Unofficial Newbies' Guide to ORIGINS
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Unofficial Newbies' Guide to ORIGINS |
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You'll get in for a cheaper price, for one thing.
The second, and really the more important reason is you do NOT have to stand in the onsite registration line, which can be quite long if you show up, for example, on Saturday morning.
Generally a good idea, players should really pre-register for events they really want to play, and hold on to some Generics to add on events they find on-site. Some games are in very high demand and unless you pre-register, you're unlikely to get into the event.
However not all is lost if you don't pre-register. Show up for the event and let the organizer know you're interested and have Generics. The organizer is obligated to seat people who've pre-registered first, then anyone with a relevant ribbon (see RIBBONS), then anyone with Generic Tokens.
There are over 4000 events at Origins, there's generally *something* to play.
Generic Tokens (also called Generics) are usable in the place of Event Tickets to play games that you did not register for but have open seats. They are also used for some open-play games that are unstructured and not specifically scheduled.
Most attendees tend to use a mixed approach; they specifically schedule games that they are certain they want to plan for and play in, then buy a set of Generics to have the option of jumping into games that grab their interest on site. "Cool! Someone's running Bunnies and Burrows! Good thing I have some generics!"
This is a VERY common practice at major conventions. It's like "company dollars" or "military scrip." Generics allow you to buy your way into an event, trading equivalent value. For example, if an event is priced at $10, you would give the organizer $10 in generic tokens.
Asking the organizers for events to manage cash (and make change, etc) would put undue risk on the GMs -- for example some of the card games had hundreds of players, if the organizers had to handle even a few dollars for a percentage of players, that would make then responsible for a LOT of real cash. Generic tokens have no real value other than within the convention itself (though I know some coin collectors who've started collecting Origins Generics), and represent a safe way of handling the transaction.
Generic Tokens are generally available at a few different locations within the Convention Center and over at the Hyatt meeting rooms, so you can get generics when needed. Unofficially (of course!) I know that some GMs keep a few generics handy themselves that they will sell you if you're really desperate to play in their game, but don't count on it.
You can cash in unused generic tokens when needed, so if you have some leftovers, just go to registration and turn them in.
There will be over 4000 events. Check out the event spreadsheets from the ORIGINS website, or the GOOGLE DOCs version I've posted for general access.
If you have problems or have suggestions for what you'd like to see at ORIGINS, contact the Event Coordinator at events@gama.org. Tell them you want more Bunnies events!
The rules for GMs on this are very clear and are in their written instructions. GMs are expected to wait at least 10 minutes before giving up on their game. However, if the listed Minimum Players have not arrived by then, they are authorized to not run that event. The organizer should go to the Hall Captain and make sure the players either get into new events, or a refund/generics.
If a GM fails to show up to run a game, the players holding Event Tickets for that game should first find the Director for that area. He and his staff will work to get them seated into other games as quickly as possible, if that's what they want. Otherwise, their tickets are signed off on by the Director, which allows them to take the tickets back to the Registration Desk for either a refund, an equivalent number of Generic Tokens, or to schedule new games instead.
However, events move around - sometimes an event moves from a general gaming space into a club sponsored room, or to a larger space, etc. Check with the Hall Captain to see if the game moved!
This is one of the biggest headaches for players and event organizers alike. There is often a disconnect between Players and GMs on experience required and familiarity with the gaming system, as well as content of the event.
Read the description of the event closely. You should take special note of the "Minimum Age," "Game Complexity," and "Experience" items in the event list.
In general, though, do not let the description and options scare you off. I have played in many events at the Complex and Expert levels, even if I don't know the system or genre all that well. I've found that other players are usually more than willing to assist you over the rough spots. If you think you'd like to play an event but are concerned, try to get to the game during the required 10 minute player wait (every game starts at 10 minutes after start time unless all of the registered players are there before) and talk to the organizer. That will let you know if you're ready for that type of game, and then use those handy Generics!
