Project Lore

BlizzCon Here We Come! Blizzard is less than 24 hours away from opening the doors of the Anaheim Convention Center to its passionate fanbase to show off new products, progress on titles being worked on right now and rub elbows with fans and developers alike! If you're going to be at the convention, you want to make sure you have the best time you can have right? You probably are already here if you're taking a flight, have checked into your hotel and are ready to go! But we wanted to provide a few details for those who may have forgotten or simply didn't know about traveling and conventions. If you're in Anaheim Thursday you'll be able to pick up your badge starting at 4pm, make sure to bring your printed out barcode and ID (follow the directions on your email). You'll have until 10pm that night, but we recommend getting it done early so you can meet with some of the Project Lore staff (myself included) at the WoW Insider Party at the Anabella Hotel. And of course, it's not a bad idea to get some quality sleep the night before the convention, but you may want to explore a bit! There are many options open for you in Anaheim as there is Downtown Disney (no need for a Disneyland ticket!) which features some great restaurants, shops and a movie theater. Nearby is also the Anahiem Gardenwalk with more restaurants, shops and another movie theater if Disney isn't your thing. Also, if you're not from California you may have heard of it but you must make it a priority to eat at In N Out! If you end up there, make sure to check out their secret menu for an even better burger (or take the 10x10 challenge)! After you've filled up on food and hit the sack, you'll wake up to the big day! Friday the show opens up sometime around 11 (opening ceremonies are at 11:30). If you want a prime seat you will want to try to start lining up a few hours before if you're serious about it. If you still don't have your badge, you can of course pick that up anytime between 8am and 10pm. After the opening ceremonies you are open to do whatever you like! That's what is awesome about this convention! You get to choose what you want to do! Go hit up the BlizzCon Store (prepare for a wait though!) or other vendors (like our friends at J!NX). Not ready to shop? Visit any of the wonderful panels and hear from the devlopers themselves (check out the schedule here and map out what you'd like to see) or go play some StarCraft 2, Diablo 3, or the new WoW Expansion. There are also professional competitive players to watch, showcasing the best players in StarCraft, WarCraft 3, and WoW Arena. There will also be a live WoW Raid on Saturday, which is sure to be a sight to see! As much as the enjoyment of the convention depends on your attitude and the people you are with, there are things you can plan on, or have, that will help make sure your experience is enjoyable.

• Bring comfortable shoes: there will be lots of walking and waiting, make sure they're broken in and not brand new, you DO NOT want blisters on your feet!
• Bring water: you don't want to have to wait in line to get a drink and be thirsty while waiting, and you want to keep hydrated (not to mention bottled water is EXPENSIVE inside the convention center)!
• Bring snacks/pack a lunch: lines are long for food inside the convention halls and pricey and you may not even enjoy the food! Make sure to at least bring some snacks or even get something to eat before heading to the convention center before starting the day (Subway keeps fairly well and is close to the convention center).
• Plan out your day: after going to a few conventions, I noticed that my enjoyment of the show would increase if I had something planned out, you don't have to follow it exactly, but having a loose plan of what you'd like to do is good, but make sure you're flexible, especially if you're with a group, parent(s), or a significant other!
• Check your realm meeting time: this should be in the goodie bag when you pick this up and is a great way to meet up with players on your server (Alliance and Horde alike) and can help you find a guild if you're looking for one!
• Make sure you pack what you need: double check: clothes for each day you're there (think about packing an extra pair of clothes, just in case), deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, etc.
• Patience: lines will be long, the best thing to do is to strike up a conversation with your fellow line waiters, chances are they're into our beloved WoW and you can relate to something in game with them.
• Phones, Handheld Gaming Systems: these are great for those pesky lines and coordinating with friends to meetup, and who knows you might be able to strike up a quick game with a fellow attendee (I'll personally be bringing my iPhone and Nintendo DSi)

All in all though, have fun! Don't be afraid to say hi to people (if you see me, I'd love to talk WoW!) and just in general relax! This is supposed to be a fun convention and you have the power to make it that! Here also are some rough guidelines to when the best times are to hit up certain events at BlizzCon that tend to have longer lines:

• Game Demo Stations: During the costume contest and closing ceremonies the lines have traditionally been very small to play StarCraft 2, Diablo 3 and WoW. These are the absolute best times to play. If what is announced at the opening ceremonies is playable, most of the people will flock to try it out immediately and the lines will be pretty long.
• Blizzard Store: Later in the day, similar times as for the demo stations the lines tend to thin out and be much smaller, unless you're worried about an item selling out you can wait it out.
• Panels: unless you feel the need to sit up front you can come as late as the panel starting to get a decent seat. If you want to ask a question sit nearest to the microphones (where Blizzard CMs will be standing as well to screen questions). The Guild panel may be an exception although they are in an actual hall this year as opposed to a small meeting room last year (they filled up well before their panel time and many people had to be turned away).
• Tournaments: Earlier in the tournaments tend to have the best seats, but as it gets closer to the finals the seats tend to fill up (I sat on the floor for the StarCraft final last year) generally finding a seat around the semi-finals is your best bet to make sure you have a seat for the finals.

For those of you at home, if you've ordered the live stream make sure to have a nice comfy chair, drinks and snacks near by so you don't miss anything! If you haven't order the stream, be sure to follow your favorite blog with updates! There is also a free stream for the tournaments which are enjoyable to watch. Whatever you do this weekend, make sure you enjoy it as we celebrate the game, the culture and community of Blizzard games. So Project Lore readers, what will you be doing for BlizzCon? What panels look like the best to you? What do you think are can't be missed events? Did I miss anything that a con goer should be bringing?

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