So, the world caught fire while I was at work…
I posted something yesterday regarding Longcon, and how best to appeal to people who hadn't been before, what the good and bad points were and what I could do to make sure that it wasn't just people playing with people they already knew.
To say I underestimated the depth of feeling on the matter would be comparing the ice in my drink to the chunk that sunk the Titanic...
I've been at work all day, so I've had time to think about the way I feel about this, and what I need to do to make this more accessible, my solution may be a little...extreme.
But I'm not a man to do things by half measures, and when you're trying to build something great, if I've ever learned anything, it's don't start on a half try...
I agree with all points raised, I agree that the best games are going to be between people who know each other, and that it would be good to have enough games to keep everyone happy whilst not having a massive booking frenzy when the booking opens.
However…
I’ve been organising conventions for a very long time, and if there’s one thing you never escape when it comes to allowing prebooking, it’s the frenzy that follows when the booking opens, that will never be escaped…
Never…
The only way around that is to prevent prebooking and have people sign up on the day, and funny thing, when you do that, all you achieve is a scrum at the sign up sheets on the day or people arrange a game off the books with their friends.
As long as people live and want to play with their friends, this will not change…
And I’m fine with that, there’s nothing that can be done about that, it’s a part of convention life, and when the slots are only four hours long, it’s something where you can take pot luck and hope that it goes well. That isn’t the case here… It’s apparent that a lot of people want in on this, but there is some concern about whether or not games can be done with people who’ve never met, so here’s what I’m proposing to do about it.
I need people to come along to play at Longcon, and I need them to be people who haven’t signed up and arranged in advance to play with their friends, I appreciate this is a big ask, because I can’t help towards the transport or room costs like I can with Expo, but if I’m going to find out if this format works, I need to find a way to test the other side of the games.
Anyone thinking about Longcon, come along this year, sign up for one of several games still remaining, whole bunch of one day games, whole bunch of two days with spaces available, if you don’t see what you want to play, send me a note, if six people all come in asking for a particular game system, I’ll get someone to run it, and here’s the point where I go nuts.
You don’t pay in advance…
At the end of the day/weekend, you come to me and tell me what you thought of it, you tell me if you had a good time or not, if you had a good time, pay the entrance fee, and if you didn’t.
You don’t pay for the convention…
I can’t help with the travel or accommodation fees, but I can help with the rest.
I did this last year for a person who had a bad game at Expo, and they had a good time at Longcon, and as of right now, I’ve covered the cost of the room that I’m hiring at the garrison. Am I aware that it could suddenly cost me a whole lot of money if everyone turns up and says that they had a bad weekend?
Yes…
But I have six different jobs, and I work hard at all of them, so I'm in the rare position (for the first time in my life) of being able to make that offer. If it happens, it will be a lesson learned for me and I’m all for learning, and I have faith that I won't have that many people wanting freebies.
It’s money where the mouth is time, I’m extending this to everyone, both those who’ve already paid for the weekend and those yet to book, because I believe in this format, but I need people to take a leap of faith and give me a day (maybe two) of their time to test it with me. Of games last year, most enjoyed them, one didn’t and didn’t return, everyone else was interested and many couldn’t get the games they wanted, so I put additional games on this year of the ones that people were most disappointed they missed (hence much Dresden), but the GM’s I have this year are all capable and able veterans, so if there’s a game that people really want, let me know.
But talk to me either way, look at the Longcon section of www.thedodd.com and see if there's anything that takes your interest, if there isn't...
Tell me what you want there...
