Quote from: Necrozius;957376What do you do? Any tips on just going with a shit train of a game?

Smash your beer over the head of the GM and scream "It's go time muthafuckas!!!"

:eek:

When shit trains happen at cons (and its rare), its more often because of a bad player, not a bad GM.

Some douchenozzle wants to rules bitch because their PC took 14 damage instead of 11 points according to Splatbook XYZ, Appendix IV (btw, their PC still has 72 HP left). Or a wannabe weekend warrior thinks playing Call of Duty is the same as serving in Iraq and decides to lecture the table about realism. Same with the college dropout medieval history expert. Or the Twitter activist who decides their politics are more important than your game time.

This is not the time for social politeness. Hopefully the GM squashes that shit quickly, but even good GMs can give bad player behavior too much latitude (especially if that player is a GM's friend). If nobody at the table steps up and the bad player is turning everyone's game into a shit train, I suggest taking the initiative and calmly, but firmly smashing them with a beer bottle OR remind them we're all here for this super fun game and we only have X hours to play, so let's just focus on the game.

However, if the problem is the GM, then the comments from other posters are great suggestions. Watching a bad GM in action can be a great teaching tool. Like Pyromancer says, I have also gone Jane Goodall during a trainwreck to make sure I learned something vital from the time spent.

BTW, even poor GMs can usually handle combat. If the game is boring everyone at the table (you can see it on faces and body language), its sometimes a good idea to just flip the table by breaking out the violence. AKA, if the GM has gotten enamored with set dressing and NPC jibba jabba, then toss a grenade into the mix. Hell, its a one shot game, who cares if your PC goes down in a blaze of glory?

Quote from: Necrozius;957376What do you do?

Shower. Be polite. Be presentable. Keep a flask of liquor handy and take pulls from it if that helps you keep your composure.

Quote from: Necrozius;957376Any tips on just going with a shit train of a game?

If the game is that shitty, you can always stand up and leave. Nothing is forcing you to endure a shitty game.

Quote from: Necrozius;957376Any methods to constructively make the best of bad session? I'm not the passive-aggressive sulking type.

If the game is shitty, but the players are cool - then take over the game. Dispose of the craptastic GM and lead the players over to another table and run your own game for them. You have the chops, you yourself said that you are not the passive-aggressive sulking type, so why not save the day for the whole table and possibly become the stuff of con gaming legend?

Quote from: Necrozius;957376I'm more wary of other peoples' hygiene skills ('had a few negative experiences with socially awkward catpissmen)...

You will meet more than a few people who look at the convention as a marathon of 72/96 hours of gaming, and think of themselves as endurance runners, trying to get through it all with no sleep or showering. I don't get it, but my income is more disposable than others, so that might be part of it.

I will recommend either bringing your own food, or eating off-site. I spent more on food at the last Con for me & my son, than for a ticket in.

Always bring plenty of water. Soda, energy drinks, even tea dehydrate you. Water is everywhere, but no one seems to remember to drink enough of it.

But most importantly, have fun!

Quote from: Tristram Evans;957335never pay the listed price for anything at a dealer table.

Eh? I generally always do pay listed price. Compared to the value that they return, most games are woefully under priced. I never do understand why creators take the hit and decide themselves that their own game is not worth so much, ...when so many of the players will devalue the creations without regard for the creator already...

Creators Bill of Rights

For the survival and health of comics, we recognize that no single system of commerce and no single type of agreement between creator and publisher can or should be instituted. However, the rights and dignity of creators everywhere are equally vital. Our rights, as we perceive them to be and intend to preserve them, are:

   
1.  The right to full ownership of what we fully create.

We own what we create

2.    The right to full control over the creative execution of that which we fully own.

We get to decide who else works on our creation

3.    The right of approval over the reproduction and format of our creative property.

We get to decide what media our creations are made out of...

4.     The right of approval over the methods by which our creative property is distributed.

We get to decide who gets access to our creativity

5.     The right to free movement of ourselves and our creative property to and from publishers.

We get to decide who helps us with our projects

6.    The right to employ legal counsel in any and all business transactions.

We get to decide, if and when we need legal counsel...

7.    The right to offer a proposal to more than one publisher at a time.

You are not automatically guaranteed any exclusive rights to any of our creations without an agreement being in place...

8.     The right to prompt payment of a fair and equitable share of profits derived from all of our creative work.

We (not you) get to decide what our products are worth, how much our net profits should be, and how much money we should be able to make off of our creation. If you don't like it, don't buy it.

9.     The right to full and accurate accounting of any and all income and disbursements relative to our work.

If you are working on our behalf, we have the right to know about your sales of our products as well as any expenses incurred in garnering those sales...

10.     The right to prompt and complete return of our artwork in its original condition.

if we provide you original works or artworks for any reason, you are obligated to take care of it, and return it to us in the condition that we provided it to you...

11.    The right to full control over the licensing of our creative property.

We get to decide who else works on our creations... If you don't like it, make you own creations.

12.    The right to promote and the right of approval over any and all promotion of ourselves and our creative property

You have no exclusive rights over how to market our creations, as well as how to engage in public relations , we reserve the right to take advantage of any and all opportunities and to employ any public relations representatives that we choose...


Now this Creators Bill of Rights was written for the Comics Industry after some rather egregious abuses there, but it is equally applicable to the RPG publishing Industry as well...

