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PAX Tips?

f0cusf0cus Registered User regular
edited October 2010 in PAX Archive
New to the forums, and I'm a bit overwhelmed. Trying to read everything, but my question essentially boils down to "What am I missing?"

My girlfriend and I went to PAX last year and had an absolutely amazing time. Had a great time during the day, met people and went out to dinner with them two out of the three nights we were there, and absolutely could not wait to come back. We both felt like it was summer camp for geeky adults. But especially after skimming the forums for just 20 minutes or so I cannot help but feel like I missed out on a TON of happenings. So ultimately... what's happening that isn't officially advertised or loudly talked about?

I've heard about some of the things, and have a tough time telling if they're open invitation, or just restricted to longtime forum members/established forum members.

Pre-PAX dinner, Poke-crawl (I've heard it mentioned with zero idea of what it is), PAX Pokemon League (LOVE THE IDEA), etc.

I love the feeling of community that Penny Arcade fans have. But as an outside observer and new blood, I feel a bit intimidated trying to figure this all out and become a deeper part of it.

Thank you for your time.

XBox - Angry Cremepuff
PSN - AngryCremepuff
f0cus on

Posts

  • SinkuuSinkuu Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    poke crawl is bar hopping the night before with a pokemon theme. some cosplaying if so desired.

    pre-PAX dinner is simply that. a bunch of people from the forums monopolize a restaurant to hang out, and be geeky. I wound up sitting with a bunch of guys I did'nt know, including an enforcer, bullshitted for a little while, and enjoyed the place.

    don't sweat trying to take it all in. you can't. not unless you naruto'd yourself into about 1000 clones and had them all do different things, and then downloaded it all when the con was over. which would make you a vegetable.

    just keep an eye out, plan a few things you want to do, allow some time for serendipity to smack you upside the head, and you'll have fun.

    Sinkuu on
    they made me a signature, but I eated it. and I have an 18 inch laptop. :P
  • ottoman673ottoman673 Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    I was just about to make a similar post. Just joined the forums myself.. looking at going to PAX this march, first con ever.. hope i'm not terribly overwhelmed! lol.

    My scenario's a little different though - i'm 18, probably coming to Boston on my own and have absolutely no idea what to expect.. my goal was to have a few friendships developed hopefully before i went.. 'cause who just wants to go alone?

    But yeah..ordered up my 3 day pass a few nights ago, found a cheap flight roundtrip to boston, and am looking forward to [and saving plenty of money for] march. A little guidance on what to do would be great, though

    ottoman673 on
    PAX East 2012 Checklist: [x] 3 Day Pass [x] Time off Work [x] Flight [x] Hotel
  • whypick1whypick1 PAX [E] Info Booth Manager ~2' from an LCDRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Last year's PokeCrawl thread. Not sure how it'll go this year with BCEC being (relatively) far away from the "action" in Boston. Last year, 3 of the bars were right in front of the convention center.

    whypick1 on
    Is it PAX <insert nearest future PAX here> yet?
  • f0cusf0cus Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    ottoman673 wrote: »
    I was just about to make a similar post. Just joined the forums myself.. looking at going to PAX this march, first con ever.. hope i'm not terribly overwhelmed! lol.

    My scenario's a little different though - i'm 18, probably coming to Boston on my own and have absolutely no idea what to expect.. my goal was to have a few friendships developed hopefully before i went.. 'cause who just wants to go alone?

    But yeah..ordered up my 3 day pass a few nights ago, found a cheap flight roundtrip to boston, and am looking forward to [and saving plenty of money for] march. A little guidance on what to do would be great, though
    Good luck! Yeah, trust me... you cannot save enough money. You'll be a bit sad being underage and missing out on some of the bar fun (both of the groups I met up with ended up at bars), but there's so much to do in the con itself that you'll never be bored. And yeah, friendships are a given, especially if you stay active with Twitter/Facebook/Woofetc. Where are you coming from?

    f0cus on
    XBox - Angry Cremepuff
    PSN - AngryCremepuff
  • Tokyoeyez1670Tokyoeyez1670 Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    ottoman673 wrote: »
    I was just about to make a similar post. Just joined the forums myself.. looking at going to PAX this march, first con ever.. hope i'm not terribly overwhelmed! lol.

