Thank you and I will definitely keep that in mind, though I plan to get three tickets just as soon as Event Registration opens up on 17MAY. Thanks for the confirmation that True Dungeon is such a great experience. :bow:
BATTLETECH2020, a Fan Event at GENCON2020
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Quick link to the TD website About td:
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registration can be tricky. Since each time slot only has 10 tickets, and the lottery assigns your time to get an event, it can be very difficult to just register for a single slot and get it. Our strategy is to register for 20 deferent slots per person for 5 tickets each. After we have our td tickets, we book the rest of the events for the con.
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@Endgame124, thank you for the link, I’ll check it out and pass it on to my daughters.
Speaking of my daughters, I see that Friends and Family must have GENCON Accounts before I can buy them Badges. So we are in the middle of doing this so it’ll go smoothly on 26JAN.
But then on a another screen that I just found, I see that I’ll be able to buy Badges for my children. I guess GENCON is making a distinction between Family and Children. One that I did not expect.
What do you recommend?
If I buy their badges as Children, will I then be able to buy a block of three TD tickets without worrying we’ll be split up in the lottery?
Speaking of my daughters, I see that Friends and Family must have GENCON Accounts before I can buy them Badges. So we are in the middle of doing this so it’ll go smoothly on 26JAN.
But then on a another screen that I just found, I see that I’ll be able to buy Badges for my children. I guess GENCON is making a distinction between Family and Children. One that I did not expect.
What do you recommend?
If I buy their badges as Children, will I then be able to buy a block of three TD tickets without worrying we’ll be split up in the lottery?
I’m afraid I’ve never booked a badge for children - mine are much too small for a gen con trip.
Using normal badges, for general events, you can buy tickets for yourself and 1 friend. For true dungeon, you can buy up to 10 tickets and transfer them to your friends. In your case, before event registration is open, you would fill your wish list with what ever events you want, including multiple selections of true dungeon for 3 tickets. when event Reg opens, you will click process wish list, and then get your space in line (ex, 3012th in line). Once everyone in front of you has picked up thier tickets, your wishlist will process in the order you choose, and you’ll get tickets for whatever isn’t sold out. At this point, you can drop tickets (say you got lucky and scored 4 true dungeon runs, but really only wanted one, so you would drop the other 3) and then check out.
Beyond true dungeon, I usually try to get tickets for:
X-Wing, attack the Death Star. I do the Events where you bring your own minis, but there are events where all materials are provided. Event runs 4 hours, at the end of Which, the Death Star fires and destroys yavin. Rebels must destroy the Death Star before that time to win.
1 alpha strike event - the Saturday linked events are awesome, but sell out very quickly.
Ares Games play and take events - they run one for each of their games (wings of war, sails of war, etc). Very causal, rules are taught, and you get to keep your fighter / ship at the end of the event.
Speed painting. For $2 you get a free paint brush and a free mini (reaper, Wyrd, or privateer press typically) and you’ve got 45 minutes to paint it to the best of your ability. Top 2 win gift cards and an invite to the finals Sunday morning.
From there, it varies year by year what I do. Our group gets a connected hotel, so we typically game until the wee hours every day. We typically spend one day wandering the exhibit hall doing demos. We’ve done tournaments for various games, but unlikely to do any this year as it typically burns a whole day. We also used to do the battletech pods, but MWO has kind of outclassed the pods to the point we don’t make it a priority anymore.
Using normal badges, for general events, you can buy tickets for yourself and 1 friend. For true dungeon, you can buy up to 10 tickets and transfer them to your friends. In your case, before event registration is open, you would fill your wish list with what ever events you want, including multiple selections of true dungeon for 3 tickets. when event Reg opens, you will click process wish list, and then get your space in line (ex, 3012th in line). Once everyone in front of you has picked up thier tickets, your wishlist will process in the order you choose, and you’ll get tickets for whatever isn’t sold out. At this point, you can drop tickets (say you got lucky and scored 4 true dungeon runs, but really only wanted one, so you would drop the other 3) and then check out.
Beyond true dungeon, I usually try to get tickets for:
X-Wing, attack the Death Star. I do the Events where you bring your own minis, but there are events where all materials are provided. Event runs 4 hours, at the end of Which, the Death Star fires and destroys yavin. Rebels must destroy the Death Star before that time to win.
1 alpha strike event - the Saturday linked events are awesome, but sell out very quickly.
Ares Games play and take events - they run one for each of their games (wings of war, sails of war, etc). Very causal, rules are taught, and you get to keep your fighter / ship at the end of the event.
