Gen Con is "the convention" to attend if you're a board game lover. Games of all types are played, sold, and discussed ad nauseam for 4 days straight. There are also live events to attend, celebrities to fawn over, and contests to win. It's truly an incredible event and one of the largest geek culture gatherings currently located on planet Earth. I know, it sounds horrible, right? Here are five reasons why you are making the right decision by not attending.
August is a great month to reflect on how little you have accomplished over the summer months. I had plans - GRAND PLANS - to get a lot done. All for not. I still have little islands of boxes and bags in my new home and a list of "things to do" that never stops growing. Cartoonist Cathy Guisewite wrote in one of her Cathy comic strips, "I've been put on this earth to accomplish so many things. At the rate I'm going, I'll never die." I can relate.
Will Rogers said, "The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn't still be a farmer." A rather useful point-of-view in life and for this game. Farming is hard work. The energy you spend today could be wasted effort tomorrow. Bad weather, animals, and insects can ruin a good days work or the family farm. A farmer is continually forced to make tough choices, sacrifice, and hope for the best. You won't be losing your livelihood in this game, but do stay on your toes. Farmnation is no stroll in the garden.
In the fantasy world, goblins tend to embody all that is gross, nasty, and foul. Fairies, on the other hand, can induce a diabetic coma simply by flying by you. These two extreme opposites go head-to-head in this clever card game that took everyone by surprise.
Only the very brave or the very stupid venture into the Black Mountains. It's an accursed place, inhabited by monsters, cutthroats, and the enigmatic warlock, Zogar. If it weren't for the rumors of vast treasure troves and arcane knowledge, none would venture to this bleak land. Many leave seeking glory, power, and riches, but few are ever seen again. Those who do return have a haunted look about them and they speak little of the horrors they have seen. Despite everyone's advice, you now set off to meet Zogar's challenges. For fame and glory!
To run a successful business, you have to know what your customers want. You have a sideshow, performers, animals, and more clowns than you know what to do with. But what do your customers want to see? Should you focus on the animals or shine the spotlight on the performers? Knowing what will sell tickets is key to having the "greatest show on Earth".