Valhalla

I'm a girl who reads, writes, games, and now blogs. These are my thoughts about my gaming life.

Recommend

The Gen Con Defense

Posted by Valerie Emerson

10 Aug 2011

Valerie Emerson

(valkyrie47)

United States
Milwaukee
Wisconsin

I went to Gen Con with Doug last week, carpooling with another couple to save on gas and for the extra company on the road. I had a wonderful time, ate badly, played board games, played RPG’s, and spent more money on one week than I have since I was in college racking up student loans.

But it’s okay. I have the Gen Con Defense. ‘It’s Gen Con, I have to eat out every day!’ ‘It’s Gen Con, and I earmarked this money for Gen Con. Therefore, it’s okay to spend $100.00 on Fortune and Glory: The Cliffhanger Game. And then $50 for The Ares Project.’ And so on.

And I stand by that defense. devil

I had a wonderful time, and I’m already plotting things for next year with Doug. For instance, we’re thinking about getting a room in a hotel that’s connected to the convention center. Doug has some convincing things to say in favor of that, despite the extra cost. It’d be less hassle than driving in every day, we can just run back to the room for a break or to drop off the last purchase whenever we feel like it, and if we have two different things we want to do we can split up without worrying about keeping tabs on each other the whole time. We both have cell phones, but some places in the Convention Center are so loud I can’t hear it ring, and apparently vibrate doesn’t help me either. So. This seems like a good idea, and more tempting all the time. And I have twelve months to save up the money for my share of the room.

And there’s the Gen Con Defense. As long as we’re there, as long as we planned for this expense, then it’s okay. Right? Right!

There was a lot to see and do, and I didn’t get to do half of what I’d hoped, but I think my time was well spent anyway. Next year I’ll plan better, and actually get into an event or two, but this was a good year to just see what Gen Con is all about and enjoy the new experience.

We ordered our badges in advance and had them mailed to us (which I really recommend, after seeing the Will Call line!) and picked up our swag bags pretty quickly. We got a quick pass-through of the Exhibition Hall in, then settled in for our day of RPGs. We had some Ptolus and then some D&D. Both were fun games with excellent GM’s. Friday and Saturday were mainly about board games, and I did some demoing and shopping. The best game I demoed was Fortune and Glory, but I also picked up Ninja: Legend of the Scorpion Clan too, without knowing too much about it 'cause the AEG guys sold me on it. I wrote a review for F&G, my first, and after a couple more Ninja plays I think that’ll be review number two. I missed out on a few games I was interested in – sadly, Elder Sign sold out before I made up my mind about it, and the same thing happened with Ninjato. I got to demo Battles of Westeros, and have now ordered it online. It will be mine very shortly. I’d better finish painting my Earth Reborn miniatures soon so I can get cracking on these other games! I got some Game Science dice and a new RPG, The One Ring, that I need to study up on so I can run it.

I had a few memorable moments. I actually met Tom Vasel, briefly, when he was walking around with my friend Cate. We were headed one way and they were going the other, though, so I managed not to gush at him about how much I love his podcast and videos

I took part in the big math trade, and I am so glad I got half my trades taken care of before the actual meet up because that was chaos. There were so many people in amazing costumes, I wish I’d gotten more pictures. In short, Gen Con was a blast. This was the first real vacation I’ve had in years, and I am so glad I decided to go. There are a few smaller cons to look forward to in the next year, but I’m pretty sure Gen Con will crown all the other gaming conventions I go to.

10 Comments

Thu Aug 11, 2011 4:06 am

Post Comment

Rik Van Horn

(Rokkr)

United States
Livonia
New York

Hah, I was working at the Z-Man booth. Were you the lady that asked about demos for Ares Project, looked at my copy in the lobby and then came back and bought it?

Posted Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:45 am
- Choose your Dice
  - d4
  - d6
  - d8
  - d10
  - d12
  - d20
  - d100
  - Help
  - Roll
  - Comment (Optional)
- Reply
- Quote

Valerie Emerson

(valkyrie47)

United States
Milwaukee
Wisconsin

Yes

I haven't gotten the chance to play yet but I want to get it to the table soon.

Posted Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:51 pm
- Choose your Dice
  - d4
  - d6
  - d8
  - d10
  - d12
  - d20
  - d100
  - Help
  - Roll
  - Comment (Optional)
- Reply
- Quote

Eddie Drood

(eddie_drood)

United States

Florida

Seriously, call Kenny Loggins because you're in the Danger Zone!

