Bns to There and Back Again
There & Back Again, a Gen Con Story
Monday Coming together, The View From the Path
Higher up y'all see the Onyx Path coiffure boldly striding through the dangerous wildlands of Indianapolis on our style to Gen Con 2014.
Warning: this Gen Con Recap promises to be a long one. Regular product updates next week.
A lot of my weekly posts talked about the buildup to Gen Con this year, and so I won't belabor merely how complex the logistics of that was, and I'll encapsulate information technology by maxim that we pretty much created the booth and all of our requite-aways from scratch, and had to arrange shipments from multiple locations, flights from multiple locations, and a tetris game of hotel rooms of who was coming in and leaving when mixed in with which hotels were office of the exhibitor package. And even though I was very stressed out, it really did all come together as planned.
Tuesday: An advance squad of elite specialists come up in from Philly, Atlanta, and Toronto, with plans to rendezvous at the Indy airport. The others' flights are later than planned, and I immediately snap into action and go a table at theHarry and Izzy's in the airport and order a shrimp cocktail. (Harry and Izzy's is an offshoot of Indy'southward famousSt. Elmo'southward Steakhouse and has the almost delicious shrimp cocktail with the most horseradishy cocktail sauce I've always had the called-for pleasure to consume. I have spasmed uncontrollably and watched grown men weep at how bitter the sauce is. Information technology is a compelling part of my time in Indy every year). In less than 2 hours, Boil and Mirthful Mike bring together me in from Atlanta, so naturally we order a couple of shrimp cocktails as we expect for Ian to become a new flight after his first i is cancelled. Somewhen we surrender on Ian after his new flight is delayed and share a cab into boondocks and check into our two hotel rooms. Once Ian arrives, nosotros head out to dinner at the Ram (a local brewpub that was and is one of the groovy supporters of Gen Con, even going then far every bit to open up their dorsum room to gaming) and come across Jon Hodgson and crew from Cubicle 7. Jon is not only the Fine art Director at C7, but created the Onyx Path video we had running in the booth all week. Finally Eddy and I adjourned to our hotel bar for a nightcap and to start settling the terms for his new game with Onyx Path.
Wednesday: Berth Set up-up Day! This is why we came in on Tuesday, so that nosotros'd accept all twenty-four hours to fix up and bargain with whatsoever issues. The picture above shows it with floor and tables in identify. Pretty much the simply real adjustments to our plans were that despite carefully measuring the black drapes for our tables they withal weren't long enough, and the berth backdrop was white and green- something I had non realized when envisioning how everything would look. So basically, I wanted more than black in our booth. How much blacker could it get? None blacker plenty, I say. Fortunately, nosotros were able to infringe a black cloth for the eye section, which really helped. Rollickin' Rose, her friend Audrey, and Jason Needham, our own Baron Samedi from the forums, all arrived at different points in the afternoon to help and we got badges and hotel rooms sorted out. Nosotros were very selective in which books we brought for sale- actually only the newest and the cadre books. Every bit they needed to be bought from DTRPG as PoDs, anything nosotros brought was an expense and so we had to keep that in mind. Plus, even though this was a sales-oriented evidence for a lot of game companies, for u.s.a. the purpose was to proceed to engage with current fans, and to continue to spread the word about Onyx Path. We wanted the booth to be a identify to meet and greet, and not then much a revenue maker.
In one case everything was in place, and we checked that the video was running properly, we headed out to our traditional Weds night, pre-GenCon, dinner at Buca di Beppo. This gives us a gamble to review the berth, re-focus on our goals, establish expectations of behavior and who is responsible for what, only mostly to have a good fourth dimension with just the berth crew earlier all hell breaks loose. Then, a bunch of us went over to the Diana Jones Awards and had a nifty fourth dimension there chatting away with other gaming industry folks we don't become to see confront to face except at Gen Con, like Matt Forbeck, Volition Hindmarch, and Jim Zub (to name a few folks you might know from their WW andOnyx Path piece of work). Will Wheaton was too there, but I didn't talk to him as I just don't know what to say to celebrities- he seems similar a overnice guy, though. Congrats to Robin Laws for winning for Hillfolk– well deserved, and I told Robin I'd be grabbing a few ideas from his KS for our Dark Eras Kickstarter subsequently this twelvemonth. After a couple of hours, I slipped away to my favorite martini bar (name withheld at the asking of my compatriots) to meet up with a bunch of erstwhile friends, and was lassoed into joining a section of the place where Peter Adkinson and his friends had already set up a cigar smoke-wreathed camp. Peter was, of grade, the CEO of WOTC, and currently that of Gen Con, and we've known each other since I worked on fine art for WOTC right earlier they came up with Magic the Gathering. Strangely plenty, nosotros've never actually worked directly together, just we e'er have fun hanging out. I actually left before endmost because I had to become up and to the booth to greet the first day of the con.
