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RIP PAX South

LasbrookLasbrook It takes a lot to make a stewWhen it comes to me and youRegistered User regular


Hello PAX come to Austin sometime IDK.

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  • milskimilski Poyo! Registered User regular
    Damn, that sucks. I loved hanging out with yall.

    How will I yell at @Houk the Namebringer about shots now?

    I ate an engineer
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  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck

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  • MatevMatev Cero Miedo Registered User regular
    I never got to experience the Margarita walk. It is sad, though with how fucked things are, it somewhat makes sense. Though I would say if COVID's a concern, why do other PAXs?

    "Go down, kick ass, and set yourselves up as gods, that's our Prime Directive!"
    Hail Hydra
  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    I never managed to go, but I always figured this would be the most likely one for me to get to (besides PAX Unplugged). But.. at the same time, there's a LOT of competing Texas conventions.

    I'm sorry for all those for whom this was a staple. :( Sucky way to end a Friday before Halloween.

    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
  • KadithKadith Registered User regular
    milski wrote: »
    Damn, that sucks. I loved hanging out with yall.

    How will I yell at @Houk the Namebringer about shots now?

    how will i know if he's stayed funny?

    zkHcp.jpg
    pookaCello
  • PinfeldorfPinfeldorf Yeah ZestRegistered User regular
    RIP chill PAX. I'll have to find somewhere else to guilt rhylith into singing karaoke.

  • MadicanMadican No face Registered User regular
    Damn, and I only just started to get the feel of the place.

  • AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    Also, I kind of take.. issue with the idea of not exploding in growth being a bad thing?

    Like, a lot of people avoid GenCon because of how big it is. Origins is seen as the smaller, more chill venue, and is much more approachable while still being fairly big. There's a market for that. But just like anything else, the drive to always grow year over year sets unrealistic expectations...

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  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    Matev wrote: »
    I never got to experience the Margarita walk. It is sad, though with how fucked things are, it somewhat makes sense. Though I would say if COVID's a concern, why do other PAXs?

    South is the only one in a state that has made it impossible for them to require vaccines/masks.

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  • 3cl1ps33cl1ps3 I will build a labyrinth to house the cheese Registered User regular
    Ketar wrote: »
    Matev wrote: »
    I never got to experience the Margarita walk. It is sad, though with how fucked things are, it somewhat makes sense. Though I would say if COVID's a concern, why do other PAXs?

    South is the only one in a state that has made it impossible for them to require vaccines/masks.

    Yeah. I suspect this is the real reason. Their reasons in the tweet are very handwavey but if they outright said it was Texas's fault there would be a shitstorm.

    MegaMan001IncenjucarElvenshaeBucketmanMan in the MistsMulysaSemproniusMoridin889Romanian My Escutcheon
  • milskimilski Poyo! Registered User regular
    I suspect it's just the economics of a con that isn't growing + losses due to covid getting it axed.

    The impossibility of a vax mandate might tip the scales but at this point if it were one of the big cons it'd be back.

    I ate an engineer
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  • Speed RacerSpeed Racer Scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratchRegistered User regular
    edited October 2021
    Pax south always kinda felt to me like it was hanging from a thread

    There was always SO much empty space in the expo hall, the biggest attraction was often whatever bullshit vr recruitment thing the army had

    In a lot of ways that's what I liked about it, it was smaller and had more of an intimate vibe, but basically every year my impression was "either they're gonna figure out a way to massively expand this or else they're just gonna kill it." Early on they were kind of leaning on being the more tabletop-focused convention but then Pax unplugged kinda took that away. And then you lump covid in on top of everything else and, yeah. Super disappointing but really not at all surprising to me

    Speed Racer on
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  • KetarKetar Come on upstairs we're having a partyRegistered User regular
    Athenor wrote: »
    Also, I kind of take.. issue with the idea of not exploding in growth being a bad thing?

    Like, a lot of people avoid GenCon because of how big it is. Origins is seen as the smaller, more chill venue, and is much more approachable while still being fairly big. There's a market for that. But just like anything else, the drive to always grow year over year sets unrealistic expectations...

    I don't think that's the right angle on things. I love PAX South, but I loved it because it allowed me to meet so many folks from the forums and have a great time with them each year. The convention itself dropped in quality each year that I attended - primarily because with each year there were fewer and fewer exhibitors and more and more of the big name exhibitors dropped out each time. After a while it made for a great chill weekend to play board games with friends and attend a few deeply silly panels, but the convention itself would not at all have been worth traveling for otherwise.

    At some point I think it became a downward spiral where flat attendance caused exhibitors to pull out, leading to empty feeling exhibit halls which resulted in decreased attendance the following year, causing more exhibitors to pull out, and so on...

