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It's Japanese mythology.

Does clockwork alchemy bother to incorporate the theme?

I think they try if they're able to.

Last year (2014) was a probably a little difficult to coordinate with Fanime's beach theme. Clockwork Alchelmy did "Alternate Empires" as their theme.

But 2013 they definitely went along with the gothic fairytale theme. Probably an easier theme to incorporate for steampunk fans. I went to a few "fairytale" panels there that year and learned a lot.

2012 was their first year and I don't remember there being a theme.

This year (2015), their site displays their theme as "Myths, legends & lore". They do seem to make of an effort to incorporate their "themes". Like with their GOH with panel subjects.

[Because I don't have a Government Issued ID, only a High school ID (last year they let me get my group's badges with my school ID but I don't wanna push my luck for this year...)]

1. Is it okay if I make someone else in my group the group leader even though I'm paying for everyone's badges? Because I don't have a Government Issued ID, only a High school ID (last year they let me get my group's badges with my school ID but I don't wanna push my luck for this year...). I'm the only person in the group with enough money to pay for everyone.

Also not staff, but the first page of this thread which has the FAQs as they stand right now, say that they take student ID this year. (which is different from previous years, I know) Just something to consider in case it helps your situation.

Q: Who can pick up the collective group's badges? What does the leader need to pick up the badges?

A: Only the group leader can pick up the badges. No one else may pick up the group's badges- this is to prevent theft. The leader must have either a valid student ID or a valid government issued photo ID during pick-up- otherwise, no one can pick up their badges. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE BADGES TO THE GROUP MEMBERS. Any lost badges will result in a re-print fee.

So just to clarify -- you get onto the shuttle with a Fanime badge, not with some sort of hotel-given signal, correct?

My group didn't end up getting a hotel actually on the Fanime block, and we are looking at possibly staying a hotel not on the block but near to  where the shuttles run so we could take advantage of those to get to the con. If there is some sort of hotel wristband or having to show your room key or some other way to get on the shuttle, a lot of people (like us) who didn't or couldn't get an actual Fanime block room are going to get screwed out of being able to attend the con at all simply because we wouldn't be able to get there for our rooms.

Maybe this year Fanime can run even more shuttles (more shuttles? more often?) to make sure that there is room for everyone who has to stay at one of the further hotels, Fanime block or not? I have not had to take the shuttles in previous years, so I don't know how quickly they fill up, but I have a feeling that a lot more people are going to be staying further away this year.

I don't know if there will be any changes to the shuttle service this year, but I can speak to the use of the shuttle the last 2 years since I visited CA while staying at the Marriott.

No, there wasn't anything special given by the hotel to imply you needed to be at the hotel itself. Depending on driver, they may or may not glance at your Fanime/CA badge. It wasn't a big deal. Just have it visible, just in case.

2 years ago (first year of CA), the shuttle buses were large. Reminded me of those tour buses with large capacity.

Last year, the shuttles were dramatically smaller. Reminded me of the ones that airports used to shuttle you to their long term parking lots. Their small capacity held up the shuttle lines quite a bit because the shuttle would fill up and then you'd have to wait another 20 minutes before another one showed. If you were lucky, you could get on that one, otherwise, you'd have to wait for yet another one. CA staff was really good about the lines on their end once they realized what was happening. They had bobbies directing the shuttle line with tape on the floor. I went to CA twice last year and both times took longer than planned because of those lines. The transit time on the road itself was fairly short.

So, yes, the shuttles are a nice convenience. As long as there's enough of them (or they're big enough). Otherwise, it'll probably worse this year than last year. And last year was pretty bad.

Hope that helps!

It's hard to say which is "better" since it's very subjective. A lot of it comes down to personal taste in terms of content. And with Fanime being so much larger at this point, it just offers "more" in certain aspects. Does more content and variety make an event "better", though? That's something you have to decide yourself since we don't know you personally or know your preferences.

I attended SacAnime for the first time this past winter after hearing many (sometimes negative) comparisons with Fanime. And I LOVED it! I checked out the Opening Ceremonies, Masquerade, a couple of panels, video room, AA/Dealer's, gaming and Cafe Hoshi (their maid/butler cafe). My friends who also went to their Karaoke and Dance also liked those too.

Yes, it's smaller and everything was on a smaller scale, but for us it was still enjoyable. And it was very well organized. I commented on it even before Fanime this year how well-organized SacAnime was for an event.

It was the first year they were at the convention center. And you can tell sometimes that they weren't as familiar with the venue, but what was impressive was how quickly staff reacted to unforeseen situations. When lines started running longer than allowed space, they immediately snaked it around and moved people. (Staff were noticeably monitoring the lines) When people commented about need for a sign to help locate something......hours later, big signs were  up. When you asked staff questions, they were all giving out the same answers. It wasn't perfect, but it was definitely well-run. My friends and were debating if they use "paid" staff and maybe that's why. But if they do, it sure paid off logistically.

Oh, and they paid to utilize the Guidebook app which was super convenient!

And yes, it's a 2 hour drive for me too, but I'm looking forward to attending again this winter. The "content" of the con you can see on their web site. And as most people pointed out, remember it's on a smaller scale with less cosplayers, etc. than Fanime. But I'd recommend people trying it at least once. I'm glad I did.

@codex D: they....served you guys duck??


:D my omelet at peggy sue's was amazing <333 but they gave me warm milk....i really wanted cold XD

Lol. The fries were fried in duck fat. So, no, we didn't get any duck itself.  ;)

Original Joe's was also good. I think many people are already fans of that place for good reason. We had the NY Steak and the Chicken Parmigiana. Yummy. The calamari appetizer was definitely seasoned well and tender without being chewy. OJ's was much more crowded with a different atmosphere from Arcadia's, but still fun.

Arcadia in the Marriott is awesome. We had both dinner and the breakfast buffet there.

Dinner:
Whole fried chicken which the new restaurant manager carved/served at our table. Juicy and tender.
Truffled mac and cheese was so rich.
Duck fat fries--crispy and light.
Lava cake was perfect for chocolate lovers--which we were.

Breakfast Buffet:
Selection included pastries, selection of milk/juices/tea/coffee, fresh fruit.
Hot food selection included eggs, bacon, French toast, and country potatoes.
You can also order freshly prepared waffles and omelets. All ingredients were really fresh and well-prepared.

Besides the great food and service at the restaurant, the best part of dining there was location. We sat by the windows both meals which was a great spot to watch the cosplayers gather. A nice little get away for some peace and quiet, good food, and still be able to watch the con. We played "identify the cosplay". I lost, but it was definitely worth it .  ;)

This isn't really a response to the thread since the OP already stated that he/she doesn't care.

Rather, I'm just posting a general observation on the part of a Fanime newbie. Fanime is a very impressive con considering how much of it relies on volunteer-power. Having attended industry/professional events, I still can't believe Fanime relies on volunteers for all this work. Every event of this size will have issues, but I don't see it warranting some of the comments of this post.

As the OP stated over and over, he/she seems to have lost the "fun" factor. Please note that "fun" is not a right.

I'm sure others more knowledgable about Fanime history and operations will have better comments. But this is just my "outsider" view.

Also, is Live Programming the right place for this thread?

Hey Peoples. Srry I havent been on for awhile, been swamped with work a typical college stuff

No worries. We figured you were busy. But definitely let us know how you're doing at school. There's a bunch of new people on channel now. So hopefully you'll find time to log on and meet them. We miss you lots and can't wait to hear how your first year is going!