Why is the Early Bird package the same price as the Silver package? Both cost $40, but with the Early Bird you get all three stadium cups and only 2 GP and 20 SP. But with the Silver package you get a single stadium cup (of your choice) and 3 GP and 25 SP. Since I'm coming to GaryCon to play games, it seems like the Silver package is the far better deal so why even offer a "Early Bird" special when it is not significantly better or cheaper? Not trying to be a "A-Hole", just confused and seeking enlightenment.
Since this is my first Gary Con, I'm just not sure which plan to go with. I asked in another thread if additional coins can be purchased in the future (once the events are posted, for example). Since I'll be there Thursday - Sunday, I'm a bit worried about running out of points...A little input/opinion from some vets/organizers would go a long way in helping me make the "right" decision. Thanks.
Guntherfuzz8: You are not being an A-Hole at all. Its a good question. What badge option you choose depends on what you want from your Gary Con experience. The Early Bird package was delayed due to website upgrade issues and it is fairly close to the silver package. Here is my take on the packages. Platinum: You want to guarentee getting one of the premium GC souvenirs (Stein, Stadium Cup Set or T-shirt) and you want to fill all 4 days with pre-registered events. You get the opportunity to play in 2 or 3 VIP events (Tim, Frank, Jim, Ernie etc) and multiple other events (3 SPs average for an event). Gold: You want to play 3 VIP events and fill your GC with lots of pre-registered events. You get to choose a GC souvenir (hat, print, GCIV module or a single stadium cup). This is the choice for gamers that want to maximize game time and are less interested in guarenteeing a premium souvenir but still like to have something from GC V. Last year we sold out of many souvenir items by Thursday night, especially steins and certain T-shirt sizes. Silver: You want to play in 2 VIP events and play in 4-8 other events over the 4 days. You get to choose one of the 3 stadium cups. Note the cups allow you to buy discounted soda or beer throughout all 4 days of Gary Con and depending on the color get you either free soda during happy hours or free beer on either Friday or Saturday during happy hours. This is the option that should satisfy the majority of people. Plenty of gaming and the bonus of discounted/free soda or beer. Copper: This option is designed primarily for GMs that will spend much of their time running events and young gamers that are accompanying their parents. There are no souvenirs built into the package (but there will be some available for purchase on site). The 15 SPs will enable you to pre-register for 4-6 events. Early Bird: This option gets you into 1 VIP event and 6-8 other pre-reg events. You get all 3 stadium cups ($25 value). This is a good option for someone that wants to balance pre-reg events with open gaming or private gaming sessions as well as partake of free soda and beer at both happy hours. I hope that my take on the packages is helpful and that we provided enough options to satisfy everybody. We always welcome feedback to help us continue to improve Gary con. Luke
Hello, first time attendee. Plan to bring the whole family, and have a couple questions. Will we be able to purchase the Youth badges online ? Also the stadium cups for the $1 soda is there a limit on how many are being sold? I plan to buy 2 youth badges, and get them each a stadium cup for soda.
Welcome General! The Copper Package is designed for youth gamers. It does not come with a stadium cup, but you can buy them on site. There should definitley be some available Thursday morning for sale ($5 each IIRC, maybe $10). If you want to upgrade to the Silver package for them, they would get GP's (VIP events) and additional SPs as well as the stadium cup. Luke
Thanks for the opinions and detailed explanation, Luke. I decided, since it was my first GC, I'd go all out and go for the Platinum Package. Now, the waiting begins.
I actually prefer the silver package. I don't drink beer (at least not often), but I drink soda like a fish.
Thanks for the info and breakdown of the packages. Since I'm not much of a beer drinker, it looks like the silver package is the one for me.
They are good packages- it just depends on what works best for you! I'm glad I could help you figure out the best option.
The early bird package seems like a perfect fit for me! Looking forward to a Spotted Cow or 5... Last year the main problem I had was not running out of game points but choosing between events that were running in the same time slots. Also, you have to remember leave some open time to grab a bite to eat and socialize.
There was some talk of carrying GPs over prior to the redesign of the system and addition of SPs. There will be no carry over of points from year to year.
Well, it would seem I've lost none of my sophomoric ways... My first reaction to seeing the title of this thread was, "What the hell - don't you realize the phrase '_ _ _ _-measuring contest' is supposed to be figurative, guys?" Beavis and Butthead would've been proud.
While the event catalog hasn't been published yet (and for that matter, we haven't even started collecting non-VIP events yet), I can tell you that most VIP events will be 2-3 GPs on average and most standard events will be 2-4 GPs on average. So the Silver package is designed for someone who wants to play in those extra few games. I would estimate most Early Birds will register for around 6-7 events. Silvers will probably clock in at 8-9. But there will be many inexpensive events, so if you're just looking for a full schedule, check out the bigger games like the Gary Con Open, the Giant LeMans, and the Living Adventure Campaign (they'll typically only be 1 or 2 SPs). Since walk-on gaming is so easy at Gary Con and there are plenty of on-site pick up games, we assumed (yeah, I know the old saying) that most would prefer the $15 savings on the stadium cups over an extra couple of events in pre-reg.
First - love it. Registered for me and it all went smoothly. Thanks for all the hard work! Second - If I recall correctly, last year there was an observer badge, or something like it. this was perfect for me as my wife often accompanies my kids to their games and allows her to be in the convention area even though she does not play. Will there be an issue this year if she does not buy a Copper badge and still accompanies the kids? Thanks!
Yes indeed! I believe the tentative SP range is 1 to 5 for normal events. The lower cost is for games that can accept a larger number of players, in time slots that are off-peak and games that have historically attracted fewer pre-reg players. The higher costs are for certain highly sought after GMs, very popular systems and peak times. Donal is working this out on his slide rule but I think the average will be about 3 SPs. Please bear with us as we work out any bugs in the new system.
