| From: | Michael Broadwater <neon@******.BACKBONE.OLEMISS.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Surviving the Games |
| Date: | Sun, 12 Apr 1998 00:35:54 -0500 |
All of my comments are marked by #*#*#*.
[This is my annual survival guide for GEN CON, once more modified to take
into account this year's program.]
Surviving GEN CON '97
[This lengthy message contains suggestions for surviving the GEN CON Game
Fair, which is held every August in Milwaukee's MECCA convention center
(currently being remodeled and renamed "Wisconsin Center", then to become
the "Midwest Express Center"). I'm drawing on my past fifteen years of GEN
CON experience for these suggestions, but I'm sure other people have their
own experiences to share. Please jump right in with your suggestions or
questions!]
"HOW DO I GET THERE?"
GEN CON used to send you a map of the area with road directions. Alas, no
more. Basically, you take I-94 right into downtown Milwaukee, and get off
at the Convention Center/Kilbourn Ave. exit. The Greyhound station is only
a few blocks from GEN CON, if you're coming in cheaply. If you're flying
in, you'll need to take a bus, a cab, or a rental car to get from Mitchell
Field to downtown Milwaukee -- it's several miles away.
The hotels reserved by GEN CON fall into three distinct "rings". The inner
ring hotels (Holiday Inn-City Centre, Hyatt, Milwaukee Hilton, Hotel
Wisconsin, etc.) are within easy walking distance (2-3 blocks). The middle
ring hotels (Astor, Park East, Pfister, Wyndham) are also within 10 blocks,
although some people may not find that a comfortable walk, especially late
at night. The outer ring hotels are miles away from downtown. These
include the cheapest accommodations (such as the Sandburg Hall dorm). Last
year, GEN CON offered a shuttle service to the outer ring hotels. It
appears to have been discontinued, so this year you'll need a car to get
back and forth.
#*#*#*
There is a public bus that goes from Sandburg to the Grand Avenue Mall,
which is connected to the Mecca by a network of hamster tunnels.
#*#*#*
Finally, you may be staying at one of the cheaper, very-outer-ring hotels
not reserved by GEN CON or at a local campground. In that case, you'll
definitely need to drive into downtown each day.
That brings us to parking. Downtown parking, like you'd expect, is not
cheap. Most of the hotels have their own parking lots or ramps for their
guests. The Hyatt does not provide free parking, but you get a discount.
Check with your hotel before coming up, to see if free parking is provided.
If your hotel isn't within walking distance, there are both municipal and
private lots available nearby. The rates are about $10/day on Thursday and
Friday, $2/day Saturday and Sunday. Last year's validated parking at the
MacArthur lot seems to have been discontinued.
"WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?"
Milwaukee, like the rest of the Upper Midwest, has hot, muggy summers.
It's a good idea to check the weather before you pack. Through Compuserve,
you can GO WEATHER and ask for the extended forecast for Milwaukee.
Through the World-Wide Web, you can also get weather forecasts through the
National Weather Service's "interactive" weather-finder:
http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/main.html. If it's hot, you're going to want
light summer clothing. MECCA is air-conditioned, but thirty thousand
bodies in an enclosed space put a strain on the system (especially in the
older Bruce Hall/Arena building, where role-playing and collectible card
games are held). You'll also want comfortable walking shoes. MECCA is big
and mostly uncarpeted. Expect to do a lot of walking, so your feet will
thank you if you wear your sneakers. If it's going to be cooler, bring
along some jeans and a sweatshirt or light jacket. The typical garb for a
gamer seems to be a black t-shirt with some kind of pattern on it. Be
unconventional and wear a blue t-shirt or a button-down shirt. A lot of
people wear 'button-mail', encrusting their torsos with an impenetrable
mass of circular plastic discs. Nobody stops to read them, so why bother?
Whatever you choose to wear, keep a couple of things in mind:
1) You're going to want pockets. You have to juggle your hotel key, car
keys, event tickets, program book, money, and so on.
2) You're going to need a place to pin your badge. The chainmail vest
might not be the best idea.
If you're entering the costume contest or one of the costumed interactive
events, bring your costume. Some people just like to wear costumes for the
fun of it. That's fine, but remember the heat. Try to wear a costume
that's light, comfortable, and has pockets. Also remember GEN CON's
costume rules, which prohibit weapons (real or replica), military uniforms,
and anything which isn't PG-rated.
