New to PAX, suggestions?

JFresh1977

Hi,

First, I couldn't find anything either by searching or browsing through the current threads on this so I thought I'd create this one .

I'm interested in hitting up PAX next year . I'll be coming with my g/f from Detroit MI and we'll more than likely be flying there. So my question to all of you is what suggestions do you have to ensure a trip with minimal headaches? I know we'll have a blast, that much is certain. Ultimatley what I want to know is, all of you looking back on your previous trip(s), are there things you wish you had brought, things you wish you had done but didn't etc? Things you wish you had known before you went so as to prepare for it? Etc.

Any help you can provide would be great! Thanks!

JFresh1977

b0wser

I would start by going through this thread

It can have a bit of a negative tone, but it's really a decent source of information on what to expect. It'll need a bunch of updating since this year, but it's still a basic idea.

Moe Fwacky

Yeah that thing needs some serious updating for the new venue. If anybody wants to donate pictures of the different aspects of pax from this year to the cause, just shoot me a PM. I've already got a few ideas for new sections and the like.

JFresh1977

Thanks for the link! Much appreciated . I did know about it being at a new venue for 07 . What made it so different this time around? And is a revision in the works? If not, what additions/revisions would you make to it? Again, thanks for all of your help!

Moe Fwacky

PAX moved from the Meydenbauer Convention Center in Bellevue, WA to the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in downtown Seattle. This venue is much larger and affects the feel of things, the capacity of theaters is larger, etc. Because of the large space and layout of the new center, thing feel more segregated in the past. I know I spent about 90% of PAX on the fourth floor, so I may never have run into people who were just doing things on the third floor. A revision is in the works, but school comes first, so it's slow-going right now.

b0wser

One of the major differences this 07 over 06 was that there was a lot more room. I could actually stick out my arms and actually have an empty radius around me, whereas this was entirely not possible with how packed things got in 2006 at the Meydenbauer.

BrokenAngel

For the love of god don't forget your camera. I did in '06 and it was incredibly sad

Past that, the guide covers most things I could think of. Except for mentioning how much MORE fun PAX is when you have a ton of friends to meet. I had a blast this year with a lot of the other forumers, and meeting these guys in person made it just that much more fun and special to me ^.^

petfish

Comfortable walking shoes. Seriously. Especially as PAX grows, you'll find yourself on your feet a lot, standing around talking or doing things, or walking from place to place. Our space was big enough this year that I was experiencing new and unpleasant sensations in my feet a few days after PAX was over. (Admittedly, your mileage may vary.)

Liger

Don't try to survive on Bawls alone. Drink water and eat regularly. It might even be smart to keep some multivitamins or Airborne in your hotel room. You spend a lot more energy walking, talking and gaming than you would think.

Augustus

Try the local cuisine, even if it's just ordering pizza from a local parlor.

Just trust me on this. You're denying yourself a lot if you like seafood and spend your whole time in town on fast food.

JFresh1977

Excellent . This is exactly the kind of advice I wanted. I noticed in the suggested thread that they talked a lot about bringing your own computer and the advantages/disadvantages of it, but I didn't really get a sense of whether or not is was worth it. What are your recommendations? Do people with only really nice systems bring theirs? Mine's a few years old now and I'm hoping to upgrade it very soon. Still, is it worth it? Do they have PC's available that anyone can use? Is using a PC provided by PAX even a possibility given how many people attend?

Finally, I can totally relate about checking out the local cuisine. Any suggestions?

Again, thanks for all of your help!

BrokenAngel

BYOC is a really awesome place. You don't have to have a top of the line computer, heck my computer broke on the trip and was useless all weekend, but I still found it worth it. It's like a nerdy VIP room, it's a great place to store your swag, just sit down and hang out with everyone when you get exhausted from walking around, or if you actually have a working computer (unlike me) you can even play games too!

There are PAX provided computers to play certain games on in the freeplay room I do believe, but thats separate from BYOC, and you don't get to just sit and hang out and play/do whatever at your leisure as far as I know. But I didn't go to freeplay so don't take my word on it.

Tonkka

Bring me an Yzerman jersey and I'll let you stay at my apartment.

Seriously though, the local cuisine is really particular to your own tastes... I like cheeseburgers with peanut butter on them.

(and don't forget the jersey)