M, as in Mancy

Quote:

In short, Gen Con was a blast. This was the first real vacation I’ve had in years, and I am so glad I decided to go. There are a few smaller cons to look forward to in the next year, but I’m pretty sure Gen Con will crown all the other gaming conventions I go to.

Thanks for writing that! I haven't been able to make it to the King of Cons for years so I always greedily read people's con reports. Maybe if I print enough of them out and roll on them, it'll be like being there...

Posted Thu Aug 11, 2011 2:47 pm
- Choose your Dice
  - d4
  - d6
  - d8
  - d10
  - d12
  - d20
  - d100
  - Help
  - Roll
  - Comment (Optional)
- Reply
- Quote

Deano Ware

(dcware)

United States
Farmington Hills
Michigan

Sounds like you had fun. I was there also but did not get to demo Fortune and Glory. I do expect to purchase it hopefully at a discount from my FLGS.

As for the connected room. They can run as much as $250 per night for the three/four nights which can take up everything you spent this time around even just paying half that.

The closest I came to being in a connected hotel was a year when I stayed downtown in the quad (big circle area around the statute). It was only a five minute walk to the convention center. I paid about $150 per night and would not do it again. I also thought I was save on parking each day (which runs about $20 per day) but the hotel charged $15 per day just to park in their garage and what made it worse was you had no "in and out" privileges so if you left you had to pay an additional $15.00 to get back in.

Also those connected rooms book up at least a year in advance. So you would literally need to book one NOW for next year.

Posted Thu Aug 11, 2011 8:10 pm
- Choose your Dice
  - d4
  - d6
  - d8
  - d10
  - d12
  - d20
  - d100
  - Help
  - Roll
  - Comment (Optional)
- Reply
- Quote

Glenn Nelsen

(GeeWhiz)

United States
Brick
New Jersey

Which hotels do connect?

Posted Fri Aug 12, 2011 6:11 am
- Choose your Dice
  - d4
  - d6
  - d8
  - d10
  - d12
  - d20
  - d100
  - Help
  - Roll
  - Comment (Optional)
- Reply
- Quote

Valerie Emerson

(valkyrie47)

United States
Milwaukee
Wisconsin

dcware wrote:

The closest I came to being in a connected hotel was a year when I stayed downtown in the quad (big circle area around the statute). It was only a five minute walk to the convention center. I paid about $150 per night and would not do it again. I also thought I was save on parking each day (which runs about $20 per day) but the hotel charged $15 per day just to park in their garage and what made it worse was you had no "in and out" privileges so if you left you had to pay an additional $15.00 to get back in.

Also those connected rooms book up at least a year in advance. So you would literally need to book one NOW for next year.

Yeah I definitely have to keep the extra cost in mind. It'll take more planning and saving, probably, but Doug assures me that it'll be worth it. And it'll probably be my one big vacation of the year, I might as well go all out.

Posted Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:22 pm
- Choose your Dice
  - d4
  - d6
  - d8
  - d10
  - d12
  - d20
  - d100
  - Help
  - Roll
  - Comment (Optional)
- Reply
- Quote

Valerie Emerson

(valkyrie47)

United States
Milwaukee
Wisconsin

GeeWhiz wrote:

Which hotels do connect?

Here is a list:

http://www.icclos.com/Visitor_Info/Indy_Hotels/

Posted Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:25 pm
- Choose your Dice
  - d4
  - d6
  - d8
  - d10
  - d12
  - d20
  - d100
  - Help
  - Roll
  - Comment (Optional)
- Reply
- Quote

Rhonda Bender

(Wren)

United States
Knoxville
Tennessee

What Deano reports about rooms does not completely match my experience (I've attended Gen Con every year it's been in Indy and always stayed in a downtown hotel, though not usually in one of the big three directly across from the ICC.) Hubby and I always just have us in the room, so there may be additional expenses for those who want an extra cot or squeeze in more people or need adjoining suites or whatever.

The Gen Con housing bureau sets up a con rate with every hotel in the immediate radius. The con rate does not vary that widely with the quality of the hotel, and this year ranged from $160 - $180 or so per night for 2 people occupancy. We've stayed at the Omni and the Holiday Inn, and the price for the hotel did not vary more than $15-$20 a night.