Speed painting. For $2 you get a free paint brush and a free mini (reaper, Wyrd, or privateer press typically) and you’ve got 45 minutes to paint it to the best of your ability. Top 2 win gift cards and an invite to the finals Sunday morning.
From there, it varies year by year what I do. Our group gets a connected hotel, so we typically game until the wee hours every day. We typically spend one day wandering the exhibit hall doing demos. We’ve done tournaments for various games, but unlikely to do any this year as it typically burns a whole day. We also used to do the battletech pods, but MWO has kind of outclassed the pods to the point we don’t make it a priority anymore.
Event Update #1 - “BATTLETECH2020, a Fan Event”
BATTLETECH2020, a Fan Event Update
Moving forward, BATTLETECH2020 will now be known as “BATTLETECH2020, a Fan Event.”
We have also received permission to move forward with @SpOoKy777’s Work of Mech Art, as inspired by BATTLETECH’s Campaign Finale:
More to follow, especially in the months ahead as SpOoKy777 releases a Series of Work-in-Progress Updates.
Moving forward, BATTLETECH2020 will now be known as “BATTLETECH2020, a Fan Event.”
We have also received permission to move forward with @SpOoKy777’s Work of Mech Art, as inspired by BATTLETECH’s Campaign Finale:
More to follow, especially in the months ahead as SpOoKy777 releases a Series of Work-in-Progress Updates.
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I'm hoping the announcement is more expansions are coming, I still wish they would do a branching full fledged SW campaign but even I'm starting to lose hope of that ever happening.
The Announcement was that Free Update 1.9 was in the works and would be released “soon’ish.”
Nothing about expansions, more DLC’s or another Season.
HBS is working on a number of “Secret Projects” (and that number could turn out to the the number one.) But there is no information on any of these projects despite us asking often enough that a common preamble for Mitch on HBS’s Thursday Night Live-streams is now, not to ask any questions about the future of HBS or BATTLETECH.
But after what Mitch has shared with us over the past two weeks we do know more about Free Update 1.9:
1.) HBS continues its work to improve BATTLETECH’s Convoy AI. This aspect of the game has proven to be an elusive target. Multiple attempts to improve Convoy AI to the point it represents a reasonably proficient Convoy Operator and Allied Entity have been made to date. However challenges remain and HBS next attempt to refine Convoy AI will arrive with Free Update 1.9
2.) A Difficulty Option will he introduced with Free Update 1.9 - a toggle will be provided where the current level of Planetary Stores, Faction Stores and Black Markets being flush with Advanced (HM) and High Quality (+, ++, +++) Weapons and Equipment will remain, or it can be deselected and the game will refer to pre-Update 1.8 Levels of Weapons and Equipment Availability.
3.) 16 New Mech Variants will be introduced.
4.) 8 New a vehicle Variants will be introduced.
5.) Convoy Mission Fixes: a new Short Range AI Pathing algorithm is being combined with a past Successful Long Range AI Pathing; Convoy Vehicles will now be able to pass through each other as well as the Player’s BattleMechs (though they will not stop on pips if they are occupied; and lastly Convoy Missions will now Auto-Complete if all Enemies have been destroyed. Taken as a whole, this comprehensive approach to Convoy Missions should address just about every single previously noted problem with the Convoy AI imo. The video can be found at Twitch VoD: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/540789821 Mitch addresses this within the first few minutes of the broadcast.
6.) There will be a Time Advance Feature that appears to reduced the wait time between days passing, so there would be less player waiting involved. It is not certain if that includes travel time as well.
7.) There will be a colorblind mode added to the game as well as an option to change the coloring of indirect fire arcs so as to make them stand out more prominently.
And while that may not be all the changes, I am sure it hits the wave tops with perhaps a few items still being worked that may or may not make the cut for release. And again there was no timeframe for release even discussed. It could be weeks or months yet,
I share your thought that any progression past 3028 and into the Fourth Succession War or points Beyond, will likely have to wait for a BATTLETECH 2. Whether or not that happens to be one of HBS’s “Secret Projects” remains to be seen. I hope it is, but we just don’t know. :bow:
Event Update #2 - A Work of Mech Art
BATTLETECH2020, a Fan Event Update #2
SpOoKy777 has begun pre-production of the Work of Mech Art I have commissioned for “BATTLETECH2020, a Fan Event.”
This work will occur over the next few months as SpOoKy777’s time and talents are in high demand. As is his habit, periodically “Work in Progress” (WIP) updates will be posted by SpOoKy777 to his Patreon Site for his Patrons to follow along with.
I have asked for and been granted permissions to post these WIPs here on the BATTLETECH forum, since I am the one commissioning this Work of Mech Art.
