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Well, I'll probably remember more things later, but here is what I can think of right now.

1)  The Dance.  Could we put it elsewhere?  It really ruined the anime rooms for me because all I could hear was "boom boom boom tss boom boom tss" across the whole hall.  I think if we could move it to where the panels were (which have nothing going on at that time of night anyway) that would be great.
2)  One thing that really irritated me (and I felt really bad for the staff that had to deal with it) was when a room was supposed to be playing something, but the staff member didn't have the disc and didn't even know where it was.  I forget where this happened to me, but apparently someone how borrowed the disk and hadn't brought it back or something of that nature.  That threw off the schedule and there wasn't anything playing in that room for at least an hour while the poor staff guy had to hunt it down.  I think with a con this big that sort of thing needs to not happen.  All the rooms need to have all the shows that will be playing at all times.
3)  Probably an all around complaint, but could we have schedule sooner next year?  For everything, not just anime showings.  And could there also be descriptions of everything (panels, etc.).  Just brief ones to give all of us think-a-headers some idea of what things are about.  I think most of the stuff had descriptions.
4)  Clearer directions to the Masq.  Maybe everyone else knew what CPA meant, but I hadn't a clue.  I wandered all over the old site for the Masq until someone guided me in the appropriate direction.
5)  This is not being mean to any individual, but just something that upset me.  The lense for my glasses fell out at the con (I need them to drive).  When I went to Con Ops to see if it had been dropped off or if they could keep an eye out for it they were very short with me.  They weren't rude, but they didn't, to me, seem to want to help.  I understand Con Ops is busy, but I just got the impression that my situation wasn't taken very seriously.  If I misunderstood the intentions of any Con Ops people I apologize.  It was a frantic time for me.  We searched the hall in the dark five or six times...I ended up hunting down a lenscrafters in San Jose to get new ones, but anywho.


There were some things I did like (well a lot, but beyond the obvious).  I liked that the Anime and Panels were split.  That made navigation a lot easier I think because you knew where all the Anime would be, etc.  I didn't have to go jumping around everywhere (although I missed all the panels because of other issues).
I think the Asian Films were rather good this year.  I've liked them in previous years, but there was a lot of cool stuff.  One thing though I think should be addressed for both the Asian Film areas and Anime is for stuff that is obviously going to be HUGE (Death Note perhaps) there should be room in the schedule to have extra showings.  I imagine a lot of people did not get to see Death Note (either one) because they were just so full.  So, maybe keeping an eye out next year for any big things...

I'll likely come back with more when I get more free time.  For now, that's what I have.  I don't think I broke any rules.  If I did I apologize.  I wasn't  trying to be mean.

I saw them, but I'm more into paintball than airsoft.  However, I'm sure if this thing happens, my friend might give it a shot.

How much are airsoft guns?

Well, while I like the idea of it, I just don't know how it would work.  How would you manage it on a roof at the con? (on a hotel or something)...what if the BB's go off the roof and hit someone below or something.  But, I dunno, maybe having a paintball/airsoft game going nearby in a field or something with whatever permits are needed to do it, that would be cool.  My friend would have loved to play paintball.  I just don't know about doing it in downtown San Jose without some sort of enclosed area.

Good idea, just looks like a hastle to try to get off the ground I think at the convention itself.  Elsewhere in the are, *shrugs*

Do they have a paintball field nearby?  Maybe for 07 someone could pool resources form people who want to play and rent out the field for the weekend.  I know you guys want to maybe cosplay (and my understanding is paintball paint is water soluble, but still), but who knows, getting a bunch of people together for a big paintball fest would be awesome.

InfestedScyther

Not sure why I'm putting it up, but I feel like having more Anime-ish people to chat with :P

Hmm, craziest thing...well, I caught my friend checking me out in 'that sort of way' and I'm a guy and he's a guy...so...no..I just made that up...but I still suspect he may be a little bit on the other team...

umm.  I think the craziest thing was waiting for 2 and a half hours to play a game of Rifts RPG when nobody showed up for it...but that's really just boring rather than crazy.  I miss out on so much cause I still don't know most of what goes on.  Someone hang out with me next year and drag me to all the crazy stuff please!

Yes, this is by far a superb idea.  If only we could make it manditory lol.  I haven't experienced many of the things you guys have said (fanboy funk, etc.), in fact I don't get what is so hard about taking a shower and using deohderantaetantn (however you spell that damned word).  You'd think it would be common sense.

