6 days! 6 Days! 6 DAYS! SIX DAYSS!!!111 ahem.. almost time!
After getting my confirmation on all the tickets and airfares and such I went straight to the Penny Arcade Forums where I registered my name for the first time. I usually lurk but once I get into something I really start interacting with people. If a MMO or a game is coming out soon that I really look forward to Im one of those people who will refresh the forums every hour and be super active where I can be.
So to my surprise... The forums were kind of dead. (ok ok.. Pax was MONTHS away so I should not have been surprised but I was). So I decided to start digging for information on how to do stuff.
So to my surprise... The forums were kind of dead. (ok ok.. Pax was MONTHS away so I should not have been surprised but I was). So I decided to start digging for information on how to do stuff.
Step One. How to travel around the area.
I knew that there was a metro and there had to be a way people traveled from the parties and such easily. While people were saying they were driving in I didn't suspect them to be driving out every night to parties considering how awesome it is to drive in Boston in the first place.
While I like using Uber I wanted a few different options just in case. Walking is an one but if the party is on the other side of town that's out of the question. To the T Line!
The T line is an option to look at but it will be extremely crowded during Pax time. If you can afford it I do recommend taxi or uber...
If you have never used a metro or don't live near a city then you should take a moment tolook at the map and memorize the two things below!
1. The stop closest to your hotel
2. The color line you need to be on to reach that stop.
So you can at least hop on the color and know at some point that train will stop where you need to be. This is mostly if you're too drunk/distracted to ask anyone for help which while rarely can happen to some. Everything else is just gravy after that. Follow the color/stops to wherever you need to be. Super simple.
If you're going to be riding for several days I also recommend getting the 7 day pass (18$) so you can just hop on and off without worrying about fairs - you can find the fairs here It looks like you have to buy these when you get there. The only item you buy online is the month passes.
The silver line to the World Trade Center is where you want to go to get to Pax. Then just walk down to summer street.
I knew that there was a metro and there had to be a way people traveled from the parties and such easily. While people were saying they were driving in I didn't suspect them to be driving out every night to parties considering how awesome it is to drive in Boston in the first place.
While I like using Uber I wanted a few different options just in case. Walking is an one but if the party is on the other side of town that's out of the question. To the T Line!
The T line is an option to look at but it will be extremely crowded during Pax time. If you can afford it I do recommend taxi or uber...
If you have never used a metro or don't live near a city then you should take a moment tolook at the map and memorize the two things below!
1. The stop closest to your hotel
2. The color line you need to be on to reach that stop.
So you can at least hop on the color and know at some point that train will stop where you need to be. This is mostly if you're too drunk/distracted to ask anyone for help which while rarely can happen to some. Everything else is just gravy after that. Follow the color/stops to wherever you need to be. Super simple.
If you're going to be riding for several days I also recommend getting the 7 day pass (18$) so you can just hop on and off without worrying about fairs - you can find the fairs here It looks like you have to buy these when you get there. The only item you buy online is the month passes.
The silver line to the World Trade Center is where you want to go to get to Pax. Then just walk down to summer street.
Step Two. What to do at Pax!
huh.. not a lot was being said about this yet.. lets get back to that.
huh.. not a lot was being said about this yet.. lets get back to that.
Step Three. Things to do before Pax!
A few things started to pop up on the forums about people gathering before Pax. There were a few local gatherings but they always seemed to fall on weekends I was already doing something or they were wayyyyyyy up in MD where it would take several hours to reach them.
There was also talk about thepre paxdinner so I started to look into that since it looked like a great way to meet new people right away.
Still nothing huge being announced but at least people were talking. There was also a new badge post that I didn't know about. Apparently you can get a forum badge which is something nice for those who frequent the forums and know each other by title.
I also had to start thinking about what to pack, what to bring, Should I pack a cosplay or go simple? What's the weather like? So many things!
A few things started to pop up on the forums about people gathering before Pax. There were a few local gatherings but they always seemed to fall on weekends I was already doing something or they were wayyyyyyy up in MD where it would take several hours to reach them.
There was also talk about thepre paxdinner so I started to look into that since it looked like a great way to meet new people right away.
