No PFS at Winter Fantasy?


Local Play

The Exchange

How is that possible? What happened? Other than some NeoExodus games there is no Pathfinder org play at PFS. Is it because of the relationship between Baldman Games & WotC? I'd doubt that since there was PFS here the last couple of years... Jason B. was even here a couple years ago...? Odd.

The Exchange 5/5

PFS has had a rocky history at Winter Fantasy. Last year may have been the last straw for Dave C. If anyone is looking for some nearby PFS action, Marmalade Dog in Kalamazoo is on the same weekend as Winter Fantasy. I assume you knew about it, John, and are just curious about the absence of PFS at Winter Fantasy this year.

Liberty's Edge 2/5 *

Seems a bit crazy to snub any gaming convention.

Liberty's Edge 4/5

I heard that some of the staff at WF was rude to the PFS organizers and GMs.

Mike

Liberty's Edge 4/5

They just announced that PFS is back for 2016.

Grand Lodge 4/5 *

I don't fully know the history of Winter Fantasy, I guess. I thought it originally was a convention run by WotC to showcase their own products and campaigns? I know Baldman Games took over organized play coordination for WotC. Did it expand from that point to offer other games? I attended WF once back in the Living Greyhawk years. Only WotC products and games were there at the time. Could it be they want to pull it back to showcase WotC only? Just musing. I don't know the backstage operations of that convention. I would just offer a suggestion that any non-WotC product game coordinators understand that history. It'll help in repairing any relationships and build a better working environment. David is a great guy so walk in knowing that and not approaching it as confrontational. Again, just looking in from the windows and trying to help.

Horizon Hunters 4/5 5/5 *** Venture-Lieutenant, Indiana—Indianapolis

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I'm curious as to how games are going to be scheduled. Baldman shouldn't be scheduling them, someone on the PFS side should be.

4/5

2013 was a really bad year for PFS due to various issues we don't need to elaborate on.

2014 was non-existent for PFS as well

For 2015 this is what GM's got in an email.

Pathfinder Returns to Winter Fantasy!
Card Games and Pathfinder Society Galore
Winter Fantasy is your one-stop shop for winter gaming, and we're proud to announce that Pathfinder games are back again in 2016!

With adventures for the beloved Pathfinder Society, as well as the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, Paizo fans will find a little bit of everything at the show! We'll have more details on exactly what adventures are available soon. We'll also see the launch of the Season of the Runelords campaign. Play scenarios as standalone games or join in the Adventure Card Guild Organized Play campaign.

In addition to running these events, we're working to line up some special guests for Paizo fans as well. More details will be announced soon!

I'm not sure if a local VO will be handling this or if Dave has one of his guys doing it again.


Matthew Pittard wrote:
Seems a bit crazy to snub any gaming convention.

From what I hear of last year, it was a case of Winter Fantasy snubbing PFS.

RPGA has no real love (with good reason, I suppose) of anything that competes against WOTC products, so they're not going to make much effort to accommodate Pathfinder.

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/55/5

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Maps Subscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

When I first got involved in PFS around the start of 2014, I asked for time off to attend Winter Fantasy. They had a host of PFS games posted online but when I got there, somehow magically during the 45 min drive from my place to the convention desk, all the games were either booked or were nonexistent(and I suspect they never existed at all). I walked around for 25 mins, left disgusted and went to a friends place instead, gave them my badge and said they might have better luck there than I.

I personally have no intention of going back there myself, getting Saturdays off now is like pulling teeth, and there are better conventions I'd rather pull those teeth for.


Mark Stratton wrote:
I'm curious as to how games are going to be scheduled. Baldman shouldn't be scheduling them, someone on the PFS side should be.

Tonya and I have been talking for a while now. We have some queries out to local PFS VC types and will be working with them on a schedule (to hopefully be finalized here shortly) for the show.


Drahliana Moonrunner wrote:
Matthew Pittard wrote:
Seems a bit crazy to snub any gaming convention.

From what I hear of last year, it was a case of Winter Fantasy snubbing PFS.

RPGA has no real love (with good reason, I suppose) of anything that competes against WOTC products, so they're not going to make much effort to accommodate Pathfinder.

Incorrect.

Even with our problems in 2013 (that I am not going to rehash again) the show spent thousands of dollars on PFS. If I wanted them to fail I would have saved that money and stuck them in a table in a corner and ignored them. We are actually expanding our plate of what we offer year after year trying to work back towards what the show was in the late 90's and early 2000's. Something that includes all organized play offerings across the board. To that point this year we will have D&D 5.0, PFS, Living Arcanis, and Shadow of the Demon Lord. Next year I hope to bring in Shadowrun, 13th Age, and a few others. Every single one of them will be on the exact same footing at the show. Same rules. Same benefits. Same everything. D&D may have more tables right now but that might not always be the case. D&D players know what the show offers so return year after year. Hopefully with time we build everybody else up to that same expectation.

