Head Games

I may have talked about gaming conversions in the past but the landscape has changed here in the Bay. Also I have just not felt able to go with a young child so I have been out of it.

There have been a number of small cons and game days that pop up here and there. I really don't know If I have a good handle on all of them. I also am well out of the scifi scene. I believe a Westercon has come and gone in San Jose recently and I know Baycon is still alive. I just looked online and I really can't tell if Silicon is still running. As for the smaller focus cons I have no idea about Anime, furries or cosplay. My first con experience were with Scifi cons and I quickly moved to gaming as that was where my heart was. I was never the a convention dilettante that had a hand in everything.

I can enjoy the broad focus conventions to see a bit of everything but the people that bask in it all are a bit much. I have a feeling that is what they do with all they have. Their house if full of collectibles and costumes and their spouses love it too. Their free time is going to ren faires or SCA practice and watching scifi channel. I am not belittling that its just not my life.I through much more of time time into gaming and as such the conventions just interest me more. Here are some local to the Bay that may interest you as well.

Dundracon is the grandpa of conventions in the Bay Area for good or ill. It is very established and it goes much the same year to year. I feel a little stagnation when going there but the people are not fixing something that works. One aspect that sucks is the time of year this falls on. Valentines day weekend is just a hard time to be away from home and family. The con does a good mix of minis from what I see as a role player. The RPG's are a little too focused on Hero and D&D but you can find what you want.

Kublacon is the big con in our area. you are going to find most anything you can imaging here. They do a great job of making it more than just gaming there is a lot of fun and extras. It seems like it's on the verge of becoming a major con for the west coast but something has been holding them back. If it could just get to three thousand I think it could really draw national support. If you are considering one con for gaming this year, go to this one.

Pacificon is an odd bird. It takes its name from one of the best cons to have even graced the area but it is only a spiritual successor. In truth it grew out of something called conquest. The real Pacificon was awesome, and it was so because of people. Old beardy types build cool one off games that were the highlight of the show. Live WizWar. A chariot game that was twenty feat long. The new pacificon has inherited some of the historical gamers but little of the cool scratch build wonders of the old con. A friend has called it a corpse of a con the last few years.

This leads me to Celesticon, its new and small and I think I may give it a try. At least for a day. I am going to try to keep an open mind and play more than I don't which is unusual for me. I will try to get some pics and thoughts posted after labor day.