Gothcon 2024 – Why do I attend events?
I’ve been mulling over how to finish off my Gothcon coverage since I got back.
I didn’t get up to a huge amount on the last day. Played a couple of games, but mostly just talked to people and did some interviews for a show that will go out at some point over the coming month. It was wonderful to talk to so many passionate, engaged individuals. That for me is the essence of why I got to conventions. I want to delve into that a little.
The tabletop hobby is often seen from the outside as one that attracts folk who are socially awkward. For a long time the perception was that if you like participating in board games, card games, and especially RPGs, you must want to hide away from society. It is true that games are a distraction from the real. They are a way to relax and at times inhabit different personalities that may be radically different to ourselves.
It is not true that gaming is an unsocial past time. Quite the opposite. I am not particularly socially awkward, though I do have my moments. Over Airecon and Gothcon the shared reason that we are all at these events provides a social lubricant for strangers to sit down, talk about, and play games. I travelled to a different country where I did not speak the language and felt instantly at home amongst friends. Now of course everyone I came across spoke excellent English, but the culture is different. Our shared love of the hobby bridged any divides almost instantaneously.
I love travelling to conventions and meeting passionate people. The hobby is so diverse that it can become easy to just stay in our cliques, playing ‘our games’. I’ve been fairly eclectic in my gaming tastes having played everything from Warhammer 40k to weird indie RPGs and everything in between. In each of these disciplines you meet people who are passionate about that segment of the hobby. As they talk you experience their enthusiasm for their sub-genre of choice. Even if you don’t like playing those games, getting to share in that joy for a moment is always a wonderful experience.
As I wandered Gothcon I saw the things I expected to see. Rooms full of board games. Vendors selling their wares. Auctions being concluded. With every convention I go to it is the unexpected I seek out. I found an entire floor of people who were playing Diplomacy, a game notorious for runing friendships and creating animosity. They seemed to be enjoying themselves! People whispered to each other in corridors while others poured over a map, pointing fingers and conversing. I understood none of what was being said, but I could see the passion for what they were doing.
In the gymansium of the school was a full on Warhammer 40k tournament. At least 30 tables by my count filled with wonderful scenery, finely painted models, and all the dice and tokens that goes along with that! Rules were being discussed, dice fell shattering dreams or making them real, and everywhere was the camaraderie over this shared hobby. I have no interest in that game anymore but I loved being in the room with people who did.
On another floor I found a Megagame being conducted. I had no idea what was going on, but the shared language of games meant I knew roughly what I was looking at. A faction of folk dressed in a sort of venetian pirate fashion seemed to be holding talks with another faction over terrirory. Timers were counting down a whiteboard as the various facilitators moved from room to room to inform and rule on decisions. It looked like quite the undertaking.
If gaming was a religion then conventions would be our churches. They are where we gather together to share in the love of rolling dice, dealing cards, forming alliances, and conducting betrayals. All in the safety of the shared rules and understanding around the table. Whenever I come back form a convention I am filled with a renewed passion for this odd past time I call my hobby. I look forward to seeing my new friends at future events, and start to plan for the next one. I bring that passion home, look for new opportunities to play more games, and write about them. It is how I contribute to the health of the hobby. Through organisation, commentary, and introducing people to games I think are worth their time.
Whatever your level of tolerance for social events I would urge you to attend your local con, whatever that may be. You can go for a few hours, or a few days. No one will judge you either way. Along the way you’ll discover new games, make new friends, and find a renewed vigor for the hobby. What could be better than that?
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