If you drive, the parking costs are where things vary more per hotel. As of this year, there did not seem to be any hotels with free parking, so parking will range from $15 to $25+ per day depending on whether you want to move your car around through various self parking lots or how much your hotel charges for valet parking. I hate the additional valet parking cost, but not enough to get too creative about avoiding it. You can research these charges from the list of con hotels in advance of booking. A few hotels offer free breakfast, which can offset that expense a little.

Factoring in parking and breakfast, the cheaper hotels are usually the ones that are a few blocks away from the ICC, and not connected via the tubes. They are in walking distance to drop stuff off, but just far enough that you might get a little sweaty doing it. We've almost always stayed in one of these hotels and we grumble about it, but so far the savings has trumped the slight annoyance of walking a little bit further in the heat.

Once you have a badge, when housing registration goes live, you can pick from any of the lot. Gen Con does NOT have the entirety of any hotel, and lots of them sell out quickly, within a couple of hours, if not a day. So if you want a particular hotel, you want to be ready to register when it goes live. Having a list of 3-5 acceptable hotels ready is probably also a good idea. Even if you miss a hotel, you can get on a waiting list with the housing bureau and they will notify you when rooms become available. A friend of mine was able to get a room this way a week before the Con this year.

Hotel space is actually less contentious now because three large new hotels were completed early this year.

If you register on your own, the rates are much higher, whether you do it now or close to the Con. The hotels know they can reach capacity during the Con, and they charge for it. $250, $300 and higher are numbers I've heard.

If you sign up for the Gen Con email updates, they will keep you well updated about the dates and times for badge, hotel and event registration. Just as with buying a badge to avoid the giant lines, planning the hotel well in advance will save you a lot of headache!

Posted Fri Aug 12, 2011 4:39 pm
- Choose your Dice
  - d4
  - d6
  - d8
  - d10
  - d12
  - d20
  - d100
  - Help
  - Roll
  - Comment (Optional)
- Reply
- Quote

Valerie Emerson

(valkyrie47)

United States
Milwaukee
Wisconsin

That is really helpful. Thank you

Posted Fri Aug 12, 2011 5:59 pm
- Choose your Dice
  - d4
  - d6
  - d8
  - d10
  - d12
  - d20
  - d100
  - Help
  - Roll
  - Comment (Optional)
- Reply
- Quote

Jim

(boathouselooper)

United States
Oshkosh
Wisconsin

Wren wrote:

What Deano reports about rooms does not completely match my experience

Same here. I've been to GenCon Indy for the last 4 years. I pay the "premium" to have a room close to the ICC. My first year at GenCon Indy I had stayed near the airport and saved a bit on the hotel. However, driving in each day (and back out) and trying to find a parking place was a pain. I did find parking for less than $10 but it was 6 blocks away. Walking with a box of games is not very fun.

This year I paid $189 per night at the JW Marriot and gladly coughed up the $32 per day for valet parking (plus a tip to the valet to "park it in a good spot"). That's probably on the higher end. The Crowne Plaza, while not connected via tubes, is very close too and the valet parking was cheaper.

I look at it like this - I can forget about my vehicle while I'm at the con and enjoy myself. If I need to load up my vehicle (which I shouldn't because the hotel is connected) I can just call the valet number and have them bring it around, load it up, and repark it. I actually did this on my check out day. I loaded up my truck, had them repark it and back to the ICC I went.

Also, you are already spending a lot of money on the con as it is. For me, debating between walking 6 blocks and paying $10 versus walking 1 and paying another $20 is a no brainer, especially if I am going to be carrying a lot of swag and/or loot. It's like buying a new release at the con versus waiting for it to hit your favorite online retailer. You're paying a premium to have it early.

IMHO, you should at least try the hotels connected to the ICC. Sure, it costs a bit more but it is very convenient. For me, I wouldn't go back to the cheaper, further away hotels. YMMV.

Posted Tue Aug 16, 2011 4:50 pm
- Choose your Dice
  - d4
  - d6
  - d8
  - d10
  - d12
  - d20
  - d100
  - Help
  - Roll
  - Comment (Optional)
- Reply
- Quote

Valhalla

The Gen Con Defense

Search

Subscribe

Categories

Contributors