It's Alive—The PaizoCon 2015 Event Schedule is Here!

Two days ago I was like, "What?! Where are all of the lottery events and seminars." Now I'm like, "Oh, there they are." There's a lot of good stuff on your schedule. I've got my fingers crossed to be able to appreciate and enjoy as much as I can. Thanks for the opportunity :)

I'm using G+ Calendar to plan out the events I am VERY interested with "backup events" in case there isn't room for the planned ones. It looks like there is some wonkiness with the scheduler, for example "Friday morning #6–01: Trial by Machine (CORE)" and other PFS events are "Signup not yet open", but other games have the "0-4" selection available for the lottery. Earlier in the day I was able to signup for workshops, now I show as signed up, but the signup isn't open. It's the weekend. Things are weird.

But because I have the G+ calendar in front of me with what I *wanted* to do plus alternates, I can stay on top of this thing until it smooths out and still have alternate events handy.

Good luck, everyone!

I noticed this too. For awhile I could schedule events (non-lottery), but my son could not.

In the past, the lottery was done, and THEN you could select the other events.

My guess is that they did not intend to have non-lottery events available yet. I have a couple selected right now. I will probably unselect them to ensure the lottery events in the same time period are not blocked by them.

I would PREFER the lottery to happen and THEN the non-lottery events open up. Otherwise non-lottery will get all filled up while we wait for the lottery events to be selected.

I AM bummed that the specials are now lottery (they used to be events that anyone can schedule) ... as that means if I want to do them, that's pretty much what I'll get. So, it's now a pick of special vs cool Paizo personality event.

Yeah, for which OH BY THE WAY (cough-cough) would someone at Paizo need to UNselect me for those events I signed up for in order for the Lottery events to do those things? Or do I need to suck it up and withdraw myself from the "backup events" I selected so the Lottery process will work? For instance, I have We Be Goblins Free set as a "4", WBG-Beginner Box I was allowed to just sign up, though my wife can not select that one. I find it odd WBG-Beginner Box was not ALSO on the lottery.

Weirdness... Anyway, I'll keep an eye out for a Paizo staff person to go, "Naughty ferret! Please deselect those events not currently open to be selected!" I don't want my wife to have to put me back in my cage. :(

I'm hitting more like this, things I can select, my wife can not, and these events look like they ought to be LOTTERY events, but they are not. Would it be useful to have a "bug report" filed somewhere of these? Or... just look up my schedule for non-lottery events I signed up for even moments ago. These appear to be in the same kinds of areas, so I hope it's a bug, one easy enough to find and fix. I'll keep an eye out and provide what support I can. If it helps, my wife is my "buddy", so that may have something to do with why I can select non-lottery events, but she can not. Or... something. Best wishes!

My son is a buddy too. And he can't select.

I'm hitting more like this, things I can select, my wife can not, and these events look like they ought to be LOTTERY events, but they are not. Would it be useful to have a "bug report" filed somewhere of these? Or... just look up my schedule for non-lottery events I signed up for even moments ago. These appear to be in the same kinds of areas, so I hope it's a bug, one easy enough to find and fix. I'll keep an eye out and provide what support I can. If it helps, my wife is my "buddy", so that may have something to do with why I can select non-lottery events, but she can not. Or... something. Best wishes!

The same thing is happening with me and my husband.

The same thing is happening with me and my husband.

Are you still able to select. Now, neither my buddy or I can select anything.

Add me to the can't select anything list. All events are showing "event is full" or "sign up not yet open". Did I miss the lottery already? :-)

It appears the LOTTERY is going, and non-Lottery event should show as full or closed. It looks like certain games, of which I have mentioned, SHOULD be Lottery, but are events *I* can select, but my wife can not. All making this look like a "bug" issue. Monday I expect we'll get a Paizo Staff to clarify.

My guess is that they did not intend to have non-lottery events available yet.

Bingo! Anyone who managed to sign up for non-lottery stuff is being removed so that their lottery events will not be effected.

I AM bummed that the specials are now lottery (they used to be events that anyone can schedule) ... as that means if I want to do them, that's pretty much what I'll get. So, it's now a pick of special vs cool Paizo personality event.

After discussing this a bit internally, Robot Chris and I think its best to remove it from the lottery and allow it to be open registration.

I find it odd WBG-Beginner Box was not ALSO on the lottery.

Games targeted towards Beginners and kids are, for the most part, not part of the lottery. This allows kids badges (which due to their discounted price are not part of the lottery) to get an equal crack at those events.

Add me to the can't select anything list. All events are showing "event is full" or "sign up not yet open". Did I miss the lottery already? :-)

We've ironed out the issues now. You should be able to select lottery preferences at this time. To help sort between what's lottery and not, just scroll down in the left-side search bar to "Registration" and select "Lottery" that should help you find just the events in the lottery.

You and your minions are awesome Sara.

