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September 2003
September is now upon us, which can only mean one thing: Comic Con is now over and done for this year. If you missed it, then I have to tell you this: Nyah, nyah! I got to go and you didn't! Hah hah! If you did go, then you'll already know what a blast Comic Con can be.
For those who have been there before, you'll know that Comic Con is more than just Comic Books. It's also gaming, television, movies, collectibles, web comics, and role playing. It's also one of the closest things to an alternate reality you'll ever experience without subjecting yourself to illegal and dangerous chemicals. Since this column is primarily about gaming, however, I'll stick to the gaming aspect of Comic Con for this installment.
If you find yourself drooling and overwhelmed when you visit your local game store, you'll likely end up comatose at Comic Con. Unlike your local game store, which carries a limited stock of whatever has been recently released, Comic Con has an incredible selection of stuff that not only has been released, but that is awaiting release. Wonder what's coming up in your favorite game? Most likely you'll find the newest revisions at Comic Con long before they make it to your local store, and sometimes for sale, even.
For example, Wiz Kids is releasing a new expansion for Mage Knight called "Dragon's Gate." The Dragon's Gate Booster Packs cannot be found in your local store yet (as of this writing), but they were available for purchase at Comic Con. Pre-release version of Playstation 2 games were on display for playing and evaluation, although you might wait in line for quite a while to get your hands on one of the demo controllers. Note: If you cannot stand waiting in lines, Comic Con is not for you. If the stuff or people you're interested in are popular, expect to wait in line to see them.
Comic Con is also a terrific place to try out games before you decide to buy them. Most of the game companies had demos set up for Con Attendees to play, along with volunteers to teach the uninitiated the basic ropes of playing their games. For some games, scheduled tourneys were set up that attendees could sign up for and participate in. Sometimes, playing against a different group of opponents will give you a new perspective on the game. ("Wow, these guys are even lamer than I am!") Even if the volunteer running the game isn't the most "up to date" on the rules, you'll typically find a devotee to the game hanging around close by who is more than happy to step in and answer questions about subtle nuances of the game. For such people, Comic Con may be the only time anyone actually appreciates that they know every rule on page 79 of the Player's Manual. The rest of the year they might be just a geek, but during Comic Con, they're a god.
Comic Con is also a great opportunity to meet the people behind the games. Coming soon to an issue of Collector Times will be yours truly's interview with Steve Jackson, the man behind such games as "Munchkin" and "Chez Geek. I have it on good authority that Munchkin is a very fun and highly addictive game, and meeting the guys behind it, it's easy to understand how it got to be that way. Now all we have to do is find a good time for Chris and AJ to bring it over so we can learn how to play it, too.
The flip side of meeting the folks behind the games is that you can give them direct feedback on their games. In most cases, the designers enjoy getting feedback on their games, provided the feedback isn't limited to "Your game sucks!" Good feedback is when you tell the designer such things as "house rules" you tried which made the game more fun, or a difficulty you encountered with interpreting a certain rule for a situation. Even in play testing, it's nearly impossible to cover every possible scenario, and good player feedback can help the designers refine the game and make it better still.
If you're a fan of gaming, then I heartily suggest you attend Comic Con, or another Con near you. It's an excellent experience, and well worth the investment it takes. Maybe next year, I'll actually take the time to try playing a game or two while I'm there.
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