It seemed to me that Indianapolis was once again both prepared and surprised by the sudden arrival of thousands of gamers. Finding a place to sit and eat wasn’t as difficult as in previous years. I suspect this might be due to better preparation and perhaps a slightly lower convention attendance. Personally, I knew a number of people who simply couldn’t hit the convention because of economic or work issues. Naturally, smaller crowds and missing friends made things bittersweet, but hopefully it will be different next year.

As for the convention itself, the games were running non-stop, and the vendors were displaying their wares as usual. Plenty to see and too. In fact, as usually, too much to do in four days. Still I tried. And managed to find quite a few new things. .

So what’s was popular at Gen Con this year? I’d certainly say Cthulhu. Yes, the slumbering Old One has managed to infiltrate a large bulk of the dealers and games. Hats, shirts, pins, stickers, statues, jewelry, dice, board games, miniatures, RPG games, fiction, non-fiction, it was all there. With just a few more people chanting IA IA … (you know the rest) we could have summoned the not-so-jolly fellow. Yes, the fans and items were that vast. .

Being involved with Chaosium naturally attracts me to all things Cthulhu. And I’m fortunate in that I’m a rather obscure figure, so I can ghost in and out of booths and crowds, listen in to game designers and fans, gathering their candor. In fact, I was invisible enough to Twitter from Fantasy Flight’s booth while one of their employees was Twittering about the convention. Yes, I Twitter him, but then thought better of it. .

While “stealthing” about, I was able to learn of what’s on the horizon for Cthulhu. Many licensees for Chaosium have big plans. Of course, if you weren’t told by the respective companies, I cannot reveal their secrets. But keep your eyes open. .

During my loot gathering phase of the convention, I took the time to read a number of emails sent to me from those tracking my Twitter coverage. I will answer each of those, but the answers will naturally be obscure. The revelation of secrets is Dustin’s duty – I guess that makes him a real Keeper. I’ll also gather a few photos and send them to Dustin in case he wants to post them on the website. .

Alas, there is a downside to my shadowy nature, and that is I seldom interface with Chaosium fans in person. I’d love to relate some fan tales, but regret I can’t. It’s not because there wasn’t an abundance of Chaosium , BRP, and CoC supporters around. I simply didn’t get a chance to speak to them. However, I’m certain there will be plenty of such stories from Charlie and Andy. I’ll leave that area to them. .

What I can say is there was an impressive display of Chaosium monographs and books. I tip my hat to all of the monograph authors! These gems are always popular at Gen Con, and spread the word wonderfully. I stand among your ranks, and salute all of you. The same good things can be said about the RPG line itself. Rulebooks are difficult to keep in stock at Gen Con. My suggestion is that if you want one, buy it as soon as possible. And while Chaosium didn’t have a booth this year, it was well represented by [Adventure Retail] – plenty of excitement there. And if you stayed close to this area, you certainly encountered someone from Chaosium – whether you knew it or not. .

For me, it was another grand Gen Con. Next year I hope to see Chaosium there, planted in a booth, and along with them all of the friends I missed this year. Now all that’s left is to start the countdown for next year. .

-William.