Gencon 2023: Fewer Pathfinder tables?

I was disappointed to not be able to get tickets for the special events. But when I got to Gencon it was clear why: the Pathfinder presence seems to have shrunk considerably since the days of 1e. Where once we had all of Sagamore ballroom, now we have shrunk down to 1/3 of it or less.

Does anyone know the reason for the decline? Is 2e less popular?

I was disappointed to not be able to get tickets for the special events. But when I got to Gencon it was clear why: the Pathfinder presence seems to have shrunk considerably since the days of 1e. Where once we had all of Sagamore ballroom, now we have shrunk down to 1/3 of it or less.

Does anyone know the reason for the decline? Is 2e less popular?

This might provide some information.

I was disappointed to not be able to get tickets for the special events. But when I got to Gencon it was clear why: the Pathfinder presence seems to have shrunk considerably since the days of 1e. Where once we had all of Sagamore ballroom, now we have shrunk down to 1/3 of it or less.

Does anyone know the reason for the decline? Is 2e less popular?

We did have more tables this year than last year, so that’s a bonus. But, for every table we have, we need a GM. Imagine how the room would have looked if we had the entire Sagamore, but most of the tables had no GMs. There is a lot of player demand, but without GMs, we don’t have a table for them.

And as I believe that Paizo pays for that space, they have to make some guesses as to how much of the room will actually be used - I mean, they don’t want to throw money away.

I hope the increased demand this year would mean we can get a little bit of the Sagamore back next year, and a little more the year after, etc. That’s my hope, at any rate.

Many of the judges who used to come to Gen Con have moved to Gen Con Online.

Please note: 'all of Sagamore Ballroom' does not strike my memory as accurate. I remember it as 'all of Sagamore ballroom, shared with the D&D tables'.

Many of the judges who used to come to Gen Con have moved to Gen Con Online.

Please note: 'all of Sagamore Ballroom' does not strike my memory as accurate. I remember it as 'all of Sagamore ballroom, shared with the D&D tables'.

No, “all of Sagamore Ballroom” is correct, at least for the last 8 or 9 years (edit: up until and including 2019).

This is all anecdotal, but I think the first year I GMed for PFS at Gen Con was 2014, and as I recall we had the entire Sag that year (I played the year before, and we were in a different, and much smaller, room.). But in 2014, I don’t recall sharing the space with any D&D tables.

But notably, not last year.

But notably, not last year.

Correct - we had the same space (or at least the same amount) that we had last year, we just had a few more tables this year.

Strange that we had enough DMs to fit the entire space in 2019 and now they are all gone. Its doubly weird given that the overall attendance in 2022 was higher than even 2019.

Did something change in the way that DMs are compensated?

Two things are true:
- Last year we had fewer GMs than we had tables. This year we had more GMs than tables in some slots, but still not enough to fill the entire 7 bays of the ballroom.
- Paizo doesn't solely determine how much of the room we get.

Did something change in the way that DMs are compensated?

Yeah, their risk of dying went up and the opportunity to game virtually opened up.

Strange that we had enough DMs to fit the entire space in 2019 and now they are all gone. Its doubly weird given that the overall attendance in 2022 was higher than even 2019.

Gee, can't imagine what might have changed between 2019 and now....

I'm sure I'm not the only one that previously did a full slate of GM slots, but now doesn't feel safe attending a massive con with a practically non-existent covid policy, in a state that has demonstrated itself to be pretty bad at public health in recent years, not to mention the risks associated with travel to get there.

Is 2e less popular? Heck no. It has sold out multiple times in the last year. I'll admit that I also stayed away due to pandemic cautiousness, though hope to return to GenCon in person this coming year. So there'll be at least one more GM in 2024.

Danbala wrote:

Strange that we had enough DMs to fit the entire space in 2019 and now they are all gone. Its doubly weird given that the overall attendance in 2022 was higher than even 2019.

Gee, can't imagine what might have changed between 2019 and now....

Snarky response but you miss the point. The overall attendance is up notwithstanding covid. Is there some reason to believe that Pathfinder GMs are more concerned about covid than other gamers? If not, that should not be a factor.

They also just might be more interested in virtual cons over in-person events than other gamers.

There is the matter linked above as one concern.

There are also other considerations for someone who might travel to and spend a significant amount of money, some of which will end up in the State that is holding the Convention's coffers...

One is an utter lack of respect for the bodily autonomy of a significant portion of the population over a series of topics.

Another is an inability to control the factors of the above linked concern by Some Yahoo for not just the Convention Center but the entirety of the eating area available for convention-goers.

Another is a concern for personal safety as someone whose body does not 'quite' conform to a 'normal' perspective, there was the potential possibility of being assaulted while en route to an in-person convention.

With the above stated, I do not fault Paizo (or even GenCon) for being contractually locked and unable to mitigate that contractual obligation.

However, as an extension of the above, since GenCon Indy would be putting money into the State coffers via tax receipts, I did not feel comfortable supporting a state that views people like myself, as well as other members of the gaming community as lesser individuals.

Therefore I did not volunteer for GenCon Online, either.

I am looking forwards, however, to SkalCon in the Twin Cities at the end of September.

May your day be productive and positive.

Alright, I think the OP has gotten the answer to their question, so let's call this topic good. Thanks, all!