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PAX veterans, what will you do differently this PAX and what were your biggest mistakes?
Hoboking006
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
in PAX West
A new PAX is upon us and we've all grown a little wiser. Building on your experiences what will you do differently this year, and even better, what are some of your biggest and or funniest mistakes from past conventions?
I'll go first. This year I want to actually go to a concert, I've done Buttoneering, Pax Prank, MTG Parties, off site beta events, and even the Dishonored masquerade party in 2012, but I've never gone to a concert.
I'd have to say my biggest "mistake" was from my first PAX Prime, when I went to set up the hotel (In the days before instant sell out) I thought the price for hotel was per person, not the total. We ended up staying at the Green Tortoise Hostel, a good experience in the end, but definitely one of the dumbest things I've done
I'll go first. This year I want to actually go to a concert, I've done Buttoneering, Pax Prank, MTG Parties, off site beta events, and even the Dishonored masquerade party in 2012, but I've never gone to a concert.
I'd have to say my biggest "mistake" was from my first PAX Prime, when I went to set up the hotel (In the days before instant sell out) I thought the price for hotel was per person, not the total. We ended up staying at the Green Tortoise Hostel, a good experience in the end, but definitely one of the dumbest things I've done
May PAX be upon you.
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4 Year Pax West Attendee
I always contemplated it. But then I don't because I stay with somebody who lives in Redmond... So it's easier to just hang out there the night before.
Assuming the person is cool with giving me a ride back Thursday night (which I imagine he will be) I've committed to going to something this year.
I think my biggest mistake was getting distracted running into a PAX friend on my way to a panel. xD
We talked for like 5-10 minutes, and the line was capped by 2 minutes when I got to the panel.
Not exactly a terrible mistake xD But I do believe if it happens on my way to a big panel this year again, I'll say something and we can meet up after or some such.
We hope to see you at the TWDT
4 Year Pax West Attendee
Last year was my first and I was avoiding buying tickets for parties because I was so worried better (free) ones would pop up closer to the days of the event. While some did, I have to admit that paying to go to the TinyBuild party was a highlight for me. Guaranteed entry, no humongous lines (even though the venue was packed) and I ended up having a great time.
So yeah, I will definitely be less hesitant this year on that front.
This year I'm a PPL gym leader though, so that should be something different.
PAX Prime attendance: '07, '08, '09, '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15, '16
Was one of them raffles you enter once daily and they have a drawing at the end of Monday. And you have to be present to win.
I entered every morning, but forgot about it on Monday evening. Until my brother texted me telling me I had won something... But since I wasn't there, I was SOL. It would have been my first time winning something too. (Just a PSU, thankfully. I'd probably have cried myself to sleep if it was the PC grand prize.)
The moral of the story...
Don't forget to show up to raffles if you have to be present to win!
Biggest mistake last year... Saying I was only going to get a couple pins... And then getting every single one. $$$$$$$$.
every year: THESE GUYS HAVE A T-SHIRT!!! *waits in line for three hours*
My biggest regret last year was wasting ALL my time in the expo hall and only venturing out for like...two panels, and yet not talking to anyone in line or hanging out with anyone outside of my tiny little group. I'm going to do a lot of the community stuff this year because I feel like I really missed out on the social aspect of PAX.
I haven't gone to a paid party either, I'm going to have to file that info away for later.
This is half of why I love BYOC.
Other half is the sweet ass LAN party, of course. But it is definitely a home away from home at PAX, and makes the Sheraton look like the airport Hilton distance-wise.
I'm actually surprised I haven't seen companies giving out poster tubes. Seems like it would be a very sought after piece of Swag.
If you artistically minded, I would recommend buttoneering as something to look into.
I can't think of that many mistakes I've made over the years. Bringing too much stuff was a mistake my first year (pack as light as you can without skimping on clean underwear) but nothing so much after that. Biggest consistent win is hiking up Pike/Pine to Capitol Hill for food. It's so much better than what you can get around the con it's totally worth the nine or ten blocks uphill. Stretch your legs!