    My scenario's a little different though - i'm 18, probably coming to Boston on my own and have absolutely no idea what to expect.. my goal was to have a few friendships developed hopefully before i went.. 'cause who just wants to go alone?

    I'm with you buddy this will be my first con EVER! I will be going alone too... So now we gotta become friends so we don't be alone! :mrgreen:

    Tokyoeyez1670 on
  • HeleorHeleor SeattleRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    whypick1 wrote: »
    Last year's PokeCrawl thread. Not sure how it'll go this year with BCEC being (relatively) far away from the "action" in Boston. Last year, 3 of the bars were right in front of the convention center.

    We're going to be taking the T for the barcrawl, I believe.

    f0cus: Awesome that you love the concept of the league. We're looking forward to you challenging us. :)

    Heleor on
  • bushnrvnbushnrvn Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    ottoman673 wrote: »
    I was just about to make a similar post. Just joined the forums myself.. looking at going to PAX this march, first con ever.. hope i'm not terribly overwhelmed! lol.

    My scenario's a little different though - i'm 18, probably coming to Boston on my own and have absolutely no idea what to expect.. my goal was to have a few friendships developed hopefully before i went.. 'cause who just wants to go alone?

    But yeah..ordered up my 3 day pass a few nights ago, found a cheap flight roundtrip to boston, and am looking forward to [and saving plenty of money for] march. A little guidance on what to do would be great, though

    This.

    I am new to the forums as well and I came here immediately after purchasing my 3 day pass. Since I have joined this community I have seen nothing but an eagerness to help and genuine friendliness across the board.

    My point is that if you are looking for friends, you've come to the right place.

    bushnrvn on
    PAX Prime 2013 checklist: 4 Day Pass [X] Accommodations [X] Travel [ ] Time Off [X]
  • smerksmerk Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    This East will be my fourth PAX (Prime 09, East 10, Prime 10 and now East 11). I didn't know anyone the first time around either, but that issue gets resolved very quickly. It has always taken me a little while to warm up and start talking to strangers etc, but I have met some awesome people, who I now consider friends.

    A little advice, which I don't follow anything like I should: Get involved before you come. Badges, Assassins, Cookie Brigade, ETA (yay trains), Pre-PAX events in your area (or area adjacent), or just hang out on the forum.

    Also, pre-plan your convention events. Any schedule will be blown to hell within an hour, but it gives you a framework and an on-paper understanding of what will be going on at PAX.

    Try to accommodate as close to the con as you can. The convention center closes at 2am, and there is tons of ancillary stuff going on around that area. It's worth the money if it's going to cost a little more.

    Try and work up a sleep credit if you can. Sleeping while PAX is on can be as tough a choice as any decision about what to do at the con itself. Note that this is something I never do but should.

    Above all, follow the advice of Doctor Who: "Look around, meet people, use the wrong verbs..Get charged double and end up kissing complete strangers" Jump in and have fun.

    smerk on
    What is this 'Pants' of which you speak?
  • FrugusFrugus Photographer MontrealRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    If I may point you to this thread... It's a wall of text but it should answer many of your questions.

    What everyone said here is true. I'll only add that having a mobile device with data access is almost a must if you really want to know where and when everything is happening. The PA community organises alot of stuff which you can read about in advance, but companies will also make announcements here and there. Sometimes last year they where either last minute or purposfully secretive, asking that people follow them on twitter.

    Not to mention that it's also a great way to meet up with other forumers.

    Frugus on
    Frugus Eggbeater
    ufCl1ui.png
  • RdrRdr Rider Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    If you're lost in the forums and overwhelmed and just want to know about things going on with East 2011 then there's two things that can help you.