Horizon Hunters 4/5 5/5 *** Venture-Lieutenant, Indiana—Indianapolis

David Christ wrote:
Mark Stratton wrote:
I'm curious as to how games are going to be scheduled. Baldman shouldn't be scheduling them, someone on the PFS side should be.
Tonya and I have been talking for a while now. We have some queries out to local PFS VC types and will be working with them on a schedule (to hopefully be finalized here shortly) for the show.

Hey, Dave, thanks for this reply! I'm going to try to recruit some local folks to help go up to Ft. Wayne - hopefully that will help!


Mark Stratton wrote:
David Christ wrote:
Mark Stratton wrote:
I'm curious as to how games are going to be scheduled. Baldman shouldn't be scheduling them, someone on the PFS side should be.
Tonya and I have been talking for a while now. We have some queries out to local PFS VC types and will be working with them on a schedule (to hopefully be finalized here shortly) for the show.
Hey, Dave, thanks for this reply! I'm going to try to recruit some local folks to help go up to Ft. Wayne - hopefully that will help!

Always helps and is always appreciated.

We'll have a judge sign-up form to gather information ready this Friday (tomorrow - guess I need to finish that up soon) that they can fill out. We'll then get them in touch with the PFS lead for what we are looking for and when.

1/5

Rene Ayala wrote:
I don't fully know the history of Winter Fantasy, I guess. I thought it originally was a convention run by WotC to showcase their own products and campaigns?

Winter Fantasy predates WotC owning D&D. I'm not sure when the first convention was held but it used to be held at one of the downtown Milwaukee hotels by TSR. I know I went to several of these in the early 90's back when RPGA was doing the Living City campaign. It then moved to the O'Hare airport hotel area of Chicago for a few years in the late 90's after WotC took over. There was a period when they moved it, IIRC, to the DC area before it moved to the Fort Wayne, IN area where it seems to have settled in for the long haul.

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/5

I'd like to say as a player I really enjoyed Winter Fantasy 2013 and a big thanks to both PFS and LFR gms. I understand however that several PFS gms felt badly burned by the 2013 experience and PFS wise Winter Fantasy hasn't truly recovered. Despite the best efforts of Chris Mortika In 2014

These days there are enough cons in the uk to keep me going without splashing out on a flight to the states but I may treat myself to a trip to paizocon 2017 for a significant birthday treat

Liberty's Edge 4/5 5/5

Is there a web landing for the convention itself?


Richard Webb wrote:
Is there a web landing for the convention itself?

You can find all the general updates at www.baldmangames.com

Direct link to the show is wintfan.baldmangames.com

Still working on getting winterfantasy.com transferred over to me (so much paperwork for a digital product in the digital age).

Working with Tonya, Tanis, and Bob on the exact schedule but hope to have it done and up soon (until then there is lots of D&D events listed until our next weeks big announcement with the next batch of new events)

Liberty's Edge 2/5

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
David Christ wrote:


You can find all the general updates at www.baldmangames.com

Direct link to the show is wintfan.baldmangames.com

Still working on getting winterfantasy.com transferred over to me (so much paperwork for a digital product in the digital age).

Working with Tonya, Tanis, and Bob on the exact schedule but hope to have it done and up soon (until then there is lots of D&D events listed until our next weeks big announcement with the next batch of new events)

First url converted to a hotlink HERE.

Second url converted to a hotlink HERE.

Dark Archive 4/5

This put WF back on the map for me.
Thanks Dave for pushing to get PFS back.
I whole heartily encourage people to check this con out. Friendly staff, great memories, and just an awesome place to meet new people.
-Skip

Liberty's Edge 2/5

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
John Woodford wrote:

First url converted to a hotlink HERE.

Second url converted to a hotlink HERE.

Huh--guess you have to put the "http://" ahead of the URL, or it'll try to append "paizo.com/threads/". Who knew?

Liberty's Edge 4/5

Is Jason B.going again or is that top secret? :)

Grand Lodge 4/5 5/55/5 ***

Just a reminder, less than two weeks until Winter Fantasy 2016 and there are still seats available to join us!

Liberty's Edge 4/5 *** Venture-Lieutenant, California—Los Angeles (South Bay)

Bob Jonquet wrote:
Just a reminder, less than two weeks until Winter Fantasy 2016 and there are still seats available to join us!

I will be unable to make it, but I urge those who can to do so. Bob, do you still need more volunteers?

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