I have supportEd SpOoKy777 on Patreon for years now, and I have always particularly enjoyed how he catches moments in time from just before a Battle as well as deep into the Heat of Battle. For example, here is a relatively recent Work of Mech Art that focuses on just such a moment in time:
In other news, GENCON2020 Badges go on sale in just 2-days. My family is on track for both my daughters and I to take in the GENCON, BATTLETECH2020, a Fan Event as well as the True Dungeon experiences. : )
I hope to see you there as well. :bow:
And lastly I have informally and now formally extended an invitation to our RogueTech Community to run a same day “GENCON RogueTech Cooperative Game Play” event. I’ve not received a replay but clearly understand that such an event may end up a non-starter for any number of quite understandable, but unfortunate reasons. :bow:
SpOoKy777 has begun pre-production of the Work of Mech Art I have commissioned for “BATTLETECH2020, a Fan Event.”
This work will occur over the next few months as SpOoKy777’s time and talents are in high demand. As is his habit, periodically “Work in Progress” (WIP) updates will be posted by SpOoKy777 to his Patreon Site for his Patrons to follow along with.
I have asked for and been granted permissions to post these WIPs here on the BATTLETECH forum, since I am the one commissioning this Work of Mech Art.
I have supportEd SpOoKy777 on Patreon for years now, and I have always particularly enjoyed how he catches moments in time from just before a Battle as well as deep into the Heat of Battle. For example, here is a relatively recent Work of Mech Art that focuses on just such a moment in time:
In other news, GENCON2020 Badges go on sale in just 2-days. My family is on track for both my daughters and I to take in the GENCON, BATTLETECH2020, a Fan Event as well as the True Dungeon experiences. : )
I hope to see you there as well. :bow:
And lastly I have informally and now formally extended an invitation to our RogueTech Community to run a same day “GENCON RogueTech Cooperative Game Play” event. I’ve not received a replay but clearly understand that such an event may end up a non-starter for any number of quite understandable, but unfortunate reasons. :bow:
Sooo... True Dungeon has kind of taken on a life of its own for my Daughters and I.
Sensing that True Dungeon would be a hit with my *Next Generation [ lol : ) ] I picked up 3 sets of 10 True Dungeon Tokens from the 2019 Season for just over $3 per Stack. The roll of Token have driven home to my daughters the Role of Tokens during our upcoming 2-hour adventure in July/August.
*gotta love the Picard show and TNG crossover humor... well, attempted humor. : )
Sensing that True Dungeon would be a hit with my *Next Generation [ lol : ) ] I picked up 3 sets of 10 True Dungeon Tokens from the 2019 Season for just over $3 per Stack. The roll of Token have driven home to my daughters the Role of Tokens during our upcoming 2-hour adventure in July/August.
*gotta love the Picard show and TNG crossover humor... well, attempted humor. : )
Event Update #3 - BATTLETECH2020 Challenges and Opportunities
BATTLETECH2020, a Fan Event Update #3
My offer to the Powers that be for RogueTech is being considered. With an 08MAR Deadline for Event Submission there is indeed the better part of six+ weeks for evaluation and consideration, :bow:
And while RogueTech has priority of place for the Thursday Afternoon block of 4-hours, I am considering the possibility of offering my Power and Internet drops to select other BATTLETECH and/or Paradox Gaming Groups. I’ve gotten nowhere with my efforts to arrange for dedicated Power and Internet support for my 4-hour Event. It is increasingly looking like while I might be able to turn in the hardware early, I’ll be stuck with a full 4-days worth of Power and Internet Billing. As I stated in the OP, such a situation left unresolved just might turn out to be a showstopper as the Bill approaches $500 and I flat out refuse to even pass on a nominal charge to my gamers.
But I still have those six weeks to either broker a better deal with Gen Con Service Provided or bring onboard some additional Event Organizers looking for Power and Internet Bandwidth sufficient for 9-laptops.
Time will tell. : )
And lastly (win or lose with my own Event) once Events are Announced, I’ll be highlighting and offering discussion points on all the terrific BattleTech GENCON2020 Offerings coming from Catalyst Game Labs.
And since I’ve begun Official Play-testing Duties for CGL’s Leviathan game that will be Kickstarter this Summer, I’ll touch upon it in this thread as well. Leviathan’s Summer Kickstarter May or may not still be in-progress for GENCON2020. Hopefully it will play a part in one or more CGL Event however. I have already offered to volunteer some limited measure of time to assist CGL’s should their be any Leviathan Events or Pressors.
