GenCon 2012 is Coming....

This year I will be heading out to GenCon with my wife and some friends.  Joining us will be Second Generation Awesome Dan and his wife, Ellen.  We will be meeting up with Gamers’ Lounge Bill and his wife too.

Since the tickets to events open up this weekend, we were trying to decide what to do.  In the past when I’ve gone, sometimes I’ve taken on more than I actually ended up wanting to do when I was there.  I enjoy wandering the vendors hall and playing demos of new (or old) games I’ve never tried before.

So for this year, here’s what we’re starting with:

1.       We want to get into a game of True Dungeon.  My wife and I have never played it (this will be her first time at the convention) and we’ve heard good things about it.  Should be fun to get in for a round to see what all the fuss is about.

2.       I’d love to get into a roleplaying game of Iron Kingdoms, but evidently it’s not on the table yet.  Instead we’re signing up for a late-night game of Call of Cthulhu so we can get some good roleplaying in.

3.       We’ll also be going on a local beer tour.  All of us really like craft beers, so being able to head around town to see what’s offered should be fun.  I am a little disappointed that Alcatraz is no longer in business (so I’ve heard) – I thought they had the best beer within walking distance of the convention center.

4.       If possible, we’d like to get a game of Arkham Horror in with someone important.  I remember they used to let you play the games with the creators in the past – not sure if that’s possible, but it would be fun to try.

One thing you’ll notice I will not be doing is playing in any Malifaux tournaments.  Long-time readers will know how little I like tournaments.  Those who have joined up recently now know – I don’t like tournaments.  I’ve been to GenCon twice before and both times I’ve gone, I’ve signed up for a tournament in the game that I happen to be playing at the time (Warmachine both times before).  By the time I finished up at GenCon, I could say with confidence that my day playing in the tournaments has always been my least favorite day of the trip.

The only reason I’d want to play in the tournament is to see how I’d do faced up against other players from around the nation (world?), but the way that Wyrd set up the tournaments this year wouldn’t allow me to do that unless I devote two days to the event.  Rather than having a major tournament, they have a bunch of tournaments all of which allow you to get an invitation to another tournament on Sunday.

It is a little bit of a shame, because it would be fun to see how I would do, but after balancing the fact that what has looked like fun in the past (playing tournaments at GenCon) has actually turned out to be a disappointment, plus the fact I’d have to devote a large amount of time to it, means I’m just going to avoid it altogether.  I’ll have models with me to play pickup games, but no tournaments.