PAX Reactions

PAX is already a week behind us. This year it was bigger than ever. Sadly I was only able to attend Sunday, and spent most of my time running around the convention center craning my neck to look at all the awesome stuff, and generally soaking up the atmosphere. Most of the goodies were already given out, though I did score some League of Legends skins.

I didn't attend any of the major events or panels, but I did stop by one of the tabletop RPG workshops. It was a very small affair, only about 8 people in attendance. The subject was dungeon design, and I really enjoyed a chance to talk with professional dungeon designers and bounce ideas around to use in my own tabletop RPG campaigns. My friend stayed for a workshop about integrating the horror genre into games (with one of the writers for Call of Cthulhu), but I decided to go exploring on my own after that.

I waited in line for half an hour to try out Wakfu, a new MMO on the way from Square Enix. I didn't get to play long, but it seemed charming enough and I should be receiving a beta invite for it shortly, so I'll comment when I get the chance.

Last but not least, I got to talk to a wonderful gal named Epona from the Academy of Interactive Entertainment. The AIE is a workforce training school that's very big in Australia but has only recently landed in the US. As I mentioned in my previous post, I managed to score a $15,000 scholarship to the first year of their two-year program, but unfortunately had to decline. However, it's still something I'm really interested in. Seattle is an awesome place to live, I've got good friends there, and it's definitely a gaming hub.

I left PAX with a T-Shirt, a small amount of free swag, and some good memories with friends. I was also randomly given a "team notch" button by someone on the elevator who liked my creeper shirt. Overall it was a successful venture, but I definitely want to get a three day pass next year so I won't feel so rushed.