    1.) In my Hitchhiker's Guide to PAX East 2011 thread there is a forum guide that collects all the important East 2011 threads: http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=127998

    2.) Go to the main PAX | The Penny Arcade Expo! forum and scroll down. Look for "Display Options" and change the prefix to East and and change the "From the" to whatever you want. Basically East threads started about 3 weeks ago.

    Any member here is welcome to join a community event. That's the whole point really. :) You'll reply you're interested and be added to the list in the OP. If its something like PPD(Pre PAX Dinner) then you just gotta buy your ticket when signups are happening.

    Rdr on
  • VisionOfClarityVisionOfClarity Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    ottoman673 wrote: »
    I was just about to make a similar post. Just joined the forums myself.. looking at going to PAX this march, first con ever.. hope i'm not terribly overwhelmed! lol.

    My scenario's a little different though - i'm 18, probably coming to Boston on my own and have absolutely no idea what to expect.. my goal was to have a few friendships developed hopefully before i went.. 'cause who just wants to go alone?

    But yeah..ordered up my 3 day pass a few nights ago, found a cheap flight roundtrip to boston, and am looking forward to [and saving plenty of money for] march. A little guidance on what to do would be great, though

    PokeCrawl is definitely out then but there's the dinner (hosted by yours truly) and last year at the same time as the crawl there was a forum gaming night being held and I believe this will happen again this year as well.

    VisionOfClarity on
  • ottoman673ottoman673 Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    f0cus wrote: »
    ottoman673 wrote: »
    I was just about to make a similar post. Just joined the forums myself.. looking at going to PAX this march, first con ever.. hope i'm not terribly overwhelmed! lol.

    My scenario's a little different though - i'm 18, probably coming to Boston on my own and have absolutely no idea what to expect.. my goal was to have a few friendships developed hopefully before i went.. 'cause who just wants to go alone?

    But yeah..ordered up my 3 day pass a few nights ago, found a cheap flight roundtrip to boston, and am looking forward to [and saving plenty of money for] march. A little guidance on what to do would be great, though
    Good luck! Yeah, trust me... you cannot save enough money. You'll be a bit sad being underage and missing out on some of the bar fun (both of the groups I met up with ended up at bars), but there's so much to do in the con itself that you'll never be bored. And yeah, friendships are a given, especially if you stay active with Twitter/Facebook/Woofetc. Where are you coming from?


    I'm gonna be flying in from Grand Rapids, Michigan [the train from here would take 48 hours, x.x]

    and yeah, it'd be nice to meet up with some of you guys and maybe roomshare? That'd help alleviate the costs for all of us involved, since hotels don't seem to be cheap in Boston..

    As far as events, i'm kind of interested in the PAX Pokemon league... you'll be using HG/SS, right? If so i gotta get my hands on a copy of HG.

    Other than that, just gotta have Twitter and Facebook at the ready and i should be good to go!

    ottoman673 on
    PAX East 2012 Checklist: [x] 3 Day Pass [x] Time off Work [x] Flight [x] Hotel
  • RdrRdr Rider Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Yea PPL is HG/SS only.

    Rdr on
  • f0cusf0cus Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Yeah, I've been able to check out all the other great threads and think they're amazing and spectacularly helpful. Essentially just looking for a few tips (more tips?) from someone who's BEEN there, and is just now looking to make sure he is at least presented with all the options first.

    I know it's still 5 months away, so not everything is going to be decided yet. I'm just WILDLY excited, especially since it's gonna be a pretty non-stop few months coming up.

    One of the tips that I really somehow missed knowing about... don't neglect the Free Play lounge, especially once the show floor closes. That's gonna be one of your best bets for making friends.

    f0cus on
    XBox - Angry Cremepuff
    PSN - AngryCremepuff
  • largo233largo233 Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    One of the tips I keep hearing consistently is to wear comfortable shoes. Coming from an Army medic standpoint, this is highly important. Most soldiers' feet get really callused and blistered from wearing combat boots all day, especially if they're not the proper size. Also, wear socks if you are going to wear shoes, especially in the Boston weather. If it snows, you'll want to wear boots or avoid the outdoors as much as possible.