Thursday: The Big Twenty-four hour period. So we stood there, in the berth, facing out at the doors. The rumble from outside was intimidating, merely we knew we were ready. The picture in a higher place is actually a picayune before the doors opened. Merely open up they did and in came a human onrush like a tidal wave crashing into a boondocks. Right past our booth on either side and towards the 2 large companies with Gen Con sectional items. The lines formed, and while we were bemused, or possibly even disheartened, to watch and so many people completely not even noticing united states…I noticed that while they stood in line, the conventioneers were watching our Onyx Path video and checking out our berth. Next matter we knew, those folks returned to check united states out (later they got their exclusives). And they just kept coming all day. Which was good, because our artistic freelancers also kept popping into the berth, and we could often put fan and writer or programmer together for some fun and revealing conversations.
At noon I scampered off to sit on the Industry Guests of Honour "Art Matters" panel with Jon Hodgson, andElisa Teague. Better attended than I expected for an "art" panel, as its the writers and game creators that usually go the bigger crowds. And I've found that most folks at one of these are at that place considering they to some caste already believe that art matters in RPG books, and so we're mostly expressing how we see it and how nosotros have used art in our projects. Still, in that location were some excellent questions from the audience equally to how and why you get certain art, so that was fun. Popped over to the Hyatt to become Dave Martin and the Wrecking Crew settled into their rooms, and had a brief strategy session with him over a slice of pizza. Dave'due south Crew ran about 40 dissimilar events for us in just nether iv days that ran the gamut of WW and Onyx Path settings. And and then dorsum to the next GoH console, this fourth dimension to 1 I had pushed for final year and was so thrilled past the response that we did information technology once again this year: "The Return to the Castle of Gender Representation". (In art, mostly). This console, featuring Jon again, besides every bit our friends Nicole Lindroos and Steve Kenson of Green Ronin, was much more attended- pretty much filled the room- and was so thought-provoking and helpful that nosotros could have gone a lot longer.
Next, most of the cadre Onyx Path Publishing coiffure had a summit meeting to discuss where nosotros are and where each of them would similar to see Onyx grow towards. I have very definite ideas, but as anyone who has read my blogs (or Kickstarter estimates) knows, I'm not always right about everything. The whole Onyx crew is in this together, and communication of shared goals is really important in a immature company. Amazingly, as nosotros discussed ideas and preferences in our hotel room and after at dinner at St. Elmos (where I had another shrimp cocktail and got to gleefully lookout Boil tear up repeatedly eating his), it became articulate that we were all happy with our current direction and wanted to keep moving equally we have been. It was late by the time we were done, and virtually of the gang headed to their rooms, but I'd been skillful the night before and it was time to venture into the smoke-filled caverns of the Peppery Dragon again for shots of lemon-drops, and Batman discussions. Dorsum in my room at 3:30am.
