Pathfinder Society Events at Gary Con IV

Wow! That's amazing, Luke. While I don't play PF, I know a LOT of people who do play it and many of them are old school gamers as well.

You guys are going to make GaryCon boom as that news spreads around the net.

 

This is good news for our gamers! Yay for them to attend Gary Con!

So I support Trolls, Kenzer- and now PathFinder. There is only so much stuff I can have.

 

Wait… Make GaryCon boom by catering to anti-Gygaxian games? Dear God, why?

 

Well, I hope it doesn't begin to lose its character and special appeal as it adds more commercialized elements.. there are plenty of conventions that are already Big Tent conventions. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

 

Great to see that new experiences belong to the oldest ones; having the most advanced "Vancian magic system" RPG at the Gary Con will enlarge the possibility to get more generations of gamers involved and let them see and play the great old time school games at the table with those who played them first, run those games from back to the '80s or wrote them, it all at the Convention named in honor to who founded that whole market.
Can it be greater?
I think that everything is perfectible... we will see...

 

The reason for Gary Con, since the beginning, was to play games & have fun- in memory of Gary.

Every year we try to do more and more (because we listen to what people say) to improve upon the uniqueness & experience of GC. Paizo coming out in 2012 to support support Gary Con is very cool. They don't have to, they want to. We are not a big convention. Last year we had 400 in attendance.

Paizo is not coming because of a commercialization aspect (that's Gen Con & Origins). I would imagine they are coming for the same reason the rest of us are. We come for the gaming, camaraderie, and to honor Gary.

As Luke said, there will be plenty of old school gaming- with a mix of something new.

 

Luke makes some excellent points, with which I agree.

For my piece (not speaking for Luke, Gary Con, etc.), Gary Gygax was many, many, MANY(!) things where gaming is concerned, but elitist wasn't among them. Even if he, himself, didn't *prefer* a game, he'd never be so...well, I'm at a loss for a polite term at the moment...as to look down his nose at ANY group of people getting together and having fun! C'mon, gang, that's point!

I've been reading through the "Cheers Gary" book, and good lord - Gary was, and he earns every bit of this descriptor, ASTOUNDINGLY gracious, warm, inviting, INclusive (CAPS intentional), hospitable, and yes - I could DEFINITELY go on, but surely you each get the point.

May I respectfully resubmit that Gary Con is a living memorial to the MAN, Gary Gygax.
The man I just alluded to above.
This living memorial is not "OD&D Con," "AD&D Con," "Dangerous Journeys Con," or any other game or game system Con. It's about one man, and part of that is his legacy, also - which he was the first to admit, didn't need to be a clone of him. In fact, I daresay he'd prefer NOT.

Let the one who knows in their soul that Gary Gygax would not welcome Paizo (in this particular case), try and make their case for THAT bit of shenanigans.
For they are truly shenanigans. =]

Now if you, I, or any other individual doesn't care for a given game system - or hell, maybe even despise a certain system - and just cannot or will not get over the fact that it's still okay for OTHERS to like it......is that how the man we memorialize would behave?
Answer starts with "N." Ends with "ope."
Therefore it is an individual issue, and not one that would, or SHOULD, be shared by that convention which exists to honor the absolute most accepting and gracious gamer I've ever even HEARD OF.

As for Pathfinder specifically, it's HUGE, and it was MADE huge by a ginormous number of gamers who know of - and oft-closer to "venerate" - the father of roleplaying games, and was done as a deliberate decision to NOT go the way of 4E, as so many of Gary's brattier progeny love to hate. Instead, they opted to "fix" 3.5.

Granted, you may not like 3.x either, but if that's just *still* getting your hackles up, mayhap review the previous paragraph?

At any rate, I remember when that happened, and you know what Paizo's first step into Pathfinder was? A 100% free, open beta, wherein they gladly solicited any and all feedback from whosoever cared to offer it.
How is that anything but laudable? "Hey, gamers! WE'RE not going 4e - instead, let's fix what needs fixed, together!" That's not "sell out," nor "corporate" (not to be confused with "business," with which there's nothing wrong). I know for a fact that not only is Erik Mona, Publisher of Paizo Publishing, an E.G.G. fanboy, he's got a fire in the belly for this hobby like few others.

Now, I personally have heard nary a *whisper* of criticism for the Pathfinder game. 'Fact is, it's (literally) all been quite the opposite! Paizo puts out many, many outstanding products, and I recently heard news that the Pathfinder game is actually outselling the current version of the game that owns THE NAME above all rpg names. That's a HELL of a lot of gamers having fun (a GOOD thing!). Those gamers are "us," folks. They're GAMERS!

Now....how about *collectively*, we all do HONOR to man (not his game systems) this gathering is about, and WELCOME those who share this most unique hobby in the SPIRIT and MANNER in which THE Dungeon Master himself - undoubtedly - would.

And if you feel vitriolic, argumentative, unwelcoming, or maybe only the teensiest bit snotty about it, tell your journal. Don't besmirch the unique atmosphere that Gary Con has.
News flash: That atmosphere is not due to which game systems are played, or excluded, either (which may be a further news flash to some).

So, really, everybody...c'mon.
C'mon.
Chill out. Take it easy. Breathe.

