This might be my last Dice Tower East

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If Dice Tower East stays the same, I won't be going back - and that's okay! If they make some changes in the future, perhaps I'll visit in the future. It's a great convention if you are in the area, but it is no longer a convention anyone needs to travel a long distance for.
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[@Gwyndon]

Thanks for your video. Going to my first DTE in 2024 literally booked it last night. Hearing that this is a “play” con more than a booth/purchasing con has me extra excited. I am going with the hopes to playing as much as possible. I don’t have a regular game group unfortunately

[@IHeartBoardGames]

Have a great time! I've been to so many DTC/DTEs that I'm ready for my next big con. I'm heading to Origins for the first time in June '24!

[@MistImp1]

Florida water tastes wonderful, out of the well. The city water indeed sucks.

[@thomashaire8863]

Coolstuffinc has shifted their focus to almost entirely Magic for in store interactions.. Their web store is almost exclusively Magic content besides board game sales listings. I’m guessing that is why DT dropped them as a sponsor, since they played at the Miami location and don’t focus on one game.

[@IHeartBoardGames]

That's good to hear that there is a reason for it. Having any vendor there with a large inventory would be great. There was a retailer there, but they has small stock and most of it was "new to board gaming" type of games.

[@mihirshahisme]

Pls allow me to highlight some points with the hope that it changes some of your assessments of DTE'23: -As an Orlando local, I know that Cool Stuff Inc is struggling, their stores are closing, no more events at their stores. They probably do not have the budget to sponsor anymore and it is not DTE's fault for that. -The flea markets on wednesday is not advisable as most attendees start to come from thursday late evening or friday at best. The previous year they had the flea market in the smaller rooms and it was crowded so this year they shifted to the main halls to give people more space but that also meant they had to be mindful of the exhibitors zone. There are pros and cons to everything. It is not easy for them. -DTE has less events because it is largely its a play con. However DT also wants to make each of their cons notably different and hence you will see many more events/ designers/ prototype halls, etc at Dice Tower West. At Dice Tower Retreat, you will get to see the DT crew play more with the attendees as it has a small capacity and you will see the Gift exchange. At Dice Tower East you will Tom's flea market. All DT cons are unique to cater to gamers with varied interests.

[@IHeartBoardGames]

Those are good points. I had a feeling that the CSI/DT pairing had more to the story. It was a great combo while it lasted. I just know that it was missed.

[@skipwyatt5868]

Orlando Water has a taste. Above Orlando, Florida water is amazing. Orlando is also Central Florida, not East Florida. Other than that, I respect a lot of your opinions on this. I really enjoy DTE, but It's only a 4 hour drive for me. I noticed the rulebook issues, but I think that's a general wear and tear issue from games being played a lot and game needing to be learned and taught constantly. I think that there are good solutions to resolving that as the rulebooks come apart, but a lot of rulebooks would need to be either laminated, or cut down into page protectors. Parking was my big issue this year. It was a pain at check in, and anytime that I had to leave for food. This is more of an issue with the Caribe and not DTE though. I like when the flea markets are, but it also allows me to show up later in the week and still participate and trade.

[@darbyl3872]

DTE Pros: 1. Spacious. There were always tables available. That is critical. Tantrum Con was tight on space this year, and as these conventions grow, the space needs to grow as well. 2. Open gaming. Lots of open gaming. Friendly people as always, willing to play with you. 3. Nice area of Orlando, with great restaurants nearby. The other hotels are affordable and not too far. 4. Big Library. At 1 a.m. just sleep a while (rolling my eyes.) Cons: 1. Parking was tight. Twice, I had to park in the Valet area, and the valet wanted to know why. He was nice, though, and no problems. 2. Cost of parking. I paid $15 a day on top of paying for my badge. It is what it is. I'm sure some people will carpool, but I was on my own. 3. Mass migration to scheduling on BGG. WTF? Tabletop Events has everything on a schedule, organized, with ways to notify people, etc. How does a thousand people suddenly jump off of a perfectly good platform, together, like lemmings? Brain damage, if you ask me. Neither / Nor: 1. Flea Markets. I understand why some people might want to sell games. What I don't understand is why anyone uses the limited time at a convention to go shopping for games. We have sales on BGG, Amazon, Mercari, Miniature Market, Boardlandia, Atomic Empire... .... .... and at your FLGS. You will never see me standing in a line for an hour to buy these things at a convention. I drive too far, and spend too much on hotels, food, gas, badges, and parking to waste a minute of gaming time on shopping.

[@IHeartBoardGames]

You bring up a good point about parking - I forgot how bad that was. I don't mind the cost. I'll factor that in with the overall cost and see if it is worth it, but not finding a space was awful one night. But I'd deal with it if I lived locally, because once you get in the building, it's a nice convention for all the pros you mentioned.

[@eVanDiesel]

It doesn't sound so bad. Missy stopped going to this one after the pandemic, less and less of her friends go now. I think they all switched to pax east

[@IHeartBoardGames]

It's not so bad! I wish it was worth the trip, but that's okay. Time to discover new places!

[@ronaldheartsgames]

Unfortunately I would have to agree with you. I think the convention has changed in recent years to be almost exclusively about PLAYING games and meeting the Dice Tower "celebrities" such as Tom and Zee. I think Tom didn't care for the big con that was held in 2019, and that's why so much has changed. Did I have fun? Yes. But am I planning to try out a different con next year? Also yes.

[@DUDEMIKE8]

Have you been to DTW, and could you compare the two? Any other cons you can recommend? I went to DTW this year instead of DTE and found the former much livelier and more fun. The only thing I miss about DTE are the friends I made there. Otherwise, not sure if I'll return.

[@IHeartBoardGames]

I haven't been to DTW, but it is on my list to visit. Current DTE feels more like a BGG.Spring, which is still a good convention, but it feels regional and may not be worth the travel. In 2024, we plan to give Origins a try in Columbus, OH.

[@RedBird77]

ever since the dice tower gave time to Eric Lang to spout his left bull crap I pulled all support from the dice tower.

[@edwindrood2816]

I disagree with all of your dislike statements.

[@TheDavidPhillips]

Funny how this is the only comment with no response from the creator. Best I can say is that we clearly go to cons for different reasons - I always have a great time. I go to play games - it was never advertised as a "get my board game career off the ground" convention, so I don't care if there are no designers to hang out with or publishers to pitch my game to. I'm glad they don't allow prototype shills, and would never attend a prototype event. No packed schedule of events means 1) more time to game, and 2) more chances to game with the DT Crew. CoolStuff issue is old news now - clearly not in DT control at the time.

[@allthingsnerd.4484]

I go to DTE to meet new gamers and play games I would never get to the table (or rarely at least) otherwise. I detest Tom and the rest of Dice Tower, but the convention, to me, is about the other attendees. Tom and his stupid hat and suspenders can go pound sand, but I will give credit where credit is due and DTE is a fun time for me.

[@user-er5br6dx1u]

First world problems

[@chriswalker3375]

W0k3-Tower, No Thanks

[@tommyclay6922]

I agree with you. DT con…..meh. I’m feeling that way about the DT in general too 🤷‍♂️