I'm coming to Gen Con!
If you like playing nerdy games, even a little bit, you owe it to yourself to go to a game con. There are awesome regional cons happening all the time, like the Strategicons we have here near LAX, and RinCon in Tucson, but the biggest one of all is Gen Con.
I've wanted to go to Gen Con since I was in my teens, but one thing or another has always prevented me from making the trip. This year, though, I rolled a 20, and it's finally happening!
I'm a Media Guest of Honor, joining Felicia Day and members of the cast of The Guild. I'll be signing stuff for about three hours each day, and the rest of the time I will be getting my geek on and playing games – look for me wherever you see Zombie or Cthulhu Dice, Small World, Pandemic, Savage Worlds, and of course True Dungeon. I will be doing a storytelling hour at some point, and details about that will be in the program. I'm hope someone will coordinate an epic gathering of the How I Roll shirt from shirt.woot, and if someone else doesn't do it, I'll organize it myself.
I've wanted to go to Gen Con since I was in junior high, and I'm super excited that I can finally attend. See you there!
It’s amazing that you get to “work ” a few hours and play games a while longer and fulfil so many people’s dreams of meeting you. Wow – I wish I had your job (now) – don’t think I would have wanted the struggling years you have spoken about. Guess I’ll be happy to be a special ed teacher on summer vacation and be happy for everyone who gets to do what makes them happy (like me)!
I am so excited you will be at GenCon. I’ve been going every year for the past decade while living in the midwest. Moved to the Seattle area last year so now I can enjoy PAX Prime, but this will be the second year of making the trek back for GenCon. As much as I love PAX, GenCon has always been a place for me to let my geek flag fly. GenCon describes itself as the best four days in gaming, and I often describe it as the best four days of my year. I love seeking out and trying every flavor of new game as well as playing my old favorites or finding that missing piece of my collection. Will pay you a visit to say OH HAI and ROLLZ DIZE with you.
It’ll be great to see you there! If you’re not doing anything Friday night, be sure to stop by the ENnies. 🙂
Wait, you’re coming to Indianapolis the WEEK AFTER I move from western Ohio to Georgia? *cries*
I am so excited that you are coming to Gen Con. It’s my first time going and this, along with Felicia and The Guild cast, makes it even better. Now to go find my copies of Just A Geek and Dancing Barefoot for signing. Can I assume you will have books for sale too?
I’ll be there with the Painting Crew at the paint and take table. You should take a crack at miniature painting. It’s free!
Dude, grats! I’ve often thought about things like this…all the crazy cool things and people you have gotten to meet because of your profession(s). I’m glad you finally get to complete a childhood dream…that’s always an awesome feeling:-)
http://www.livingwithanerd.com
So close and yet still so far. Too many people in my department have that weekend off so I can’t put in for it. My attend convention rolls massively suck. I think I need new dice. 🙁
Just yesterday I JEALOUS!’d a friend of mine for scoring tickets, and now I have one more reason.
I should have at least some books, yeah. I'm also working on [AWESOME THING] that I hope to have ready in time for the show.
For the love of the the Unicorn Pegasus Kitten! Wil Wheaton AT GENCON! Seeing as I had to pass on W00tstock Chicago due to a family member graduating (how DARE he?), I’m a-gonna have to convince dear spouse to watch dear munchkins for an extended period of time so I can make it to see you in my own hometown! Awesome news!
PSA: Be careful ordering vegetarian meals out here – most places mean “no big chunks of meat”, but still cook it all in a meat broth… especially soup and starch dishes. FYI. Let me know if you want insider knowledge… I know people who know stuff…
Oh! Thank you for the heads up on vegetarian orders out there. I've run into that in more than a few places, with rather … unpleasant … results. hope you can make it to the con!
I can not wait to meet you at GenCon!!! I will bring my shirt for you to sign…I love my shirt and all my friends are jealous I have one. 😀 I hope I can convince you to stop by my friend’s booth to check out his RPG game. exilegames.com
Shucks, the one year I’m not going to GenCon for work! Still, swing by our massive FFG booth, the largest in the hall. Tons of game demos, including stuff that we’ll just have announced.
There’s a good Irish bar that we spend a lot of our off-time at, it’s called Claddagh, at 234 South Meridian Street, just a couple blocks from the convention center.
Hi Wil! I hit up Monte Cook via Twitter about coordinating another t-shirt photo op and he thought it sounded fun. So, hopefully he’ll take the lead on it again! If not, I certainly don’t mind helping! Maybe we’ll have more than four people this year.