GENCON is shaping up to be a great LAST BLAST and series of Bucket List Items (taking much Daughters to GENCON, serving as GENCON Event Organizer, participating as Official Game Play-tester and Convention support) before I begin Graduate School in the Fall.
Yes, I am a Curmudgeonly Original BattleTech Gamer, but the enticement of a University just a short 50-minute commute away, proved just the ticket to entice me out of retirement... well, partially out of retirement. : )
My offer to the Powers that be for RogueTech is being considered. With an 08MAR Deadline for Event Submission there is indeed the better part of six+ weeks for evaluation and consideration, :bow:
And while RogueTech has priority of place for the Thursday Afternoon block of 4-hours, I am considering the possibility of offering my Power and Internet drops to select other BATTLETECH and/or Paradox Gaming Groups. I’ve gotten nowhere with my efforts to arrange for dedicated Power and Internet support for my 4-hour Event. It is increasingly looking like while I might be able to turn in the hardware early, I’ll be stuck with a full 4-days worth of Power and Internet Billing. As I stated in the OP, such a situation left unresolved just might turn out to be a showstopper as the Bill approaches $500 and I flat out refuse to even pass on a nominal charge to my gamers.
But I still have those six weeks to either broker a better deal with Gen Con Service Provided or bring onboard some additional Event Organizers looking for Power and Internet Bandwidth sufficient for 9-laptops.
Time will tell. : )
And lastly (win or lose with my own Event) once Events are Announced, I’ll be highlighting and offering discussion points on all the terrific BattleTech GENCON2020 Offerings coming from Catalyst Game Labs.
And since I’ve begun Official Play-testing Duties for CGL’s Leviathan game that will be Kickstarter this Summer, I’ll touch upon it in this thread as well. Leviathan’s Summer Kickstarter May or may not still be in-progress for GENCON2020. Hopefully it will play a part in one or more CGL Event however. I have already offered to volunteer some limited measure of time to assist CGL’s should their be any Leviathan Events or Pressors.
GENCON is shaping up to be a great LAST BLAST and series of Bucket List Items (taking much Daughters to GENCON, serving as GENCON Event Organizer, participating as Official Game Play-tester and Convention support) before I begin Graduate School in the Fall.
Yes, I am a Curmudgeonly Original BattleTech Gamer, but the enticement of a University just a short 50-minute commute away, proved just the ticket to entice me out of retirement... well, partially out of retirement. : )
Three badges.
One Hotel reservation.
One BATTLETECH Fan Event.
Four days.
Two happy daughters.
PRICELESS. : )
I’ve got to do a better job when registration opens this year.
The only other time I attended a gaming convention was the 2017 GENCON. I got every single Axis and Allies Event I wanted but struck out on way too many Catalyst Game Labs Events.
@Jade_Rook, got any advice and 4day-time-management-tips for me?
Event Update #4 - BATTLETECH2020 Publicity Items
BATTLETECH2020, a Fan Event Update #4
I had the opportunity to order up some GENCON 2020 publicity items for BATTLETECH2020, a Fan Event:
I’ll be having another batch done up in the weeks prior to GENCON 2020, this next one will include the BATTLETECH Campaign Work of Art that I’ve commissioned from SpOoKy777. : )
I had the opportunity to order up some GENCON 2020 publicity items for BATTLETECH2020, a Fan Event:
I’ll be having another batch done up in the weeks prior to GENCON 2020, this next one will include the BATTLETECH Campaign Work of Art that I’ve commissioned from SpOoKy777. : )
Event Update #5 - VIP Coordination
BATTLETECH2020, a Fan Event Update #5
So it looks like a few things have come together quite nicely and I’ll be coming out of retirement in Fall 2020 to both begin Graduate School as a well as to start work as a Graduate Research Assistant.
So, GENCON2020 and BATTLETECH2020 have gone from a Bucket List items to Bucket List Items who are now officially the last gasp of my Big and Stompy Military Retirement! : )
In practical terms, this lifts some of the monetary constraints I originally had about acquiring dedicated Power and Internet for the Event. So while I will still work with the Indy Convention Center’s Service Providers as well as @LadyAlekto and others at RogueTech or beyond, I am now positioned to better handle a range of final outcomes. More to follow on this in the weeks ahead.
Secondly, now is the time to reach out to some folks to see if GENCON2020 is even on their professional/personal horizon for this year.
@Hatchy?
@CmdrDunsail?
@HBS_HighCommand?
Any chance this year’s GENCON might be bringing you to Indy this Summer?
