Convention Updates - Part 2 ... Dex Con

I know it's not soon, but it isn't as if anyone really reads this so the update came just at the right time.

Origins was fun, with a lot of really good food to be had. I really loved the North Market,
which for those who live in Toronto is like walking into St. Lawrence Market, because it provided me with an easy place to eat good food.

Now I get to talk about one of the better networking cons in the North East. Seriously, if you're a small to medium game publisher or designer you need to do your best to get down here. I'm talking about Dex Con.

A little bit of history. I started going to Dex Con, one of the many Double Exposure events that are held during the year, in 2004. It's one of the most fun places I've ever been to. It's the biggest pajama party on the planet. It has food events, which means lots of sugar and chocolate fondue. The people there are just the type of people you want to have playtest your games because they've all playtested games and don't hesitate to tell you if something you did is crap, no matter how much they like you.

This year was no different. We went, we had a blast and then we made our way home.

Highlights of the night.

1. Suitors tournaments actually going off

I've had some problems with this in the past. I run Suitors tournaments and no one shows up. I understand there's a little lack of exposure, but sometimes you'd expect curiosity to kill that cat once in a while. (Problem solved at Gen Con but I might have James to thank for that).

2. The CyberGen LARP:

I think I've come up with some pretty good preliminary rules for how to do a LARP. I've had a bit more experience actually being in the trenches and slogging out scenes with players. I didn't expect the response I got for running CGen as a LARP. Apparently it's a lot of fun.

It might be because CyberGen is a phenominal setting that's quite different from a lot of other settings. You get to play kids, do crazy things. Heck, I think there were like five different "sex" scenes and by that I mean people making a "date" and then laughing about it in the hallway.

It might be because they got to do what they wanted to do, rather than deal with some sort of overbearing "plot" I had put down upon them. No, you foolish people, I have this great story and you are getting in the way of it!

The coolest part was that this was called the best LARP of the event, by a guy who ran three of his own.

There were other moments, mostly involving me getting to hang out with people I gladly call friends that I don't get to see that often. A lot of playtesting and a lot of great memories.

I tell everyone this. You need to go to Dex Con. It's only a year away now.