NTRPG Con - Day 4 - What I Learned at NTRPG Con 2015 - A series of observations

From +Doug Kovacs DCC Lankmar session Saturday afternoon.

There are still more NTRPG Con posts to come, as I need to share some of pics of my newly acquired loot as well as some some donated for future giveaways. Still, I learned some interesting and occasionally amazing things - some of which I'm going to actually share ;)

1 - NTRPG Con is THE PLACE to be if you want a chance to meet, great and occasionally eat with members of the old guard (and even some more recent members of the OSR guard.) Other cons may have special guests that you can wait in line to talk with for a few seconds - at NTRPG Con the old guard is running in and playing in games with you. Special guests to attendees ratio is about 10 attendees to one special guest. I'm not going to name them all, as I'm sure I'd miss a few, but they include those that I met and spoke with, like Frank Mentzer, Diesel, Janelle Jaquays, Jeff Grubb, Zeb Cook, Tim Kask and others. So many others.

2 - Doug Rhea and Bad Mike lose money on this con every year, but that isn't the point of the con. They want to present a gaming con that THEY would want to be at, and this is the one. I can't think of a better place to be the first week of June, even if it is in Dallas ;)

3 - The publishers, both big and small, are also extremely approachable. Ask them questions about their products or advice about publishing and you will get honest answers and useful advice.

4 - I didn't realize how closely some of those same publishers follow what so far is a dip of a toe by me into the world of self / small press publishing. The advice given by those such as +Matt Finch , +Richard LeBlanc , +Zach Glazar and others will be invaluable as I slowly enter the "kiddie pool" of self publishing.

5 - Friends, both old and new. I could probably spend all four days of the con without playing in a single game and still be completely happy and satisfied. That kind of an atmosphere is hard to find anywhere. That is NTRPG Con.

6. NTRPG Con is where "deals" get made. If you are a content creator for the old school - artist, writer, layout - whatever - this is where you need to be. It is such a relaxed atmosphere, you may hear verbal contracts and see handshakes at a table next to you in the hotel restaurant - just don't talk business with Frank Mentzer over breakfast - breakfast is for breakfast (not me - just a witness ;)