Win a Free GenCon Badge!

2009 August 10
by Stupid Ranger

The Procrastination Fairy has visited our fair website and granted us three weekend badges to GenCon this weekend.  And we decided that we should disburse the Procrastination Bounty.

Here’s the deal: Tell us why you haven’t purchased your GenCon Badge yet and why we should grant one to you.  Creativity will win you bonus points.  Contest closes Tuesday evening at 10:00 pm MST, when Dante, Vanir & I will pick our favorites.  Winners will be notified by email with delivery arrangements, so please make sure you post an email address where we can reach you.

We’re looking forward to the fun and craziness that is GenCon, and we want to share it with all of you.  So if you don’t already have your badge, thank the Procrastination Fairy and her bounty of badges!

15 Responses leave one →
  1. August 10, 2009

    You guys are awesome for giving the passes away!

    Why haven’t I purchased my ticket yet?

    1) I’ve never been to GenCon before and the massive amazingness of this Con terrifies me. 2) I don’t know how to play 4e. 3) I don’t have anywhere to stay there. 4) I don’t have the money to fly. 5) I don’t have company for the 14 hour road trip.

    *sad face*

    In the end though, as you can see, a weekend pass wouldn’t really help me for all of those other reasons, so don’t include me in the contest. If I was in a better situation though I would be all over that! No worries though, I’ve made fun plans! Hopefully I can enjoy a GenCon in a few years. In the meantime though, I just wanted to hop over here and tell you guys how awesome you are for offering a weekend pass up. Yay you!

  2. August 10, 2009

    @Storyteller – Honestly I only see 1,4 and 5 to any real issue. Item 2 is not an issue since it’s not all about 4e. As a matter of fact Nothing I’m scheduled to do is 4e. Item 3 isn’t really an issue either. If you ask around the RPGBN, I’m sure you will find someone who wouldn’t mind taking you in.

    @Stupid Ranger – Very cool of you to have this contest. You guys are going to have to tell me in person how you guys scored the badges for this giveaway.

  3. August 10, 2009

    I didn’t intend to go to GenCon this year.

    I was elbow-deep in writing projects and as a freelancer, money is always tight. We went ’08 as a family, introducing our 14 year old daughter to the event, and had a great time, but it was understood that making the choice to do GenCon as a family trip was going to mean that it was the last time we could go for a while, financially.

    Then, about a month ago, I got some great news! Two of the products I worked on last year were nominated for ENnie awards (The Rose-Bride’s Plight and Hunter: The Vigil). The Viking (my husband) immediately began scheming for how he could get me out to Indy for the Awards Ceremony. I had just enough air miles to make the trip, and managed to find some good people to share a room with, so he insisted I go.

    (He is the same person who had “My Ladywife won an ENnie”/”My Mom won an Ennie” t-shirts made up for himself and my daughter in 08, just in case Changeling won. They hid them before the event, snuck them into the Awards ceremony, and pulled them out when Changeling: The Lost won its first ENnies!)

    Unfortunately, because we didn’t know I’d be going until after the pre-registration closed, I was unable to purchase a membership ahead of time. So, I anticipate that Thursday morning will be spent standing in a long line of other folks who (more than likely) also had good reasons not to purchase their badge ahead of time.

    However, if I won a badge from you guys, I could spend that precious time either actually writing fun games and making more entertainment for the gaming community, or schmoozing new companies to make more industry connections and get the opportunity to write even MORE games to make more entertainment for the gaming community.

    No matter who wins, however, I think it’s an awesome thing that you’re doing, sharing your bounty with the world! 🙂 I’m sending a bunch of folks here via Twitter!

    ~jess

  4. Arlie Hartman permalink
    August 10, 2009

    Wow what a generous thing for you to do. I live in indy but my wife always plans our summer weekend visiting relatives the same weekend as Gencon. It happens that this year she was attacked by a mindflayer and has somehow allowed a weekend with no work or trip in my future. Alas, I am now relegated to standing in line for daily badges. Fear no, if I am not victorious in this contest than I will bring my toddler for family day on Sunday.