Still nothing huge being announced but at least people were talking. There was also a new badge post that I didn't know about. Apparently you can get a forum badge which is something nice for those who frequent the forums and know each other by title.
I also had to start thinking about what to pack, what to bring, Should I pack a cosplay or go simple? What's the weather like? So many things!
Step Two!
:D.... oh...nope.. not there yet...
:D.... oh...nope.. not there yet...
Step Four Places to eat!
The next question I had was probably the most important of any.
Food. My goodness food.
So from what I read on the forums it's anything goes (of course). If you have the means you can go farther out and find places to eat. If you don't then its pick and choose your own line in the con center.
Some people mentioned bringing your own food and storing it in the hotel rooms which sounds like it would work well as long as you have a fridge. I actually saw someone bringing in a microwave to magfest last year so I guess this is very common. Considering how expensive hotel food can be when you're in a pinch.
Someone convientatly posted a list of restaurants nearby. But Im also a fan of using yelp and other searches on my phone.
There seems to be a good mix of type of food out there and there are also grocery stores and 7/11s nearby for those needing a quick nip.
The next question I had was probably the most important of any.
Food. My goodness food.
So from what I read on the forums it's anything goes (of course). If you have the means you can go farther out and find places to eat. If you don't then its pick and choose your own line in the con center.
Some people mentioned bringing your own food and storing it in the hotel rooms which sounds like it would work well as long as you have a fridge. I actually saw someone bringing in a microwave to magfest last year so I guess this is very common. Considering how expensive hotel food can be when you're in a pinch.
Someone convientatly posted a list of restaurants nearby. But Im also a fan of using yelp and other searches on my phone.
There seems to be a good mix of type of food out there and there are also grocery stores and 7/11s nearby for those needing a quick nip.
Step Two!
Mother.. fu...
A few people started asking about what was going on and people mentioned that things would be posted soon.
Oh will they? Will they forums?! psh..
Mother.. fu...
A few people started asking about what was going on and people mentioned that things would be posted soon.
Oh will they? Will they forums?! psh..
Step Five! Hints and tips on surviving Pax
While the close friends mentioned that when we get there we will probably get a little over stimulated with EVERYTHING THATS SHINY. I am attracted to shiny things as my GM found out when my D&D character just had to open a glowing door and release an acid blob on my team... oops..
So I know my challenge will be to pick and choose the things I really want to do and try not to do everything. Thus lists.. many lists of what I want to do are formed.
Guidebook will also be a lifesaver. If you don't know what guidebook is - First get it.
Its an app on your phone that allows you view and mark the schedule of the convention you are attending (if they provide it). It also has maps and helpful information for you. I like that it warns you ahead of time when something is coming up that you are interested in. There is also a feature that allows you to view what your friends have marked as well.
Someone alsoposted some helpful things to bring to Pax that a lot of people tend to forget, This is also the Q&A post if you are looking for other helpful information.
I think if you are cosplaying you have more to worry about or if you are staying with a group of people in one room. If not I think just the essentials are the first step to what you should think of packing. Medical/bathing things and what to wear. Then you can go about the extras like food, games, electronics etc.
One of the big things I took note and got myself was an extra battery and a big charger so we didn't have to worry about our phones dying while walking around. Along with a water bottle to rehydrate and two tylenol. Those I feel are the essentials. Everything else is just bonus.
While the close friends mentioned that when we get there we will probably get a little over stimulated with EVERYTHING THATS SHINY. I am attracted to shiny things as my GM found out when my D&D character just had to open a glowing door and release an acid blob on my team... oops..
So I know my challenge will be to pick and choose the things I really want to do and try not to do everything. Thus lists.. many lists of what I want to do are formed.
Guidebook will also be a lifesaver. If you don't know what guidebook is - First get it.
Its an app on your phone that allows you view and mark the schedule of the convention you are attending (if they provide it). It also has maps and helpful information for you. I like that it warns you ahead of time when something is coming up that you are interested in. There is also a feature that allows you to view what your friends have marked as well.
Someone alsoposted some helpful things to bring to Pax that a lot of people tend to forget, This is also the Q&A post if you are looking for other helpful information.
