Saturday, November 2, 2019

CAR-PGa Newsletter November 2019


CAR-PGa NEWSLETTER

Vol. 28, No. 11
An international network of researchers into all aspects of role-playing games
November 2019

David Millians, Editor
Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA
millians.david@paideiaschool.org


ARTICLES

Letter from the Chair

Hello All,

There was a time when we didn't have a controversy about role-playing games every month, but as the game continues to evolve and expand new topics relevant to the CAR-PGA arise. I thought it'd be helpful to point out the latest:

I tried to explain on EN World that x-cards and consent in gaming have all arisen out of an increasingly diverse player base who may not have the same experiences (and thus, new traumas) of earlier gamers. Empathy is a first step to understanding the need for these kinds of tools. Thanks to the Internet, more players than ever before are meeting each other through gaming before becoming friends first. Recognition of all these factors begins with "bleed," the idea that role-playing games can affect your real life and vice versa.

As our senior game designers get older, the shaky system that supports them is becoming strained. Many of our gaming luminaries barely make enough money to live on and when medical expenses crop-up they're increasingly turning to online crowdfunding to make ends meet. For a recent example, Rick Loomis' family needed a Gofundme just to manage his funeral expenses. And Jim Ward (who co-authored Deities and Demigods, Pool of Radiance, Greyhawk Adventures, and is the creator of Gamma World) needs in excess of $100,000 to cover his medical bills.

I see these two topics as related. If we're so unwilling to consider changing how we play or the possibility of accommodating someone with a different experience from our own, then it's going to be a pretty big leap to ask for anyone to pay our medical bills. This is a shared problem -- for all of us in the game industry, the ability to "pay the bills" determines how much time and energy we devote to it -- and the larger the audience, the large the industry's ability to support our endeavors.

I hope the CAR-PGA can continue to reinforce the value of diversity, empathy, and collaboration as fundamental aspects of what makes the gaming community great...so that in the future we will have to rely less on the charity of others to pay for basic needs. As Thanksgiving looms large this November in the United States, I’m thankful the CAR-PGA and our supportive community exists.

Thank you for everything you do!

Sincerely,

Mike

Convention Report: Library Mini-con 2019

By Ted Skirvin

This event took place on July 20th from 10 am to 4 pm. The con was at a local facility that is part public library and part arts and culture facility in Marietta, Georgia. There was a vendor area that had about eight vendors. There was a room set aside for tabletop RPGs. They were running D&D but nothing else. There were about fifteen people playing three different games. There was a table in the main library area with a small collection of board games, but I never saw anyone playing a game. There were various discussion panels, crafting demos and trivia contests. There was also a puppet show.

Since it was a free event it was certainly worth attending. I bought a dice vault from one of the vendors. My wife and I entered one of the trivia contests and won an Incredible Hulk bobble-head figure.  

NEW MATERIAL

FROM DAVID MILLIANS

Andrejev, Alex (2019 Oct 21) Her son is a proGamer. Here’s how she came to understand the world of esports. https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/esports/2019/10/21/her-son-is-pro-gamer-heres-how-she-came-understand-world-esports/. Observing your child’s activities is important, and games tend to have positive effects, if any.

Andrew at Tabletop Wire (2019 Oct 3) GAMA Will Debut Rick Loomis Service Award at GAMA Trade Show. https://tabletopwire.com/gama-will-debut-rick-loomis-service-award-at-gama-trade-show. New award announcement from the Game Manufacturers Association.

Dunwoody, Charles (2019 Oct 3) Wendy’s Present: Feast of Legends (a Late Night Review). https://www.enworld.org/threads/wendy’s-presents-feast-of-legends-a-late-night-review.667780/. Positive read of Wendy’s fast food-based role playing game.

Editor (2019 Oct 11) Exploding Kittens Takes $30M Investment for Growth, New Games. https://tabletopwire.com/exploding-kittens-takes-30m-investment-for-growth-new-games. Success brings investment.

Editor (2019 Oct 31) Immersive Live-Action Monopoly Experience to Open in London in 2020. https://tabletopwire.com/immersive-live-action-monopoly-experience-to-open-in-london-in-2020. Hasbro planning board game translation for London debut.

Embry, Egg (2019 Fall) Around the Kids’ Table. Around the Table, pages 44-46. Games and gaming for the next generation.

Grace, Lindsay (2019 Oct 9) Games Blamed for Moral Decline and Addiction Throughout History. https://www.snopes.com/news/2019/10/09/games-blamed-for-moral-decline-and-addiction-throughout-history/. The long view.

Griepp, Milton (2019 Oct 22) Tariffs Hit Hasbro Sales, Earnings. https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/44336/tariffs-hit-hasbro-sales-earnings. Magic the Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons are bright spots, and worse is expected with more tariffs looming.

Headley, Celeste and Masud Olufani (2019 ) Could Dungeons and Dragons Help Fight Screen Addiction?. https://www.pbs.org/video/retro-report-on-pbs-season-1-episode-2-could-dungeons-and-dragons-help-fight-screen-addiction/. “It’s a great thing to dream.”

Hodes, James Mendez (2019 Sep 1) Best Practices for Religious Representation, Part I: Check for Traps. https://jamesmendezhodes.com/blog/2019/9/1/best-practices-for-religious-representation-part-i-check-for-traps. Assumptions, stereotypes, and questioning.

Lloyd, Martin (2019 Oct 21) Five ways to make your child’s first game amazing. https://amazing-tales.net/2019/10/21/five-ways-to-make-your-childs-first-role-playing-game-amazing-2. Tips from the author of Amazing Tales rpg.

Lloyd, Martin (2019 Oct 23) The therapeutic value of RPGs. https://amazing-tales.net/2019/10/23/the-therapeutic-value-of-rpgs/. Resources and links, from addition to psychology.

McAndrew, Francis T. (2019) The Psychology, Geography, and Architecture of Horror: How Places Creep Us Out. https://esiculture.com/the-psychology-geography-and-architecture-of-horror. Creepy environments and the human brain.

Morrissey, Russ (2019 Oct 1) When Random House Sued TSR for $9.5M. https://www.enworld.org/threads/when-random-house-sued-tsr-for-9-5m.667729. A win-win contract that led to rancor and bankruptcy.

Morrisssey, Russ (2019 Oct 6) Fantasy Grounds Top RPGs (Last 12 Months). https://www.enworld.org/threads/fantasy-grounds-top-rpgs-last-12-months.667823. D&D 5E continues to dominate.

Morrissey, Russ (2019 Oct 22) Around the Table is GAMA’s New Tabletop Professional Magazine. https://www.enworld.org/threads/around-the-table-is-gamas-new-tabletop-professional-magazine.668129. New publication from industry group.

Peregrine, Andrew (2019 Sep 19) Carnival Row and the Changing Face of Licensing. https://www.enworld.org/threads/carnival-row-and-the-changing-face-of-licensing.667492. New interactions of play, business, advertising, and the hobby.

Riggs, Ben (2019 Oct 10) TSR’s Christmas Layoffs. http://plotpoints.libsyn.com/tsrs-christmas-layoffs-ep-163. Discussion of increasing crisis at TSR in 1996.

Tauriq (2019 Oct 28) The New Weird and racist structures. https://ineeddiversegames.org/2019/10/28/the-new-weird-and-racist-structures/. Parallels between new horror literature/games and dominant cultures’ relationships with the dominated.

Townsend, Matthew (2019 Oct 22) Hasbro Tumbles as Tariff-Spooked Retailers Cancel China Orders. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-22/hasbro-earnings-miss-estimates-as-tariffs-cut-into-toy-sales. Company caught in tariff-plagued production system.

