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Perhaps next year I'll try to start a thread with updating information so no dakkanaut gets left behind.

 Sinful Hero wrote:
reminded every one via email

Incorrect.

 Manchu wrote:

 Sinful Hero wrote:
reminded every one via email

Incorrect.

Be sure to check your gencon profile to see if you're added to the mailing list. Might check your spam folder too.

 Sinful Hero wrote:
the mailing list

It was opt-in? That's ludicrous.

*shrug* I thought it was strange as well. Not much that can be done about it now. Like I said, we may need to keep a more up to date thread next year, maybe even include guests of honor, artists, and other information such as when the event list is up.

I managed to get seats at both Secrets of Sokol Keep and Shadows on the Moonsea. I'm not sure about the 1-hour events, seems like it's just a demo. The Saturday night game, Kryptgarden, I had no chance of getting into anyway. Still, I would have easily easily paid $150 for the All-Access considering I decided to go this year, my first GenCon and probably the last one I will go to for a long, long time, for the sake of Fifth Edition.

Check often. Tickets become available all the time when people opt out for whatever reason. I managed to get true dungeon with my buddies the first year only because I hung out with them at the door, and a guy sold it to me for the price in generics. Would have been a total waste of money if he had actually spent the tickets, but fortunately for me he didn't and they were credited back to my account.

I have been checking it religiously and will certainly continue to do so.

I actually saw one come up Sunday night but I didn't know the GenCon site would not let me add a ticket to an event that overlapped with an event for which I already purchased a ticket. (The other event was also a precious, precious D&D event.) That little speed bump cost me all of ten seconds but in that single breath the All-Access ticket had already slipped through my fingers.

It was a Vader-style "NOOOOOOOOOOO" moment.

I had much the same problems you are my first year. There are quite a few nuances you have to learn the hard way.

Yeah, the experience is super unwelcoming.

In other Fifth Edition news, here's a big version of the Rise of Tiamat cover:Every time I see these covers, I like them more and more.

Tiamat is literally rising!!!

I want to give 5th a chance - but I'll wait for the reviews...

Don't worry -- you will hear plenty from me, more than you might want to even. And I pre-ordered everything except the PHB (which I would not be able to resist picking up at GenCon). So you will hear it in a timely fashion, too.

This is good news - I am looking forward to reading your thoughts and impressions!

And not just of D&D - but of Gencon too!

I've always wanted to go...maybe next year...

If you plan on picking it up on Thursday, get to the dealer hall doors by 7 or earlier. No matter what the staff does there will be a crowd at the doors until they open them. Getting there by 9 is far too late- you won't even see the books. Look at the floor plan and try to figure out which set of doors you need to set up at- stand at the wrong one and the crowd will force you forward and you'll be cut off. Think Black Friday but with thousands of gamers stampeding for the first chance at a product.

If you get a VIG badge you get access tithe dealer hall an hour or 30 minutes early, I can't remember. Usually they'll still have a limited number for them so you could potentially miss out anyway. When Netrunner released FFG told their staff to stop putting it out- it went too fast. When the hall opened for the masses this entire stock was gone in minutes. Popular products sell fast. Other horror stories circulate of other companies not savvy enough about VIGs, and all the VIGs buying ALL of their stock. Many, many people were unhappy they weren't even given the chance to buy a product because they didn't buy the $400 badge. WotC should be well versed enough that it shouldn't be an issue. Hopefully.

Personally I'm liking the covers less. Not a fan of the style.

Thank you for that advice. I hope you will consider writing a GenCon tips and tricks article for people like me. I feel like it could spare others a lot of pain when spending so much to do something like this, especially when you can only really do it once for the foreseeable future, and then it not working out because you just don't know things. I actually read a "GenCon Survival Guide" back in February to learn about what to do but the article was obviously not very good.

For example, I got my badge the day they became available but still missed out on the VIG badges. Ugh. Same thing regarding the hotel situation, which I realize was a new system for this year. Thing is, I know a lot of other people got the VIP badges and their first choice of hotels. There must be more to it than luck ... i.e., experience.

I like the covers more every time I see them. I especially like the DMG because it will certainly be the "scary purple book" that intimidates players. The little red strip/tear thingy in the lower left, where it says Dungeons and Dragons, is weird. I can't figure out what that's all about.

