Gaming at Katsucon!

Chris

Alright folks, I'm not sure who attends Katsucon and who doesn't but I would like to get some idea's as to what people who might be attending or have attended in the past would like in the gaming rooms. I'm pretty sure both Rym and Scott are going to be in our luxurious little corner of the Omni Shoreham again this year so any idea you two want to throw out to make your lives easier are more then welcome also.

To anyone who was there last year, did you even know we had a card/board gaming room? If you didn't know we had one or didn't check it out, then what kind of things would you want to see happening with it? We had a Munchkin tournament last year and a WoW TCG demo type thing, which unfortunately wasn't well organized.

Please try and keep in mind imports aren't really what we go for. We have a guy who supplies us with a few import systems and games along with some older consoles like the Neo-Geo. That it though he brings what he has and thinks will go over well so we don't really have a way to bring over the latest and greatest from Japan.

And lastly if you went last year what did you think of the old school gaming, and if you didn't go last year well what are your insights to having older systems going. Last year we had a couple N64's, a Dreamcast, and a few others. I know people played them just like everything else was played, but I don't really know exactly how much people really got into them. If it's a cool attraction for people it might be possible to expand it. All of the old systems and games were game staff supplied and it wasn't even a fraction of what we all have. The only issue with it last year was some fuckhead stole one of the N64 controllers.

Alex

I did notice the card/board gaming room, but - to be incredibly blunt - the smell kept me from spending too much time in there. Ventilation was needed.

Viga

I spent time in the board/card gaming room. I suggest moving it to a more aired out location. Not many people knew it existed because it was so out the way.

I really loved the gaming at Katsucon. Don't change anything besides the tabletop location. Also I suggest an air hockey table if possible.

Chris

The smell was an issue. It wouldn't have been such a problem if people showered. Now I'm not trying to say anyone here goes to these things and doesn't shower but an unfortunate fact is most fanboys at conventions don't. The location of the room would be pretty hard to alter though. Game Katsu has pretty much the biggest portion of the hotel and we were pretty lucky to get the two smaller rooms to have card/board gaming. What we threw around last year was a sign requiring mandatory showers with cans of deodorant and air fresheners on the staff member of them room at all times to 'help' those attendants who can't master the oh so subtle science of soap and water.

Air Hockey is actually an awesome idea and it probably wouldn't be possible this year with the limited room we have but perhaps in future years we can set aside some space for it. We just would need it in a decent location where staff can always be around. So things don't go missing.

Cremlian

well you better bring back those classic arcade cabinets (and Rampart) because that is where I spend most of my time.

Viga

well you better bring back those classic arcade cabinets (and Rampart) because that is where I spend most of my time.

+1

Kilarney

Call me naive, but I'm concerned since I'm going to my first gaming convention in a couple of weeks.

Do people really stink at conventions? Is this typical for gaming only conventions (with no video games)? I mean, really. How tough is it to take a shower? Now I'm genuinely concerned.

Viga

Call me naive, but I'm concerned since I'm going to my first gaming convention in a couple of weeks.

Do people really stink at conventions? Is this typical for gaming only conventions (with no video games)? I mean, really. How tough is it to take a shower? Now I'm genuinely concerned.

Anyplace with a large amount of fanboys have a smell. Some conventions more than others. I don't run into it that much at an anime convention myself. Gaming conventions? I never been to one but I'm guessing it's similar.

Kilarney

What's the cause? Is it because people are too cheap to get a hotel room and sleep in their cars. Is it because people partake in physical activities (LARPing, DDR, etc)? Or are there people out there that are really that clueless about their hygiene.

Neito

Do people really stink at conventions?

I heard a story about a kid getting Febreezed going into the game room at Anime Boston 2006. Draw your own conclusions.

Kilarney

Now I'm just freakin' nervous about my first convention. Fortunately, it just boardgaming, so I'm hoping that there will be fewer fanboys.

Apreche

Now I'm just freakin' nervous about my first convention. Fortunately, it just boardgaming, so I'm hoping that there will be fewer fanboys.

There isn't much to be worried about. If things suck, you can just leave. Even with all lemons, you can make lemonade. On the off-chance that every person there is a hideously scary fan-person, and you can't get a refund, you at least have a story to tell.

However, in my experience most people at a gaming con are just normal geek folks. However, you will see maybe 5% of people there will be scary in one way or another. Some of those people will be scary with BO. The thing about people who smell is that just one or two of them can ruin a small room full of many people.

The reason for the smell is many-fold. First off, you have some scary people who do not have proper hygiene. Remember, anti-social gaming nerds who want to tell you about their D+D characters. Deodorant is not on their radar. Next, you have some scarily fat people who smell for a variety of reasons related to their obesity. You have people who are normal good non-smelling people, but they just got done playing DDR, and haven't showered yet. You have the hardcore people, who are well and good, but for this convention they have decided to play games non-stop all weekend. No sleep, no shower. Lastly, you have the occasional problem of lots of people in a small and/or poorly ventilated room.

BO problems are common at geek conventions. However, it is an easily solved problem.
1) Identify and avoid anyone who smells.
2) If the smell is so bad it is disturbing, ask the con staff to do something about it. If con staff do not politely ask the person to leave/shower/etc., then they suck. If a convention is run properly, it can never be ruined by the few people with the inevitable BO problem.

Chris

If the convention is big enough you don't really run into a crazy smell unless you are right on top of someone. The problem with the card and board games at katsu was the very small unventilated room it was in.

On a side note I just found out through the game room staff mailing list that the stink didn't in fact originate in there it came from the Larpers around the corner. Damn smelly larpers, not all larpers just the smelly ones. And the furry ones but thats another story.