OK, pathfinders, let's talk about conventions... If you would, answer the following questions for me.
(1) What conventions are in your area, what size are they, and do they have gaming? You can define "your area" any way you like.
(2) What conventions are you going to this year?
There is one gaming con that I go to, otherwise there aren't many in my area.
Here in Taichung, there are no conventions. No game stores that sell English books. No place that sells minis or dice. One shop that sells MtG. I know eight people who play D&D here. English speakers are plentiful, but they don't seem to get their geek on in meatspace.
OK, pathfinders, let's talk about conventions... If you would, answer the following questions for me.
(1) What conventions are in your area, what size are they, and do they have gaming? You can define "your area" any way you like.
(2) What conventions are you going to this year?
Does GenCon count as "my area"? Oh wait, I see #2. :)
1. ICon. (www.iconsf.org) It's a large convention on Long Island NY. There are others closer to me (I live in CT) that have gaming. One decent one in December that I don't really manage to get to because of the freakin holidays is Anonycon. Exclusively gaming. ICon has gaming every year; a really good track in fact. I DM 3 events annually. Anonycon is small, but intense. Good stuff. Held in Stamford CT. Plus there's um, ConnCon in March IIRC. Never been, but I hear it's good.
2. ICon, Gen Con, maybe one other. Haven't decided.
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Southern California, LA area.
We have this three-part thingy called Strategicon. Each session lasts three or four days. One over Presidents Day weekend, one over Labor Day weekend, and one over Memorial Day weekend. I usually go to all three. Lots of fun. Sadly, depending on how busy things are at home, it's sometimes the only time I get to play with anyone other than middle-schoolers.
SoCal Gen Con was huge and loads of fun. It even merited a Paizo booth! It's gone now. Sad.
I suppose I could answer my own questions, eh?
I don't know all the conventions in my area (Seattle), but I'm pretty sure I'll be at the following shows this year:
04/20-23 GAMA Trade Show in Las Vegas, Nevada
06/26-29 Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio
08/14-17 Gen Con Indy in Indianapolis, Indiana
Beyond that, I'm still trying to figure out which towns to visit :)
If there are any European gamers on these boards, please let me know what conventions there are in Europe. I'd really like to visit a couple, if I have the time and am still there - especially in the fall.
Gaming Conventions in the New Jerey/Philadelphia and surrounding region:
Philcon in Downtown Philadelphia (more scifi focused, but I understand that fantasy has a good showing there as well), typically the 3rd weekend in Nov.
Balticon in Downtown Baltimore, MD (again, mostly scifi, but I understand there's a good amount of fantasy as well), always Memorial Day weekend
Dreamation in Woodbridge/Iselin, NJ. Plenty of fantasy gaming there. Typically, last weekend in Jan (ends today).
Dexcon in East Brunswick, NJ. Fantasy gaming con. 3rd weekend in July.
PrinceCon in Princeton, NJ. Gaming Con. I don't know much about it save that its the 3rd weekend in March.
Note: I have been to none of these. I want to go, have not yet been to a con ever.
My area is central South Carolina.
RoundCon is in Columbia each April, and that's about it. I haven't been yet, but (from the flyer):
EVENTS INCLUDE:
RPGA & Non-RPGA Games
Board Game Extravaganza
Dealer‘s Room
Charity Auction
Costume Contest
Trivia Contest
Miniature Painting Contest
Will probably go this year, as it's now local to me. I was at one point planning on DDXP, but decided I couldn't afford it.
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OK, pathfinders, let's talk about conventions... If you would, answer the following questions for me.
(1) What conventions are in your area, what size are they, and do they have gaming? You can define "your area" any way you like.
(2) What conventions are you going to this year?
I'm only going to local conventions this year, in Denver, CO:
Genghis Con, President's Day weekend, usually about 1000-1200 attendees, gaming-specific plus a very good miniatures painting track.
Tacticon, Labor Day weekend, usually about 800-1000 attendees, gaming-specific. (Also a DGA con, but the website isn't live yet.)
Denvention III (World Science Fiction Convention), about 5000 attendees, there's usually a gaming track, but it's pretty minor.
MileHiCon, about 800 attendees, literary SF con, gaming track, but it's not a major focus.
I'm strongly tempted by ReaperCon, in the Dallas area, but I think this won't be the year.
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Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder
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Gaming Conventions in the New Jerey/Philadelphia and surrounding region
Note: I have been to none of these. I want to go, have not yet been to a con ever.
When we lived in Philly (Levittown actually), we frequented a few cons. Philcon was the WorldCon when we went. It was very cool.
