We arrived at the hotel near 5:00 on Wednesday evening. At first blush, little sets Indianapolis apart from any other middle American city. A detour on the highway even routed us through a graffiti-enhanced smidgeon of urban sprawl that disappeared instantly as we crossed the river into the downtown area, which sports some very cool architecture.
Our hotel is attached to the convention center via a skywalk – a system of which appears to connect several hotels and nearby buildings criss-crossing the immediate vicinity – and we wasted little time after checking in heading over to the con to get our badges. I walked for half a day to the room where I picked up my press pass, stopped to water my camels and pick stones from between the toes of my favorite Sherpa, and meandered for several days more toward the orientation for GMs running events for Monte Cook Games. I have games scheduled for Friday and Sunday, which blessedly leaves me much time to wrap my head around the Gen Con experience before I settle into the time-honored tradition of performing graciously for a table of complete strangers with a blood lust in their eye.
I met up with my traveling companion and erstwhile guide in these unknown waters, and we ventured even further on foot to an Italian restaurant where they serve spaghetti and meatballs on a plate the size of a small battleship. With a heartfelt arrivederci to my dietary goals, I did my best to balance my consumption with the inevitable brisk walk back to the hotel. I was pseudo-successful… my Sherpa only had to revive me once, and that was following a brief rockslide incited by rapacious scooter-fiends roaming the city sidewalks to the beat of native buskers beating plastic tubs that echoed eerily beneath the skywalks.
Having had a chance to peruse the maps provided in the Gen Con program – and noting that events span both floors of the massive convention center and four surrounding hotels! – I have wisely decided that I am not one of those gamers who must clear the fog of war from every corner of the map. Tomorrow – or more accurately given the early hour, perhaps, later today – is for catching up with friends and perusing the dealer hall. Perhaps I can hire someone to carry me…