Messages

[Make the light movement reflect that, rather than jumping back and make it seem like a scam.]

 The biggest problems however were the stacker machines and the barber cut games. I understand they are games of skill.  However, I watched several people play the barber cut/string cutting prize game and get a perfect grip on the string with the razor.  Yet it barely frayed the string.  I was actually standing close enough to see it grip far back on the blade so the entire blade would pull/slice and it barely did anything.  In addition, the stacker machines were blatantly altered from last year.  Last year the stacker machines weren't easy, but it was still possible to win if you were determined enough.  Twice out of the twenty or so times I played I, and several witnesses, saw the final major prize square light up when I hit the button and then jump back to the previous space, which nets me no prize.  I normally wouldn't have a problem with this, even if they shrunk the amount of time you have to correctly react to the timing.  Make the light movement reflect that, rather than jumping back and make it seem like a scam.

I saw no difference in the Stackers game from this year and last -- and I've won prizes off them both this year and last.
It's always done that jumping thing, it's what makes the game so hard. You have to be absolutely precise in hitting the button. Otherwise we'd have a lot more prizes gone.
Personally, I don't just rely on the squares themselves. I use a lot of listening to the beats to determine when I want to hit.


But I totally agree with there needing to be more rhythm games. DDR, PaRaPaRa, Pop n music, Technika, etc. There should have been more than 1 for those last 3 since they're so popular. Also, though I didn't personally experience it (Because I never got the chance to play it!!!) I was told by a friend the pop n music's yellow and green buttons didn't work correctly. A second machine would have given an alternative to play on at the very least.


I thought Rovers were much better this year than last - last year they all looked so serious and I was honestly afraid to approach them, but this year I noticed most of them were all smiles and though I had no issue to take up this year, I felt like I would be able to talk to them should need be.

Also, I thought the reminders to shower worked better this year than years past - I didn't really have to battle con funk this year whereas last year I had almost been tempted to carry fabreeze around to protect my lungs.

All in all, a most excellent con.
Thanks for making my 7th year super memorable guys. <3

I'm not saying it's impossible to win.  It just seems like the stacker machines had the window of time to correctly press the button for the last row reduced. 

Prize turn-over for the machines this year I did notice was much lower than last year.  I'm not saying you didn't win or anything, just that it seems it was much more difficult this year. 

Also, I never noticed the light jumping back on the stacker machines last year.  Even when several friends and I took turns trying the machine out and over 2/3rds of the time we were getting to the last row for the major prize win.  Some were really close, but we never witnessed the correct square light up, go dim, and then the previous one light up.  All in all just a criticism that if you're going to have timing that fidgety (even if I'm wrong about it being more difficult) then the light's movement should reflect that.  In order to avoid claims of a scam even if there isn't one.

I also mentioned the barber cut machine because on day one it was full of prizes.  Then most of them were gone and all that was left were two ipad proxy boxes with redeemable vouchers in them.  Then for the entirety of the rest of the con neither one of those ipad boxes seemed to be won.  Despite several close calls, or outright should-have-won attempts.  It definitely looks sketchy when the machine was full day one, and then the rest of con it only has two prizes in it that no one seems to be able to win despite frequent playing.

The idea itself is neat but think about it like a video game tournament in the game room.  How many people would sign up thinking they have mad skillz when it turns out they're horrible. I could see 40 or 50 people signing up and maybe a third being entertaining while the rest are just awkward or don't do as well.  I'm being pessimistic, but it doesn't change the fact that you'd have to weed through a lot of bad contestants to get to good ones.

I remember the conversation basically outlining the fact that no televisions in the game room on Friday day and night or Saturday day had soul caliber on them supposedly.  I can't say this for certain since there were obviously gaps of time where I was not present while other friends were there quite a bit more than myself.  Apparently, they requested from several of the video game staff/volunteers if they could play soul caliber and they were told it wasn't available.  Hence why my friend brought in his own console and game and set it up on one of the few available televisions. 

I always try to leave room for doubt, but from the other problems I saw with the console gaming that I've mentioned it's feasible.

Oh, and I just remembered something.  While the swap meet squares were well taped off I noticed there was no walkway available between rows so you had to walk the entire breadth of the room in order to get to one of the ends to walk around to another row or further into the gaming hall.  Most people were either stepping over some of the more sparsely populated swap meet squares or walking through empty ones.

For those wondering, yes I will nitpick everything that comes to mind as being somewhat significant.  I mention it because the traffic issue resulted in the clearly placed borders being violated for the sake of understandable desire for convenience.  I didn't see any example of it in person but I can easily see how the whole stepping through semi-occupied squares bit would cause some of said swap meet square occupants to be upset at potential damage or hopefully unlikely theft.

The water complaint over all wasn't that big for me.  It was mostly just something I made a mental note about.  The game room issues I think are the bigger problem.  I remember a friend brought in his own ps3 and his own soul caliber and controllers to use on one of the TV's because the game wasn't provided.  Also, there were a few complaints from my friend and overheard from others about how the game library was only cobbled together and was never finished.  Though I don't know how true that is about sunday, since I heard that on saturday night.

$3.50-$4 water: Fortunately, those I came to the con with thought ahead and brought a flat of water so we were never without during the convention, but compared to previous years the water available was dismal by comparison.  The only real water available from the con itself were either sporadic fountains, or the overpriced bottles from the machines/booths.  In previous years there were water dispensers around the con along with small paper/plastic cups, and while I did notice how there were some people leaving a mess here or there it was far outweighed by con goers having easy access to water.  It was missed this year by quite a few.

