2017 will be my first year not going to MAGFest since 2012. That’s usually the only place I tend to meet other FRC Members. As fun as it always is, can’t invest the moneys.
For all, I do this each year for me to make sure I can make heads or tails of the schedule. This year I am opening it up to everyone. This is the (unofficial) schedule sheet for reference. Best printed within Excel:
@Axel MAGUnderground is returning again, which mean in case you thought we had enough concerts, we managed to pull more concerts into MAGFest.
Ok hype is at max, I will be Gaylord bound tomorrow via carpool and packing finishes tonight. So here is my unofficial stuff you should do at MAGFest to have a good time.
Thursday 5:00 PM The Incomplete History of Nerd Music (my panel) this will be the last time I will be performing this in this manner, part of 2017 is to update the thing with much better video and audio evidence and get it to TED talk level.
Thursday 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM MAGLaughs - This is one of my pet projects to have a stand up comedy presence at MAGFest, the line up is really good for having it be very slapdash and last minute. The anchor to the event is Uncle Yo
Thursday 11:00 PM The Protomen - They just released a new music video last month, I expect the army to be rocking
Friday 11:30 AM Anime Openers from Around the World - Yes I know we all have seen this but it is the first step to get some more anime/music content on the schedule.
Friday 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM Trifecta of Tabletop panels - Again another brain child of mine to get more content on the schedule. This block has the strongest stuff in it. Beyond D&D (Uncle Yo Edition), How to run a Boardgame Cafe, and how National Security using War Gaming to train (yes Kriegsspiel shit will be talked about)
Friday 2:00 PM Austin Wintory Concert - Can you say live interactive artist painting while he is performing?
Friday 3:30 PM Gaming with Kids - You think there would be a bigger demand for this topic?
Friday 6:00 PM Designing Cosplay using Audrinos - I do not Cosplay but think this is cool as shit, using Audrios to build portable lighting rigs
Friday 9:30 - 11:30 Schaffer the Darklord, Armcannon, Bit Brigade
Saturday 10:00 Back in My Day Conventions from the Past - These guys were a Zenkaikon pickup and cant wait for them to get into a bigger event
Saturday 12:30 PM Multi-Haunted NES - Remember how awesome we think Jackbox is for connecting phones to their game? Now picture that in actual NES game code
Saturday 2:00 PM Circus World - Learn how to Juggle and stuff, they do an awesome job teaching
Saturday 2:00 PM Nerf War - Same place as before should be around 200 people again firing Nerf at one another
Saturday 5:00 PM Super Art Fight!
Saturday 8:30 PM MAGFest Vs. - Its Nick Arcade on stage. This version has a behind the scenes QnA and has celebrities being the contestants
Saturday 10:00 PM to 12:00 AM Urizen and MaSu!
Saturday 11:30 PM Cosplay Dance Off - Best for photographers and people to do street style dance routines
Sunday 12:00 PM TeamFourStar - Or how a group of guests can’t read emails so I could justify people sticking around on Sunday
Sunday 1:00 PM The How to Panel, Panel - New one for me in which I walk people through making their panel not suck
Other things of note:
Battletek pod for intense gaming
Megamanathon concerts from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM on three consecutive days
Two Escape Rooms
Two Bridge Simulators
The following games you should play in Tabletop Indie: Lazer Ryders, Shapes the Game, Knuckule Sammach (from the people that brought you Kobbalds ate my baby)
There you go, I missed a bunch of stuff but that is maximizing on the good shit to do.
Next year, I need to get serious about setting up and running a Bushido Blade tournament at MAGFest. I brought the game last year, and spent a couple hours in the retro-console room, and the game was hugely popular, with tons of people stopping by to play a bit. I’m planning to do the same thing this year.
Bushido Blade is such a fun game to play and even watch. Last year at MAGFest, I had a bunch of people come up curious about the game as they’d never heard of it or seen it before. Even after I’d explained to them that it was a fighting game with “realistic” body damage and one-hit kills, they still didn’t fully understand or appreciate it until they had played a match and where subsequently killed in about half a second. Then, you would see this huge grin appear on their faces and they would laugh and say how awesome the game was, and want to keep playing. I had an absolute blast introducing the game to new players and letting old fans re-experience it.
I would love a modern, version of Bushido Blade with online multiplayer.
I’m definitely going to be in the retro console room with the game if anyone is interested in playing.
Bushido Blade really needs a modern remake. It doesn’t even have to be an official one that is called Bushido Blade. I’ll settle for some indie developer making an homage. If I don’t see one in the PAX Megaboof this year, I will be disappoint.
