[Deptheads] Open Gaming

Wed Jun 11 09:50:02 PDT 2008

>From RPG dept only, I estimate about 20-25 people were looking for open gaming. In other words, not a big number. 

The fact is the con at this time just doesn't have the space for dedicated open gaming. Like I've said in previous e-mails, our priority needs to be scheduled games. 

Besides, the con has cancer and we're worrying about a mouth sore. Let's first focus on things that are in dire need of fixing: hotel + parking.  

-----Original Message-----
From: "Karl Kreder" <zeotter at gmail.com>

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:29:08 
To:deptheads at strategicon.net
Subject: Re: [Deptheads] Open Gaming

I really do agree that we need to somehow get Open Gaming off the ground and make it a vibrant part of the convention.  
However, last con I saw  9 people that played open games or request a table to do so, and they had a table at the front of the ballroom.  Dennis says he had one group (I am assuming the D&D group I find space for at previous cons) that wanted open gaming space, that would be another 6-8? That is about 15-20 people out of  a thousand?
I agree we have to find a good spot for them and the Open Gaming Alley idea I think has some possibilities but we cannot just carve up already strained space for this just yet, be realistic.  We don't know what the real turn out for Open Gaming will be. The other e-mails in this tread make it sound like there are hundreds people are clamoring for Open Gaming when I saw 5 people ask for a copy of Puerto Rico and played it (twice at two different times during the con)  One person ask for an open gaming table and got four other players through the whole day. My point is these are facts, not impressions of what use to happen at cons gone by.  Maybe the numbers are not really accurate but at least they are an attempt to find out what is going on at the cons now.
Now, lets be generous and inflate those numbers I will say 30-40 people.  Board games already has pleaded every way we know how to get some more space we had over 900 individual sign ups for games at the last con (Patrick has better numbers on that than I do).  So 30-40 will leave the con or start a riot, or whatever if there is no Open Gaming ok.  That is a signifigant number of people but do take space away for 860 people? We need to develop Open Gaming, make events that structure around it.  Get people excited about it, some ideas that are popping into my head are:

* A common sign up area so people can find games they want * Prize support, maybe we can start rewarding the most game won, most games played, etc...* A separate set of flags (sorry we need ours) for the open gaming tables so people can find the games they want.  Also make the flags different so you know which are Open Gaming and which are not * Ask the Open Gamers what they would like to seeIt would be nice if we had a plan before we went headlong into this and possibly take a wrong direction.  This could turn into its own department if there is enough support for it. I am not anti-Open Gaming I just don't like the idea of carving up already much needed space for what may amount to a small poorly organized idea.  Lets get some facts about real numbers that are current, and manage accordingly. 

On Wed, Jun 11, 2008 at 6:50 AM, <tim at stugiii.com <mailto:tim at stugiii.com> > wrote: Historically...Open gaming was in the Penthouse at the Hyatt (Radisson).  It was in the Penthouse and in the the first ballroom nexc to the flea market.  The elevators back then worked just like they do now...so it is possbile and has worked for open gaming to be up there   -----Original Message-----From: Evil5757 at aol.com <mailto:Evil5757 at aol.com>  [mailto:Evil5757 at aol.com <mailto:Evil5757 at aol.com> ] Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 01:06 AMTo: deptheads at strategicon.net <mailto:deptheads at strategicon.net> Subject: Re: [Deptheads] Open Gaming

 Note to everyone on Open Gaming....we got a HUGE backlash when we moved Open Gaming from the center of the convention to the hallway right across from the Dealer's Room at the Westin because they felt "segregated from the convention,"   I am a **HUGE** proponent of having Open Gaming have a dedicated space, and one of the first things I did when I joined Strategicon was to champion for Open Gaming to have it's own department so it didn't end up with "whatever space is left" like so many cons have went to.  That said, I think the Penthouse for OG will not work because of the elevator situation and the past "segregation" feel that the players felt they had (even though they were right next to the Dealer's Room and the Demo Foyer).    Open Gaming needs a room like the Penthouse, and Patrick is right on track with that.  unfortunately, until we get to a hotel/convention center with the ballroom space, we need to find another solution.  I honestly feel at the Radisson our best hope for reviving OG is to make "OG ALLEY" and make the rooms in the hallway right next to the entrance OPEN GAMING ALLEY or something like that.   John  

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-- Karl (zeotter at gmail.com <mailto:zeotter at gmail.com> )
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