I am just wondering, if I don't pre sign up for events will there still be things to do? Pick up games or displays? This is my first Paizo Con, and I am not huge into society but I heard there were special sheets you can get for playing the games. I just dont know enough about the games to know how or what I would want to schedule.

Really wanna go for the banquet and checking everything out, but not sure I want to schedule and sit down at games. Feels rigid for a convention for me.

If nothing else I will get to experience it and know better what to expect next year, but really just wondering if there will be things for people like me who are first timers who don't know what to expect or what to plan? Pick up games, or what not.

About me:
Got into Paizo through the Adventure Card Game and currently planning out a Rise of the Runelords campaign to play. Own a couple of the class decks that I plan on bringing with me but havent played any Card Game Society. Sat in on a couple of RPG Society games though and had a blast.

We have short 20 minute walk-up PF RPG delves going on for most of each day and historically, seminars usually have extra seats open. There's also a board where we put unsigned-up-for-event tickets and people can leave tickets that they decide they won't be able to attend. Anyone can grab a ticket for an event off of there. Also, you can also check in with a GM to see if a ticketed player hasn't arrived at the start of the game. Its up the GM how long they want to wait or if they want to accept new players. Be open to trying new games or replaying old adventures, there's an atmosphere at conventions that can make even adventures you've already played a lot of fun, but so much of that convention atmosphere is what attendees themselves bring.

Pick up games also happen, but because I'm working during the con, I don't have much experience with those other than always making sure we've got open tables for people to use. During the 1p-6p time on all 3 days, the OP room (grand ballroom) will have a ton of open tables and there should be space in Evergreen 1 or 2 during the other slots.

Keep in mind, this is the first year we've done 4 days and left the 1p-6p time slot "open" where there is no PFS going on. It may mean seminars/games are a bit more crowded during that time. My suggestion would be that if something catches your eye on the event list, enter the lottery for it. You can always trade or give it away once we run the lottery.

On Monday, the event schedule is pretty light, but its the last day of the convention and you'll find lots of people are hanging around, making connections and chatting. 6 years ago at PaizoCon 2009, I sat and chatted with Cosmo, and some other employees. I had no idea that a few months later they would be looking for a CS rep and the rest is history :)

sowhereaminow wrote:

Add me to the can't select anything list. All events are showing "event is full" or "sign up not yet open". Did I miss the lottery already? :-)

We've ironed out the issues now. You should be able to select lottery preferences at this time. To help sort between what's lottery and not, just scroll down in the left-side search bar to "Registration" and select "Lottery" that should help you find just the events in the lottery.

Able register for lottery events now. Thanks!

On a side note, it was kind of weird. When I looked last night, none of the events had lottery buttons, including the discussed PFS specials. Probably some extra strangeness with my firewall or adblocker. Sometimes they block normal things.

Games targeted towards Beginners and kids are, for the most part, not part of the lottery. This allows kids badges (which due to their discounted price are not part of the lottery) to get an equal crack at those events.

Ouch! Ouch! Owie! I didn't realize that would be an issue. I will look at those as backup events if there are open seats. There is simply no possible way I would deny a seat to a "Kids Badge" even if my Barbarian wife would permit me. Which she won't. I'z one squishy ferret. :(

There are very few kids badges so don't feel like you need to avoid them. Those games are also perfect for beginner players no matter the age because the atmosphere tends to be more relaxed and a gentle/fun introduction to gaming rather than handing someone a 500 page core book and a blank character sheet. Even if you're an experienced gamer you can enjoy "beginner" games. it's a very different experience than a 18+ Veteran level game, and variety is the spice of life after all!

Hey, one teensy error I noticed (like, seriously, you're going to throw something at me when I say this): On the list of boxes you can check, y'know the "Day" column? Sunday comes before Saturday on the list.

KC - hadn't you heard about the exciting plan for PaizoCon? They've rearranged the days! You see, they could only schedule the specials on Friday and Sunday nights, but it seemed like it would be so much fun to play specials two nights in a row, that they rearranged the weekend instead. So we'll play the Friday night special, the Sunday night special, and then whatever is happening on Saturday night.

Any further questions, I'm here to help.

There are very few kids badges so don't feel like you need to avoid them. ...

Thank you. We'll see how things go. We both would feel horrible denying a Young Badge a seat. The idea that there are very few of them is simply a reminder we wish we could see more young faces in the crowd at PaizoCon.

Was going through the events and found a few that I marked a 3. However being an ACG player I was hoping to check out the new season of the ACG society but they are all marked as 'signup not yet open'

Is there a bug on my end or do I just have to keep checking back?

The ACG ones are not lottery events. After lottery selection and assignment THEN you'll be able to select those (first come first served).

Go for your favorite lottery events. See what you get (you'll find out next week), then select the ACGs you want.

About 2/3rds of the ACG is up. Still have some Guild Open Play to add and there are also demos which, as ongoing events, I don't think will go up online.