I don't really know what to expect since it's my first gaming con in general. I know that there will be high amounts of awesome and cool folk. Plus, I'll have a chance to try all the boardgames I haven't played. The only thing that suck it that I won't get there till late Fri. (Damn midterms)
I don't really know what to expect since it's my first gaming con in general. I know that there will be high amounts of awesome and cool folk. Plus, I'll have a chance to try all the boardgames I haven't played. The only thing that suck it that I won't get there till late Fri. (Damn midterms)
Well, then you won't have to worry about keynote or Q&A; because you will miss them. Just go to the Saturday night concerts, and also the closing ceremony. Maybe go to the make a strip panel to make up for missing the Q&A.; Go to a few panels that float your boat. Go see the entire expo hall just once. Then spend the rest of the time playing games until you can't stand to roll another die.
Thoughts: There's a panel on how to enjoy PAX East? On Friday at noon? If you are there instead of the Penny Arcade Q&A, you are already failing at seeing your first PAX.
Looking at the venues, there is one listed as "IGDA Dev Center". Wonder if that is some sponsored area our something outside of the BCEC. Probably just some fancily-named area within BCEC given how huge that place is but will have to wait and see the map.
Merman theater = win. Cat theater = kinda lame name compared to the others
From a mix of panels that are mostly repeats of old favorites or extremely niche topics that will each please their own crowd, my favorite new concept is the "Antiques Roadshow" panel. It's a pretty cool idea to have some experts on a panel let people bring their old shit, get in line with it, and then be applauded or mocked based on the actual value of their stuff. Has lots of potential and is completely dependent on the quality of the people running it.
Very happy to see a 10:30AM start on Friday. 3 1/2 hours more PAX East than in 2010.
So, I got an email back from PRD. I'm now (again) an Enforcer! Now I just need to figure out hotel stuff. I'm thinking of going on Thursday (March. 10th) or really early Friday morning (for work-related reasons), and leaving Tuesday (March 15th) after the after-party.
So I am looking over the schedule and my radar for panels is getting mixed signals, on the one hand things that I could get a lot out of like the resume tips and the community manager panels would be nice to go to but my gut tells me it is a panel that could be underwhelming. Anyone have the Geeknight panel guide made yet?
Re: Dickwolves and offensive jokes. I think being "offended" is something people feel entitled to, but it's entirely the fault of the person being offended if they get upset over it. Whatever happened to sticks and stones? If someone says something offensive, call them a jerk and move on with your life. If you get all upset and being "offended" affects the rest of your day...I guess you are just a weak person mentally. The proper response to that should be "it's WORDS buddy, words can't hurt you. Get over it." If our culture responded with that kind of message (instead of "what? they said something that offended you? That's Unacceptable and must be stopped!" maybe people would simply grow thicker skin.
Rape is terrible, and I think Gabe's last post on the subject sums up my thoughts exactly. If you don't like the material don't go to Penny-arcade.com. I don't go watching Fox News and then demand that they pull glen beck off the air because he "offended" me. However, there do seem to be people who would feel very uncomfortable if they were presented with active reminders of a horrible event in their past. As a result, taking down the shirts (but not the comic) was a pretty classy move IMHO. It is an attempt to rectify a legitimate issue (being confronted with triggers when you can't control it, like at a con) but dismisses the non-issue of "I went to a site and got offended and now I demand satisfaction!"
Onto another topic: So we missed the Keynote last year even though we arrived an hour before it opened. I'm guessing it will have at least as many seats if not more for the main theatre, but is there anyone with suggestions of how early to line up to see the Keynote?
So I was thinking of bringing games too, but where do you put them when you want to go see a panel or something? Or do you spend a whole day gaming? Or go back and forth to the hotel? I'm staying with a friend and I'm not sure how far he is from the BCEC, so I'm not sure if that's something I could do I remember they checked coats and bags for you for some steep fee at the last PAX East, I supose I could take a backpack of games and leave it there if they do it again, but damn that would be expensive
but is there anyone with suggestions of how early to line up to see the Keynote?
There is nothing to do before the keynote on Friday. Everyone plays games in the queue room while waiting in line. So wake up on Friday, get some breakfast and get on over. The keynote is at 10:30 AM on Friday. If indeed the main events is so much larger, theoretically it shouldn't fill and you can just walk in. Personally I'll make a call at the scene. First I'll see how big the main events room is, how many it seats. Then after I wake up on Friday I'll check out how many people are in the queue room and decide between quick or sit-down breakfast and then get in line.
