TOPIC: Missed GenCon, Game Hole Con exp for 2016?

The current max treasure (barring artifacts and sometimes an AOW effect) is 17.

Large token buyers get some bonus treasure tokens with preorders. Some people don't use all the treasure tokens they get at WYC, preferring to use them at GenCon.

That and doing multiple runs can create some large numbers.

Some of the prople with multiple COAs also have fixed groups of 10 friends and just pool all their treasure. No terms for loaning of treasure enhancers, just only one guy who handles all of the coins.

Picc wrote: Some of the prople with multiple COAs also have fixed groups of 10 friends and just pool all their treasure. No terms for loaning of treasure enhancers, just only one guy who handles all of the coins.

I be one of these people. I purchase all the tokens and all the tickets for my group, though it does not just comprise 10 people. It is a bigger group of friends, family and sometimes co-workers. I attempt to buy out 4 complete runs and then fill in from that large group. If I don't get it filled in from the group I often look for players that have never played before with the same offer my group has. The run is free, all the tokens come back to me at the end. So at the end of a run there are 162 (two of us are 6th level players) pulls. Over the course of 4 runs that is 648. I have another friend that takes his coworkers on Sunday on a run. I bring the tokens for that group and get the tokens back from them so really it is 5 runs of 160 tokens. Then a few random runs here and there. I had pre-order for some chips. I ran 2 full runs at WYC2016, under the same deal. I tried to used all my tokens pre-Gen Con but still had some left. So that is how 'I' ended up with 878 treasure pulls. I imagine there are others in about the same boat.

I personally think it's silly that the other cons don't offer XP. Just because the rooms are reused, the run doesn't count? Does that really matter? I haven't been around that long, so most of the rooms are new to me anyway.

Will less people run at GenCon if they can get XP at other cons? I highly doubt it. TD would still sell out at GenCon regardless.

If it were up to me, I would have all runs, at all cons, be worth the 2k max. But then have a cap per year of 6k. That way you can get the max per year by attending any 2 of the 3 cons.

Regarding the people who are in the top 100 who can only attend GenCon and whom don't want to lose their position. If you're only attending 33% of the TD events per year, is it realistic to expect 100% of the XP?

Granted, I don't think any of this should change for GHC this year. It would need to be announced in advance.

Jeff321 wrote: I personally think it's silly that the other cons don't offer XP. Just because the rooms are reused, the run doesn't count? Does that really matter? I haven't been around that long, so most of the rooms are new to me anyway.

Will less people run at GenCon if they can get XP at other cons? I highly doubt it. TD would still sell out at GenCon regardless.

If it were up to me, I would have all runs, at all cons, be worth the 2k max. But then have a cap per year of 6k. That way you can get the max per year by attending any 2 of the 3 cons.

Regarding the people who are in the top 100 who can only attend GenCon and whom don't want to lose their position. If you're only attending 33% of the TD events per year, is it realistic to expect 100% of the XP?

Granted, I don't think any of this should change for GHC this year. It would need to be announced in advance.

I tend to agree with this. I also don't think xp at other cons would make any difference to Gen Con. As long as Gen Con is still the convention that introduces us to the new dungeons, it will always be the most popular.

In my head, the only drawback from the retro dungeons run at other cons is that people can have advance knowledge on how to best fight the monsters and how to solve the puzzles. But honestly, the same is true at Gen Con after Thursday for many people. So even at other cons players are gaining the experience of how to set up their build, interact with a group and run the dungeon. I say that's worth xp.

Matthew Hayward wrote: Here is a survey I invite everyone to take on this topic:

www.surveymonkey.com/r/XVWCGWH

You will see the community results when you complete your survey (absent the free text options).

Once everyone has had a chance to respond, I will post the results, including the free text options, here.

I know after I took the survey I was able to see the community results to that point, but I don't see any option to view the results later to see how things are progressing. How long do you plan to keep the survey going? Just curious as to how many people even bothered to fill it out thus far.

Dave wrote:

Matthew Hayward wrote: Here is a survey I invite everyone to take on this topic:

www.surveymonkey.com/r/XVWCGWH

You will see the community results when you complete your survey (absent the free text options).

