Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2016 18:58:06 GMT
Good stuff in this one. I'm glad to hear from someone really active in organized play campaigns. I know the episode was about more than OP, but it's the part I want to comment on.
I've never played or GMd at a convention, but I ran Adventurer's League at a couple FLGSs for about 18 months. I suspect the experience is very similar, with the biggest differences being the number of surrounding tables and support staff at the convention.
With that in mind, I think Shawn overlooked public games in smaller venues as a good lead-in to GMing at conventions. No matter my experience with home games, I would be very intimidated about running a convention game if not for my experience with AL at local stores. It taught me a lot about handling different player types and group sizes, time management, and other skills he describes as useful in that setting. Again, I've never actually done it, but I'm pretty confident I could sign up to run games at a convention and GM like a boss.
Ultimately, I stopped running AL games because it simply wasn't as rewarding as home games. Nevertheless, I count it as an invaluable experience, and I'd like to see more people step up to the plate; not only because there's a relative dearth of GMs doing it, but because I sincerely believe it will improve the craft of any GM who tries. Whether it's at a convention or game store, I encourage every Blockhead to give it a shot if you have the opportunity.
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DMForeclosure
Squire
Posts: 33
Favorite D&D Class: Wizard
Favorite D&D Race: Gnome
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Post by DMForeclosure on Apr 6, 2016 21:45:25 GMT
I've been running Adventurer's League at my FLGS and it's a mixed bag for me. On one hand, it's great practice and I'm really loving doing Curse of Strahd specifically. It's been a real treat to get super scary and weird in AL. On the other hand, it's making me crazy with extra prep; I run two other campaigns as well that are home ones and are more valuable to me because of the weirdness and worldbuilding I can bake into my homebrew setting.
That being said, it HAS made me want to try running stuff at Cons. It'd be really fun to play not just with my local folks but with the real crazy dedicated people who make it out to conventions. That sounds awesome and terrifying.
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Post by joatmoniac on Apr 7, 2016 2:40:49 GMT
I've run games in both instances, FLGS and Con, for both 5e and Pathfinder. Crazy enough I ran a Con game before I did anything at an FLGS because I knew the guy running things. I was terrified and read that little one shot a ton of times, haha. I haven't found a huge variance between the people who show up in terms of dedication as the cons usually have a lot of other things that could have brought people to the table that haven't played much in the way of RPGs. Then there is of course the people who it is their thing to do organized play at every chance they get. I would definitely advise, as I believe Shawn did, to at least experience a Con game as a player before jumping behind the screen.
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Post by grimmhelm on Apr 9, 2016 14:59:51 GMT
I cut my teeth on D&D at conventions starting with a small UK anime con ALcon and then moving around, it's really where I got my start in Dungeons & Dragons.
From small arena game skirmishes that were 10 to 20 minutes long intended to just teach the basics to small dungeon runs , There really is nothing like it for the good and the bad -it's a decent and quick way to get a bunch of experience as a DM although it can be rather rocky when your practically a first time game runner.
At the time when I started I didn't really have any local friends due to been in a rather...let's say 'unimaginative' area for living and work but I was surprised by the interest in short format rule learning games.
After the first dozen I set up several homebrew settings just for conventions that gave some verity if some players stuck around.
It's also fun to point out this was RIGHT when 4E was starting so began with that, although I found my love for skills challenges using the Critical Hit/Rodrigo Lopez ruleset.
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GM Siron
Commoner
Posts: 5 
Favorite D&D Class: Wizard
Favorite D&D Race: Dwarf
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Post by GM Siron on Apr 9, 2016 18:41:03 GMT
I have run games at several conventions, but they have all been LARPs based on a cross between the World of Darkness and my friend's homebrew setting. I agree with Nevvur that running at my FLGS is a great introduction to running at cons for people looking to break into the scene. Especially when those FLGS are associated with a convention that you are hoping to attend. The FLGS near me regularly attends conventions throughout Virginia as a vendor and these type of people are a great contact point with a convention to try and get in touch with the gaming organizers. If you've ran games at his or her store that have been well received, they would likely recommend you to a convention. Actually, this makes me want to go on a tangent.
Engaging with your FLGS is an important step to anyone looking to break into the con scene. If the store runs organized play for companies like WotC, you can volunteer to run games which will make FLGS happy. Foot traffic is the lifeblood of the FLGS and the more events and games that are ran in the store, the more likely it is that the traffic will generate income for the store, a feat that is getting harder with the expansion of digital media, print-on-demand, and companies like Amazon. Also, it can get you in touch with more experienced DMs who one can approach for advice.
Now, back to running at Cons. If you're looking to get started, you'll definitely want to start with running an established setting through contacts with organized play. As the guest stated, a lot of times, people will play at cons because that is the only forum in which they can find games to play. But this is also a great opportunity to toss out your information if you want to try and get people to play in something homebrew you have. If you are really passionate about running something you've created or if you're trying to market a module you've made, go online and order custom business cards to hand out when you run an organized game with your contact information and then try and set something up later at the convention. Virtually all conventions I've attended have had open gaming tables, some with rooms that are open 24 hours a day while the con is going on. This would be a great chance to test run an encounter or a new world you've been working on. If you are lucky enough to live near a local semi-annual con, this would be a great chance to meet new players and recruit them to your own game that your run on a regular basis if you're looking for more players. The only warning I can issue with con games is that often if you're running an organized game, you pretty much have to let anyone play, unless they start being a severe problem, in which case you have to let the con staff know so they can handle the problem person.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2016 20:11:18 GMT
Those last lines bear repeating, about letting anyone play. Again, I don't have any con experience, but organized play at a convention is even higher stakes than the FLGS, because many of those people paid to have a seat.
I'm curious if that's a point which convention GMs stress over. GMs typically already have a desire to deliver an enjoyable gaming experience, but thinking you have to "get people their money's worth" might be a deterrent to stepping up.
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