"Conventions: By yourself, or with friends?" Topic

Last years Little Wars got me to thinking about this subject in the title.
We set up a group of three of us to come in and game, and we had an absolute blast.
This year, we are looking at possibly five of us coming.
Out of that, at least 3-4 of us will be running a game.

So, the question is, do you go to conventions/shows with a group of friends, a friend or two, or just by yourself. And if so/or not, why?

Curious to see the answers here.

With friends is the best. Also a good time to see old friends who you only see at the convention.

Then you go off by yourself to check out new rules/periods.

So my answer is a bit of both. Go with friends but do your own thing.

Solo. My most frequent gaming friends aren't miniatures gamers, except for Wings of War/Glory and X-wing. So for them the cost doesn't tie into a perceived benefit.

I've done all three. prefer having someone to share the experience with

Depends. For most cons I room with a buddy and arrange to meet other guys. For the most recent, in my hometown, we just arranged to meet for meals and shared some games. Either way I like having some buds around.

I go to conventions to meet friends. We discuss the past year, any new chronic illnesses and who died.

I often go by myself but at times I have gone with my son and friends.

In the past, I went to several by myself (early 1990's). Since then, I always go with friends. If I could convince a gaming buddy to go with me, I would, but I often went alone. In the early 1990's, I actually conducted an RPG seminar for AD&D DM's, at Gen Con, in Milwaukee.

Later in life, I married, with three Sons. They took up my gaming interests for themselves, so we went as a family, my Wife included. We attended several gaming conventions together over a period of several years, then my Sons graduated High School, and left home.

For the past 10 years, I've been attending gaming conventions with my RPG group, which includes my two younger Sons. We enjoy visiting them for only one day. We have not played in a game event since the early 2000's, as they generally do not appeal to us -- we go solely for the purpose of shopping the vendors' booths, and the flea market, if any is available. Cheers!

Prefer with others

Yeah. With others….

Mostly solo, but I've done all three--and with family, which wasn't listed as an option. Much to be said for travel solo and meeting at the con, so room arrangements and arrival and departure times are a choice and not a compromise. (Mind you, I also enjoyed being at the con with my son, which also got around most of those decisions.)

But the length of the drive and the convention expenses also factor in. It's one thing to drive to Lancaster from the western DC suburbs, and another to arrive from Indiana.

Play solo , go to conventions solo.

I only go with friends. It's a chance to spend time with good friends that I've gamed with for decades. Really, for me, it's more about that than the convention itself.

Other than going to some cons with my brother, I go by myself. It just gives me more flexibility. I'd consider going with someone else in order to split expenses, but things would have to line up.

Last Nashcon I did get a room and shared it with my non-gamer wife. She enjoyed a vacation from home with no responsibilities. I could game late without having to make the hour drive in the dark back home, which neither of us like me doing.
We had some hotel stay points saved up, which is what made the change viable for us.

Definitely with friends!

pjm

Nobody I know likes miniatures or wargaming for that matter, so I have never gone to a convention besides with my dad- when I was like ten.

Prefer with friends but going solo is OK, too!

Solo.

Best going with friends.

I've done both but as others have said, it is more fun with friends.

Travel solo, room solo, meet with friends for meals and drinks.

Solo. Made some acquaintances the first few times, and met up with them in later years, maybe conversed a little online. Haven't been to a con in a while and lost track of almost all of them.

Travelling to and from a show is much better with friends but once I am there we pretty much do our own thing. I will often go solo as well.

If I am running a trade stand many hands make light work!

I am pretty much on my own. My wife sometimes consents to go and even play in some things, but not recently. Some local pals attend local conventions but do not play in games I play in or host as a GM. Only in this past year has one out-of-town friend come to visit and attend with me but we also only shared a single game session. Other local gaming pals aren't into the convention experience.

So I'm pretty much solitaire, altho' I do try to reach out to friends in the gaming biz I formerly worked with and who might be at a con I attend, so we can lump up for a chin-wag or a shared meal or some other convivial pursuit.