[Deptheads] John Paiva's after action report

[Sarah Harrington]

Certainly RPG could use more volunteers since I tend to abuse mine  
savagely--mostly because I never seem to get around to recruiting  
volunteers...

With regards to pre-regs...  There was a /lot/ of pre-regs that didn't  
show, including a game that ended up having to run with one person  
because four pre-regs didn't show and didn't come by to cross  
themselves off the list.  Throughout the weekend we had numerous  
people come by to cross themselves off the game they'd signed up for  
and sign up for something else.  While I've not got a lot of problem  
with that, it does lead to a game sign up sheet that no one can tell  
how many people are actually signed up.  Frustrating.

As for the comment about moving RPG HQ to the third floor...  I don't  
think we're actually in ear shot unless we're camped outside of  
someone's door, to be perfectly honest.  And I'm not going to be the  
one to step into a brawl and stop it.  With enough volunteers, I could  
probably arrange to have someone cruise through the hallway every so  
often, but moving HQ seems a drastic move for a potential fight.  And  
what about the LARPs?  Are we going to station someone out there full  
time, as well?  I see the concern, I'm just not sure it's feasible.

In addition, with HQ where it is, I have the opportunity to talk to  
people who've never role-played and we occasionally even get someone  
to sign up for their first RPG ever.  Very cool.  Besides, I don't  
want people feeling any more like RPGs are being exiled to the third  
floor: out of sight and out of mind.


On Feb 22, 2008, at 6:29 PM, Robert Lionheart wrote:

> >RSI
> > Usually they get 80-120 people each Feb and Sept, this con they  
> got about 30.
>
> At 30 people, is the RSI space still justified?   Why did they lose  
> 75% of their audience from the previous con?
>
>
> >Game Library
> >We need to get an assistant for Larry to keep this open regularly.
>
> How many people used the Game Library?   Was there any shrinkage?  
> (aka, games that did not come back)
>
>
> >As such, all departments need to be staffed with a couple of extra  
> people so our regular staffers/volunteers can get some games in and  
> enjoy their experience.
>
> Good idea, but which departments definitely need more volunteers?    
> How many?  On which days?  And what is the plan to get those  
> volunteers?
>
>
> >Miniatures
> >Going into the miniatures room, I felt shut out from the rest of  
> the convention.
>
> Agreed.  I ran 2 minis events and it almost felt as shut out as  
> RPGs.  But you don't know shut out until you run a game in Room 300  
> at far end of the RPG Corridor of Banishment.
>
>
> >the fact is that miniatures ARE the biggest eye candy events we  
> have at the convention.
>
> Agreed.  It would be nice to utilize the eye candy events in a  
> bigger way.   Even people who do not play minis like to see the big  
> dynamic displays like the Star Wars Mos Eisley setup and the  
> Warhammer Siege.
>
>
> >RPGs
> >All we need is one fight to break out, someone not involved to get  
> hurt, and we are guilty of culpable negligence by not having anyone  
> in hearing range of the incident or readily available to render  
> assistance.
>
> Fights???  John, you must play a rougher version of D&D than we do.   
> Only physical altercations I have ever see in 25 years of attending  
> conventions were a few teenage shoving matches during the early  
> Magic days.
>
>
> >If a non-degreed legal advocate as myself can find 4 laws to file a  
> $150,000+ lawsuit against the convention if something was to happen  
> to me in this situation, what would a real lawyer find?
>
> A real lawyer would find nothing because you need either (a) actual  
> harm or (b) deep corporate pockets to make a lawsuit worth  
> filing.    However, those bedframes are an accident begging to happen.
>
> >Pre-registration
> >This is the 3rd feedback seminar in a row that it has been  
> mentioned about pre-registration and people not showing up for  
> events. I did some checking, and it appears to be most harmful in  
> the RPG section
>
> Paul and/or Denys, can you confirm this?
>
> The biggest complaint I heard repeatedly was that people did not  
> know HOW to prereg for events on the website.   I suggest a BIG  
> BUTTON and a smoother transition from buying your badge to then  
> doing pre-reg for events.
>
>
> >charge them $2 per event they pre-register for.
>
> Event fees are standard on the East coast, but unheard of in  
> SoCal.   PacifiCon did $1 event fees back in the early 80s and it  
> did have the desired effect on pre-regs.  However, now you need many  
> more volunteers who are handling money.    Welcome to more problems  
> than you solve.
>
> Also, the amount of bad blood would be spectacular and nowhere near  
> the trade for solving the pre-reg problem. The bitching at GenCon  
> SoCal over the event fees was extreme since most of the attendees  
> had never been a fee / event con.
>
>
> >Special Projects Department
> I talked with Eric during the Con, and it was decided that my  
> department should be called Special Projects or something like that  
> to avoid it being mistaken with regular Miniatures
>
> I am confused.   If you are running miniatures, why would the events  
> not be under Miniatures?  If the events are not miniatures, what  
> will they be?
>
>
> >In May, I will be adding 1/700 scale General Quarters (WWII Naval  
> Warfare) to the Mustangs and Messerschmitts.
>
> How many people came to the M&M events?   Would it be better to try  
> to grow a M&M audience before switching to GQ?
>
>
> >Open Gaming
> >We need to get an Open Gaming department re-established so that  
> open gaming is not relegated to whatever space is left.
>
> Open Gaming should be given the least interesting space because it  
> is the area where we have lowest ability to determine its look and  
> focus.   Prime spaces - especially the Foyer - should be used for  
> Eye Candy Events.
>
> San Jose has that great window.   When it was used for the Boffers,  
> that room was great eye candy and impressive.   Never waste that  
> space on anything not visually stimulating.
>
>
> >Flea Market
> >It was real slow on Sunday, maybe lowering the number of tables  
> available will extend it through both days?
>
> They sucked up good space for way too many hours.   We should have  
> set Flea Market hours, preferably when the Dealer's Room is closed.   
> Aim people at the Market, but don't let the sellers just sit and  
> mope for hours.
>
>
> >Program Book
> >It was decided at the Feedback Seminar to go back to 8½ x 11  
> program books.
>
> What is the difference in printing costs?
>
>
> >It was brought up that the old books used a smaller font, and this  
> may help our problem.
>
> Change the font size and next Feedback Seminar will complain about  
> font size.
>
>
> >Movie Room
> >The desire to have real action movies surfaced during the feedback.
>
> If we only had the convention near the Entertainment Capital of the  
> World...then maybe we could have special guests with their movies or  
> the kind of movies they show at horror / scifi / fantasy film  
> festivals.
>
>
> >Probably a mix of war and cult films would work,
>
> Don't our attendees have cable?  Netflix?   Better use is to show  
> them stuff that is rare and unusual that they may not know exists  
> out there.   Then you can advertise the Movie Room as more than a  
> crash space.
>
>
> >Special Guests
> >Maybe next time around we could include a Dinner
>
> ConQuest has tried this and it failed miserably.  Finally, they just  
> hosted a "Meet the Guests" hour with free appetizers and soda.  That  
> worked.
>
>
> >I am NOT an expert on what 4th edition will entail,
>
> I am.
>
> 4e D&D will be an RPG.  Like 3e and 3.5, the game will favor the use  
> of minis and battlemat for gameplay.   As for the "roleplay"  
> component, 4e promises to have a greater emphasis than 3e.
>
> RPGA will be switching to 4e completely after Gateway because the  
> Living Greyhawk campaign will be officially ending.  4e Living  
> Forgotten Realms begins at GenCon 2008 and Mike Rizzo (our RPG guy)  
> will be making sure we have 4e RPGA events at Gateway.
>
> In April 2008, WotC will launch the new edition of the D&D  
> collectible minis game which is an entirely separate game line than  
> the RPG.   The minis game has no roleplay element and it is strictly  
> a competitive skirmish game.
>
> The D&D 4e RPG officially launches in June.  However, we are  
> discussing the idea of Gamex becoming an "early launch point" for  
> the game since our convention happens about one week before the game  
> hits the shelves.
>
> Even if this does not happen, Mike Rizzo is meeting with RPGA HQ to  
> discuss the possiblity of Gamex using the 4e demonstration adventure  
> that will be presented at the "D&D Experience" convention.
>
>
> >Most people still think of D&D as the original Role Playing Game,  
> and moving it to collectibles right away would be a mistake.
>
> 4e will be with RPG and RPGA will handle the Living campaigns for  
> 4e.  The miniatures game will be under Victor with the collectibles.
>
>
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