I think if you are cosplaying you have more to worry about or if you are staying with a group of people in one room. If not I think just the essentials are the first step to what you should think of packing. Medical/bathing things and what to wear. Then you can go about the extras like food, games, electronics etc.
One of the big things I took note and got myself was an extra battery and a big charger so we didn't have to worry about our phones dying while walking around. Along with a water bottle to rehydrate and two tylenol. Those I feel are the essentials. Everything else is just bonus.
Step Two!
Well look what finally arrived. Some information on stuff to do during Pax!
I was told we were skipping the prepax dinner so I nixed that off my list. We were going to hit a restaurant before the pokecrawl and pregame it. well. Ok!
Speaking of which I started to learn more about the famous pokecrawl everyone was talking about. They finally started posting details and that tickets would be availalble soon. This year they were breaking the teams to groups of 50 and it's first come first serve on the ticket site. There was also a big notice that people shouldn't just show up and tag along since that was a huge issue in the past.
Well look what finally arrived. Some information on stuff to do during Pax!
I was told we were skipping the prepax dinner so I nixed that off my list. We were going to hit a restaurant before the pokecrawl and pregame it. well. Ok!
Speaking of which I started to learn more about the famous pokecrawl everyone was talking about. They finally started posting details and that tickets would be availalble soon. This year they were breaking the teams to groups of 50 and it's first come first serve on the ticket site. There was also a big notice that people shouldn't just show up and tag along since that was a huge issue in the past.
For those unaware each color team goes to five different bars and challenge each other with shots. You have to do shots to complete the challenge and then there are extra gym challenges on the side for extra badges HOO.
You get a team color pin and a red pokeball pin for completing all the challenges and the ultra-ball pin for completing the gym challenges.
You get a team color pin and a red pokeball pin for completing all the challenges and the ultra-ball pin for completing the gym challenges.
When the tickets went live they sold out within 11 minutes. Shantz had a hiccup with sprint. (You can view his reaction here). So we ended up with only four Green-Black tickets needing six. So I hopped onto Macathu's account and snatched up two Green-Whites in hopes we can compromise before or that night before the games begin. If not we'll just have a split group sadly. Ive posted a few times to see if anyone will swap but we shall see.
An Assassin Game popped up as well and I toyed with the idea of joining. Shantz apparently played in the past and he said while it was really fun some players took it way too seriously which ruined it for others. For a first time Pax I decided to not go with this option though in the future I may give it a try once I get over the golden glow of newbieness.
It sounded like a lot of fun though. You wear pins and use an app to get "hits" where you have to hunt down other players with different symbols. They talked about missions as well which sounded kind of interesting. If you like large scale games like this I would give it a look! You can view the forum post here.
There was also a nice post about all the different after parties that were popping up. It seems like you have to jump on the tickets fast for the ones that require tickets or they sell out quickly. We picked up a few different ones so we can pick and choose that night without worrying about lines. Which I was told to avoid if the party has no tickets since that means it would most likely be a madhouse and a long wait to get in to just scream at each other all night. I will be happy to go the concerts or the parties or both. It seems there is no lack of good stuff to do while we are there and that makes me happy.
The concerts by the way! Oh the concerts! I've looked at all the other pages on the website since the schedule page seems to like to break for me often and I can't look at it. Im very excited to see almost everyone who is playing and while I know I wont see all them Im happy to know that whenever I pop in I will enjoy the music. If I had to pick one I would say Anamanaguchi is the one Im most excited about. If they play Meow my weekend will be complete.
Music listing.
An Assassin Game popped up as well and I toyed with the idea of joining. Shantz apparently played in the past and he said while it was really fun some players took it way too seriously which ruined it for others. For a first time Pax I decided to not go with this option though in the future I may give it a try once I get over the golden glow of newbieness.
It sounded like a lot of fun though. You wear pins and use an app to get "hits" where you have to hunt down other players with different symbols. They talked about missions as well which sounded kind of interesting. If you like large scale games like this I would give it a look! You can view the forum post here.