  5. August 10, 2009

    Well we could always start by stating all of the obvious reasons: money, time, lack of time off, location (Minnesota is so far from Indy), the virtual adepts hacking my request for tickets, the dwarf who ate my tickets at the red dragon inn, the kender who decided that my tickets were ‘shiney’, losing them in a game of three dragon ante (and then winning them back) and accidentially given them away as cash for doughnuts one morning after an all night gaming session.

    Granted many of the items above might be an elongated fishing story, or at best a feeble attempt at creativity. The real reasons are the fact that I haven’t been to GenCon since it was in Milwaukee and even longer since I stopped renewing my RPGA badge number (which I would like to start back up when I can) and the ultimate reason : time.

    This is an awesome contest, too bad I would have too many unanswerable questions if I were to win it (like where to stay and if I can get time off). It will be interesting to read how many comments appear and how creative they are.

  6. Anthony Roberson permalink
    August 10, 2009

    I don’t have a badge because frankly I wasn’t aware of the date cutoff to get one – ARRGGH! Why should you give me one? I am going to be running Pathfinder for Paizo and working at the Kenzer & Co. booth. I am putting in my time for the gaming cause? Why else should you give me one? Because I don’t have much money and could really use one…

  7. GameDaddy permalink
    August 10, 2009

    Well, I managed to get myself talked into running a Battlestar Galactica Game on Saturday night. I’ll only be going for Saturday & Sunday… The Game is at 9PM on Saturday…

    Scheduled location is Union Station, and If I can’t wrangle a table there, it’ll be in the old speakasy in the basement of Union Station. If they open it like they did last year, it’ll feature big tables, and a fully staffed Bar/Resturaunt!

    Oh, and the game…

    I’ll be running the new BattleStar Galactica game on Saturday night at 9 PM in the the Crowne Plaza – Historic Union Train Station (123 W. Lafayette).

    http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t90/awi1777/3dmodeling/?action=view&current=Atlantica.jpg

    It should give you a good feel for the capabilities of Starsiege.

    Battlestar Atlantica
    BS-84
    “Defiance”

    Current Location
    Andrea Nebula Asteroid Belt, 121 light years from Caprica

    Ship’s Log
    Captain Rodger Sakari
    At 09:21 yesterday morning we were in a standard orbit around Tauron topping off provisions and fuel in preparation for fleet patrol activities scheduled for next week around Virgon when all ships systems simultaneously powered down. I immediately ordered all hands to Action Stations. We lost contact with the CAP fighters. Minutes after that we were struck by no less than four nuclear missiles, one of which destroyed all of the forward nose batteries. Our Tanker, the Sagittaron Explorer was also destroyed during this initial attack as well as Tauron Heavy One-nine-One, and our two escorts the Agaue and the Fotini.

    When we did bring our ships control network online, we determined the network was compromised and shut it down again. Navigation and FTL remained online however, so I immediately ordered a manual jump to our predetermined patrol rendezvous location around the fourth moon of Virgon. Here we observed firsthand the destruction of the Battlestars Solaria, and Pacifica, from the 75th Battlegroup at the hands of more than twenty Cylon Base Stars, and established contact with Admiral Nagala aboard the flagship Atlantia.

    We immediately launched all available Vipers and proceeded to attempt a rendevous with the Colonial Fleet, however were ordered to stand down until we could bring the Atlantica gun batteries and missiles online. The Viper Squadrions were deployed with the Colonial Fleet for the fight with the Cyclon Base Stars around Virgon, however we recalled the fighters after Four Cyclon Base Stars began closing to attack Atlantica.

    Our gun batteries were still offline. One of the last orders we received from Admiral Nagala was to withdraw to the Andrea Nebula until new orders were received. More than twenty-four hours have gone by without any word from the Colonial Fleet. Our gun batteries are online now, and we are ready, and capable for battle. I have dispatched a squadron of Raptors to scout all twelve Colonies and report back in two hours.
     
