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Bringing an appropriate attitude to PAX
caddyalan
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
PAX Prime 2010 will be my first video game specific fan convention. So even though I've been a video game fanboy for two decades, I'm not entirely sure what sort of attitude would be appropriate for the con.
I know for sure that politeness matters. Just as it would have been rude to say to another fan "Sonic rules! Mario is for babies!" back in the early 90s, today it's rude flame bait to say to another fan "Western RPGs rule! Eastern RPGs are for weeaboos!" (And mind you, even though I like Simcity, Worms, and Civilization, my tastes are rather weeaboo-ish.)
However, I'm not sure what the fan etiquette is on other matters:
- What is appropriate behavior with indie games? Do other PAX attendees enjoy oddball, artsy PC games, or do they prefer to discuss other types of entertainment?
- Do PAX attendees tend to like serious, complex 3D action games, or do they prefer other genres?
I ask this because I want to know what attitudes are accepted. I don't want to be the only person extolling the virtues of 2D games, experimental computer games, or super-cute games (that I tend to like).
If this topic is redundant, please let me know.
I know for sure that politeness matters. Just as it would have been rude to say to another fan "Sonic rules! Mario is for babies!" back in the early 90s, today it's rude flame bait to say to another fan "Western RPGs rule! Eastern RPGs are for weeaboos!" (And mind you, even though I like Simcity, Worms, and Civilization, my tastes are rather weeaboo-ish.)
However, I'm not sure what the fan etiquette is on other matters:
- What is appropriate behavior with indie games? Do other PAX attendees enjoy oddball, artsy PC games, or do they prefer to discuss other types of entertainment?
- Do PAX attendees tend to like serious, complex 3D action games, or do they prefer other genres?
I ask this because I want to know what attitudes are accepted. I don't want to be the only person extolling the virtues of 2D games, experimental computer games, or super-cute games (that I tend to like).
If this topic is redundant, please let me know.
caddyalan on
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This discussion has been closed.
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Your attitude should just be this: positive.
All you need to know...
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Aye, you'll fit in fine, just don't worry too much about it and remember Wheaton's Law (aka "Don't be a dick"). As long as you don't go around doing things to intentionally harm or anger other people, you'll likely find a large group of people with similar interests.
I highly recommend you join the Magical Mystery Tour if you're looking to meet people early: it's a great way to really socialize with a lot of hardcore PAX goers early, and get accustomed to the climate and to introducing yourself to the community at large. The MMT is prime time to find people that you'll run into at PAX periodically and shout out to... it adds a lot to the "PAX is home" effect.
If you're of the appropriate age to do so, another good activity is the Pre-PAX Pub Crawl (run by our own Atlus Parker). More info should be coming soon I imagine, keep an eye out on the forums!
Anyways, as long as you are true to yourself and have fun, you're bound to run into a lot of people who you enjoy the company of, and who will enjoy yours as well!
Short version: politeness of course, and tolerance should be your watchwords. That's what you should bring, and that's what you can expect from others.
When people say PAX is the Internet made real, that's mostly the good parts. People don't troll IRL. Sometimes people are unintentionally inconsiderate or rude, but almost never deliberately. People don't generally spend hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars to fly cross-country and stay in an expensive downtown hotel to be mean to others. Even if you are socially inexperienced and fit in better on the Internet, PAX is a good place for you.
Generally people are open-minded. Very few people come to PAX only because they expect hands-on time with one or two unreleased games and that's all they care about. Sure some people never come to Tabletop (shame on you! :-) ) or never come to PC freeplay, and if you start a conversation about a tabletop game you liked, or an indie game you found, they may not be terribly interested. They might be though.
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If you're nice, Don't be a Dick, and use manners, you'll get that back two fold.
If you're being a douche, being That Guy and just being miserable, you'll get that back two fold.
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PAX is a social gathering. Leave your forum avatar at the door, for God's sake. We don't take sides against each other on anything. We don't discuss our differences, as that is not something you do when you wish to endear yourself to others in a social context. Instead, you act like a decent human being and do the following:
Be cool.
Be nice.
Be friendly.
Don't be a dick.
Indie games:
Whenver an indie game is shown off at PAX, nearly 100% of the time, the guys who made the game are the ones showing it off. If you wish to avoid a socially awkward situation when discussing these games while looking at them, remember what your mother told you: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Otherwise I just about guarantee that you will hurt a dev's feelings and, worse yet, their self esteem, as they are often within earshot. Remember: When you trash someone's creative output, it can be very damaging, as it is a human tendency to take harsh criticism very personally.
What do PAX attendees prefer?
We prefer fun and cool people to hang out with. This means that what games we prefer does not figure in to the PAX equation. It's not like you have to "lurk" at PAX a couple of years before you can start interacting with its attendees without fear of reprisal for not knowing how to behave.
As for your final paragraph... Since all different kinds of people with all different kinds of tastes attend PAX, you should have no trouble fitting in. You will find plenty of people who believe 2D games to be superior (I still play me some Sonic and Klonoa), there are plenty of people there who like to play quirky games that have not penetrated the mainstream, and you'll certainly find people who like cutesy stuff. You can pick out the latter-most of these simply by looking at the attendees. Some flaunt their cutesy tastes.
So relax. You are welcome at PAX, so long as you are nice.
I like to consider myself a pretty normal person: I have a good group of friends, a girlfriend, I socialize regularly and am a contributing member of society. I'm active and have diverse interests, the most prominent of which is video games. I have only one acquaintance with whom I can chat about the industry and the culture surrounding it. This is great to a certain extent but the majority of our time is spent with a larger group doing unrelated things. Because of this, my ability to express and share ideas on video games is limited to my online interactions. Not necessarily a bad thing, but certainly more prohibitive that one would like.
In the time leading up to PAX East of this year, I got familiar with this forum as well as the Enforcer community (I volunteered to wear the Red). The people seemed very friendly and willing to accept newcomers, making my first impressions quite positive. This did not, however, do justice in indicating the sheer awesomeness of actually attending PAX.
I expected to find the multitude of geeks and nerds attending. I expected to see an expo hall full of sweet new games and try out a few before the rest of the world. I expected to sit in on interesting and informative panels led by industry and community leaders. What I did not expect was the passion, enthusiasm and fellowship that bound the con together.
Imagine 50,000 people sporting t-shirts covering every obscure video game, movie and TV show reference from Sonic to Star Wars. Lighthearted lunchtime debates between Red decks and Black decks. Roving bands of TF2 cosplay teams. Random Pokemon battles in the corridors and more memes, nerd jokes, and geek speak than you can imagine.
For me, it was a religious experience. I don't mean that in the biblical sense. Rather, it was one of those rare times when everything seemed "right." When you pack that many like-minded people into a small enough space and occupy their time with the one thing they find most interesting, the result is a truly positive experience.
I can 100% guarantee that, baring a wedding, birth of a child or winning the lottery, your first PAX will be one of the greatest experiences of your life.
Don't worry about "appropriate behavior" (well, other than not being a dickhead). PAX is not a web forum. Just be cool and be yourself. People who are hyper-agressive on web forums are rarely remotely near as abrasive in person. No one is gonna be like "the new thread button is not a toy!!!" or whatever other ridiculousness that goes on.
I'm sure you'll find someone who's into the types of games you are.
Massive Crystal Cavern!
A person at PAX begins a conversation, immediately all surrounding persons berate him for failing to search the convention for a conversation on this topic before starting a new one, and direct him three floors down and to the far end of the convention center where there is, indeed, a conversation on this topic currently in progress.