Just to add to what you said in the pre-game show: Quincy Market is not an offensively large distance from the BCEC, and has some pretty good, pretty cheap food.
A note on the Dickwolves: I see that a lot of the problems didn't surface until the follow up comic, which wasn't exactly the right thing to say. And then they started selling the shirts. And then PA fans started harrassing people. You can say what you like about being offended, or being bothered, but there is a line, and sometime after the follow up comic, that line was crossed. It's probably waaaay over back there by now.
Sure, someone ccan get offended by rape jokes, and they can complain all they want. But that doesn't mean you have to harrass rape survivors on Twitter because of it.
Having people go on an unholy crusade in your name has to be an incredibly uncomfortable feeling. I'm glad to see they addressed it, apologized, and washed their hands of it. Regardless of their initial missteps, Mike & Jerry did a great job in wrapping this whole thing up, so I don't think it's a topic that bears any more discussion.
Just to add to what you said in the pre-game show: Quincy Market is not an offensively large distance from the BCEC, and has some pretty good, pretty cheap food.
It's over a mile. That's a lot compared to across the street.
Took a peek at the BCEC plans: http://massconvention.com/download/EventGuide2010/BCECEventGuidesv3/BCEC_Guide_v3%20REV%206_1_10%20FINAL_Room_Capacities.pdf I've got a lot of confidence in the venue now. Seems like a lot of the small rooms have adjustable walls and can be converted to several 500-1,000 seat rooms. The main theater fits up to 5,000 depending on how it's configured, which is huge at least to how many you got in the Benaroya at last PAX. Should have no issues getting into events there. Sure a new venue always brings potential for mistakes, but this could be an awesome PAX.
Yes, PAX by definition is awesome, so comparatively this could awesome-awesome (or I guess as Scrym would say, "double awesome"?) I was speaking relative to other PAXes, since PAX East 2011 expectations might be lowered for some b/c of new venue kinks.
Comments
Thoughts: There's a panel on how to enjoy PAX East? On Friday at noon? If you are there instead of the Penny Arcade Q&A, you are already failing at seeing your first PAX.
Looking at the venues, there is one listed as "IGDA Dev Center". Wonder if that is some sponsored area our something outside of the BCEC. Probably just some fancily-named area within BCEC given how huge that place is but will have to wait and see the map.
Merman theater = win. Cat theater = kinda lame name compared to the others
From a mix of panels that are mostly repeats of old favorites or extremely niche topics that will each please their own crowd, my favorite new concept is the "Antiques Roadshow" panel. It's a pretty cool idea to have some experts on a panel let people bring their old shit, get in line with it, and then be applauded or mocked based on the actual value of their stuff. Has lots of potential and is completely dependent on the quality of the people running it.
Very happy to see a 10:30AM start on Friday. 3 1/2 hours more PAX East than in 2010.
Rape is terrible, and I think Gabe's last post on the subject sums up my thoughts exactly. If you don't like the material don't go to Penny-arcade.com. I don't go watching Fox News and then demand that they pull glen beck off the air because he "offended" me. However, there do seem to be people who would feel very uncomfortable if they were presented with active reminders of a horrible event in their past. As a result, taking down the shirts (but not the comic) was a pretty classy move IMHO. It is an attempt to rectify a legitimate issue (being confronted with triggers when you can't control it, like at a con) but dismisses the non-issue of "I went to a site and got offended and now I demand satisfaction!"
Onto another topic:
So we missed the Keynote last year even though we arrived an hour before it opened. I'm guessing it will have at least as many seats if not more for the main theatre, but is there anyone with suggestions of how early to line up to see the Keynote?
Sure, someone ccan get offended by rape jokes, and they can complain all they want. But that doesn't mean you have to harrass rape survivors on Twitter because of it.
I've got a lot of confidence in the venue now. Seems like a lot of the small rooms have adjustable walls and can be converted to several 500-1,000 seat rooms. The main theater fits up to 5,000 depending on how it's configured, which is huge at least to how many you got in the Benaroya at last PAX. Should have no issues getting into events there. Sure a new venue always brings potential for mistakes, but this could be an awesome PAX.