Tweet, Jonathan (2019 Oct 2) Legacy of Ars Magica. https://www.enworld.org/threads/jonathan-tweet-legacy-of-ars-magica.667091/. The development and impact of the game on its designers, game design, and the hobby.

Tweet, Jonathan (2019 Oct 16) Streamlining Third Edition. https://www.enworld.org/threads/jonathan-tweet-streamlining-third-edition.667268. Reforming a classic.

Ward, James (2019 Oct 7) SSI, Dungeons & Dragons and the Computer Industry. https://www.enworld.org/threads/jim-ward-ssi-dungeons-dragons-and-the-computer-industry.666874. The rise and fall of TSR’s licensed video games.

Ward, James (2019 Oct 28) Demons & Devils, NOT!. https://www.enworld.org/threads/jim-ward-demons-devils-not.666876/. Fear and loathing at conventions and the response in D&D 2E.

Wieland, Rob (2019 Oct 1) Can Small Businesses Navigate Tabletop Industry Turbulence?. https://www.forbes.com/sites/robwieland/2019/10/01/can-small-businesses-navigate-tabletop-industry-turbulence/#60122c712d95. Shipping, tariffs, and Kickstarter.

Wieland, Rob (2019 Oct 8) Use Big Government To Fight Horrible Monsters With Delta Green. https://www.forbes.com/sites/robwieland/2019/10/08/use-big-government-to-fight-horrible-monsters-with-delta-green/amp/. Spooky game makes Forbes magazing.

FROM MIKE TRESCA

Tresca, Mike (2019 Sep 27) RPGs have a Health Problem. https://www.enworld.org/threads/rpgs-have-a-health-problem.667660. Making a living and staying healthy as a game designer.

CONVENTIONS

New listings this month were provided by Paul Cardwell and Lou Zocchi. Others are urged to submit information. If you attend a convention, be sure and check the conventions table and let us have a copy of the fliers (or at very least the when, what, where, and contact information) for upcoming conventions available there. CAR-PGa is international, so this includes anywhere in the world.

Dates, precise venue, contacts' URLs or phone numbers, and other information, where missing from this list, would be particularly appreciated.  If we have missed any, send the information to 
plcardwell@gmail.com  Convention reviews should be sent to millians.david@paideiaschool.org

"[LARP]" means only LARP events as many RPG cons include at least some LARP, as likewise applies to the mention of specific game systems. The same bracketed information applies as well to game systems when the con will have only those games present.

In an attempt to get more face-to-face meetings of the membership, we list who will be going to what convention, if they will tell us.  Get this type of information in at least two months before the convention itself, so we can run it at least once.  Support your local cons by helping in the staff. It is a good way to promote RPG and you generally get in free for the brief time spent helping.

A review of any attended convention afterwards for the Newsletter would be appreciated too. These reviews should include demographic data such as attendance, percentage male/female, white/ethnic minorities (or whatever is the majority/white/others), games in addition to tabletop RPG, and more subjective matters such as unusual events, quality of games and dealers' room, encouragement of new gamers, and whatever seems worth reporting. We need to work to restore CAR-PGa's reputation as the media's go-to on gamer demographics, especially since the media are still citing a study that cut off all those over 35 - at a time when that was the median age of gamers - it is closer to 40 now - which indicates we also need to work on recruiting younger players, although some increase in college age players at conventions has been noted.

November 2019

1-2: Carnage, Killington Grand Resort, Killington, VT; https://carnagecon.com/
1-3: ICON, Cedar Rapids Marriott, Cedar Rapids, IA;
https://iowa-icon.com/
2-3: Confuzion, 1000 Gattmann Park Dr, Mussel Shoals, AL; 
https://confuzion.net/
6-10: Euroquest, Doubletree Pikesville, 1726 Reisterstown Rd, Pikesville, MD; 
https://www.euroquestcon.com/
7-10: Metatopia, Morristown Hyatt, Morristown, NJ; 
https://www.dexposure.com/m2019.html  [game design]
8-9: Wizard World Comic Con Austin, Austin Convention Center,  500 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX; 
https://wizardworld.com/
8-10: ArcadeCon, Dayton Convention Center,  22 E 5th St, Dayton, OH; 
https://acadecon.com/
8-10: Cork RPG Con, Imperial Hotel, Cork; 
https://corkrpgcon.com/
8-10: Gamer Comic Expo, Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL; 
https://www.gamercomicexpo.com/
8-10: GrandCon, DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, MI; 
https://www.grcomiccon.com/
8-10: Mace, Hilton Charlotte University Place, Charlotte, NC; 
https://www.justusproductions.com/
8-10:  Mepacon, Mount Laurel Resort, 81 Treetops  Cir, White Haven, PA; 
https://www.mepacon.com/
8-10: Orycon, Red Lion, Jantzen Beach, Portland, OR; 
https://orycon.org/41/
8-10: Philcon Crowne Plaza, 2349 W Maurlton Pike, Cherry Hill, NJ; 
https://philcon.org/
8-10: Wizard World Comic Con Austin, Austin Convention Center, Austin, TX; 
https://wizardworld.com/comiccon/austin
9: Grogmeet, FanBoy 3, 23 Hilton St, Manchester; 
https://thegrognardfiles.com/grogmeet-2019/
9-10: Spellenspektakel, Beursgfebouw, Eindhoven; 
https://spellenspektakel.nl/
14-17: G-Star, EXCO, Busan, KR;
https://www.gstar.or.kr/eng/
14-17: Midwest GameFest, Stoney Creek Conference Center, Kansas City, MO; 
https://www.midwestgamefest.org/
15-17: AetherCon Online RPG Convention, online; 
https://aethercon.com/
15-17: ComicConway, Faulkner County Library, 900 Tyler St, Conway, AR; 
https://www.comiconway.com/
15-17: Conjuration, Hilton Atlanta Airport, Atlanta, GA; 
https://www.conjurationcon.com/
15-17: Contraflow, New Orleans Airport Hilton, Kenner, LA; 
http://contraflowscifi.org/
15-17: Karlsruher SpieleTage, NCO-Club, Delawarestraße 21, Karlsruher; https://neuehp.thoule.de/
15-17: Konsplosion, Fort Smith Convention Center, 55 S 7th, Fort Smith, AK; 
http://konsplosion.com/konsplosionwp/
15-17: Kumoricon, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR; 
https://www.kumoricon.org/
15-17: Memphis Comic & Fantasy Convention, Memphis Marriott East,  5795 Poplar Ave, East Memphis, TN; 
https://memphiscfc.com/
15-17: SNAFUCon, Grand Sierra Resort, 2500 2nd St,  Reno, NV; 
https://snafucon.com/
15-19: Windy Con, Westin Yorktown Center, Lombard, IL; 
http://windycon.org/
16: Glasgow Games Festival, Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchichall St, Glasgow; 
http://www.glasgowgamesfestival.com/
16-17: Dreieich Con, Bürgerhaus, Dreieich-Sperndingen, Fichtestr. 50, Dreieich, Germany; 
https://dreieichcon.de/
16-17: MIGS, Palais des Congrès de Montréal, 1001 lace Jean-Pal Riopelle, Montréal, QC; 
https://megamigs.com/en/
16-18: Encuentro Nacional de Juegos de Mesa, Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires; 
https://www.enjm.com.ar/
21-24: Chicago Toy and Game Fair, Navy Pier, Hall A, Chicago, IL; 
https://www.chitag.com/
21-24: Mythic Consequences, Naish Holiday Village, Christchurch, Dorset;
https://ishtari.co.uk/
22-24: ConQuest Avalon, McClellan Conference Center, Sacramento, CA; 
http://conquestavalon.com/
22-24: Daisho Con, Kalahari Resorts, Wisconsin Dells, WI; 
http://www.daishocon.org/
22-24: Stuffed COWS, College of Du Page Student Resource Center, 425 Fawell Blvd, Glen Ellyn, IL; 
http://coldironchicago.roseocon.net/
22-24: U-Con, Marriott Ann Arbor at Eagle Crest, 1275 S Huron St, Ypsilanti, MI; 
https://www.ucon-gaming.org/
23: SW-Florida Con, Crowne Plaza, Fort Myers, FL; 
https://www.swfloridacomiccon.com/SW-Florida_Comic-Con/Welcome.html
23-24: Darmstadt Spielt, Wissenschafts-und Kongresszentrum darmstadtium, Darmstadt; 
https://www.darmstadt-spielt.de/
29-December 1: LosCon, LAX Marriott, 3855 W. Century Blvd, Los Angeles, CA; 
https://loscon.org/46/
29-December 1: Northeast Comic Con, Regency Hotel, Boxboro, MA; 
https://necomiccons.com/
30: Dragonmeet, Novotel London West, Hammersmith, London;
https://www.dragonmeet.co.uk/
31-December 1: Beacon5, Accidental Theatre, Shaftesbury Square, Belfast; 
https://ttnbeacon.wordpress.com/