I know I'd appreciate something like that Manchu - for similar reasons.

When I'm finally able to go to Gencon, it will be, if not a once in a lifetime deal, a once in the next 5 to 10 years!

I was actually thinking about doing something like that. I'm trying to get settled into a new house at the moment, so all I have is my phone to browse on so it may be a while.

I've never bothered with on-site housing. It's a crime what they charge, but if you can afford the price the convenience may be worth it. We've always stayed a couple miles away, but it's a straight five-minute drive for us. I forget the name of the street we're on, but its very convenient. Also if you're stayng offsite parking goes fast. We try to get there no later than eight in the morning.

And a note about the VIG badges- if you've been before they'll send you an email about buying them early. They give "repeat customers" first dibs on VIGs. I've never really been tempted myself. You get access to a lounge, the dealer hall a little early, and a couple other perks I can't remember. I've been satisfied with my normal badge so far. Please try to have your badges shipped. Will Call on Thursday will take several hours(judging by the length of the lines we see every year). I believe they also let you pick it up Wednesday, but I assume that would be a bear as well. There are just so many people at the convention, it's quite a sight.

 Alpharius wrote:
I know I'd appreciate something like that Manchu - for similar reasons.

When I'm finally able to go to Gencon, it will be, if not a once in a lifetime deal, a once in the next 5 to 10 years!

I know this is the D&D 5th edition thread, but since this has come up.

One recommendation I would give that I learned the hard way is don't over-book yourself. I used to play HackMaster 4th edition tournaments, which would eat up most of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (we usually made the final tables). That didn't leave any time for the dealer's room, which is where the magic happens.

Now that I don't commit to so much, I can walk around, plop my happy rear-end down at a booth if a game catches my eye, and play for 20-40 minutes. If I like it, I'll buy it. If not, at least I tried something new. I can also ogle the eye-candy, chit-chat with game designers at FFG and other companies I enjoy, sit in on seminars, and so on.

I usually pick a single 1 hour or so thing to do each day, if something catches my eye (Reaper speed painting, how-to seminars, etc) and spend the rest of my time playing games with my friends.

Don't send your tickets to Will Call. DON'T DO IT! Just pay the $10 and mail it to your home. They are better now than they used to be, but it's not worth standing in line for 1 to 4 hours depending on the day to pick up your gak.

Wander by yourself, of course. But if you have someone with you, go try out a few games with them and share the experience.


I hope that helps. Don't go expecting Adepticon's dealer's room. That's like comparing a gas station to a Super WalMart. That's not a knock on Adepticon. It's just 2 different scales, is all.

Enjoy it, guys!

Edit: Some more information in Manchu's thread here from a few months back. I wouldn't mind a meet up. I regret not meeting all the dakkanaughts at Adepticon last year.

You can have a pretty good time at Gencon even if you don't play in a single registered event.

I went one year, and the dealer room alone takes pretty much a full day. There are demos and the game aucton and tons of other stuff to fill hours. I'd suggest signing up for a few things, but you need less structured gaming than you might think, especially if you are going with/meeting people there.

the guys that play 18+ hours a day, every day? They are the rare exception, and are often exactly who you'd expect...

To echo Kronk and Polonius you could make your entire trip out of the dealer hall. There's so much going on, and it gets bigger every year.

back of the starter set

Only 32 pages to get your characters up to 5th level!

Kinda disappointed at the lack of tokens. I suppose it comes with a map though.

Current Amazon price is 12.66!

that's super cheap, right?

I've spent more than that on a cocktail.

For 6 dice and 100 sheets of paper, plus maybe a map.

That is a really good price.

I mean, it's a good price to get me to try a new game.

I think I'd rather have the cocktail personally. I've never had a good experience with an RPG starter set, but maybe I'm just a bad DM.

Polonius wrote:I mean, it's a good price to get me to try a new game.

Agreed. At that price point, you can't help but try it.

Sinful Hero wrote:I think I'd rather have the cocktail personally. I've need had a good experience with an RPG starter set, but maybe I'm just a bad DM.

It's just a good way to check it out rather than paying for all the books. For $12, why not?