    As for myself, I have a great pair of tennis shoes that I'll probably wear. They're beat up but that's a good thing.

    I'm also excited for PAX East; this is my first video game con (went to an anime con a couple years ago) and I am stoked for it.

    largo233 on
    We may understand technology, medicine, the world, and the universe, but if we don't understand ourselves, we are destined to fail.

    My personal quote.
  • HeleorHeleor SeattleRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    People wear shoes without socks? O_o

    Heleor on
  • largo233largo233 Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Amazingly, yes, some people refuse to wear socks with shoes, but this is a bad thing, as it causes rubbing. Not to mention that socks make walking a lot more comfortable, especially if you get cotton and/or padded socks.

    Also, I'm laughing at anybody who wears flip flops to this.

    largo233 on
    We may understand technology, medicine, the world, and the universe, but if we don't understand ourselves, we are destined to fail.

    My personal quote.
  • Wraith260Wraith260 Happiest Goomba! Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    attended PAX East back in March and am a lil bit embarrassed to admit that i shyed away the community events that i knew about. though despite that still had a tremendously amazing time and honestly can't wait till i'm back in Boston next March.

    am not new to the forums and wasn't when i attended last year(though i would class myself as an almost perpetual lurker). however despite checking the forums on a regular basis in the lead up toe PAX East and one or two desperate pleas on the forums as certain aspects of my trip came crashing down around me the main thing i learned was that a smart phone is your friend at PAX. whether it be checking twitter feeds, keeping in touch with friends(old and new) or trying to group(for RPGs or any multiplayer game really), a slow and steady service is better than having no phone/service at all.


    EDIT: and for the record i still owe Ferris007 a drink after he came to my rescue when my hotel booking looked like it was about to be cancelled. God how i wish that was the only part of the booking that went wrong, but at the very least i've learned the lessons from the first(and till next March) only international trip i've made by myself.

    Wraith260 on
  • f0cusf0cus Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Wraith, mind sharing your complete horror story, if possible? Not to pry, but I feel like it might be a good bit of advice as what to worry about, what not to worry about, what you can avoid, etc.

    f0cus on
    XBox - Angry Cremepuff
    PSN - AngryCremepuff
  • Wraith260Wraith260 Happiest Goomba! Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    f0cus wrote: »
    Wraith, mind sharing your complete horror story, if possible? Not to pry, but I feel like it might be a good bit of advice as what to worry about, what not to worry about, what you can avoid, etc.

    to be honest a lot of it was completely my own fault(or at least i have no evidence to the contrary).

    the first problem was booking into the hotel. i was under the mistaken idea that the credit card i used to pre-book would automatically be the one billed when i checked into the hotel. this was not the case, and the card i wasn't able to cover the stay. thankfully i was able to sort that all out, but as you can imagine its a bit off putting to land in a foreign country and find you've potentially no where to stay.

    the second part i really have to take the entire blame for, even though i've no idea how i could possible have made such a mistake. it seems there was a slight discrepancy between checking out of my hotel and my flight home. a 24 hour discrepancy. :oops: and after the issues with booking into the hotel the first time around, it wasn't anymore fun the second time around.


    so lessons learned, read everything twice before confirming and check that everything syncs up and make sure you know exactly what you expect of your hotel and what they expect of you.

    so yeah, take from that what you will. either very helpful advice or proof that i'm a total idiot.

    Wraith260 on
  • It's not a tumorIt's not a tumor Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    I've learned to never make assumptions while traveling and always have contingency plans, because something will inevitably go wrong. Whether the flight gets delayed, you get lost, you underestimate your budget, the traffic is horrible, or the weather is a nightmare.