December 2019

1: Gengis Con Cleveland, Lake Erie Bldg, 13000 Athens, Lakewood, OH; http://www.genghisconcleveland.com/
6: Anonycon, Sheraton Hotel, 700 E. Main St, Stanford, CT; 
http://anonycon.com/
6-8: PAX Unplugged, Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA; 
https://unplugged.paxsite.com/
6-8: Yamacon, LeConte Center, Pigeon Forge, TN; 
https://www.yamacon.org/
7-8: HobbyCon, ITCC Penampang, Malaysia;
https://www.hobbycon.my/
7-8: Merrycon, University of Canterbury, Christchurch; 
http://saga.org.nz/
7-8: Oddmall Chrishanukwanzmadan, Cultural Center for the Arts, Canton, OH; 
https://www.oddmall.info/chrishanukwanzmadan/  [free admission]
7-9: MacquarieCon, Macquarie University, North Ryde Campus, Sydney, NSW; 
https://www.macquariecon.net/
13-15: Holiday Matsuri, Marriott World Center, Orlando, FL;
http://holidaymatsuri.com/
14-15: Sono Con, Garrett Coliseum, Montgomery, AL; 
http://www.sonocon.org/
21-22: Comic Fiesta; Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 
https://www.comicfiesta.org/

January 2020

2-5: Magfest, Gaylord National Hotel, National Harbor, MD; https://super.magfest.org/
3-5: Sac Anime Winter, Sacramento Convention Center, Sacramento, CA; 
http://www.sacanime.com/
9-12: Anime Los Angeles, Ontario Convention Center, 2000 E Convention, Ontario, CA; 
https://animelosangeles.org/
10-12: AniMore, Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD;
https://animorecon.com/
10-12: Evercon, Central Wisconsin Convention Center, 10101 Market St, Rothchild, WI; 
https://tabletop.events/conventions/evercon-2020
10-12: Midwinter Gaming Convention, Hilton City Center, 509 W. Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI; 
https://tabletop.events/conventions/midwinter-gaming-convention-2020
10-12: Ohayocon, Hyatt Regency Columbus, Columbus, OH; 
https://ohayocon.org/
10-12: OrcaCon, Hilton Bellevue, Bellevue, WA; 
http://www.orcacon.org/
10-12: Morpheus, städtischen Sielezentrum Pluto, Wilhelmstr. 89a, Herne; 
https://www.herner-burg.de/morpheus/
11-12: Congress of Gamers, Rockville Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Dr, Rockville, MD; 
http://emsps.com/cog/
11-12: UniCon, Aleksandxra Caka lela 58l Latgales priekspilseta, Riga, Latvia; 
https://www.unicon.lv/
12: Crow Con, Crows Nest Community Centre, 2 Ernest Place, Crows Nest, NSW; 
http://crow-con.strongfort.com.au/ [D&D]
17-19: Albuquerque Comic Con, Albuquerque Convention Center, Albuquerque, NM; 
https://albuquerquecomiccon.com/
17-19: MarsCon, MarsCon, Ft. Doubletree Hotel, 50 Kingsmill Rd, Williamsburg, VA; 
http://www.marscon.net/wp/
17-19: PAX South, Gonzolez Convention Center, 200 E. Market St, San Antonio, TX; 
https://south.paxsite.com/
17-19: Polar Vortex, Sheraton Lisle Naperville, 3000 Warrenville Rd, Lisle, IL;
https://polarvortex.games/
17-20: Arisia, Westin Waterfront Hotel, 428 Summer St, Boston, MA; 
https://arisia.org/
17-20: BryceCon, Ruby's Inn, 26 S. Main, Bryce Canyon City, UT; 
https://www.brycecon.com/
17-20: HexaCon, Radisson Hot el Denver, 3155 S Vaughn Way, Aurora, CO;
https://www.hexacondenver.org/
17-20: Scarab, Medallion Convention Center, 7309 Garners Ferry Rd, Columbia, SC; 
http://s-c-a-r-a-b.com/
18-19: Arcanacon, Melbourne Convention Centre, Melbourne, Vic; 
https://www.arcanacon.org/
18-19: Kapcon, Wellington High School, 249 Taranaki St, Mount Cook, NZ; 
http://kapcon.org.nz/
18-19: SnowCon, Cross Insurance Center, Bangor, ME; 
http://snowconmaine.com/main/
18-20: Gamers of Winter, Paxtonio Fire Station, 125 S Johnson St, Harrisburg, PA; 
http://gamersofwinter.net/
22-26: ConTingency, Searles Leisure Resort, Hunstanton, Norf; 
http://www.con-tingency.uk/
23-26: Bastion, YHA Conwy, Conwy, N Wales; 
https://www.bastionwales.com/
23-26: Whose Turn is it Anyway?, Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC; 
https://whoseturn.org/
24-26: Chattacon, Doubletree, 407 Chestnut St, Chattanooga, TN; 
http://chattacon.org/
24-26: Platypus con, Centennial Hall, Juneau, AK; 
http://www.platypusgaming.org/
24-26: Rocket City Gamefest, Holiday Inn, 5903 University Dr, Huntsville, AL; 
https://www.rocketcitygamefest.com/
24-26: Vermincon, University of South Dakota, 414 E Clark St, Vermillon, SD; 
https://vermincon.wordpress.com/
24-26: WarpCon, University College, Cork, Ireland; 
https://warpcon.co/
24-26: Winter War, IHG Champaign Suites, 101 Trade Centre Dr., Champaign, IL; 
https://winterwar.org/
25-26: GenghisCon Perth, Air Force Memorial Estate, 2 Bull Creek Dr, Bull Creek, WA; 
https://genghiscon.org/
25-26: Pow! Con, Brooklyn Expo Center, Brooklyn, NY; 
https://www.powcomiccon.com/
25-27: Cancon, Exhibition Park. Flemington Rd, Mitchell, ACT; 
https://cgs.asn.au/cancon/
29-February 2: Spielwarenmesse, Münchener Str 33, Nüenvweeg; 
https://www.spielwarenmesse.de/language/1/ [trade show]
31-February 2: Kami-Con, BJCC, Birmingham, AL; 
https://www.kamicon.net/
31-February 2: Seishun-Con, Atlanta Marriott Marquis,  Atlanta, GA; 
http://seishun-con.com/

