If things stay pat for me then I hope to be joining / running games with you guys next year. Is it too early to be testing the waters for interest in games for next year? :lol:
I am already looking forward to next year! I may even try to bring the kids (but that may have to wait for GC5). One comment/suggestion: I don't know what the exact reasoning was, but the hotel not having the kitchen/restaurant open during the con was a little inconvenient. Especially since it's a few miles from town. Maybe it was to keep the open gaming tables free, I don't know. The staff said it was for the season, but it seems if you are going to have hundreds of people coming to a con at your hotel, maybe you can open up the kitchen? My wife and I are early risers (and from the East coast, so an extra hour early there!), so having to drive into town for coffee and breakfast? Not ideal, but not the end of the world, either. Other than that, (well, and the fact they ran out of coffee for the in-room machines) those were the only (minor) issues with an otherwise great weekend.
The upside to the kitchen being closed was that no one hassled me about bringing in outside food and drinks. I always resent the markups and limited selection convention venues try to force on their patrons.
Had an absolutely great time. Everybody is just so friendly and nice it's almost like visiting family. I have been to two other Cons before and this one is the only I ever want to go to every again. I like playing the older games too because I feel that they have a better feel to them. However I played Hackmaster Basic and I want to bring my group into playing it as well. One thing that did bother me was that I did not realize that I could have signed up for games ahead of time. There were some games I wanted to play at the Con but they were filled up before I even got there! Still had a good time running my first game at Gary Con (Dreadwood) and I will definitely come back again next year!
A thing I really liked was that the catered food was not only good it was affordable. Those big hot dogs yum!
And now you know why the kitchen was closed... kidding aside, I too felt the pain of having to drag the family into town to get breakfast and then get back in time for games. But I had a thought spurred by two things: first, I'm lucky, I live close (48 minutes to get home). Second, I saw a bunch of other people doing similar stuff. Next year I think I'm bringing a toaster and or other appliance and my own food. It won't be a great breakfast, but the kids will be fine with toaster waffles or pop tarts or something - and then the rush won't be on. Because whether the kitchen is open and we don't use it because of the cost, or the kitchen is closed, we still face the same issue. One thing I did not try was the food that was there - though some folks who did at tables I played at were complaining about the prices....
The food they served last year was pretty crappy and the prices pretty awful. It is my understanding that we did not buy enough to pay the staff last year, to which my reply would be that if the food had been better, we might. If I had my way, I'd have a really big grill outside the Virtual Porch and I'd be grillin' tubular meats. (I am credited with being a 19th Level Weber Master.)
I should be more supportive because it was an awesome time. My kids had a blast and are already planning for next year - "get us is more games! we don't want to swim next year!"
That is a great idea...hmmm....would they let us put a grill out there? They had the fire pit, and folks had that ablaze, so the flames can't be an issue....
Let me be the first to volunteer for Eatin' with the Old Guard. I will do a 90 or 120 minute turn at the grill, and proceeds can go the Con or the Memorial Fund.
In regard to food, it is off-season for the hotel, but from what I understand, the kitchen wasn't open due to rennovations/change of managment. Last year, the food was excellent (I got an $8 steak that I swear was Filet Mignon) and they allowed you to order pizza or whatever from outside as well. Hopefully that will be back next year, because it was a pain getting food, especially when no one will deliver before 4. I ended up trying a half-a-dozen restaurants and none of the meals was as good as what I got from the hotel last year, including from Anthony's. I find it really hard to believe that it wasn't cost-efficient to feed 300 people for three days in one location. If it wasn't, they should up the prices a little, because they weren't bad. In regard to events, make sure to pre-reg next year to get a shot at the VIP and other popular games.
You are correct to the reason why the restaurant was closed. The resort had just re-opened. The restaurant will be back next year- and we will have the entire area again to play games & eat food in the open gaming area. So that will be a huge improvement. We are already working with the resort on the new menu. We had a sit down meeting with them on Monday- we work quick. So, come hungry next year because we will work hard to get the food we want to eat.
I liked the sandwiches in the box. I bought them last year and this. It's a great option to buy one, eat half and save the other half for a couple hours later - whilst gaming (especially LeMans ~ when the racing gets really competitive and you can't leave the table!!)
It was great to meet so many cool folks at that convention. Hanging out with Greywolf, Dramaman, descoto(Pete) and his charming daughter (they played in two of my games--Gamma World and Marvel Superheroes), as well as several people from the Dragonsfoot and Garycon forums. Not too mention, getting to spend more time with my fellow DGS co-founders, Michael and Colin--whom showed me some good musicians over on Youtube while hanging out in their room. I also had the opportunity to meet and talk with Frank Mentzer--always great chatting with him--and this time, he taught me how to play Ticket To Ride! Others I met were, Mike Carr--who, after signing my DMG, PH and MM, seemed to enjoy taking a nostalgic read through my DMG, even pointing out to me that all of those little pictures found within the corners of the pages, were placed there almost as an afterthought in order to fill the blank spaces. A fact I had been unaware of. I also had fun talking to Harold Johnson, who was also kind enough to sign those same books as Carr, Jon Pickens and I had several lengthy conversations regarding literature and a gaggle of other topics. Jon, if you read this, I still need your signature on my books, I just never seemed to have them whenever we spoke. But wait, there is more! I also met "Zeb" Cook, who signed my Oriental Adventures setting book. And I got to talk with the ever-amiable, Jim Ward. Just before leaving on Sunday, I was fortunate enough to be able to get my copy of 2nd edition Villains and Vigilantes signed by both Jeff Dee and Jack Herman! I met a lot of people, and sadly I did not get the names of all whom I chatted with while there. Paul Stormberg and I met of all places in the hallway going to the rooms, I saw him again on the stairs going down to the game area; he is a really nice guy. And if anyone from the comic book conversation on Saturday morning reads this, know I enjoyed our hour-long discussion on DC and Marvel characters. Well I know I missed mentioning people--Dale, Luke and all the rest of the Garycon staff, you guys were great! But to cut it short, I'll just say, I always like the personable nature of this convention. I'm already thinking of games I will run at GaryconIV, maybe next year, I'll run some Gangbusters!
I've got a great shot of your "LeMans" wardrobe that I'll have to post, Rhu! You were definitely in style for the race! I'm all for the grill idea -I think it's great! I can smell the brats and burgers already!
I'd be down with that. I would even be willing to bring my smoker. I'm sure I could get a few racks of ribs down at the Piggly-Wiggly. I do a mean smoked salmon, too, but I'm not sure how the logistics of that would work out, since it requires 24-hours of refrigerated curing before smoking. Might get dicey with my 6+ hour drive.
i swear i had a smoker conversation with Red Wizard and another guy at the bar for almost a half hour. edit: just before getting killed by grodog in Aliens
that was me (John), and another one of my innumerable Con highlights: talkin bout smokin meat! Actually I was in another conversation with Dave Lawson about something else, and it veered off the rails into smokin territory. IIRC, it was Thursday night, and you were talking about using applewood? The other guy was (or maybe you are) the dead games society dude (chad?). Or was this on Friday, when Scott (Maclaird) and I managed to run off Zeb Cook?