There was also a Horror convention in the Camden-area, I believe at the Red Lion...during the summer. No gaming to speak of, but it was SO flippin' cool to see tables and tables of horror-genre stuff. I wore my Miskatonic U shirt (Go Pods!) and literally got Hi-5's several times.
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Southern California, LA area.
We have this three-part thingy called Strategicon. Each session lasts three or four days. One over Presidents Day weekend, one over Labor Day weekend, and one over Memorial Day weekend. I usually go to all three. Lots of fun. Sadly, depending on how busy things are at home, it's sometimes the only time I get to play with anyone other than middle-schoolers.
SoCal Gen Con was huge and loads of fun. It even merited a Paizo booth! It's gone now. Sad.
Yes I went to GenCon in Anaheim once-the day before it ended for ever(boohoo).
I am running 7 Swords of Sin at Orccon next month-hope to see you there!
s
I just returned from CanCon, held in Canberra, our nation's capital (where "our" means "people from Australia").
We had a massive hall full of Warhammer, tactical wargames (civil war, WWII, etc), card games (Magic and Yu-Gi-Oh), and the only two airconditioned rooms being dedicated to D&D.
We had 5 tables (about 40 people total) playing the same dungeon (Die With Honour) every day for three days, and we had a blast.
...On a less-proud note, as a GM, I killed one player 5 times, one player 3 times, and petrified another 6 players over the weekend. Now I feel bad, even though we all had fun.
Also, we have SydCon (in Sydney), twice this year due to the failure of NecronomiCon, and usually a few inter-gaming-club get-togethers during the year. I keep busy.
When we lived in Philly (Levittown actually),
Dude, you lived like 20 minutes away from where I now live. When were you there? Where do you live now?
Updated List: http://ephealy.livejournal.com/31536.html
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1. ICon. (www.iconsf.org) It's a large convention on Long Island NY. There are others closer to me (I live in CT) that have gaming. One decent one in December that I don't really manage to get to because of the freakin holidays is Anonycon. Exclusively gaming. ICon has gaming every year; a really good track in fact. I DM 3 events annually. Anonycon is small, but intense. Good stuff. Held in Stamford CT. Plus there's um, ConnCon in March IIRC. Never been, but I hear it's good.2. ICon, Gen Con, maybe one other. Haven't decided.
I-Con is still going On?.... I think the Last I-Con I went to was in 99..First one I went to was in 90...In fact that was my first convention ever!!!..
Had some great memories from those... Used to run a Vampire Larp (Our own rule system) Ran 1 3 years in a row, Until the group got to big and we were not invited back as an event because we were accused of not being able to control them *Long story*
I tried going back... but it was never the same... The Awe of youth and something new faded away :-(
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I'm in Melbourne, Australia.
January 26 was Australia Day, we had a public holiday Monday, and I just returned from a four-day games convention, Arcanacon.
There's another four-day games convention, Conquest, over the Easter long-weekend.
Melbourne also hosts a few 3-day games conventions, including Dwarfcon and Retrocon.
All of these offer Living Greyhawk and Arcanis D&D games. Arcanis has a strong following in Melbourne, which seems to be increasing, as I have noticed players defecting from Greyhawk due to it being retired at the end of this year.
I've enjoyed GameMastery/Pathfinder very much, and think Paizo's Golarion setting holds a LOT of potential to be offered for convention play. I would LOVE to see this happen!
Australia will also be hosting it's first GenCon Oz in Brisbane later this year.
Here in CT there is ConnectiCon which is a little more anime driven, but gaming is present. I think its in late July/Early August
8/1-3 to be exact. :)
Hey DMcCoy, where do you live? (Or have I already asked you that?) Mrs. Zombie and I live in Roxborough, and work at the old Philadelphia Naval Base.
I live in Pemberton, NJ (near Mt Holly). Sorry other direction from Levittown.
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RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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a) I'm in Chicago, and I'm only aware of one convention in town - Concentric, which is always Thanksgiving weekend, and I'll never go then, due to family being in town. Also, their event listing has been VERY light on RPGs whenever I've looked.
b) I'll be going to Gen Con
Here in CT there is ConnectiCon which is a little more anime driven, but gaming is present. I think its in late July/Early August8/1-3 to be exact. :)
A friend of mine has been to that several times and enjoyed it. It's too close to GenCon for a busy man like myself, but do check it out!
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Wayfinder, PaizoCon Founder
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When we lived in Philly (Levittown actually),Dude, you lived like 20 minutes away from where I now live. When were you there? Where do you live now?
Lived in Falls Village just up the road from the R7 Levittown station, right across the street from the Falls Township Park, from August 2000 to March 2004. We missed Seattle. So, when my job at the Academy of Natural Sciences became unbearable, I quit and we moved. I'm in Redmond, WA now.