekends to the next level and one idea we’ve had is to make the events family/spouse/non-gamer friend inclusive. We understand that it is tough for a lot of folks to get away from family, work and such to have a weekend of fun. We also understand that not everyone that is affected by your gaming weekends thinks the idea of pushing toy soldiers around a table all weekend sounds all that great in the first place.

In comes the compromise! We have been in negotiations with a Resort located on a river in the desert (the exact location is being withheld for the time being) in a really beautiful area. We have gotten some outstanding rates on rooms (under $40 a night for a double in a twin tower facility) and the setting is excellent. Sunny, beautiful weather, river, pool, CASINOS, bars, restaurants, dancing, hiking, you name it. This means that the entire family can come, or your significant other, or just your buddies that aren’t into gaming and everyone can have a great time. It also means they can come and it won’t break the bank!

The tournament itself would be what you all have come to expect from us. Simple, fun, and straightforward with your fate in your hands. We rewards all aspects of the hobby on their terms.

So what do you guys think? A weekend at a resort with a great tournament format, fun for everyone and VERY affordable. Sound good? The only downside is that it is a little out of the way. From the nearest airport it is about an hour drive.

Let us know what you guys think. If this is something the community will get behind, we’ll start getting the ball rolling on it. I think this could be an awesome weekend and combination of gaming goodness, nightlife, and family fun.

you should start Vegas GT reboot

This is going to be a lot like Vegas, but WAAAY cheaper.

Factors I consider for GT's.

1. Format (I think you guys have this covered)
2. Logistics
a. Require flying?
i. If so then how much will travel cost to venue?
b. Driving an option?
i. is flying cheaper than gas and time savor?
3. Time off
a. Will it require that I take off a day for travel and recovery?
4. Cost
a. Does 3 days of gaming, travel time, time off and hall pass from wife and baby < $300-$400?

Usual costs.
$30-$80 Event Ticket
$60-$120 X2 nights for Hotel (Split if shared)
$30-$60 per day for food and drink
$100 6-10 hours of driving with two tank fills
or
$120-$300 for flight

Average spend $200-$400.

Places i usually go to GT's for being San Diego Based.

1. L.A. Area
Drive time is short and only require's one hotel stay can usually get away with spending less than $150-$200
2. Phoenix Area
Have family there to mitigate the cost about the same $150-$200
3. Bay Area
6-8 hours of driving crashed with friends had to take extra time off for travel $250-$300

So i guess my compromise is more of a time factor, I'd rather pay a bit more for convenience than pay less for time lost traveling.

I like to be able to drive as I can haul my gear.

Big events on the west coast only happen in L.A., Bay Area and Seattle so in order to get a big draw has to be a middle point.

So if the venue you propose can offer me 3 days of gaming for less than $300 for all combined expenses with minimal travel and fatigue time I'm in.

My wife has no interest in tagging along since she know's that my attention is divided and bringing more family compounds the cost.

I'm eager to hear about the possible location.

Well, as stated in the first post, we got GREAT rates on the rooms. This is a resort, so they are nice, and rooms are going for under $40 a night. Also, food and drinks would be pretty damn reasonable unless you opted to eat at a sit down establishment every night.

You can drive there from most places in Cali, Nevada or Arizona in a reasonable amount of time.

This will be a very affordable event in a beautiful location.

One of the things we were considering is having the tournament rounds in the morning only so that everyone has time to do other enjoyable activities/spend time with family and friends in the afternoons and evenings.

The feedback we've gotten from other sources has been super positive.

Then I'm sold?

just depends on the date

Awesome!

Yeah we think this could be a great opportunity to have not just a tournament but a family and friends weekend, too.

Would really depend on the date for me, travel wouldn't be too much of an issue, the idea sounds pretty awesome, the resort part would be an easy sell for the family.

Yeah, and with a spa, and beach on the river, it could be a really nice weekend for everyone.

We were thinking middle of summer may be a bit rough as it competes with some big events, and it gets awfully hot in the desert. Fall or Spring might be the best bet.

Sounds Awesome! I'm in with or without the family.

Ummm... does that sound bad? I love my family, really, I do.

Any chance it could be a 3 Day weekend? 2 games a day and the rest of the time hanging with family and/or friends from the Tournament. Maybe have some fun BBQ Mixers at night or something. You know spread things out a bit so we would actually have a breather between games and such? Just a thought. I think it could be pretty cool having only 2 rounds that are 3 hours each a day and be a bit more social the rest of the day/nights.