    CIC Damage Report:
    194 Dead
    317 Wounded

    DRADIS – Online
    FTL – Online
    Manuever Drives – Online

    Primary Kinetic Energy Weapons (30/34) – Online
    Point Defense Batteries (149/220) – Online
    Nuclear Missile Launch Tubes (9/12) – Online
    Starboard Viper Landing Bay (Conducting Flight Operations)
    Starboard Raptor Landing Bay (Conducting Flight Operations)
    Port Viper Landing Bay (Conducting Flight Operations)

    142 Mk VII Vipers lost in the last 24 hours
    Forward Primary Kinetic Energy Weapons Destroyed (4 Guns)
    Port Raptor Landing Bay Inoperative (Wreckage being cleared)

    81 Ready Mk VII Vipers (includes 9 from the Solaria and 14 from the Pacifica)
    12 MK VII Vipers – Out of Service (Repairs)

    19 Ready Raptors
    – 6 Medical Transports
    – 10 Search and Rescue
    – 3 Reserve
    12 Scout Raptors (Deployed to the Colonies)
    12 Raptors lost in the last 24 hours
    7 Raptors – Out of Service (Repairs)

    4 Ready Colonial Shuttles
    2 Colonial Shuttles – Out of Service (Repairs)

    Fuel – Tyrellium Reserve 88% (12 Jumps)
    Water – 96% reserves (14 Month Supply)
    Oxygen – 94% Reserve (20 Month Supply)

    Munitions
    Primary Kinetic Energy Weapons – 100%
    Point Defense Batteries – 67%
    Viper 30mm – 44% (164,414 rounds)
    Viper Missiles – 51% (2,100)

  8. August 11, 2009

    Last year was the first time in 15 years I went to the con without working for someone. I went with a pair of friends from Germany who were working in Wisconsin on the same campus as me for a 2 year study. They figured it was the closest that they would ever get to Indy.

    It was at that con that I found the Writer’s Symposium and spent most of my time at that. I determined that I would be making it again this year for that series of seminars.

    I arranged a room share with a couple of friends from my local game store, and I even hit Costco for supplies. But, while I reminded them to order tickets, I was busy with another local writing retreat and normal daily work grind. So yes, I completely forgot to order my own badge.

    Last year I did the same thing and simply went Wednesday night and stood in line to get my badge, so in a worst case scenario I can do the same this year. If I were to be chosen for a badge, it would free me up to get some more work done once I was checked in to my hotel room Wednesday night.

    I know, not very creative, but it is early, I am on my way to work and I have not had coffee for the last couple of days. 😉