I also agree that the staffers in the video rooms should try to keep people who want to talk out.  That's one of the few things that can actually ruin a movie for me at the theatre.  I even experienced it at the Con this year and it absolutely pissed me off.  A lot of people come to this wanting to see stuff they've already seen or new stuff, and when you're yapping your face off during it, it really ruins things.  Talking is for outside...plain and simple.

As far as attendance, I don't know who will go.  It might really depend on how the panel is run.  If it is run seriously (like straight faced tips, etc.) then I don't know if people will stick around.  Most of the people who would go probably already know how to use soap and shampoo.  If there was a humorous twist to it, you might get more attendance, but I don't know if that is what we all want from this.  Also, you should take into account that having it run for the first time probably won't bring as much attendance, but having it go again will probably draw more attention as people have already heard about it before.

I also keep hearing all this stuff about sexual harassment/stalking/etc.  I'm a guy, so I guess I will likely never have to deal with it, but every year there's a dozen or so girls (probably more because these dozen are just the ones that come on here) who complain of being followed, harassed, etc.  Is the Fanime policy for this sort of thing pretty tight?  One warning and then you're gone forever?  I don't know what more can be done other than having more security.  What about asking for volunteers who would 'patrol' during the night hours and such?  Two or three people or something at a time.  I dunno.  It might also come down to the people getting harassed actually throw a stink to security so something will get done.

Anywho...

Let's see...well.

I'd like that guy who did the Storytelling for Animation panel to come back and do more panels on that sort of stuff (I think that was the Sean that was mentioned earlier who did the Eva panel, but I could be wrong).  His panel was really awesome.

Manga:
Ken Akamatsu (sp?)
Yu Watase (Alice 19th, Ceres, etc.)
Whoever does Naruto (books aren't in front of me...sorry :S)

Music:
Any artists from the Initial D sountracks.  I love that music.
Two Mix

Other:
Yamaga has to come back, period.
Anyone from Gundam (any of the series)

Sorry, I don't have a lot of names cause I'm not quite as rehearsed in Anime as everyone else :S.  I would just like to see more people talking about manga though, like getting into the business, etc etc etc.

I have to say Saturday mostly because it was the one day that had good stuff before and after it.  I would have said Sunday, but I had to leave on Monday, so it had a downside *shrugs*  Got to wander and see a whole bunch of panels and anime and such that day, so it was totally cool.  I had so much fun at the con overall this year though so really all the other days are almost dead on with this one...just this one didn't have any bad points lol.

This was my second year at this particular con, and technically only the second big con I've been to (Sac Anime just doesn't count...it just doesn't).
I hated when it ended.  Saddest part of my week.  I really need to get out and meet more people though.  Any Gundam Wing, Saikano, Crest of the Stars (Banner, etc.) or Gasaraki fans out there :P.

If things go the way I plan for next year (since it will be my last real year of freedom since I transfer to a four year U fall 2007) I'll be attending Fanime and Anime Expo, and maybe PAX as well.  Depends.  My brother and I need a super vacation summer though :P.

I miss Fanime :(

I got a good haul this year :).  I planned better and had an idea of what I wanted for a lot of it :).

Models:
EX-S Gundam Master Grade - 88$
Gaia Gundam - 17$
Justice Gundam - 17$
GINN Type High-Maneuver 2 - 17$
Gundam Wing Zero Master Grade - 42$
Freedom Gundam Master Grade Extra Finish Version - 40$ (I think, or thereabouts)

Manga:
Junk Force Vol. 1-3 - 9$
Warcraft Manga Vol. 2 - 10$
Naruto Vol. 10 - 9$
Someday's Dreamers Vol. 1 - 9$
Sakura Taisen Vol. 3 - 9$
Red Prowling Devil Vol. 1-8 - 24$
Sister Red Vol. 1-2 - 6$
(edit...forgot)  Yaoi Trigun Manga - 14$

Anime:
Blue Seed Collection - 45$
Banner of the Stars I - 40$ (and about damn time that I found it too...)
The Place Promised in our Early Days - 22$ (saw the AMV and had to have this anime...)


