R&D Journal
The ChiCon Phenomenon
by Nate French
Over the past three years, a unique event known as "ChiCon" has become a special tradition for the fans of the A Game of Thrones card game. This 48 hour event, hosted at a private residence in Mundelein, IL, has drawn more than 100 participants over the course of the past three years. With its reputation spreading by word of mouth throughout the game's community of players, attendance at the event has increased each year, and this past weekend "ChiCon III" attracted 55 A Game of Thrones fanatics from all corners of the continental U.S., and beyond, for a weekend of cards, competition, and camaraderie.
What is this event all about, and why are players willing to travel to Mundelein, IL, from as far away as California, New York, Oregon, and even Sweden to experience the ChiCon phenomenon? Following this weekend's occasion, I was able to catch up with a number of players and organizers involved with the event, and their words depict an engaging picture of friendship, community, and the love of a game around which the unprecedented "ChiCon" experience has been built.
The Host
"Sunday morning, when it's all over, my calves absolutely kill from running up and down the stairs 5,000 times in two days. No joke, it's like seriously painful cramps," says the man who is the mastermind, the host, the energy, the finance, the heart, and the soul of the ChiCon event, Aaron "Professor AJ" Johnson. And he says this with a laugh.
"Post-ChiConic leg cramps," however, are the least of the sacrifices that come along with opening the doors of your home to an entire gaming community, making every last one of them feel as if they are at home, wining and dining them throughout the weekend, entertaining the lot with wit and humor, allowing everyone to stay and play cards into the wee hours of the morning, and ensuring that no one leaves without having had a great time and a prize or souvenir in hand. It's all in a weekend's fun for AJ, and you can tell that his love for this game, its community, and his ChiCon event is genuine and sincere. "Personally, my only goal is to cater and make sure EVERYONE has the best possible experience playing a game of any sort anywhere in America." He's succeeded, and then some, to the point where nothing else even seems to compare.
The Judge
After AJ, the most important personality you'll encounter at a ChiCon event is tournament organizer and A Game of Thrones rules guru Kevin "ktom" Tomczyk. This ruthlessly efficient man with an almost encyclopedic recall of the cards and rules of the complex game (and the patience and brilliance to explain them in simple terms to the occasionally confused participant) keeps the tournaments running without a hitch throughout the weekend, and ChiCon wouldn't be the same without him. As humble as he is intelligent, Kevin still deflects most of the praise to the host: "Well, AJ is the driving force behind the whole thing. I think he pretty much got sick of playing just us (Chicago area players) for that long stretch between GenCon and Nationals, so he decided to invite the entire community to his home. It took off from there. Conventions and annual events usually try to develop a distinctive character or personality. ChiCon didn't need to develop one because we've got AJ. He is the drive, the energy, the generosity and the wallet behind the whole thing. I'm sort of the detail guy that makes sure there's A Game of Thrones somewhere in between all the drinking, eating, socializing and plain hanging out." Kevin deflects most of the credit to AJ, but everyone in the community, AJ included, realizes that Kevin is a one-of-a-kind organizer and judge, and he contributes to the ChiCon experience in a way that no one else can.
The Precedent
ChiCon is not the first fan-sponsored A Game of Thrones invitational event. That honor goes to the "Trials of the Mad King" tournament held each fall at Misty Mountain Games in Madison, Wisconsin. I was able to get some perspective on the scope and success of the ChiCon event by speaking with the founder of the original Trials event, Drew Kasel, who was also a ChiCon participant who finished in the top four of the main event.
"As founder of the first unofficial major A Game of Thrones event, which we still hold every fall in Madison, I know the amount of work that goes with getting people into town and making sure they leave thinking the trip, for a game, was worth their while. There is a certain nerve and ego and responsibility that comes with the territory of hosting such a thing." Here, Drew pauses, and reflects for a moment on the comparison. "ChiCon, however, takes anything I might have even considered doing and amps it up to a degree beyond anything I'd have ever thought possible. ChiCon is what all of us wish we could do. But we can't. But AJ can. And so we go."
