I used to go every year in my teens and early 20s, back when it was just in two hotels (the Hyatt and the Marriott, though the Marriott was kind of dead back then). I remember when they added the...
I used to go every year in my teens and early 20s, back when it was just in two hotels (the Hyatt and the Marriott, though the Marriott was kind of dead back then). I remember when they added the third hotel as well, but I never spent much time there.
I was active in Atlanta's Rocky Horror Picture Show scene, and we'd all volunteer to work DragonCon security together, so most of my memories are security-related. The ones I remember most: the time someone set up an illegal tattoo parlor in their hotel room and were tattooing drunk guests, the time someone dressed as Spider Man was climbing between balconies on the outside of the Hyatt, the time some cosplayers were carrying around a bunch of illegal guns and got super pissed when we told them to get rid of them quick before the cops saw them, and the time James Marsters cut his hand on a sword belonging to one of my friends and the chaos that caused over the radio (we didn't have a code word for that type of incident, but we used the term "package" to refer to VIPs — as in, "I delivered a package to X" meaning a VIP has been successfully escorted somewhere — and my friend improvised with, "Uh, I have a damaged package" and we were all freaking out in the security room trying to figure out what that meant and how serious it was).
I don't live in Atlanta (or even the US) anymore, but I've been sporadically a few times since then, as a regular guest. My favorite event is the robot battles. (I never got to go to any events when I worked security, unless you count guarding the door.)
These are amazing. Thank you sharing. Love the guerilla tattoo parlor. We started "coming" in 2020, so we've only experienced post-covid con. I'm sure there's still wild things that happen but...
These are amazing. Thank you sharing. Love the guerilla tattoo parlor. We started "coming" in 2020, so we've only experienced post-covid con. I'm sure there's still wild things that happen but based on some stories I've heard (yours now being added to that) it sounds like things are tamer (read: safer) these days.
Did you ever come as just an attendee? I'm sure volunteering is a whole other world of flavors to experience.
Anyone else attending Dragon Con this year? I've been curious to know if other Tildes users go or have gone. This year I'm specifically looking forward to playing Call of Cthulhu and Mothership...
Anyone else attending Dragon Con this year? I've been curious to know if other Tildes users go or have gone.
This year I'm specifically looking forward to playing Call of Cthulhu and Mothership for the first time at the gaming hall. I'll most likely end up buying whatever Vonnart's yearly Dragon Con exclusive is because I'm a sucker for his art style. I'm also looking forward eating lunch at Aviva's and their delicious lamb shawarma.
Would love to hear any stories of past Dragon Con experiences and/or what you're looking forward to this year.
I'm on my way there right now! Fourth year for me, I think? The big event for me is the robot battles on Sunday (I have two robots I'm running). My group is also doing one of the swordplay...
I'm on my way there right now! Fourth year for me, I think?
The big event for me is the robot battles on Sunday (I have two robots I'm running). My group is also doing one of the swordplay workshops this year, which should be fun. Other than that, mostly wandering.
I love Robot Battles! I missed last year, but I think my favorite from 2024 has to be Arachnarchy. The legs were amazing and hilarious with how fast they moved....
What weight class are you going with? I'm very tempted to get into it (loved BattleBots growing up) but I don't really have space in my life for yet another hobby.
Edit: Also, congratulations on getting into that swordplay workshop. Our friends have been trying to get into that for years with no success except that some slots opened up magically this year for them even with the massive waiting list.
I have a 1lb (Flippin' Heck, a lifter) and a 3lb (Spicy Donut, a ring spinner) with me this year. You would have missed last year's exciting ending where the previous iteration of Spicy Donut took...
I have a 1lb (Flippin' Heck, a lifter) and a 3lb (Spicy Donut, a ring spinner) with me this year. You would have missed last year's exciting ending where the previous iteration of Spicy Donut took a sawblade directly to the battery and filled the arena with smoke :D I'm not entirely confident in the redesign, but it's kind of my "fuck around with new ideas and see how they go" platform, so it'll be fun regardless.
It's a fun and surprisingly welcoming hobby. There are antweight kits you can get if you want to try it out without diving directly into fully custom everything.
Feel free to come say hi if you're there! I'm usually the only purple-haired transfem in the room, probably will have a table near the middle of the pit area.
Haha, that IS spicy. When your bots get damaged are you disappointed or is that part of the fun for you too? I'm sure the redesign will be brilliant. I will make an effort to come over! I have a...
Haha, that IS spicy. When your bots get damaged are you disappointed or is that part of the fun for you too? I'm sure the redesign will be brilliant.
I will make an effort to come over! I have a gaming thing that starts at 1pm on Sunday, but I think robot battles stuff starts at 10am, right?