Just as a heads up, there is a Rite Aid within somewhat reasonable walking distance that was having a sale of 24 packs of water.

I understand that there are places nearby to pick up flats of water.  My complaint/con point was that there was very little complimentary water available at the convention center itself, unlike in previous years where water dispensers and cups were available.  Some people did make a mess once or twice with the cups, but over all those years the water was appreciated.  Especially since people didn't want to pay the three to four dollars for a bottle of water.

Protester Deflection: The protesters this year not only received less attention, but there were fewer of them compared to last year.  It seems a rather well placed moving van kept the more hypocritical attention obsessed of them from sticking around.  To any and all who either turned the other cheek or otherwise didn't contribute to the anger they represent? Thank you.

This was mostly due to people just not messing with them. I actually had a conversation with a few of the protesters last year and most of them felt that they weren't really 'protesting', just expressing their religious opinions (which, honestly, they have the right to do). That is to say, it was a protest because people were treating it like a protest. The ones I talked to did admit that their approach seemed rather confrontational. I noticed a few cosplayers chit-chatting with that one guy with the megaphone on Monday.

Well the whole point is they were being very confrontational.  It was less a sharing of an opinion and more of a condemnation of what we enjoy.  Hence why I say protest rather than demonstration. They have every right to lawfully demonstrate/protest, but it doesn't change the fact that it's irritating. I didn't take any strong offense, it just annoyed me. As for this year the guy on the last day preaching through the megaphone was actually pretty calm through it.  He wasn't screaming and shouting with hatred or vitriol which was alright.  From what I saw this year as a whole the demonstration/protest was more relaxed.  The protest from last year was angry as hell (no pun intended.)

[Cons]

Cons[/u]

Gaming Hall

Layout: A lot of wasted space from the lackluster computer gaming section. When I mentioned this to several con staff and asked why there was so little they responded it was supposed to be a fan participation thing.  Yet I saw -no- advertisements or emphasis on that before the con or even until I asked the staff present about it.

Arcade Choices: Some of the arcade machines this year were just bad choices.  Terminator salvation was barely played at all.  Silent scope went untouched.  The rhythm games were welcome as always, but there were too few of them.  Two DDR machines is always a good idea.  However only one machine of Technika kept me and others from playing due to a minimum 20-30 minute wait time at all hours of the day. Two machines or three would've been a vast improvement if it was possible.  Not to mention one more para para machine would've been good to see. I don't play it, but there was almost always a group interested in it.  The biggest problems however were the stacker machines and the barber cut games. I understand they are games of skill.  However, I watched several people play the barber cut/string cutting prize game and get a perfect grip on the string with the razor.  Yet it barely frayed the string.  I was actually standing close enough to see it grip far back on the blade so the entire blade would pull/slice and it barely did anything.  In addition, the stacker machines were blatantly altered from last year.  Last year the stacker machines weren't easy, but it was still possible to win if you were determined enough.  Twice out of the twenty or so times I played I, and several witnesses, saw the final major prize square light up when I hit the button and then jump back to the previous space, which nets me no prize.  I normally wouldn't have a problem with this, even if they shrunk the amount of time you have to correctly react to the timing.  Make the light movement reflect that, rather than jumping back and make it seem like a scam.

$3.50-$4 water: Fortunately, those I came to the con with thought ahead and brought a flat of water so we were never without during the convention, but compared to previous years the water available was dismal by comparison.  The only real water available from the con itself were either sporadic fountains, or the overpriced bottles from the machines/booths.  In previous years there were water dispensers around the con along with small paper/plastic cups, and while I did notice how there were some people leaving a mess here or there it was far outweighed by con goers having easy access to water.  It was missed this year by quite a few.

No signs: I understand the problem that has occurred over previous years with signs soliciting things like free hugs and what not and the drama when someone holding one of those signs gets more attention than they bargained for, or from the wrong type of person.  Those signs being disallowed I completely understand.  However, all signs of any kind? That seems a bit much to be honest.  It even needlessly hit several of the con's cosplayers who would've had signs for their characters but couldn't or had to jump through hoops to be able to have it.  

Pros

FLOW: I never was a strong fan of the band, but I did enjoy their music.  The free concert and the amazing performance however has sold me on any future chance of them attending Fanime.  Please bring them back, they were awesome and put on a great show.

Rovers: I heard very little negative things this year in regards to the Rovers.  Any complaints I heard were from people just chafing against authority at all or commonly refusing to think about it from the con's perspective.  Not the case entirely with everyone, but that's the general sense from any complaints I overheard or came up in discussion.  Overall the Rovers this year were friendly, efficient, and kept things from getting out of hand.

Protester Deflection: The protesters this year not only received less attention, but there were fewer of them compared to last year.  It seems a rather well placed moving van kept the more hypocritical attention obsessed of them from sticking around.  To any and all who either turned the other cheek or otherwise didn't contribute to the anger they represent? Thank you.

Hentai Room: As always this is just perverse but hilarious fun.  Heckling in the hentai room is always a grand time had by most who go, and this year was no different. The only request I could possibly make is have a hentai music video night designated in the schedule.  Sunday night we sat through about an hour of HMV's and they were pretty funny and/or well done.

Overall Verdict= Despite a few shortcomings that a perfectionist like myself didn't just overlook the con was a great success this year. I really look forward to see what the tally was compared to last year, because it was definitely more than 15-18k people.  The press of bodies on Saturday proved that. Thank you to all the staff and I hope things only get better next year, whatever that theme that may be.