First, welcome, young initiate. Ahead of you is a spectacular experience that defines the casual NewFomans from the Grizzled Mythics. Revelry, riches and and the Bnet rite await you at a magical place called Seattle in late summer. "Alas," you might ask, "Why would I want to make a trek there?" Easy! [url=http://prime.paxsite.com/]PAX Prime![/url] Every year, a bunch of nerds and geeks accumulate en masse around the Washington State Convention Center. Cosplay, table top games, video game demos, swag, sweaty man flesh, and the sweet, sweet smell of the salty West Coast air! My first PAX was in 2014 and I'm hooked. As I am writing this, I am mentally preparing myself for PAX East this March and already have preparations to attend PAX Prime again this August. It's an experience that I recommend every regular on this site experience once. While my first trip was a blast, it did have some challenges. Those stresses are why I want to write this; pass on knowledge to you lot so your experience is just that much better. I'll try to write it in order of what you need to do when. I'm sure the more veteran PAX goers will disagree with some of what I say, but I'll try to incorporate their input as it arrives. [b]Saving Up That Money[/b] If I recall correctly, I spent about a grand at PAX Prime. Before you lose your mind over that, keep in mind that included airfare and premium priced tickets. There are definite ways to cut down on spending. Obviously if you don't have to fly, that's huge savings. Negotiate crashing with some people, don't take cabs, hell grab some bread and peanut butter and cut down on meals costs. I can easily see the costs getting below three hundred for some. [b]Lodging[/b] This is the part you need to take care of first. Hotels go fast. Like, six months ahead of time fast. You need to commit early (like, by March) if you want to guarantee yourself a spot (Well, that's not entirely true, but we'll get to that). PAX centers around the Washington State Convention Center, which is located on Pike and 7th. From there, you can fan out and start looking for hotels. I certainly recommend on in walking distance, as it makes the experience that much easier. But let's say you can't find a place, or aren't ready to commit that early. Well first, the PAX Prime site, once it goes live around April, will have some hotel deals. They work with local hotels to provide group discounts. Those go super quick. You can also look at alternative lodging, but those are use at your own risk. The last recommendation I have is to look for places near the Sea-Tac airport. It's about twenty miles away, but there's a sweet public transportation option connecting it to downtown Seattle called the Light Link rail. For five bucks, you can ride it unlimited times during the day. It's about a twenty minute ride, so it's definitely a commitment if you need to pop back to your place to drop some stuff off, but it's a convenient option that was good for me on my first trip. It's not all ups, though. It closes around 12:30 AM, sometimes earlier, and this can screw you if you're hanging out with Bobcast, True Underdog, a bunch of others drinking, only to stumble to the station at Pine and 6th to find the gates shut. You'll be stuck wandering around downtown til 2:30, eating the most delicious pizza hotdog you've ever had while listening to a homeless guy go on about aliens, mirrors, and other government projects, hoping the Uber prices drop from their hike while the bars let out. Plan your travel ahead of time and be ready. [b]Passes[/b] There are two main ways to get passes: through the initial offering and through second-hand sources. Okay, to be honest, statistically there's one way to get passes. The 2014 PAX Prime sold out in four minutes, I think. It's worth a shot [i]trying[/i] for these. Unless they change their habits, the only sure way to get notice is to follow the Official_PAX twitter account; that's where they'll announce it. If you do manage to get in on this action, awesome, else you're looking to either get a set through ebay, or similar source, or through a friend, of which you have many on Bnet. Post within this group if you're interested and you might find someone who has extra passes or a friend who has a friend who knows a guy that has extra passes. [i]There's a caveat though.[/i] While I shelled out $225 for mine, if you can stomach waiting to the last minute, prices go down on ebay. Also, I'd argue that they aren't necessary to enjoy PAX. Some of the convention center is open and some Bnet members are cool on lending out their passes for a short while. [b]Travel[/b] Travel is pretty easy. If you're flying in, get tickets to Sea-Tac airport. It'll put you a stone's throw from Seattle. Once there, grab the Light Link rail. It's less than three bucks for a one way trip (5 and change for unlimited trips in a day, as mentioned earlier) and it'll drop you off a few blocks from the convention center. If you're not traveling between the airport and the Convention Center, there's always Uber. Cabs are about $50 between the Seattle triangle of Bungie Studios, the airport, and the convention center. Uber is a bit cheaper and, if you're a first time user, you can find some discount codes to use. I got a $50 ride for $23 when stuck downtown one night. Most importantly, wear comfortable shoes. You do a lot of walking and you'll get blisters if you don't have good boots. [b]Other important notes[/b] Check Bnet for get togethers. Last year there was something once a day, or at least we tried. Dinner, lunch, beers... Don't touch your face! Dear god, some geeks at PAX are breeding grounds for bacteria. When I first met Chorizzo, Foman, and a bunch of other Ninjas/Mentors, a couple laughed at me when I touched my face. A few days after I got home I was one of those most sick I've ever been in my life, and that was something. Wash your hands often, don't touch your orifices. [i]Bring Purel[/i]. Penny Arcade publishes to an app of the events. Use it as a good scheduling tool. I don't know what Bungie's visitation policy is. That said, I totally am not telling you to go check out the gorgeous mural of their games outside, try to spot Urk sneaking out of nearby air ducts, or purposefully try to get thrown out by Jerome, just so you can feel his burly man hands on you. ----------------- That's all I've got for now. I'll try to add more as I think of stuff and as the more experienced PAXers contradict everything I write