Forge Presence at Dexcon 7?

[Dregg]

I was Just wondering who from the Forge is attending Dexcon 7 in July?
The Convention really wants to work with us and time is running thin.
I myself am going under the Gotham Gamers Guild Demo Team (G3DT), which is a RPG/Cardgame Demo Team that works under the Banner of NerdNYC. There are 3 Confirmed going to run Demos (myself Included), and I was wonding who was going to Dexcon that might want to help support the Forge. If not by helping Man the Booth, but mayhap printing up and help distribute flyers? Run Programming?

I know the Con Owner wants to finalize the schedule really soon, and I want to give them an Idea of what we are doing.

Any Ideas?

[Michael S. Miller]

The link for Dexcon is http://www.dexposure.com/dexcon7.html

Speaking for myself, I have to check my schedule and my budget. Plus, July is prime "get thy stuff together before GenCon time"  In short, I'll let you know before the end of the week. You mention nerdNYC--does that mean Luke Crane and his Forge East booth will be there?

[Dregg]

The link for Dexcon is http://www.dexposure.com/dexcon7.html

Speaking for myself, I have to check my schedule and my budget. Plus, July is prime "get thy stuff together before GenCon time"  In short, I'll let you know before the end of the week. You mention nerdNYC--does that mean Luke Crane and his Forge East booth will be there?

Actualy as fan as I know Luke and the Burning Wheel crew will not be there. I was speaking to the head Nerd and he will most likely be there on Saturday and Sunday helping out. I am trying to get as many as I can to do some support, but I very little time to do so, So I need to get a head count befroe I do anything, but I know I need to get info to the con pretty quickly.

[buggy]

I'm part of what the local larp contingent is calling the New Jersey LARPlift.  Dexcon will be hosting a LARP convention at the same time, and we're bringing a whole bunch of games.  I urge people to try them out.

If you are unsure about doing LARP, some good introductory/transition games that I know will be run there are "All the President's Zombies," "Humans vs. Monsters: Diplomacy", and "Trapped."

[Dregg]

I'm part of what the local larp contingent is calling the New Jersey LARPlift.  Dexcon will be hosting a LARP convention at the same time, and we're bringing a whole bunch of games.  I urge people to try them out.

If you are unsure about doing LARP, some good introductory/transition games that I know will be run there are "All the President's Zombies," "Humans vs. Monsters: Diplomacy", and "Trapped."

Thank you for the offer...
As I'm sure LARPs are really dreamy-Nifty, right now I'm trying to urge Indie designers to come out and run some games at Dexcon7.
You mention you are bring a whole bunch of games... which ones?

[JamesSterrett]

I'll be there, though wearing my Attack Vector: Tactical  boardgame hat. Can't help you with a booth, but I'm happy to chat.  :)

[Dregg]

I'll be there, though wearing my Attack Vector: Tactical  boardgame hat. Can't help you with a booth, but I'm happy to chat.  :)

Always happy to chat =)
There so far will be 4 of us and some of the Indie games that will be represented will be

Burning Wheel
Bad Muthas
Bulldogs!
Kill Puppies for Satan
Tools of Magick

As confirmed of this morning

It's a small start, but at least we will have a presence...
I need to make a Forge poster for the Booth

[Helvetian]

Once we get the program book for DEXCON 7 done and off to the printer this month, I'll be turning my attention to logistics.  Naturally, I follow the threads here that discuss what works best for you guys.  So, please do keep chiming in with what you need at a convention, to best promote your games.  I can't promise the earth and sky, but I will certainly do my best to accommodate your needs.

I was thinking about the problems of demoing recently, and some questions occurred to me.  I know it must be inconvenient to run a new or lesser-known game at a regular RPG table, since those usually are away from the walk-by traffic that's so important for getting others interested.  But on the other end of that, there isn't always all that much room on a demo/display table, for both displaying products and demoing as effectively as possible.  Especially if you want people to be able to sit while they play, to allow more people behind them to watch. And then, of course, there's the question of if you're the only one manning your table and aren't comfortable walking away out of site of it for a game.

This really seems more a problem for RPGs than other games.  Generally speaking, the board games are already set up on the table, and card game demos usually just don't take up that much room.  Obviously, there are always exceptions.