If you're thinking of going out on the town one night or to a nice
restaurant (such as John Hawks Pub, the site of the Official Compuserve
RPGAMES Forum Dinner, Wednesday night!), bring along some flashy and/or
elegant threads.
Finally, some kind of a pack or bag is almost indispensable, especially if
you're a Judge. You can keep your convention materials, paper, dice,
purchases, etc. in there. A backpack is good; a bookbag is ideal.
"WHAT ELSE SHOULD I BRING?"
1) Everything GEN CON sends you. Your program book (the only one you
get). Your tickets. Your hotel confirmation. Your badge is now included
with your envelope, as opposed to in the past where you only got the
sticker and had to pick up the card and plastic holder at the convention.
On the bottom left corner of your ticket sheet is a ticket which you have
to exchange at GEN CON for your registration packet.
2) Dice. Only a few, depending on what games you expect to play. If you
have a wheelbarrow full of the little polyhedral suckers, leave it at home.
3) Pencils, paper, etc. Take something to write on and something to write
with. If nothing else, you'll want to write down addresses and phone
numbers (or hotel room numbers <g>) of friends you make at GEN CON. You'll
want to take notes (or make maps) during the games you play.
4) Game materials. Don't go overboard here. These usually aren't
necessary, but you might be more comfortable having the rules for games you
expect to play in. Or you might want something autographed by a designer or
author who is going to be there. It's a good idea to pack a minimum of
game manuals. They tend to be heavy and bulky. You can leave most of your
games in your hotel room and just take along the ones you expect to need
for the day. Travel light, that's my motto. (Note -- I wrote this part in
the years before Magic. Expect to see people shlepping around big boxes of
Magic cards. However, those boxes of cards are heavy and bulky. I
suggest that, if you're planning to do sales or trades, that you leave the
cards in your hotel room and bring along a *list* of your available cards
and wants. In fact, copy the list and bring several. You can make deals
and then bring the cards you've agreed to trade later on or the next day.)
5) A camera. You have all those immortal moments to record, right?
6) Money. Your hotel will take credit cards, as will some restaurants and
dealers. For everything else, I recommend you load up on insured
traveler's checks. With all the running around and crowds, it's not
difficult to lose your wallet or bag, so carrying large sums of cash isn't
a great idea. Personal checks may not be accepted if they're from out of
state. How much to bring depends on you. Besides traveling expenses,
you'll have to pay for your hotel room (and don't forget the hotel tax --
around 10%) and possibly parking. As for food, see below. There are also
games to buy in the dealer's room, some of which will be on sale and some
of which won't be released to the stores until later in the year. There's
an auction where you can pick up used games cheap or collector's items
not-so-cheap. There's the art show. And you might want to buy souvenirs
in Milwaukee, though I can't imagine why. <g> I typically spend about
$300-400 on GEN CON, but then I'm a moderate spender in the dealer's room.
I know people who can spend over $1500! You can get by for under $200, but
it requires miserly budgeting.
7) Food. MECCA's new food service provides a greater variety of food
(including Cajun
#*#*#*About as cajun as peking duck#*#*#*
rice & beans, brownies, and my favorite - soft pretzels.
Nobody will miss the overpriced, unhealthy, and sometimes downright
dangerous junk food from previous years. But, that doesn't mean the new
stuff is any better or cheaper. We're talking an industrial food service,
after all, not a four-star restaurant. MECCA prohibits bringing in outside
food, but you can easily stash some in your bag and sneak it in.
Once you leave MECCA, you'll find the kind of food you'd expect in a
business district, though you may have to do some walking. There are fast
food places within a few blocks, and the Grand Avenue Mall has a food
court. There are also some sit-down restaurants, though you probably won't
have time for that. Two of the better (and faster) places in the vicinity
are Major Goolsby's and the coffee shop at the Hyatt. Goolsby's is a bar
and grill kitty-corner from the entrance to MECCA. Look for the marquee
flashing "Welcome GEN CON". The Hyatt is the hotel connected to MECCA by
skyway. The coffee shop is a bit pricy, but the breakfast and lunch
choices are good for hotel coffee shop fare, and it's quiet enough to relax
you after fighting the crowds and noise. If you're looking for somewhere
nice to go at night, try the restaurant on top of the Hyatt. Be sure to
dress up! Many people also recommend the Safe House,
#*#*#*overated#*#*#*
a theme bar and
restaurant about six blocks from MECCA. The Safe House gets *very* crowded
during GEN CON weekend, so don't go expecting a relaxed evening. Also,
while the ambience is great, the food there is really terrible.