The Local
I asked Illinois native and longtime A Game of Thrones fan Joshua Staton about the history of ChiCon, what he thought it would be when AJ first started planning the first event, and what it has instead become. Here's what he had to say:
"In the beginning when AJ was planning the first ChiCon, I was thinking that it was just going to be another big tournament. I was thinking it was going to be comparable to the yearly Madison event. Wow. Was I ever wrong!" Josh is contagiously good-natured, and you can tell that he's thrilled to have been so wrong. A faraway look passes through his eye, as he paints a big-picture view of just what this event means to the community:
"It's grown into something much more than just a regular tournament. The only thing that I can compare it to is a family reunion, except instead of blood, we share A Game of Thrones. The veterans are like the old timers that sit around and reminisce about ChiCons past. The players coming to AJ's for the first time are like the kids who've heard about this amazing event, but have yet to experience it. The new players are almost like people who have just married into the family and have yet to meet everyone. Whichever category you fall into, you're bound to enjoy yourself, and no matter what level of competition you usually play at, you will never have a negative experience at AJ's place. Also, from the purely competitive point of view, ChiCon a great opportunity to test the waters for the upcoming National Championship season! You can really get an idea as to what people are thinking about and how some of those new cards will play in the metagame. If there's only one A Game of Thrones event you can make it to a year, make it ChiCon!"
The Field
Players come from all over the country to be a part of the ChiCon experience. Here's what a few of them had to say about the event.
Jerod Leupold, a store-owner from Critical Hit Games in Coralville, Iowa, came to the game for the competition, and stayed for the community. ChiCon, however, gives him the run of both worlds: "It just represents the best assets of the game. Superior play-talent across the board, inventive deck types, and a monumental community soiree! Matching people's faces to their forum names is priceless. It was an honor to finally meet "The Braz" face to face after seeing him author several thought-provoking articles, and then have the opportunity to beat him in head to head play!" Jerod's efforts didn't go unrecognized, as he navigated his way through the ferocious preliminary rounds to qualify for the top eight of the main event, finishing the day in a tie for fifth place overall.
Tom Kollai, an English teacher from Frederick, Maryland, had to take a long hard look at his finances and deal with severe weather in order to make his flight for the weekend. But in the end, it was worth it. "Sometimes you just have to suck it up and do what needs to be done," Tom explained. "I had heard about the wonders of ChiCon from many sources, and decided that this would be the year. All of the hype couldn't even prepare me for what a great weekend it was. I don't think I've ever seen ‘eat, drink, game, and be merry' taken to such extreme levels."
Will Lentz, who drove up with a group of friends from all over his home state of Missouri, explained the attraction in this way: "Here, I see people that I get to meet with a bare handful of times each year, and despite our varying backgrounds, ages, and funny accents, I always feel at home. These people make up a community where I can pick up a conversation that's been on hiatus for months, and carry on like we're friends that see each other every day. That is what ChiCon is about to me, and the value of our community goes far beyond the dollar value of the cards we play, the drinks we partake, and the food that we eat during that amazing weekend." Will also had some success in the event, posting a strong record in the preliminary rounds to advance to the top eight elimination brackets before being eliminated in a classic showdown with Drew Kasel.
Former ChiCon champions returned, not so much to defend their titles, but just to hang out and enjoy the game, the hospitality, and the people in the community. The fact that such competitive players are also friendly, open, engaging human beings is a rare thing in gaming circles, but it is by far the norm in the A Game of Thrones community. John Bruno, from Los Angeles, California, and the winner of the the first ChiCon tournament, calls the event, "A nice break from the real world and the responsibilities of work and family. It's the best gaming experience I have had, compressed into a single weekend." Last year's ChiCon champion, Rick Harmon, who flew in from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, makes the best comparison of them all: "Well… ChiCon for me, is like a different dimension where men and women can relax and do there favorite things, eat, drink, socialize, and play games… If I had to sum ChiCon up in a few words it would be "A Game of Thrones Heaven," and AJ is a blessing to our community."
The Champ
Saturday night, at the end of the main event, one man was left standing as the ChiCon III Champion. That man was Adam "The Sheik" De Wulf. Successful as he was, it did not go to his head, and Adam was just as gracious as everyone else in his praise of the community, the ChiCon event, and its host:
"For me, ChiCon is about a supreme level of competition with friends in an environment that would make ESPN jealous. The feeling of camaraderie that develops among people of divergent backgrounds and far flung locations and solidifies over two days of playing a 'hobby' game makes me feel very fortunate to have found such a gaming community, something we've not seen in other gaming populations. As for my role at ChiCon, I'm the silent partner who tries to help AJ and Ktom flesh out the details and help out where ever I can during the event. I also make the salsa." He chuckles, and points to the chips, before resuming. "With the flux the game has found itself in over the last few months, the show of support from FFG and the community at large for an event like ChiCon makes the future of the A Game of Thrones card game something I very much look forward to."
So are we, Adam. So are we.
Nate French is the lead designer and developer of the A Game of Thrones card game. He says that it's an honor to work on a game that is supported by such a group of people, and that ChiCon inspires him, every year, to make the game even more worthy of such a community.
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You may also want to check out Michael Hurley's ChiCon article,
ChiCon III: My First Step Into a Larger World
