TGG Editorial: Fall 1997

TGG Editorial

Fall 1997/Vol. 4 No. 3

Dear Friends,

Recently, a problem with a convention that adversely affected the PBT occurring there was brought to my attention. I am not going to relate the details in this issue since the convention and I are in contact and I am still trying to find out the entire story. Let me just say that a schedule for the PBT was never published in either the preregistration flyer nor the program booklet. The conductors, Ed Hewlett and Anthony Carver, did a wonderful job at improvising a solution and doing their best to provide a wonderful gaming experience for the train gamers who attended the con. They deserve all the thanks that I can give them.

I had several gamers contact me who were upset and I am glad that they did talk to me but unfortunately, I am the wrong person to give feedback to. When I asked if they had told the convention organizers about their dismay, they replied in the negative and when I asked why not, they said that it had never occurred to them to do so.

Well, I am here to urge you to let it occur to you. There are many factors that are under my control when I schedule, coordinate, and sanction PBTs. In those instances, I want all the feedback you can give me because I want to make the PBTs more enjoyable for you. But, there are many things that affect a PBT that I have no control over. In these cases, I am glad to pass on gamer feedback to the convention but what I say may have little weight. Any good convention, though, will listen attentively to what their gamers have to say. They have to if they want to continue to draw gamers to their events! That is where you can have direct influence on your gaming experience. I urge you, always let me know about problems, but also contact the convention. Be courteous, be reasonable but make them listen, give them your feedback, demand that you get the quality gaming experience that you paid for. Because the only recourse I have to rectify a situation is not to sanction PBTs at future conventions where problems exist and I really don't want to do that because that affects you. To me, that is the last resort which I hope I never have to take--especially if the convention organizers listen to you first.

I am publishing contact numbers of various convention organizers. I chose these numbers not necessarily because these conventions have caused problems in the past but because they run some of the larger PBTs in the country and thus affect the most number of train gamers:

Andon Unlimited (Origins, GenCon, Three Rivers Gamefest, AndCon, Winter Fantasy): Andon@aol.com or lagaczar@aol.com or 614-856-3976
Total Confusion: 508-251-9321
Strategicon (Gamex, Gateway, OrcCon): 818-848-1748
DragonCon: 770-925-0115 or dragoncon@dragoncon.org
Sunquest: http://www.sundial.ent/~sunquest
Denver Gamers Assoc. (Genghis Con, TactiCon): denvergamers@aol.com

A second issue--the TGA now has an electronic listing of TGA members. Please, if you have not received any mass emailings from the TGA in the past few months, then we do not have a valid email address for you. If you want to receive information about the TGA and its doings that you cannot receive in a timely fashion through the mail and you have an email address, let me know it.

Home | The Manifest | All Aboard | Train Gamers Gazette
The Puffing Billy | RailCon | The Switchyard | Union Station

Questions or comments? Email tgatrains@aol.com.

The contents of this Web Site are copyright © 1998 by The Train Gamers Association, Inc. All rights reserved. Designed by Scott Lininger. Last modified Tuesday, 16-Jun-1998 12:39:26 CDT .


		TGG Editorial Fall 1997/Vol. 4 No. 3 Dear Friends, Recently, a problem with a convention that adversely affected the PBT occurring there was brought to my attention. I am not going to relate the details in this issue since the convention and I are in contact and I am still trying to find out the entire story. Let me just say that a schedule for the PBT was never published in either the preregistration flyer nor the program booklet. The conductors, Ed Hewlett and Anthony Carver, did a wonderful job at improvising a solution and doing their best to provide a wonderful gaming experience for the train gamers who attended the con. They deserve all the thanks that I can give them. I had several gamers contact me who were upset and I am glad that they did talk to me but unfortunately, I am the wrong person to give feedback to. When I asked if they had told the convention organizers about their dismay, they replied in the negative and when I asked why not, they said that it had never occurred to them to do so. Well, I am here to urge you to let it occur to you. There are many factors that are under my control when I schedule, coordinate, and sanction PBTs. In those instances, I want all the feedback you can give me because I want to make the PBTs more enjoyable for you. But, there are many things that affect a PBT that I have no control over. In these cases, I am glad to pass on gamer feedback to the convention but what I say may have little weight. Any good convention, though, will listen attentively to what their gamers have to say. They have to if they want to continue to draw gamers to their events! That is where you can have direct influence on your gaming experience. I urge you, always let me know about problems, but also contact the convention. Be courteous, be reasonable but make them listen, give them your feedback, demand that you get the quality gaming experience that you paid for. Because the only recourse I have to rectify a situation is not to sanction PBTs at future conventions where problems exist and I really don't want to do that because that affects you. To me, that is the last resort which I hope I never have to take--especially if the convention organizers listen to you first. I am publishing contact numbers of various convention organizers. I chose these numbers not necessarily because these conventions have caused problems in the past but because they run some of the larger PBTs in the country and thus affect the most number of train gamers: Andon Unlimited (Origins, GenCon, Three Rivers Gamefest, AndCon, Winter Fantasy): Andon@aol.com or lagaczar@aol.com or 614-856-3976 Total Confusion: 508-251-9321 Strategicon (Gamex, Gateway, OrcCon): 818-848-1748 DragonCon: 770-925-0115 or dragoncon@dragoncon.org Sunquest: http://www.sundial.ent/~sunquest Denver Gamers Assoc. (Genghis Con, TactiCon): denvergamers@aol.com A second issue--the TGA now has an electronic listing of TGA members. Please, if you have not received any mass emailings from the TGA in the past few months, then we do not have a valid email address for you. If you want to receive information about the TGA and its doings that you cannot receive in a timely fashion through the mail and you have an email address, let me know it.

		Home \| The Manifest \| All Aboard \| Train Gamers Gazette The Puffing Billy \| RailCon \| The Switchyard \| Union Station Questions or comments? Email tgatrains@aol.com. The contents of this Web Site are copyright © 1998 by The Train Gamers Association, Inc. All rights reserved. Designed by Scott Lininger. Last modified Tuesday, 16-Jun-1998 12:39:26 CDT .