Would it be helpful to have one or two tables with chairs reserved in a high-traffic area (like the area near the elevator bank), specifically for running demos?  Obviously, not everyone's table would be in line of sight, but I'd try to arrange for those working singly to be placed with that in mind.  For those unfamiliar with our set-up, Double Exposure doesn't use an exhibition hall, because we'd rather have the companies out where all the walk-by traffic is.  Naturally, there'd be a schedule worked out for the use of those tables so that everyone has a couple turns throughout the event.  Not that it would be the only place to demo, of course.  Or to run games.  The display and RPG tables are still perfectly fine.  But, I was thinking it might offer the use of a more central and comfortable area for the purposes of exposing more people to games they are more likely to be unfamiliar with.

Thoughts?  Would it be helpful?  Would it really not?  I haven't worked as a demoer, so obviously I have much less first-hand experience with what works than you guys do.

Rebecca Badurina
Programming Director (<-- Look, Dregg! I got promoted! That'll learn me ;-)
Double Exposure, Inc.
becca@dexposure.com

ps:  Anyone that I've neglected to contact, who would like to join us at DEXCON, *PLEASE* contact me ASAP.  Just because you didn't get an email certainly doesn't mean you aren't wanted.  It just means that my company list isn't complete yet.

[buggy]

Thank you for the offer...
As I'm sure LARPs are really dreamy-Nifty, right now I'm trying to urge Indie designers to come out and run some games at Dexcon7.
You mention you are bring a whole bunch of games... which ones?

Well, do LARPs count as indie RPGs?  If so, then I'm personally bringing one called Humans vs. Monsters: Diplomacy (which lightly uses a system called Rules to Live By) and one entitled "Colonel Sebastian T. Rawhide's Circus of the Spectacular" (which uses a system called MENKs).

Coincidentally, I publish those games (ok, Rawhide won't be out until Origins), and the systems too.

[Mike Holmes]

Buggy, are you part of Lisa Padol's group (I'm thinking not). Apparently she's going to be running a LARP, too at Dexcon:
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=10843

Mike

[buggy]

Buggy, are you part of Lisa Padol's group (I'm thinking not). Apparently she's going to be running a LARP, too at Dexcon:
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=10843

Mike

No, I know Lisa.  She's played my games (and bought my games and run my games), but we're different GM groups.

I'm Mike Young.  I publish LARPs under the name Interactivities Ink.  Pleased to meet you.  (http://www.interactivitiesink.com/larps)

[Mike Holmes]

Ah, the folks that Dave mentioned in the Richmod Gamefest post. Nice to meet you, too.

Now I'm feeling bad that I won't be able to attend Dexcon - sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun.

Mike

[buggy]

Ah, the folks that Dave mentioned in the Richmod Gamefest post. Nice to meet you, too.

Now I'm feeling bad that I won't be able to attend Dexcon - sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun.

Mike

Yup, that's us.  we're everywhere :).  (Well, I'm based in Virginia, so Gamefest Richmond was a no-brainer, and Dexcon is just a few hours away).

I will say that so far the folks from Dexcon have been providing top notch communications and have been very easy to work with.  I think they're going to put on a good show.

I hear they treat their exhibitors/GMs well.

Mike

[JamesSterrett]

In my experience (Dreamation, earlier in 2004), the Double Exposure people do take excellent care of exhibitors/GMs.  :)

[Tav_Behemoth]

I'm glad to see other Forge folks will be at DexCon! Behemoth3 is going to be running its Masters and Minions promotional D&D tournament, and we hope to have at least one of our three initial releases and some related merchandise ready to sell by then (and to give away as prizes in the tournament).

We're going to be a bit short-handed -- it's likely to be just me and our indominable illustrator Sang Lee, so running the tournament and manning a booth at the same time will be tough. So I'd love to pool resources with all comers.

Doing Masters and Minions demos won't be as important for us since the tournament will serve some of that function, and we'll have handouts that'll help explain what makes this d20 release different from a million others plus a laptop displaying some of the custom software that supports the books. So the kind of help we need most is just having a place to set our stuff down without it walking off if we're not around! In return, I'm excited to learn enough about the other games folks are bringing to help demo them (regrettably, having to familiarize myself with those million d20 releases has left me ignorant of the work of my fellow Forgers); whenever time permits I'll be glad to be a ringer, eternally & visibly eager to be told all about your cool RPG!

Sang and I will be at Recess IV next Sunday & will hope to meet up there with some of the NYC-local crews to coordinate.

P.S. Rebecca really has been going the extra mile to make us feel welcome as exhibitors and GMs - it's great since this will be my first con wearing those hats, but I'm afraid I'll never get such an excellent programming director again!