The biggest problem with eating at GEN CON is time. Games run from 8 AM to
midnight each day, with only 15 minutes between games. You might want to
rush over to a fast food place for carryout. Or you can bring food with
you from home, which is the cheapest way to eat at GEN CON. Some hotels
have rooms with refrigerators in them; in others, you can bring a cooler
and keep it stocked with free ice. I usually pack along cans of pop and
sandwich materials which I can munch on during or between games.
You might also want to bring a sports bottle, if you're the kind of person
whose throat dries out quickly from talking or shouting. MECCA is loud!
Drinking-fountain water isn't great, but it's free. If you're the kind of
gamer who can't survive without munchies, pack some along. And be willing
to share with your companions. <g>
8) Necessities. You know -- toothbrush, shampoo, clean underwear, aspirin.
I always recommend making a checklist of things to pack before you leave.
That way, when you're rushing around at the last minute, you won't
accidentally leave your contact lens cleaner at home. And ... a heartfelt
appeal ... please, please, PLEASE use those necessities while at the CON.
Even if you don't, at home.
9) *Smokers' Notice!* I'm not a smoker myself, but the smoke-free policy
will affect a lot of you. Basically, you have to go outside in order to
smoke. Where this presents a problem is that *getting* outside can often
be a walk of ten minutes or so. And, I have yet to meet a smoker who can
actually last through a four-hour game without a cigarette break. Unless
you are really looking forward to missing large chunks of the games you
register for, I suggest that this would be a very good time to investigate
nicotine gum or patches. Hopefully, that will tide you over until the game
ends and you can rush outside to pollute the air. ;)
"WHAT DO I DO ONCE I GET TO THE CON?"
GEN CON is huge -- it's easy to be overwhelmed by the choices available.
Let's walk through a little tour of the place. Note that they change the
set-up every year, so refer to your map and any information they give you
on-site before trusting this walking guide.
I usually drive in Wednesday, the day before the con starts. Coming in on
Wednesday is convenient -- you can get settled into your hotel and even
pick up your registration materials before the crowds show up. Also, the
COMPUSERVE ROLE-PLAYING GAMES FORUM DINNER is being held Wednesday night,
at John Hawks Pub. If you're going to be in Milwaukee on Wednesday, ask me
about the dinner. I'd be glad to sign you up!
If you're arriving Thursday morning, the first thing you'll want to do is
to check into your hotel. Problem: most hotels have afternoon check-in
times, sometimes as late as 3 PM (though a few hotels have been gracious
enough to start check-in earlier to accommodate the crowd of gamers). Not
to worry, though this is inconvenient. If you drove, you can still park
your car at the hotel. It's a good idea to take your luggage out and ask
the bellhop to hold on to it until check-in. The bellhop will have a room
for just this purpose, and it's safer than leaving it in your car. If
check-in is in the afternoon, make sure you get away from your gaming to
take care of this small but important task.
MECCA itself occupies two full city blocks, an unmistakable structure. The
main building has a first story of drab brick, topped with an overhanging
structure of white stucco and polarized black glass. Skyways connect it to
the Hyatt and the old Arena/Bruce Hall building, where most of the
role-playing games are held. You'll need to go around to the front of
MECCA (on Kilbourn Avenue), where a long row of glass doors greets you.
