True Dungeon is a ticketed event, and they mostly sell out the day of event reg. It's a very entertaining mix of D&D, escape room, and haunted house. Try to work it into your schedule if you can, and check out the "sealed pack" runs as they are very new player friendly. There are a few tickets as of today but unfortunately some of them say Sold Out when they're not. Honestly I'd put event reg on my top 10 bad things at gen con, but I digress :)
@BasicBraining Thank you... I was wondering what they were... I would try them if they werent so expensive - I originally considered it when I thought for the price, you booked the session and could bring a few people in with you for the price... But then I found out it was per person, and theres so many boardgames I could buy for that :) This is the first year I actually seriously got into Event Registration. Usually I'd just see what was available weeks before the show... But got 4 out of 5 events... So didn't hate it..
Having the trash cans in those locations are more practically useful... I think the solution is not to remove the cans, but to use cans with rounded tops that can't act as tables. If you think GenCon is too big... um... don't go to SPIEL. ;) Agreed on the massive back-packs. Right behind those on the "I wish they would not be allowed in the vendor hall" list for me are wagons.
That’s not a bad idea - the flat tops invite people to stop there - but round tops don’t have the same issue! Yeah the wagons didn’t really have a good reason for being on the crowded vending floor - I saw one guy carrying his baby and putting all his game haul in the wagon - that kinda worked lol We’re actually talking about Essen Spiele for 2024. The “too big” was kind of a good thing - I was running out of bad things lol
@liseyx I’m glad you’re enjoying them! If you have any questions, feel free to ask… Tip: get your gate 10 parking now… I found out the hard way that they sell out :-)
Good recap of the bad and ugly! Agree with the trash cans in the middle of the aisle. I get it. Trying to keep the place clean but wowza. Find some better spots for sure! And yeah the whole XYZ thing is really obnoxious.
Thanks! I appreciate the garbage cans being easily accessible, but they might have been a little less in the way.... And XYZ had to be bad or I wouldnt call them out... The pin lying just went over the line..
About the App - The map doesn't show detail until you zoom in. The booths are there, but it always defaults to the zoom level you showed and nothing indicates that more detail is available. When you zoom, the booth and interior room detail starts to appear. The vendor booths show the number, and if you tap on the booth "block", it shows a pop up with a link to the vendor. Same detail problems exist there - those that share booths, ended up with different "names" between the registration and the signs they put up, etc. didn't get addressed. There was a huge mix-up of vendors to provide extra room after a screw up; I got the sense that GenCon really tried to fix a crappy situation, but I honestly don't know enough details to pass judgement. What I can tell you is that the end results of that switch up never made it to the app map - it stayed exactly in sync with the printed map in the booklet, regardless of those changes. PLENTY of room to criticize that crap-tastic app, but did want to give what little credit was due. lol
You're absolutely right... Another viewer mentioned that I couldve used the magnifying glass to search specific booth numbers - I thought it was just for events (which i used it for)... There was no mention that searching booths was a possibility, so i dont feel bad, but had I known, I might not have put it on the list...Theyve been doing the app for many years - you think they would have figured out the best user interface by now??? I dont mind the last minute changes to much - Stuff happens that cant be helped... But the main user interface is another story - that just stunk...a
@@The_BoardGame_Sherpa I've *only* been going to GenCon since 2009, but I've seen it from almost every angle and my normal job is as an IT Architect - I have attended as a 7-slot GM for Bald Man Games, an Exhibitor, a VIG, and as Press at various times since. When I started, it was at 35k and GenCon was feeling it... now they are around 75k. There are some super unique challenges that they face when it comes to digital products that very few companies even know about, so it's not like there's a ton of talent out there that can just make something great for their particular needs. This kind of work cannot be treated as a side of fries and it's not GenCon's core competency. Most specifically, the volume and window is intense and very expensive to test performance of outside of the convention time. Slapping together a team on the side for a company who doesn't live and breathe that stuff that can make something that works well AND has good user experience (UX) is kind of a unicorn. They had the same problem with their merch vendor, honestly - I have a lot of love for Ray and his family over the years, but they simply weren't at or interested in being what GenCon needs at this scale. Ray and his family busted their asses to get the job done, but they simply weren't capable of design and scale that was needed as GenCon has exploded and to not collapse under its own weight and maintain healthy growth. Just as they went from OffWorld Designs to RollaCrit, GenCon needs to do with their website and app.
