"If you're not going to HCON 2010, what instead?" Topic

I'm hearing a lot of folks worrying out loud about HCON 2010. Cost is one big issue. For my locals there's no additional driving time.

So if you don't go, do you plan on doing another convention instead (that you wouldn't go to otherwise)? Or what?

I am seriously thinking about going to Havoc in the spring instead. Another option was checking out Origins. I always wanted to see the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson and with it being close to Origins I can hit both in one stop.

Phil

Our club is going to have a massive game that weekend, so we can sulk and pout and roll dice and push lead and drink beer.

I will likely be able to make it to Cold Wars next year, so that should compensate. And, MAYBE, Fall In! this year.

I think I will manage to cope.

Don't cry for me HMGS!

Will probably go to a monthly club meeting, or a more local convention instead.

Then again, maybe I will just purchase more miniatures and rules with the money saved by not attending.

I would love to be there, but the cost to get there and to attend, and being clear across the country doesn't really help matters.

I hope the new Baltimore convention is a success.

Our group is planning a four-day gaming session at one of our member's homes.

We have begun planning.

My group is opting for Fall-In instead. But there will be a big letdown next July… :-(

I'll attend the new con up in Maine in May. Possibly havoc as well. Hotel costs in the Harbor area, or a train ride in from cheaper accommodations at the airport just don't make it for me. I also heard from an attendee that the discussions at H'con about the move had quite a few references to Security; something else to consider.

Oggie

Origins and a trip to the Air Force museum.

Year after that I'm thinking about going to the big military warbirds airshow at Reading, PA on June 6 weekend as my summer military/gaming trip.

Too much cash for Baltimore, but I do hope it works out for HMGS.

My group is looking at Cold Wars, Williamsburg Muster, Johnny Con, Havoc, Spring Fling, Huzzah, FALL-IN!, and Southern Front. I dont think we will make them all, but those are the options right now. My guys have also discussed doing a mega-game at home instead of attending.

If you guys are coming over for Origins and are coming by way of Kentucky you should also plan a trip to the Patton armor museum at Ft. Knox. But if you can only do one its got to be Wright-Pat and the USAF museum. It just keeps getting better and better.

We're planning a big gaming weekend. It will fun and cheap.

Probably go to Enfilade in WA state in May with the saved $$. Visit the relatives and friends.

July? Take the month off.

A local convention Dexcon and Historicon were back to back in July every year. I did both since my drive was 40 minutes and 2 1/2 hours respectively.

Historicon changing time to a week earlier created a conflict, but it moving to Baltimore has made Dexcon in NJ my July convention now. I may still go to Lancaster for a family only vacation or perhaps to meet up with some friends for a game day or something.

Origins is only 2 1/2 hours away on free roads, Baltimore is 10 hours away with $50 USD tolls. Given the great job the Great Lakes HMGS has done to build up historical gaming in Columbus, this should be a good convention. I will miss seeing old friends who go only to Historicon, not Cold Wars.

The next big step for the GL guys it to get a flea market at Origins.

While there are no major or even regional convention during the July-August time frame in the South, the use of local Game Days are becoming more popular.

So I see more game days being planned.

As a vendor who used to attend Historicon, I will think about all the money I am saving by not going. The only people out of luck are the distributors who sell me my products so I can break even at the HMGS-East shows.

I think I will stay here and have a big game that weekend. Nashcon did the same thing, it moved to downtown nashville. The romms were expensive, no free parking, and the food was more costly. I do wish you luck.

We're planning a big gaming weekend. It will fun and cheap.

Count me in! If not this, then I can take the money I would normally spend on Historicon and go away with the family.

Probably Origins if I don't go to Hcon.

Interesting. So the "benefit" of moving Hcon to Baltimore might just be a lot more gaming across the country? Hardly sounds like a losing proposition, if true. For every action…. :-)

I will be attending Havoc in April, the new show in Maine in May, the convention in New Jersey in June, perhaps the Williamsburg show and in July, there is toy soldier show in Detroit that falls too close to Historicon for me in the past, but I'll be going next year.