    It's not a tumor on
  • The Nekked NinjaThe Nekked Ninja Registered User new member
    edited October 2010
    This will be my first pax,we're taking my boy for his Christmas presant, he'll probably shit himself. He's 12 and loves games as much as I do, so I can only imagine his reaction. There's going to be 7 of us total driving from michigan. Anyone have any advice for taking kids? He's not little so I'm not too worried but I just want to make sure he has a good time and he's comfortable.

    The Nekked Ninja on
  • VisionOfClarityVisionOfClarity Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Give him breaks outside the con so he can unwind and relax. Don't want him overstimulated for 10+hours, 3 days in a row and then have to drive that long drive back with him twitching. I didn't see a lot of 12 year olds last year but it's likely I just didn't notice them because they were well behaved.

    I don't think we had a parents/kids meetup last year. Not sure how many are on the forums but it could be worth perusing.

    VisionOfClarity on
  • cadmiacadmia Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Well as this seems to be the first timer thread... :)

    This March will be my first trip to PAX and I would love to meet some people in advance. I'm still working out logistics of who will be coming with me, but to the extent that I can meet some folks here as well, I'm game!

    I'm coming from the DC area, flying in Thursday and leaving Monday. I'm staying at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront. Looking forward to seeing everyone!

    cadmia on
  • The Nekked NinjaThe Nekked Ninja Registered User new member
    edited October 2010
    Give him breaks outside the con so he can unwind and relax. Don't want him overstimulated for 10+hours, 3 days in a row and then have to drive that long drive back with him twitching. I didn't see a lot of 12 year olds last year but it's likely I just didn't notice them because they were well behaved.

    I don't think we had a parents/kids meetup last year. Not sure how many are on the forums but it could be worth perusing.

    Thanks for the advice. He'll be super excited, shit I am. I only wish I had something to give him on Christmas.

    The Nekked Ninja on
  • VisionOfClarityVisionOfClarity Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    You could get him a PA shirt. Or leave a voicemail on his cell/house line that is the "Welcome To Pax" intro from PA the series. Or get him the PAX DVD.

    VisionOfClarity on
  • FrugusFrugus Photographer MontrealRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    You could get him a PA shirt. Or leave a voicemail on his cell/house line that is the "Welcome To Pax" intro from PA the series. Or get him the PAX DVD.

    Never did a post make so much sense.

    Frugus on
    Frugus Eggbeater
    ufCl1ui.png
  • crackgoblincrackgoblin Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Oh Oh an absolutely HUGGGEEEE tip as this happened to my boyfriend

    - when booking your flight that has a connection, double check to make sure its a reasonable amount of time (im talking to you, atlanta airport!) my boyfriend had the last flight out of atlanta, missed his connection due to no part of his and the next flight didnt come into seattle until 11am the next day. we completely missed the keynote, q&a and any early plans we had.

    crackgoblin on
    its a secret to everyone
  • schussschuss Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Oh Oh an absolutely HUGGGEEEE tip as this happened to my boyfriend

    - when booking your flight that has a connection, double check to make sure its a reasonable amount of time (im talking to you, atlanta airport!) my boyfriend had the last flight out of atlanta, missed his connection due to no part of his and the next flight didnt come into seattle until 11am the next day. we completely missed the keynote, q&a and any early plans we had.

    Yes. Always take the first flights out, if possible. Leave 1-2 hours for connections, fly direct if possible. At the first sign of trouble, talk to the gate agent to get rerouted or get the info.

    schuss on
  • The Nekked NinjaThe Nekked Ninja Registered User new member
    edited October 2010
    You could get him a PA shirt. Or leave a voicemail on his cell/house line that is the "Welcome To Pax" intro from PA the series. Or get him the PAX DVD.

    PAX DVD you say? Awesome! At least that way he/we will know what to expect.

    The Nekked Ninja on
  • VisionOfClarityVisionOfClarity Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    VisionOfClarity on
  • VisionOfClarityVisionOfClarity Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Or if you want to keep it cheap: http://store.penny-arcade.com/products/pad070011

    VisionOfClarity on
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