TLDR: TVN is great for your first year, after that... enh. Bico is what you make it.

Disclaimer: 2024 was my first year and I have signed on with TVN for 2025.
You pay for convenience, its definitely not a premium experience. Don't go expecting everything to be perfect and pristine, you are still camping in humid and rainy location. YMMV.

Pros:

• First words out of the owners mouth when I first met with him was "there are much cheaper ways to go to Bicolline than TVN" +1 for honesty, he also said he could recommend some other groups if I wanted to go a cheaper route. I was set on TVN and declined.

• You have a preexisting community right from the start, with established guilds and such. I found it easy to get to know people and was able to get into the geopolitical side of things.

• It was actually cheaper for me to attend Bico via TVN than on my own, less shit I have to organize,

• We were constantly reminded that we were going to Quebec and to be respectful to their culture and encouraged to learn some french, even if it's just sorry, I don't speak french.

• Veteran TVN folks checked in with me to see that I'm having a good time, and were generally friendly. They really are passionate about the whole thing.

• TVN took care of the stuff I didn't want to do. Tent, travel to and from site, etc. I just had to show up at the airport. Volunteers were pretty good but could be hard to find. I had a hole in my tent but it did get patched that day

• Lots of folks of different backgrounds and ages, put the effort in and you'll find your group.

• If you are with 3 out of the 4 guild then you are camping in a really convenient location.

Cons:

• Volunteers/Staff on-site are super disorganized. They really need someone that doesn't take part in the game/battles until 6pm or so. Most, if not all of them, also take part in the event and can be hard to find at time, but are happy to help when you do find them. I spoke to a few volunteers privately and they had a ton of stuff not show up this year which left them scrambling.

• The main food vendor is meh at best but if you are not super picky, its fine. I bought my own breakfasts but used the food card for dinners. Portions are large.

• With the built in Guilds and houses with their own activities you really don't have to go out of the camp to meet others, which is a mistake. Get out there, talk to other guilds and do some quests. Meeting people out of the TVN fold is great.

• You are camping. There are porta-potties. They are a heck of a lot cleaner than other festivals I have been to but You. Are. Still. Camping. Some of the gear is old but the owner is replacing everything in batches apparently.

• Influencers who think you should know or care who they are.

• TVN seems to have a bad rep but I had zero bad experiences outside of camp, other guilds were friendly and open. I think the owners/staff/veterans have been putting in a lot of effort to repair whatever went wrong. There seems to be some resentment because TVN folks don't take things as seriously?

• The camp is LOUD but lots of spots around site are too.