Shunned ...

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by fmillard, Jan 17, 2020.

  1. fmillard

    fmillard Level 0 Character

    I understand that the scheduling of events is a tough and harrowing process, and I appreciate the work that goes into it, but I'd think that after attending GaryCon for the past 7 years, GM'ing for 5+, and running 20+ hours of games each time that I wouldn't get relegated to the Timber Ridge Lodge for 2 of the 4 days at this year's event. One day maybe, but two!? The last two years I spent in the Forum and I thought that was almost too far from the main event area to really be "involved" with everything that was going on. Now, it's two days, pretty much all day, in another building and odds are that 25% of the people who sign up won't show for my games, because it was "so far away from the main area." (I've heard this from people who didn't show when I was gaming in the Forum). Just wanted to get this off my chest as I feel that after being involved for this many years in a row as I have, I may have at least earned some seniority and be allowed to game at the "real event" and not one of the offshoot areas, which, as I suspect, though I hope not, will be poorly attended due to the relative distance. Or perhaps it's due to the fact that I don't run "D&D" and run Savage Worlds, I don't know. Just thought the satellite areas might go to people who are new to GMing and new to GaryCon. I love going to GaryCon, but feel this is occurring on a more regular basis to those of us who are not pure Dungeons and Dragons GMs, or who aren't part of the Old Guard. I'm also aware that I'm not the only one who feels this way. #garycon2020 #hopingforabetterfuture
     
  2. sd8k

    sd8k Level 0 Character

    To your comments, I too have two events out in the Crusades room at the Lodge (Woah a trifecta of TO).

    I know first hand that this year the scheduling has been really tough on the staff. I had one event get stuck and not show up in tabletops. It took them a week to get it figured out. I even submitted my events back in October for that whole early bird registration thing. Don't feel bad as my games are D&D 5e non AL. I don't get the feeling that non-D&D is being pushed off site.

    There are a some positives with these rooms. Mine games at least are early enough in the day where I can use the shuttle from the Grand so that works out. I have friends who stay at the lodge so the kids can use the water park. This may work out well for them.

    The biggest positive is when I looked at the room. It looks relatively small. I wonder if this will be a voice saver by having two events outside the huge roar that can happen in the forums.

    What I absolutely plan to do is email my players when they sign up so they know where that room is. I could even have a meet up at the bar and we all take the shuttle over. Or, inspiration for a waterside wristband hell I dunno have fun with it.

    Hopefully, there will be plenty of info on how to find our games.
     
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  3. fmillard

    fmillard Level 0 Character

    Thanks for the positive thoughts!
     
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  4. JediSoth

    JediSoth Troubadour

    Non-D&D/Old School games definitely aren't being shuffled out of the main area. All four of my games are using Fantasy Flight's Genesys system and they're in Galewood (all at the same table) all weekend. I've heard many reports about how difficulty scheduling was this year. Apparently, there were TONS of events submitted. It sounded like there were almost more events than they could actually accommodate with the number of tables they had available for 4 days. I guess it's a good problem to have; many other conventions are begging for GMs right up until the last minute.
     
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  5. OGRE MAGE

    OGRE MAGE Footpad

    That really sucks, Frank!

    Why can’t I find any information about this anywhere? I would think that if several games were being scheduled off site, that might have been mentioned somewhere? I am assuming that you weren’t contacted and told about this inconvenience beforehand?

    Will there be dedicated shuttles for these off site games? Or are GM’s and players on their own for getting back and forth?
     
  6. fmillard

    fmillard Level 0 Character

    I've had contact with Schedulers and understand that they have a really tough job. The Cascades at Timber Ridge is a new location for GaryCon and while it is 0.8 miles from the Main Lodge at GG (that's what it says on the one map I saw), I'm told the trolleys between the two run super-regularly and that the Staff at Timber Ridge is super helpful in contacting the trolleys if extra attention might be needed, as well as knowing, quite accurately, their arrival and departure times from both locations. Hoping for the best and gaming on!
     
  7. Navar

    Navar Level 0 Character

    How can you tell if a game is in Timber Ridge?
     
  8. OGRE MAGE

    OGRE MAGE Footpad

    If you check out the TTE game list, look under the “room” category, if it says Cascades A, that game will be held at the Timber Ridge. It looks like there are about 90 games or so that are being held there so far.
     
