VIG Lottery
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Posted by brotherbock mikeboozer
#26

mikeboozer wrote:
brotherbock wrote:
mikeboozer wrote:
brotherbock wrote:
I heard, if you're playing a 5e game, if you're a VIG and your character dies, you can pick another player's character to die instead. Just once per game though, and only 5e, harsh.

That's only if your playing in a game I'm running. However your character is also instantly resurrected in my game if you give the DM a Maple Bar, so...

Maple bar? I am unfamiliar with Canadian nightlife, so I don't know that I can take advantage of that rule.

I'm from Alaska...although some of my best friends are Canadian! They don't have Maple Bars where you're from?Did I just derail a conversation?
I'll say something VIGish to get us back on track. The program's biggest draws are the hotel perk, Lounge (and all it's amenities) and the Swag. Which is largely different games or merchandise from the Exhibitorrs and a few extra goodies we throw in.

Just googled maple bars. We have them in Iowa, we just call them Long Johns. Not to be confused with the old school knitted thermal underwear called long johns. Maple as a donut topping only got popular here maybe five or six years ago though.

I have never been a VIG, but I did find a VIG swag bag one Gen Con Sunday sitting on a window ledge in a hotel crosswalk with a sign saying "Free, Take It" on it. It had some cool stuff in it indeed.

Posted by narzat brotherbock
#27

brotherbock wrote:
I have never been a VIG, but I did find a VIG swag bag one Gen Con Sunday sitting on a window ledge in a hotel crosswalk with a sign saying "Free, Take It" on it. It had some cool stuff in it indeed.

Man, I hope you checked for traps and did some knowledge checks to make sure it wasn't a mimic first.  I don't know how many party members I've lost that way...

Posted by brotherbock narzat
#28

narzat wrote:
brotherbock wrote:
I have never been a VIG, but I did find a VIG swag bag one Gen Con Sunday sitting on a window ledge in a hotel crosswalk with a sign saying "Free, Take It" on it. It had some cool stuff in it indeed.

Man, I hope you checked for traps and did some knowledge checks to make sure it wasn't a mimic first.  I don't know how many party members I've lost that way...

I just warned it that I might be a mimic too. Either it was just a bag, or we came to a truce.

Posted by remnant
#29

Thanks Mike now I need to find a recipe for Bourbon Cream filled Maple Bars with Bacon on top... 

Since I started my first Gen Con as a VIG I think the SWAG has been good considering the normal price for everything you get as a freebie.  I agree with what everyone's stated but I'd add the staff that assist you as a perk as well.  Plus the WIFI & charging stations since I don't think any one has mentioned that.  I bring a surge protector power strip and my own charger to most events though.

Posted by mikeboozer remnant
#30

remnant wrote:
Thanks Mike now I need to find a recipe for Bourbon Cream filled Maple Bars with Bacon on top... 
Since I started my first Gen Con as a VIG I think the SWAG has been good considering the normal price for everything you get as a freebie.  I agree with what everyone's stated but I'd add the staff that assist you as a perk as well.  Plus the WIFI & charging stations since I don't think any one has mentioned that.  I bring a surge protector power strip and my own charger to most events though.

It goes without saying that the staff is the best thing!

I have a great bunch of people that do so much for the program.

Mike

Posted by oldcurmudgeonstudios
#31

As an ex-member of said staff in the VIG Lounge, I have to say that the folks that run the Lounge are excellent, dedicated people who really do go out of their way to help the VIG's that come through. They're top notch.

Posted by squirecam
#32

Is there any thought to a middle ground. Some mini-program where you don’t get hotel access or swag, but you can get lounge access or other event access, for a moderate price?

Posted by fethbone crowingcommando
#33

crowingcommando wrote:
The hotel perk is pretty awesome. I really enjoy the swag bag as it introduces me to a ton of games I’d probably not of had on my radar, and the game stuff in it is pretty cool. I especially loved the backpack a couple years ago and they gave us a tumbler I still use at work. The lounge is nice, really enjoy the drinks and open tables to enjoy lunch at or just chill for a minute and charge the phone. Price is steep but worth it for my vacation every year. 
Everyone keeps mentioning how great the lounge and drinks are...so are adult beverages included in the "free refreshments" or is everyone getting excited over free soda and bottled water? Not to discount free bottled soda, since the drinks in the ICC vending machines are like $3-5, but just curious.

