Is it worth it

[mathpro18]

So I've been thinking about going with my wife and step sons. My oldest step son will be graduating from high school on 5/26 however so we wouldn't be able to arrive until 5/27 at the earliest which means we'd miss the first day(s) of the con. I've never been and have wanted to for the last several years its just never been in the cards so to speak.

So for those of you who have gone would it be worth going for Saturday/Sunday/Monday? Or should we just hold off until next year when all 5 days will be possible?

Also are there rooms left in the block at the hotel?

[Sara Marie]

5/27 (Friday) is the first day of PaizoCon. There is lots to do Friday morning but things seem to pick up Friday evening. Saturday & Sunday tends to be the most enthusiastic days, with people and events winding down on Monday as folks begin to head out.

If its "worth" it is a very subjective question. My impression is that people typically find it more worth it if they've preregistered for events & built a schedule ahead of time and put a little social investment into meeting people at their game tables or while wandering the convention.

I believe there should still be rooms, but that is handled all via the hotel so you would need to check in with them.

Hope that helps.
~Sara

[Eric "Boxhead" Hindley]

Saturday and Sunday are the "meatiest" days in my experience, with Friday night being an excellent add if you play PFS, or get into a cool lottery game. I personally think even just Saturday and Sunday would make it worthwhile, but everyone has their own preferences.

[Steve Geddes]

Last year I only managed a day and a half. Although it was disappointing (I was expecting to be there considerably more) it was worth it to me in the end - being at the banquet and the various "where to next?" seminars was worth the trek on its own for me.

[mathpro18]

Looking at flights it looks like I wouldn't get into Seattle until about 3 PM which means I"d miss a good chunk of Saturday with travel. The flight alone is going to be about 2k but my wife and I are still discussing whether or not we can pull this off because it would be the PERFECT graduation gift for our son.

[TriOmegaZero]

I believe it would be worth it due to the very personal nature of the con. Every time I have gone has felt less like a convention and more like a visit to a local game store. The personal interactions with the staff make it memorable and I never feel crowded by people like I do at other cons.

[Khelreddin]

I've gone with my son for the last 4 years (he's now 15), going again this year. PaizoCon is a highlight of our year. Even when I've offered a trip to GenCon, he says he prefers to do PaizoCon.

I agree with TOZ, the smaller scale makes it feel very comfortable and personal. We've had the chance to talk to almost everyone who works at Paizo over the years, even gamed with some of them, and have friends we've met that we look forward to seeing there every year.

We fly up on Friday night from the Bay Area (did Sat morning once), so we don't hit every minute of the Con, and I've never felt like we were missing out on anything - it's always been a ton of fun, without being as exhausting as a huge con (though we play a lot of Pathfinder over that weekend, so it's plenty tiring).

The first time I brought my son, the trip was a birthday gift, and he was absolutely thrilled about it. I'd think your stepson would be pretty excited, even if you miss a bit of the schedule.

[rknop]

I'm sure I've asked you this before, and forgot the answer -- where in the Bay Area do you live? It looks like I won't make it to PaizoCon this year, but I may visit the Bay Area, as I have family there. (Housing is way cheaper crashing at Mom's house than it is paying a hotel....)

[SirRogue]

I have a similar, but slightly different question:

Is it worth attending for someone who is primarily only interested in playing ACG? I play the RPG, but mostly only in home games and don't have much interest in RPG OP/Society games. But I lerrrrve me some Adventure Card Game. Will there be enough going on in that corner to make it worth coming for all four days? Or at all? Would love feedback from both previous attendees and event scheduling coordinators.

Thanks!

[TriOmegaZero]

From what I saw last year, there were plenty of tables going at all times. I was able to sit down for a round during one of my off slots no problem. I remember at least four tables being there, but I can't say for certain how busy they were. (Also, playing the gunslinger pregen was a blast. :)

[Leg o' Lamb]

SirRogue wrote:

I have a similar, but slightly different question:

Is it worth attending for someone who is primarily only interested in playing ACG? I play the RPG, but mostly only in home games and don't have much interest in RPG OP/Society games. But I lerrrrve me some Adventure Card Game. Will there be enough going on in that corner to make it worth coming for all four days? Or at all? Would love feedback from both previous attendees and event scheduling coordinators.