Artwork:
Me as a Super Hero - 55$ (:P)
Anime Portrait, Full Color - 22$
Semi-chibi-ish Naruto Bookmark (for friend) - 2$
Two Postcard Size Prints (One from Nikore's Cafe) - 6$
Cool Angel Print (from Dogmatist) - 10$

Apparel:
FanimeCon 2006 T-shirt - 21.50$

Food:  (I'm officially addicted to Pocky...first time ever really having it...)
4x Strawberry Pocky:  11$
1x Mouse Pocky: 2.75$
3x Chocolate Pocky:  6.75$
1x Pine Cream Pocky:  2.25$
1x Lotte Koala Strawberry Cream Things:  2.50$ (I think...don't know the real name of these things cause I can't read Japanese...)
2x Morinaga Fruit Chews (Grapefruit and Cherry):  3$
Kasugai Kiwi Gummies - 2.75$
Kasugai 100Mix Gummies - 2.75$
Eating Out:  120$ (was paying back a friend with food basically)

Other:
2 Rifts RPG books - 6$

Housing:
Marriott Share - 220$

Free:
Gaia Online Poster (the one with the girls on it...cause well...yeah you all know why I grabbed it).
Various other stuff like pins and flyer's, coupons, etc.

Overall:
Roughly 915$...that's actually less than I thought I had spent...wow...lol.

Been saving for a year, so glad I was able to get some of the stuff I wanted and got some cheap manga and stuff :).  And Pocky for the first time ever!  I love it!

Bad things...

Had to leave on Monday (today), about 4 hours early cause my lame friend wanted to 'get home', knowing full well that I'd been waiting a year for this to come again...not to mention we left early last year cause he's a bastard.  He was driving, so kinda had to listen, but figured he'd let me stay til the end, but noooooo.

Spent all my money, which is only bad because it was about 640 dollars, but there's a good side to that...got cool stuff :D.

I guess a bad thing is I always feel sort of out of place because this is the only anime con I've really gone to (second year in the row and still loving it)...this is mostly because I'm somewhat new to anime as well :S.  Getting into it, but you know, still so much stuff I haven't seen that gets brought up in conversation so I feel kinda lost and intimidated.  *shrugs*

Otherwise, pretty much a gooood con...

My friend left his pillow in our room...so that's the bad stuff on his end.

lol.  Well if you're wanting to use a D-bee (which a catgirl would be) then I can draw something else up for a game idea.  Either way works.  There should be some cat-based creatures in one of my books.  I know there are some panther/men, etc.  So, you could definately be a cat girl in the sense that you are a giant walking person who looks like a cat.  As far as having the cute little cat ears, I don't even think Rifts has those, seeing how things have descended into near chaos in most parts of Rifts Earth.  But, yeah, I'll bring all my books so you can paruse.

Are you going to be there Thursday?  My friend and I will be there probably rather early that day and I haven't looked at what's showing that night since they are having some sort of special showing for pre-reg's.  But, that would be a good time to at least get characters drawn up, meet, figure out when would be a sufficient time to play for everyone (considering I have no idea when things are actually playing yet :S), etc etc.

Anywho :)

Awesome :).  My friend will be really excited.  He was really bummed that he might not get to play this year since our third groupie won't be going.

So, would you like me to draw you up a character, or would you like to do one at the con?  Usually it takes about half an hour to draw one up, but that depends entirely on who's doing it lol.
I'm going to probably run a CS (Coalition States) game.  The CS basically are a faction of humans, and only humans, who are somewhat like an America gone horribly wrong.  They hate D-bee's (anything that isn't human) and magic users (human or otherwise), and basically are at war with just about everyone that is those two things.  The people themselves have actually been led through propoganda to believe that those two groups of people are evil, etc.  So, it's really interesting because the players are limited in what they can pick, but the GM (Me :) ) has a giant library of fascinating little creatures to pick to throw at the players.

Anywho.  Umm, all you'll need to have with you basically is a brain (so you can keep count of your health/armor, and use whatever skills your character has), a few D6 (6 is a good idea), 2 D10, a D20, and usually that is all, though sometimes there are D8's that are used.  But anything that you don't have I'll have so no biggy.

So, umm.  Yeah, we've got about two weeks to figure out how to meet up and figure out when we all would like to play, etc.  As a note, my GMing style is basically taking all the rules (there are a lot in Rifts), throw most of them out, and change a few so it becomes a lot simpler and more entertaining.  You'll probably only have to roll for 4 or 5 things throughout the entire game:  Attack/Defend, Use Skill, Use Magic/Psionics, Perception, and Determine Damage (such as when you're hit with something big that could knock you out, you roll to see what happens to you).
If you have any questions just ask :).  In the meantime, I'll get an idea going for this and we'll figure out how to meet up, etc.

Short Version:  Rifts RPG is a tabletop pen & paper D&D style game set in a post-apocalyptic world in the far future where various dimensions have actually merged with our own suddenly bringing about magic, psionics, massive technological advances, etc etc.  Just imagine a really cool futuristic world where just about anything can happen, or has already happened.