  9. mordrin

    mordrin Spellbinder Staff Member

  10. Melf

    Melf Administrator Staff Member

    Hi Frank,

    I don’t believe there is a way to select people that DMed so many years or other criteria not listed in the Event Submission. There are over 2000 events submitted and I don’t know how many tables in a whole bunch of locations. Skip and Dave spend a lot of time to plan all the Guest and events with special requirements by hand. The bulk are scheduled using a program that sorts based on available criteria. So you weren’t shunned or picked on.
    There is a shuttle - the Wyvern Ride- that will run 0700-0200 during the con. It will run 2-4 times an hour based on demand. The Cascades room is about 3000 square feet. But the virtual and streaming rooms take up part of that space. It will be quieter. There will be GM Concierge and tableside food service. There will be beer too.

    I was excited to add the Cascades and Ski Chalet. Gary Con is growing at 20-30% a year every year. So we have to expand or tell people - sorry you can’t come. At some point we had to. That will be 2021 I believe. Our growth pattern - 175/240/400/450/600/750/850/950
    Grand 1250/189/2200/2800/ ????


    I hope that people like the new space and it helps lower noise in gaming areas. We want to make the experience enjoyable for all.

    and thanks for running so many games!

    Luke
     
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  11. sd8k

    sd8k Level 0 Character

    How is this not some kind of VIP thing? That's totally how I am presenting it. Quiet, invite only, shuttle service, table-side, beer I must be living right. LOL!

    Now I just need someone to help me learn to wear a monocle. *scoffs at the peasants*

    Oh and a shout to Skip! Thanks bud for helping get everything worked out! You are a gentleman and a scholar!

    This is going to be a great con!

    Dave
     
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  12. stahlnee

    stahlnee Spellbinder

    The author of my favorite module is running a couple of games in Casades. Their first time attending GaryCon.
     
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  13. Navar

    Navar Level 0 Character

    Who are they?
     
  14. stahlnee

    stahlnee Spellbinder

    Paul Elkmann who wrote Inferno for Judges Guild.
     
  15. Zarathon

    Zarathon Administrator Staff Member

    I think if they want to keep the convention in LG, they're going to have to be stitching together multiple sites there. The tabletop events site probably doesn't have a "hotel I'm staying at" field, but if there's a way to plan ahead or "theme" a site, maybe DMs/GMs could make reservations where they're gaming and to signal their site preference in their event submission. Granted, everyone probably wants to be "where it's at".
     
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  16. stahlnee

    stahlnee Spellbinder

    That could be rough as I think the Cove and Ridge are the other two hotels with convention type space. The last year at the Ridge the convention was bursting at the seams and even had events at the Cove.

    A cap on attendance will have to come at some point.
     
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  17. Zarathon

    Zarathon Administrator Staff Member

    Maybe we move the convention to February and get these folks to add some more space:
    https://icecastles.com/wisconsin

    :D
     
  18. gmbarry

    gmbarry Footpad

    I think the OP is upset that none of this was conveyed to the GMs before signups.

    I understand his concerns, harder to play in a game at the forums or up by the ball rooms in the main lodge at 8:00 AM and then schedule a game at the cascades at Noon and back at the Forums at 4:00... Now a walk from the Forums to the boardrooms or evergreen is long but can be done in a 10 minutes.. When you are depending on shuttles, and gamers going back and forth, you have to be mindful of travel times

    I for one would have like to have known that is was possible to have games scheduled elsewhere, but then you would get tons of notes requesting not to be placed in the Cascades.

    I am running a few games for Legends of RPG and my concerns are about noise issues.

    I really enjoyed the Forums, the high ceiling making the noise less of an issue and because I never minded walking across the lot, I did not feel cut off... Sometimes the walk for a beer is a bit long from the back to the Forum lobby, but not a big deal.

    Not everything is going to work (LARP) but just being informed can be great
     
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  19. Ancalagon

    Ancalagon Level 0 Character

    Emphasis mine.
    Agreed.
     
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  20. Melf

    Melf Administrator Staff Member


    Cool idea. Not sure if we can get that level of detail though.
     

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