Another thing to keep in mind, some family members are a bit "needy" and a 3 rounds a day Event might get to be tough with Wives and Kids bugging Players all through their third round of the day.

"DADDY ARE YOU DONE YET?"... so on

Dugg wrote:Another thing to keep in mind, some family members are a bit "needy" and a 3 rounds a day Event might get to be tough with Wives and Kids bugging Players all through their third round of the day.

"DADDY ARE YOU DONE YET?"... so on

I'd be interested, however Doug makes a very good point... The main reason I can only do 2-3 tournaments a year is because of the family. Bringing them with me could be a huge plus to allow me to attend more of them, but could also serve as a huge distraction.

However, an affordable resort that had activities and stuff for the family to do while I was off gaming would be something I would totally be interested in.

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Two rounds a day was what we were considering. Start around 9, get done by 3, and have the rest of the day to relax.

It sounds like an overall positive reaction from every place we've asked so I will gather more data, get pictures, etc. and start looming at getting the ball rolling.

Reecius wrote:Thanks for the feedback, guys. Two rounds a day was what we were considering. Start around 9, get done by 3, and have the rest of the day to relax.

It sounds like an overall positive reaction from every place we've asked so I will gather more data, get pictures, etc. and start looming at getting the ball rolling.

That sounds really good to me! I would assume you'll be doing the standard con style you run for the BAO with warmahordes, narratives etc would you be lengthening those too or just the 40k and Fantasy sides of the event? I am a big fan of this already.

Reecius wrote:The only downside is that it is a little out of the way. From the nearest airport it is about an hour drive.

If you could set up some sort of mass transit or shuttle from the airport, then this would help alleviate the costs also. If not, then people who fly in will have to rent a car and the cost will go back up.

The real question though... whose family wants to hang out at a resort with a bunch of nerds???

I can see it working out especially if the "Resort" can arrange a discount on the spa.

I know you are getting a discount on the room already, but Casinos comp things left and right, so it could be done.

I am pretty sure we all know where Reece is talking about without him saying it, so I will put this out there as well. It needs to be a little earlier in the year. May at the latest.

Mosquitoes on the river get hellacious and would ruin chances of a repeat visit from people with wimpy wives and babies (ME!)

Ensuring I can keep my wife busy through the afternoon along with getting there before the heat and mosquitoes is a pure win of an idea.

I am not sure which resort we are talking about, but most "resorts" in that neighborhood have a free shuttle from that airport.

Also, and I know you guys are already jam packed with stuff going on, a learning event or game for the spouses / friends could also entice people further. I know this is a major burden, so take it for what it's worth, but a local game store / partner could host it to help sell product and would lighten your load. The upside to that is, if it works, you have sales for your partner and a potential new tournament goer for future events.

With that in mind, and with the idea of limited games, I would suggest formatting it similar to an event like the Broadside Bash or something. Where Duel Con and the BAO focus on a more competitive environment, this could be a softer event that favors the game and the hobby, and this is coming from a guy that got boned by a painting score in one of your events. I can appreciate the time and place for such events and this seems like one. Starting earlier and finishing earlier isn't a horrible idea, but its rough when you are drinking... lol


*Edit*
Actually, I missed the part about the airport being an hour away. I have no idea where Reece is talking about now, but everything else still makes sense. lol

Please say it's not Laughlin. Otherwise for a tournament that is family friendly with location and schedule.

Dugg wrote:Another thing to keep in mind, some family members are a bit "needy" and a 3 rounds a day Event might get to be tough with Wives and Kids bugging Players all through their third round of the day.

"DADDY ARE YOU DONE YET?"... so on

It's an interesting idea, and Dugg hits what would be the snag for me. If my wife and I went to a resort for a weekend, she wouldn't want to be stuck hanging out by the pool / etc while I played with my toy soldiers!

However, a 2-rounds-a-day format would make it possible to do both... an interesting idea.

In my specific case, I know that being in a city or by a beach- basically somewhere where my spouse could go to have a good time while I was gaming for 5-6 hours (or however long 2 rounds takes) would be crucial. So I'm not sure what being in a desert, even at a resort in a desert, would necessarily mean for that.

I wish I was on the same coast as you, in which case I'd be seriously considering any event like this . I don't know how widespread that feeling is, or how many events could truly be "spouse friendly" as most are anything but, even if they try to be. But, I think it's a cool idea, if the emphasis truly is on being a hybrid weekend (tourney, and time to spend with the fam). That would mean no more than 6 hours of gaming per day, I think, and thus only 2 rounds... unless the point levels were really low, of course.

