I'm new to RPG con and I'm an up and coming game designer hoping to find a few vendor shelves and/or tables. I'm also interested in learning more about this event, but I cannot find a FAQ or Contacts section on the site. The forum has been somewhat helpful but searching around aimlessly is very time consuming. It would be really helpful if a FAQ and Contacts page were added to the site.

Example FAQs:

How do I get a Vendor Shelf/Table?

How do I sign up to volunteer for RPG Con?

How do I register myself as a DM/GM for a reserved gaming table?

Where is the Con being hosted this year?

Andreas wrote:


Hello!

You are correct a FAQ page would help immensely; I have the one from last year (we moved the site) but haven't ported it over yet, my bad. As you can guess (or might notice) this is quite an informal affair and if you have any questions you can email Doug or I directly and have an answer ASAP. Or you can post it here and get it answered!!!

1. We have sold out of vendor tables and have one vendor shelf still available. However, since the convention is ONLY supporting pre-1999 forms of RPGS and D&D (just barely supporting 3/3.5 version) we are carefully vetting the vendors and contents of the vendor tables. Basically at this time we aren't supporting anything "new" unless it's a retroclone of an older system, or material supporting that, or a system specifially designed to ape an older syster (simulacrum). So it really depends on the material you are selling as to whether we can help you out. If you get in touch with Doug or I we can let you know if what you want to sell would be appropriate for the con. Basically, we don't want you wasting your time or money on something we feel is not attractive to the target audience...if someone wanted to buy a table and set up selling Warhammer 40k, for example, while a cool game I just don't think they'd get the traffic they are looking for at NTRPG Con...

2. If you want to volunteer for the con, again contact Doug or I about it. There is a very limited amount of duties we are going to farm out (Doug and I are both micro-managers and very hands-on)! However, there are activities you could help out with, mostly with the set up and break down of materials (loading and unloading stuff, setting up displays, tables and chairs, etc). If you feel comfortable driving people around or picking them up and have a SUV, mini van or the like we can use you at certain times. Right now I have many people who have volunteered to help out but as we all know when it comes down to the wire these people tend to disappear.

3. To register a game you have to talk to me; I'll find out a few things about you and the game and we'll go from there. Ideally you would have some experience running the system and that scenario in particular; the game/session would be an older version of D&D (OD&D, 1E, 2E, Holmes/BX/Mentzer basic) or a clone/simulacrum (Labyrinth Lord, Swords & Wizardry, BFRPG, OSRIC, BCastles & Crusades, Hackmaster, etc); a "classic" RPG like Gamma World, Runequest, Traveller, Stormbringer, GURPS, Call of Cthulhu, Star Frontiers, Boot Hill, Villains & Vigilantes, etc; or a newer system that has its roots in a classic game (example Chaosium's BRP, GURPS, etc).

As an example, games like Mutants and Masterminds, Warhammer 40k, and Pathfinder, while all good games in themselves, are not what we are looking for at NTRPG Con and might not find the audience you want.

4. The con is at Staybridge Suites in Irving, Tx. Pertinent info can be found in "Information Updates" thread in the forum.

Thanks for your interest, and please feel free to email me directly ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) for any further questions!

Mike B.

Wow, that's really disappointing for me because I didn't start playing D&D until 3rd edition and I'm looking to promote newer RPGs.

Oh well, thank you for responding so quickly and thoroughly. You've saved me a lot of time and effort. I would however like to ask you a few questions. I sent you an e-mail.

Andreas,

I have (or am in the process of) adding a FAQ page as I type this..

Also, Mike's being a bit "cut and dry" I think.

The Con is geared toward "old school" RPGs, but ANY RPG can be played at the Con.

Anyone can come to this Con and grab an open gaming table and start up any game they choose (even if it's not an RPG for that matter).

But I think what Mike is trying to get across is, that if you signed up for a Vendor Shelf/Table and plan to sell some new RPG that no one's heard of, you might find that you spent your money and didn't get it back in sales.

I am not saying that no one will be interested in something new. But being this is our 2nd year, I don't think we will have too many "younger" players again, and it's hard to sell us 40+ year olds on new stuff...

I think over time, as the Con grows and more younger players come and play some different/newer RPGs and we see them fill open tables, we will at some point allow them to have scheduled tables for RPG games (we'll never allow schedule tables for non-RPG games... except Tim Kask's Circus Maximus)

So, I would suggest you come to the Con, play in some of the older games and get to "know" the crowd that's going to be coming to this Con every year. Maybe get a few interested in looking at what you have and start a small quick game at an open table between the morning and evening sessions. Maybe spark some interest (you can't sell your stuff at the Con unless you have a shelf/table, but you can pass out business cards etc.)

Maybe you'll get enough responses to make it worth getting a shelf/table in coming years to sell some stuff, or maybe we'll see the old farts playing your new game and we'll have to get you a scheduled table at the next Con.