From our Legacy Forum 2017 and 2018 GENCON threads it is my understanding that while not necessarily assured, convention attendance as a Gaming Greybeard Panelist as in Mitch’s case, FreeLance Artist as in Hatchy’s case and just all around Community Developer Extraordinaire as in the case of CmdrDunsail just might be something you each may be looking at this year.
Any chance GENCON is even just a very tentative commitment for any of you?
With my daughters so very jazzed about GENCON this year, the BATTLETECH2020 show will be going on regardless. It would just be really smashing if we might have a chance to Meet, Greet and Speak of Things Big and Stompy at Champps this year. : )
And as an exciting new possibility, @emmasterakia - Is there any chance that you or others from among Paradox’ firmament of Gaming Distinguished Persons might be making the trip to GENCON this year?
While I can officially offer a high degree of pre-convention coordination support (I lived in Indy for 2-years so am familiar with the City, and I did attend GENCON2017, so am familiar with the convention setting), during this year’s convention so very much of my time will be going to my daughters that while I will assist, much of my time outside of BATTLETECH2020 will just not be my own. I trust that is quite understandable. :bow:
And that pretty much wraps up another BATTLETECH2020 Update. : )
If anyone has any questions, comments or constructive criticisms please offer them up.
I’ll likely be blindsided by 100% of the problems or challenges we just don’t discover or discuss in this thread. Please help me, ensure BATTLETECH2020 is as fun a BATTLETECH Fan Event as possible.
And as ever, good luck and good gaming!
So it looks like a few things have come together quite nicely and I’ll be coming out of retirement in Fall 2020 to both begin Graduate School as a well as to start work as a Graduate Research Assistant.
So, GENCON2020 and BATTLETECH2020 have gone from a Bucket List items to Bucket List Items who are now officially the last gasp of my Big and Stompy Military Retirement! : )
In practical terms, this lifts some of the monetary constraints I originally had about acquiring dedicated Power and Internet for the Event. So while I will still work with the Indy Convention Center’s Service Providers as well as @LadyAlekto and others at RogueTech or beyond, I am now positioned to better handle a range of final outcomes. More to follow on this in the weeks ahead.
Secondly, now is the time to reach out to some folks to see if GENCON2020 is even on their professional/personal horizon for this year.
@Hatchy?
@CmdrDunsail?
@HBS_HighCommand?
Any chance this year’s GENCON might be bringing you to Indy this Summer?
From our Legacy Forum 2017 and 2018 GENCON threads it is my understanding that while not necessarily assured, convention attendance as a Gaming Greybeard Panelist as in Mitch’s case, FreeLance Artist as in Hatchy’s case and just all around Community Developer Extraordinaire as in the case of CmdrDunsail just might be something you each may be looking at this year.
Any chance GENCON is even just a very tentative commitment for any of you?
With my daughters so very jazzed about GENCON this year, the BATTLETECH2020 show will be going on regardless. It would just be really smashing if we might have a chance to Meet, Greet and Speak of Things Big and Stompy at Champps this year. : )
And as an exciting new possibility, @emmasterakia - Is there any chance that you or others from among Paradox’ firmament of Gaming Distinguished Persons might be making the trip to GENCON this year?
While I can officially offer a high degree of pre-convention coordination support (I lived in Indy for 2-years so am familiar with the City, and I did attend GENCON2017, so am familiar with the convention setting), during this year’s convention so very much of my time will be going to my daughters that while I will assist, much of my time outside of BATTLETECH2020 will just not be my own. I trust that is quite understandable. :bow:
And that pretty much wraps up another BATTLETECH2020 Update. : )
If anyone has any questions, comments or constructive criticisms please offer them up.
I’ll likely be blindsided by 100% of the problems or challenges we just don’t discover or discuss in this thread. Please help me, ensure BATTLETECH2020 is as fun a BATTLETECH Fan Event as possible.
And as ever, good luck and good gaming!
I bought a badge for the show, so there is a non-zero chance of my attending. That said, game development is... game development, so we'll see. 
Non-zero chance?!?I bought a badge for the show, so there is a non-zero chance of my attending. That said, game development is... game development, so we'll see.
Damn skippy, we’re talkin’ now! :bow:
EDIT: With all that is going on, just the chance of some Team HBS presence adds to the Big and Stompy potential for GENCON. Can’t let Catalyst have all the fun! : )
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I can't say that is on my list this year. I would have to know the cost of everything to see if if it's something that I could work out in the future.
Quite understandable and practical. :bow:I can't say that is on my list this year. I would have to know the cost of everything to see if if it's something that I could work out in the future.
And with all that comic colouring and lettering your doing, your time might just be better spent exactly where you are! : )
