I was talking to the Sasquatch yesterday over beers and he suggested that “someone” should write a post about game scheduling.
If you’ve visited the forums, you’ve probably already seen that there’s a brainstorming forum and a scheduling forum, and you may be wondering “do I need to schedule my games now? Am I missing out if I don’t?”
Rest assured that many (in fact most) of the games at Go Play NW are put together on the spot. It’s quite easy to have a fun con without singing up to run or play in any games ahead of time. That said, if you happen to see a game you just know you’re going to enjoy, or if you have something you’re itching to run, go ahead and get on the schedule. It’s nice to have some things decided ahead of time.
On the other hand, maybe you don’t want to be tied down. Throughout the weekend, GMs and facilitators will be putting games up on the schedule board looking for people to play. Leaving some slots open means you’ll be able to join these games when the fancy takes you. Even better, bring your favorite game along and offer to run it whenever you want.
Finally, there’s the Pickup Donut. The donut is a way for people who are looking for a pickup game or who haven’t decided what they want to do to get together in a group and do some gaming. We’ll be running this every round of the con.
But really, the best way to have fun at Go Play NW is to come with an open mind prepared to make friends and have fun. With that attitude, you’ll never fail.