Confessions of a Game-Mistress

Since GenCon is fast approaching, I’ve started gearing up for the convention gaming there. Convention gaming is its own animal, with its own rules and concepts.

What constitutes a good convention game?

1. Convention games, with certain exceptions, are one-shots. Stories are self-contained, and characters tend to be written with quick, easy-to-grasp character hooks. If you’re a campaign gamer, keep in mind that this is it, or export the characters later.

2. At home, you can select your fellow players carefully. At a convention game, generally it’s a crap-shoot, at least at first. I recommend associating with an established convention gaming group such as the RPGA to help you get a feel for convention players. You’ll also find that the core membership of such groups is relatively stable in an area, and you can find players you like more frequently.

3. Try different things! A convention is the best venue to try out new genres and systems that you may not be as familiar with. If it’s a brand-new system to you, look for a demo by the company. Many major conventions will have a number of demos run by the manufacturers of games that you’ve never even heard of! If it’s a new genre, simply dive in, and get your feet wet.

More convention tips later this week!