TOPIC: My GenCon Feedback

Here is my obligatory post about my GenCon experience. Overall I had a great time, however I will have to figure out how to scale back for next year. Between full-time volunteering (Grind DM), doing order pickups and trades for TD Tavern, and playing all four dungeons one time each, I didn't get to play a single board game, which is originally what I primarily did at GenCon.

But on to the dungeon experience. I hope people liked Grind (I haven't seen any feedback yet). I did really enjoy DM'ing for it. As usual Eric had some pretty creative stuff in there for parties who were lucky enough to figure it out.

I really liked the quality of the sets and props on the Dancing side. I loved the real walls and the occasional ceiling, and especially loved being "outdoors" in the dungeon between rooms. It sure beats the normal connecting hallways. I also thought all of the NPCs were great, from costuming to acting, etc. I really liked the puzzle where you had to synchronize the lights on the pillars to all be green at once. I also liked the "placing the items on the platform" puzzle even though we came nowhere close to figuring it out on the GT run (it was easier later in the con because they did some tweaking). The Dracus was really cool.

On the Moongate side, I loved the brightness of the first room, and I'm glad they were able to do that without lighting up the rest of the dungeon. It was a clever use of the wall. I was surprised by how naked the NPC was. Not in a bad way of course, it was just surprising. On the second time through they seemed pretty serious about handing the items to the DM instead of interacting directly with Felurian. Perhaps I didn't pay enough attention the first time, but I wonder if that was to make sure there was no inappropriate touching. Hopefully nothing happened, but kudos to the girls playing that part. I also wonder if they warned any party with younger kids? You know how many Americans are with nudity. But again it was very well done and tied in nicely with the books.

In the rest of Moongate I didn't like the Fae walls as much the other side, but that's just me. I guess I like rock and bricks I liked having a combat room with two DMs, that was fun. Most of the DMs were great. One (who I don't know) was pretty slow. Another was a bit grumpy, but in his defense it was late on Saturday night.

Oh, and was it just me, or did just about every room have more space than in previous years? They all felt very roomy.

As usual the treasure pulling was annoying with the wands. I hope we can get rid of them next year. Or have many more pre-made 50-packs. Barry helped me out a lot very late Saturday night when I had almost 300 pulls left and no 50-packs available. That would have been tough with the wand.

Kirk Bauer wrote: I hope people liked Grind (I haven't seen any feedback yet). I did really enjoy DM'ing for it. As usual Eric had some pretty creative stuff in there for parties who were lucky enough to figure it out.

Kirk, I still have to post my overall 2017 FB but in regards to Grind, I thought that this year was the best Grind experience I have had in all my time at TD. In many ways, I liked it more than the other two adventures (sans rooms 1 & 7 in MGM). We had Raven as the GM, she was great! There was more creative situations than normal and it was absolutely hilarious. It felt like Monty Python and the Holy Grail running around the city killing everything in sight....or running from them.

Kirk Bauer wrote: Here is my obligatory post about my GenCon experience. Overall I had a great time, however I will have to figure out how to scale back for next year. Between full-time volunteering (Grind DM), doing order pickups and trades for TD Tavern, and playing all four dungeons one time each, I didn't get to play a single board game, which is originally what I primarily did at GenCon.

I've tried doing all four before. Enjoyed the runs for the most part. But considering how many rooms are the same. Combat and puzzle. I just went down to just one of each side. But that is what each need to decide on their own.

I would be very incline to do all 4 again, but would like to see less doubled rooms in the runs to justify all that money for a run.

But on to the dungeon experience. I hope people liked Grind (I haven't seen any feedback yet). I did really enjoy DM'ing for it. As usual Eric had some pretty creative stuff in there for parties who were lucky enough to figure it out.

I did Grind.

Absolutely the best. In many respects I enjoyed it better then the full runs. But for other reasons. My group was absolutely great. We all were laughing, and each helped in their own way. Even our one member who thought she was just taking up space when she couldn't really do well in combat, but she was the only one in our group who could solve that paper picture puzzle. She was great. She also had one of the 3 items we needed too.

Will say I loved the fact Jeff purposely included tokens that many likely trashed because they didn't see a use for them in the Grind runs. Duck gear was a saving grace. Or the gazebo killing sling bullets that are other wise useless.

I really liked the quality of the sets and props on the Dancing side. I loved the real walls and the occasional ceiling, and especially loved being "outdoors" in the dungeon between rooms. It sure beats the normal connecting hallways. I also thought all of the NPCs were great, from costuming to acting, etc. I really liked the puzzle where you had to synchronize the lights on the pillars to all be green at once. I also liked the "placing the items on the platform" puzzle even though we came nowhere close to figuring it out on the GT run (it was easier later in the con because they did some tweaking). The Dracus was really cool.

Puzzles were the bane of our groups. But that was our fault. Too many pig headed players not willing to work together and solve the problems or listen to each other's ideas. This was our worst year at that. To that we had one in our group who's attitude sucked the life out of the group because of this problem.

But will agree, for the puzzles. Top notch. With the exception of the pillars you loved. This puzzle was too time consuming to get it right. You basically had to start off on a great start from the beginning or you likely wouldn't solve due to time constraints.

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On the Moongate side, I loved the brightness of the first room, and I'm glad they were able to do that without lighting up the rest of the dungeon. It was a clever use of the wall. I was surprised by how naked the NPC was. Not in a bad way of course, it was just surprising. On the second time through they seemed pretty serious about handing the items to the DM instead of interacting directly with Felurian. Perhaps I didn't pay enough attention the first time, but I wonder if that was to make sure there was no inappropriate touching. Hopefully nothing happened, but kudos to the girls playing that part. I also wonder if they warned any party with younger kids? You know how many Americans are with nudity. But again it was very well done and tied in nicely with the books

Will agree, the mostly naked girls were very surprising. Hope no parents with younger children did the runs and had any issue when they walked into that room. I know, they were technically not naked. But close enough.