Oh, and an aside. My sister said something to you at the Chicago w00tstock in regards to my mother’s invite for the Mensa speaking gig next year. I can resend if you need. /salute
Wil,
Not sure if inviting you publicly is the best route but you have an open invite to the gamerswithjobs.com bank of suites at a large downtown Indy hotel. We offer everything from Martinis and Eurotrash in the main bank of rooms, to RPGS, and if you like to kick it old school we have some pinball, yes I said pinball, ameritrash and craft beer down with in the jungle with the monkeys.
If this interests you let me know.
Noodles & Company has some good vegan choices.
I got this news via the official GC newsletter and had to run around my room screaming (in delight, I swear). HOORAY! Thanks so much for coming! And, I hope you have a blast. OH! And! I am running INWO! You should totally come and play (at either session). I knew when I read an early INWO reference that I could die happy if I could convince Wil Wheaton of the Internet Awesome to play INWO with me. . . come on, you know you want to! And who runs INWO anymore?
See you there! It’s our one standing family vacation every year. And now that my 12yo son has watched all the episodes through TOS/TNG/DS9, you’re still his favorite character. He can’t wait to say hi!
Your ideas are intriguing to me, and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
I am a vegetarian person at GC, and am also happy to send recs if you like – there are a few fancier places with non-starchy veg options, but also plenty of starchy veg like pasta (Bucca Di Beppo), sandwiches (Einstein Bagels, Subway, the various pub places) and even veggie salads at some of the in-convention-center places.
Awesome. Welcome to the party. Exhibit hall alone is worth the trip. True Dungeon is a must. They’ve had a cool puzzle hunt for several years now, but you could spend half the con working on that. Our group happens to have an extra True Dungeon ticket. Yours if you need it. You won’t regret going to this Con.
You’ll have a blast Wil. It’s mecca for gamers. See you there.
Awesome, you’re finally going to be in INDY! I can show you where to get all the best beers around. =)
You’ll be surrounded by not one, but four microbreweries, and several places that carry good draft beers. I will have to try to come to GENCON this year!!!
There is also McNivens and tons of good breweries close to the convention center as well.
You’ll be close to an Indian buffet, a few sushi places, veg options at several places, and a Turkish (south of where you will be staying) and Moroccan place very close (I work downtown)
Gencon forums seem to have exploded out of existance for now. Hope you have fun and Im excited to the point of giddiness! The official GAD (Gamers after Dark) party is on Friday night. Feel free to drop us a line and join us. http://www.gamersafterdark.com/ Hehe, we make personalized buttons for swag.. you need a How I Roll Button!
Oh, Will Wheaton, why do you torture me like this? For the past two years, my husband and I have gleefully attended Gen Con. Friends of ours had gone for years and we finally got our act together. But this year you have to ruin it.
We are prepared. We have our hotel reservation. We have our Gen Con badges purchased. We have registered for dungeon delves. We’ve kept in touch with our Gen Con friends. We (or I) squealed when I heard Felicia Day would be there.
But then we decided to put our house on the market and try to purchase a new one this summer. That means no Gen Con. That means I MISS MY OPPORTUNITY TO GAME WITH WILL WHEATON!!!!!!!! Of all years for you to attend, it had to be this one? I hope you hear my screams of agony all the way from New Jersey.
Awesome.
Wil, please tell us that you’ll find somewhere for a Rock Band session.
Sweet!
You get to live the dream and get paid travel, too.
Live it up, dude!
Yes, Noodles and Company just a block away is very good about vegan/vegetarian orders (their head cook, at least last year, was vegan), and they do call ahead orders, which is AWESOME when it gets busy around lunch and dinner time, and oh my, does it get busy. Cafe Patachou (http://www.cafepatachou.com/) is a hidden gem a block a way that does great vegetarian and is rarely crowded. I’m certain you’ll be provided with take away menus for those places on arrival. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Wil – I went to my first GenCon last year and it was everything I ever wanted in a gaming con! Have a great time and I hope to see you around the con!
Great news Wil! (though I’ve known about you attending for a couple of days). I’m glad to see you’ll be hitting up True Dungeon. Hopefully I can be one of your DMs for your run (or runs) though.
I saw this in the newsletter the other day and I’m so happy it’s now confirmed.
This was one of the very few things that could actually make me look forward to GenCon this year more than I already was.
If you're my DM, just give me a fair shake, and don't try to kill me like the last time I did True Dungeon, okay?
If you have time, stop by Savage Saturday Night!
The crew from Pinnacle gets a big room and there are Savage Worlds games and general merriment. Lots of fun will be had by all.
Savage Worlds is very high on my list of games I'm dying to play with people who know what they're doing, so I very well may do that.
I was so excited about this I was rendered speechless for several minutes, and my husband also got several minutes of IM messages that consisted of nothing but ‘ohmigodohmigodohmigod’.