February 2020

5-9: Winter Fantasy, Courtyard Marriott, Fort Wayne, IN; http://wintfan.baldmangames.com/
7-9: Captain Con, Crowne Plaza, 801 Greenwich Ave, Warwick, RI; 
http://captaincon.com/wp/
7-9: Running GAGG, College Union, SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo, NY; 
https://www.geneseo.edu/gagg/runninggagg
13-16: Capricon, Westin Chicago North Shore, 601 N. Milwaukee Ave, Wheeling, IL; 
http://capricon.org/
13-16: GenghisCon Denver, Hyatt Regency, 13200 E 14th Pl, Aurora, CO; 
http://genghisconcolorado.com/
14-16: Anachrocon, Hilton Airport Atlanta, 1031 Virginia Ave, Atlanta, GA; 
http://www.anachrocon.org/ [alternate history]
14-16: Bashcon, University of Toledo Student Union, 2801 W. Bancroft, Toledo, OH; 
http://ut-bash.com/
14-16: Boskone, Westin Boston Waterfront, 425 Summer St, Boston, MA; 
https://www.boskone.org/
14-16: Con of the North, Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West, Minneapolis, MN; 
http://conofthenorth.org/
14-16: RadCon, Red Lion, 2525 N 20th Ave, Pasco, WA; 
http://radcon.org/
14-17: DunDraCon, San Ramon Marriott, San Ramon, CA; 
http://dundracon.com/
14-17: OrcCon, Hilton Los Angeles Airport, 5711 W. Century Blvd, Los Angeles, CA; 
http://strategicon.net/
20-23: Total Confusion, Best Western Royal Plaza, Marlborough, MA; 
http://totalcon.com/
21-23: Farpoint, Delta Hotel, Hunnt Valley, MD; 
http://www.farpointcon.com/
21-23: Festival des Jeux, Palais de Festivals, Cannes; 
http://www.festivaldesjeux-cannes.com/fr/
21-23: Fire and Ice Convention, Manitowoc County Expo Center, 4921 Expo Dr, Manitowoc, WI; 
https://fireandiceconvention.com/
21-24: ConNooga, Chattanooga Convention Center, 1 Carter Plaza, Chattanooga, TN; 
http://www.connooga.com/
22-23: Revelation, Garrison Hotel, 635 Penistone Rd, Sheffield, S.Yorks; http://revelationgames.org.uk/
22-25: New York Toy Fair, Jacob Javits Convention Center, New York, NY; http://www.toyfairny.com/
24-26: Wizard World Comic Con Portland, Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE MLK Blvd, Portland, OR; 
https://wizardworld.com/comiccon/portland
24-March 1: PrezCon, Doubletree Hotel, 990 Hilton Heights Rd, Charlottesville, VA; 
http://prezcon.com/
27-March 1: Hoop and Stick Con, Ravenwood Castle, 65666 Bethel Rd, New Plymouth, OH; 
https://www.ravenwoodcastle.com/hoopandstick
28-March 1: Gamicon, Cedar Rapids Marriott, 1200 Collins Rd NE, Cedar Rapids, IA; 
https://tabletop.events/conventions/gamicon-copper
28-March 1: Midgard West Con, Jugendherberge, Burg Blankenheim; 
http://www.midgard-westcon.de/
28-March 1: Mysticon, Holiday Inn Roanoke-Tanglewood, 4468 Starkey Rd, Roanoke, VA;
https://mysticon-va.com/
28-March 1: OwlCon, Rice Memorial Center, 6100 Main S, Rice University, Houston, TX; 
http://owlcon.com/
28-March 1: Pensacon, Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E Gregory St, Pensacola, FL; 
http://pensacon.com/
29-March 1: Concord, Holiday Inn Bristol Centre, Bond St S, Bristol; https://concordgamingconvention.com/

© Copyright 2019 by the Committee for the Advancement of Role-Playing Games (CAR-PGa), ISSN 1071 7129. The CAR-PGa Newsletter is a monthly publication. For more information contact David Millians, Editor, Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA, phone (404) 808-1070, fax (404) 377-3491, e-mail millians.david@paideiaschool.org. Back issues are available. Contributions of material from the membership are urged, and the byline is responsible for content. Deadline is the last weekday of the month, email preferred. Permission is granted to copy anything in the Newsletter, provided we get a credit line in the publication copying it, and it doesn't have someone else's copyright on it. Information, including details on joining CAR-PGa, can be obtained on the Internet at car-pga.org.

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

CAR-PGa Newsletter October 2019


CAR-PGa NEWSLETTER

Vol. 28, No. 10
An international network of researchers into all aspects of role-playing games
October 2019

David Millians, Editor
Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA
millians.david@paideiaschool.org


Hello All,

Happy October! I recently added jump links to several CAR-PGA site pages. Long pages like the Frequently Asked Questions, Studies & Literature, Defending RPGs, and Membership Manual should be easier to read and navigate. I'm hoping the increased functionality makes the pages more user-friendly.
I also added a new section to our Best Practices to include Game Policies. It was prompted by Monte Cook Games' Consent in Gaming, which was released free to the community. I also added the Same Page Tool, TTRPG Safety Toolkit, and X-Cards to the Game Policies section; are all mentioned in the Consent in Gaming document.

Consent in Gaming is an excellent overview of the basics of treating people with respect and decency. It could just as easily be used for a workplace, a convention, or a poker session. It focuses on keeping a game welcoming, inclusive, and fun. Sadly, there has been a backlash from some gamers who think that this tool is somehow an attack on their play style, with an implication that "snowflakes" can't handle mature situations.

The reality is that our hobby is changing. More people than ever are joining, and with that comes an increase in diversity that challenges our notions of what's acceptable at our gaming tables. Lots of folks have only ever played with their friends -- may we all be blessed to have such long gaming relationships! -- and so the very idea of consent concerns seems foreign, even intrusive. But as we've seen with the incident at the UK Games Expo, conventions are ground zero for this sort of potential misunderstanding and conflict. When expectations aren't set up front, they can go horribly wrong. These documents can go a long way in making sure everyone has a fun shared experience.

Pausing and thinking about how players might feel about the subject matter of a game is an entirely reasonable thing to do. I think that's why our organization is so important in spreading knowledge and awareness about how to tackle this sometimes-difficult subject. I hope our list of best practices helps raise that awareness. Please feel free to share that page with anyone whom you think would benefit.

Sincerely,
Mike
Committee Chair

ARTICLES

Convention Report: Gen Con 2019
By David Millians


My busy summer of travel ended with Gen Con in Indianapolis, Indiana, where I was joined by something north of 70,000 people for “The Best Four Days in Gaming.” It was huge and diverse, and I only saw a small slice of it, but it was awesome, fun, and eye-opening, as ever.

As part of Trade Day the Wednesday before the official convention began on Thursday, I presented a workshop called Game Logistics. A score or so of teachers, librarians, school administrators, writers, and others and I explored the variety of applications games can have in the classroom. It was an interesting exchange, and I learned about several new games – card, board, and digital – that I will have to try, particularly Snow White and Action Castle. I also got some fun new ideas for debriefing games.

Over the next four days, I mostly ran demo games for Chaosium in one small suite of rooms in the Marriott Hotel across the street from the main convention center. It was a blast to work alongside so many experienced gamers and con-goers and to introduce game fun to a host of new players. A slight majority of my players had little or, in most case, no gaming experience and were trying out games they had heard were good. One game was all women, and another was two dads that brought their own family’s early teen sons, as well as four more friends of their sons.

