First off: if you don't know what PAX is, you can skip this post. Although geez, peoples: PAX and (its offspring) PAX East are the TWO LARGEST CONSUMER GAMING EVENTS IN THE U.S. It is a Thing One Should Know About, and it started right here, completely fan-powered with nary a copper piece spent on self-promotion—and it sells out ridiculously quickly, packing downtown every year with a complete taxonomy of gamers.
- It is a troubling and possibly surprising fact that many exhibitors do not even know that PAX is an acronym and have never heard of Penny Arcade.
Anyway. Three things:
1. Let's have a beer! And play a game! Slog nerds are awesome (as is massively evident from previous gamer-y comment threads) and they should totally meet each other in the face. Impromptu Slog nerd meetup is this Wednesday (tomorrow) night at the Stumbling Monk, from 6 to 9 pm. Let's talk about PAX plans and otherwise engage in things that let us add BBB to our mana pool. Bringing board and/or card games to share/teach is encouraged, and we will have at least one Special Game Designer Guest and Secret Playtest Demo.
2. The reverse bleg part: If you didn't get tickets this year (or hey, even if you did), tell us in the comments if there's anything you want us to investigate at PAX and report back on. We're like Curiosity and you're like people wearing headsets and bad blue polo shirts. We know we're going to D&D Live, but everything else is still, uh, inchoate. Plans-wise. (Okay, we might go to the Intel presentation, but only because they addressed us as "esteemed press and media members." It feels kind of impolite to ignore that.)
3. Remember the lessons of previous years: Nerf your network connection if you want your phone battery to last. Download the Guidebook app. Use the bathrooms at the Hyatt because they are peeing heaven. Pack plenty of trail mix and whiskey—and, of course, hand sanitizer, because PAX flu kills. What other tips are we forgetting?
The Stranger Testing Department is Rob Lightner and Paul Hughes.