Reference;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creator%27s_Bill_of_Rights

Quote from: GameDaddy;957516Eh? I generally always do pay listed price. Compared to the value that they return, most games are woefully under priced. I never do understand why creators take the hit and decide themselves that their own game is not worth so much, ...when so many of the players will devalue the creations without regard for the creator already...

Creators Bill of Rights

[(snip)

i'm not an employer or a publisher. The Creator's Bill of Rights doesn't apply. I pay what things are actually worth, whatever a person is willing to sell it for that I'm willing to pay.

Great, constructive thread. For real, in case some think I'm being sarcastic. That the recommendation to shower comes up so often is kinda amazing.

It's kinda amazing that the need to shower frequently when in enclosed hot spaces for a few days doesn't automatically come to mind for everyone who isn't 5 years old and averse to water.

Quote from: Hermes Serpent;957629It's kinda amazing that the need to shower frequently when in enclosed hot spaces for a few days doesn't automatically come to mind for everyone who isn't 5 years old and averse to water.

I agree, but from past experience I continue to be amazed that this doesn't happen.

My local gaming store used to have "the smell" in the basement. An indescribable mix of ass, BO, bad breath, and God knows what else. Then they got a proper ventilation system and brought it down to a dull fart.

I'm thinking of inventing some hypoallergenic, subtle air fresheners for gamers. Maybe they're built into dice trays or towers. Or maybe ones you can stick to the bottom of tables (via suction cups). There's money to be made there, I'm sure.

If you smell dirty socks at your table, run.

Also - I suggest you test-run your game first with home crew, because you could have greatly over- or underestimated the length of your one-shot. Happened to me a couple of times. Oh, and buy swag on the last day, as most merchants'll be willing to haggle just to earn a quick final buck.

And most importantly - relax and have fun. It's a social event, after all.

Quote from: Necrozius;957699I'm thinking of inventing some hypoallergenic, subtle air fresheners for gamers. Maybe they're built into dice trays or towers. Or maybe ones you can stick to the bottom of tables (via suction cups). There's money to be made there, I'm sure.

People who don't need them won't buy them for other people as it might offend them.

People who need them won't buy them for themselves as they are blissfully ignorant of the problem.

What we really need is thick-skinned people who will go up to people and say "You smell, isn't it about time you had a shower?"

However, I am far, far too polite to even consider such an approach.

Quote from: soltakss;957732People who don't need them won't buy them for other people as it might offend them.

People who need them won't buy them for themselves as they are blissfully ignorant of the problem.

What we really need is thick-skinned people who will go up to people and say "You smell, isn't it about time you had a shower?"

However, I am far, far too polite to even consider such an approach.

Lucky for you, I have no problem with telling a dirtbag that he or she needs to wash their ass.

Quote from: Necrozius;957293I finally lost patience with my regular pool of potential role players and have reached out to the local community. Ottawa is quite bustling, it turns out, and I've discovered the yearly CanGames event.

I've decided to attend, as a player, and sit at as many tables as possible. I'm hoping that I'll discover some great games and do some substantial networking.

Alright cutting to the chase:

I haven't played with strangers in a while, and never at a convention.

Is there anything that I should know or prepare for in advance?

Should I bring supplies? Pre-print character sheets for the games that I know? Bring my own dice?

Also, socially, anything I should anticipate? I'm socially competent but if there are any taboos or "faux pas" at these types of events? There isn't much on the CanGames website other than general stuff about being courteous and not leaving a game until it's over.

Thanks in advance and comedy suggestions (ie- insults at my naïvety) are welcome as long as they're balanced with equal amounts of actual advice.

As in all things follow the Golden Rules:
-Don't be a dick (Wheaton's Law)
-Bring dice and (help others) have fun! (Asked-to-remain-anonymous' Law)

Seriously, though, gaming conventions can be a lot of fun, and to me are a great way to try games I would not normally try with my core gaming groups for various reasons. If for some reason someone is making your convention experience unfun, it's ok to walk away from a situation, even if it is awkward.
That being said, if I'm having a bad time at a particular game (sometimes the GM's playstyle doesn't mesh well with mine, no biggie) I'll spend the rest of the session trying to help other players have fun, especially if it looks like they're having the same experience as I am. It can make for very oddball bonding experiences.

Oh! I almost forgot. Bring a deck of cards or some "quick to play" card or dice games for some impromptu fun. I met some cool people while waiting for a game to start and just offering for us to play a quick game of Fluxx or Zombie Dice, etc.

WTF is up with the stank ass freaks?  

After nearly 40 years of California conventions, I rarely encounter stinky gamers. Sure, hotels with poor ventilation smell better on Friday than Sunday, but that's happens at non-gaming events too. The stinky gamer thing happened far more in the 80s when the average age was in the teens and young adult. And then it was almost always the mega-fatty or the poor guys who couldn't afford a hotel room and just gamed for 3 days straight with naps on the floor.  

In the past decade, I've smelled a handful of stinkers out of many hundreds of players.

I have WAY more olfactory issues with overdone perfume in grocery stores and restaurants.

Quote from: Rincewind1;957701Also - I suggest you test-run your game first with home crew, because you could have greatly over- or underestimated the length of your one-shot. Happened to me a couple of times.

So true!!

I always overprep, and then remove stuff to make sure we finish by the buzzer. Running the event first is such a boon.

Quote from: Nihilistic Mind;957738Bring a deck of cards or some "quick to play" card or dice games for some impromptu fun.

Great suggestion!

I've been introduced to a few cool card games over the years (Z-man Games, Bohnanza, Bang! come to mind) because somebody broke out something quick and fun while we were waiting between events.