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New To Pax - Gimmie your survival guides
Dolphins397
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
in PAX East
Hey guys, new to PAX this year - I'm not attending for myself, I'm actually surprising my husband with tickets for his birthday since PAX starts the day after. Ill be there to watch him geek out and make sure he doesn't spend all our money. Now, We will be meeting up with two friends who are seasoned PAX attendees, but I still want some tips. Give me tips on anything and everything - what to remember to do, what to check out while we are there, what to bring, ect, I guess. We will be there on Saturday which I know is the craziest day there.
Winning wife of the year this year for surprising my husband with PAX tickets for the first time ever!
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Lines are a point of contention for everyone. Personally, I loathe lines and very little is worth a 1-hour wait, IMHO. I prefer to wander around and check out other game demos than spend over an hour in a line for a demo that I can probably check out in a month or two. To me, there are so many things to see that I'd miss out on if I keep waiting in those damn lines. The tabletop section and Indie Megabooth area has so much to offer that you can miss out on if you're busy standing in 1-hour lines all day.
Combining the above two together, try to plan out what things are a "must see" and decide when you want to force them into your schedule. If you must see a thing that is going to be crazy popular, it may be worth getting to the con wicked early and brave that queue line. If you do, rush to that demo early so that it's out of the way. I've done the queue line once and I don't enjoy it.
If you'll be attending multiple days, I usually spend the first day scouting out the floor and making note of what I want to check out later. I'm only going two days this year, as I hate PAX Saturdays now; it's way too crowded for my liking. As such, I'll probably do less scouting and more doing.
Panels: always show up at least 30 minutes before it starts. The more popular panels start filling out over an hour early, so if you really, really, really want to go to one of those, plan ahead. For me, this is the same as the lines segment above. I'd rather be checking out other shit than standing in a crazy long line.
Depending on who you are, this may suck: there's no alcohol at the convention anymore. Some asshats ruined it for the rest of us. Just be prepared that if you want a drink, you'll have to go outside the convention.
On that note, let's talk security. It exists, but it's mostly for show. To make this process easy (and believe me, it can be amazingly easy), just be prepared. Have your bags fully unzipped and ready for inspection. Have all items out of your pockets and ready to be patted down. Smile at the security personnel, make a cheesy joke, and do what they say. If you do all of these, security is simple, quick, and painless. I've never had a single problem with security.
PAX Pox: This sounds silly, but believe me: this shit is real. Of the 7 PAX Easts that I've attended, I've caught the PAX Pox 5 times and was unfortunately Patient Zero once. There are tens of thousands of people from all over the world attending this convention, and sadly there is a stereotype of poor hygiene. This is breeding ground for illness and PAX Pox comes in a different flavor every year. Get rest, keep hydrated, stay well fed, and wash your hands often.
Lastly, if you're going to be there for most if not all of PAX, check out the events surrounding PAX. There are afterparties and community events, Pre-PAX Game Night (personal favorite and I highly recommend attending), PAX Pokecrawl (bar hoping event before PAX), musical performances, and so much more.
I know this was long-winded, but I hope it's helpful.
OH! And one more thing. If you want to commemorate PAX, check out our Challenge Coin. This year's is pretty sweet and it's a great thing to have for years to come.
Which now also reminds me of merchandise. Pins go insanely quick and involve massive lines. If its a must to get one, go EARLY on the first day. And I also recommend that you get whatever shirt/scarf/whatever on your first day. It sucks when you wait until the end and they've sold out.
You can also do some searches in this forum. There was a thread that used to be run every year for a while called "First time to PAX East - Things you want to know". The last one was put up on 2015. It has nothing new compared to what the official FAQ has, but it provided the information from the view point of someone who did not know where to start (you might say). I would also argue that @Le_Goat said pretty much what you need to know IMO.
If you need more opinions though, for me, here's what it comes down too.
- Good walking shoes are a must. This is not the place to break them in.
- Water Bottle + visits to bathrooms to fill it up (there are water fountains next to most of them)
- Personally I do not like the Bag of Holding (Think Geek) that everyone gets. It's just not practical.
- Don't over do it.
- Having a data plan helps. Having access to WiFi is usually doable.
To have fun:
- Make the effort to chat it up with someone.
- Make the effort to play a game with soemone.
- Check out the Indie Booth, even if it's for five minutes.
Finally, remember that the schedule (printed or through Guidebook) is just the tip of the iceberg. It puts things down on paper which are easily planned, but it does not cover what a particular booth will be doing in terms of activity or what you will be able to see on the floor. There are PAX community events which are not official. There are company events which are not official. There is stuff that happens in and out of PAX, such as partys, dinners, crawls and what not. You can't do it all, but that's fine. Don't see this as an obstacle because you can't do it all, see it as overindulgence - there will ALWAYS be something for you to do!