Gen Con is a huge, sprawling convention, covering the convention center, stadium, half a dozen or more downtown conference hotels, and more, so I saw only one little slice of it. I didn’t see most of it. I visited the exhibition hall twice for business, managing to stroll up and down most of the aisles, and the variety of offerings from so many manufacturers and promoters in so many media was overwhelming at times. They ranged from re-sellers of Magic cards to manga videos to small press publishers to parts makers to major company booths with beautifully-done, glass display cases and special entry lines. The production standards continue to rise but so does the ability of most anyone to produce a good-looking product. It’s so different from my first Gen Con in 1979, where stapled mimeographs and even hand-written and hand-drawn games were common.

Gen Con is still a majority white male event, but greater variety was visible everywhere. Women in large numbers and of all ages were everywhere, and people of color and people expressing their own particular identities were always in the mix of players, shoppers, and creators. Families of all kinds continue to be a growing presence, and there were many activities and products aimed at children and families. One of my favorite aspects of a good convention is the encouragement it gives everyone to be themselves, and Gen Con has this more and more.

I’ve heard there were some issues of harassment and access to help at Gen Con. This is a challenge to any gathering of humans, and we gamers are not immune. Managing this such a vast, scattered event if doubly hard, and I hope Gen Con continues to improve its policies and methods, so everyone can attend comfortably and safely.

I learned new ideas about running games, teaching games, teaching, and working with others involved in our industrious fun. I’ve enjoyed trying and testing some of these ideas over the last couple of months. I’ll be back this coming summer 2020!


NEW MATERIAL

FROM DAVID MILLIANS

Alonge, Giaime (2019 Sep 16) Playing the Nazis: Political Implications in Analog Wargames. analoggamestudies.org/2019/09/playing-the-nazis-political-implications-in-analog-wargames. The deeply-interwoven history of games and politics.

Ben L. (2019 Sep 22) Check Out These Character Sheets. maziriansgarden.blogspot.com/2019/09/speaking-of-splendid-itemscheck-out.html. Analysis of design and layout.

Boyle, Michael (2019 Sep 13) A Modest Defense of Consent in Gaming. playtoseewhathappens.blogspot.com/2019/09/a-modest-defense-of-consent-in-gaming.html. Analysis and criticism of newly-published book about boundaries in game play.

Bullock, Kate (2019 Aug 26) The TTRPG Industry: The Sexist Price of Entry: Part Two. www.bluestockings.ca/2019/09/the-ttrpg-industry-sexist-price-of.html. These issues are important.

Bullock, Kate (2019 Sep 9) The TTRPG Industry: The Sexist Price of Entry: Part Three. www.bluestockings.ca/2019/09/the-ttrpg-industry-sexist-price-of_9.html. These issues are important.

Crowe, Jonathan (2019 Sep 23) Where Do Fantasy Maps Come From?. www.tor.com/2019/09/23/where-do-fantasy-maps-come-from. Lessons in history and cartography.

Donoghue, Rob & Fred Hicks (2019 Sep 13) A Word About Kickstarter. www.evilhat.com/home/a-word-about-kickstarter. Company concerns about funding platform’s anti-union activity.

Donoghue, Rob & Fred Hicks (2019 Sep 23) A Further Word About Kickstarter. www.evilhat.com/home/a-further-word-about-kickstarter. Update on Evil Hat Productions’ exploration of issues around funding platform’s anti-union activity.

Glaser, April (2019 Sep 17) Unionizing Workers Just Accused Kickstarter of Retaliatory Firings in a Federal Complaint. slate.com/technology/2019/09/kickstarter-union-accuses-company-of-retaliatory-firings-in-nlrb-complaint.html. Unfolding legal battle between creators and funding platform.

Greenwood, Ed (2019 Sep 2) A World of a Thousand-Thousand Stories. www.enworld.org/threads/ed-greenwood-a-world-of-a-thousand-thousand-stories.667085. World building in the Forgotten Realms.

Greenwood, Ed (2019 Sep 21) Making the Realms Come Alive. www.enworld.org/threads/making-the-realms-come-alive.667086. Game worlds and challenges.

Haremza, John (2019 Sep 11) Victory at Home and Beyond: Investigators for Social Equality . www.legendsoftabletop.com/?p=4418&fbclid=IwAR3QWdnU40YdWuYSSTAFc_ieawoPWWOduLo710uIXgp2Ypqix99UL2Aoh58. Audio of Neconomicon panel about presenting diverse stories.

Hillman, Sean (2019 ) Con Report: JordanCon from an Insider. www.enworld.org/threads/con-report-jordancon-from-an-insider.666706. Gaming is increasing in size and variety at a small convention in Atlanta.

Kuntz, Rob (2019 Sep 26) 1968 and Meeting Gary Gygax and the Gygax Family. www.enworld.org/threads/the-beginning-1968-and-meeting-gary-gygax-and-the-gygax-family.667636. Getting started with gaming in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

Lalone, Nicolas (2019 Sep 16) A Tale of Dungeons & Dragons the Origins of the Game Platform. analoggamestudies.org/2019/09/a-tale-of-dungeons-dragons-and-the-origins-of-the-game-platform. Co-evolution of Dungeons & Dragons and digital role playing games.

Morrissey, Russ (2019 Sep 23) MAD Magazine: Dopiest Demons of D&D. www.enworld.org/threads/mad-magazine-dopiest-demons-of-d-d.667554. Satire of culturally-contested cultural icons.

Morrissey, Russ (2019 Sep 25) TSR Cutting Writers Rates (In 1994!). www.enworld.org/threads/tsr-cutting-writers-rates-in-1994.667614. Freelancing policy memo hints at company implosion to come.

Peregrine, Andrew (2019 Aug 15) How Expensive is Too Expensive?. www.enworld.org/threads/how-expensive-is-too-expensive.666710. It’s complicated, but essentially, published games are a luxury purchase.

Riggs, Benjamin (2019 Sep 12) When TSR didn’t get the rights to Middle Earth. www.facebook.com/benjamin.riggs.982/posts/10162211711300285. History lesson from 1992.

Robinson, Nathan (2019 Sep 28) Kickstarter to Workers and Project Creators: Drop Dead. www.currentaffairs.org/2019/09/kickstarter-to-workers-and-project-creators-drop-dead. Kickstarter vows to fight union organizing.

Rose, Andrea (2019 Sep 26) Board nixes D&D club. www.therecordherald.com/news/20190926/board-nixes-dd-club. Fear and rumor lead Waynesboro Area School Board in Pennsylvania to deny permission for afterschool club.

Švelch, Jan (2019 Sep 20) Paradox and Promise of “Physical Games” on itch.io. coe-gamecult.org/2019/09/20/paradox-and-promise-of-physical-games-on-itch-io. New networks and growing access and efflorescence in game development and publishing.

Thorne, Scott (2019 Sep 22) Rolling for Initiative - Wizards Outs Its Money Where Its Mouth Is and Other Trends. icv2.com/articles/columns/view/44094/rolling-for-initiative-wizards-puts-its-money-where-its-mouth-is-other-trends. New support and models for brick-and-mortar game stores from the Alliance Open House.

Tweet, Jonathan (2019 Sep 9) On The Origins of Ars Magica. www.enworld.org/threads/jonathan-tweet-on-the-origins-of-ars-magica.667090. Inspiration, creativity, and laying out a book on an early Mac computer.

Wake, Jonas (2019 Sep 16) Token Gestures: Towards a Theory of Immersion in Analog Games. analoggamestudies.org/2019/09/token-gestures-towards-a-theory-of-immersion-in-analog-games. Immersion, imagination, identification, and their limits.