  9. August 11, 2009

    It started several months ago, you see, I was out walking. It was a misty morning and a thin layer of fog was gradually dispersing thanks to the burning golden eye just now rising over the edge of the world. The grey clouds though, they clung to the hills and refused to let go. Those rolling hills, rollicking and green, beautiful and terrible. Beautiful for their verdance and the joy they bring to the eye, the movement they bring to the feet and body and the refreshing air they brought to the lungs. Yet terrible, for the things they hid at the bottoms of their slopes. Little did I know of those terrible things, I’d never gone out to the hills so early before, and I never will again.
    I was…maybe twenty minutes into the hills. I broke the spine of one particularly big tumult of earth and grass, then took the deep slope down, feet moving quickly on the dew-slick grass, into the mist. By the time my eyes allowed notice of the great shape before me at the bottom, it was too late. Too late by far.
    It was man shaped, but huge in size, and it had surely taken sight of me before I took sight of it. I would swear that the ground itself groaned a bit as the thing rose and lumbered my way. Frozen in fear I stood, aghast, unsure, I may have wet myself. The fog obscured its features, but the closer the monster came the more of it I made out. Had the fog been thicker, more opaque, I may have been spared a good deal of terror and maddening fear. It was a man though, a giant man, or it had been once.
    With an odd, leaning stance, arms behind somewhat like an eagle dragging with one hand a great battered blade, and with the other, a weathered sack made of some sort of skin I would later discover to be human. It leaned low and looked right into my face. I saw it then, close, I wish I hadn’t, I wish I had never walked those hills. The face, if you could call it that, was a ruin. I could make out the eyes, a hole that was once a nose and mouth resembling more of a knife wound across the jaw than an actual orifice. Its skin looked to be flayed in some places, burned in others and those few places untouched by fire or blade had been preyed upon by hideous running sores and cankers. There are no words to truly encompass the hideosity of the giant.
    I stood before it, heart pounding, ready to die. It pulled breath in through its nose hole and croaked out what I took to be a chuckle. Then it spoke, breath reeking of sweet, decayed meat. “You play game with me, you win, you live.”
    Unable to speak in the giant’s presence I simply nodded in the affirmative to show my understanding. It dropped its bag then and began to rummage through it. It dropped several small logs to the ground, and then produced a horse skull. The giant placed the logs upright a good distance away, at least one hundred or one hundred fifty feet, it was hard to tell with the fog. With quick strides it returned and through pantomime and a few rough words like ‘throw” it explained to me the rules of the game which was essentially that of bowling, but throwing the skull as opposed to rolling it. Soon after, we began.
    What can I say? He was a giant, with all the strength that entails and I am, simply a man. And so, the contest was embarrassingly one sided. I attempted to continue as long as I could with the simple request “one more”, over and over again. The giant in time tired of this and lifted me with his huge, rough hand-scarred and sore covered, like his face and dropped my unceremoniously into his bag.
    He never did eat me, or kill me. I was nearly crushed on several occasions though, what with all the odd detritus floating around in that sack. I was able to survive on the odd bits of meat I found within. They made me sick at first, but I was able to keep it down after a while and now my stomach is comparable to that of “cast iron” as they say. And I survived in this manner for months. I never heard him speak to anything else, just odd grunts and noises. He would occasionally hum tunelessly at night as he was lying down to sleep, but nothing more, no words.
    It was one night, while he was sleeping, that I was lucky enough to discover that the giant had forgotten to tie up the bag. I slid and wormed my way through the neck of the sack and slipped quietly, slowly, off into the night.
    It took me some time to find my way first to a road, then to a phone and ultimately home. And having arrived there, safe, and unharmed save great deal of mental anguish I looked once again with horror, though this time it was upon the visage of the calendar. For many months had passed and with them the opportunity to pre-purchase my Gen-Con Badge. Wringing my hands, I resigned to simply wait once again and bide my time for the opportunity to wait in line and buy one there on the site of the great convocation of gamers and game fanatics. Thus, the gaining of one such badge would do much to set my mind at ease and perhaps even turn my fortunes around. A little luck at this time, when I find my senses most fragile, when I jump at every sound and shadow, would indeed go a long way…
    And I just might regale others there with stories of the things curious, quaint and horrendous that kept me company there within the giant’s sack.

  10. August 11, 2009

    I wasn’t going to attend GenCon this year because I only just got into playing Dungeons and Dragons 4e about four months ago or so.

    I know the basic rules of the game and I think I might be a decent role-player, but the massive amount of knowledge my cohorts had about races, history, monsters, older editions of the game, so on, so forth, and more still that I came to a shocking realization: I was a geek to the geeks. I was the outcast.

    The mere thought of going to GenCon made these frenzied visions appear to my mind’s eye. I saw myself standing with my bag of dice before a group of people setting up. Good-natured folks. Smiling and chatting. I clear my throat and say quite nervously, “Do you guys need a fifth player?:”

    Their faces drop and they turn to me with Satan-tilted eyes, all leering as they sneer, “That loser wouldn’t know a kobold from a goblin!” and then they’d all point and laugh because I’m in my underwear and I’m late for my algebra exam and I try to run away but I can only run in slow motion while everybody else moves at regular speed.

    The thought terrified me. My paranoid mind ran rampant and I came to believe that the gamers were coming for me. My plans for the week of GenCon were staying home, locking the doors, and peering out the windows. Don’t turn the lights on. Don’t walk in front of windows.

    Don’t go to sleep.

    I did not expect to survive.

    This changed when Patrick – my DM – asked me if I was going and I said “No, I don’t think so.”

    “Why not?” he asked.

