Here at Roll20, we take pride in our ability to provide a service that supports play from all over the world. We feel that working from home helps us provide this unique perspective and as a result, the staff spends a ton of time in text and video chat on a daily basis.
Occasionally, we are lucky enough to spend some quality time together in real life. This year, we were able to get the whole team together again at Gen Con 2016 and we wanted to share some of our favorite moments with you. Enjoy!
My favorite memories were just hanging out together with the great folks that I work with every day but don’t get to see in person – the Roll20 team! We had lots of opportunity to play some great new games as well. Finally, at one point Richard and I were sitting at a bar and someone asked us if we worked for Roll20 (since we had t-shirts on). When we answered yes, he bought our drinks for us and thanked us profusely for helping him and his friends, who were in the military, keep in touch after they learned how much fun D&D could be while being deployed overseas. Knowing that we’re helping gaming groups like that keep in touch is why I love what I do!
I really had a blast doing the Roll20 Marketplace panel. While I knew it would be fun going in, there would have been no way to predict it would end up as enlightening and uplifting as it did. Learning about how the various creators have waded through self doubt, collectively and individually pushed themselves to be better artists, and further really become a community was so radical. Thanks to Brass Badger, Russ, Devin, Rog, Joshua, and Samantha for coming and sharing with me. And shout out to Keith for attempting to learn the secret handshake.
_Sunday morning breakfast was the highlight for me. It was a great time to reflect on the trip and see everybody one last time before all the hassle of airport delays and con crud. While it’s always great to meet fans, industry celebs, and colleagues. Sometimes you just gotta dance with the one that brought you. _
The highlight of my Gen Con 2016 was the Advanced Roll20 panel. I got to spend an hour geeking out about my favorite tool for my favorite hobby. I got to share some of the pro-tips I’ve learned using and developing the Roll20 toolset over the last four years and even taught co-developer Phil B. a thing or two. I know I’m having a good time when the panel ended twenty minutes ago and we’re still in the hallway talking tabletop.
I found it hugely exciting, supportive, and validating to rub elbows with amazing women in the gaming sphere. Just SOME of the magical ladies I got to hang out with during Gen Con were Meghan Dornbrock, Darcy Ross, Maddie Ray, Jayme Neverton, Samantha Darcy, Kat Kuhl, Senda Linaugh...I mean really, there were too many to name them all – and that’s the best part! Every time I ran into another woman who created art, ran a podcast, or made a game, I felt like we shared an instant connection, an understanding that we were all supercool gals and we should keep doing awesome stuff.
Gen Con is one of those conventions that always seems a little overwhelming when I’m not there - there is so much to do and so many people to see that it can feel like you’re never going to get to do it all. When I get there, though, and I’m surrounded by all these excited faces, folks I’ve seen at a half dozen conventions past and new folks who are experiencing Gen Con for the first time, all that anxiety just slips away. I don’t play games as much as I used to at Gen Con (a byproduct of all the amazing games I get to run on Roll20 these days) so for me, the con is about reconnecting with folks I only see when we make the trip to Indianapolis. This year it was the fans - so many of y’all came to our panels or visited me at the booth or just gave me a high-five and a shoutout as we passed each other in the hall. Everyone who told me that they started a new campaign because of our Roll20 Presents series, or who reconnected with old friends after watching us play on YouTube - that’s what makes Gen Con go from huge and overwhelming to absolute magic.
The most rewarding part for me was definitely getting to talk to a bunch of Roll20 players that all shared the same story I had when I subscribed several years ago. “My friends/I moved away, and if it wasn’t for Roll20 I would have been alone, with no one to game with. Then we found Roll20 and it was like nothing had changed. We continue to game just like we used to, only now through Roll20 instead of around the table.” Similarly to Riley’s experience above, this was especially touching to hear about friends that had gone into the military and are alone on the other side of the world, but still get to hang out with their best friends several times a month.
So that just leaves me...
My memories certainly echo the rest of the team. Getting to see all of the folks I work with on a daily basis in real life is a very important part of our growth together. Gen Con is always an incredible experience and it is even more sweet when we get to meet members of our community at these events as well.
Big thanks to all of the amazing folks who we were lucky enough to chat with at Gen Con - if you attend this one or any other convention in the future, please always feel free to say hello to us!
Have a wonderful week and happy gaming!
Stephanie