 |
The Unofficial Guide
to Surviving
ORIGINS Game Faire™
2011 Edition
|
My new gamer is now 6, and with all of the other complications of a
modern life, including the economic meltdown, doing these "labor of
love" items becomes harder with each passing year. My gaming,
other than at Origins is almost exclusively on the PC these days, and little
of that.
The unofficial guide began as a straight text-only email which I
sent out upon request when ORIGINS first came to Columbus. I had
attended a couple of GenCons up in Milwaukee, and relied heavily on the
information I found on the Internet. It's evolved to its latest
version over the years - still mostly plain HTML and designed for
offline use, print the pages and maps you need, and take them with you.
Columbus has been a good home, IMNSHO, for ORIGINS. The crowd sizes
have grown, and the number of events has taken off. Even with the other
major convention being within the next couple of months and, literally
only a couple of hours away, ORIGINS has really grown.
Hopefully you'll take the time to look over the other pages, and
find some which meet your information needs. If you see anything
glaringly wrong (spell and grammer correction welcome, just don't
expect those errors to be fixed quickly), EMAIL me. If the
links are broken or your browser won't render, let me know - I've
tested Firefox, IE, Konqueror and lynx - but there are always browsers
which have problems with *something* on your page.
Anyhow, onto the Survivor's Guide:
- Have fun at ORIGINS. Play games you've never tried before. Play
in the demos in the dealer's room. Play in pick-up games.
PLAY!
- Plan ahead - this convention is 5 days long. I know this is a
tired old joke, but seriously, remember what soap is for, deoderant
would be a nice touch. Even the VAMPIRE LARP people don't really want
to smell undead by Sunday.
- Late June in Columbus will be HOT AND MUGGY.
However, sometimes the Convention Center feels like a convetion of
refrigeration specialists. Dress appropriately. Most appropriate
would be ORIGINS clothing,
especially that which proves that you were gaming before DND was 3
little red books...
- While it's a bit late for Pre-Schedulers -- leave some time in
your schedule to eat between events. While it's not
completely rude to run and grab a snack or drink during a game - most
GMs will stop for a short break during the session - bringing a 6
course Thai meal to the table is pushing it. There is now a type of "enforcement"
in the schedule, notice it's hard to have an event which runs into the 4-6 pm
time slot.
- While bringing food from outside is verboten by the "rules", so
far I've not seen anyone kicked out for having a protein bar or bottle
of soda in their backpack. Both are actually good ideas.
- Go through the artist area. There is a lot of good art which gets
swallowed up in this hobby and ends up on magazine covers or playing
cards, and never appreciated as art.
- Kids - we love'em. Deep fried with a side of Salsa. No,
seriously, ORIGINS is one of the more child-friendly events I've
attended, and well-adjusted children are always welcome to watch games
in progress, join if they've preregistered or have a couple of
generics. Some of the beginner's games (those rated all ages, no
experience) or the kids track are great for a child to get exposed to
the hobby. In all the time I've been attending ORIGINS, I can only
recall ONE incident where a child was actually disruptive to the
game. Once it's basic needs (food and clean diaper) were met it settled
down quickly.
- If you've paid for an event, please show up. The GMs work hard to
provide these events, and frankly it's disappointing to find out you've
sold out your seats, then have 2 players show. If you're not going to
make it, at least cash in early enough that someone else has a chance
to play. Likewise - just because an event is marked sold out, show up
with a couple of generic tickets anyhow - the GM might have a spare
spot or there just might be a no-show.
- If you're a GM, Please show up! The players signed up to play your game.
- The soda machines will be empty by mid-day Thursday. This is a law
of nature. Get a big cup with cheap refills in the Food Court!
- Games, rooms and tables are bound to Heisenberg's Uncertainty
Principle. If you arrive at the right place at the right time (check
the Convention Center page to see what is
where) and the games does not seem to be happening - get the hall
captain or event coordinator (usually wearing official ORIGINS badges)
to see if the event was moved or cancelled.
- OHIO has a general BAN on indoor smoking in public places, so the Convention
Center and the surrounding restaurants are smoke-free.
- The best way to save money on Origins is to volunteer.
Columbus in general, Arena District in specific:
- Columbus is the 15th largest city in the US. Over 1.5 million
people live a VERY SHORT distance from the Convention Center / Arena
District. And while 99% of them are good, law-abiding citizens - you
must be on your guard. We have all the crimes and problems here which
are prevalent in any large city, and tourists are always good
targets. Don't leave your backpack unattended.
- Columbus has the 2nd worse method of putting up Highway signs
that I've ever encountered (Washington, D.C. was worse). Be vigilant
when driving, for the lane you are needing is quite possibly not the
one you're in. Check the driving page for
more information. Your city might be worse, let me know.
- Columbus is, in general, a very diverse and tolerant city. With
the largest single-campus university, Columbus is a draw for
different nationalities, religions, orientations, etc.
- Park early. Leave the car sit. Parking has gotten
100% better since the 1996 ORIGINS, but it's still a problem in the
area.
GAMA