I wanted to pose this question after thinking about on ongoing conversation with Jason regarding Aaron’s first foray into the running a game at a major convention.
I completely respect the kind of guts it takes to say “Yes, I will attempt to entertain 4 or 5 strangers for several hours in a less-than optimal environment!”
That being said, Jason got me thinking about the nature of an informal game versus the expectation that goes along with the same game, but in a convention type atmosphere.
Personally, I feel that the players have high expectations going into a convention. Much higher than, say, those same players walking through a buddy’s front door for a night of informal gaming. Conversely, I feel that a Keeper ought to have pretty high standards set for himself and his game. I think both Player and Keeper have a responsibility to make the whole experience as immersive and enjoyable as possible.
I’ve never been to a gaming con, so I can’t really speak from experience. However, I’m curious about the whole dynamic of Player expectations vs. Keeper expectations going into an event like GenCon. I know we all remember that infamous CoC scenario that Ross ran a year ago (I think it was a year ago). One of the players got pissed because he couldn’t railroad another player’s character into doing something he wanted that player to do and thusly felt railroaded himself.
Anyway, everyone’s thoughts on the subject may prove enlightening and instructive for all.
(P.S. I am, in no way, trying to criticize or castigate Aaron or his performance at GenCon. I am simply and respectfully posing a question in order to spark some debate.)
