"Worst gaming convention experience???" Topic

My bad experiences pale next to some of the above, but here goes. I've heard of stolen figs, terrain, etc, but never experienced it myself. Trust, said I, is the hallmark of virtue. My fellow wargamers would never…

I left a couple of boxes of terrain and minis under the table in the convention ballroom on Friday night, ready for Saturday morning's 9:00 game. They were gone the next day when I arrived to set up my game. I was a bit disappointed, but not crushed. I am pretty certain I will recogize the stuff since it is all homemade and when I do, I'll…

My cell phone rang right at that moment. It turned out to be a gaming acquaintance, Rich Hasenauer. "Hi, Jim? I found your boxes unattended last night in the ballroom and took them back to my room to secure them for you. Good idea to put your name and cell phone number on the outside of each box…"

My game went on as planned, and my faith in my fellow man, briefly jaded, began to shine again.

My worst convention experience turned out to be one of my best.

Jim,

Now that's a story about the good in mankind. Rich is a legend in the hobby, and it's kind of consideration that does nothing to detract from his reputation.

Huzzah!

I remember a friend of mine telling me one year that he found a box of gaming stuff after a convention had packed up and left. He advertised heavily in various places, searching for the owner so he could return the found materials. After months of inquiries, no one stepped forward to claim the goodies, so he has kept them ever since.

Honesty can be rewarding…

not checking my diary and turning up at Triples a week early!

Lord Ashram…

I was at Historicon a few years back and I recall one game's description stated you must have bathed in the past 24 hours to be admitted into the game.

:))

I have really enjoyed reading this thread. Our conventions here in New Zealand are tiny by comparison and just about every gamer knows every other gamer, by sight if not by name.

I have never had the experiences you chaps have had but did see one thing that still makes me wince. This happened back in the early 80s. A beautiful 25mm Ancients game. Nice figures and good terrain. One of the players was abotu to roll his dice when the trestle legs at one end of the table did the splits and the table collapsed at that end. The entire table top of terrain and models slid off into a big heap on the floor. I can still see that guy standing there shaking the dice in his hand not saying a word.

One more comes to mind. After a convention in Auckland in 1980 or 81, the Tauranga Wargames Club were on the way home in a van. There were about four guys and all the club armies pretty much. Lots of 25mm Naps. Driver fell asleep and they went off the road and flipped. Luckily none were hut – not so for the armies.

Brian
NZ