In the scope of things the app isn’t a huge problem for me…. I always like the paper guide better since internet availability is never guaranteed…. But the GenCon folk need to make it better or make it as basic as possible (non interactive maps, an OBVIOUS listing of vendors and their booths, and a list of events and locations - maybe a search option) without giving hope that there’s more to it… I didn’t expect to use it at all but then I needed to check the deal with the game library and im still not sure if the daily event was sold out or it just didn’t work properly… I get the paper version can’t have all the panels and events, but I’d like a response when I clicked a button y’know?
@@The_BoardGame_Sherpa The good news is that I did end up staying in that same hotel (the Westin) in 2022; it just took five months of stalking the Housing Portal and taking one of the openings that popped up in the last week before the portal closed.
Re: parking. I stupidly did not pre-purchase parking. I was going off my Milwaukee '96 experience where I was going by the seat of my pants, and while my lodging was 20 miles or so south of town (it was inexpensive, the sheets were clean, and the water was hot), I had no trouble finding parking at the butt-crack of dawn within easy walking distance of the convention center. This did not apply to Indy '23. Whoops. After hitting up a couple lots south of the stadium and striking out, we checked north of the convention center. After about 30 min. we found Market St. Parking (at Illinois & Market) had spaces (and looks like it did not fill up). A little dumpy looking, and the CC reader at the exit was a little flaky reading my card, but it was shaded (unless you were on the top floor). At the beginning/end of the day, I would drop my family off at the CC, park the car, and hoof it back the 0.5 miles or so to the ICC. Reverse for pickup when we were done. We're going to try (operative word: try) to get lodging at a connected hotel, but who knows how that will work.
I dropped the ball in parking… I posted how to beat parking in my own video, but I procrastinated, and it was sold out by the time I got there… The first day we ended up parking near the CityWay apartments on Delaware St., and South st. It looked a lot closer on a map and the walk was hot. The other days we just Ubered from our hotel by the airport . Parking in downtown. Indianapolis has been miserable since our first Gen Con in 2014 and it’s gotten worse. I took my very first Uber in Indianapolis because of this..
The answer we always hear is that Gen Con can't do a "game check" because of liability concerns. Other events check bikes and coats worth a lot more than a bag of games, so this argument always sounds silly to me.
2021 was my favorite con as far as overall experience..half the people..Also Why do people bring toddlers and literal infants to gen Con when they can't really participate in anything?
Short version is it’s cheaper than finding a babysitter (or maybe they can’t find a trusted one) but yeah those carriages and wagons add to the gridlock there
In defense of the large game bags: It comes down to the person wearing it, not the bag itself. As someone who is constantly afraid of confrontation, I am super conscious of my dimensions. I'm always looking behind me when backing away from a booth, and I make sure to step away from the aisle before getting into and out of my bag. tl;dr: Blame the carrier, don't ban the bag.
You’re absolutely right - if the bag isn’t bashing into everyone it isn’t a problem…. Other than causing damage to the wearers shoulder and back :) I really do think a secure bag check would make things so much easier all around tho
I purchased my shirt and pin before the con. Arrived well beforehand and I had them to wear over the weekend. I did stand in line for a plush gelatinous cube because they weren’t sold online, but definitely order your shirts ahead of time.
@@The_BoardGame_Sherpa Just in case you didn't hear, a bunch of the shirts got restocked - I ordered yesterday to get a tarot design and saw the shirts you mentioned back as well!
@@dethstryke664 Thank you for the heads up!!! I got the email as well, and hit the site yesterday, but the ones I wanted were still out of stock - they did add a wizard shirt, which was cool - but I really wanted something with the 2023... I ordered a 2023 shirt in a size lower than normal that was available - lets hope the sizing is "close enough" LOL Thanks again for looking out!!
@mayam7752 According to the GenCon site, "True Dungeon is an immersive dungeon crawl experience featuring life-size sets and dramatic lighting and sound. Players move through a series of rooms, solving puzzles, engaging in combat, and encountering non-player characters portrayed by live, costumed actors." I definitely plan to check it out in person for 2024
Valid point - it was truly a hated thing at GenCon - BUT I had no interest in Lorcana at all, other than documenting it on my walkthru video (there’s a chapter marker for it if you’re interested). So it wasn’t something that made my personal list
True Dungeon is a ticketed event, and they mostly sell out the day of event reg. It's a very entertaining mix of D&D, escape room, and haunted house. Try to work it into your schedule if you can, and check out the "sealed pack" runs as they are very new player friendly. There are a few tickets as of today but unfortunately some of them say Sold Out when they're not. Honestly I'd put event reg on my top 10 bad things at gen con, but I digress :)
@BasicBraining Thank you... I was wondering what they were... I would try them if they werent so expensive - I originally considered it when I thought for the price, you booked the session and could bring a few people in with you for the price... But then I found out it was per person, and theres so many boardgames I could buy for that :)
This is the first year I actually seriously got into Event Registration. Usually I'd just see what was available weeks before the show... But got 4 out of 5 events... So didn't hate it..