So plus 5, minus 1………….

I have not decided yet whether to go to Baltimore or not. If not, I just may go from home in Ohio to the Sheridan WYO Rodeo instead.

Tom

Depending on when the leaves change, maybe Fall In. My wife loves orange and red leaves!

We are having an all day gaming day On August 29th (just three weeks away) just south of the Philadelphia Airport. My understaning is that we This may be a percursor of things to come. We can already fit around 20 tables at the location. And doing a Friday and Saturday combo next July is not out of the question. The July dates for Baltimore are bad anyway with the July 4th weekend hangover.

I would also try to support an alternate con next summer year.

I highly recmomend the work that both NJCon and Willamsburg Muster have done. Having attended both this year there was more of a spirit of the love of the hobby at both without the politics than I suspect will be presetn at the "wet powdered shot heard round the inner harbor" that the next two scheduled summer HMGS conventions will be. (Really they are Historicon in name only and will be a stain on the honor of the organization for generations).

PS Don't play with Effinger he has Shifty eyes!

So people saying they aren't going to go to Historicon because of the added money are going to go to Origins instead? Prices must have dropped considerable for Origins since i was there last.

Grimm

I'll enjoy some family time instead.

I think I will take all the money I will save and go to one of those sleezy message parlors or something. After the big game at the OFM's of course!

"So people saying they aren't going to go to Historicon because of the added money are going to go to Origins instead? Prices must have dropped considerable for Origins since i was there last."

That would be the logic for some, I guess. Or the hotels in Baltimore being more expensive than Lancaster, which they aren't.

Hopefully I can make Fall-In 2010; the economy and my employment status co-operating that is!

"So people saying they aren't going to go to Historicon because of the added money are going to go to Origins instead? Prices must have dropped considerable for Origins since i was there last."

Even if the same money to get in, it is much less distance = less gas, no tolls. But the cost of one large city compared to a very large city is not more. Origins -- stay at an outskirts hotel for less than the Host is. Drive to Convention Center, park pretty cheap and pay early bird prices to get in at about 50% more than Historigins. I went a couple years ago for about the same as it cost me to go to then Historicon, in Lancaster.

Personally I am thinking about going to Bayou Wars (assuming that the dates location will be similar to 2009). I love New Orleans and have been there many, many times. I can turn the trip into a mini-vacation. History, music, food + gaming what is not to like.

Since I now live in Michigan that means the trip will be more expensive than going to Historicon or even Baltimore, but money isn't the reason I am boycotting Historicon 2010 and 2011.

I'm not terribly interested in Origins (I've been several times in the last 10 years). It has many of the same drawbacks that a Baltimore Historicon will have.

If the Gil Bates or the NY/NJ WAB guys can put together a summertime event then I would go to that as well.

Rob

Rob

Or the hotels in Baltimore being more expensive than Lancaster, which they aren't.

So, I looked, and the Host is about $200 USD cheaper than the Hilton; these are the hotels connected to the convention sites (apples with apples)……'nough said

Oggie "the cheap yankee"

Are the hotels in easy walking distance only $50 USD a night with free parking. I never knew.

I'll actually save money by not having to rent a car to get to Lancaster from the airport, I can take a taxi into Baltimore. If you are anywhere near Baltimore I can't see how the cost is going to be all that much different. It cost me $1,100 USD for just the flight and hotel this year in Historicon and I thought it was well worth every penny.

It's not about the expense for me. But so many of the guys I enjoy seeing at Hcon aren't going and that makes it less enjoyable. So for a change I might hit Origins.

I've never been to GenCon or Origins. I hear they are OK.

I will go to Little Wars and see what that is like. It is certainly closer to home! :-) I'll spend the extra I saved on gasoline to buy more hobby stuff.

Gosh you would think with all the sour grapes going around someone would be starting up a home cheese making hobby to with all the wine (ing).

