It seems that with the success of G+ role playing and the Roll20 Kickstarter that online tabletop role playing is more popular than even. They have become so popular that web-based game conventions are being planned to bring us all together, regardless of physical location. Sounds like a great idea to me, I rarely make it out to conventions because they are expensive, usually require taking time off work and Lady Boulder isn't exactly interested in the experience.
It started with ConstantCon, which was more a way to organize G+ role playing games than it was a convention in the traditional sense. It didn't take long for other people to realize that there might be a way to host a more traditional convention through these same digital means. Inspired by the ConstantCon idea, Indie+ moved onto the scene and may be the first online-only RPG convention. Indie+ is coming up soon and takes place from July 9th to 15th of this year. It's already looking to be a fun experience with a few confirmed panels and a growing number of scheduled games to join. I am a little worried that they didn't schedule far enough in advance and will come up short for panels and games. Hopefully they will keep growing right up until the date of.
Indie+ may be the first such convention, but AetherCon was actually advertised earlier. AetherCon has partnered with Roll20 and is shaping up to be a pretty traditional affair with panels, tables, tournaments and everything else you would expect to find at a meatspace convention. Despite the confusing nomenclature of halls and tables, the convention is taking place entirely online and will be free for any gamer to enjoy. The list of confirmed games and panels just keeps growing for AetherCon and I believe that by the time November rolls around it will be at least as big as my local gaming convention, if not bigger.
 |
| July 9th – July 15th |
It started with ConstantCon, which was more a way to organize G+ role playing games than it was a convention in the traditional sense. It didn't take long for other people to realize that there might be a way to host a more traditional convention through these same digital means. Inspired by the ConstantCon idea, Indie+ moved onto the scene and may be the first online-only RPG convention. Indie+ is coming up soon and takes place from July 9th to 15th of this year. It's already looking to be a fun experience with a few confirmed panels and a growing number of scheduled games to join. I am a little worried that they didn't schedule far enough in advance and will come up short for panels and games. Hopefully they will keep growing right up until the date of.
Indie+ may be the first such convention, but AetherCon was actually advertised earlier. AetherCon has partnered with Roll20 and is shaping up to be a pretty traditional affair with panels, tables, tournaments and everything else you would expect to find at a meatspace convention. Despite the confusing nomenclature of halls and tables, the convention is taking place entirely online and will be free for any gamer to enjoy. The list of confirmed games and panels just keeps growing for AetherCon and I believe that by the time November rolls around it will be at least as big as my local gaming convention, if not bigger.
AetherCon was great! There were some hiccups which is to be expected with an undertaking that big but overall the experience was fantastic. I posted a full review here: AetherCon Review. We've got a list of online conventions at Game Convention Central: Online Game Convention Calendar. I didn't see Indie+ until a couple of days ago so I missed it and Infrno was the weekend I returned from a long vacation so I missed it as well. Can't wait for the next online con though!
ReplyDelete