The Boston gaming extravaganza known as PAX East is almost here. There's no wrong way to handle the weekend, but a little planning goes a long way. PAX East 2012 spans April 6-8, but the experience often feels like 15 minutes, so making the most of your time there is essential. With Anime Boston occurring at the same time this year, expect Beantown to be invaded by a veritable army infused with geek culture. Don't be surprised if you end up seeing a Little Sister taking a stroll downtown with Nicholas D. Wolfwood or Caitlyn lining up a long-range cosplay photo-op with her new friend Caine the Longshot.
If you've never been to a PAX there are an infinite number of things to do and your time is incredibly limited - Both for activities during the day and for evening gaming and nightlife. With so many options available, it's good to have a "wireframe" plan that you won't have to adhere to strictly, as new possibilities will be continually emerging and competing for your con time. Some PAX tips that go a long way:
Get there Thursday. Even though PAX doesn't "start" until Friday, you're going to want to have your hotel situation worked out, a night of rest and a shower before strapping in to a full Friday. Get rid of the jet lag and plane cramps and hit up a pre-PAX dinner or gathering. Play some games, take in the scenery, or even hit up a party. Go easy if you opt into the last one, as you're going to want to be in the best of shape for the long sprint ahead.
If you've got a smartphone, get yourself a Twitter account. Whether or not you think tweeting is valuable during the other 362 days a year, having access to #PAX hashtags and information from a variety of sources, especially @Official_PAX and @PAX_lines can save you a TON of time when situations change, venues are moved, or awesome things are announced.
It's also a great way to keep track of your friends that will inevitably be swallowed up by the con floor. Try yelling into your phone on the con floor. It's like space. No one can hear you scream. As a bonus, it's also a wonderful option for keeping in touch with the new friends you are sure to meet at PAX.
Shoes. This almost goes without saying but wear the right shoes for the task, and the task here is miles and miles of walking. Wear something comfortable and functional.
Backpacks and bags - You're going to need something or other to carry around the copious amounts of swag! A two strap backpack is a good choice; a one strap shoulder pack will likely be threatening to dislocate something by day three. Other easy hang pouches that can expand make good choices too. If you're going to be on the floor day 1, make sure to look around - There is often a booth or two giving away swag that holds swag in the form of giant bags. Seek that location out ASAP so you can put swag in your swag.
Sidenote on swag: It's very possible that you will accumulate way too much swag to fit into your humble luggage containers, so you may wish to ship parcels of the acquired loot back to yourself. This is especially true for large items like posters, so plan ahead to visit someplace to ship these items.
Practice good hygiene. There are thousands of swarming bodies touching every controller and joystick in sight, so it's very possible to spread contagion faster than a Magic: The Gathering mage with 10 swamps in play. In fact, this has happened before! Showers, a daily dose of vitamin C, hand sanitizer, and common sense will go a long way to keeping the PAX plague at bay.
Time allocation itself is of utmost importance. A panel might be an hour, but some are 2-3 hours or more due to the time you'll have to commit to waiting in line. This also holds true for game demos and displays that you know are going to be hot. A 4-7 hour wait is not unheard of for anticipated games, so depending on your plans you may have all kinds of additional hours of wait time that need to be factored in to your schedule. Bring your portable gaming device of choice and maybe a Magic: The Gathering deck for your line time and turn it into an opportunity to meet some new people.
Don't commit too hard. You may find yourself in danger of overplanning PAX. Keeping a rigid schedule with X panels and a flowchart from booth to booth is definitely overdoing it - Stay flexible and you'll find yourself having a lot more fun. That doesn't mean you shouldn't make plans, just be ready to break them and go with the flow.
Cameras. There are so many amazing things to take pictures of you're going to want a compact, quality camera. Your smartphone's camera is NOT good enough.
Do things to stay alive! Three days of PAX can take a heavy toll, and you'll need plenty of food, water, and even a little sleep to make it through. Throw some high energy food options in your pack and keep a few bottles of water on you to avoid paying out the nose on the floor. If you can, get 4-5 hours of sleep a night. I know it will be hard, but try!
If possible, leave Monday - Not Sunday. Finishing up your PAX experience by going straight from the closing convention hall to the airport is a harried and exhausting affair. Some cooldown time and more games the final evening is an optimal way to end the occasion
Last but certainly not least, be awesome to the Enforcers. They go out of their way to make the event something special, so treat them with the respect.
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