Ward, James (2019 Aug 26) The Origin of Monty Haul. www.enworld.org/threads/the-origin-of-monty-haul.666872. The development of game styles.

Ward, James (2019 Sep 17) Laser Tag and TSR. www.enworld.org/threads/jim-ward-laser-tag-and-tsr.666873. Game design and office play.

FROM JONAS RICHTER

Gadocha-Gangl, Simone (2017 May) Das Wirkmodell von Fantasy-Rollenspielen basierend auf dem Cognitive-Affective-Processing-System. eplus.uni-salzburg.at/4363598. Dissertation from Universität Salzburg examining positive effects of role playing by assessing goals and behavior.

Lewis, Beth (2019 Aug 14) Gen Con 2019, learned community helplessness, and the benefits of actually banning predators. gomakemeasandwich.wordpress.com/2019/08/14/gencon-2019-learned-community-helplessness-and-the-benefits-of-actually-banning-predators. Remove predators from your communities.

Lewis, Beth (2019 Aug 19) On forgiveness, and the messiness of who gets to access it. gomakemeasandwich.wordpress.com/2019/08/19/on-forgiveness-and-the-messiness-of-who-gets-to-access-it. Work, forgiveness, and privilege.

FROM M. ALAN THOMAS

Ambaum, Gene (2019 Sep 12) Sunny Rolls the Dice. librarycomic.com/graphic-novel-review-sunny-rolls-the-dice. Review of new graphic novel by Jennifer and Matthew Holm.

Somers, Jeff (2019 Sep 18) 10 Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels Based on RPG Campaigns. www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/10-novels-based-on-role-playing-campaigns. A growing source for wondrous stories.

FROM MIKE TRESCA

Tresca, Mike (2019 Aug 30 The Duelling Essays of Arneson & Gygax. www.enworld.org/threads/the-dueling-essays-of-arneson-gygax.667050. Sorting out the history of the earliest tabletop role playing.

Tresca, Mike (2019 Sep 2) Honoring the Loomis Legacy. www.enworld.org/threads/honoring-the-loomis-legacy.667049. Rick Loomis tribute with links to many other tributes and history.

Tresca, Mike (2019 Sep 11) The Imaginary Book That Inspired “Necessary” Monsters. www.enworld.org/threads/the-imaginary-book-that-spawned-necessary-monsters.667306. Jorge Luis Borges inspired Gary Gygax and the Monster Manual.

Tresca, Mike (2019 Sep 19) The Secret “Historie” of the Gorgon, Lamia, and Su-Monster. www.enworld.org/threads/the-secret-historie-of-the-gorgon-lamia-and-su-monster.667485. Edward Topsell also inspire Gygax’s monsters.

Tresca, Mike (2019 Sep 20) When Gaming Bleeds. www.enworld.org/threads/when-gaming-bleeds.667506. When the emotions of the game affect real emotions.

CONVENTIONS

New listings this month were provided by Paul Cardwell and Lou Zocchi. Others are urged to submit information. If you attend a convention, be sure and check the conventions table and let us have a copy of the fliers (or at very least the when, what, where, and contact information) for upcoming conventions available there. CAR-PGa is international, so this includes anywhere in the world.  

Dates, precise venue, contacts' URLs or phone numbers, and other information, where missing from this list, would be particularly appreciated.  If we have missed any, send the information to 
plcardwell@gmail.com  Convention reviews should be sent to millians.david@paideiaschool.org

"[LARP]" means only LARP events as many RPG cons include at least some LARP, as likewise applies to the mention of specific game systems. The same bracketed information applies as well to game systems when the con will have only those games present.

In an attempt to get more face-to-face meetings of the membership, we list who will be going to what convention, if they will tell us.  Get this type of information in at least two months before the convention itself, so we can run it at least once.  Support your local cons by helping in the staff. It is a good way to promote RPG and you generally get in free for the brief time spent helping.  

A review of any attended convention afterwards for the Newsletter would be appreciated too. These reviews should include demographic data such as attendance, percentage male/female, white/ethnic minorities (or whatever is the majority/white/others), games in addition to tabletop RPG, and more subjective matters such as unusual events, quality of games and dealers' room, encouragement of new gamers, and whatever seems worth reporting. We need to work to restore CAR-PGa's reputation as the media's go-to on gamer demographics, especially since the media are still citing a study that cut off all those over 35 - at a time when that was the median age of gamers - it is closer to 40 now - which indicates we also need to work on recruiting younger players, although some increase in college age players at conventions has been noted.

