22.11.05
Dungeons! Dungeons! Dungeons!
Well, it was quite a convention this year. Here's the events of Gen Con 2005, the gamer's convention for all things role-playing, miniatures, and anime! No, I don't understand the Anime part either.
Day 1: I went as a lonely nerd! I got there just before 8 am and watched as hundreds filed in to their seats to play a three day marathon tournament of "VS." This game is similar to the collectible card game "Magic" except these cards are derived from a world of Marvel superheroes versus D.C. Comics superheroes. Yes, some of these players were still, mega nerds on Sunday. The Exhibits didn't open until 10 am so I hit a stand that proudly brewed Starbucks coffee and layed some footprints around the convention. I wanted to get an idea of how big the convention was for this year and how it was layed out. I stopped by an auction exhibit where old games were layed out for bidding on. There were no Cyberpunk related books, and my nerdy disappointment moved on. After checking the layout, I saw that it was now nearly 10 am and the exhibits were about to open. I headed straight in to the Wizards of the Coast exhibit to win some free games. I demo'd a game I truly loved, "Vegas Showdown". This would be my downfall on the final day. More on that later.
I demo'd the five other Wizards options and then found myself wandering around with hundreds and hundreds of nerds. People who have figured out how to use multi-colored magnetic chips with their miniatures to represent how damaged, prone, or high in the air, their character is, so that other characters will know their condition when they walk into the same area on the map. Now don't get confused, the player is in the room when all of this happens, so it shouldn't really be a surprise, but that's what I was told. Others had invented a way to beat each other with foam swords, halberds and sheilds. Don't think that's not a fun exhibit to watch. And I was surrounded by scantilly clad chicks who were brought in to get nerds to gather around other nerds displays.
I watched a table of gamers play Dungeons and Dragons at a table near the refreshment stand. I asked myself, "Why would someone pay $50 for a three day badge to play a game they can play in their kitchen?" Then I asked myself, "Why would someone pay $50 for a three day badge to watch someone play a game they can play in their kitchen?" And then I moved on.
The days events were mostly the same until that night when I entered the True Dungeon Tavern. I will write about that next.
// rambled by thehairlesscat @ 11/22/2005 09:34:00 AM 
Neutral Good characters believe in the power of good above all else. They will work to make the world a better place,
and will do whatever is necessary to bring that about, whether it goes for or against whatever is considered 'normal'.
Half-Elves are a cross between a human and an elf. They are smaller, like their elven ancestors, but have a much shorter
lifespan. They are sometimes looked down upon as half-breeds, but this is rare. They have both the curious drive of humans
and the patience of elves.
Rangers are the defenders of nature and the elements. They are in tune with the Earth, and work to keep it safe and healthy.
Find out What D&D Character Are You?, courtesy of NeppyMan!