Let yourself in and spend a minute just gaping at the crowds of gamers,
costumed and otherwise. People are excited; the energy level of GEN CON is
worth the trip alone. If you haven't picked up your registration packet
already, you'll need to do that now. There are lines for people who want
to register on site, lines for people who want to buy event tickets, lines
for judges, and lines for people who have pre-registered. Unless you're a
judge (in which case you get the short line), get in the pre-reg line and
wait. They've improved the speed of service in recent years, but you still
might stand in line for ten minutes. Talk to your neighbors. Make
friends. Accept the free magazines and flyers being handed out. Stow them
in your bag; there are many more freebies to come. Once you get to the
head of the line, the person there will inspect your ticket sheet and tear
off the lower-left corner. Now you get a thick envelope. Move aside and
check to make sure you have a program book and a badge and badge-holder if,
for some reason, you didn't receive those in the mail. There are other
goodies in there, like glossy ads and a book of coupons for the dealer's
room. Put on your badge and wear it proudly. You're going to need that
badge to get into the exhibit hall and the gaming areas. MECCA maintains a
staff of geriatric men in blue blazers who sit at the doors and inspect
badges. Honest.
Let's take an overview of MECCA while you're still reeling from sensory
overload. You're standing in the Great Hall, which runs the entire length
of the building. Besides the lines for registration and tickets, there's
also a bulletin board, an information counter, a booth for the Milwaukee
Dept. of Tourism, escalators going up to the second floor, and doors to the
exhibit area. AND, I should point out, the sign-up table for STAR TREK:
DEEP SPACE '97 and BABYLON LIVE, the interactive games put on by
Compuserve's very own Dreamsmiths. Get your ticket at the events window,
then proceed to our table to pick up your character. End of plug. The
doors lead in to the exhibit hall (dealer's room). The east and west halls
used to be gaming, but the dealer's room has taken over the entire building
in recent years. And you'll soon see why. To the west are computer games
and some other demos and activities, such as the Klingon Jail N' Bail.
Assuming you have some free time before your first game, why not take a
little tour?
Save the dealer's room for last. It's huge, and you'll want to linger.
Walk into the West Hall and look around. Take a look at the Klingons, and
watch people play Midi-Maze and Doom against each other. They might have
some virtual reality-type games, too.
Let's go upstairs via the escalator. You should find the art show
upstairs, an open gaming area where you can rent boardgames, and tables
available for those who want to set up impromptu games of their own. There
are also all of the war and miniature games. Stroll around, pausing to
enjoy the painted miniatures and detailed landscapes. If you like anime,
there's an area devoted to showing movies, but it's right in the center of
traffic, so it won't be a very tranquil viewing experience. By all means,
take some time to look at the art show. Much of what is on display is art
from games, Dragon covers, etc. There are some very good pieces mixed in
there. There used to be an art auction for the pieces on display, but I
believe it has been discontinued. You still may be able to purchase pieces
at the show, however.
One of my favorite secret places to hide and rest was the cocktail lounge
which overlooks the exhibit hall. Alas, GEN CON has turned it into the
"Visitors' Center", where you can get orientation sessions for the
convention. This might be a worthwhile stop. It probably won't be
crowded, so it might still be a good place to rest.
Now take the skyway to the arena building. There are two main areas in
here, both of which look like arenas for gladiators! To your right, you'll
find the Arena and RPGA HQ. Most RPGA games are held in booths in the
Arena, and there are card games in the Arena Annex and Deep Labyrinth (aka
the basement). You'll see rows of booths partitioned off by curtains, each
occupied by a game. To your left from the skyway, you'll come to where
most of the convention's role-playing games are held. On your left, as you
pass through the doors, is Juneau Hall, home of some role-playing games.
On your right is Kilbourn Hall, where the gaming auction takes place.
There is an area where you can view and purchase some of the less valuable
items. Expect a LOT of Magic cards to be featured, but there is often
quite a bit of cool old stuff, as well.
Continuing past Juneau and Kilbourn, you'll come to Bruce Hall. This is
the homes to role-playing games, tournaments, and our very own Dreamsmiths
events! Walk around and peer in at the variety of games taking place.
Feel free to eavesdrop or even pull up a chair. Lurking is encouraged at
GEN CON. You'll see a stage at the front of Bruce Hall, with weird lights
emitting from it. That's the headquarters for Deep Space '97. Drop by and
say hello!
Head back up the skyway to the convention hall and turn left. You'll come
to another skyway, which takes you to the second floor of the Hyatt. The
various ballrooms and meeting rooms are now the home of seminars and some
special interactive events. Most of the seminars are free, so you can pop
into the back of the room and listen for a bit.
