The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.

Questions concerning HvZ at PAX

splntrdsplntrd Registered User new member
edited May 2008 in PAX Archive
So I'm trying to get a group of Humans Vs. Zombies players from Indiana to PAX.

Problem is, none of us have ever been to PAX, or the Washington State Convention Center, so we don't know the layout or what it's going to be like. So I just had a few questions.

Anybody know how viable its going to be for us to run outdoor scrimmages or missions? How late are the convention center grounds open to conventioneers? Is there anything we should know about, while planning something like this?

splntrd on

Posts

  • BigRedBigRed Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited May 2008
    splntrd wrote: »
    So I'm trying to get a group of Humans Vs. Zombies players from Indiana to PAX.

    Problem is, none of us have ever been to PAX, or the Washington State Convention Center, so we don't know the layout or what it's going to be like. So I just had a few questions.

    Anybody know how viable its going to be for us to run outdoor scrimmages or missions? How late are the convention center grounds open to conventioneers? Is there anything we should know about, while planning something like this?

    Theres a large park right next to the convention center (freeway park) that this would work for.

    http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=47.610178,-122.33035&spn=0.006517,0.009205&t=h&z=17
    (the large building over convention pl is the WSCTC)

    Freeway park is open all the time, convention center (and pax) is closed at 3ish (whatever the hours of pax end up being)

    BigRed on
    <MoeFwacky> besides, BigRed-Worky is right
  • HotSakeHotSake Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    What's Humans vs Zombies?

    HotSake on
    hotsakepaxsigbl0.png
  • VThornheartVThornheart Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    I've heard mention of it... it sounds like a complex version of tag, sort of. I don't know the details, but I remember someone mentioning it.

    VThornheart on
    3DS Friend Code: 1950-8938-9095
  • Pat McRotchPat McRotch Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    This reeks of LARPing.... o_O

    Pat McRotch on
    xPat+McR0tch.png
    patmcrotch.png
  • NorthNorth Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    http://media.goucherzombies.com/hvzsource/

    Watch the video. It seems pretty fun.

    North on
  • NorthNorth Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Should note that nerf weaponry isn't allowed inside PAX itself.

    North on
  • MurphysParadoxMurphysParadox Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Sounds like a great bit of fun (much like team Assassins) but I imagine the 'no nerf' rule would make the game a bit harder to play... I imagine it would lead to zombies hanging around outside the exits and humans having to make a mad dash through the siege just to get back to the hotel and what zombie would want to miss out on the convention itself?

    MurphysParadox on
    Murphy's Law: Whatever can go wrong will go wrong.
    Murphy's Paradox: The more you plan, the more that can go wrong. The less you plan, the less likely your plan will succeed.
  • splntrdsplntrd Registered User new member
    edited May 2008
    From the FAQ:

    Can I bring my nerf gun/lightsaber/other weird thing?
    Don't bring anything that would annoy another attendee or set us up for a crazy lawsuit. PAX is not an event run by some giant corporate entity; it's a big party we throw for the gaming community in general and PA readers in particular. Have fun, but be cool.

    I interpreted this to mean "don't annoy other attendees", meaning if we brought nerf guns inside, they would just have to remain unloaded and purely for show, and definitely not for play purposes, and never to be fired inside. Considering we have similar rules on our campus, that's not a problem. However, if there's an actual, more straightforward rulesset somewhere that says "no nerf guns/pretend weapons inside the convention center" then that shouldn't be a problem at all, since we'll only be playing at night, not during the convention itself.

    And its not a LARP; there's no more roleplay involved than playing Halo. It's basically just guys with guns versus guys with no guns. Done well, it's a lot like playing a FPS, but in real life, and with a healthy combination of the campaign mode and server play. During a full game there's an elaborate plot, but its basically just used as a framework to justify the missions.

    And that park looks PERFECT; thanks for the tip, BigRed!

    splntrd on
  • LigerLiger Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Last year we asked people to remove their nerf from the convention center. I'm pretty sure it's the same this year. :P Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

    Liger on
    5932306549_6b4d957b56.jpg CUSTOM LANYARDS FOR PAX
  • b0wserb0wser PAX HHL Deputy Manager CanadaRegistered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Liger wrote: »
    Last year we asked people to remove their nerf from the convention center. I'm pretty sure it's the same this year. :P Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

    We all know how badly you'd like to bring yours along Liger. If an Enforcer cannot bring a small arsenal to PAX, I'm pretty sure attendees won't be allowed either.

    b0wser on
  • LigerLiger Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Umm. I know? :P That's why I'm saying not to bring it.