Fri: Meetings Every Hour Starting at 8am. So this 24-hour interval was a mistiness for me of meetings I can't actually go into hither. And while I did that, Eddy and Ian plant time in our crowded berth (Friday was decorated!) to create 2 games that no doubt will bring them fame and fortune- pictured in a higher place. At noon Eddy, Rose, Neall Reamon Price, and I got together to hash out the Onyx Path System we are intending to use for both Scion and the Trinity Continuum. A shrimp cocktail was eaten, and I think a major breakthrough occurred. Another GoH console at 2 with Steve Kenson on "How To Run A Successful RPG Kickstarter" where Steve shared swell wisdom and I nodded alot. Back over to the booth to finally have a chip of time to talk to folks, and I was pulled into an interview with Oomba. Not sure if I came off OK or not, but I mentioned every bit many upcoming projects as I could and the interviewer asked a couple of good questions near how Onyx Path licensed the WW backdrop from CCP. Finally managed to take an all as well quick dinner with C.A.Suleiman to talk over a cool project of his as well as Mummy, and and so off to make clean upwards before heading over to Matt McFarland's 40th Birthday Party. I was having a lot of fun talking with all the guests, just when I went for a drink to the bar (we had to become drinks in the hotel bar, I had every intention of returning- they hadn't served the Helm America shield block yet), I was waylaid by several d20 buddies wanting me to try out 5th Edition D&D. Right so! Since we're bringing back Scarred Lands and were because if we should have it be D&D5e also as Pathfinder compatible, and I really only understand the ins and outs of systems once I play, I pretty much had to take the opportunity. Several hours later, I got to bed.
Saturday: Panels! This was Onyx Path console solar day, and we were actually quite concerned if we had divide our audience past having iii split panels for cWoD, nWoD, and basically everything else nosotros create. Well, the to a higher place pic is of the nWoD console later on a few folks left near the cease. I dunno if they are OK with naming them, but in the front end row at that place are our intrepid developers who spilled over from the wee desk Rose, Eddy, and I were at in front. So rather than a narrative, since pretty much the panels were the key to our whole Gen Con attendance, hither is what nosotros talked about:
– 10am was What's Up With nWoD?: here's the link to the Brochure PDF that has releases for Aug 2014 – Aug 2015 which we referred to during the panel. Eddy, Rose. Dave Brookshaw, Matt McFarland, Matt McElroy, Neall Reamon Price, and C.A. Suleiman in the audition. Hither's a link to the recorded audio of the proceedings: https://world wide web.youtube.com/
Highlights:
– second Editions of the nWoD cadre book and Vampire: the Requiem, and for the currently scheduled WtF and MtA Relate books will be 2nd Editions too.
– 2nd Editions of Promethean and Changeling the Lost next year. They volition have built in Chronicles also.
– The new game for 2015 is Brute: The Primordial. In that location was a lot of Q&A about this.
Then I had some fourth dimension for lunch, but between interviews and signing Magic cards (Ruddy and Blueish Elemental Blasts were the runaway favorites to exist signed this twelvemonth) I actually only had time for a shrimp cocktail and ran out on Scott Holden as we discussed Scarred Lands.
– 3pm wasWhat's Up With Onyx Path?:here'southward the link to the Brochure PDF that has releases for Aug 2014 – Aug 2015 which nosotros referred to during the panel. Boil, Neall Reamon Toll, Dave Brookshaw. Rose in the audition. Hither's a link to the recorded audio of the proceedings: https://www.youtube.com/
Highlights:
– Nosotros were able to talk in more than detail nearly the Onyx Path Organization for Scion and the Trinity Continuum, too as the games themselves. It was a packed room and lots of interest.
– Rose is getting dorsum to working on Cavaliers of Mars after pinch hit on a couple of other projects for usa.
– No Exalted fans attacked me. Thank yous so much for your patience.
– Nosotros're putting together a schedule for Scarred Lands for adjacent year right at present, non much to say yet, but we did have a couple of copies of a new hazard, The Gauntlet of Spiragos , at the booth. Hitting the link to get your free PDF.
– We announced Boil Webb'due south new game Pugmire, which I think has surprising range for a fantasy setting featuring sentient dogs as PCs. There was much word of this every bit the audience either cheered or scratched their heads in bewilderment. Woof.
– 4pm wasWhat's Up With cWoD?:here'due south the link to the Brochure PDF that has releases for Aug 2014 – Aug 2015 which we referred to during the panel. Eddy, Matt McElroy. Rose in the audience. Hither's a link to the recorded audio of the proceedings: https://www.youtube.com/
Highlights:
– V20 Lore of the Clans and Beckett'southward Jyhad Diary were both seen as adding more depth and story to V20, even if some of Beckett's info might be doubtable as Eddy explained.
