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GenCon Post Mortem
Aug. 16th, 2009 05:13 pmIn Cleveland. Matt and Heather went out for a nice dinner together and dropped the kids off with their grandparents, so it's just me holding down the fort. I'm running a lot closer to the vest than I'm comfortable with for funds (shakes fist at that last book she bought at GenCon) but it was a good time and I have enough to get home. It does mean that instead of ordering out tonight, I'm rummaging through their refrigerator and pantry a bit. I don't think they mind, though.
So. The con. It was... awesome. And amazing. And completely overwhelming. And left me feeling a bit out of my depth. The thing I discovered is that I miss the industry. I miss being someone to talk to there. So much of my feeling of connection with the group as a whole has vanished over the last few years... I'm not out completely, but I'm not altogether in anymore either, you know? I saw friends I haven't seen in years -- sometimes we got to talk, sometimes we only said a few words and hugged each other in passing. Being there only two days was hard in that respect, especially since I was accommodating someone else's schedule as well. This was not a bad thing. I did some gaming and met new people and in general got to spend a lot of time with someone whose company I greatly enjoy. Like everything in life, though, it's a trade-off, and the trade-off was that my time was not my own in the way I'd grown accustomed to it being at cons, and so there are other people whose time I greatly enjoy that I didn't get to see more than in passing. I think that next year I have to go for longer -- and yes, I do want there to be a next year. That much is certain. These people are important to me and I need to not let that slide again.
Got to watch a game of Promethean that Matt ran. Got to play a game of Weapons of the Gods finally. I was slow to catch on to the dice system, but I got there eventually. I thought the game was pretty fun. The downside was by that point I was tired and feeling overwhelmed, had not enough caffeine, and the noise and constant milling of crowds and the echoes whenever someone shouted or slammed books or rolled dice in the various gaming rooms were just too much. It caught me off guard -- again, normally I manage it better than that. I've learned to deal with the exhibit hall over the years -- the booths block lines of sight and noise somewhat which helps keep things at the level of white noise (except for the damned PA system), and while it wears me out being there, it doesn't overwhelm me on its own -- but the streets and the restaurants and the hallways and the walkways and the gaming rooms and the well-meaning but loud gamers altogether, combined with me not remembering to schedule a break midday to get away to a calm, quiet place... argh.
By the time I was gaming Saturday afternoon, I was not quite a basket case but close. I found ways to manage it later, but not before it became noticable that I was having problems. I also (not really jokingly) threatened to smack a friend when he tried to scritch my head without warning. That was awkward and I feel bad about it, especially since that was also the last time I'll see them this trip. It was just bad timing. It just tromped all on the top of my already overworked threat response, though, and since I was already in a corner, the meter tripped directly to "fight." I didn't actually do anything, I just gave him a warning, but I feel bad even that I did that. It's not a reaction that makes me happy.
On the other hand, though, got lots of positive comments from people I hadn't seen in a long time, and did get to catch up a bit with a few. Forgot the number of one friend and never did call him (sorry Jim!) and managed to find the number of another Saturday afternoon, when I finally managed to get free wifi that worked. Got hit on by at least two gamers, which was a nice ego boost. Got hit on by a homeless person, which was a bit less so, though there was some amusement value there.
Things I bought:
-- Conspiracy X, 1st edition. I have second, but there's something about first I just really enjoyed, wonky bits and all.
-- HEX: Mysteries of the Hollow Earth and HEX: Secrets of the Surface World. I just like HEX, and it's a fun game and I have no objection to collecting stuff for it, especially since it is run by awesome people. I really need to remember to get a set of Ubiquity dice, though.
-- Slipstream. This is a "pulp science ficion Plot Point(tm) setting" for Savage Worlds. I've been tempted by the Solomon Kane books for a while, but I ended up with this one instead. Evidently the current love for pulp is strong with me right now. I've wanted a setting for Savage Worlds for a while now. I'm looking forward to reading it.
-- Fan Fiction and Fan Communities in the Age of the Internet. This is a collection of critical essays discussing what fan fiction is, how it works, why it works, what the experience is, etc. It plays around the edges of some ideas I've had that interest me regarding literary criticism and the internet. It isn't the same topics exactly, of course, but it's somewhat related -- enough for me to start with. It's more of an academic book but that's precisely what I'm wanting. I feel very grad student now. :)
Things to remember for next year:
--More than one night. Must spend more than one night.
--Schedule a break during the day. At least one hour midday must be spent either in a quiet restaurant having food or in my hotel room, ESPCIALLY if I'm gaming. Budget accordingly.
--Remember to charge my phone PRIOR to arrival. Stupid Michelle.