October 2019

3-6: Con on the Cob, Days Inn, 4742 Wrecksville Rd, Richfield, OH; 
cononthecob.com
3-6: New York Comic Con, Jacob Javetts Center, New York City, NY; 
newyorkcomiccon.com
4-6: Archon, Gateway Center, Collinsville, MO; 
archonstl.org
4-6: NEWGamepalooza, Alumni Center, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI; 
newgamepalooza.com
4-6: Nuke-Con, Ramada Plaza, 3321 S 72nd St, Omaha, NE; 
nuke-con.com
4-6: OctoGones, l'Espace Double Mixte, Lyon/Villeurbanne. France; 
octogones.org
4-6: Realms Con, Emerald Beach Hotel, 11092 S Shoreline Blvd, Corpus Christi, TX; 
realmscon.com
4-6: RinCon, Sheraton, 5151 E Grant Rd, Tucson, AZ; 
rincongames.com
4-6: SHUX Vancouver Convention Centre Vancouver, BC; shutupandsitdown.con
4-6: SparrenCon, Kinder- und Jugendhaus Brake, Glückstädter Str 25, Bielefeld; 
sparrencon.de
4-6: TokenCon, Wyndham Garden Oklahoma City Airport, 2101 S Meridian Ave, Oklahoma City, OK
4-7: Phenomenom, Daramalan College, 121 Cowper St, Dickson, ACT, Australia; 
pheno.org.au
5: Dragondaze, Newport Centre, 1 Kingsway, Newport, S Wales: 
dragondaze.com  upcomingcons.com
5-7: MOAB, Sylvania Heights Community Club, Box Rd, Sylvania, NSW; 
motherofallbattles.org [mostly wargame including fantasy]
5-7: Sydcon, St. Scholastica's College, Glebe, NSW; 
sydcon.info
10-13: Big Bad Con, Walnut Creek Marriott, 2355 N Main St, Walnut Creek, CA; 
bigbadcon.com  [18+]
10-13: Brasil Game Show, Expo Center Norte, São Paulo, SP; 
brasilgameshow.com.br
10-13: Great Falls Gaming Rendezvous, Holiday Inn, 1100 5th St S, Great Falls, MT; 
gfgr.org
11-12: Fear the Con, Riverbend Event Center, 1085 Winding River Cove W, Salt Lake City, UT;
fearcon.com
11-13 Conapalooza, Meadowview Convention Center, Kingsport, TN; 
conapalooza.com
11-13: CinCityCon, Sharonville Convention Center 11355 Chester Rd, Sharonville, OIH; 
cincitycon.com
11-13: Con Plus, 35 Duncan Close, Moulton Park, Northampton, UK; conplus.live
11-13: Festivalinternacionaldejuegascordoba.es, Palacio de los Merced, Cordoba; 
festivaldejuegascordoba.es
11-13: FlatCon, Interstate Center, 1106 Interstate Dr, Bloomington, IL; 
flatcon.com
11-13: G.A.M.E., Springfield Expo Center, Springfield, MO; 
springfieldgame.com
11-13: LA Comic Con, Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, CA; 
comicconla.com
11-13: OddConUK, Park Inn, Forge Gate, Telford; 
oddconuk.org.uk
11-13: PAX Aus, Melbourne Convention Centre, 1 Convention Centre Pl, South Wharf, Vic;
aus.paxsite.com
11-13: Save Against Fear. Harrisburg Mall, 3501 Paxton, Harrisburg, PA; 
thebodhanagroup.org
11-13: Travellercon, Lancaster Host Resort, Lancaster, PA; 
travellercon-usa.com  [primarily Traveller]
11-13: Tsubasacon, Charleston Coliseum, Charleston, WV;  
tsubasacon.org
11-13: VCon, Sheraton Vancouver Airport, Richmond, BC; 
vcon.ca
11-13: Viking-Con, Tårnby Gymnasiuum, Tejin Allé 5, Kastrup, Denmark; 
viking-con.dk
12-13: Furnace, Garrison Hotel, 635 Penistone Rd, Sheffield, SYorks; 
furnace.org.uk
16-20: NordlichtCon, Seminarhof Proitzer Mühle, Proitze 3, Schnega; 
nordlichtcon.de
17-20: EGX, ExCeL Center, London; 
egx.net
17-20: FOR Games, PVA Expo, Prague; 
forages.cz
18-19: Timp Con, Utah Valley Convention Center, 220 W. Center St., Provo, UT; 
utahvalley.com/timp-con
18-20: CastleCon, Best Western Plus, 559 Bloor St W, Oshawa, ON; 
castlecon.net
18-20: Mile Hi Con, Hyatt Regency, 7800 E. Tufts Ave, Denver, CO; 
milehicon.org
18-20:  Minicon III, Jack Erskin Building, University of Canterbury, Christchurch; saga.con/minicon
18-20: NEA Game Fest, Hilton Garden Inn, Jonesboro, AR;
tabletop.events/conventions/nea-game-fest-2019
18-20: Necronomicon, Holiday Inn Tampa Westshore, 700 N Westshore Blvd, Tampa, FL; 
stonehill.org
18-20: Texas Broadside, USS Texas, La Porte, TX; 
texasbroadside.webs.com  [primarily historical wargaming]
18-20: ValleyCon, Ramada Fargo, Fargo, ND; 
valleycon.com
18-20: Wizard World Comic Con, Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N High St, Columbus, OH; 
wizardworld.com
18-21: Kraken, Schloss Neuhausen, Bradenburg, Germany; 
the-kraken.de
19: Kogata Daycon, Davison 4H, 3200 W Havens Ave, Mitchel, SD; 
kogatadaycon.com
19-20: Memphis Comic Expo, Agricenter International, 7777 Walnut Grove Rd, Memphis, TN; 
memphiscomicexpo.com
19-20: MiniCon III, University of Canterbury, Christchurch; 
saga.org.nz
19-20: Oddmall: Hallowondrous, Lakewood Masonic Temple, 15300 Detroit Ave, Lakewood, OH; 
oddmall.info/hallowondrous  [Free admission]
19-20: WasabiCon, Lexington Hotel Riverwalk, Jacksonville, FL; 
wasabicon.com
24-26: Spiel, Messe Essen, Essen; 
spiel-messe.com
24-27: Atlanta Game Fest, Marriott Alpharetta, Atlanta, GA; 
atlantagamefest.com
25-27: Central Canada Comic Con, Winnipeg Convention Centre, Winnipeg, MB; 
c4con.org
25-27: Gamealot, Kinsmen Banquet Center, 47 Reil Dr, St. Albert, AB; 
gamealot.ca
25-27: Hal-Con, Halifax World Convention Centre, Halifax, NS; 
hal-con.com
25-27: Hallowcon, Econolodge, 1507 N Tibb Rd, Dalton, GA; 
hallocon.com  [horror]
25-27: Rock-Con, Tebala Event Center, 7910 Newburg Rd, Rockford, IL, 
rock-con.com
25-28: Gaelcon, Ballbridge Hotel, Pembroke Rd, Dublin: 
gaelcon.com
30-November 3: Lucca Comics and Games, Palazzo Ducale, Lucca; 
luccacomicsandgames.com
30-November 3: Lucca Comics & Games, Lucca Fiere, via della Chiesa, Trav.1, 237, Lucca, Italy; 
europecomics.com
31-November 3: AmberCon NW, McMehamins Edgefield Bed & Breakfast Resort, Troutsdale, OR; 
amberconnw.org  [Amber diceless and indie games]
31-November 3: Anime Weekend Atlanta, Renaissance Waverley, Atlanta, GA; 
aaa-con.com
31-November 3: Gamehole Con, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Way, Mr, Detroit, MI; 
gameholecon.com


November 2019

1-2: Carnage, Killington Grand Resort, Killington, VT; 
carnageccon.com
1-3: ICON, Cedar Rapids Marriott, Cedar Rapids, IA;
iowa-icon.com
2-3: Confuzion, 1000 Gattmann Park Dr, Mussel Shoals, AL; 
confuzion.net
6-10: Euroquest, Doubletree Pikesville, 1726 Reisterstown Rd, Pikesville, MD; 
europquestcon.com
7-10: Metatopia, Morristown Hyatt, Morristown, NJ; 
dexposure.com  [game design]
8-10: ArcadeCon, Dayton Convention Center,  22 E 5th St, Dayton, OH; 
thearcadecon.com
8-10: Cork RPG Con, Imperial Hotel, Cork; 
corkrpgcon.com
8-10: Gamer Comic Expo, Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL; 
gamercomicexpo.com
8-10: GrandCon, DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, MI; 
grcomiccon.com
8-10: Mace, Hilton Charlotte University Place, Charlotte, NC; 
justusproductions.com
8-10:  Mepacon, Mount Laurel Resort, 81 Treetops  Cir, White Haven, PA; 
mepacon.com
8-10: Orycon, Red Lion, Jantzen Beach, Portland, OR; 
orycon.org
8-10: Philcon Crowne Plaza, 2349 W Maurlton Pike, Cherry Hill, NJ; 
philcon.org
8-10: Wizard World Comic Con Austin, Austin Convention Center, Austin, TX; 
philcon.org 
9: Grogmeet, FanBoy 3, 23 Hilton St, Manchester; 
grognawrdfiles.com
9-10: Spellenspektakel, Beursgfebouw, Eindhoven; 
spellenspekitakel.nl
14-17: G-Star, EXCO, Busan, KR;
www.gstar.or.kr/eng
14-17: Midwest GameFest, Stoney Creek Conference Center, Kansas City, MO; 
midwestgamefest.org
15-17: AetherCon Online RPG Convention, online; 
aethercon.com
15-17: ComicConway, Faulkner County Library, 900 Tyler St, Conway, AR; 
comicconway.com
15-17: Conjuration, Hilton Atlanta Airport, Atlanta, GA; 
conjurationcon.com
15-17: Contraflow, New Orleans Airport Hilton, Kenner, LA; 
contraflowscifi.org
15-17: Karlsruher SpieleTage, NCO-Club, Delawarestraße 21, Karlsruher;
www.thoule.de/home.php?content=253&vor=spieletage
15-17: Konsplosion, Fort Smith Convention Center, 55 S 7th, Fort Smith, AK; 
konsplosion.com
15-17: Kumoricon, Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR; 
kumoricon.org
15-17: Memphis Comic & Fantasy Convention, Memphis Marriott East,  5795 Poplar Ave, East Memphis, TN; 
memphiscfc.com
15-17: SNAFUCon, Grand Sierra Resort, 2500 2nd St,  Reno, NV; 
snafucon.com
15-19: Windy Con, Westin Yorktown Center, Lombard, IL; 
windycon.org
16: Glasgow Games Festival, Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchichall St, Glasgow; 
glasgowgamesfestival.com
16-17: Dreieich Con, Bürgerhaus, Dreieich-Sperndingen, Fichtestr. 50, Dreieich, Germany; 
dreieichcon.de
16-17: MIGS, Palais des Congrès de Montréal, 1001 lace Jean-Pal_Riopelle, Montréal, QC; 
mighs18.com
16-18: Encuentro Nacional de Juegos de Mesa, Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires; 
bahia.gob.ar
21-24: Chicago Toy and Game Fair, Navy Pier, Hall A, Chicago, IL; 
chitag.com
21-24: Mythic Consequences, Naish Holiday Village, Christchurch, Dorset; 
ishtari.co.uk
22-24: ConQuest Avalon, McClellan Conference Center, Sacramento, CA; 
conquestavalon.com
22-24: Daisho Con, Kalahari Resorts, Wisconsin Dells, WI; 
daishocon.org
22-24: Stuffed COWS, College of Du Page Student Resource Center, 425 Fawell Blvd, Glen Ellyn, IL; 
coldironconventions.com
22-24: U-Con, Marriott Ann Arbor at Eagle Crest, 1275 S Huron St, Ypsilanti, MI; 
ucon-gaming.org
23-24: Darmstadt Spielt, Wissenschafts-und Kongresszentrum darmstadtium, Darmstadt; 
darmstadt-spielt.de
29-December 1: LosCon, LAX Marriott, 3855 W. Century Blvd, Los Angeles, CA; 
loscon.org
29-December 1: Northeast Comic Con, Regency Hotel, Boxboro, MA; 
necomiccon.net