Posted by squirecam fethbone
#34

fethbone wrote:
crowingcommando wrote:
The hotel perk is pretty awesome. I really enjoy the swag bag as it introduces me to a ton of games I’d probably not of had on my radar, and the game stuff in it is pretty cool. I especially loved the backpack a couple years ago and they gave us a tumbler I still use at work. The lounge is nice, really enjoy the drinks and open tables to enjoy lunch at or just chill for a minute and charge the phone. Price is steep but worth it for my vacation every year. 
Everyone keeps mentioning how great the lounge and drinks are...so are adult beverages included in the "free refreshments" or is everyone getting excited over free soda and bottled water? Not to discount free bottled soda, since the drinks in the ICC vending machines are like $3-5, but just curious.
$15 to $25 per day on drinks x 4 days is good savings for many.

Posted by fethbone squirecam
#35

squirecam wrote:
fethbone wrote:
crowingcommando wrote:
The hotel perk is pretty awesome. I really enjoy the swag bag as it introduces me to a ton of games I’d probably not of had on my radar, and the game stuff in it is pretty cool. I especially loved the backpack a couple years ago and they gave us a tumbler I still use at work. The lounge is nice, really enjoy the drinks and open tables to enjoy lunch at or just chill for a minute and charge the phone. Price is steep but worth it for my vacation every year. 
Everyone keeps mentioning how great the lounge and drinks are...so are adult beverages included in the "free refreshments" or is everyone getting excited over free soda and bottled water? Not to discount free bottled soda, since the drinks in the ICC vending machines are like $3-5, but just curious.
$15 to $25 per day on drinks x 4 days is good savings for many.
So are alcoholic drinks included in the lounge refreshments or are they not?

Posted by squirecam fethbone
#36

fethbone wrote:
squirecam wrote:
fethbone wrote:
crowingcommando wrote:
The hotel perk is pretty awesome. I really enjoy the swag bag as it introduces me to a ton of games I’d probably not of had on my radar, and the game stuff in it is pretty cool. I especially loved the backpack a couple years ago and they gave us a tumbler I still use at work. The lounge is nice, really enjoy the drinks and open tables to enjoy lunch at or just chill for a minute and charge the phone. Price is steep but worth it for my vacation every year. 
Everyone keeps mentioning how great the lounge and drinks are...so are adult beverages included in the "free refreshments" or is everyone getting excited over free soda and bottled water? Not to discount free bottled soda, since the drinks in the ICC vending machines are like $3-5, but just curious.
$15 to $25 per day on drinks x 4 days is good savings for many.
So are alcoholic drinks included in the lounge refreshments or are they not?
Not a VIP member. But I’d assume no. 

Posted by oldcurmudgeonstudios
#37

No. I don't believe alcoholic drinks are found anywhere inside the convention center. I know that the VIG Lounge carries a decent selection of sodas and water, or did when I worked there.

Posted by brotherbock fethbone
#38

fethbone wrote:So are alcoholic drinks included in the lounge refreshments or are they not?

If they have water, that might mean they have Bud Lite.

Posted by ryric
#39

No alcohol, but they go through a lot of sodas. There's also free coffee, which is great in the morning when the lines at a coffee shop are 20+ minutes. To me the real savings with lounge drinks is time - minimal/no line means getting a drink takes mere seconds and you can get back to your convention. Last year, when I would wake up, I would pop down to the lounge from my hotel, get coffee for me and my wife, and be back to the room in far less time than it would take to hit the hotel's coffee shop. 

Posted by fethbone oldcurmudgeonstudios
#40

oldcurmudgeonstudios wrote:
No. I don't believe alcoholic drinks are found anywhere inside the convention center. I know that the VIG Lounge carries a decent selection of sodas and water, or did when I worked there.
For some of the large carded adult events (burlesque show, adult comedy, etc.) I’ve attended, they did have mobile cash bar stations set up, so it’s not completely forbidden to serve alcohol in the ICC.

The spouse and I have gone back and forth about entering the VIG lottery over the years, and free beer and wine in the lounge would be a much bigger draw than free coffee and soda, as shallow as that sounds. But now that we’re in a position to acquire affordable downtown convention housing on our own, that eliminates what is IMO the biggest draw for going VIG, so we probably won’t pursue it in the future.

 

Posted by fethbone brotherbock
#41

brotherbock wrote:
fethbone wrote:So are alcoholic drinks included in the lounge refreshments or are they not?

If they have water, that might mean they have Bud Lite.
Michelob Ultra, please. The ads seemed to imply that I could become like Shalene Flanagan if I drank Michelob Ultra...it hasn’t happened yet, so I guess I just need to drink more of it till it happens and I get some abs. :) 

Posted by austicke
#42

The free alcoholic drinks are served at the VIG mixer (along with yummy food).

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​​​​​​​Alec Usticke, Fans of Gen Con Facebook Group

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