So I was browsing for Ars Magica stuff recently and opened my core rulebook again, and smiled at all the signatures on my inside front cover from the attendees of GTA 2011. It was a great time and a lot of fun was had by all. It was my second GTA and I thought, "Hey, time is coming around again and it's been a while, but I'm back in central Cali. When is it this year?" Only to find that there hasn't been a USA convention since 2013.
What happened?
I'd love for this to occur again. Just because it hasn't in a long time doesn't mean it can't be revived. But any discussion of that would have to include the difficulties of the past, so I invite anyone who helped organize, fund, and/or prepare for the previous GTAs to talk about it here with me/us.
Sodales, Ars Magica is still my favorite game. I have never played an RPG that has the depth, characterization, and imagination that Ars provides. I have never attended another convention, but I did GTA when I could because it was that amazing. I don't want to lose that opportunity, for myself or for others.
Unfortunately, niche system conventions like Ars Magica are a classic story: organizers burn out, logistics and venue rentals become more expensive, and audiences, despite their dedication, remain intimate. GTA (Grand Tribunal America) was sustained by the pure enthusiasm of fans and creators, but after 2013, it seems the publishing vicissitudes of Atlas Games and the general change of era in tabletop gaming finally killed the project. Plus, the pandemic in the early 2020s finally put an end to many local initiatives.
It also likely doesn't help that the USA is massive compared to the UK and the GTA was in Cali. For most people, even if they wanted to go, that is a very long way off from them.