PREPARE FOR THE WEATHER -- this means a lined windbreaker, umbrella,-- and given this years New England weather -- possibly winter coat and boots -- weather is saying -- Thur-Sun in the 30's and 40's -- it may snow -- this is New England
PAX POX- this is a thing -- also known as Con Crud-- bring hand sanitizer, wash your hands frequently, and don't come if you are sick
HYGIENE -- For the love of all things geeky-- shower -- every day- use deodorant , brush your teeth, don't wear the same clothes all 4 days-- don't overuse perfume/cologne/aftershave/bodyspray... You will be in a very crowded convention center with thousands of people and nothing is worse than having to deal with other peoples BO or overuse of perfume/cologne/aftershave/bodyspray .
HYDRATE- Bring a reusable water bottle-- refill it frequently --- hydrate means water-- soda, tea, coffee, and sugary drinks like juice boxes will dehydrate you -- and you will probably be sweating a lot .
COMFORTABLE SHOES- Bring a pair of shoes that you will be comfortable walking around in for up to 16 hrs. Try to bring 2 prs of shoes if possible so you can switch in the middle of the day.. Comfy shoes are especially important if you are cosplaying-- you won't want to walk around in those 6 in stilettos you are wearing as your favorite Final Fantasy character for the entire day.
BRING EXTRA SOCKS -- Even if you don't have room in your bag for extra shoes bring extra socks with you-- changing to fresh socks can be helpful in reducing the risk of painful blisters or bunions/plantars warts acting up
I CANNOT EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF MOLESKIN FOR BLISTERS ENOUGH
EAT AT LEAST 1 REAL MEAL -SITTING AT A TABLE USING REAL DISHES PER DAY-You burn about 5K calories a day during a full day at PAX-- you can't live on the food from the food court and food trucks alone. There is a very good lunch trolley that runs out of the East Entrance between 11-3 Thur-Sat and 11-1 on Sun -- it goes to a wide variety of real restaurants -- I always find a local person or ask the Trolley Driver where they recommend eating
BRING SNACKS - Bringing your own granola bars, string chs, goghurt etc is more cost effective than the vending machines or food vendors at BCEC-- just to give you an idea of the cost a 20 oz bottle of Pepsi is around $5-- a muffin is about the same .. Most hotel rooms will have some type of fridge where you can keep snacks
DON'T TRY TO SEE OR DO EVERYTHING - You will just end up tired and grumpy. Download the PAX East app- plan the panels you want to see first- then scope out Expo and the other areas like the Freeplay Rooms- decide what demos/experiences you absolutely can't miss out on-- plan Expo around the daytime panels you want to see- remember Expo Hall closes at 6 pm .
SLEEP-- You need to sleep-- that is all I will say
AFK Room- We are nerdy geeky introverts- some of us have issues with anxiety, depression, or other mental illnesses . Take This runs the AFK Lounge-- it is a nice calm place to go and relax if you are having issues with anxiety-- or are an introvert who is feeling stressed and crowded -- They have beanbags, adult coloring books and friendly staff many of whom are trained therapists who can get you through an emotional crisis .. If you need it it is is there-- and its not just for attendees -- Enforcers/Exhibitors can also take advantage of this room.
DIVERSITY LOUNGE -- LGBTQIA, differently abled, friendly space-- You can find groups like Able Gamers here -- also a great place to relax and have some peace and quiet if you need to.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING - If you see anyone being bullied or harassed, or anyone violating the PAX rules that are available both in your program guide, and on the website or if you see someone who is having problems (anxiety attacks, got hurt, lost kids etc)-- find an Enforcer, or a BCEC security guard/staff member and let them know..
ENFORCERS- We are the one's in red shirts with ENFORCER written on the back .. If you need directions, if you need help, if you have lost your parent/child/important item you can't live with out -- find one of us-- we are everywhere -- theaters, info desk, weapons check, and the expo hall -- it is literally our job to help you.. and we will either help you or find you someone who can .
MANNERS- There will be a lot of popular streamers, cosplayers, game devs and content creators throughout BCEC-- use your best manners- don't hug or touch people without permission .. If someone is in the middle of a conversation wait until they are finished.. If you have to ask for an autograph when an exhibitor, panelist, cosplayer,streamer is outside of their booth, panel, or official autograph session/photo shoot for example when they are wandering the Expo Floor -- remember they are also attendees who want to try games meet their own favorite cosplayers/streamers/devs and go to panels..so be nice and let them do that and then ask for your autograph.
