petrea_mitchell (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
petrea_mitchell) wrote2020-12-05 01:19 pm
petrea_mitchell) wrote2020-12-05 01:19 pm
Entry tags:
Unfortunate timing
Looking forward to 2021, two cons I was looking forward to are already in jeopardy again.
DisCon III, next year's Worldcon, has committed to an announcement in January about what form it will take. In February or March, we'll all have a much better idea about when it'll be safe to resume large gatherings, and August has a good chance of being doable. But an event with the logistical complexity of a Worldcon can't wait that long.
So this week, DisCon sent out a survey asking if people had a choice between a virtual con in August and an in-person one in mid-December, which would we choose, or would we attend neither? My vote is to keep the dates; I'll be sad about not having an excuse to spend that time in DC I recognize the constraints they're operating under.
The next con on the local calendar is Game Storm, which is traditionally held at the end of March. This year it was too soon after everything shut down to do anything but cancel. Next year it'll be just a little too soon for even the most optimistic estimates about resuming in-person cons.
It has been amply demonstrated by now that gaming cons can be held with online tools, but I doubt Game Storm will try it. The organization behind it and Orycon has a bad case of not-invented-here syndrome; Game Storm in particular is wedded to custom software which would need some significant changes to work with an online con. Plus the Game Storm news feed has been dead since March.
So the best I can hope for is Game Storm gets pushed to later in the year. I know it'll avoid being on the same weekend as Worldcon, at least.
In the meantime, backup plans are being made for a big trip later in 2021 if I still need to use up a bunch of vacation by then...
DisCon III, next year's Worldcon, has committed to an announcement in January about what form it will take. In February or March, we'll all have a much better idea about when it'll be safe to resume large gatherings, and August has a good chance of being doable. But an event with the logistical complexity of a Worldcon can't wait that long.
So this week, DisCon sent out a survey asking if people had a choice between a virtual con in August and an in-person one in mid-December, which would we choose, or would we attend neither? My vote is to keep the dates; I'll be sad about not having an excuse to spend that time in DC I recognize the constraints they're operating under.
The next con on the local calendar is Game Storm, which is traditionally held at the end of March. This year it was too soon after everything shut down to do anything but cancel. Next year it'll be just a little too soon for even the most optimistic estimates about resuming in-person cons.
It has been amply demonstrated by now that gaming cons can be held with online tools, but I doubt Game Storm will try it. The organization behind it and Orycon has a bad case of not-invented-here syndrome; Game Storm in particular is wedded to custom software which would need some significant changes to work with an online con. Plus the Game Storm news feed has been dead since March.
So the best I can hope for is Game Storm gets pushed to later in the year. I know it'll avoid being on the same weekend as Worldcon, at least.
In the meantime, backup plans are being made for a big trip later in 2021 if I still need to use up a bunch of vacation by then...