by Armchair Dragoons PAO, 3 June 2026
For the past few years, we’ve run a Q&A for folks to ask about Origins – usually the convention as a whole, but occasionally specific questions about that year.
Well, this year its been taken to a whole new level and we’ve ended up piecing this year’s Q&A together from a combination of Facebook threads, Discord, BGG conversations, and replies to our posts on any number of social channels. So what you have here is coming from a bunch of different directions.
From Eric Francis on one of our posts on FB
If you’re not a wargamer but want to learn, what are your options at Origins?
We promise we didn’t ask Eric to write this, but we appreciate it! Step 1 – come see us at the Wargame HQ, main gaming hall #2312. On Thursday, the table right next to our admin desk will be set up as a “wargaming beginners” table with 2-3 basic options you can learn on a drop-in basis. We’ve got a couple of games that can be taught in 10-15 minutes and get a couple of turns in, without registering for anything.
If that doesn’t work in your schedule, or you’re showing up later to Origins, find one of our staff and ask about our events!
First, we teach the rules for all of our events (well, except for the one late-night 6-hour game of Star Fleet Battles for the hardcore fans of that one), so we’re going to show you how to play anything you sit down for.
Second, we’re going to ask you about what periods or genres interest you. The vast majority of wargames are not huge, complex, 180-hr monsters, and if you’re going to get spend the time learning something, you’re more likely to get invested in topic that already interests you. WW2 is popular, largely because of all the movies & video games. American Revolution is is on everyone’s minds right now with the country’s 250th birthday. Sci-fi? Yep, we’ve got wargames in that, uh . . . ‘space’1.
Third, keep in mind that not every wargame is a blood-&-guts micro-tactical giant rulesfest. We have games at the high strategic level where you are moving entire armies or fleets around the map in more of an area-control style game, albeit with some battle here and there. We also have games that are not-quite-fully shooty-bangy stuff that involve negotiation over peace treaties, or managing your vassals to keep your armies in the field. So we have games for the rivet-counters, but also for those who prefer more abstract mechanics but still have that conflict/combat ‘feel’ to them.
Most of all, just come strike up a conversation and let us try to help make a match between your interests and our options. We’ve been doing this for over a decade, and at plenty of conventions (Origins, MACE, Buckeye Game Fest, Playthrough, JeffCon, and others) and help provide an easy on-ramp for the hobby. But if you don’t ask, we don’t know you’re interested!
From our thread in the Origins FB group, and fortunately Kristin from Rogue Judges jumped in
Can you get a response on if tickets are all digital this year or what is going on?
I can confirm on their discord April Nicole Hill from GAMA confirmed to an attendee that there will be physical badges & tickets for the show.
I can tell you that as an attendee for the show you can ALWAYS open up TTE on you phone and register for a ticket for an event right away. Free or charged events alike. After you grab a ticket you check out (free is free and charges have to be paid for) but then you can show the ticket after purchase to the GM so you don’t have to go to reg and can jump into the event.
Us GMs we need to turn in physical tickets and it be SUPER helpful (even for free events) for people to provide those either at the begining or the event or maybe after the event when you have time to shoot down to reg to get them printed.
But showing us the purchased ticket online helps us track attendance and will help origins as well
This was on the Origins Discord
Quick question for those that may know, I got my badge in the mail today, were the eveet tickets suppose to ship with it or are they all digital tickets?
And the response from April, the GAMA Events manager
Tickets can be picked up at the registration desk; They print them all out for you
Also along the lines of tickets
Sheryl mentioned:
Regarding tickets/badges/that funny thing you hang around your neck…If you access your account on TTE, there’s a spot where you can see “My Schedule” – it’s a page that will show your events on a bar chart, day by day – but below that, it also shows ALL of your events AND where they are – at least as of the present.
You can print this out and carry it with you if you’re worried about what/where your events are, whether or not we get physical tickets – which, I believe, is a concern. Another poster noted that we ARE getting physical tickets, but if you want a backup, go ahead and print this out for your own usage.
I usually do this anyway to try and map my way back and forth across the GCCC in regards to timing and where I need to be at a certain time.
Marti Dickinson also chimed in:
Alternatively, you can screenshot it on your phone to keep handy without using (and having to keep up with) paper! I’ve done this every year since 2023.
Do the badges have names on them this year or not?
they do not. They announced it via news letter I believe before event registration. And it’s also confirmed on discord as well
Now, there’s not a lot of people that think this is a remotely good idea, and yes, we’re going to have Sharpies to fix that in our space.
This is just triple-stupid.
This is the latest article in our series of articles covering Origins 2026 and you can find a carousel linking all of them across the bottom
I’m worried about parking. In previous years I was able to reserve parking in advance, but so far this year I haven’t been able to reserve parking. Anyone know what is going on?
We’ve seen variations of this over and over and over.
- Plenty of folks have found a reservation through SpotHero. We’ve not used it and can’t tell you anything about it.
- For almost 20 years, just about all of the Dragoons and our friends have either (a) parked at their hotel for the weekend, or (b) rolled into a garage each day and grabbed a ticket.
There’s plenty of parking in and around the convention center but scope it out on a map to know what roads you’re taking because there are a bunch of one-way streets in the area.
Someone shared this one, so that’s good news
I know many are wondering if the Barley’s Origins glasses will be back in 2026. I can confirm that the glasses will be back with a different glass dropped Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Our partner for this is R. Talsorian Games. I will have the glass images and drop schedule for you soon. Stay tuned.
This is something that gets shared every year
PSA
Time for my yearly request…
Please keep in mind as we all race around the GCCC to enjoy the wonder that is Origins, that some of us are a wee bit older than others. We’re using canes, scooters, rollators, or are just a bit slower for a variety of reasons. But we want to have fun, just like everyone else.
Please be patient as we navigate elevators, escalators, finding a way into a room – or out – especially with the new security features being added this year. Believe me, none of us want to be in the way of anyone having a good time – but we can only do so much.
Please be aware of your surroundings – it only takes a second to look around and see if someone’s on a scooter, or moving along with a cane or something else. We’re not out to make a scene; we’re just trying to get somewhere.
The Board Room library, run by CABS, still needs a few volunteers
Alright gamers! we are just under 1 month out from Origins Game Fair and we are still in need of volunteers.
WE WANT YOU!
Buckeye Game Fest is still on the search for volunteers we need 7 more people that are 16 or older to help us out at the board game library at origins.
if you have not yet purchased your badge for origins, we can get you a GM badge in exchange for working 9 hrs (broke up over 3 shifts).
Ask questions below!
All of the Origins 2026 Articles
Origins Details ~ Wargame HQ Events ~ War College Events ~ Wargaming at Origins ~ Exhibitor Spotlights ~ Origins History ~ Q&A ~ Final Countdown
Opening Day ~ The Game Hall ~ More Gameplay ~ Above the Convention ~ Minis Wargaming ~ Wargame HQ Partners ~ Wargame HQ Spotlights
Exhibit Hall ~ Cosplay ~ Everything Else ~ AAR ~ Forum Thread
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