The other get-together I go to is the "Niagara Boardgaming Weekend" (NBW) in Niagara Falls, ON in early February. Had a great time this year, and am looking forward to 2009.
At WBC, I have 100+ friends who I see and game with each year. There are competitive tournaments and open gaming galore -- each year I cut back on the competitive stuff and do more friendly gaming. It's a fun time, and, coming in the middle of summer, it's easy for this teacher to make plans! Niagara is much more laid back, with perhaps 75 attendees. No tourneys, just a ton of open gaming. For the most part, different friends attend NBW, and between the two "cons," I see almost all my gaming buds and get in more than my fill of games. Remember, we have a very active group here in the Rochester area, so I'm never lacking for opponents.
So, why post about this? I guess because another get-together just ended, "Consimworld Expo" (CSW Expo) in Tempe, AZ. I have fun joking about this with the few friends of mine that go, as all the "rah-rah, we're the best" stuff is something I find very funny -- old men counting down days and all that... CSW Expo is one place I have no interest in going to, for several reasons.1. Very few of my friends attend -- I could count them all on both hands and have a few fingers left over.
2. The "con" is dedicated to monster-gaming (big games that teams play and that take days to complete) -- not the kind of games I enjoy.
3. The "con" now boasts people (and even a dedicated room!) playing shorter games -- like I need to fly to Arizona for what I can do at my house any night of the week? And with friends, not strangers in the Arizona desert, no less...
4. I'm an east coast guy for this kind of stuff -- spending money to fly across the country doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me (see: "I can do this from the comfort of my own home, with friends, not strangers").
5. The "con" is always at the end of May/beginning of June -- I'm a teacher, we don't get a week's vacation then!
So, I'm truly happy for the (few) friends I have that go to Tempe for this. Having a good time is what it's all about. But I don't need (nor even want) a fancy hotel, seminars to cut into my gaming time, or a bunch of strangers around to have fun. In fact, I go for the opposite, and am much happier for it. So, I really don't need to be persuaded what a great time this is -- I know it ain't for me. Your mileage may vary...
Until next year at this time.
19 comments:
Here's what I found in my first experience at CSW:
1. I figure I only knew 10 percent of the people there - but mostly online, not in person. I found that I could restrict or expand my interactions as freely as I could at any other convention. I met some terrific people. I enjoyed myself.
2. I am not a monster gamer. However, I pre-arranged to play two days of The Devil's Cauldron. It was very satisfying to go through a gaming experience that was completely unhurried, absorbing, rich in detail, filled with conversation. It's not what I put on the table, it's not what I play by choice, but the environment was very relaxed and enjoyable. I was *very* surprised at how enjoyable this was.
3. The fact is, most of us simply cannot abide extra complexity and endlessly long and convoluted games and gaming. The need, the wish, the demand to be comfortable to play "other stuff" is really a better way to express how it actually felt.
4. I think the big barrier for most people is simply going to be cost. If you can find the atmosphere you want, there's no danged reason to pay the money. I think CSWE is an incredibly good environment and I now wish I could get there *every year*. But the money is a huge factor.
5. Can't argue with bad timing!
The seminars - didn't attend a single one of them. Breakfast - included in your convention fee. Lunch - I used the break station - included in the convention fee. I only purchased dinner.
I loved the fact that there was the absence of the tournament atmosphere. I can see that NBW and GMTE (thinking close to home) are small versions of what CSWE is like.
I was really pleased with the experience - compared with my expectations and concerns (which I share with you). But afterwards, only money is what will keep me away. In any case, I hope to get to NBW!!!!
Your pal,
John
Hmmm, I guess when I went to PrezCon I went cold. I knew 1 person and had never been to a con.
Met a bunch of CSW charecters and made a few new friends. Can't wait to go back -2009 : Feb. 25-Mar 1- and harras Rob to go if he is on vacation :)
Shannon Cooke loves CSW Expo and urged me to go at least once for the experience. Hopefully when my sons are out of college........
New set of CSW charecters :)
The Imp blog was very good today with photos & comments about the Con.
I've only ever been to the WBC (two times) when it was in Hunt Valley, and that was just a "stop-by-and-see-what's-going-on" type of visit. It seemed like a really cool experience! However, as an almost exclusively solitaire gamer, I rarely get a chance to do these kind of things, so cons in general are a foreign concept to me.
Maybe this year I'll stop by Lancaster for a bit to see you, Rob! I'd love to meet "the man behind the blog..." ;-)
John F. (Hell, everyone reading!),
We hope you do make Niagara -- for a "gathering of friends," it's a great 4 days of gaming.
Cheap too...
Justifying the cost of Arizona and some fancy hotel (I go to fancy hotels with my wife, not a bunch of geamy gamers!) ain't in the future. A trip to the grand Canyon maybe, but to "monster" game?
Like I said, I'm glad people have fun -- it's just not the place for me. And I admit I have fun tweaking a few folks who take themselves (and this "con") waaaaaay too seriously.
John B.,
WBC is a lot closer to you. Roncon, too, though this year it looks like we'll have Robcon!
Dave,
Hope you can stop up this year. How far is Lancaster from you?
WBC has always been a lot of fun for me, and I can't imagine replacing it with something else. I just need to figure out how to add Prezcon to the schedule...
Mr. W, I too hope to get to NBW for the "gathering of friends" - this after all is the main point as far as I am concerned.
Your friend,
John
> though this year it looks like we'll have Robcon!
Danged usurper! ;-)
NBW really is a good time. I should come for more than 2 days so I can get a chance to play with more people.
I had a blast at WBC last year. I know it's not "fashionable" lately, but I do really like to try to be a good competitive gamer against the best. Now I've got to figure out a better way to not get bugged by bad luck...... Sigh. :-)
I've got to figure a way to attend the ECC gaming in February as well. It's the mini's equivalent of NBW for me, but it's really hard to be gone two weekends in one month.
Of course, I consider myself very fortunate that there is such a good talented group of gamers in the Rochester-Buffalo area. It's a real privilege playing with so many gamers that really keep you on your toes.
Rob, Lancaster is about an hour's drive for me, so it's not far at all. I have to admit, it was a bit easier to go when it was in Hunt Valley, as that is vitually right on my way to work! So I will definitely try to stop by WBC, if only to finally meet ya in person!
I do RonCon at PrezCon (or will).
WBC also on the to do list in the future.
The single parent thing slowed me down for 15 years.
Life's improving one Con at a time :)
WBC is certainly my personal favorite. The mix of competition (I have 4 "Woods!") and friends is something I wouldn't miss.
NBW is a close second.
4. "...spending money to fly across the country doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me"
You mean like I do to get to NBW? :)
We always wondered why you don't just take a commandeered Canadian Coast Guard Cutter...
They're too slow, unless I steal one of the Cape boats, they'll do 25 knots. You have to stop at all the locks on the Seaway on the way up though, and there's all that ice in the winter.
Bill C and I discussed how an actual "TiCon" would occur in (thinking about) July 2009 - in Ticonderoga of course. It would a smaller gathering for "all sorts of gaming" plus a visit to the Fort. Thinking that we'll be well-placed for visitors from Quebec, Ontario, NY upstate and downstate, NE, (and horrors - PA and NJ, that most bilious degenerate sink)
Ice? Lake Ontario? Winter? No way, man, no way!
July 2009 in Tioconderoga?
Cool beans, I could do that!
Now that's what I'm talking about.
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