IF YOU ARE NEW TO BOSTON-- BOSTON EXISTS OUTSIDE OF PAX- Take some time to go to the Aquarium, the Science Museum, or if the weather is good to do the Freedom Trail hike
FINALLY --HAVE FUN -- THIS IS A GATHERING OF LIKE MINDED GEEKY NERDY PEOPLE -- It is not a competition to see who can collect the most swag, beat someone in a PC/Console/Handheld/Tabletop Tourney, have the best and most expensive cosplay, meet the most streamers/game devs/celebs -- Play tabletop games with friends, try a video game or tabletop game you've never tried before, go a on Duck Boat tour , attend an After Party , -- There is no wrong way to PAX
Unless you have some specific reason (laptop size, board game in tow, etc) or are spending most of your time in one place like tabletop, I'd recommend avoiding a larger bag. Plus, the Con edition gets you a free patch at the Thinkgeek booth
https://www.timbuk2.com/catapult-cycling-messenger-bag-2014/1704.html?dwvar_1704_size=7&dwvar_1704_color=6114
Big enough to hold a switch, water bottle, pop up tripod chair, power bank, and any con materials I get throughout the day. Also fits my Unplugged board game bag rolled up which i can pop out if I buy anything big. It's low profile, doesn't get in the way, and is easily accessible when standing.
This will be my first PAX East, so I don't know if this is a thing, but my first PAX West I fell down the rabbit hole of raffles. Booths would give me a ticket and tell me to visit other booths to get it stamped, and those booths would also have tickets, you have to show up at a certain day and time for the drawing, etc. It was a huge time sink. Like I said, though, I don't know if that'll still be a thing.
Play lots of games and have fun!
They used to do them right there at their booth clogging the pathways and I believe PAX (as well as the Fire Chief) put a stop to most of that. I believe now the raffles are done with them contacting you later. But like you said it's a time sink so I never really got into it. I'm not at PAX to gamble on winning a few usually useless things. I really do not need a Roswell T-Shirt.
And as @Le_Goat said lines suck. Unless I have to absolutely see something I don't wait in lines. Most games will have a demo after PAX and a lot of companies have resorted to a 15 min video of game play over a hands-on. Which you can most likely already see on YouTube.
Sometimes I wait in a panel but I can never seem to find a panel that I want to wait in line for an hour to see.
The one line I do wait in ... the Fri/Sat concerts. Have to see those. I have a blast every year seeing them. Even if it's the same acts almost every year.
As for food... The BCEC frowns upon outside food from what I have been told. They want you to buy their overpriced Elementary School Cafeteria food. But I take small snacks. Granola bars, candy bars, trail mix just something to snack on. For lunch I usually hit one of the food trucks. Surprisingly the food off these trucks is reasonably priced and usually good. We are quite blessed with food trucks around here. They are everywhere and heavily regulated by local cities and The Board of Health.
For drinks I take a bottle water and refill it for free at either the watah bubblah near every bathroom or if you can sneak it the spring water coolers in the convention rooms. If I need a sugar rush I buy a soda. Figure I don't spend to much on other stuff I can splurge on a few sodas over the weekend.
There is plenty of parking at the BCEC and then some at the Westin. I can't comment on the former option since I never used it, but I know the Westin's parking can be accessed without having to go outside thanks to the walkway that connects the hotel and the convention center. It's pricey as heck though at about 35$ USD a day last time I checked while BCEC is by far cheaper I believe.
2) Pro tip nearly every room whre the panels are and the main auditorium has water coolers. Why pay for water when you can refill your water bottle for free! Seriously don't pay for water its literally everywhere.
3) Bring snacks. I bring a bunch of granola bars. Filling and full of energy.
4) Compressible outerwear. It shouldn't be THAT bad this year but in previous years when it was stupid cold outside, I layered Uniqlo jackets and then just stuffed them back into their compressible bags inside teh con. You'll be amazed how not carrying a jacket around is incredibly freeing
5) The expo hall is CROWDED. Like every square inch is packed with people. Even the outer ring which you'd think would have no one there is actually worse than the main thoroughfares!
6) Get the PAX East app and see what panels you might want to go to and what booths in the expo hall you want
7) If you want to go see a REALLY popular panel like the Markiplier or JackSepticEye one, you're basically screwed unless you want to line up at like 8am. Last year was really bad for those panels in terms of lines (and because it was freezing outside which made it worse)
8) Follow @Pax_lines on twitter to see how lines for various bigger panels are filling up which might give you an idea as to when to start actually lining up
9) Pretty much like all big conventions, expect like 1 hour wait times to get into the 'good' booths to play things.