    Speed RacerNaphtaligodmoderhylithMan in the MistsRomanian My EscutcheonCrippl3
  • Houk the NamebringerHouk the Namebringer Nipples The EchidnaRegistered User regular
    Kadith wrote: »
    milski wrote: »
    Damn, that sucks. I loved hanging out with yall.

    How will I yell at @Houk the Namebringer about shots now?

    how will i know if he's stayed funny?

    >:(

    Seriously, this is a real bummer. As mentioned the con itself wasn't much to write home about but the hangouts were well worth the trip alone.

    Hopefully we can still just like...do our own thing around the same time of year for a long weekend or whatever. Just get a giant house and fuck around for a few days, don't need a con to get drunk at 4pm on a Sunday!

    KetarSlacker71godmodeKristmas KthulhuMatevsarukun
  • MorivethMoriveth BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWNRegistered User regular
    God I haven't been to PAX proper in forever, I really wanna hang out with you nerds somehow, sometime.

    Matev
  • MadicanMadican No face Registered User regular
    Honestly just a mass hangout with boardgames and a trip to karaoke at some point would be something I'd come for

    Slacker71Kristmas Kthulhu
  • MaddocMaddoc I'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother? Registered User regular
    edited October 2021
    I guess I should probably try to work West into my schedule next year

    The con itself was never really impressive, but it was in such a convenient spot with loads of stuff around it, compared to something like East which is located in the middle of nowhere (Well, as much as that is possible within a city)

    Maddoc on
    97H9G7S.png PSN - Masked Unit | FFXIV - Laitarne Gilgamesh
    Ketar
  • Houk the NamebringerHouk the Namebringer Nipples The EchidnaRegistered User regular
    Moriveth wrote: »
    God I haven't been to PAX proper in forever, I really wanna hang out with you nerds somehow, sometime.

    speaking of (sorta) I keep meaning to reply to your PM but dang these last couple weeks have been crazy hectic. but i'll get back to you, promise!

  • MorivethMoriveth BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWNRegistered User regular
    edited October 2021
    Moriveth wrote: »
    God I haven't been to PAX proper in forever, I really wanna hang out with you nerds somehow, sometime.

    speaking of (sorta) I keep meaning to reply to your PM but dang these last couple weeks have been crazy hectic. but i'll get back to you, promise!

    Too late, I already burned an effigy of you in a symbolic destruction of our friendship.
    But it was a phoenix effigy so you know, it came back, so take your time
    Also literally while typing this I remembered what your real name is, so that's pretty funny

    Moriveth on
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  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    This is so sad

    Megan and I were just talking yesterday about how much we were looking forward to next year cause we missed everyone

    It’s real hard for us to get all the way up to Seattle or Boston, so South was a joy; a few hours in the car vs. 28 hours in the car (or a real expensive plane ticket)

    It was also the one time of year we got to play board games with “our people”

    Fucking sucks y’all

    MegaMan001
  • NaphtaliNaphtali Hazy + Flow SeaRegistered User regular
    pax south got old yeller'd

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  • pookapooka Registered User regular
    Just a reminder to vote in the 2022 midterms, folks. And keep these fuckers from securing gerrymandering more.

    I am disappoint.

    I suppose not too surprised, tho. I did like some of the panels and would pick up stuff from vendors, but the con was mostly hanging out in tabletop for me; I grew up on small cons, so South was a good fit.

    But yeah, people can still set up a mini-vacay in San Antonio and expand BoringPax; Austin is a good town, but I live there, so for me, San Antonio is chill and a nice change. Also, rocking karaoke and now food in one. I haven't checked how they're managing the plague, tho, admittedly. The landscape has surely altered.

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    JaysonFour
  • see317see317 Registered User regular
    This is so sad

    Megan and I were just talking yesterday about how much we were looking forward to next year cause we missed everyone

    It’s real hard for us to get all the way up to Seattle or Boston, so South was a joy; a few hours in the car vs. 28 hours in the car (or a real expensive plane ticket)

    It was also the one time of year we got to play board games with “our people”

    Fucking sucks y’all

    Yeah, the smaller size was a definite plus in my book. Some people love the big crowds, but to me they're just stifling.
    Even South was on the upper end of my comfort zone.

    Sure, the shorter distance was nice, driving down from Colorado over a couple of days wasn't too harsh, but driving to Boston or Seattle? Not really in the books.

    joshofalltrades
  • ZythonZython Registered User regular
    Lasbrook wrote: »


    Hello PAX come to Austin sometime IDK.

    Shit, I was hoping to come back in '22 or '23. Had a much better time in PAX South than in PAX East.