--Leave time for random encounters. These are important and will occur.
--Try to be employed and save money beforehand, even if it's just $20 a week. If one is employed and taking lunches to work, this should be doable.
I had a great time. I will go back next year. I hope everyone who went has a similarly positive story to tell. :)
So. The con. It was... awesome. And amazing. And completely overwhelming. And left me feeling a bit out of my depth. The thing I discovered is that I miss the industry. I miss being someone to talk to there. So much of my feeling of connection with the group as a whole has vanished over the last few years... I'm not out completely, but I'm not altogether in anymore either, you know? I saw friends I haven't seen in years -- sometimes we got to talk, sometimes we only said a few words and hugged each other in passing. Being there only two days was hard in that respect, especially since I was accommodating someone else's schedule as well. This was not a bad thing. I did some gaming and met new people and in general got to spend a lot of time with someone whose company I greatly enjoy. Like everything in life, though, it's a trade-off, and the trade-off was that my time was not my own in the way I'd grown accustomed to it being at cons, and so there are other people whose time I greatly enjoy that I didn't get to see more than in passing. I think that next year I have to go for longer -- and yes, I do want there to be a next year. That much is certain. These people are important to me and I need to not let that slide again.
Got to watch a game of Promethean that Matt ran. Got to play a game of Weapons of the Gods finally. I was slow to catch on to the dice system, but I got there eventually. I thought the game was pretty fun. The downside was by that point I was tired and feeling overwhelmed, had not enough caffeine, and the noise and constant milling of crowds and the echoes whenever someone shouted or slammed books or rolled dice in the various gaming rooms were just too much. It caught me off guard -- again, normally I manage it better than that. I've learned to deal with the exhibit hall over the years -- the booths block lines of sight and noise somewhat which helps keep things at the level of white noise (except for the damned PA system), and while it wears me out being there, it doesn't overwhelm me on its own -- but the streets and the restaurants and the hallways and the walkways and the gaming rooms and the well-meaning but loud gamers altogether, combined with me not remembering to schedule a break midday to get away to a calm, quiet place... argh.
By the time I was gaming Saturday afternoon, I was not quite a basket case but close. I found ways to manage it later, but not before it became noticable that I was having problems. I also (not really jokingly) threatened to smack a friend when he tried to scritch my head without warning. That was awkward and I feel bad about it, especially since that was also the last time I'll see them this trip. It was just bad timing. It just tromped all on the top of my already overworked threat response, though, and since I was already in a corner, the meter tripped directly to "fight." I didn't actually do anything, I just gave him a warning, but I feel bad even that I did that. It's not a reaction that makes me happy.
On the other hand, though, got lots of positive comments from people I hadn't seen in a long time, and did get to catch up a bit with a few. Forgot the number of one friend and never did call him (sorry Jim!) and managed to find the number of another Saturday afternoon, when I finally managed to get free wifi that worked. Got hit on by at least two gamers, which was a nice ego boost. Got hit on by a homeless person, which was a bit less so, though there was some amusement value there.
Things I bought:
-- Conspiracy X, 1st edition. I have second, but there's something about first I just really enjoyed, wonky bits and all.
-- HEX: Mysteries of the Hollow Earth and HEX: Secrets of the Surface World. I just like HEX, and it's a fun game and I have no objection to collecting stuff for it, especially since it is run by awesome people. I really need to remember to get a set of Ubiquity dice, though.
-- Slipstream. This is a "pulp science ficion Plot Point(tm) setting" for Savage Worlds. I've been tempted by the Solomon Kane books for a while, but I ended up with this one instead. Evidently the current love for pulp is strong with me right now. I've wanted a setting for Savage Worlds for a while now. I'm looking forward to reading it.
-- Fan Fiction and Fan Communities in the Age of the Internet. This is a collection of critical essays discussing what fan fiction is, how it works, why it works, what the experience is, etc. It plays around the edges of some ideas I've had that interest me regarding literary criticism and the internet. It isn't the same topics exactly, of course, but it's somewhat related -- enough for me to start with. It's more of an academic book but that's precisely what I'm wanting. I feel very grad student now. :)
Things to remember for next year:
--More than one night. Must spend more than one night.
--Schedule a break during the day. At least one hour midday must be spent either in a quiet restaurant having food or in my hotel room, ESPCIALLY if I'm gaming. Budget accordingly.
--Remember to charge my phone PRIOR to arrival. Stupid Michelle.
--Leave time for random encounters. These are important and will occur.
--Try to be employed and save money beforehand, even if it's just $20 a week. If one is employed and taking lunches to work, this should be doable.
I had a great time. I will go back next year. I hope everyone who went has a similarly positive story to tell. :)