    “I just… I’m not,” my blood was cold and my heart pounded in my throat. Somewhere nearby, I could hear a baby crying…

    “Go!” he commanded, “And call me when you get there!”

    “Well, all right I said.”

    At the risk of him killing my character, I will brave the crowds.

    Thor God of Thunder, if I am to die, let it be with a sword in my hand.

  11. Megan McCullen permalink
    August 11, 2009

    Many years ago in a small town in New Jersey, a Family lived. 20 years ago an adventuring troupe was formed: Mother, Elder Brother, Younger Sister, and Friends of Elder Brother. This troupe travelled by Mechanical Hawk to MECCA for Elder Brother and Friends’ first ever GenCon, while Mother and Younger Sister attended a Brewers game, went to the Zoo and generally supervised and ate potato chips respectively. Younger Sister was in awe of the masses. Who were these pale strangers in dark clothing? Why had they gathered? She vowed to return.

    As the years went by, Younger Sister too began to fight orcs and ogres, ride goats and teach tricks to squirrels (her characters were frequently gnome-clerics). She participated in local pilgrimages, but her adventuresome spirit weakened over time.

    For the past ten years, Younger Sister has been separated from the Family by the dreaded Education. As she has aged, her skills have been honed and she is now wise in the way of Board Games. Twice yearly she journeys east to see the Family. But this summer! Elder Brother and Friends are making their annual pilgrimage to GenCon. Younger Sister lives in the Northlands now, and is within Automated-Cart distance from Indianapolis. And Younger Sister’s Friend – Board Game Guy – saw in his magical orb that he should travel south to the Con to reunite with his troupe of Gamers. Younger Sister now sees that she must join in on the quest. Younger Sister and Board Game Guy will travel together by Automated-Cart to Indianapolis on Thursday, where they will rest their heads at the Couch Surf Inn. With the help of Board Game Guy, and enough gold to feed the cart, a Family reunion of Epic Proportions will ensue! The number of females at the Con will increase by one! Board games will be played! Join in the adventure! Bestow the Plastic Pass on Younger Sister!

    Younger Sister:
    Strength: 11 -1 girl
    Dexterity: 13 +1 girl
    Constitution 16 +1 hand sanitizer
    Wisdom 15 -1 grad student
    Charisma 16 +1 girl -1 grad student
    Intelligence 16 +1 grad student

    Elder Brother:
    Strength: 13 +1 boy -1 rpgs
    Dexterity: 12
    Constitution: 15 +1 hand sanitizer
    Wisdom: 10
    Charisma: 14 -1 rpgs
    Intelligence: 18

    Board Game Guy:
    Strength: 14+1 boy
    Dexterity: 12
    Constitution: 15 +1 hand sanitizer +1 organic
    Wisdom: 16
    Charisma: 15 +1 writer
    Intelligence: 16

    Mother:
    Strength: 9 -1 girl -1 elder
    Dexterity 13 +1 girl -1 elder
    Constitution 13 -2 smoker -1 elder
    Wisdom: 16 +1 elder
    Charisma: 13 +1 girl
    Intelligence: 17

    Friends of Elder Brother are NPCs

  12. James permalink
    August 11, 2009

    Well have been to Gencon the last few years, and usually when I get there have to buy my badge at the door.

    My wife and I go for our anniversary but this year we are short the money to go. If I could get the free badge we would be able to afford it.

  13. Dawn permalink
    August 11, 2009

    It is not for myself that I write, no. I myself already have a badge that has been bought and paid for by a game company that I will be representing there in the capacity of a storyteller.

    By chance I found that a friend of some very dear friends of mine, is one of the authors of some of my favorite game books, and up for some awards herself, awards for products that she wrote for the same game company that is paying my way into GenCon.

    In a perfect world, I would think that she deserves the badge I have more than I do because without her work, I could not do mine this coming weekend.

    Give Jess a badge, maybe she’ll be able to buy me a drink to settle my nerves when I get there.

    Pardon me while I go take care of this brown substance upon my nose.

  14. August 11, 2009

    First time to gen con
    Procrastinated too much
    No time to reply

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