And I just went back to my mom’s house recently and cleaned out a bunch of junk and found several old teen magazines from the 80’s. If I can find those again I may have to bring them to get signed 🙂
Also, depending on when you’re coming in, they do semi-official gaming at the RAM starting on Wednesdays!
Yes! I’ve been going to GenCon since 1994, and have been running the Open (Now the D&D Championship) every year. There is a lot of fun to be had. I would suggest, if you can swing it, taking a few hours to wander the dealer’s room. Either on Friday or Saturday, because that’s when all the costume folks go wandering about. Sundays are for deals.
Re: Food, there’s a new restaurant at the Hyatt that replaced the McDonalds. I didn’t get to stop in last year, but it looked like they were a nice place, so it should be easy to get veg food. I can also ask my stepsister (She lives in the Indy area.) about special fooderies.
Oh, and you could come do the Open this year. They changed the format to match more closely to a few other events (One entry round, spread over the three days, then final on Sunday. Though it saddens me, it does make my workload easier for the con.) so it’s easier for people to just stop in and play.
See you there! I will be toting my Memories of the Futurecast for signage!
Oh I am giddy beyond belief that both you and the Guild will be at GenCon. But of course I already reg. for a bunch of event and now new choices will have to be made.
I do highly suggest that at some point you should try to visit the “RAM” it’s a locally owned place and the owner is a Big time gamer geek, so he was thrilled when GENCON moved to Indianapolis and he shows it. (I’m sure it didn’t hurt his pocket book either.)
Best of all friends of ours who haven’t gone for a few years are going this year. They will be so thrilled.
PS. Any chance of me learning the cast of The Guild who will be there, including yourself, t-shirt sizes? (I’m making T-shirts for our group and would love to throw a few extra on for you guys.
Oh I am so super happy!! You are finally going to be at a Con near me!! 😀 I was already excited to go to GenCon when I found out Felicia Day is going to be there but now I’m just giddy!
Looking forward to getting your autograph!
Wil, this will be my 25th Gencon. It would be the honor — no, the dream — of a lifetime if I could run a game for you.
Too much to hope, I suppose, but I get kinda dazed at the thought of the Guild and Evil Wil playing a game as I struggle to herd cats.
Looking forward to meeting you anyways.
My husband and I are going to our first GenCon this year and I was stoked to see you were going to be one of the guests. I’ve had friends bring me back items you’d signed and purchase your books for me but I’ve never had a chance to tell you how much I enjoy your writing. Maybe this year is the year.
Excellent.
I am so excited to have the chance to see you @ GEN CON! When I read the newsletter I jumped around for a bit. Among your big list of things to do, you must look into NASCRAG, http://nascrag.org/ it’s a great gaming group that put the play back into role playing. Can’t wait to see you there!
Thank you for you interest in our news letter. If you would like more info about our after hours GenCon activities please eamil me hahn at aggressivehost dot com
I have 2 extra tickets for a true Dungeon run, if your interested. It is Saturday at 12:36Pm -2:346PM. Come join us in kicking some Red Dragon Boo-tay.
Larry
Need a roomie? (He asks jokingly, but not really.)
Perhaps Wil isn’t up for sharing space with an anonymous intertubes dweller. Maybe someone else is? Anyone have room for a 40-something geek dad? I’ve got travel and registration covered. I just need a place to crash and am willing to share the costs.
Desperate? Yes I am. Why do you ask?
Too awesome! I’m looking forward to meeting you, Wil. I’ve got to figure out what I want to get autographed.
Doh! Somebody already mentioned Nascrag.
If you really want to experience True Dungeon you should make the run with my group. We have a guy who is a hard-core True Dungeon token collector. When we do TD, we each have an inch-thick binder of all the top-end equipment. If you’re interested we’ve got an extra ticket.
We also run a D+D tournament – Nascrag – and we’d love to have you play with us. We have crazy fun. Real roleplaying with lot’s of humor and puzzles and stuff. We also have Elite Game Master Doug Douglason from Fear of Girls. (OK, technically we have Tom Lommel, the guy who plays Doug-doug, but that’s splitting hairs.)
That’s awesome, Wil! I’ve been wanting to go to Gen Con for years, even as I’ve done far less gaming.
The last gaming con I attended was HexaCon in Phoenix a couple of years back and I had a blast! That’s been around for quite a long time and I hope it will continue to get stronger. Now that I’m here in L.A., perhaps you can recommend a local gaming con where I (and others) can dip my toe back in the water…
I’m beyond ecstatic that you and 2/3 of the Knights of Good will be there! Here’s hoping I can catch at least a brief moment with you on Friday (since I have to go back to reality on Saturday – sigh).