Not a clue . I went to Balticon in 1993, and that's the sum total of my convention experience. I'm sure someone will advise you, though, and I offer my best wishes for a great experience!

I live an hour from the convention and I bring a Players Handbook and a DM's Guide (AD&D) just in case I need to roll up a character for a game.  Most of the guys running the games will have pre-made characters for you though so you dont have to bring the books unless, as Martin said, you want to get them signed.  And there are always a handful of extra rulebooks around if you have to borrow one.

I dont remember any pick-up D&D games but there was an after hours Aliens (Leading Edge) game last year and Munchkin and Talisman games the previous years.

As for must play games....you cant really go wrong with any of them IMO, but Metamorphosis Alpha with Jim Ward was a lot of fun last year.  It was my first time playing an MA game and I cant imagine anyone else doing it better.  I heard a rumor Steve Winter may be running a Star Frontiers game this year.  If it is as good as his Gamma World and B/X D&D game from the year before, it should be fantastic.  And there was also something about Frank Mentzer and Boot Hill mentioned.  I'll be sure and bring the tequila to that one.     And if you cant get into the MA game (it fills up pretty quick) you might try the Paranoia game on Thursday night.  It was my first time playing Paranoia and I've never laughed so hard in my life.  As long as Ben keeps running it, I'll keep playing in it.  

You should have a great time at the con.  It may not be the spectacle that Gen Con is, but the games are second to none. Everyone has a good time hanging out and talking when they arent gaming.  And the special guests are always approachable and have some of the best stories.  From what I have heard, only Gary Con can match it.

Prufrock wrote:Playing the games morning to night without breaks makes me a tired, and grumpy player.

Thanks for clarifying Martin....I just assumed you were always tired and grumpy.  

Forgot something.  If you cant get signed up for a game you want, odds are you will still get to play in it.  People always drop out at the last minute.  Pretty sure the game sign up system allows you to put yourself into a wait list.  If someone drops out, it drops you in on a first come, first serve type basis.  I'm sure one of the NTRPG guys will clarify if I got that wrong.

And there were several games last year that didnt fill up, so even if you find yourself without a game during one slot, you should be able to find a game to jump into.

Toric wrote:As for what I'm looking for from this convention experience, I just want to have a blast playing games, meet some of the folks whose work I've enjoyed since I was younger, meet some of the fine folks that I know from lurking online and reading sites like this one for years, and pick up a few new gaming items.

Here are a few specific questions:

What should we bring?  Since we'll be driving, we'll have some extra room.  Should we have rulebooks for the games we are planning to play?  Are the special guests ready and willing to sign books that are dropped in front of them?

When event registration opens, is it best to sign up for games in every block of time?  Or should you sign up for one or two games per day and leave the rest of the time for pick-up games?  Or some other strategy?

Are there pick-up games and how easy is it to jump into one?

If there are pick-up games, do any of the special guests participate?

Are there any specific games that are must-play events?  I've always wanted to play Metamorphosis Alpha with Jim Ward running it for example.

I chose to attend this Con because I have been impressed with the good things I've heard about it.  I love the fact that it is smaller and more intimate than the larger Cons.  It seems like a friendly place where you can relax and have fun without all the noise surrounding the bigger ones.

So lay it on me!  Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated so that I can ensure my son and I have a fantastic experience!

Just a few uneducated opinions here, don't listen to what these guys are saying....  

But seriously...

As you already know, this is a very "niche" con, in that we are trying to satisfy a small subset of gamers...old school. No card games, no boardgames (well, not really), no LARPs, mostly 40 year old men like yourself having fun with the guys whose names were on the front of the books they played  when they were kids. This con is great if you want to go to a con that doesn't cater to the new and hot game of the week, and instead is a homage to the games that we remember and love from our youth, warts and all. It doesn't offer the wow and excitement of Gencon or any number of bigger cons that target many different age groups, but we don't want to be everything to everyone.

The con is very low keyed, very much just for having fun and hanging out, meeting special guests and fellow gamers.

I would bring dice (every year, someone always forgets dice!), maybe 1st edition PHB, and go ahead and bring some items for special guests to sign.  I've never heard a peep out of special guests about signing anything they wrote, they realize that's part and parcel of attending these shindigs, and they are happy to do it anyway.  The first year I was so busy I didn't have any of the special guests sign anything, in the years since I've slowly been getting their signatures on a bunch of my gaming goodies, not for resale but just for the joy of opening the book or module and seeing their name year and remembering when I got the sig.  One thing that you might think about: Bringing a 1st edition Deities and Demigods to have signed by multiple guests!  Rob Kuntz, Jim Ward, Erol Otus, Jennell Jaquays, Diesel Laforce, Frank Mentzer, Jeff Dee, Steve Marsh, all worked on this book.  I got mine signed by all of them except for Diesel last year (Dave wasn't there), and it is really fun to page through now that I have all the sigs!