    Liger on
    5932306549_6b4d957b56.jpg CUSTOM LANYARDS FOR PAX
  • HotSakeHotSake Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Well, you could probably still use the Nerf guns if you simply declare the WSCTC a safe zone. Then there'd be no need for them inside. I did see something about socks, though. Do they mean throwing balled up socks as a weapon instead of using Nerf? Or whacking zombies with a sock full of quarters like Homey the Clown ;)

    Anyway, I'm officially interested in this.

    HotSake on
    hotsakepaxsigbl0.png
  • nearlysobernearlysober Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Keep in mind that the vast majority of people attending PAX, including those going out to the park, don't want to be hassled with flying projectiles or people running around out of control not paying attention to where they are going because they're being chased by zombies.

    Not saying don't do it... just saying be respectful of everyone else who doesn't like being hit by random objects/people.

    nearlysober on
  • HotSakeHotSake Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Keep in mind that the vast majority of people attending PAX, including those going out to the park, don't want to be hassled with flying projectiles or people running around out of control not paying attention to where they are going because they're being chased by zombies.

    Not saying don't do it... just saying be respectful of everyone else who doesn't like being hit by random objects/people.

    Well yeah, you should always check your lines of fire. Still, if someone is put off by people running around in a public park, they really need to pop some downers. Anyway, this thing seems like a slower paced, long term game anyway. I think the point of the park is to have a location to which players can be required to go, helping the sides find each other and speeding up the game. I don't think there'd be frantic action all the time. More Assassins, less Rugby if you know what I mean.

    HotSake on
    hotsakepaxsigbl0.png
  • MR.TMR.T Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    This sounds way cool! I think we could eliminate problems with bystanders by clearly identifying players. Zombies typically wore hankerchiefs on their head in the video. Maybe humans could wear one on their arm then switch to their heads when turned. How would this work speeded-up, though. It seemed like a game of endurance. I guess we could force the humans to do several tasks like gathering food and the like with the zombies in wait. This could be seriously fun! I suddenly have the urge to laugh evilly BWAHAHAHAHA! :twisted:

    MR.T on
  • HotSakeHotSake Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Seriously, for an event like this, you need a guaranteed way to concentrate the players. It's easy to get lost in the crowd, and we're on a relatively short schedule. If we had to wait for all the zombies to go 48 hours without feeding, or to catch every last human, the game would never end during PAX. Missions and such are gonna be pretty much required. Also, the way I read it, humans wore a bandana around the leg, and zombies wore it around the head.

    HotSake on
    hotsakepaxsigbl0.png
  • MR.TMR.T Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    HotSake, you're probably right, I just skimmed the movie! We definately have to compress the timetable. Is the OP around. Is he/she going to organize this? *hopes*

    MR.T on
  • splntrdsplntrd Registered User new member
    edited May 2008
    I GM'ed a 160-player game of this at my campus this last semester, as well as several smaller-scale 20-50 player "training missions." The semester before the game had about 400 players registered.

    Speaking from experience with the training missions, the game's really, really easy to compress. All you do is change the goals from "reduce the other team to 0" to "complete these mission objectives and optionally keep the other team from completing theirs." The optional objective for the zombies generally includes reducing the other team to 0. Since the humans can't viably do that to the zombies, they have even more reason to complete their own objectives.

    You have mission start times and usually end times in the evening, and the rest of the time there's no play, so there wouldn't even be an issue of bringing nerf guns into the convention center. If they were, they'd be in bookbags anyway. For the training missions, we usually just picked teams (with a 2:1 ratio favoring zombies, to make the mission fair for the zombies and put pressure on the humans), but what we'll probably do at PAX is a series of 3 nightly missions where the teams remain constant from night to night. This will make humans more likely to want to preserve their teammates and their own lives.

    And yes, socks are used as soft projectiles in place of nerf darts. They're wickedly effective, and never jam. :P Also, at my school we identify teams with kelly green bandanas. Humans wear bandanas on their arms, zombies wear bandanas on their heads, stunned zombies put bandanas around their necks.

    splntrd on
  • The_ReflectionThe_Reflection Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    id be down for this as a night activity

    The_Reflection on
  • MR.TMR.T Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Does anyone know if the park closes at night?

    MR.T on
  • MR.TMR.T Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Also, how long would each of these sessions take? I might be interested but not if this eats up all of my evenings at PAX.

    MR.T on
This discussion has been closed.