I want to get engaged at PAX East 2011.

CovertOps · October 2010

My SO has been reading Penny Arcade for as long as I can remember. This will be our first year attending PAX (haven't been able to make it to Prime yet) and I know how exciting it will be for both of us. I have created this crazy idea in my head where I will propose on stage at PAX.

Is this actually possible to work out? Who should I contact to make it happen?

Or is this an impossibly silly plan that will never come to fruition?

Please help! I don't know where else to ask.

Also, I'm trying to keep them from finding out... So I'm omitting any and all information regarding us or our location/lives/backstory.

Thanks, guys!

/fingersCrossed

zerzhul · October 2010

you might be able to somehow work it in to one of the Q&A sessions... or maybe even make-a-strip if you were super lucky. The only thing I worry about is what sort of precedence this would create. It's a great idea to be sure but once someone does it, it may turn into something that is disruptive at various panels in the future. I would shoot an email to Khoo or any of the PA employees on the forums here perhaps.

<Omicron-8643> · October 2010

Now, I may be wrong, but wasn't there a discussion similar to this last East? And wasn't the idea shut down?

/hates being a wet blanket.

David Coffman · October 2010

Way to be such a wet blanket, Omicron. Gosh.

Sadly, the wet blanket is right. We get a bunch of requests each show, and in the end, it probably wouldn't feel all that special to be the 4th of 5 proposals featured at the event. So we had to make it a rule that we wouldn't do them anymore.

(Granted, that's a rule we quickly broke for PA staffer Erika Greco's current fiance at PAX Prime

.

Arco · October 2010

Epic story is epic.

flatline · October 2010

So the answer is, if you want to propose to your SO, get a job at Penny Arcade Enterprises, Inc, LLC, first.

CovertOps · October 2010

So... You're saying there's a chance!

I am in the job market, though I don't think I'm qualified for anything at PA.

Arco · October 2010

Nothing's stopping you from proposing during one of the Pre or Post-PAX community events, though!

BaconSandwich · October 2010

There was a proposal at a concert in PAX 09 if I'm not mistaken?

*goes back to watch DVDs*

Rdr · October 2010

BaconSandwich wrote: »

There was a proposal at a concert in PAX 09 if I'm not mistaken?

*goes back to watch DVDs*

Ya happened during Freezepop, actually.

So thats an idea, OP.

Also you could do it at like the Pre-Pax Dinner where there's gonna be like 50-100 peeps.

David Coffman · October 2010

Or you could propose to me. *winkywinky*

BaconSandwich · October 2010

Rdr wrote: »

BaconSandwich wrote: »

There was a proposal at a concert in PAX 09 if I'm not mistaken?

*goes back to watch DVDs*

Ya happened during Freezepop, actually.

So thats an idea, OP.

Also you could do it at like the Pre-Pax Dinner where there's gonna be like 50-100 peeps.

Thank you, because I got distracted by shiny things and didn't even check. I guess you would contact the artists to see if they would let you take up some of their stage time?

lucazzo · October 2010

<Omicron-8643> wrote: »

Now, I may be wrong, but wasn't there a discussion similar to this last East? And wasn't the idea shut down?

/hates being a wet blanket.

I recall someone asking about getting *married* during Pax East, Vegas style. Except there's a waiting period for a marriage license in Boston, so the idea went out the window.

BigRed · October 2010

Plus khoo shot down any weddings at PAX itself.

antherem · October 2010

Massively multiplayer public proposals are not nearly as romantic of an idea as they sound, OP.

Edit: Which isn't really my business. I apologize for my abject goosery.

Rdr · October 2010

antherem wrote: »

Massively multiplayer public proposals are not nearly as romantic of an idea as they sound, OP.

I think he knows his SO best and we shouldn't say things like this.

antherem · October 2010

That's fair.

If the big official stages aren't available what about something smaller like the RB Lounge? HMX might be amenable. Then again, they might not.

ona-whim · October 2010

There's lots of ways of going about this without direct approval from Penny-Arcade staff. There should be a lot of different vendors, panels, and other such stuff going on there. Maybe once some of the schedules have been better worked out, you can try to contact other parties besides the PAX staff. You may not end up with a grand on-stage proposal, but it could still be very clever and sweet.

There's all kinds of little convention games being put on by fans that include little cards and badges based on what I've been reading on the forums. So, a fair example of a clever proposal might be to get her interested in one of those convention games and have a playing card or badge hidden somewhere or on somebody that represents the proposal. This may not be THE idea for you, but imagine the Pokemon game that some of the forum goers are putting on. Maybe she encounters a well placed gym leader and when she wins, instead of a pokebadge, she's presented with an engagement ring. There you are, all of a sudden, on one knee in the middle of the convention hall, etc.