In order to play, you just need this:  some inkling of how to play a Pen & Paper RPG lol.

It runs on a D20 system, for the most part, and uses some D6.  I don't really follow most of the rules and actually dumbdown most of them to make the game flow better.  A lot of the time I just want the game to be fun, and not be bogged down by having to figure out how many bonuses character A has that can be used to attack character B while restraining a punch and inflicting the negative of blah blah.  Just gets annoying trying to do all that and people seem to like having a simplistic battle system anyway.

So, if you know how to play any pen & paper RPG (D&D or one of the millions of other RPGs out there), then please feel free to play :).  If you have any more questions about the game, just ask.  There's a lot to the world of Rifts, but most of it you don't need to know to play lol.

Anywho,
Arc.

Don't know how many of you play Rifts, or would like to play it.  My friend and I are going to be at Fanime the entire duration and he would like to play Rifts agains (we did last year but had a group).  I can't run a game with just one other person, just not possible.  So if anyone else would be interested in playing a full group of say 3 or 4 would be great.  Even if you haven't played Rifts, I just change it up to make it simpler and more entertaining.  Anywho, if interested post here or send me an email at [email protected]

Laters,
Arc.

Well that's just totally evil!! I am in search of that one model....yes it's the gorgeous one from that movie with the angel wings *_*   Although my friend hates it because it defies the nature of physics......it's constantly loosing "feathers" as it flies....yet it always has the same shape.....<.<;;

I wanted to have it be something that me and my dad could do together since we never really do stuff anymore....and well....our bond isn't very strong at all. We hardly even talk unless I'm in trouble n stuff....or some way I can improve myself....ugh.

Has your friend ever watched Gundam Wing?  The whole show defies the nature of physics.  It wasn't designed to be realistic lol.  I mean, you watch the show and you seem them whipping at speeds that most planes in the world can't go, and then zipping left and right and zig zag at speeds that would liquify any human brain inside.  I think angel wings that drop feathers all the time, yet maintain their shape are the least of our worries in the realm of physics lol.

Have you tried looking online for it at like Anime Castle or something like that?  (Anima Castle is pretty good, usually has rather good prices, and in my experience, quick to respond, good time for shipping, just all around good company).

Anywhoodles.

Yeah that Bandai booth was friggin SWEET. I'm considering going back and trying to get that Wing Zero Custom model <.<

You mean the one in the huuuuuuuge box with the awesome angel wings from Endless Waltz?  Cause yeah, I've been wanting that forever, just never been gutsy enough to fish out the cash for it, it's like 150 or something regularly.  But yes, if Bandai isn't there next year it's going to suck for me in the dealers room cause man they got most of my money.  They offered me deals too, the people who worked there were really awesome and everything, helpful, etc etc.  It was good stuff.  I bought the entire Gundam Wing series from them and saved like 50 bucks on it, and 10 models, or so, I don't remember how many I bought, but I do remember I did them all in like one day lol.  I probably spend about 250 dollars there, and probably saved close to 100 off of retail prices (like what you would have to pay in Kmart or Walmart or some other evil corporation that never seems to carry the one model you want...grrrrr).  Man, can't wait til next Fanime.  It's going to be so awesome.  I loved it the first time for me, and I know I'll love it again, there's nothing quite like it.

I didn't bring enough and I kinda expected that I hadn't, but I didn't have any more :p.  I really want to see that Bandai booth again.  I'm such a huge fan of the little snap together models and stuff and they had a lot of great deals there.  I'd like to be able to get a lot more next Fanime cause man I went through those in a heartbeat and I bought like 10.  Lol.  I think for me though, the variety wasn't a problem because it was my first time to a convention thing, so everything was new to me, but that's me :).

But yeah, it was awesome :)

Oh, got another promise that I will try my best to keep :).

I promise to do my best to finish the FF board game a friend and I are working on and bring a prototype to play in the gaming room or whatever lol.

I promise to put as much thought and time into attempting to do a cosplay skit next year.
I promise to do the same amount of thought and time into attempting to con all my friends, my brother and his friend, and anyone else I can manage to drag along into dressing up for at least one day of the con.
I promise if that happens I will get my friend Kyle to dress up as Princess Peach or much pain and suffering will befall him during the festivities (such as random bops on the head with a soft hammer thingy).
I promise to spend my money more wisely at the Con as well as getting a good list of things that I want to buy so I don't buy anything I don't actually need lol.

Anywho...