Star Struck

We had been at Gen Con two days already. Across the last couple days I had played dozens of games of Empire. I played them through my mind as I walked to our booth. Most had been with families, with kids that loved playing games and parents who were fun, but a little unusual. I played games with dark clothes wearing groups of guys who smacked and punched each other spas they played. Several games were occupied by our first stalker, Mark from Oklahoma who told us he slept in the anime room and ate cans of tuna and pudding at the table. I will note, he didn't have anykind of platic ware. He made us all uncomfortable, but he bought a whole case of games. All told, this trip had been great publicity, but costly.

The demo hall, where the games were played, would be quiet right now, but the show room was just coming to life. The doors had just been opened for vendors. A couple guys were stocking the giant Wizard of the Coast display, the Activision booth already had the TVs on. Several of the store owners were pulling the velvet covers off their glass cases at the sides of the room. I was heading to the Alternate Realit Games booth, which was in the section of Indy game manufacturers. The cavernous space filled with only a dull murmur, as opposed to the roar this room would produce later.

This was convention every young person I had played games with would want to go to. I was not only here, but I ran one of the booths. My company was here. I was trying to draw it all in. I didn't want to forget anything. Thousands of games. Purples and red and blacks. Miniatures and oversized hard cover books. There were vendors of dice, swords, artwork, puzzles and games. It would be easy to get lost in the swirl and forget why you were here.

I said good morning to everyone I saw, these had gone from being my idles to my peers.

I turned the corner by a battlefield set up in a three dimensional cavern. It was about eight feet long, four feet wide and the cavern walls were more than a foot tall. It Was set low so you could look down into it where mech warrior with colored battle flags could enter from either side. I look into it as I was walking, then down the direction of our booth. I could see our banners. A man was walking right toward me. He had smile that told me he was pleased to be there too.

As I got close, I maintained eye contact and said, "Good Morning." I remember thinking he was a little older than myself. He had a goatee, was little heavier and shorter then me. He was sightseeing, which was strange for an early morning vendor, and wanted to talk. It was never too early to land a sale, so I stopped. He asked me about what I was doing there, I told him about Empire and our company. He said he had seen out booth and saw the game. He thought it looked great. I think he was considering getting a copy for his nephew.

I not sure if he used my name, which was clearly visible on my badge, or if I suddenly wanted to call him by name, or see why he was there, for what ever reason I followed his lanyard down to his Gen Con badge. Tracy Hickman - Author.

My mind stopped. This man was half of the duo that created DragonLance my personal favorite fantasy world. He brought to life Raistlin and Tasslehoff. He wrote the death of Flint Fireforge. I had his books, his words, his thoughts in my house. Here I was talking to him about my game and I didn't even know who he was.

I didn't want to be a drooling fanboy, but I didn't want to diminish the value of his work. I had stopped talking and I couldn't break out of the mental gridlock caused by the revelation. His nephew, Tracy Hickman's nephew might be getting my game for his birthday. He was too plain, too normal, too friendly. I wanted to just shake his hand, but I was frozen.

"it's been good talking to you," he said and walked into a nearby booth and started talking to the vendor there.