@MGibster I totally understand. I've seen GenCon double in size since I first attended. The typical crowds definitely hamper my enjoyment. It's difficult to get into the games you want, the best rooms sell out quickly, and the prices are all inflated. But for a gamer, I totally understand wanting to see it at least once.
Like @eyeheartawk I like smaller cons nowadays. Origins is the sweet spot for me. It feels like how GenCon was 10 years ago. There are fewer vendors, but they're mostly everybody I want to see. There are fewer games, but it's largely the stuff I want to play and I can actually get tickets. I spend about a third of the cost, my wife is able to put it in her schedule as a teacher.

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