VR
James Mattes

Thanks Gil,

It helps to stay independent and only having a few folks run it. Also having a great location doesn't hurt either.

Justin
Williamsburg Muster staff

We are looking at doing "RonCon" at the FLGS (The Game Connection) in Knightdale/Raleigh. Same weekend if we can swing it, but maybe just around the same weekend as Historigins.

Then there's Southern Front, and Spring Fever along with our Tank Shock event.

I haven't been to any of the "big cons" in a year and I can't say I'm missing anything. I dare say I've played in more actual games at the smaller conventions… and bought just as much stuff… :)

Hear, Hear, Neil! For those who haven't been to a TSS event that Neil, Ed, et al run, you are missing something.

As a matter of fact, we modeled our con on Southern Front and Spring Fever.

Justin
Williamsburg Muster staff

I guess i will have a bit less than a year of this topic. The ramblings and hysterical logic i keep seeing why people wont be attending H-Con 2010 and 2011 i don't think will ever cease to surprise me. But i guess it will only be less than a year. Cause then a whole other topic will start in about 11 months. It will still be ramblings and hysterical logic just a new topic.

Grimm

"…3 to 5 Grand…"

Where the heck do you think you are you coming from, China?

I looked on Expedia, and a 1-stop flight from OKC through Memphis to Baltimore roundtrip with a one-week stay is $236. USD If you stayed SEVEN nights by yourself at one of the hotels, even at $200/night (way over the average), and spent $50/day on food (an insane amount, really), that'd be $2,000. USD Would you have to spend $1,000 USD on gaming stuff to make it worthwhile? Even folks on this board would think that was kind of excessive!

And what in the world would you spend the other $2,000 USD on? Hookers? Drugs? A big cake?

The World Wonders…

Now years ago, I drove alone from Virginia to Ft. Sill in three days. I stayed at the Motel 6 or equivalent while traveling, and even though gas was around $1.50 USD or less per gallon, I can't imagine that roughly 1200 miles would be too expensive to travel even today. And if you brought a friend you could split the costs, so cutting all that in half, I think for a weeks vacation and well under $1,000 USD you could easily do it.

Oh, and as for me, I haven't made up my mind yet. Day trip at least probably, but I still need to hear some more reassurances that GMing isn't going to be a logistical nightmare.

Thank You Blue Devil! We appreciate having you guys down!

It looks like both of our groups will be "stealing" ideas from each other as we've seen a few things you guys do that we like too! :)

Too hot and too busy a month for me anyways so I don't have a dog in this fight.

I'll likely be preparing for a kids birthday party like I did the last 5 years instead of going.

Looking forward to Fall In!

I'll give you this kyoteblue; when you travel, you must really go all out as you've indicated the trip would cost you anywhere from 3 to 8 large.

I've never seen anyone bring their own strippers to a convention, but there's a first time for everything I guess………

We are going to go to Historicon.

"I guess i will have a bit less than a year of this topic. The ramblings and hysterical logic i keep seeing why people wont be attending H-Con 2010 and 2011 i don't think will ever cease to surprise me. But i guess it will only be less than a year. Cause then a whole other topic will start in about 11 months. It will still be ramblings and hysterical logic just a new topic."

This explains why Grimn will not be going to Baltimore and what he will be doing insted?

"So, I looked, and the Host is about $200 USD USD cheaper than the Hilton; these are the hotels connected to the convention sites (apples with apples)……'nough saidgrin"

I'm sure if I picked the most expensive hotel in Lancaster, I could come up with similar numbers. Right now I see $99 USD a night within a block of the BCC, which is about the same walk that I made from my car at the golf course to the Host. You can stay for half that at the airport. Yes, you have to take a train or drive to the airport area, but I had to do the same when I stayed at the HMGS-sponsored hotel in Lancaster. Apples to apples. P.S. – I bet parking is free at airport hotels.

Justin, the Willaimsburg Muster was well done and my compliments are probably inadequate to do it justice.

Rob, I'll let you know however as of right now its mainly smaller local stuff that is in the works.

Gil