This proved to be a major distraction to our group. LOL Had to remind our guys why we were there, and it wasn't to admire the very, very, very attractive girl in the chair.

Did I mention Very?

But considering the solution of the room was somewhat easy. Maybe this was intended to distract players enough to get them to fail the room?

In the rest of Moongate I didn't like the Fae walls as much the other side, but that's just me. I guess I like rock and bricks I liked having a combat room with two DMs, that was fun. Most of the DMs were great. One (who I don't know) was pretty slow. Another was a bit grumpy, but in his defense it was late on Saturday night.

All - every singe one of the DM's and Coach's were top notch this year. Not a single issue with any of them. Loved they even went out of their way to get into character. And loved all those who served in costumes. Well done.

Oh, and was it just me, or did just about every room have more space than in previous years? They all felt very roomy.

They were. Notice they didn't have that massive hall down the middle of the Dungeon when we walked in like last year? That took a lot of space, better use this year.

As usual the treasure pulling was annoying with the wands. I hope we can get rid of them next year. Or have many more pre-made 50-packs. Barry helped me out a lot very late Saturday night when I had almost 300 pulls left and no 50-packs available. That would have been tough with the wand.

I would say better magnets on the wands. But I don't see them going away any time soon. Eliminates those who try and game the system. Ether by trying to feel for certain tokens, peak at what they are pulling out, or pulling a slight of hand with their pulls and taking more then they should.

Kirk Bauer wrote: As usual the treasure pulling was annoying with the wands. I hope we can get rid of them next year. Or have many more pre-made 50-packs. Barry helped me out a lot very late Saturday night when I had almost 300 pulls left and no 50-packs available. That would have been tough with the wand.

I think you probably did better with wand pulls. I waited around for the Saturday bags to be made, and I really feel like I was screwed over. I ran five *full* runs, and 3-4 pickup runs this year. I pulled over 1300+ treasure, and it felt like the bags were *REALLY* watered down compared to the rest of the boxes. I'm not sure if this was because they rushed on Saturday morning to make them and someone go them wrong, or if it was deliberate because the people drawing from them would tend to have higher counts .. I got more trade goods out of the 40 or so pulls I did on the last run Saturday night, than I did out of *all* the zip-lock 50 pull bags I got.

Rebeg wrote:

But on to the dungeon experience. I hope people liked Grind (I haven't seen any feedback yet). I did really enjoy DM'ing for it. As usual Eric had some pretty creative stuff in there for parties who were lucky enough to figure it out.

I did Grind.

Absolutely the best. In many respects I enjoyed it better then the full runs. But for other reasons. My group was absolutely great. We all were laughing, and each helped in their own way. Even our one member who thought she was just taking up space when she couldn't really do well in combat, but she was the only one in our group who could solve that paper picture puzzle. She was great. She also had one of the 3 items we needed too.

Will say I loved the fact Jeff purposely included tokens that many likely trashed because they didn't see a use for them in the Grind runs. Duck gear was a saving grace. Or the gazebo killing sling bullets that are other wise useless.

FYI: I am the one who designs Grind every year (not Jeff, who has his hands full with the normal dungeons). Every year, I intentionally go through the new tokens, as well as the old tokens, looking for ways to give new uses for them.

This year's Amulet of Wonder effect (extra bonuses for sets) was intended to get people to dig out some of their older sets. (Though I regret not being able to announce the effect earlier!).

This year also highlighted Bardic Lore and the Paladin's Detect Evil and Cure Disease.

For this year's token, the Ioun Stone Lodestone Sphere was helpful against Maze. There were also several Swarm effects, but I don't recall anyone wearing a Cap of Concentration.

And then there were special uses for the Scroll of Mind Blank, ducks, and +2 Sling Bullet of Gazebo Slaying.

Kirk Bauer wrote: Oh, and was it just me, or did just about every room have more space than in previous years? They all felt very roomy.

So last year coaching, training, grind, and transmuting were on the entrance side of the light wall and all the dungeons, epilogue, props, and an NPC rest area were on the exit side.

This year coaching, training, grind, transmuting, the first room of all the dungeons, AND props were on the entrance side. I'm not sure if they had an NPC rest area in the back this year, but losing the first room and props was enough to increase most of the dungeon room sizes.

Incognito wrote: For this year's token, the Ioun Stone Lodestone Sphere was helpful against Maze.

Being trapped by the Maze and having to do a maze activity page to escape was hysterical.
Super clever and really funny.

Kudos Eric! Great job on another excellent Grind adventure.

Steve wrote:

Kirk Bauer wrote: As usual the treasure pulling was annoying with the wands. I hope we can get rid of them next year. Or have many more pre-made 50-packs. Barry helped me out a lot very late Saturday night when I had almost 300 pulls left and no 50-packs available. That would have been tough with the wand.

I think you probably did better with wand pulls. I waited around for the Saturday bags to be made, and I really feel like I was screwed over. I ran five *full* runs, and 3-4 pickup runs this year. I pulled over 1300+ treasure, and it felt like the bags were *REALLY* watered down compared to the rest of the boxes. I'm not sure if this was because they rushed on Saturday morning to make them and someone go them wrong, or if it was deliberate because the people drawing from them would tend to have higher counts .. I got more trade goods out of the 40 or so pulls I did on the last run Saturday night, than I did out of *all* the zip-lock 50 pull bags I got.

I can vouch that the bags on Saturday were made from the same token mixes that went in the treasure boxes.