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Gaming
Convention Etiquette
Convention season is upon us yet again, which means of course, lots of cool new information, swag, fun, and the crowds. When going to a convention, any convention, there are a few key rules that will make your experience a better one. You'd think some of these would be pretty obvious, but you'd be surprised at how oblivious some folks can be.1.) Practice basic hygiene daily.
You are going to be shoved into a room with thousands of people up close and personal every day of the convention. As such, nobody really wants to deal with a sweaty, stinky mass of humanity. Please. Save everyone's noses. Shower and use deodorant at a minimum daily. Teeth brushing is also a good thing.
2.) Wear comfortable shoes.
Yes, you look really cute in those 3" heels. Unfortunately you're probably going to want to die after a couple hours on the first day. Save your dogs some pain. Wear sneakers or something you might go running in.
3.) Don't carry a ton of stuff with you.
Carrying around your laptop and your DS and your PSP etc sounds like a great idea. Until you have it around your neck or on your back for several hours straight. Keep it minimal. But do carry a bottle of water! On the plus side, it leaves you more room to haul out swag!
(Continue reading after the break!)
4.) Bring a (small) camera!
Definitely bring one, it's a great way to capture things you are super excited about and want to share. That said, don't spend your entire time behind it. Get into playing things too! I just don't suggest a giant one you have to wear around you neck. Sure things will look super swank, but your neck will hate you at the end of the day.
5.) Buy swag early.
If there is one piece of swag from your particular convention that you REALLY want (see: The PAX East scarf) buy it the first day. It frequently sells out, and you'll be sad if you miss it.
6.) Research places to snag food in advance.
The obvious, right in plain sight of the convention center places are going to be MOBBED. Look a little farther away, you'll probably find great food, no lines, and some cool place nobody else might find. (I have one or two of these for PAX Seattle. No, I'm not sharing!)
7.) Keep earplugs on you for concerts.
I dunno about you, but sometimes things just come up last minute, like deciding to hit the concert. And I have sensitive hearing. So these are a must. They're light and small, so no big deal.
8.) It gets warm in there.
Every convention I've been to, it tends to get a tad warm on the floor from all of the computers, monitors, consoles and bodies. A t-shirt is usually just fine. You might freeze your toosh off without a coat outside, but you can run to your car/room to nab it, and it's extra weight you don't want on your back the entire day.
9.) Don't be a dick to the people you're staying with.
This should be fairly straightforward, but includes things like: leaving junk all over people can trip on, taking 45 minute showers, not warning people you snore so they can get earplugs, making one person pay for everything and not ponying up at the end, etc. I mean, you can do this, but they won't want you around next year.
10.) Play things!
Play the demos, play D&D with random people, play DS games with folks while waiting in line, just don't stand there in awe of the demos. Get up there and play them. That's what they're there for! Some things might require a sign-up, so if there's something you're dying to try out, plan ahead!
11.) Don't hog the demo stations.
Yes, you really really wanted to try out this game! So do the 20 people behind you in line. Play your 10 minutes and get off the station. Sharing is caring!
Following these rules will help you, and everyone else, have a great experience.
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