Some of the ribbons are pretty self-explanatory, like the GM ribbon or the Exhibitor ribbons, but there are a lot of other ribbons.
BOARD ROOM: A ribbon that allows full access to the Origins Board Room (dedicated to tabletop board games) and enables the wearer to play all the games, scheduled and open-play, that are held therein throughout the show without paying any additional event fees. This includes teaching games and featured designer events.
WAR COLLEGE: The ribbon required to attend all War College seminars and lectures. The one price applies to all War College events, with no additional event fees.
HOT: The Historical Origins Team Ribbon, referring to a wide selection of historical miniatures games found in the Miniatures Hall
PUFFING BILLY: A ribbon that allows the wearer to play in all Puffing Billy train games, including open play, single event games, and tournaments
THE BIG EXPERIMENT: A ribbon that allows the wearer full access to the Looney Labs Big Experiment area and all events
Amtgard: Boffer Combat area unlimited play
Mayfair: Free access to the Mayfair Games room, including all events and tournaments
Werewolf: Allows free entry to all Looney Labs "Are You a Werewolf" events.
Origins after Dark: Access to the Origins After Dark events, which start at 6 PM and are for gamers 18+
All of the above ribbons are purchased at single one-time price. They allow access to games for no added fees. However, whenever there is a game with more than the maximum number of players waiting to play, priority goes as follows:
1) Those with Event Tickets for the specific event are seated first.
2) Those with Ribbons are seated next, in order of their arrival.
3) Those with Generic Tokens are seated last, in order of their arrival.There is also a CTHULHUTHON Ribbon; this ribbon is around mainly as a matter of fun and tradition.
There are often "unofficial ribbons" for items sponsored by the various exhibitors.
The Newcomer's track is a set of events for new players and contains different event types, it's kind of a sampler for new gamers. There are usually RPG, CCG and Mini games in the newbie track.
That's a good question, computer gaming has been absent for the last couple of years. There are organized Nintendo DS events, but nothing formal for LAN or other platform games.
The Battletech PODS were a big hit at Origins 2009, and return for 2010 and 2011.
There are public restrooms all over the Greater Columbus Convention Center. There will be a map in the onsite guide which points them out. They are also visible on the maps elsewhere on this website. I'm not going to give away any real secrets here, but the restrooms on the upper level of the Convention Center tend to get less traffic than those down at the Dealer's area.
- Download the event list or prereg book from the Website. Some of the search features aren't intuitive, and if you're looking, for example for AFMBE on Sunday, it' s probably simpler to look in the spreadsheet or prereg book.
- This year, there were "issues" with the registration system, and the search feature was a lot more simple, but less helpful.. Using the downloadable spreadsheets of events was probably the best way to do it.
- I've found from personal experience that using a calendar program helps you manage your time. Google Calendar is free, and you can share your event calendar with your friends. However, this year's registraton software included the much requested "itinerary" feature, so managing conflicts was a LOT simpler.
At ORIGINS you will find a section for "preregistration pickup" where you get your materials - badge, event tickets, generic tokens, ribbons, etc. The prereg pickup is normally open starting Wednesday, and open late throughout ORIGINS. A LOT faster than waiting through onsite registration and then the event line.
In the past, a letter was mailed with your order details, and you would bring that letter with you to ORIGINS. Then you present the letter and some form of ID to pick up your onsite materials. Nowdays it's mainly email.
I would definitely urge you to print out your order from the registration website and have a copy with you, just in case. Check your badge, and your event tickets.
If you are attending with a GMing team, you should check with your team member who's acting as your ORIGINS contact, there are differences in how your materials are provided.
Ok, I've not been a newbie for a long time, so this list is based on questions I was emailed or asked in person. You can email me with your questions and I'll try to answer them "Unofficially," but I will also forward your question to contacts at GAMA where you can get an official answer. If it really is something which is missing from the list, I'll add it to this page!
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