Pathfinder's a great game, made & played by some great fellow gamers and all-around kick ass people, and I personally am VERY much looking forward to give 'er a whirl!

Now, if you don't behave like progeny of whom Papa Gygax would brim with pride.....
.....I swear I will run 4th Edition games. ALL. FRAGGIN. WEEKEND.

(and psst: I won't mind at all either, because I've discovered that you can roleplay EVEN IF the rules specifically forbid it. And they don't!)

Summation: HELL-FREAKIN'-YEAH!!! Paizo's gonna be in the house & it's BEYOND cool! I myself LONG for the heady atmosphere that will be enhanced when added to the already HELLACIOUSLY sweet line up of gaming company greats! BRING. IT. ON.

And I will also be there drinking your beer if you just can't manage to squeek a good time out somehow. Savoring it.

Yes, I doth razz.
Let's all (ALL!) have yet another incredible GARY Con!
The power of Gary implores you!!! (wait...I think I confused that...)


Oh, and P.S. -
THANKS, Luke Gygax (he's Gary's beloved son, for those who may not've known), for your work to bring Paizo into the demi-plane of awesome that is Gary Con! You totally rock, bro.

[Apologies for any & all typos. Too much type - not enough left for proofing. Yikes!]

 

And a quick "Here Here!" to Dale's remarks. And Luca's.
(and no offense if I've omitted someone else - unintentional)
Stunningly effective, vastly shorter.
:lol:

You da man, Dale.

 

All I can say is I'm in full agreement with Luke, Dale and Void. As I've said before, and I will say it again, GaryCon is the only convention I actively and openly support. I've done worship services at GenCon and I've spoken at other conventions and will speak at one this weekend and I've never promoted these Cons. It's not that I don't enjoy them or my time spent there.....the reason is simple.

GaryCon made me feel at home from day one. The open atmosphere and the love of gaming is what it's all about. I've been to them all except GC 0 and it has been fun every time. I've seen people pull out newer games at every GaryCon and I've watched the people walk by tables and sit in on a few sessions. Some enjoyed the game they were playing and stayed and some left and moved on to something they liked better. There were no hard feelings and everyone had a good time. That's what it's about.

There's also a great family atmosphere at GaryCon. Many people that have played games on Gary's front porch have told me it feels as if they're still playing on his front porch. What an amazing feeling, right? This is also a Con that I will happily bring my family to when I can get everything coordinated and there's no surgeries or illness with extended family members.

So, when a company like Paizo wants to be a part of a convention I think that's amazing. They're showing a love for gaming and that's the type of spirit I love about GaryCon. It's all about the love of gaming and the community it brings.

Yes, some people may think GaryCon may get bigger and they'll feel lost in the mix but that's the danger of any Con whether it stays "old school" or not. I've seen this Con grow bigger each year and it's not about the type of games but it's about the spirit of the game.

I'll step back and stop my preaching. I'm sure you've all had enough of that by now, right?

Now, let's just all grab a brew, sling some dice and let them fall where they may!

GP

 

I don't play Pathfinder. That's all the negative I have for Paizo -- they've continuously provided gamers with some excellent product, lots of it geared towards us older guys that they want to include into the fold, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. Their work, while it lasted, on Dungeon as well as Dragon Magazine were far superior to a lengthy period where the two were almost laughable. I have many friends that play the system and like it and I'm all for it.

I own my fair share of really cool Paizo products and would be very pleased to have them join the GaryCon fold. I think they truly get the spirit of role gaming and will be an asset to the convention as a whole.

Cheers!

 

If it helps, one of the final things I worked on with Gary was a Gord the Rogue story for Dragon Magazine which was published by Piazo at the time. We had great fun and Gary really liked Erik Mona (the publisher at the time), who is also a huge fan of the Gord stories.
Piazo wanted Gary to be part of the 30th anniversary issue of Dragon to honor him and Gary really appreciated that, by coming to Gary Con Piazo is just continuing to do the same thing, honor him, like we all are.

I'll be quite happy to see them and everybody at Gary Con. The more games the better, just dont drink all my beer!

KR

 

I promise nothing.

 

Hope my kids get to meet you. They really enjoy the Adventurer card game, especially the 9 year old.

 

No, no, no, you get the spotted cow this time. I get the IPA!

 

Likewise, I'll will be great to meet them and play Adventurer a few times.

 

I've actually been curious about the Pathfinder RPG since the beta was released. I still have a pdf copy of the free beta they put out there (as mentioned above). Although I was never able to play test it thoroughly with a group. I did participate in about 3 unmemorable sessions with a DM who was more interested in overwhelming the PCs than completing a story which started out fairly interestingly.

Anyway, in recent months I've been attempting to locate a couple or five people to get involved with 'learning' this system. I didn't want to invest hundreds of dollars just to watch the books collect dust on my shelf with the others (*sigh*). And just a few short weeks ago I stumbled across a young DM who - as he put it himself - has a group of saplings who could use the shade of a wise old oak. As a 45-year old grandfather who has close to 28 years of AD&D experience, I am taking that as a compliment.



So I am actually quite excited to know that PAIZO has offered to send PFS event hosts to GaryCon. I may have to get involved with that as well.

Now if I can just remember to book a room before they're all gone - again. hah hah.