Having the trash cans in those locations are more practically useful... I think the solution is not to remove the cans, but to use cans with rounded tops that can't act as tables.
If you think GenCon is too big... um... don't go to SPIEL. ;)
Agreed on the massive back-packs. Right behind those on the "I wish they would not be allowed in the vendor hall" list for me are wagons.
That’s not a bad idea - the flat tops invite people to stop there - but round tops don’t have the same issue! Yeah the wagons didn’t really have a good reason for being on the crowded vending floor - I saw one guy carrying his baby and putting all his game haul in the wagon - that kinda worked lol
We’re actually talking about Essen Spiele for 2024. The “too big” was kind of a good thing - I was running out of bad things lol
Really appreciate these Gen Con tips and info videos! So excited for my first visit this August.
@liseyx I’m glad you’re enjoying them! If you have any questions, feel free to ask… Tip: get your gate 10 parking now… I found out the hard way that they sell out :-)
I was gonna comment on XYZ but you said to keep it civil. Soooo, I guess I'll just say Hi and great vid as usual 👍
Thanks Donna! I know what you mean.. I have a lot more I wanted to say as well :)
Good recap of the bad and ugly! Agree with the trash cans in the middle of the aisle. I get it. Trying to keep the place clean but wowza. Find some better spots for sure! And yeah the whole XYZ thing is really obnoxious.
Thanks! I appreciate the garbage cans being easily accessible, but they might have been a little less in the way.... And XYZ had to be bad or I wouldnt call them out... The pin lying just went over the line..
About the App - The map doesn't show detail until you zoom in. The booths are there, but it always defaults to the zoom level you showed and nothing indicates that more detail is available.
When you zoom, the booth and interior room detail starts to appear. The vendor booths show the number, and if you tap on the booth "block", it shows a pop up with a link to the vendor.
Same detail problems exist there - those that share booths, ended up with different "names" between the registration and the signs they put up, etc. didn't get addressed. There was a huge mix-up of vendors to provide extra room after a screw up; I got the sense that GenCon really tried to fix a crappy situation, but I honestly don't know enough details to pass judgement.
What I can tell you is that the end results of that switch up never made it to the app map - it stayed exactly in sync with the printed map in the booklet, regardless of those changes.
PLENTY of room to criticize that crap-tastic app, but did want to give what little credit was due. lol
You're absolutely right... Another viewer mentioned that I couldve used the magnifying glass to search specific booth numbers - I thought it was just for events (which i used it for)... There was no mention that searching booths was a possibility, so i dont feel bad, but had I known, I might not have put it on the list...Theyve been doing the app for many years - you think they would have figured out the best user interface by now???
I dont mind the last minute changes to much - Stuff happens that cant be helped... But the main user interface is another story - that just stunk...a
@@The_BoardGame_Sherpa I've *only* been going to GenCon since 2009, but I've seen it from almost every angle and my normal job is as an IT Architect - I have attended as a 7-slot GM for Bald Man Games, an Exhibitor, a VIG, and as Press at various times since. When I started, it was at 35k and GenCon was feeling it... now they are around 75k. There are some super unique challenges that they face when it comes to digital products that very few companies even know about, so it's not like there's a ton of talent out there that can just make something great for their particular needs. This kind of work cannot be treated as a side of fries and it's not GenCon's core competency.
Most specifically, the volume and window is intense and very expensive to test performance of outside of the convention time. Slapping together a team on the side for a company who doesn't live and breathe that stuff that can make something that works well AND has good user experience (UX) is kind of a unicorn.
They had the same problem with their merch vendor, honestly - I have a lot of love for Ray and his family over the years, but they simply weren't at or interested in being what GenCon needs at this scale. Ray and his family busted their asses to get the job done, but they simply weren't capable of design and scale that was needed as GenCon has exploded and to not collapse under its own weight and maintain healthy growth.
Just as they went from OffWorld Designs to RollaCrit, GenCon needs to do with their website and app.
In the scope of things the app isn’t a huge problem for me…. I always like the paper guide better since internet availability is never guaranteed…. But the GenCon folk need to make it better or make it as basic as possible (non interactive maps, an OBVIOUS listing of vendors and their booths, and a list of events and locations - maybe a search option) without giving hope that there’s more to it…
I didn’t expect to use it at all but then I needed to check the deal with the game library and im still not sure if the daily event was sold out or it just didn’t work properly…
I get the paper version can’t have all the panels and events, but I’d like a response when I clicked a button y’know?