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  • MaddocMaddoc I'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother? Registered User regular
    It can't be overstated just how much nicer the area around the convention center is in San Antonio compared to the Seaport district in Boston

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  • MKRMKR Registered User regular
    It was going to be a coin flip between that and Texas Furry Fiesta if I ever made it out that way. I know I don't post much...at all anymore but I did want to meet some of the PA crowd in person.

    Ringo
  • Mortal SkyMortal Sky queer punk hedge witchRegistered User regular
    I'd told myself that I was gonna make it one of these years but the main problem was it was always super close to, or on the same weekend as, MAGFest

    And unfortunately I have the in on free hotelling for the latter after years and years of volunteering

  • Goose!Goose! That's me, honey Show me the way home, honeyRegistered User regular
    This is a bummer, but at least the last PAX South was an excellent one.

    Anyone know any cool conventions in early 2022? I know Magfest is Jan 6-9

  • crwthcrwth THAT'S IT Registered User regular
    southtown 🥺

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  • TofystedethTofystedeth Registered User regular
    I will miss my yearly visit to Kimura Ramen. And yeah, Southtown.

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    ASimPerson
  • MadicanMadican No face Registered User regular
    Y'know, I never did make it to Kimura Ramen. I went with somebody but we didn't realize they were closed at the time and it was the last day of PAX. Then we wandered back to the convention hall after getting a little lost.

  • MaddocMaddoc I'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother? Registered User regular
    I will miss my yearly visit to Kimura Ramen. And yeah, Southtown.

    Well if you come to PAX East, we can head over to Chinatown and get some ramen

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    Dark Raven XSlacker71
  • Speed RacerSpeed Racer Scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratchRegistered User regular
    I mean tbh it's not like Southtown, that vaguely creepy karaoke place, or the Sheraton lobby are closing down

    If enough people agreed to meet up at the same time I'd still go hang out for a weekend

    Like we were saying the convention itself hasn't really been a draw for years

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  • AphostileAphostile San Francisco, CARegistered User regular
    Booooooooooooouuurrrnnnns.

    Nothing. Matters.
    Tonkka
  • ASimPersonASimPerson Cold... and hard.Registered User regular
    What a huge bummer. I always had a great time with folks there and I can never really repay y'all showing up for my run at the Omegathon in 2017.

  • PerrsunPerrsun Registered User regular
    I totally understand the reasoning for cancelling, especially given the whole pandemic hellhole the TX govt is trying to be… but when I read the statement and see

    “PAX South hasn’t expanded and to some extent has remained the same show that it was when we opened it in 2015”

    That’s a selling point for me. That makes me want to go back more.

    It was great getting to go to PAX East every year from the first time and see how it grew, but it feels like it became unsustainable; it was so big I couldn’t go anymore because tickets were too hard to get, and hotels nearby were too hard to get, and even if I got both of those it was just a convention of WAITING IN LINES. So I had to stop trying.

    And then South sprung up and had that “first time/smaller scale feel and it was like yeah… this is what I want.

    I feel like it’s totally OK to have a smaller PAX.

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  • MaddocMaddoc I'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother? Registered User regular
    Numbers must always go up

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  • CelloCello Registered User regular
    In all honesty as a foreigner, Texas has been getting a little... scary

    I was really deliberating how comfortable I was for a future PAX and well, I guess the decision was made for me

    Gonna be putting some work into planning a PAX North for June-ish, should anyone be craving some forumer hangs and require a reason for a passport update; we'll post about it soon

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  • CelloCello Registered User regular
    Perrsun wrote: »
    I totally understand the reasoning for cancelling, especially given the whole pandemic hellhole the TX govt is trying to be… but when I read the statement and see

    “PAX South hasn’t expanded and to some extent has remained the same show that it was when we opened it in 2015”

    That’s a selling point for me. That makes me want to go back more.

    It was great getting to go to PAX East every year from the first time and see how it grew, but it feels like it became unsustainable; it was so big I couldn’t go anymore because tickets were too hard to get, and hotels nearby were too hard to get, and even if I got both of those it was just a convention of WAITING IN LINES. So I had to stop trying.

    And then South sprung up and had that “first time/smaller scale feel and it was like yeah… this is what I want.

    I feel like it’s totally OK to have a smaller PAX.

    The selling point to go to South every year was the inexpensive city, the excuse to wear cosplay, and the chill PAX where we had no option but to hang out for entertainment, for me

    West and East both had so much shit going on that you couldn't really plan big group stuff as everyone had their own thing going on

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  • KrathoonKrathoon Registered User regular
    San Antonio was so safe to wander around in. You could go to the mall and have an ice cream cone or go to Dave and Buster's. Walk the Riverwalk and go to a restaurant.

    It was a more relaxed PAX.

    jmb83
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