Thursday, March 25, 2010

The Weekend Convention

I have decided I am going to go to the RPG/Wargamer’s convention this weekend; we were planning on running 12 hours on Saturday, and the players have definitely decided that we are (I have no say in these things), so I’m only going to go on Friday night, with a couple of the fellows (players). It will be the first time I’ve attended a convention of this nature since 1989 (other conventions, yes, but not RPG).

I don’t expect to have a good time.

I do expect to see a lot of crap for sale, and to hear a lot of nonsensical bullshit pitched for the benefit of the community, and to hear those same sappy speeches as people get up and thank everyone and flatter everyone and generally act like typical middle class boobs with regards to why we’re all there. I will roll my eyes until they ache, no doubt. It is one of the things that always sickens me at these events – can’t we just fucking play? Do we have to hear the organizers pound their puds on the microphone?

But I’ll escape to the lobby for those things, possibly out of the building altogether from time to time. I don’t expect to play in any games (unless my players really insist on it), I definitely don’t intend to buy anything (what would I buy?) and I think there’s a fair chance I’ll be disenchanted with the degredation of the community as I’ll see it.

Why don’t I want to play in any games? First and foremost, because I can’t be bothered with a character I know won’t exist after a single running. Listen, if I want to have one night of fun, I’ll go to a bar, find a hot chick, bring her home to my wife and watch them go at it. That’s as much of a one-night stand as I’m interested in. Besides, there’s the whole thing about having to put up with someone else’s rules, someone else’s angst, someone else’s philosophy. Sorry, if it isn’t evident from this blog, I’m an enormously intolerant person. I might get a few ideas from some gaming tables if I see something, but I don’t need to play to get that.

So why am I going?

It was suggested that I make up some businesscards with Tao of D&D and hand them out, to push up interest in the blog, but that seems awfully cheesy and I won’t be doing it.

I do expect that I’ll get some material for this blog – things to bitch about, details about behavior and such that will reawaken my experience from years ago and remind me ... oh yeah ... why I so hate such events with the burning fever of a thousand cholera victims. There’s a certain visceral pleasure to be derived from ritualistically casting out the ‘true believers,’ digging them out in their lair with the intention of raising the light of intellect and crying, ‘begone cancerous filth.’ I used to do such things in the days when I visited Pentacostal churches.

MOSTLY, however, I am going because I am hoping for that one really good conversation with another discontented soul who has also gone to see the soulless masses fritter and cavort with one another. Some other entity with a world, a bad attitude and an interest in digging down and talking about the subject. These are the sorts of rare persons I sometimes meet at Sex trade shows or at special campus lectures ... people of my ilk who also want to meet people of my ilk.

If I come back and say that I had a good time, you will know that I found such a person.

9 comments:

  1. 1. I've been reading this blog all morning. It has been a rather humbling experience. I need to think about economics.
    2. I've allowed myself to be lured into con situations a couple of time over the last 10 years- I always end up hiding in my hotel room or sneaking out. I never go to any sort of panel.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ive never been to a con Im 14 ive only just started roleplaying i own 3e DnD COC but im starting my career with Microlite.

    Thats not the point the point of this is i want to say how much i enjoy your blog. It says it how it is where as people suck up to the RPG as if its the dogs bollocks its really not and i understand alot of what you say.
    To be honest i doubt ill ever go to a con involving Histoey ( my main interest) Or roleplaying (my other main interest) Soo i wish you the best of look continuing this blog and i await the bitching that will follow after your trip to the Con.

    Regards

    Steve

    ReplyDelete
  3. In 30 years of gaming I've never once been to a con. I guess it just never occured to me to participate in a gaming community outside of the friends I already play with. I've gotten curious about them lately while reading the con-related posts on the blogosphere... so of course I'm looking forward to your observations Alexis.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Roleplaying has always been something like a sacred act for me, which sounds ABSOLUTELY FUCKING retarded.

    It's like sex-- I only want to do it with a few select people I can trust.

    My experiences with RPing outside that group are very similar to my one-night stands. I always end up feeling hollow and used, and not having derived much satisfaction.

    For those reasons and the ones you specified Alexis, I would say not to bother, if only because I know that I wouldn't really enjoy it.

    With that said, you have decided to go, and I hope you make the best of it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I was planning on not going, but I may end up there anyways. I know Pat was planning on running a retro-game of D&D.

    I havn't been to a con since 1982. I have no idea what they are like these days.

    ReplyDelete
  6. If you do go, Paladin, I am there Friday night only, and I'll have a red shirt on. You will recognize me by my long hair.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You know what happens to red shirts! Are you sure you wouldn't rather wear your blue or yellow shirt instead?

    You'll recognize me by my brooding gaze and hand-on chin pose...

    ;D

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ha. Scotty wore a red shirt. Doesn't happen to everyone.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Fraid we missed each other. I was in the 'strategy' room, running a Magic Realm game.

    ReplyDelete

If you wish to leave a comment on this blog, contact alexiss1@telus.net with a direct message. Comments, agreed upon by reader and author, are published every Saturday.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.