By now, you really need to rest your legs. May I suggest you take the
Hyatt's escalator down to their coffee shop? It's a quiet place with
comfortable chairs. You can order a drink, sit back, and take a look at
the contents of your envelope. First, look at the program book. If you
didn't receive one in the mail, it has everything you'll want to know about
the convention. If you did get a program book, the envelope should contain
updated information on events, guests of honor, and so on. You can find
out about new games that might interest you or learn which events have been
cancelled. If you have some free time, you might want to think about
buying more event tickets. Pick up some generics instead if the size of
the line frightens you. There's a bulletin board near the head of the line
which indicates which events still have spaces open and any new events that
are being offered. People will also be advertising for games that they
wish to run in open gaming or posting messages for their friends.
The dealer's room is arguably the most entertaining place at GEN CON. You
can easily spend hours just looking at all the booths, not to mention
talking to designers and friends and playing demo games. Many booths will
have freebies -- posters, catalogs, sample cards, buttons, previews of
upcoming games. Fill your goodie bag. Participate in whatever silly
contests Chaosium or SJG has to offer. Try out demos if they look
interesting. Be impressed by the high-tech and industry-show style
displays and exhibits. If you don't know where the Compuserve folks are
meeting, drop by the Dreamsmiths table out in the Great Hall. We'll be
manning the Deep Space '97/Babylon LIVE sign-up table there. One word of
advice -- don't buy anything yet! In your envelope, you'll have coupons
which give you $1 off purchases over $10, but you might be able to get a
better price still. Every event (except for company-sponsored ones) gives
away prize certificates worth $5 or $10 in the dealer's room to 'winning'
players. If you play well, you might end up with a fistful of these
certificates by the end of the con, allowing you to walk away with $30 or
so worth of free merchandise!
That concludes the tour. Now, let's go to the auction. Items will be put
up for bid by category -- such as SF games or back-issues of magazines.
Once you find out when your category is being offered (the schedule is
posted, and also in your program book), you know when to show up. You'll
need to buy an auction card; the rules are explained in the program. You
can also show up to look over what is available in the Auction Store and
pay the asking price, if you don't have time to go to the auction.
OK ... you've seen the place, now you want to game. If you have an event
ticket, simply go to where the game is. Be on time. If you have a generic
ticket, show up a few minutes early. A generic ticket doesn't guarantee
you a space, but if some players don't show up (which happens quite a lot,
actually), it will probably be first-come first-served for the generics.
Most role-playing games are in Bruce Hall, Juneau Hall, or the basement.
RPGA events are in the Arena; you'll gather in a staging area and wait for
them to split you into teams. Miniatures and wargames are on the second
floor of the convention center. When you go to an event, the Judge will
have a bit of paperwork to do, including collecting your tickets and asking
you to check a sign-in sheet. To make the Judge's life easier, write your
name and badge number on all of your tickets beforehand.
If you want to win those gift certificates I told you about, follow these
simple rules: Play the role you're given. Play it to the hilt. Speak up.
Try to keep the group on course as much as possible, leading if you can.
Be a peacemaker if your group squabbles. Basically, you want to impress
your Judge and your fellow players with your role-playing talents and your
ability to be outspoken. Try not to tread on others' toes, though. That's
almost certainly a winning combination for them to award you the
certificate at the end.
If, for some reason, your Judge doesn't show up for the game, don't worry
about it. Go to the information booth right away and get a refund on your
ticket or trade it for a generic. Generic tickets are refundable right up
to the end of the con.
One final word of advice. MECCA closes promptly each night at midnight,
and they'll do their best to force you outside. If you've made
arrangements to meet someone at midnight or later, I suggest the "all-night
gaming" room in the Hyatt.
See you at GEN CON, and remember ... as the overloud, enthusiastic
announcer likes to remind us: "THE DEALER'S ROOM WILL BE CLOSING
IN FIVE MINUTES, FIIIIIIVE MINUTES."
#*#*#*
A few notes:
1: Check out www.andonunlimted.com for more official info on the con
2: All of the info on where things are could be wrong for this year. The new
addition may or may not be completed. If it isn't, then this info is right. If it is
done, well, then it'll be a new experience for everyone involved.
3: Ticket lines etc. may be better or worse now that Andon has taken over running the
con.
#*#*#*
Mike Broadwater
http://www.olemiss.edu/~neon
"Everyone wants to be Cary Grant. Even I want to be Cary Grant."
-- Cary Grant