Just a nerd into anything Nintendo, anime, MCU, Star Wars, and board games/card games.
Also a computer scientist and a streamer.
Each day, pick one non-expo non-free play thing to do and do it. It's easy to spend all day sailing on a sea of stuff from place to place, kinda aimless, and then you turn around and the whole day is gone and you wish you'd done <thing>.
So go do it.
We went to no outside events, no panels, no concerts, no parties. We were such PAX noobs and we had no idea we were missing out on the grander PAX experience.
Since then we've established a good relationship with a downtown hotel we love, we have the Guidebook app and make plans ahead of the event, we get in to Seattle at least two days early, and we've been PAX ambassadors for friends who are new to PAX.
And that last part is the best. Seeing PAX from the perspective of someone who's never been is great. The event can be overwhelming.
Every PAX after our first one has been a better experience than the previous one.
Prime 2012- Melisandre (GoT)
Prime 2013- Regular nerd attire
Prime 2014- Aurin Esper from WIldstar + Vintage Chell
Prime 2015- Splatoon Inkling + Dream Sequence Bee + Aurin Esper + Vintage Chell
Prime2016- Handmade nerdy dresses (cosplay break)
That was the plan for us last year when we moved here, but found that staying across the street was still worth every penny. Don't have to worry about traffic, paid parking, carrying full bags all day and most importantly we sleep. 405-I5 traffic is the worst lol
Best advice though, if you're there for the weekend, scout the expo hall on Friday, and show up early Monday morning for whatever Triple AAA titles you want to play. You'll waste a lot of time in lines otherwise.
PAX. PAX. PAX. Boom.
My advice is: commit to stuff you think you might like but aren't 100% on. I do a lot of waiting for the perfect combination of cool looking game and no line. Well that almost never happens (if it's a big game, it literally never does).
This is the one I use. Pretty comfy, light, durable, and small when folded. o
Oh and Cheap too!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NC3GOSO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAXXXXXXXXXXX!
To be fair you would probably get sick either way, that said I don't trust those things.
it might be a placebo effect, but it works for me. past two years when I felt sick or my throat was killing me, I'd get one in the morning. after a while, I'd feel much better. But yeah you're right, the stuff is gross.
The only time I got sick at PAX (of 6) was the one I used a bean bag. I know that isn't proof, but a piles of bags where many people rest their faces for hours at a time is going to be swimming with germs.
It is a drink which I do not recommend.
But alas, I am a slave to marketing and when people name things PAX related, I cannot help it.
So far I've only gotten the PAX pox at South this past year. Surprised me, given it was the first time I ever used sanitizer randomly in the day xD
I learned my lesson with that after like my 2nd or 3rd year of PAX, I don't remember what year Duke Nukem Forever was there (2010? 2011?), but I remember standing in a line that ended up being like 5 hours. Not only were my back and knees dead, but a significant chunk of my day was gone. Never again. If I can't get to it in like an hour tops, I'll come back later.
Now here's something I've been talking about doing for a few years but have yet to get around to.
Funny thing you mention Duke Nukem Forever. When I was first looking into PAX I was on the fence, it didn't have alot of money and I had never drove that far before. Then I saw the news that PAX had Duke Nukem Forever. I know that the game wasn't great, but the fact that a major developer decided on PAX as the event to reveal they were putting to rest one of the most infamous cases of vaporware sealed the deal for me.
The next year we got tickets and road tripped it from central California with a Duke Nukem Forever sticker on the back (its still there after almost five years). Around 3 hours north of Sacramento a car honked at us as they passed and flashed their PAX badges. I hit the gas to catch up to them and showed them ours before I slowed back down. I don't know who they were but that was my first experience of PAX's esprit de corps.
Agreed. I learned my lesson on swag my first year. Spent my Sunday morning in line for a free OnLive console. Used it like twice.
2. Make dinner reservations ahead of time.
3. Make sure I have a huge breakfast; I will my food ahead of time so I don't have to make it each day.
4. Spending more time with friends.
5. Spend more time networking.
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