[Deptheads] Valentine's Day Events

[Jim Sandoval]

I like a lot of the ideas being bandied about for the Valentine’s Day
events, but I just want to take a minute here to focus in on what our goals
are. If our purpose is to provide our attendees with some new attractions
and events themed around the “romance” holiday we are definitely on the
right track. If our purpose is to provide something that would allow our
attendees to attend OrcCon despite of it being Valentine’s Day I think we
are missing the point a bit.



Being a man who deals with some resentment from my wife about missing out
on Valentine’s because of OrcCon, the events we have been talking about do
absolutely nothing for me. She does game, but I am certain if I told her
about Looney Labs she would not have the faintest idea what I am talking
about. If I told her about an Ice Cream Social, she would give me a
confused look and ask why she would want to be social on a day that should
be about just us. If I told her about romantic or Valentine themed game
events she would remind me that if she wanted to game on Valentine’s Day
she would simply attend along with me regardless of theme. She does not
want to game, she does not want to socialize and get to know other people.
She doesn’t want to meet people in the industry.



What she does want me to do is blow a bunch of cash on some fancy dinner so
that she can look at me from across the table and try to ignore how
uncomfortable I am in a tie. She wants me to remind her that she is my
special lady by doing something I really don’t want to do, wearing
something I hate and paying way too much for the privilege. Unless you look
at it as bidding game with resource management mechanics and a fixed number
of turns before the boss goes into a frenzy mode, I don’t think that
putting things in a gaming context is going to help me much.



How about we cut a deal with the fine dining establishment at the Hilton?
They will probably have some kind of Valentine’s special menu and we can
have them set aside a few reservations for us as a “special event”. Then we
open up one of the ball rooms with a DJ for some dancing, maybe a photo
booth and have the Hilton set up a pay bar, like you would for a wedding.
We charge a few bucks to make up for the DJ or whatever.



The event is completely not game related but at the hotel. This way couples
(even those who don’t attend con together) can have their special night and
those who wish to continue on with actual fun can stay and those who feel
that their irrational need to validate their relationship with an
artificial greeting card holiday are placated. Just my two cents.



Jim Sandoval

RPG Supervisor
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