Questions for the PAX Veterans! (first timer advice thread)
Alright with pax getting ever closer I was trying to make a list of helpful items that will make Pax and the weekend as a whole easier and less stressful. But since this is my first Pax and my first con alltogether, I really have no idea what to bring. So Calling all Pax vets or con vets of any sort to let us noobs in on any tips or tricks you guys have that will help us get through our first Pax! 
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After that, here's a bunch of first timer specific advice that isn't really FAQ material.
How you travel to and from the convention is up to you, but if you do not have a car with you, you have the option of using public transportation and Taxis. After hours is something you must think about if you go to PAX. It's not just the concerts which last up to around midnight, many other events such as free board game rooms may take up your time as well. And then there are the other events, be them official or not, that will be organized around the city. Look up the public transportation times and cab services for San Antonio and plan accordingly!
Get yourself some form of mobile data access!!! Many events and meetings will be discussed on the forums, but good deal of new, secret and last minute stuff will be added as well and will only be available to you if you have a readily available connection to the internet. I cannot stress this point enough - there is much more to PAX than just the official schedule! This is how you will get to know about potential twitter meetups, special events held by companies, last minute city events, special contests, you name it.
There may or may not be free wifi at the convention center. Word to the wise: convention center wifi sucks during paxes. SO MANY DEVICES!
There are some pre-pax events organized by the community, so you may want to arrive a couple of days early. You likely won't have time to be toursity during PAX proper, so that is important to consider as well when planning your PAX trip.
Making Friends -
A great way to stay in touch with the new friends you will make is to get some cheap business/contact cards. Stick your email address, gamertag, forum name, whatever on them. Hand them out to all the awesome people you will most certainly meet.
Carrying Your Stuff -
If you are carrying a lot of stuff, come Friday night, your one shoulder will be KILLING you. Trust me, you want to evenly distribute the weight. Go for something that you know will be comfortable over the course of a long day. I personally prefer a backpack, not a messenger bag. Many people prefer messenger bags, but it's generally my opinion that this is because they haven't tried a really comfy backpack
Recharging your devices: Plan ahead. Recharge everything overnight, and perhaps find a compact charging solution to carry with you. There are many charging solutions out there. I personally recommend limefuel. Be considerate of outlet use and try not to use more than one at a time (bringing a small power strip can make you a lot of friends).
Reposting The @CatBoy List. One should not underestimate its importance
What should I bring with me to PAX?
The next section is taken from @sary from previous years, with some modifications
And Remember....
AND most importantly...
If you plan on bringing art to be signed (i.e. your favorite PA strips you ordered online 3 years ago), I highly recommend a quality poster tube ( http://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-storage-tubes/ ). Nothing pains me more than to see someone get a signature on a poster, roll it up, and then cram it into their backpack. Bring your own Sharpies as well (silver, gold, bronze, black, whatever).
Have 2 schedules - 1 is the "OMG I'M GOING TO SEE ALL THE THINGS!" schedule, the other is going to be the "THESE ARE THE MUST SEE THINGS OF THE CON FOR ME AND I'LL BE ALRIGHT IF I MISS SEEING THE 3D PRINTING PANEL BECAUSE I'LL BE LISTENING TO HIRONOBU SAKAGUCHI" schedule.
If you are a lover of good food, do some research on restaurants and "fast food" locations and reviews beforehand. I tend to make a list of quick stops for when I only have 30 minutes or so to spare before being somewhere (bakeries, take out counters, food trucks, etc.), as well as other sit-down locations when I have more time. It's nice to sit down, enjoy a decent meal, and talk about the con with friends (or other random PAX-goers that you might have met along the way).
2015 PAX Prime Omeganaut (I will forever hate Katamari)
But I have another question about the panels. What exactly are the panels? I know some are hosted by penny arcade and some are hosted by others but what exactly do you do in them? And are they all one certain length (like all an hour) or do they vary from panel to panel. I know it is hard to say right now cause we don't have the schedule yet.
