Heading off to ConnCon

Over the past couple of years, I’ve gotten into board games. I’ve talked about this some on the blog, but these aren’t the normal games many people would think about – such as ones like Monopoly, Life etc.

Don’t get me wrong, I still actually dig The Game of Life a little. Well, the theme and the idea. But now that I’ve played deeper games, something tells me it could be way better.

Anyway, I’ve learned a lot about board games over this time. Mainly that many of these games are extremely deep and show you different mechanics – and there are a lot of mechanics. Those can include anything from worker placement, to pickup and delivery, to card drafting, to deck building, to cooperative games, to … well, so many more.

Let’s just say this isn’t your grandfather’s board game.

What I’ve truly liked is being able to get into a game group to play a bunch of games. I go almost every Saturday, and the occasional Friday to play games. There are favorites, of course, as well as some games I’ve just not enjoyed (one this past weekend, but I still gave a valiant effort to win… alas, it wasn’t meant to be. I’d actually like to try this game again with fewer players), and ones I thought were OK.

We’ve play-tested a few games as well, created by two of the people who are in the game night (one of them is the host) and it will be neat to see the game push forward and move along.

All the while, the host of the night (George) has talked about a game convention he went to last year and how much fun it was. Basically, it’s gaming for three straight days. After thinking about it, I decided I needed to experience it. Heck, at worst, it’s a blog topic!

So this weekend, actually the night that this post comes out, I’ll be heading to Connecticut for ConnCon.

I know there are many different levels of gaming conventions. I honestly don’t know where this falls. I don’t know if people dress up and such for the role-playing aspect, or if it’s just some people getting together to play games. I guess I’ll find out when I get there.

One thing I’ve really found out through gaming is how diverse the population of people playing can be and are.

Yes, I’m sure we all have some sort of stereotype when it comes to gamers. But I’ve found that it goes way beyond. There are people of all backgrounds playing games, which is really kind of cool. It’s another hobby that brings people together who may never have come together if not for the common interest.

So I’m looking forward to this weekend, but wonder if I locked myself in too much. There are a bunch of slots where there are organized games and I filled them. I’m wondering if I should have left a slot or two open for open gaming, or just roaming to see things as they unfold.

Either way, I am sure I’ll still have some free time. I plan on trying to take some photos and check things out for a future blog post, but I’m pretty excited about going. Here’s hoping for a positive and fun experience for a weekend getaway!

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