BladeWalker wrote:Please say it's not Laughlin. Otherwise for a tournament that is family friendly with location and schedule.

I couldn't help but think that Laughlin is where he is referring I am probably wrong though. Not thta bad I mean not a great lot to do up there Lived there a year and a half but some good touristy areas I suppose.

One thing that I'd love to see at your event would be an Adepticon style team tournament. Traveling to Chicago was cost prohibitive to me due to being unemployed so I missed out on the festivities this year.

I already cant wait! I want this to happens! My wife would be so down for a spa and just to relax. Seems like a big win win to me guys, plus the early game time would really make the weekend seem more like a mini vaccation. (easier to sell to the wife) when do we get info?

Hey guys, thanks again for the feedback, it helps us a ton to decide if something like this is worth the financial risk on our part.

It isn't laughlin and I am 99% sure Mosquitoes won't be an issue. It's actually possible to take a day trip to the Grand Canyon from the location.

We would for sure look into setting up a Shuttle to save you guys money, no doubt. That is an excellent idea.

Having a softer tournament structure isn't a bad idea at all. This tournament wouldn't so much be about smashing everyone as enjoying the community and having fun. We like sticking with our tried and true format as people know what to expect, but that is definitely something to consider.

An intro course or even a hobby course in the mornings to show spouses/children/friends why the hobby is so awesome is a great idea! That could really go a long way to helping to grow the community or at least help significant others to understand why we do what we do.

I have not had a chance to talk to our contact about Spa discounts, but I am sure that could happen. Considering we will be dropping plenty of dough on drinks and gambling, I think it could be a viable bargaining chip for us. Hell, I wouldn't mind getting a free/cheap massage! hahaha

We would definitely have GW and Warmahordes. A narrative event too, most likely, as the one we had at the BAO was really well received.

The river has a beach, i've been told, which means fun for kids and moms/GFs/etc. Getting done at a reasonable hour means we would all have time to enjoy that stuff, too! I love to hike personally, so getting out in the sunshine after some games would really be awesome.

This is a good idea but isn't part of the attraction of big events to actually get away from the significant other/family/dog/cat/whatever and just play games and shoot the breeze ver a few (allot!) of beers?

You seem t have so many attractions there could be distractions i.e. drop outs, once the standings start to establish themselves. And never under estimate the power of GF/Mrs/kids to nag their men away from "playing soldiers".

As I say a good idea but there may be a balance to be struck.

You make good points. However, we run about 4 major events locally, and besides us, there are another 4 good, big events in our geographic area every year. So, this would be another event to go to where the family could also go.

If this were our only event, it would be a lot different, but this is trying to be a really unique experience.

Really interesting idea. But given the logistics, I'd need significant notice (read as "greater than 3 months") to get the appropriate arrangements in place. A quick weekend drive down to LA is easy to arrange; getting vacation time for both my wife & myself, plus flights, is quite a bit more difficult.

You need to have evening non-40k activities, even if it's just an open room w/some board games.

I agree. We were thinking open gaming, mixers, board games, etc.

And yes, there would be a very long lead time to allow everyone the time they need to get things organized.

IMO, I just want a CON in the Nevada area. With the retirement of NeonCon, there is a void to fill for me,. Hahahaha!

Yeah, we are looking to fill the Vegas void as it is such an obviously awesome place to hold an event.

The only problem I can see is that they guys on our team party a lot and Vegas may not be our best showing from a logistical perspective! hahaha

OK, so I just got done talking to my contact.

We could get the last weekend of July for this (2013, not this year) which put it a month away from NOVA, 6 weeks from WargamesCon and 4 weeks from ATC.

And, there are no competing West Coast events.

What do you guys think about that time frame?

Good time frame. Summer so easy to take kids/vacations. No major sporting events (like bowl weekend). On thing I would add as a frequent player, get everyones zip code when they register. The last 3 tournaments (two of which were over 5 hours away) I played the guy I drove with once and another friend in the first round. I hate driving and playing a local guy. Just my pet peeve.

Thanks for the feedback, and yeah, I agree, nothing sucks more than playing a buddy you drove out with! We ensure that friends don't play each other turn 1 in a competitive event, in an event like this which is more laid back, we could be sure friends do not play each other.