We Need a World-Wide TravellerCon!

[Rhialto the Marvelous]

What the subject line says.

So far as I know, there's no yearly RPG convention that's specifically focused on Traveller. I motion that this must change.

There are precedents. There's a Con exclusively for Chaosium games. There's even one for Harnmaster. There's even one for OD&D and C&C in Lake Geneva that Gygax and a couple dozen people attend.

This could work.

Call it TravellerCon, which has name recognition and would signal that it's open to all iterations of the game, including GT and T20. And of course all other GDW games, RPGs and wargames, would be welcome.

We'd have Marc and/or Loren and/or Joe Fugate and/or Hunter and/or the rest of the gang as guests of honor.

Think about it. There are almost 7000 registered members on this board. If Harnmaster can pull in a few dozen souls for its con, then our fine selves should range in the several hundreds.

As I said on rpg.net, I motion the location be Chicago: a) it's right in the middle of the US; b) it's so close to where Marc lives, he can't wiggle out. However, I am open to other suggestions.

Did I mention that I am not going to be involved in organizing it? I see myself as Moses; let others--those with con organizing experience--lead us to the promised land.

Seriously, though: wouldn't it be utterly cool?

So... we need some volunteers here... who's a BORN LEADER?

 

[Liam Devlin]

FWIW & FYI:

If you're looking for the exact "Middle" of the USA, that would be a place known as Meridian, Oklahoma, where it is equadistant from Mexico-Canada, and from Sea to shining Sea, Mssr Rhialto..

 

[Liam Devlin]

FWIW, I concur this is a great idea.

e.g. Hunter lives in/ around near Atlanta, GA.

MWM in Chicago, okay..

Mr Fugate, LKW live where?

MJD, lives in the UK.

But say, aren't you discriminating against our EU-Traveller folks, not to mention the Australians, and guys Like Bromgrev in Hong Kong?

 

[mbrinkhues]

I guess we rather get 2 cons, one for the Euros and one for the colonials. Getting to Britain is resonably easy and organiseabel as group trips but the USA is a bit far away.

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by Michael Brinkhues:
I guess we rather get 2 cons, one for the Euros and one for the colonials. Getting to Britain is resonably easy and organiseabel as group trips but the USA is a bit far away.

Bit of a swim, even By U-Boat, eh MB? Seriously, its a valid point. a Euro-Traveller Con & a US Traveller Con, mayhap even an Australian one! We're pretty balkanized regionally, but tie it down to 3 continents we oughta be okay.

 

[Roger Calver]

A UK based event I would be interested in but any others would be out of my reach I think.

 

[Liam Devlin]

I have to concur, the EU & Australia aren't in my budget either Roger. But it seemed unfair to leave the rest of the world out, balkanized regionally as we currently are.

 

[Golan2072]

My current financial situation precludes overseas travel... Once I will (hopefully) get on my feet (in a few years, I hope) I might be able to get to anywhere in the EU/UK, though going to the USA will probably still be outside of my budgetary constrains.

 

[Madarin Dude]

Sounds like a good idea after August I might even be able to go. I am in China now. But I am movign back to the states. I think Chicago is a good location easy to fly to for those who want to travel further and geographically close to many memebers in US and canada.

 

[ravells]

What would we do at a traveller con? I've never been to one before. The only other cons I've been to have supported hundreds of different types of games, had bring and buy sales and lots of shops.

Ravs

 

[Flynn]

There is a TravellerCon that people hold informally(?) in Britain. I've heard about it before. This is already being done across the pond, as it were.

In the States, I've suggested this a few times before, and aside from well wishes, no one wants to do anything about it, sadly. I've even offered to organize a Traveller Game Day here in Austin, and no dice. (LKW lives here in Austin, TX, btw.) I'd love to see a Texas-based TravellerCon, but if one can be organized elsewhere and I can be given sufficient warning, I'd do my best to attend it, and even run games.

If there's a real chance for this to happen, I'm all for it, of course, and am willing to do my part to help out. I'll even advertise and push for attendance in Stellar Reaches and the like.

Just Let Me Know,
Flynn

 

[Flynn]

Ravs,

A Traveller Con would probably support Traveller gaming sessions, primarily. Like any gaming Con, the games should be the focus.

I'd like to see the following as well:
* Seminars by Traveller license-holders on the state of their companies and the products coming out over the next year.
* Possibly an anime and sci-fi film room.
* A dealer's room, focused on sci-fi gaming.
* Additional seminars on community projects, campaigning, ATUs and the OTU, etc. Just about anything interesting...
* A cool T-shirt, and maybe some neat Traveller swag.

Hope this helps spark some ideas,
Flynn

 

[Qstor2]

Rhialto, I tried to generate interest in a Traveller 30th Ann. panel at GenCon Indy but there wasn't much response here and on the TML. LKW said he'd come but he needed airfare and a hotel. which I can't afford

Mike

 

[Hemdian]

There is a TravellerCon in UK. The last couple of years its been cancelled but BITS are trying to bring it back this year. More news as it becomes available.

Regards PLST

 

[Andrew Boulton]

We could always hold it in cyberspace...

 

[mbrinkhues]

Originally posted by Hemdian:
There is a TravellerCon in UK. The last couple of years its been cancelled but BITS are trying to bring it back this year. More news as it becomes available.

Regards PLST

Thanks. Guess I will reserve a few days of my hollydays.

 

[Jame]

Originally posted by Andrew Boulton:
We could always hold it in cyberspace...

Which is what we have here.

I'd go to a live con, if I had enough money or someone willing to pay my way.

 

[Jeff M. Hopper]

May I be the first to suggest that the International Traveller Convention be held somewhere that all members could possibly reach, say a couple of hundred kilometers up in an inclined orbit...

As an alternative (to avoid the transportation costs of my above suggestion), I don't see why a cyberspace convention cannot be held. I know that WotC holds one called UnCon.

 

[Rhialto the Marvelous]

Cyberspace??? I want to play Traveller with you geeks in person!

One continent at a time--I know the Brits have been having something going. They shame us all...

You can't have seminars, auctions, and all of that. Because that means paid personnel. Or would anyone like to pay for flight & hotel in order to do volunteer duty for a weekend while the rest of us are having fun?

Aim low. The way the Troll Lord Games people did their con with Gygax was: A hotel with (modest) conference facilities is chosen, a date is determined. Everyone who wants to attend reserves their rooms. A weekend of gaming ensues.

If we could get the same thing going, say for 100 people, with Marc and/or others as guests and/or referees(!), and possibly some company involvement (are you reading, Hunter ), that would be something.

So, there'd be Trav games going on for all editions, some Twilight 2000, some 2300/2320AD, maybe a little Fifth Frontiers War tournament with a prize. Or a starship design contest. Lots of talking shop and rivet counting.

Possible incentive: world premiere of T5, or of the T20 Player Handbook. Games would be organized at the con using these rules.

Just saying. If you aim low, it's actually realistic.

 

[Zparkz]

IF I could get myself a new job soon (currently unemployed) I would like to appear in a UK Traveller convention. I haven't been to a gaming convention since GenCon in 92 when TNE was presented.

Far as I know, I am the only Norwegian which has been invovled with Traveller on an international scale.