Gaming Convention Survival Guide
by Mike Shea on 28 March 2011
Having just gotten back from PAX East (an awesome time) and now being a veteran of four Gencons, I think I have enough data to write my personal survival guide for attending gaming conventions. While I've never had a terrible time, I discovered a few things that helped me squeeze more fun out of a three day gaming convention. I listed the tips below in order of importance.
Get water and drink it
If we follow Maslow's heircharchy of needs, we want to start with food and drink. Buy a big bottle of water the minute you arrive and fill it throughout the con. I like big 1 liter bottles I can carry around the whole time. For some better flavor, buy a bunch of single-serving low calorie flavor packs. If you're a caffeine hound, pick up the energy versions of the same packets. They pack easily, don't cost too much, and help you avoid spending up to $100 just in drinks at the con. I prefer to buy a big bottle at the con but others bring their own reusable water bottles and it works just as well. So number one, get a big water bottle and refill it often.
Get food
Food is a lot harder to come by. Con food almost always sucks and costs a fortune. Local restaurants are packed at all the typical times you'd expect. Unlike a good water bottle, you can't simply bring your food from home. You can bring some, however. Bring a stash of high calorie nutrition bars, dried fruit, trail mix, or jerky to keep on hand for those long gaming sessions. You're looking for a high amount of calories per ounce to make up the weight. Just keep in mind the bar you're eating might be 300 calories instead of the 150 you might expect.
Try to find a restaurant off of the beaten path to patron. At Gencon in Indy, we found a Panera that's great for breakfasts and a Subway that is awesome for lunches. Pick up some sandwiches for lunch early in the morning so you don't have to run off during lunch with everyone else.
Instead of sitting down at a nice restaurant, order your food to go. At PAX we saved ourselves an hour by ordering burgers at the local hotel restaurant to go and eating at a table right outside the restaurant. You can even phone in your order and go pick it up instead of waiting in line at a place like the Noodle Company (thanks to the Chatty DM for this tip!) It even saves you money on the tip.
Pack like a backpacker
Backpacks are perfect bags for cons. They're easy to carry, lightweight, and leave your hands free. Try packing for your trip like a backpacker. Think about the weight of the stuff you're going to bring. There are two philosophies that can help you here:
Bring what you NEED, not what you think you MIGHT need.
Buy it there. Set yourself an allowance to buy stuff you might otherwise pack but aren't likely to use. Don't bring an umbrella, just buy one if you end up needing it. Forget your toothbrush? Ask the hotel staff for one. They usually keep a small stash of supplies for guests.
When it comes to gaming supplies, take only what you know you need to run a game. I never brought a single 4e rulebook to the last few cons I went to and didn't have any trouble running 4e games. Someone always has the rules handy. Instead, I have a slim plastic folder with just the materials I need to run the games I know I'm going to run. Gamemastery Flip Maps, wet-erase markers, gaming tokens, the DM book from the red box (for the monsters and traps up to level 5), the D&D Encounter pregen characters, and my dice. That's about all I really need.
If you're having trouble deciding what games to bring, go for the smaller and lighter ones. Bring Zombie Dice instead of Dominion. Bring the Dragon Age RPG instead of Wrath of Ashardalon. Running Gamma World? Stick to just the core book and half a deck of Alpha Mutations and Omega Tech.
Stick your gaming stuff in zip-loc bags instead of boxes. Tear off a small corner of the bag to let it deflate and lie flat.
I've written up some other tips for packing light in general at my personal blog. They work just as nicely for a gaming convention as they do anywhere else.
Stay healthy
We've all heard about Con Crud. We all remember the story of the swine flu at PAX in 2008. Wash your hands all the time. Try to avoid shaking hands with every person you meet. Give them a good salute or the iron cross or something else. Bring hand sanitizer but also wash your hands as often as you can. Pack Pepto tablets in case the con food starts hitting you hard. Bring some Advil or Tylenol in case you start coming down with something. If you start feeling really bad, do everyone a favor and go rest in your room instead of spreading the plague.
With the basics behind us, now let's talk about how to have the most fun out of a con.
Set goals, not a schedule
The most fun I've had at all of the gaming conventions I've gone to have been unscheduled events. Instead of filling up your entire schedule, set goals for what you most want to do. Whatever plans you think you have will either fall apart or you'll wish they had as you find yourself missing some of the better random games that just pop up. Gaming with friends I don't normally see is high on my list. Waiting in line is pretty low. I prefer running games to playing them but sometimes I need a break. At PAX I made only two scheduled events in three days: the DM Challenge and the House Rule seminar. The rest of the time was completely open and I got to play and run a lot of great gaming sessions.
When an event ends up high on your list of goals, get the tickets early and plan around them. While I plan on very few scheduled events at Gencon, I always try to make the True Dungeon at least once and tickets for that event are hard to come by.
Avoid the herd
Figure out ways to avoid the herds. I played in my favorite D&D games at PAX East during the keynote session. I can always watch the keynote on Youtube but I can't get into that same awesome group and play four sessions of Encounters without having to wait in line. Don't try getting breakfast at 8am or lunch at noon. Push your schedule ahead or back two or three hours to avoid waiting in huge lines.
Think about what you want most from the convention and keep yourself flexible to make it happen.
Run a game instead of play in one
It turns out it's a lot easier to run a game than it is to play in one. When I saw that the D&D Dungeon Delve line was thick and lacking DMs, I offered to help and ended up running two awesome Delves. I don't think I ever saw Tracy of SarahDarkmagic.com anywhere but behind the DM screen. If you want to get a lot of gaming in, volunteer to run games at the show. I prefer to offer myself up when I'm actually at the convention instead of before-hand. It's probably hell on the organizers, but it gives me a little flexibility if I decide I'm not in the mood. Of course, this means I may miss out on the judging perks.
Swim with a buddy
Bring a partner to your gaming convention. All of these conventions are a lot more fun when you have someone with whom you can sit, eat, play Magic, or just chat. Having a buddy means someone can watch your bag when you need to go to the john or save your place in line at the pizza joint. Obviously, your buddy should be someone you will get along with very well.
More than two or three people, however, and now you start running into logistical challenges. It's harder to find a place to eat. You get into decisions by committee instead of just two people picking a place. Traveling as a big group instead of just two or three people can end up as a disadvantage instead of an advantage.
Staying light, loose, and flexible
Enjoying a gaming convention comes first and foremost from being prepared, staying flexible, and grabbing onto the best moments when they arrive in front of you. Pack light, stay healthy, and set your goals to have the best time you can.
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