All,

In case you hadn't already discovered, the Origins 2016 event registration is live... many of the ARG tables were already sold out before I discovered it.

Is there some sort of notification that was sent out in advance? I checked fairly regularly, but no date was ever posted that I saw, no notification from GAMA, nada. Very frustrating.

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul

Let me put it to you this way - you knew registration went live before I did and that's only because you mentioned it.

Henry,

My frustration wasn't directed at anyone here. If it came across that way, I'm sorry. I've already sent a politely worded but pointed email to their registration contact about the lack of notification of event registration going live. They have everyone's email address who's registered and could easily have posted a notice on their website a couple weeks in advance.

There shouldn't be any excuse for why they handled this the way they did. At least now folks who check in here should know.

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul

Paul,

No, I knew you weren't directing you frustration at us. I was agreeing with you. I had no idea registration went live and was sharing your moment of frustation.

Well, on a positive note (from a PCI sales perspective), it looks like the 5e slots are almost completely sold out! The ARPG stuff still has spots available in the mornings and evenings and are going slower.

Origins puts most announcements on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/originsgamesfair/). They haven't sent emails in years (which is too bad - I complained to them about that the next few years after they stopped).

In general, if you see the event grid up on the web site then event registration will be live within 7-10 days (I think they allowed slightly longer this year).

Guys if you are locked out of Arcanis Goodness because the slots have sold out, please consider judging, either ARG or 5e.

Personally I was intimidated by judging 5e because I was reluctant to learn a system other than the ARG I love. But I learned something today from a local game store owner. 5e is nobody's FIRST CHOICE for a game system. At least nobody in his store has 5e as their First Choice of game system. 5e's attractiveness isn't that it is a first choice. Rather 5e is a solid second choice everyone can agree to play. Mechanically it is very simple. So while folks at his store all have their favorite game, be it another edition of DND, ARG, or something else, 5e is the only system to run multiple tables every night. I think the second choice phenomenon is why the 5e tables have already sold out (or are close to it, I can't tell).

So again, if you miss out on an ARG table, consider volunteering to run some 5e tables (Assuming James can get the table space). Maybe as a special GM award, James can offer ARG certs to folks that judge 5e tables???

That's an interesting insight, Eric.

We're pressed for judges (last I checked) so if anyone would volunteer to run a table or two, we may be able to open up some more tables (either ARG or 5E).

However, James Zwiers has final say in this matter, not me.

I find this interesting because I DID get an email from GAMA about a week before they opened up event reg letting me know it was starting at 1PM EST on 20 April. So I knew about it. I wonder why no one else did. As for Facebook I avoid it like the plague because I don't trust it for security and privacy reasons. Now I also found it interesting that I never saw a notice on the Origins website as to when events reg would go live, which I did find aggravating and not professional. I'm sure GAMA will get an earful about this.

As an addendum I noticed in an earlier post that Origins posts things on a Facebook page. I do get email notices via Facebook. I'm at work now and can't check it but now I wonder if that's why I got the email. Because it showed up in the Promotions section of my gmail account, which is also where my Facebook notifications show up. Maybe we have to have that feature turned on to get the notice that event registration is going live? Still that's not the best way to do things since not everyone uses or wants to use Facebook and I'm not happy with anyone who forces me to use Facebook.

So I just talked with my friend John about this and the only way he heard about it was from me. So based on Steve's earlier comment it does seem like Facebook is it. Not cool...unhappy campers and all that...

How are you gauging that? Because that isn't really the case.