– W20 Shattered Dreams for both Garou and Fera being a series of wars through the ages was ooohed by some of the audience.
– With a total M20 schedule, we notwithstanding surprised folks with the Victorian Mage announcement.
– Folks were reassured when I told them that Rich Dansky is working away on Wraith 20th.
– Changeling the Dreaming 20th Ceremony Edition was confirmed!
(If I can, I'll link each panel to an sound recording we made once those are pulled together).
I raced out to a White Wolf reunion-fashion dinner with Pauline Benney, Brian Petkash, Dean Burnham, Fred Yelk, and the god-king himself, Steve Wieck. Just burgers and beer (well, a cocktail for me), simply it was awesome to sit and catch up on families and life in general. We all were at that place for a lot of WW's history and have many stories. Returning to the hotel, most of the gang took off for other commitments, just Pauline and Brian and I adjourned to the bar where we were waved over by Nicole and Chris from Green Ronin. Few people realize that Nicole was at WW when it was being formed, and that she did the layout for the first edition of Vampire: the Masquerade– and so we had real oldtimer stories to share! Time flew, and I was soon pulled out to cease that D&D fifth adventure- death to the Hill Giants! Yet, in one case finished, it was still but 2am on a Sabbatum night, so three of us institute our mode to the pub that nutrient service folks go to after hours and closed out the place. In bed at 4am.
Dominicus: Endmost 24-hour interval! How could it be fourth dimension already? However here nosotros were, answering questions and hanging out with folks all day until the dreaded proclamation that the hall was endmost. At that point, Rollickin' Rose, Audrey, and Mirthful Mike had left for the airport, so the balance of us dismantled the booth in a frenzy of activity. By 7pm, it was every bit you come across it in the picture above, and out the door we went. We rearranged the concluding two hotel rooms, and got dinner at the Rock Bottom Brew Pub– best nachos I had there! Most everybody was bushed, but I went over to the hotel next door to play some games of Flashpoint: Fire Rescue. This was a Sunday night tradition with the Fiery Dragon guys, but I never stayed Sunday night until this year. So that was a lot of fun. Nearby, Monica Valentinelli was running a game of Firefly (she's the developer) which certain sounded like fun, too. Matt McElroy was having ane of his spells, and by the fourth dimension he got back to Madison on Mon, he needed to get in for a heart operation. (He'due south dwelling and doing slap-up now folks, just volition be off the grid a bit in the next weeks). Some hugs, goodbyes, I love you mans, later and to bed I went around 2am.
Monday: Flight home. Slept in. Forgot how good that feels. Eddy and I discussed more details of Pugmire. Out for luncheon, another shrimp cocktail, and to the airport. Got to say good day to Jon Hodgson on the flight as he as well was headed to Philly, although he connected to fly back to the UK. Picked up by Lisa and the boys and to home. Whew.
And so, while I'll exist providing more than info in the weeks to come nearly how things went, overall it was a smashing success that hit exactly what we wanted to do. And because that would non have happened without the aid of our whole Onyx Path crew, and this blog sounds a bit like the all-me edition, here are some of the gang'due south thoughts nigh the Gen Con 2014:
Eddy Webb:
2- Panels were far more than packed than last year, so the word is definitely standing to go out well-nigh who we are and what we do. I still have to reply the "what is Onyx Path" question quite a bit, though. Lots of weird questions forth the lines of "I heard a rumour that Onyx Path had bought the World of Darkness from CCP," or "I heard a rumour that you guys end ending the new Globe of Darkness to focus on the quondam," or whatever.
And although I already thanked the booth team in individual, here nosotros go in public: Rose, Audrey, Ian, Jason, Eddy, Mike- you were fantastic with making the booth a destination for our customs. Mike, the amount of cool items like the brochure, the posters, the numberless and tablecloths and everything that you made happen was vivid. Monica and Matt, we are indebted to you both for your experienced guiding advice from the fourth dimension we started planning this. Neall, David, Matt, Colin, Jim, Travis, you made every fan a trivial happier as you hung out and chatted at the booth. Could not have washed this without you all. Cheers!
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Source: http://theonyxpath.com/there-back-again-a-gen-con-story/
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