KoL Con

From TheKolWiki

The Hermit humbly requests that this page be rewritten or expanded. Summary paragraphs for the latest Cons would be appreciated.

KoL Con (short for KoL Convention) is an annual real-world gathering of KoL players in Tempe, Arizona, where the global headquarters of Asymmetric Publications are located. To date, there have been eight conventions. Players from all over the world have attended the conventions, including players from as far away as Australia and Europe.

KoL Con is far from the only KoL gathering, but it is the only official one, and the only one where one is guaranteed to schmooze with the game developers.

KoL Con VIII (2011)

KoL Con VIII took place on Friday, September 9th, through Sunday, September 11, 2011. For more details, see the various forum threads, most notably the official announcement thread.

Those attending were granted rights to purchase the 2011 Con item (the Gygaxian Libram) for $20, and the 2010 Con item (the Hippo tutu) for $30.

Those attending were awarded a KoL Con 8-Bit power bracelet.

KoL Con VII (2010)

KoL Con VII took place on Friday, September 17, through Sunday, September 19, 2010. For more details, see the various forum threads, most notably the official announcement thread.

Those attending were granted rights to purchase hippo tutti.

Those attending were awarded a Seven Loco.

KoL Con VI (2009)

KoL Con VI took place on Friday, September 18, through Sunday, September 20, 2009. For more details, see the various forum threads, most notably the official announcement thread.

Those attending were awarded a KoL Con Six Pack.

KoL Con V (2008)

KoL Con V took place on Friday, September 26, through Sunday, September 28, 2008. For more details, see the various forum threads, most notably the official announcement thread.

Those attending were awarded a KoL Con Cinco Piñata Bat.

KoL Con IV (2007)

KoL Con IV took place on Friday, September 14, through Sunday, September 16, 2007. Registration was again available for purchase at the Store of Loathing. The official announcement was posted in the forums. That year's events mirrored previous instances of the Con, with Friday evening spent at GameWorks, and a barbecue in the same park, with the same caterers. A KoL version of Assassin was played throughout the weekend. At the barbecue, there was a trivia contest, poker tournament, Guitar Hero tournament, haiku contest, and Decorate-Your-Own-Shortbread-Bugbear competition. Saturday evening featured a performance by MC Frontalot, with opening acts by the Minibosses and Nekrogoblikon. On Sunday afternoon, Xenophobe led an outing to Organ Stop Pizza, which MC Frontalot also attended.

Once again, Xlyinia did a superhuman job of putting the Con events together. People had an excellent time, as documented in photos and videos, as well as quotes.

Those attending were awarded a KoL Con IV Pole.

KoL Con 3-D (2006)

KoL Con 3-D took place on Friday, September 15, through Sunday, September 17, 2006. The official site was first located at MySpace, and an official announcement eventually appeared on the main site. The official forum thread can be found here.

Friday night was spent schmoozing at GameWorks. Saturday's events centered around an outdoor barbecue in Tempe Kiwanis Park. Food, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages were enjoyed by all (but no underage drinking was permitted).

Participants who preregistered for the Con received a special code, which could be used in-game to obtain a pair of KoL Con 3-D Glasses, and, at no additional cost, a new shine to their Kingdom of Loathing Certificate of Participation!

KoL Con II (2005)

KoL Con II was also known as "The Wrath of Con". It took place on Friday, September 23, through Sunday, September 25, 2005. An official announcement for the event appeared on the main site.

Tickets were available for purchase via the Asymmetric store, and the official forum thread can be found here.

Also, going to "/test.php" ^(view) yielded a list of Con attendees, which was probably used to give them their shiny certificates. Once this was discovered on the forums, Xenophobe blanked the test page.

KoL Con I (2004)

KoL Con I was a relatively small gathering. Officially, it took place on Friday, March 19, through Sunday, March 21, 2004. Unofficially, it began on Thursday, March 18, 2004, with public karaoke. Friday involved dinner at a Japanese restaurant and eventually ended up at Jick's house for random socializing. Saturday is somewhat sporadically documented, but appears to have taken place largely at Jick's. The official announcement thread can be found here, and photos of the event can be found here.