There's a worse fate than never winning the hotel lottery.
I've won the hotel lottery exactly once -- in February 2020.
Oh no! They really should’ve rolled that over to 2022 when GenCon (really) came back!
@@The_BoardGame_Sherpa The good news is that I did end up staying in that same hotel (the Westin) in 2022; it just took five months of stalking the Housing Portal and taking one of the openings that popped up in the last week before the portal closed.
Last minute hope is a big theme of GenCon - especially today being event registration day!
Re: parking.
I stupidly did not pre-purchase parking. I was going off my Milwaukee '96 experience where I was going by the seat of my pants, and while my lodging was 20 miles or so south of town (it was inexpensive, the sheets were clean, and the water was hot), I had no trouble finding parking at the butt-crack of dawn within easy walking distance of the convention center.
This did not apply to Indy '23. Whoops.
After hitting up a couple lots south of the stadium and striking out, we checked north of the convention center. After about 30 min. we found Market St. Parking (at Illinois & Market) had spaces (and looks like it did not fill up). A little dumpy looking, and the CC reader at the exit was a little flaky reading my card, but it was shaded (unless you were on the top floor).
At the beginning/end of the day, I would drop my family off at the CC, park the car, and hoof it back the 0.5 miles or so to the ICC. Reverse for pickup when we were done.
We're going to try (operative word: try) to get lodging at a connected hotel, but who knows how that will work.
I dropped the ball in parking… I posted how to beat parking in my own video, but I procrastinated, and it was sold out by the time I got there… The first day we ended up parking near the CityWay apartments on Delaware St., and South st. It looked a lot closer on a map and the walk was hot.
The other days we just Ubered from our hotel by the airport .
Parking in downtown. Indianapolis has been miserable since our first Gen Con in 2014 and it’s gotten worse. I took my very first Uber in Indianapolis because of this..
The answer we always hear is that Gen Con can't do a "game check" because of liability concerns. Other events check bikes and coats worth a lot more than a bag of games, so this argument always sounds silly to me.
I would love a game check - i wonder if theres a non-GenCon company that would take the liability risk on site that GenCon can contract out to...
2021 was my favorite con as far as overall experience..half the people..Also Why do people bring toddlers and literal infants to gen Con when they can't really participate in anything?
Short version is it’s cheaper than finding a babysitter (or maybe they can’t find a trusted one) but yeah those carriages and wagons add to the gridlock there
In defense of the large game bags:
It comes down to the person wearing it, not the bag itself. As someone who is constantly afraid of confrontation, I am super conscious of my dimensions. I'm always looking behind me when backing away from a booth, and I make sure to step away from the aisle before getting into and out of my bag.
tl;dr: Blame the carrier, don't ban the bag.
You’re absolutely right - if the bag isn’t bashing into everyone it isn’t a problem…. Other than causing damage to the wearers shoulder and back :) I really do think a secure bag check would make things so much easier all around tho
I purchased my shirt and pin before the con. Arrived well beforehand and I had them to wear over the weekend. I did stand in line for a plush gelatinous cube because they weren’t sold online, but definitely order your shirts ahead of time.
That is something I will be putting on my 2024 GenCon tips video…. I didn’t realize the shirts were available online before the show.
@@The_BoardGame_Sherpa Just in case you didn't hear, a bunch of the shirts got restocked - I ordered yesterday to get a tarot design and saw the shirts you mentioned back as well!
@@dethstryke664 Thank you for the heads up!!! I got the email as well, and hit the site yesterday, but the ones I wanted were still out of stock - they did add a wizard shirt, which was cool - but I really wanted something with the 2023... I ordered a 2023 shirt in a size lower than normal that was available - lets hope the sizing is "close enough" LOL
Thanks again for looking out!!
Did you ever find out what a True Dungeon was?
@mayam7752 According to the GenCon site, "True Dungeon is an immersive dungeon crawl experience featuring life-size sets and dramatic lighting and sound. Players move through a series of rooms, solving puzzles, engaging in combat, and encountering non-player characters portrayed by live, costumed actors."
I definitely plan to check it out in person for 2024
How did the shit show that was Lorcana not make this list?
Valid point - it was truly a hated thing at GenCon - BUT I had no interest in Lorcana at all, other than documenting it on my walkthru video (there’s a chapter marker for it if you’re interested). So it wasn’t something that made my personal list
First
Congrats