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=PAX+PRIME+2014+PANELS&tbm=vid
Also, if you're into D&D, I would recommend looking up the Acquisitions Inc. videos posted by the Dungeons & Dragons Youtube channel.
2015 PAX Prime Omeganaut (I will forever hate Katamari)
I never finish anyth
Panels are worth checking out, I didn't think I'd be into that stuff my first time but on Sunday I just walked around and bopped into anything that looked interesting and ended up learning and listening to some interesting people. You can leave whenever if something isn't interesting to you so you're not really locked in to anything.
It's hard to tell people what they should and shouldn't do at PAX, because it offers so many different experiences. Be open-minded to everything, try new things and meet new people. You're going to love it!
Also, if you are frugal or low on cash and want to bring your own food, I have some suggestions for full meals that can be brought, both perishable and non, if anyone is interested. I wasn't sure where the best place to post that sort of thing would be. I have a lot of allergies so we usually bring our own food to cons (plus when you do a lot of cons, eating out all the time gets expensive fast.)
There is usually a food thread at some point, maybe there is one already, I haven't checked, that would probably be a good place for that.
http://www.sahbgcc.com/default.asp?sanantonio=44
There are also similar maps available throughout the convention center itself.
I've never actually been to a PAX before so I'm not sure what all they include in their guidebook, etc.
Prime: '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15
West: '16, '17
East: '14, '15, '16, '17
South: '15, '16, '17, '18
When it comes to PAX everyone has there own way of enjoying the convention. I've been to PAX Prime and PAX East. I mostly enjoy going to panels and walking the expo hall. Waiting in line for 2hrs to play a video game isn't my go to thing to do. The only things I haven't done at a PAX is playing a tournament and using the free to play table top area.
So my questions are
A: Should I bother with my time in a tournament unless I'm super good?
B: Is there a certain process of finding other people to play board games? Also is there a quick way to knowing how to signup a session of role-playing game with a DM?
Thanks,
If you want to post your ideal PAX experience please post it below.
The lines at East are non existent at the beginning of the day, because they don't give them out at beginning of day. They usually start bags at 11:00 in the queue room so there is plenty of space for the mad dash. Carry a large back pack on your back in the swag line and keep making sudden abrupt turns so as to discourage people from cutting you off. You will most likely be lapped by the same damn idiots 3 or 4 times before you get your bag. I suggested they punch a hole in badges to monitor who gets a bag or not but they did not like that, so I recommend resisting the urge to punch a hole in their faces when they mow you over.
On the other hand, if you can have fun even if you are losing badly, then you should completely go for it! Sure there will be a few pro-level grognards in the bunch and they will probably smack you aside like yesterday's dirty socks, but who cares? You'll get to meet new people, play a game or two with them, and probably walk away with a couple new friends. And who knows... if the stars align, you might just end up winning a round or two. Heck, my wife @itchbay entered the Robo Rally tournament last year and took third place, even though it was her first time playing.
A: A lot of people joining tournaments are not super good also, I suspect you will still have fun.
B: 2 common methods, if you see a box top on its end on the table, that is an indication of "Looking for More". Also some people use the hashtag #ttflg on twitter, which you can check from anywhere, and might include people playing in hotel lobbies or other nooks that you might not stumble across physically.
Everyone PAXes in their own way, buts its good to try different things and mix it up, especially for veteran PAXers.
Pins!
This is pretty much what my wife and I will probably be doing. Looking for and jumping into board games. I'm going to issuing that hash tag, thanks.
100% of all monies collected go directly to Child's Play.
/okay, @zerzhul I'm done.
I made this mistake at PAX Prime last year (my first). By the end of day one, I felt like rats were trying to gnaw out from inside of my calves.
Also, don't forget to turn on Street Pass on your 3DS until the last half of the last day like I did. So many missed opportunities for new goofy hats for my Mii... ;_;
A poster tube is a good idea as well.
So is there a place we can find these parties? Twitter? Facebook?
Typically yes; also asking someone running a booth doesn't hurt.
Yes, i usually don't have data for my phone (im international) and it has worked fine the last couple of years without it. just update your guidebook as close to the event as possible.