The engineering is most of the fun for me, so a destroyed bot is mostly just an invitation to do more engineering. Spicy Donut has been through like five revisions at this point, and has...
The engineering is most of the fun for me, so a destroyed bot is mostly just an invitation to do more engineering. Spicy Donut has been through like five revisions at this point, and has alternated between being a ring and shell spinner. I think shells are easier to build, but I never got the not-being-flipped-over part working well enough, so for this one I've gone back to the one that can just drive upside down.
The event itself is from 10:00-14:00, I think. (We get there earlier for setup.)
I used to go every year in my teens and early 20s, back when it was just in two hotels (the Hyatt and the Marriott, though the Marriott was kind of dead back then). I remember when they added the third hotel as well, but I never spent much time there.
I was active in Atlanta's Rocky Horror Picture Show scene, and we'd all volunteer to work DragonCon security together, so most of my memories are security-related. The ones I remember most: the time someone set up an illegal tattoo parlor in their hotel room and were tattooing drunk guests, the time someone dressed as Spider Man was climbing between balconies on the outside of the Hyatt, the time some cosplayers were carrying around a bunch of illegal guns and got super pissed when we told them to get rid of them quick before the cops saw them, and the time James Marsters cut his hand on a sword belonging to one of my friends and the chaos that caused over the radio (we didn't have a code word for that type of incident, but we used the term "package" to refer to VIPs — as in, "I delivered a package to X" meaning a VIP has been successfully escorted somewhere — and my friend improvised with, "Uh, I have a damaged package" and we were all freaking out in the security room trying to figure out what that meant and how serious it was).
I don't live in Atlanta (or even the US) anymore, but I've been sporadically a few times since then, as a regular guest. My favorite event is the robot battles. (I never got to go to any events when I worked security, unless you count guarding the door.)
Okay but important question: if that's where you're doing security, do you still get to participate in enforcement of the Frankenstein Rule?
These are amazing. Thank you sharing. Love the guerilla tattoo parlor. We started "coming" in 2020, so we've only experienced post-covid con. I'm sure there's still wild things that happen but based on some stories I've heard (yours now being added to that) it sounds like things are tamer (read: safer) these days.
Did you ever come as just an attendee? I'm sure volunteering is a whole other world of flavors to experience.
Anyone else attending Dragon Con this year? I've been curious to know if other Tildes users go or have gone.
This year I'm specifically looking forward to playing Call of Cthulhu and Mothership for the first time at the gaming hall. I'll most likely end up buying whatever Vonnart's yearly Dragon Con exclusive is because I'm a sucker for his art style. I'm also looking forward eating lunch at Aviva's and their delicious lamb shawarma.
Would love to hear any stories of past Dragon Con experiences and/or what you're looking forward to this year.
I'm on my way there right now! Fourth year for me, I think?
The big event for me is the robot battles on Sunday (I have two robots I'm running). My group is also doing one of the swordplay workshops this year, which should be fun. Other than that, mostly wandering.
I love Robot Battles! I missed last year, but I think my favorite from 2024 has to be Arachnarchy. The legs were amazing and hilarious with how fast they moved. https://youtu.be/U8TQIA5PQDM?si=FrcaCsxJN-QCtLYH&t=158
What weight class are you going with? I'm very tempted to get into it (loved BattleBots growing up) but I don't really have space in my life for yet another hobby.
Edit: Also, congratulations on getting into that swordplay workshop. Our friends have been trying to get into that for years with no success except that some slots opened up magically this year for them even with the massive waiting list.
I have a 1lb (Flippin' Heck, a lifter) and a 3lb (Spicy Donut, a ring spinner) with me this year. You would have missed last year's exciting ending where the previous iteration of Spicy Donut took a sawblade directly to the battery and filled the arena with smoke :D I'm not entirely confident in the redesign, but it's kind of my "fuck around with new ideas and see how they go" platform, so it'll be fun regardless.
It's a fun and surprisingly welcoming hobby. There are antweight kits you can get if you want to try it out without diving directly into fully custom everything.
Feel free to come say hi if you're there! I'm usually the only purple-haired transfem in the room, probably will have a table near the middle of the pit area.
Haha, that IS spicy. When your bots get damaged are you disappointed or is that part of the fun for you too? I'm sure the redesign will be brilliant.
I will make an effort to come over! I have a gaming thing that starts at 1pm on Sunday, but I think robot battles stuff starts at 10am, right?
The engineering is most of the fun for me, so a destroyed bot is mostly just an invitation to do more engineering. Spicy Donut has been through like five revisions at this point, and has alternated between being a ring and shell spinner. I think shells are easier to build, but I never got the not-being-flipped-over part working well enough, so for this one I've gone back to the one that can just drive upside down.
The event itself is from 10:00-14:00, I think. (We get there earlier for setup.)