Last weekend I had the pleasure to head down to Decatur, IL to run Shadowrun. It was a blast. This is the first year for a new con called Heroicon, and they are doing things right from the start. Let’s hit a few high points:
- Open table signs-You never know what’s open at a con. Small cons don’t have as exhaustive pre-con sign ups, and this one was no exception. But, they had visible signs at each table that told passersby if a table was open. Well done! A suggestion-Have each table also have an event list with times. Saw this at AnCon, and it is my favorite organization idea I’ve seen in a long time!
- Free GM badges-I drove six hours to get to the con. I’m scheduled 12 hours for game demos. I’m here to make games happen, and I hate when cons then ask me to pay money to run games for them. Heroicon didn’t! That already makes me feel good before I even leave my house in Michigan.
- Price-This is a small con, and attendees shouldn’t have to pay GenCon prices for Decatur, IL games. And they didn’t! One day with unlimited gaming was $15! Want three days? that’s $25. Want free cold food all con with all the soda you can drink and unlimited gaming? $60 for the VIP. I spoke to a VIP, and he told me it was well worth it. Feeding two guys and myself was over $60, so I should have bought the VIP pass anyway! Also, FREE GAMING! You spend money on the badge, and that’s it. You don’t need crazy extra tickets. Again, great job!
- Game Library-Love cons with games you can just play. This one was good, but it wasn’t the GenCon game library. Those guys/gals are close buy. Next year you might want to talk to them. However, I was happy to just see a game lending library there!
- Dealer room-There were a few dealers on hand. There was even a good selection of goods out there with a few people pitching kickstater projects. Good to see new blood in the community!
- People- Very friendly, very open, and very helpful. I had just spent several hours on I57, so I wasn’t lucid or in a good mood, but the con organizers all helped me find my spot and get running games like a champ. That will fix your angry driving mode in a hurry!
- Magic Tournament Room-If you have a con over a Friday night, you need a Magic event. I don’t even play Magic and I know that’s a rule! They had one.
- Game Variety-I ran Shadowrun. I also talked with Paizo GMs, the local Local Coordinator for DnD, Warhammer addicts, and board gamers alike. Lots of different games make for a good con.
- Room Price-Had I had a bit of extra cash, I’d have stayed an extra day. Its $80 bucks for a day. For a hotel that is really decent, that’s a steal!
All and all, this is a great local convention that I can’t wait to go back to next year. I met some good people, played some great games, and had a blast. Check out HeroiCon at http://www.heroicon.org/ and I hope they run this next year!
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