December 2019

1: Gengis Con Cleveland, Lake Erie Bldg, 13000 Athens, Lakewood, OH; gengisconcleveland.com
6: Anonycon, Sheraton Hotel, 700 E. Main St, Stanford, CT; 
anonycon.com
6-8: PAX Unplugged, Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA; 
paxsite.com
6-8: Yamacon, LeConte Center, Pigeon Forge, TN; 
yamacpn.org
7-8: HobbyCon, ITCC Penampang, Malasia; hobbycon.my
7-8: Merrycon, University of Canterbury, Christchurch; 
saga.org.nz
7-8: Oddmall Chrishanukwanzmadan, Cultural Center for the Arts, Canton, OH; 
chrishanukwanzmadan.oddmall.info  [free admission]
7-9: MacquarieCon, Macquarie University, North Ryde campus, Sydney, NSW; 
maquariecon.net
13-15: Holiday Matsuri, Marriott World Center, Orlando, FL; 
holidaymatsuri.com
14-15: Sono Con, Garrett Coliseum, Montgomery, Al; 
gumpcitycon.com
21-22: Comic Fiesta; Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 
comicfiesta.org


January 2020

2-5: Magfest, Gaylord National Hotel, National Harbor, MD; 
magfest.org
3-5: Sac Anime Winter, Sacramento Convention Center, Sacramento, CA; 
sacanime.com
4-5: Winter Stabcon, Britannia hotel, Dialtone Ln, S Vaughn Way, Aurora, CO; 
hexacondenver.org
9-12: Anime Los Angeles, Ontario Convention Center, 2000 E Convention, Ontario, CA; 
animelosangeles.org
10-12: AniMore, Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD; 
animorecon.com
10-12: Evercon, Central Wisconsin Convention Center, 10101 Market St, Rothchild, WI; 
evercon.org
10-12: Midwinter Gaming Convention, Hilton City Center, 509 W. Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI; 
midwintergamingconvention.com 
10-12: Ohayocon, Hyatt Regency Columbus, Columbus, OH; 
ohayocon.org
10-12: OrcaCon, Hilton Bellevue, Bellevue, WA; 
orcacon.org
10-12: Morpheus, städtischen Sielezentrum Pluto, Wilhelmstr. 89a, Herne; 
herner-burg.de/morpheus
11-12: Congress of Gamers, Rockville Senior Center, 1150 Carnation Dr, Rockville, MD; 
emsps.com/cpg
11-12: UniCon, Aleksandxra Caka lela 58l Latgales priekspilseta, Riga, Latvia; 
unicon.lv
12: Crow Con, Crows Nest Community Centre, 2 Ernest Place, Crows Nest, NSW; 
crow-con.strongfort.com.au  [D&D]
17-19: MarsCon, MarsCon, Ft. Doubletree Hotel, 50 Kingsmill Rd, Williamsburg, VA; 
marscon.net
17-19: PAX South, Gonzolez Convention Center, 200 E. Market St, San Antonio, TX; 
south.paxsite.com
17-19: Polar Vortex, Sheraton Lisle Naperville, 3000 Warrenville Rd, Lisle, IL;
polarvortex.games
17-20: Arisia, Westin Waterfront Hotel, 428 Summer St, Boston, MA; 
arisia.org
17-20: BryceCon, Ruby's Inn, 26 S. Main, Bryce Canyon City, UT; 
brycecon.com
17-20: HexaCon, Radisson Hotel Denver, 3155 S Vaughn Way, Aurora, CO;
www.hexacondenver.org
17-20: Scarab, Medallion Convention Center, 7309 Garners Ferry Rd, Columbia, SC; 
s-c-a-r-a-b.com
18-19: Arcanacon, Melbourne Convention Centre, Melbourne, Vic; 
arcanacon.org
18-19: Kapcon, Wellington High School, 249 Taranaki St, Mount Cook, NZ; 
kapcon.org.nz
18-19: SnowCon, Cross Insurance Center, Bangor, ME; 
snowconmainee.com
22-26: ConTingency, Searles Leisure Resort, Hunstanton, Norf; 
con-tingency.uk
23-26: Bastion, YHA Conwy, Conwy, N Wales; 
bastionwales.com
23-26: Whose Turn is it Anyway?, Durham Convention Center, Durham, NC; 
whoseturn.org
24-26: Chattacon, Doubletree, 407 Chestnut St, Chattanooga, TN; 
chattacon.org
24-26: Platypus con, Centennial Hall, Juneau, AK; 
platypusgaming.org
24-26: Rocket City Gamefest, Holiday Inn, 5903 University Dr, Huntsville, AL; 
rocketcitygamefest.com
24-26: Winter War, IHG Champaign Suites, 101 Trade Centre Dr., Champaign, IL; 
winterwar.org
25-26: GenghisCon Perth, Air Force Memorial Estate, 2 Bull Creek Dr, Bull Creek, WA; 
genghiscon.org
25-26: Pow! Con, Brooklyn Expo Center, Brooklyn, NY; 
powcomiccon.com
25-27: Cancon, Exhibition Park. Flemington Rd, Mitchell, ACT; 
cgs.asn.au/cancon
29-February 2: Spielwarenmesse, Münchener Str 33, Nüenvweeg; 
spielwarnenmesse.de  [trade show]

© Copyright 2019 by the Committee for the Advancement of Role-Playing Games (CAR-PGa), ISSN 1071 7129. The CAR-PGa Newsletter is a monthly publication. For more information contact David Millians, Editor, Paideia School, 1509 Ponce de Leon Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30307 USA, phone (404) 808-1070, fax (404) 377-3491, e-mail millians.david@paideiaschool.org. Back issues are available. Contributions of material from the membership are urged, and the byline is responsible for content. Deadline is the last weekday of the month, email preferred. Permission is granted to copy anything in the Newsletter, provided we get a credit line in the publication copying it, and it doesn't have someone else's copyright on it. Information, including details on joining CAR-PGa, can be obtained on the Internet at car-pga.org.