Personally, I would prefer being in Chicago to remote suburbs, but it's not a strong preference and hotel cost is not a major factor for me.

If we did it near an airport, I would vote for the O'Hare area rather than Midway, even though I will be flying into MDW. No offense to locals, but Cermak/Cicero is pretty sketchy. I've stayed at the Sheraton Four Points in Schiller Park before, as well as a couple hotels along Mannheim (where every city apparently has to have the name Park in it). They were all meh, but I'd still take them over Cicero.

The flight will cost more than the hotel and that's just from Cinci (of course CVG is freaking expensive). although I'll probably make it a road trip, somewhere convenient to the airport for everyone else is good for me. I don't care about a couple hundred a night.

You could drive up to Columbus. Southwest is running CMH-MDW for $100 one-way on June 6 (June 7 and beyond not for sale yet). If you used an insulated cooler, you could bring us Jeni's ice cream!

What's the date on this again? I don't have the $$ to fly to this sort of thing but I live close enough to Chicago that I could drive in. Could be fun.

June 21st :) And if it ends up close enough by I could probably have a person or 2 stay with me and Mr. CF if they can handle either an inflattable mattress or the couch. Those and 2 cats that will try to get into everything.

Cincy to Chicago is a doable drive, Draug. (Alliterations aplenty!)

I could pull it off if things work out but I won't know until much nearer.

June may be doable but, like Bo, I won't know until the time draws nearer. I'll put it tentatively on my calendar, though. Would be good fun I think.

How could it not be fun. Bunch of diplomacy players + playing diplomacy + beer (gonna guess on this one). What could go wrong?

Ah yes, beer... my favorite

ILLEGAL DRINK THAT I CAN'T HAVE.

That's what I meant to say.

So you can be like Mr. CF and not drink.

"What could go wrong?"

Oh, just off the top of my head...I could draw Italy.

Eh. Maybe o_O

Hey I like playing as Italy.. sometimes.

I have enjoyed playing Italy for approximately 6 phases.

Italy is easy to draw. It's shaped like a boot.

So where is close enough by, CF?

It looks like Indiana....

Nearish to O'Hare. Like I said I'm bout 45 minuteish from there in traffic.

I know it's doable. I go around Chi town when I drive up to Madison.And I prefer driving cause, well, I drive an awesome fucking Mercedes Benz. Who wouldn't want to road trip in the lap of luxury?

Do you take 90 all the way up to Madison Draug?

I see next to no way that it would be possible for me to make this, monetarily. It would be a blast, though, to meet and play face to face with you lot (hell, I've never played F2F period, which I am dying to do). Who knows what can happen come June, though!

I want to make it but cannot commit at this time. Where will the games take place?

What about around Wicker Park or Bucktown?

@THM I'll look into whatever area you guys wanna be at. I don't know those areas well but I know people that do.

I think it's really a question of whether people are looking at this as a buzz in, play dip, buzz out situation, or as an event that makes the location of Chicago significant other than as a convenient midpoint. If it's the first, then any crashpad that doesn't have bedbugs probably will do (drug dealers and hookers in the hallways optional). If it's the second, then a neighborhood with some character might be nice.

For me, I'm probably more in the second category. I haven't decided yet, but I might come in earlier the preceding week or leave later the following week and spend some time in Chicago. I suggested Wicker Park because I think it's a cool neighborhood, the type of place where I might stay outside of the Loop independent of the F2F. However, there's nothing wrong with me staying one place and traveling to another for the game.

I-74 from Cinci to Indy, then I-65 from Indy to Chi town, then I-294 (avoiding downtown that way) to I-90 from Chicago to Madison.

@THM And that's why I'm trying to get a feel for what people wanna do. I know some people said they wanted to stay closer to one of the Airports not sure Wicker Park is that close to it.

@Draug Well I wouldn't recommend going 90 to Madison anytime soon. 60 miles of construction through the border of Wisconsin. It sucked ass to drive through there going up to Minneapolis. Coming back we just took 90 to 43 to 12. Avoided the construction and only added 5 minutes to our drive.

Holly Crap... I live in Chicago. How do I get on the Distro for this? Do you need help coordinating any facilities or resources?

We'll see more whent he time approachs Kalel :). I'm sure I'll need lots of time when we closer to the actual date. Thanks for the offer, which I'm sure I'll take you up on. If we decide to be in Chicago itself I'll need more help then if only of the burbs near O'Hare.

Celticfox, I've thrown a couple of cons in the area (both downtown and out by the best gaming store in the burbs "Games Plus") so I'd be happy to pitch in.