Do you play board games and do you remember the first time you really played a “modern” board game? At least, I do.
I still have memories of someone bringing me a copy of this weird game which had miniature dragons, weapons, and soldiers. I stared into the box that was showing a bunch of soldiers holding all sorts of weapons and few furious dragons and thought, “What is this game all about”?
t that point, I had no idea that this game would change my life. As you might have guessed, the first game experience I had was playing the most successful modern board game of all time, Dungeons & Dragons.Today I am a professional full-stack web developer by day and board game enthusiast by night. Recently, I was lucky enough to get a chance to visit a board gaming convention in New Orleans, Louisiana with a close friend of mine who is a New Orleans Private Investigator (yes that’s right, anyone can play board games!), and here’s my personal experience.
My Experience Attending The Convention
The event was going to happen on the weekend, and I planned to go there with my colleague; unfortunately, she couldn’t make it, and I was all alone.
At first, I was a bit anxious because this was my very first time going to a board game convention, and I had no idea what to expect there.
When I entered into the main event hall, it was clear to me that there wasn’t much to explore as; at first, the size of the room was a bit small and second, there where hundreds of people roaming all around and a bunch of folks sitting on their seats.
There was just one stall covered with Dungeons & Dragons poster all around where you could buy boardgames, and in the south-eastern corner, there was another stall where you could buy yourself a few snacks and refreshments.
The convention started, and two guys started discussing the rules, types of games you could play and what to expect in the future events.
After they were done, they came down and sat in a group, and he started playing Dungeons & Dragons. It was my first time in a convention, and I had no idea how to approach a team and ask them if you could join them in a game. I didn’t want to sound rude or blunt, and so I asked politely if I could join them in their game. At first, they seemed taken aback but then said in a polite tone, “I don’t see a reason why you can’t.”
I played with them the whole afternoon, but after the break, I didn’t want to disturb them again and so stood leaning against the wall. After waiting for like half an hour, I plucked my courage and was to approach another team but instead someone else approached me, asking if I was interested in playing with them.
Overall it was a fun experience. Convention started at 10 AM in the morning, and I was in the hall till 9 PM, and this whole day I played many games with so many polite peoples.
Here’s what I learned:
- Board gamers are friendly, fun-loving folks.
- If you want to play with a team, just go and ask them.
- You get to know so many people and some of them will eventually become your friend.
If you’re in the area you should check out my friend Al who runs A&M Investigation LLC. Hes a great guy and always ready to play!
