Hi all guys.
I looking for tips for this travel.
It is my first time at Gen Con,
so basic i want all tips folks can share with me.
I would like the basic ones (like 4-2-1 rules) and the advanced ones.
I having read a lot of tips, but i would seek always for new ones.
Tks in advance.
Cya all there
She travels from Ireland for Gencon.
A lof of people here in Indiana are going to ask you about where your from. Hooiser'sare very curious about people from other places. More than likely they know someone from who has been there or who is from there. They will ask if your having a good time here in Indy. Hell I would, the town's not Disneyland but we like to take good care of our guess. Another good Youtube series is "lost in the pond". It's a ex-pat Brit who just happened to live in Indianapolis and his reactions to living in the US. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqabPJa-N6ORAlO5yMBtWXg
don't be intimidated by the walk to Lucas Oil Stadium. Tons of fun stuff is over there and it's a 2 to 3 block walk at most and it can all be done in air conditioned comfort. Playing games down on the playing surface of a football arena is kind of awesome.
I will take one day before and after the Con also, that would be of great value!
Uber you need to verify a text message, lyft you don't. So if want to get by on WiFi only, use lyft.
If you are flying in solo, the gogreen shuttle from the airport to downtown hotels (if you are staying downtown) is great, and a bit cheaper than lyft (if you are OK sharing a shuttle bus) and you can book it ahead of time (if you miss it, don't worry, your ticket is still valid. They'll ask for your flight number too to help scheduling)
Most hotels downtown will have after hours gaming. The JW marriott has rooms for it. The icc has stuff running 24hrs.
There are two grocery stores in downtown indy and one pharmacy (cvs) if you need food or supplies. They are within walking distance.
The weather will be warm to hot. Don't bother with a thick coat or rain gear. Most of the convention (95%+) can be accessed by enclosed walkway.
Leave room in your suitcase for all the stuff going back. You don't want to deal with intl. Shipping if you can avoid it. My pro tip is if you are checking a bag, but a max carryon size bag inside it, and that carryon bag has all your stuff at first. Use a small day pack for carryon. At the end, you now have two larger bags you can pack, plus the daypack
Something I learned from travels from USA to other countries: If you plan to have some spending cash on hand (not just credit cards) make sure that you do your money exchange at the airport OUTSIDE the US. USA money exchanges have some ridiculous fees on top of the exchange rate.
For example, I went to Japan in 2016. Before flying out of Los Angeles, I decided to change some money, just in case. They charged me 5% and gave me a subpar exchange rate. Ended up losing out on about $30USD for changing out $250. When we got to Japan, I changed the rest of my money at the Narita Airport. The exchange rate was a little better (still not exact) but there were no extra charges. Maybe ended up losing a penny or two on the dollar if that.
It's not a huge thing, but definitely helps you maximize your budget. The other option is to just use credit cards the whole time, but just in case you end up somewhere where they don't take them, it's good to have some cash on hand.
Even with credit cards you need to watch the exchange rate. While they're often the best option, some can be a few points beneath the spot rate. Check with your card company to see what the rate is on a given day for your currency, and then check the web for the day's rates. Finally, check the exchange booths at the airport for their rate. That should give you an idea of the best place to change your money, and whether you should charge things, or bring cash to buy them. Even if you plan to use CC's for most of your purchases, always have at least some US cash on hand.
The exchange rate here is really sucks. Also, i think i need some money in cash to join in US, right?
You should at least have some cash, since there may be a place that doesn't take CCs. Also, sometimes the CC machine is not working. Almost every vendor in the hall takes CCs (at least the big ones, Visa & Mastercard; some might not take Amex), and I think all of the food trucks and concession stands do as well. So, with that in mind, maybe just have $50-100 in cash, as a fallback.
If in on Wednesday, take the time to walk the halls of the convention center and hotels to know where your events are.
Also, I noticed this year that there is a Gen Con 101 Seminar on Wednesday for 1st timers.
Also, there is the Stink, I think they have a UN group.
Heard this from other flyers; wear something that says you are a gamer as there is a chance someone else maybe a gamer on the plane with you.
I will travel with a friend
Wear comfortable shoes. there is alot of walking involved
My thoughts:
-- Plan to walk a lot; comfortable shoes; carry as little as possible -- maybe some jerky or a bag of nuts for quick refuel. If you have a close hotel, drop off stuff and pick up other stuff as you need to.
-- Expect that you might spend a lot of time browsing all the booths in the exhibit hall; you can, and probably should, spend a couple hours on this; this exhibit hall is like no other; you can also sit down and demo games at a lot of the booths, if that appeals to you
-- I'd avoid buying food in the convention center. It isn't a good value/quality proposition. Some people like to use the food trucks just outside the building to the east. Personally, I don't like the lines there. I prefer to walk a few blocks away to Jimmy Johns, Chipotle, etc. Or even Buffalo Wild Wings, etc., if you want to sit down. This will be easy if you are even 3 blocks from the Convention. The exhibit hall closes at 6pm. There will be a food rush at that time. If possible, try to head to food by 5:30
--There are things going on in the attached hotels, too. Some are scheduled events. If you need downtime, consider the film festivals in the Westin hotel across the street to the north. This is usually on the floor right above ground level. You can just walk in and sit down and rest up while you watch a fan made film. If the film is a dud, get up and go.
--Obvious, but think about what you don't want to miss and plan around that. Costume Contest? True Dungeon? Both of these are big league and relatively hard to get elsewhere. Possibly better use of your limited Convention time than a board game you play at home.
--Some games work better at a Convention than at home. Some don't. Do you like "Are You a Werewolf?" or "Diplomacy"? Things like this will probably be far better at the Convention because you are playing with a large number of strangers. Do you like "RoboRally"? GenCon has an event where you play programmed actual robots to execute your orders. Consider these kinds of special events which you can't get elsewhere.
-- Event tickets and hotel housing are competitive. Plan to be ready to go at the minute the portal opens. Hotel has already happened this year, of course. Events go on sale this Sunday. Before that happens, pick what you want and put them in your "wishlist" so that you can try to process them in minute #1.
-- Try something you haven't tried before.
-- Have fun. Don't overschedule every single minute.
There will be chances for rain, too. So an umbrella may be warranted. It depends.