Again, get creative. This will be my first PAX, so someone else could probably tell you better, but there must be thousands of potential avenues for a clever proposal at an event like this.

Wadu · October 2010

A friend of mine did what ona-whim is suggesting. This is just an example of what you can do with a simple game...

My friend and his soon to be fiancé were playing Settlers and he had the ring hidden on his person. In the middle of the game while arguing over a trade of wheat and lumber he broke her stalemate with an offer of the ring instead. It was cute and definitely had the element of surprise.

tr0tsky · October 2010

Wadu wrote: »

A friend of mine did what ona-whim is suggesting. This is just an example of what you can do with a simple game...

My friend and his soon to be fiancé were playing Settlers and he had the ring hidden on his person. In the middle of the game while arguing over a trade of wheat and lumber he broke her stalemate with an offer of the ring instead. It was cute and definitely had the element of surprise.

did she take his wood?

Rdr · October 2010

tr0tsky wrote: »

Wadu wrote: »

A friend of mine did what ona-whim is suggesting. This is just an example of what you can do with a simple game...

My friend and his soon to be fiancé were playing Settlers and he had the ring hidden on his person. In the middle of the game while arguing over a trade of wheat and lumber he broke her stalemate with an offer of the ring instead. It was cute and definitely had the element of surprise.

did she take his wood?

Heyooooo!

Wadu · October 2010

tr0tsky wrote: »

did she take his wood?

Once she saw the ring she lost all interest in his wood.... and the game entirely.

David Coffman · October 2010

Wadu wrote: »

tr0tsky wrote: »

did she take his wood?

Once she saw the ring she lost all interest in his wood....

I hear stories like that all the time. =/

afreak · October 2010

I absolutely hate anybody who asks someone to marry them while in front of a large crowd of people. The problem I see is that when you do this that you're effectively forcing her to say "yes" as saying "no" would be pretty bad from her standpoint.

With my fiancee I asked her on the end of a long pier and I got my acceptance then. I think that you should rethink your idea.

Rdr · October 2010

afreak wrote: »

I absolutely hate anybody who asks someone to marry them while in front of a large crowd of people. The problem I see is that when you do this that you're effectively forcing her to say "yes" as saying "no" would be pretty bad from her standpoint.

With my fiancee I asked her on the end of a long pier and I got my acceptance then. I think that you should rethink your idea.

This is similar to the post a few up. We don't know his SO.

Some girls really really like that stuff. Especially when you're in a relationship where "no" wouldn't be a reply to "Will you marry me?"

I think if OP had doubts of her saying reply then he probably wouldn't do it it in a big crowd or ask at all.

Arco · October 2010

afreak wrote: »

I absolutely hate anybody who asks someone to marry them while in front of a large crowd of people. The problem I see is that when you do this that you're effectively forcing her to say "yes" as saying "no" would be pretty bad from her standpoint.

With my fiancee I asked her on the end of a long pier and I got my acceptance then. I think that you should rethink your idea.

She only said "yes" because she was afraid you'd kick her off with no witnesses and no one would ever find her body. :P

Wormdundee · October 2010

I bet this guy thought that too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtPkxzHKLpk

No but seriously, if there's really no way she'll say no, then I'd say it's ok.

Rdr · October 2010

Ya that video is just epic. Commentators were hilarious...McGrady's eyes watering from laughter...dude walking away with a beer preparing to western grip himself later on that night.

I'd never do that if I wasn't 100% sure she'd say yes.

tvethiopia · October 2010

afreak wrote: »

I absolutely hate anybody who asks someone to marry them while in front of a large crowd of people. The problem I see is that when you do this that you're effectively forcing her to say "yes" as saying "no" would be pretty bad from her standpoint.

With my fiancee I asked her on the end of a long pier and I got my acceptance then. I think that you should rethink your idea.

it definitely adds pressure, but i think most people nowadays don't ask unless they know they're getting a yes. married folks i know usually actually made the decision to get married together, and the proposal was just a formality. don't make assumptions!

MJPM · October 2010

Maybe you could try Evil Genius Designs (AKA Get In Line Games). They could do something during the morning queue?

CovertOps · October 2010

Wow, thank you! I wasn't expecting so many replies... And so many positive ones at that!

Since the original post was made, my SO figured out I was up to something. Ultimately I had to tell him about my plan. He said he'd enjoy planning our engagement together though.

I still think it'd be neat to do something at PAX, but it won't be the grand surprise on the huge stage that I had in mind. I've enjoyed the suggestions I've received so far, and I'd definitely like to hear (see?) any others you may have! I'd love to do something that's significant to us but still romantic.

Thanks again, guys!

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