10) If you're there on sunday basically its "please take our stuff" day. booth are just gonna throw away all their swag so they end up just giving it to any living breathing person they can find. Yes they just throw it away at the end because its cheaper to make new swag than lug old swag back to HQ. This was maybe 3 PAX ago but Plants vs Zombies had plushies that you had to like play a game or do some other stuff to get one. By Sunday they literally were just dumping them in a bin and begging people to take em. Note YMMV on this front depending on how much swag a booth has left over.
Firstly, welcome! PAX East is a beautiful event, and it's always exciting seeing people enjoy it for the first time. Hopefully, this will be the first of many years for you to come. But of course, there are things to prepare yourself for said enjoyment.
-I will echo the many sentiments that the PAX Pox is a dangerous thing. It's not a meme, nor is it an exaggeration. I've known several friends who nearly died from it. It's essentially an amalgamation of several diseases that attack at once and causes rapid dehydration and flu like symptoms, generally ending in a trip to the hospital. While the risk is usually greater in the cold climates, people believe that April in Boston is warm. It isn't. And those sudden temperature fluctuations on top of basic personal hygiene of your fellow con goers just creates a dangerous mix. Sanitizer is your friend, soap and water are your buddies. I bring several personal bottles rather than using the many stations strategically located around the convention.
-Personal hydration! Listen, I'm not a water guy. Nothing against it, water is vital to my survival and it's an all around good thing. But even pure water I still have to add a little something to it. I break this rule for PAX, because walking = exercise, and exercise = dehydration. A water bottle will be your best instrument of justice in fighting the battle against dehydration and inflated price hikes.
-Foodstuffs. We're humans, and humans eat. Delicious things make our bellies happy, and happy bellies make us happy humans. You are more than welcome to partake of whatever food the expo has to offer, and I'd even encourage giving some stuff a try so long as you use common sense (a $7 pretzel doesn't make any sense, but a $7 bread bowl filled with soup? Hell yeah!). But when you're waiting in line or just hanging out, bring something simple with you. Granola bars, mini muffins, or my personal favorite... Goldfish!! A little snack sized container with some pizza goldfish in it? Oh my god....
-Bring gum or mints! Everyone keeps advocating that you use deodorant and perfumes to not be a smelly bum, but even if you're the most clean attendee at the show all it takes is a delicious lunch to set your friendly "Hello!" from 'stun' to 'kill'. A quick pop of some Doublemint or a Mentos will have you back to fine form in no time.
-Expect lines, but don't force yourself to expect them. The largest AAA blockbuster door smashing window breaking games will obviously have lines (obviously). And just like Black Friday has crowds (I know, right? Stunner.), conventions have lines. The question is whether or not you know how valuable your time is worth. The largest mainstream game that will probably be at PAX East this year is God of War (probably, not confirmed). And since the public hasn't gotten its grubby mitts on it yet, if it's there everyone's going to step over their own mother just to play it. The thing is... it comes out two weeks later. So is it really worth 2 hours of your time to play it? That's for you ultimately to decide, and for some people it is and more power to them! No shade, no hate. But PAX East only comes around once a year, and those four days will disappear before you know it.
-Have a good carry-all. I will disagree with those who decry the use of the Bag of Holding, as someone who's used it for two years and feels it does a perfect job if used properly (meaning just because it can fit everything in your home doesn't mean it should). Backpacks offer more stability, but are out of your control from those sudden knee jerk body turns that wipe out some poor 12 year old. Drawstring bags are great if you travel light, the Con Bag of Holding I still argue is actually a black hole concealed inside a side bag (where does it all go?), and messenger bags are always a good go to. Just remember that you will always leave with more than what you came with, moreso than your standard vacation (PAX swag, yo).
-Rubber bands for posters, fine tip sharpies and silver sharpies for signatures (you will meet people, trust me) and portable chargers for days! Don't be that person hovering around an outlet like it's the last fire in an apocalyptic wasteland with your entire life plugged in. Bring a power strip for your hotel room if you've got a lot to charge, and always have a backup. If you don't need to be on your phone, don't. I slap mine into airplane mode for most of the time and use it as a glorified camera (I mean, that's pretty much what a smartphone is nowadays). There's wifi, but... nah.
-Panels won't allow you to line up until 1 hour prior to the start, largely due to sharing queue lines with adjacent theaters. And in recent years, Enforcers are super aggressive about people who loiter around in a queue line hours before a show. If a panel you're looking forward to doesn't start until noon, getting to BCEC at 8am isn't going to do anything for you. Use the Guidebook app and have it set reminders to 90 minutes prior. This will give you 30 minutes to wrap up what you're doing and haul yourself over to the line and the subsequent hour to set up your base camp in said line.