Thanks!

Yes. Yes, it is.

You will have the opportunity to play all weekend in both sanctioned events as well as pick up games. Also, you will have the chance to talk with the fine folks who make the game.I know of at least one person who has gone to Paizo Con and all he plays is the card game.

Another bonus is the chance to play "in development" scenarios or other games before they are released to the general public.

I noticed your lack of interest in OP RPG Pathfinder. Are you aware of the OP for the Adventure Card Game? You may want to give this a try if you decide to attend the con. The OP card game has a very dedicated group of folks who play. I had the chance to get to know a few at GenCon this past summer. Their excitement and love for the game was evident. Give it a try.

[WBryan]

Last year was my first PaizoCon (first Con ever!) and my husband and I had a great time!
We were both volunteers and worked every slot. I'll do that again in a heartbeat! Being there Friday morning to Monday afternoon was fun, tiring, but fun. I was in a wheelchair due to a broken foot, but hopefully that will not happen again.
Getting a badge for one day (or more) is very worth it! There were demos and extra tables for all sorts of games. I think I remember 6 or so assigned tables for just ACG. Those were mainly walk-ups. There were several rooms with tables for small games and lottery games. There was a quiet room for downtime. I hope we can get a large-ish room for younger players to game in this year. My two kids would love to help (boy-14 and girl-12)!
If you can make it for even one day, you'll have a blast!

Please, everyone should attend this year!

[SirRogue]

Leg o' Lamb wrote:

SirRogue wrote:

I have a similar, but slightly different question:

Is it worth attending for someone who is primarily only interested in playing ACG? I play the RPG, but mostly only in home games and don't have much interest in RPG OP/Society games. But I lerrrrve me some Adventure Card Game. Will there be enough going on in that corner to make it worth coming for all four days? Or at all? Would love feedback from both previous attendees and event scheduling coordinators.

Thanks!

Yes. Yes, it is.

You will have the opportunity to play all weekend in both sanctioned events as well as pick up games. Also, you will have the chance to talk with the fine folks who make the game.I know of at least one person who has gone to Paizo Con and all he plays is the card game.

Another bonus is the chance to play "in development" scenarios or other games before they are released to the general public.

I noticed your lack of interest in OP RPG Pathfinder. Are you aware of the OP for the Adventure Card Game? You may want to give this a try if you decide to attend the con. The OP card game has a very dedicated group of folks who play. I had the chance to get to know a few at GenCon this past summer. Their excitement and love for the game was evident. Give it a try.

Thanks for the advice. We are very aware of the Card Guild, we play weekly. :) We just wanted to make sure there would be enough ACG content and activities to be worth coming. Sounds like it will be fun, thanks!

[zeroth_hour]

SirRogue wrote:

Leg o' Lamb wrote:

SirRogue wrote:

I have a similar, but slightly different question:

Is it worth attending for someone who is primarily only interested in playing ACG? I play the RPG, but mostly only in home games and don't have much interest in RPG OP/Society games. But I lerrrrve me some Adventure Card Game. Will there be enough going on in that corner to make it worth coming for all four days? Or at all? Would love feedback from both previous attendees and event scheduling coordinators.

Thanks!

Yes. Yes, it is.

You will have the opportunity to play all weekend in both sanctioned events as well as pick up games. Also, you will have the chance to talk with the fine folks who make the game.I know of at least one person who has gone to Paizo Con and all he plays is the card game.

Another bonus is the chance to play "in development" scenarios or other games before they are released to the general public.

I noticed your lack of interest in OP RPG Pathfinder. Are you aware of the OP for the Adventure Card Game? You may want to give this a try if you decide to attend the con. The OP card game has a very dedicated group of folks who play. I had the chance to get to know a few at GenCon this past summer. Their excitement and love for the game was evident. Give it a try.

Thanks for the advice. We are very aware of the Card Guild, we play weekly. :) We just wanted to make sure there would be enough ACG content and activities to be worth coming. Sounds like it will be fun, thanks!

Oh yeah, if you play the Card Guild, playing in convention games allows you to pick up boons, bonuses you can use for your characters in your Card Guild games no matter where you play them. Last year's were based on the Thassalonians Runelords from Rise of the Runelords, and were kind of fun - you get a big benefit but also a big drawback.