TOPIC: More LFM Groups this year this late?

I don't have any data to back this up so if someone can confirm or refute this please do. It definitely feels like we are seeing a lot more threads with people still looking for 1 or more people to join them this close to Gen Con. Again if anyone can provide data if this is or isn't the case I welcome it (or if you want to add your feels too, because that is all I have).

I have that same “feeling.”

The other thing that strikes me is the number of Grind spots still unsold or in LFM status.

Harlax wrote: I have that same “feeling.”

The other thing that strikes me is the number of Grind spots still unsold or in LFM status.

Feels like there are more grinds though. Maybe not again I don't have the data.

I've gotta a feeling it's going to be a good good time....

I suspect there is a bit more of it this year. I still have 3 runs where I have extra tickets (1 for E3 on Fri morning at 10, 1 for Odin Redux Friday 1215p, and 2 for Grind on Saturday at 3pm.)

We're definitely seeing grind play out differently than other years. It seems like people did one of the following:
1. Planning big groups well in advance - bought out whole runs and had them full immediately;
2. They tried to cobble together groups from as many forumites as they could but couldn't guarantee new players wouldn't just show up leaving the remaining open tickets less desirable; or
3. Or Grind just wasn't that much of a draw this year (maybe from losing the mid-day runs)?

My guess is 3 is unlikely. Maybe there were more overall runs than last year this time. I congratulate anyone who pulled off #1 - it was really hard this year. Most of us are in group 2 - we were able to find 6 or 7 forum players and are providing additional tokens to help equip them for harder difficulty levels. Even so, my run has 2 unaccounted for tickets (plus 2 I haven't found players for yet) so it's an unknown as to what we'll get.

Fred

Grind is always an odd beast, I honestly wish it could be set to only sell 10 tickets so that it was always handled on the forums. But I don't see that ever being allowed unless they list it as a single ticket event and 1 ticket enters a grind group.

I always just buy 1 (or 2 if a certain friend is going to Gen Con) randomly. Grind is just something to do for me and never a big draw. If I find a grind that fits in my schedule okay if not I don't feel I am missing out. It is extra nice if I end up in group with folks I know (and on the forums) but more often than not for me it is with some number of folks I don't know and/or not on the forums.

Fred K wrote: We're definitely seeing grind play out differently than other years. It seems like people did one of the following:
1. Planning big groups well in advance - bought out whole runs and had them full immediately;
2. They tried to cobble together groups from as many forumites as they could but couldn't guarantee new players wouldn't just show up leaving the remaining open tickets less desirable; or
3. Or Grind just wasn't that much of a draw this year (maybe from losing the mid-day runs)?

My guess is 3 is unlikely. Maybe there were more overall runs than last year this time. I congratulate anyone who pulled off #1 - it was really hard this year. Most of us are in group 2 - we were able to find 6 or 7 forum players and are providing additional tokens to help equip them for harder difficulty levels. Even so, my run has 2 unaccounted for tickets (plus 2 I haven't found players for yet) so it's an unknown as to what we'll get.

Fred

Agree, my groups always shift a bit as i tend to play with TD volunteers and others who work the con so we're always a 6-8 and never the same 10 year to year/run to run. With con scheduling it happens. Took me better part of month + just to find 1 person for 1 run.

My anecdotal suspicion is that we're reaching a point of cost of runs. I love TD and gladly volunteer and play but admittedly do 3 times the # of runs at Origins due to cost factors. I've been loosing the more casual members of my group/guild due to costs as well past years or they've shifted to Origins. This year at Origins I ended up organizing and doing 2 full nightmare runs with folks who prefer Columbus over Indy.

Grind i love/hate and sign for every con if possible, would like to see more of them at smaller cons.

I'm a known grind boycotter so I won't voice a ton on it

I agree there are more open spots this year. I think it may have to do with Origins and PAX getting spaces, we may be seeing a small drop off of GC veterans going to other conventions for TD.

I expect it will fill back up next year

Was it ever settled about the late afternoon Grind times being valid?

edwin wrote: Was it ever settled about the late afternoon Grind times being valid?

Yes, they were cancelled and no longer appear on the gencon site. Anyone who bought them got an email indicating they got a refund.

Fred

When I shut the index down last year, there were six dungeon runs still LFM, with a total of eight spots open. Grind was a bit more open - seven LFM runs with a total of 24 tickets. There were no tickets available directly from Gen Con, grind or otherwise.