Once everyone has had a chance to respond, I will post the results, including the free text options, here.

I know after I took the survey I was able to see the community results to that point, but I don't see any option to view the results later to see how things are progressing. How long do you plan to keep the survey going? Just curious as to how many people even bothered to fill it out thus far.

17 responses so far, I'll post the results after it's been a day or two since any new ones came in.

Just my $0.02 from someone that has been playing since 2004.

Regarding cost differences between GC and the other conventions, the reason is simple - Jeff is able to reuse what he already has in his inventory and trick bag. If it is true, as has been advertised in the past, the costs for the new sets, effects, etc... are built into the Gen Con cost (hence the annual increase as space and effects expand.) If he is just reusing what he already has available, then his costs are less - which he passes along to us with less expensive ticket price.

Regarding the XP issue and being in the top 100 - I enjoy being there and check on it each year. But that measure has no impact on game nor on rewards. I would much rather see an encouragement for new people to play by awarding them XP at these non-GC events. And if the survey has any accuracy, then most people would participate more if there were XP offered at these cons. I know I would make more of an effort to go and participate in these events at WYC or GHC..

Regarding how to offer XP on these non-GC events - a smaller amount of XP is appropriate. Not because the TD events are "less" than a Gen Con Dungeon, but to keep the higher profile of True Dungeon at Gen Con. You need a signature event for TD to showcase each year. BUT I would say the annual cap is appropriate. For example, if someone can do 2 different events at GHC this year and two more different events at WYC next year, allow them to earn 1000 XP for each run. They could still get the same 4000 XP as someone at GC.

If you want to encourage GC players to go to these other cons, then up the cap to 5000 XP per year. It would get me making plans to hit at least one of these each year.

This is a business for Jeff and his employees. The reality of it is people will come more if there is XP involved, which increases business and profits, which helps to create the long term survival of something we all seem to love and have heavily invested in (both with money and emotion.) And I don't think that with 3-4 non-GC opportunities per year (if he were to expand further), he would oversaturate his market. Just not sure of the logistics of getting his sets/equipment/personnel to cons outside of the midwest to hit some of the other areas of the country.

MU Skulls Rob.

I'm perfectly fine with additional XP under the right circumstances:

That it doesn't damage the flagship event at GenCon.
That it doesn't damage the volunteer base. (It can be hard to both volunteer and run at the smaller Cons)
That it doesn't make gaining levels too fast or too easy. Keep the challenge.
That it helps TD grow sustainably.

I would anticipate an annual cap somewhat higher than the current 4K. I would anticipate the XP needed per level to increase.

Matthew Hayward wrote: Here is a survey I invite everyone to take on this topic:

www.surveymonkey.com/r/XVWCGWH

You will see the community results when you complete your survey (absent the free text options).

Once everyone has had a chance to respond, I will post the results, including the free text options, here.

Thanks for doing that.

For #1, I was a bit conflicted so I put down Other:

Personally, it would be advantageous for me to have no XP cap. Although I am in the Top 20 for XP, this would help me catch up with those higher than me who are unable to attend the other cons. However, I benefit from living in the Midwest. It would be rather unfair for those on the East and West Coasts to fall behind in XP because they can't make it to the Midwest *three* times a year!

I was also a bit neutral for Questions #5 & #6. There weren't any good answer options so I just went with a compromise "Partial" answer.

Only commenting on the Survey. I don't think it includes enough options or specific enough questions. So I would be a little careful about conclusions drawn from it. Like incognito I answered other for the first question, and maybe a few of the others when available.



What is your preference with regard to an annual XP cap for True Dungeon Events?

It would depend on how XP is handled at events if I want a cap or not.

Options of capped don't tell us how XP would be handled at other events so it makes it difficult to chose either of them.

Not saying the survey is flawed; I do think some information can be gained from it, but we should just be careful about drawing conclusions based upon answers given by what is likely to be less than 1% of the True Dungeon audience.

Harlax wrote: It can be hard to both volunteer and run at the smaller Cons

I agree this is a concern. I would just have volunteers automatically get max XP.