-Explore. Some of the best things I've found by stepping outside of my comfort zone. I've won raffles at booths I never thought of visiting during planning. Just last year, a company hooked me up with this beautiful (and apparently expensive) gaming mouse because I crushed the Sonic Mania demo and the guy was impressed. You never know what you'll find, even if it's something you least expected. I mentioned above that you'll meet people. In the years that I've gone, I've met Major Nelson, Suda-51, Ken Levine, Tim Schaffer, and various IGN and Kotaku personalities from just... walking around and exploring.
-Handheld Lounge and Console Freeplay Room. Oh friends, let me tell you of these. These are time honored traditions I must do every year. The Handheld Lounge is as its name suggests, an area overrun with large bean bags where people crash and play DS/3DS/Vita/Switch to their heart's content. The Console Freeplay Room has a ticket counter like your local deli. You choose from a list of games on current consoles, hand them your license as collateral, they give you the game and the controllers and an assigned station to play, and you play! This is an excellent opportunity to try something you haven't had a chance to sample yet, or even from a console you've never owned. PE 2014 was notable for the sea of people trying out the PS4 and Xbox One for the first time 4 months into their lifespans. Just some suggestions.
-Pace yourself. Yes, I noted that PAX East only comes once a year. And our Lords Gabe and Tycho were kind enough to grant us a fourth day starting this year. But by all means please pace yourself. Use the first day to get a feel for your surroundings (although since Thursday badges are still readily available, that might be a poor example of what to expect crowd wise) and really get your bearings. Use the Guidebook app to plan your time accordingly and enjoy your time responsibly. It can get very overwhelming, especially for your first time. But pause, take a deep breath, and smile. Because as the sign outside will tell you, you're home.
-Lastly, and most importantly, have fun. All of us can make suggestions on what you can do to survive the perils of PAX East, and no doubt if you heed all of our suggestions you will come out on the otherwise stronger and wiser than EVER BEFORE! But none of what we say is relevant unless you are having fun. PAX East is a gathering of like-minded people from around the country and even around the globe. I won't bore you with the "we live in troubling times" speech, but there are few things that truly bring people together nowadays. A four day celebration of being who we are and enjoying what we love is the culmination of happiness for a lot of us. Video games, board games, card games, it's all part of the perfect circle that we bask in. You will see the nerdiest of us, the most awkward of us, and the most dedicated of us. Outgoing cosplayers, introverted wallflowers, hyperactive pro players, and seasoned veterans hanging on to nostalgia. We all come to PAX to have fun and to be ourselves. So the most important thing is that you do the same. Because we want you to, and wouldn't want it any other way.
-bring a backpack. You will want to buy anything and everything and carrying it around will get annoying. if you need to take it off for whatever reason, theres bagchecks for that.
-if driving, get there early. parking at the BCEC is the best thing you can do, but the lot fills up quickly. Unless you want to shell out an extra 10-20 bucks for hte privledge of having to take a bus to the event, then get there early.
-bring a portable charger. Pax East has gotten BIG, and that means lines are LONG. you'll drain your phone just by passing the time waiting, and a dead phone can ruin a day at the convention.
-Make friends. I know, sounds weird, but Ive been to PAX with friends, and without, and found company makes the experience 100x better. try checking out some of the after parties or maybe just try talking to people in the freeplay and lounge areas, Who knows, you might make a new best friend.
-Shower before the con. No amount of detergent can hide the sweaty musk of BO.
-Dont stand in the middle of the road. I dont mean outside, i mean on the expo hall floor. the traffic from bostons streets is nothing compared to the expo hall on saturday. its ok to stop and look but pull over first, eh?
-Have fun. the many micro0stresses of being at a huge event with thousands of people can be overwhelming, take a minute to relax and get your bearings. keep the mobile ap or printed event book with you for the map.
-Budget. Almost every year I end up blowing all my money on merch I forget to budget for food. I recomend bringing your own snacks as the food in the convention is pricey and the lines are long. Im bringing an extra $200 on me for merch this year just to avoid this myself.
And finally, keep an open mind, Many of us Gamers are introverts, and being in large crowds might put us out of our comfort zone, but if you embrace the atmosphere of the con, you'll have the greatest time.
For reference, looking to bring my phone and my Switch this year - always bring my 3DS charger anyway.
Switch: SW-7634-0399-6788
I have an Anker but it was twice the price a couple years ago.
GT: Jailbirdy