I wouldn't sign up for games in every slot, but for at least one slot I would go out of your "comfort zone" and try something completely different, maybe from someone you don't know.  Sometimes the best game experiences come from surprises like playing something you have never played before.

I am loath to recommend one game over another because we have to promote them all, but a few suggestions:  You and your son should get into at least one Circus Maximus race, you don't have to know a darn thing about the game and you will have a blast, trust me!  You guys should try at least one session of Mythrus Tower, the Swords & Wizardry megadungeon that has been going strong for three years now, run by Matt Finch and Bill Webb.  Some of the sessions have been legendary in their over the top craziness!  Plus you can keep your characters after and run them through any Mythrus Tower event at a future con!  Also make sure you get into one of the classic games run by Jim Ward, Tim Kask, or Frank Mentzer. I'm not saying you will have the best game of your lives or it will blow you away....but what you will get (especially from one of these three) is as pure an old school game as you can imagine, warts and all! And finally going out on a limb here, but I predict Jeff Dee's Cavemaster game is going to be a big hit.  I may be wrong but I have a feeling about this one!

Remember to budget time for going to eat; one of the funnest things is to catch a late lunch or midnight snack with a few of the special guests and some attendees and just shoot the breeze.  For the first time ever we will have a restaurant on site, but we won't be selling snacks this year so be sure you load up on goodies so you won't have to be running across the street to the Quik Trip ever few hours.  There is an Ihop and Schlotskys across the street, as well as a very good Chinese buffet and a really good home-style breakfast/lunch place (Dixie Cafe).  We will be having the Special Guest luncheon at Texas Land and Cattle (just like the first year!) so definitely make time for that, even if you just order a coke and side of fries, it's a great time to meet everyone.

The vendor section is small but definitely be sure you bring enough money to buy a selection of new and used gaming goodies. There will be LOTS of new stuff there (there is every year) from Pacesetter, Black Blade or other OSR gaming guys that bring their own product to sell, as well as the special con release we will have at the NTRPG con table, or items from other dealers who buy Vendor shelves.  Most of these guys (Jeff Dee last year) bring product to sell they isn't easily available elsewhere.  My table will have lots of older gaming stuff but last year Rollin had a table full of classic gaming stuff also, priced to sell. We now have "silent" auctions where you can pick up stuff that was donated to the con or picked up cheaply by us that goes to the highest bid, most goes below cover price. And this isn't even including the auction Saturday night which will feature a lot of hard to find gaming stuff, some very hard to find Rarities that both Doug and I have accumulated.  

All in all, this is exactly the type of con I would like to attend if I wasn't helping Doug run this one.  Please feel free to ask us any questions you might have!  And be sure to say hi once you arrive.

Mike B.

I went to the NTRPG Con in 2010.  It was the first Con I had attended, and the first time I had ever played face-to-face.  Could not believe what a great time I had.  I envy you.  Last year my daughter's high school graduation interfered, and this year my 30th wedding anniversary coincides, but hoping to make it next year.

Doug and Mike are excellent hosts, and go out of their way to keep things running smoothly.  Lots of folks from this forum will be there, and I felt like I was among old friends.

I signed up for a game in every block of time, and pretty much only had time for sleep and gaming.  Which suited me fine.  But you might want to leave a few hours open for perusing the books for sale.  They have some very special ones.

Thanks for all the replies, folks!  Great insight that is much appreciated!

Badmike wrote:
Her husband definitely was cradle robbing......

Mike B.

And did I mention that Texan men are charming as hell.

You definately want to run at your pace. This convention runs for four days so you have plenty of time and opportunity get into many excellent games. You really can't go wrong at the NTX. I have never played in a bad event at this convention. The DMs and GMs are fantastic across the board.
My suggestion is to limit your advanced event registration to no more than two events per day. You can certainly do more, but as Martin mentioned above, some down time is a good thing.
There is always something to do at the con. Pick up games, a few seminars, just sitting and talking, buying stuff from the awesome retailers ( ), never a dull moment.
Pick a few events you really want to play and register.

You really only need to bring dice and maybe a legal pad. Plenty of rule books are available and the DMs generally have everything you may need. But it is cool to bring your own, too.

Take a look at events you may not be predisposed to select. This is related to my don't prereg for too much.

You will have a blast at this convention.

benjoshua wrote:
Yeah, but all the photos are you with an Alabama man!  

She's easy, and loves the south  

Mike B.