There was also a nice post about all the different after parties that were popping up. It seems like you have to jump on the tickets fast for the ones that require tickets or they sell out quickly. We picked up a few different ones so we can pick and choose that night without worrying about lines. Which I was told to avoid if the party has no tickets since that means it would most likely be a madhouse and a long wait to get in to just scream at each other all night. I will be happy to go the concerts or the parties or both. It seems there is no lack of good stuff to do while we are there and that makes me happy.
The concerts by the way! Oh the concerts! I've looked at all the other pages on the website since the schedule page seems to like to break for me often and I can't look at it. Im very excited to see almost everyone who is playing and while I know I wont see all them Im happy to know that whenever I pop in I will enjoy the music. If I had to pick one I would say Anamanaguchi is the one Im most excited about. If they play Meow my weekend will be complete.
Music listing.
Going back to theforum badges I've become a little scared on if I can get one or not. Im terrible with tests and they're going to ask a series of questions which means I will babble and run away. This will be interesting to see if I pass or not. I will update what happens after Pax and let you know if my test taking skills have improved with age!
Last Feburary I recently and suddenly learned I had to cut out Gluten from my diet so to see if anyone had any hints or tips I posted a question on how to survive Pax on a Gluten Free Diet.
It got one mixed reaction but besides that everyone who posted was very nice and were willing to throw some help my way. I got suggestions from bringing my own food. What type of food to bring and what works over other things. Of course items with more protein will keep you full longer. Ensure drinks sounded most popular to fill you up all day.
Last Feburary I recently and suddenly learned I had to cut out Gluten from my diet so to see if anyone had any hints or tips I posted a question on how to survive Pax on a Gluten Free Diet.
It got one mixed reaction but besides that everyone who posted was very nice and were willing to throw some help my way. I got suggestions from bringing my own food. What type of food to bring and what works over other things. Of course items with more protein will keep you full longer. Ensure drinks sounded most popular to fill you up all day.
Some plan to go to the grocery store when they arrive and gather items like nuts, hard cheeses, lara bars, fruits, yogurts, and jerkies. Stuff to snack on.
Another is actually making meals at her house and freezing them after vacuum sealing them.
The Cookie Brigade actually bakes gluten free cookies as well which would be nice to grab if I can.
It sounds like a lot of the restaurants in the area are very gluten friendly though some people mentioned to be careful and make sure they don't just advertise it. Some of the places inside the convention center will work with you also if you ask them about it.
Some of the great links I got from everyone:
Gluten Free Boston Girl - A list of GF restraunts in the area
Gluten Free on Yelp
Gluten Free Boston - Blog about GF in Boston
Find me Gluten Free - Also has an app but searched in areas for GF places. It's not 100% and can miss small mom/pop places but helps in a pinch. If you want to help you can add places to this site as well!
So I think I'll be pretty safe when it comes to GF items on this trip. Im planning a bit better then my last trip.
I will say I also got my first infraction on the forums in that thread. I didn't know there was a max size limit to photos you can post so I got hit for that. Woops!
After all my researching and questions I think I finally made the boys get annoyed with me so I backed off a bit and decided to take a bit of a break from the Pax Stuff.
Another is actually making meals at her house and freezing them after vacuum sealing them.
The Cookie Brigade actually bakes gluten free cookies as well which would be nice to grab if I can.
It sounds like a lot of the restaurants in the area are very gluten friendly though some people mentioned to be careful and make sure they don't just advertise it. Some of the places inside the convention center will work with you also if you ask them about it.
Some of the great links I got from everyone:
Gluten Free Boston Girl - A list of GF restraunts in the area
Gluten Free on Yelp
Gluten Free Boston - Blog about GF in Boston
Find me Gluten Free - Also has an app but searched in areas for GF places. It's not 100% and can miss small mom/pop places but helps in a pinch. If you want to help you can add places to this site as well!
So I think I'll be pretty safe when it comes to GF items on this trip. Im planning a bit better then my last trip.
I will say I also got my first infraction on the forums in that thread. I didn't know there was a max size limit to photos you can post so I got hit for that. Woops!
After all my researching and questions I think I finally made the boys get annoyed with me so I backed off a bit and decided to take a bit of a break from the Pax Stuff.
Meanwhile. A week to go and my body decided it was about time to get that spring cold! Hurray! Time to fight this off before I fly next week!
View Part One, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six
View Part One, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six
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